Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Should Cheating Be Academic Dishonesty Essay - 1071 Words

We have all grown up learning that cheating in school would always come with consequences yet many students continue to cheat. I do not find it surprising that students cheat in college or university. McCabe, Trevino Butterfield (2001) offer many explanations as in why students commit academic dishonesty, such as peer influences. Although the findings of this study still can be applied today I argue a new study should consider the use of technology in regards to academic dishonesty. With the rise of technology, it has become much easier for students to cheat on exams and papers. For instance, people can cheat on exams with the assistance of technology; for instance, the Apple watch. The Apple watch can be seen as a watch; however, it is like having a miniature phone on your wrist. The Apple watch makes it easier for students to conceal answers and cheat on exams. McCabe et al (2001) offered many explanations as to why students commit academic dishonesty, but I would argue that the re are new explanations to help explain this phenomenon. When I think of academic dishonesty I think of students cheating on exams or plagiarizing, but this study failed to consider cheating completed over the Internet. If I were to search for a paper on cybercrime, I could find many written all I would need to do is purchase one. Finding papers online is simple, but getting caught is even easier, however, many students continue to purchase papers online. I do agree with the authors thatShow MoreRelatedAcademic Dishonesty Among High School Students1039 Words   |  5 Pages Academic dishonesty among high school student By: Sukhmanveer kaur sidhu Academic dishonesty or academic misconduct is any type of cheating that occurs in relation to a formal academic exercise . It consist of any deliberate attempt to falsify,fabricate or otherwise to tamper with data, information , records, or any other material that is relevant to students participation in any course, laboratory, or other academic functionRead MoreAcademic Plagiarism And Academic Dishonesty932 Words   |  4 Pagescontributor to academic dishonesty. Forgetting to study can cause those who would not usually cheat to stoop low and look at someone else s work. Some students rely on cheating to make their way through high school or college. Academic dishonesty is a way lazy students take advantage of hard working students. Whether the academic dishonesty is caused because of the lack of preparation, a poor work ethic, or by having a poor home life; it usually leads to violating academic dishonesty school policiesRead MoreAcademic Integrity : Types Of Academic Dishonesty A nd Prevention Methods1743 Words   |  7 Pages Academic Integrity: Types of academic dishonesty and prevention methods Chetan Muppaneni Webster University Academic Integrity: Types of academic dishonesty and prevention methods Abstract This paper discusses the different types of academic dishonesty and the prevention measures that are taken to maintain academic integrity. The need of following the codes/rules of the institutions and to promote the academic integrity is mainly on the students and the faculty. The paper discussesRead MorePlagiarism And The Reasons College Students1618 Words   |  7 Pagesplague in academics, but in many other fields, such as entertainment, art, and the written world. Thus it can be explained as receiving an ownership on someone’s work without their permission and without giving any credit to them intentionally or unintentionally. While I maintain this position, professors should allow creativity, resourcefulness and ingenuity in their coursework, so that students have an opportunity to thrive on achievement. This alternative method will discourage cheating by promotingRead MoreCheating Is A Word?1496 Words   |  6 PagesCheating is a word that no one wants to have attached to their name, because it comes attached with a load of negative stigma. What exactly is the definition of cheating? According to Oxford Dictionaries, the definition of the word â€Å"cheat† is as follows: â€Å"Act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage, especially in a game or examination.† As one can adhere through this definition, when someone cheats they are acting in a dishonest way that deprives others of the truth. There are manyRead MoreLegal Issue Scenario : Academic Dishonesty997 Words   |  4 PagesLegal Issue Scenario: Academic Dishonesty Technology is rapidly evolving and changing, and as a result of the increasing availability and propagation of several forms of technology, academic dishonesty cases in every college and university have greatly multiplied and become a global issue. The issue on cheating behaviors in students is so pervasive and uncontrollable that it is almost considered as commonplace (Arhin Jones, 2009). One of the hardest challenges for educators is knowing howRead MoreAcademic Honesty and Its Value in a Students Life1821 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Running Head: Academic Honesty Abstract This paper is based on the academic honesty and how it is so valuable in a students life. Indeed, the importance of maintaining academic honesty is also discussed in a comprehensive manner as a highlighting facet. Moreover, the aspects through which academic honesty can lead them towards better human being in their lives and entire professional life has also been under discussion. Furthermore, the emphasis has also been made that students are not theRead MoreAcademic Integrity Essay1305 Words   |  6 PagesAcademic Integrity and Honor Codes in Schools In todays society, there is a trend being set by both college and high school students. The trend is moving from academic integrity to academic dishonesty. What exactly is the difference between academic integrity versus dishonesty? I believe that academic integrity is a state of pride and belief in ones own knowledge and work. It is taking what you know and applying it in a scholarly systematic way without help from any other source that would makeRead MoreCheating Is Defined As An Act Of Dishonesty844 Words   |  4 Pagescomes to mind when hearing the word â€Å"cheat†? According to Merriam Webster, Cheating is defined as an â€Å"act of dishonesty in order to gain an advantage† (Webster, 2015). Society seems to encourage that people should do whatever it takes to win or succeed. This method has been recycled through any type of accomplishment from politics to performances. The three main areas that people are susceptible to cheat in are athletics, academics, and i ntimate relationships. There are several ways to cheat in sportsRead MorePlagiarism, The Most Common Form Of Academic Dishonesty923 Words   |  4 Pagesassignment on time. Acts of academic dishonesty such as copying is growing among today s student. Plagiarism, the most common form of academic dishonesty, is going â€Å"viral† as students misinterpret or disregard the essence of what plagiarism is. Such actions may appear to be efficient, but it isn t worth punishment. Honor Codes, rules set by an academic institution, are set in place to warn students against conducting unethical actions such as plagiarizing. An academic institution may conduct disciplinary

Monday, December 16, 2019

Process Design Matrix OPS/571 Essay - 867 Words

University of Phoenix Material Process Design Matrix Complete the process design matrix. Write an executive summary identifying appropriate design approaches for a selected product and service. Pick one service with which you are familiar. Complete three to five line items such as production line, self-service, or personal attention approach, on the Process Design Matrix. Pick one product with which you are familiar. Complete three to five line items such as Job shop, batch, assembly line, or continuous flow approach, on the Process Design Matrix. Process Design Aspect Service Product Design focal point Strategy Deliver pizzas to customer within 45 minutes. No sit down areas, carry out or delivery†¦show more content†¦The workforce at Swim World Inc. was very small due to the fact that it was a new store and not very well known in the small town it is in. The store was small and with two other stores in Wenatchee and Chelan it was very possible to run with just two people and weekly visits from the delivery crew and service/repair team. With these people coming in and out of the store regularly it was little wonder that the owner only came down from the Wenatchee store once a year to survey what is being done and give the two members of the store a pep talk to get them selling more spas, patio furniture, stoves, and lawn ornaments. This plus a commission on all big ticket items helped to keep the team motivated to make customers happy and move inventory. For the manufacturing process Papa Johns Pizza Delivery was chosen. This store is very well placed in the small town that it opera tes in. Located on a very busy street in Moses Lake it is centrally located and the whole town can be navigated within an easy ten minutes of the store. This allows the workers within the store to be very detail oriented. Assembling the pizza, cooking it and making sure there are no big bubbles in the dough when cooking is easily done. This makes it very pleasing to the eye and customers are less likely to complain. Drivers can take the completed pizza and deliver it within minutes of coming out of the oven. Hot fresh pizzaShow MoreRelatedProcess Design Essay716 Words   |  3 PagesProcess Design Matrix- Executive Summary OPS/571 February 15, 2016 Teresa N. Banks Process Design Matrix amp; Summary The product design of Mary Kay focuses on the product life cycle, but a service design focuses on the services provided and customer experiences. The production process, when manufacturing a product, it must go through several stages of the product life cycle. The difference in a product and service design is putting the focus on people instead of the thing. The service processRead MoreThe Pharmaceutical Industrys Connected Line Flow Approach: Drug Production for a Mass Audience912 Words   |  4 Pagesstandardized fashion. Researching, testing, and developing a new drug is admittedly a complex, individualized process. However, the actual production of a drug for a mass audience requires a generic approach known as the connected line flow approach. When volume continues to increase, an assembly line is set up. Each worker has a specific role, or task, to complete (Process-design matrix, 2013, Mind). Capsules are created and filled according to a standardized method; contents are te sted and workersRead MoreProcess Design Matrix and Summary941 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ Process Design Matrix and Summary Thomas Beadin OPS/571 December 19, 2013 Mary O’Donnel Process Design Matrix and Summary This process design matrix and executive summary will focus on Chapman Tool and Manufacturing and there performance measurement process. This executive summary is needed for Chapman Manufacturing due to their lack of process performance management that will include service approaches, that consist of production line, self-service, and personal attention approaches. ThisRead MoreOps 571 Week 1 Quiz976 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Week 1 OPS 571 Quiz 1 Permeable systems are characterized by being penetrable by customers via what two forms of contact? Internet and mail contact Face-to-face and internet contact Internet and phone contact Phone and face-to-face contact Check Answer Correct Permeable systems are penetrable by phone and face-to-face contact, but they are not necessarily reactive to such contact. 2 Some may argue that the production-line approach may not treat the process as a service process, but as what typeRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 Pages11.1 Risk management process [F.8] 11.2 Identifying risks 11.3.2.2 Impact matrix 11.4 Risk assessment 11.5 Risk responses (.2–.1.2) 11.6 Risk register 7.1.2.5 PERT analysis 7.1.2.6.3 Contingency reserves 7.3.3.4 Change control management G.7 Culture awareness 1.4.4 Project offices 8.1.2 Continuous improvement 5.1 Requirements vs. actual [5.3] Chapter 17 Agile PM 6.1.2.2 Rolling wave This page intentionally left blank Project Management The Managerial Process The McGraw-Hill/IrwinRead MoreAccounting12472 Words   |  50 Pages Bigg Glowbell (BG) Case Study Bigg-Glowbell Organization, Products and Services BG organizes itself in a matrix by geography and division (see below). The market-facing (geography) component is strong, and the countries have a lot of autonomy in what they do. BiggGlowbell Drinks Division Packaging Division GEOGRAPHY: APAC Logistics Division IT Services Division GEOGRAPHY: EMEA SM OPS GEOGRAPHY: Americas ï‚ · The organizational structure of the company is not fully aligned to the businessRead MoreQuality Improvement328284 Words   |  1314 PagesManufacturing Engineering, was Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and was Director of the Program in Industrial Engineering. Dr. Montgomery has research and teaching interests in engineering statistics including statistical quality-control techniques, design of experiments, regression analysis and empirical model building, and the application of operations research methodology to problems in manufacturing systems. He has authored and coauthored more than 190 technical papers in these fields and is theRead MoreOperation Strategies Case Study10190 Words   |  41 PagesKeywords: operations; strategy; performance 1. Introduction This paper examines the relationship between the process and content of operations strategy within firms and plant performance in a range of operations parameters. Further, the paper examines the explicit links between business mainstream and operations strategies within firms by exploring the strategy formulation process and possible links between this relationship and subsequent operations performance. Although there is a substantialRead MoreStrategic Marketing Management337596 Words   |  1351 Pagesof this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying or storing in any medium by electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication) without the written permission of the copyright holder except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under the terms of a licence issued by theRead MoreExploring Corporate Strategy - Case164366 Words   |  658 PagesStakeholder expectations Social responsibility Culture Competitive strategy Strategic options: directions Corporate-level strategy International strategy Innovation and Entrepreneurship Strategic options: methods Strategy evaluation Strategic management process Organising Resourcing Managing change Strategic leadership Strategy in prac tice Public sector/not-for-proï ¬ t management Small business strategy ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€" 

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Applying Balanced Scorecard To Improve Satisfaction †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Applying Balanced Scorecard To Improve Satisfaction. Answer: Introduction Survival of a business for a long term period is necessarily reliant upon satisfying market necessities by means of long term process of creation of value. In itself, traditional performance enumeration systems such as return on investment (ROI) have been criticized to be very intently concentrated on pecuniary figures as well as operational level performance such that they often fail to take into account organizational success. On the other hand, the balanced scorecard appeals to managers to carry out a commitment to establish a wide array of dimensions away from narrowly concentrated financial metrics. In essence, the balance scorecard can in consequence act as dials on specific dashboards and direct businesses into higher amount of profitability as managers position themselves to serve their employees better. Review of the trend Nowadays, stiff competitiveness in the market and globalization can be considered as the major challenges in majority of the corporations and management of the firm are seeking several modern approaches to acquire more competitive benefits. In case of corporations are to thrive and at the same time prosper in highly globalized competitive arena then they need to use enumerations and systems of management based on their specific strategies and capabilities (Hoque, 2014, pp.33-59). Ironically, majority of corporations have the inclination to ignore issued such as customer satisfaction, competencies of internal processes and capabilities of organization whilst focussing only on enumerating financial circumstances. Taking into account these state of affairs, issues namely strategic management, benchmarking and use of balanced scorecard become significant. During the past 10 years, since the period of advent of particularly balanced scorecard several alterations have been introduced to ma inly the physical design, procedures of design as well as utility that are utilized to generate the specific tool within corporations (Gibbons, Robert and Kaplan, 2015, pp.447-451). A survey was conducted by taking 174 senior management personnel from mainly German speaking nations, such as Austria, Germany as well as Switzerland replicated that around 26% of the corporations utilize the balance scorecard in a restricted manner at the business unit phase or else utilize the incomplete version of the same (Hansen, Erik and Stefan Schaltegger, 2016, pp. 193-221). Essentially, the chain of cause and effect is seen to be present in the 50% of the user corporations. Over and above two thirds of the firms utilizing the same can be observed to have related their structure of incentive along with system of compensation. A survey undertaken by Joshi made out that an extensive utilization of various financial dimensions namely return on investment, analysis of variance as well as budgetary control in the process of evaluation of performance (Kerai, Sunita and Ahmed Saleh, 2017, p. 27). Restricted emphasis was positioned on satisfaction of customers together with other non -financial dimensions whilst analysing firms performance. The results of a survey conducted with 579 firms in India including 4 transnational firms revealed the issue associated to designs along with application of performance scorecard. The outcomes of the study replicate that adoption of BSC in particularly corporate India compared desirably with United States (Lin et al., 2016, pp. 1-12). Current issues in the environment Based on study of the current environment it can be said that traditional method of performance evaluation and strategic management used in numerous corporations faces certain limitations (Martello et al, 2016, p. 61). It can be observed that it becomes quite difficult to provide satisfactory definition of particularly profit as well as investment. Essentially, profit has several themes namely profit before interest and tax (PBIT), profit after interest and tax (PAT), profit after deduction of various costs and controllable profit and many others. Again, companies utilizing ROI in diverse corporations, it is imperative that firms employ identical accounting policies and mechanisms (Kang et al., 2015, pp. 124-134). In addition to this, utilization of ROI might influence management to choose investment with superior rate of return. However, the investments that would lessen the overall ROI could on the other hand enhance the value of the overall business. Current Tools The current tool under consideration is the balanced scorecard. In essence, the balanced scorecard can help in providing broad consideration of diverse business aspects, counting financial as well as human aspects. On the other hand, this can be utilized as a tool for employee tracking tool rather that in turn can help in analysis of company performance. This tool takes into account the way each section/division affects another division, in place of concentrating on a specific aspect of performance (Shen et al., 2016, pp. 127-139). Definition of the technique The current study identifies the innovative modern system of balanced scorecard that can help in overcoming the issues encountered by the traditional systems. Balance scorecard can be considered as a performance dimension that can be utilized in the area of strategic management to recognize and enhance diverse internal functions of a business and their ensuing external results (Perkins et al., 2014, pp.148-169). This study also elucidates illustratively the modern technique that can be used for reinforcing good behaviour in a specific corporation by isolating four different areas that have the need to be evaluated. The four different areas include learning and growth, processes of business, finance as well as customers. The current segment therefore aids in attainment of objectives, enumerations, goals as well as initiatives that stem from four chief functions of a business. In this way, business concerns are seamlessly recognizing facets that hinder the overall performance of the fi rm (including financial as well as non-financial dimensions). Basically, with the use of balanced scorecard, the management of the firm can analyse the entire company at the time when considering the objective of the firm. A specific corporation might utilize the balanced scorecard to execute stratagem mapping to understand where value is added within a specific corporation. In this case, the requisite information is acquired and analysed from four different business aspects (Baxter et al., 2014, pp. 347- 363). Thus, it can be said that the primary characteristics of the balanced scorecard entail focus on strategic agenda of the concerned firm, selection of comparatively small amount of data for monitoring and presentation of a combination of both financial as well as non-financial items. Succinct summary of the case The article The balanced scorecard in China: Does it work? penned by Kaisheng Zeng and Xiaohui Luo intends to understand restrictions of balanced scorecard mainly from the Western literature in a bid to ascertain the hurdles related to employment of BSC in particularly China. In addition to this, this study intends to deliver suggestions for various Western firms in terms of ways to successfully execute balanced scorecard in China. The case under consideration takes into account trends of implementation of balanced scorecard in China, research regarding the limitations of the same, substantiation as regards the cause and effect association, strategic control barrier and other obstacles associated to implementation of BSC in China and the way Western firms need to prepare for implementation of BSC in China (Frost et al., 2014, pp. 696-749). In the end, the study presents the suggestions for preparation of the balanced scorecard together with the insinuations for both management pract ices along with research. Thus, this study aids in gaining deep insight regarding the low rate of adoption of BSC in the initial period and the way things changed after the year 2008 when nearly 53% respondents declared about adoption of the same (Gibbons, Robert and Kaplan, 2015, pp. 447-451). Comparison with previous period The modern method of performance measurement and firms strategic management was necessarily introduced in the period 1990s by Robert Kaplan and David Norton. However, since that period, the notion has become quite popular and its diverse forms extensively adopted across the entire globe (Cooper et al., 2017, pp. 991-1025). By combining various financial measures as well as non-financial dimensions in a single declaration, the balanced scorecard delivers managers with richer and more pertinent information regarding activities they are handling than is provided by financial measures. Essentially, the changes can be described as an evolution by means of three distinct generations of balanced scorecard design (Martello et al., 2016, p.61). Balanced scorecard of 1st Generation Balanced scorecard was initially described as an approach to measurement of performance. In addition to financial dimensions, managers were inspired to look at dimensions derived from three different perspectives (Lawrie et al., 2015). Learning as well as growth, procedures of internal business, along with customers, selected to replicate the major stakeholders in a specific business. Balanced scorecard was spare and concentrated on high level framework of the instrument. This required association to the companys goals along with vision to aid in the process of selection of dimensions to be utilized, and also inspired the consideration of certain typical interest areas (Perkins et al., 2014, pp. 148-169). These theories suggested the introduction of various attitudinal questions associating to specific visions as well as goals of the corporation to help in the process of selection of dimensions to be utilized. Balanced scorecard of 2nd Generation The practical difficulties related to design of 1st generation scorecards are considerable, as the definition of the balanced scorecard was at the outset vague, permitting for considerable analysis. Essentially, two important areas of concern include filtering and clustering. Discussions associating to clustering keep on to be rehearsed in the present literature, however, discussions associating to filtering can be considered to be less common and normally appear as part of the description of mechanisms of balanced scorecard (Hladchenko, Myroslava, 2015, pp. 167-176). Perhaps the most significant alteration transformed the attitudinal approach to enumerate selection proposed originally by Kaplan and Norton into a specific procedure that yielded certain important dimensions of performance in each and every perspective. The proposed solution was necessarily the introduction of the theme of Strategic Objectives (Rampersad, Hubert and Hussain, 2014, pp. 29-38). Balanced scorecard of 3rd Generation The 3rd generation balanced scorecard format is founded particularly on refinement and modification of the 2nd generation design features as well as mechanisms to deliver superior functionality and strategic evidence (Basuony, Mohamed, 2014, p. 14). Essentially, the origin of specific developments arises from specific issues associated to target setting and substantiation of various strategic intent selections. Particularly, these directed various developments in the period of late 1990s of a further design component presented initially at the closing of design procedure to confirm objectives, dimensions along with targets selected. The important elements of the 3rd generation of balanced scorecard are necessarily the destination statement, strategic objectives, strategic linkage and association model and perspectives as well as measures (Lueg, Rainer, 2015, pp. 34-40) Statement of a case of failure and success The article Why the balanced scorecard fails in SMEs: A Case Study written by Dr, Nopadol Romphom reflects about failures of SMEs in implementation of balanced scorecard. Despite several accounts of successful execution of balanced scorecard in large business concern, Kaplan and Norton deciphered two different sources of failures based on their experience. The two identified sources include failure of design and process failure. The said study elucidates in detail about the SAQ Company Limited instituted during 2002. The company was a retail corporation operating in the sector of electrical appliance that registered yearly sales of approximately 10 million. The manager and owners were in favour of implementation of balanced scorecard for execution of a performance measurement framework that could assist in translating mission as well as strategy into action (Hannabarger et al., 2013). However, this BSC practice was observed to fail and the major cause behind this failure was found ou t to be frequent alterations in strategy of the company. It was witnessed that since the implementation of BSC in the firm, several dimensions were added and constantly modified. The firm observed decline in the sales within three months of the implementation of the tool. Hence, it can be inferred that findings of the current case study helps in expanding the overall knowledge as regards BSC implementation, reflecting factors leading to successful utilization of the balanced scorecard in both large as well as small enterprises. The case of Mecklenburg County, NC presents accounts of success stories of the implementation of balanced scorecard. It can be seen that the company Mecklenburg County essentially lacked both consistent as well as sustainable approach for attainment of vision. In addition to this, the company possessed no consistent model for arriving at financing decisions founded on set priorities and analysing the larger impact of these decisions. However, with the establishment of the balanced scorecard approach, the county instituted an Office of Management and Budget for taking up the responsibility for the firms strategic management procedures and communicating the performance at different levels namely community, corporate as well as departmental levels (Kuhn, Kephas, 2013). Thus, Mecklenburg County engaged different departments in the process of development of scorecard. In essence, Mecklenburg County advanced knowledge and understanding regarding BSC among employees and instituted a proper structure, even though informal. This in turn aided Mecklenburg County to maintain engagement, garner support, constant refinement and ultimately effective usage of the balanced scorecard within each and every department of the company. Overall performance in different nations The first and foremost article on the subject matter of balanced scorecard was presented by Kaplan and Norton during the year 1992 (Freeman, Brandon, 2014). However, since that period, the usage of the balanced scorecard has developed radically as an important strategic management tool and is now observed as a globally recognized system. Reports suggest that this tool is used extensively in private as well as not for profit as well as public sector firms, of different sizes and categories. Let us say, the results of international survey conducted by Bain and Company 2008 with 1430 global executives from corporations in a wide range of industries reflect that the balanced scorecard is the sixth most utilized management tools among 25 (Hoque, Zahirul, 2014, pp. 33-59). Furthermore, the survey also replicated that the balanced scorecard received the eight highest rating of satisfaction (rating was 3.83/5.00) and it was utilized by nearly 50% of the firms surveyed in various major region s of the world. Strikingly, the highest satisfaction level could be observed in the healthcare segment. Furthermore, it can also be hereby stated that one of the most vital management ideas was the balanced scorecard in the last seventy five years by particularly the Harvard Business Review. Analysis There are several scholars who expressed concerns regarding traditional measures of performance that solely concentrated on various financial dimensions. Essentially, scholars before Kaplan and Norton criticised the traditional metrics that laid emphasis on the financial dimensions and concentrated on short term financial outcomes whilst sacrificing various prospects of the long term period (Gibbons, Robert and Kaplan, 2015, pp. 447-451). Analysis of cases reflect that the return on investment (ROI) has several limitations taking into account intricacies involved in the process of presenting satisfactory definition of both profit as well as investment. At the time of comparing and assessing the ROI of various firms, it is obligatory that the corporations utilize identical policies of accounting as well as methods in respect of st7ock valuation, ascertainment of value of various fixed assets, allotment of firms overheads, ways of treating expenditure associated to research and develop ment. In addition to this, ROI can also exert influence on managers to choose investments with superior rates of return (Martello et al., 2016, p. 61). However, there were other scholars who endorsed the idea that together with the financial dimensions, it is important to take into consideration different non-financial metrics, for instance, reduction of cost of process, quality, and times of cycle and on-time deliveries among many others. The concept of associating measures to stratagem is also not a unique concept of the balanced scorecard approach. Thereafter, the notion of balance pyramid was introduced in which vision regarding the balance was integrated into financial as well as non-financial dimensions of firms performance. Balanced scorecard is one of the tool that is used for analysing performance can help in identification of the mission, vision as well as perspectives of the firm, recognition of various stratagems to attain mission and assessment of the performance of the corporation from specific perspectives to acquire an idea regarding the way the corporation can get successful (Shen et al., 2016, pp. 127-139). Evaluat ion of performance of corporation replicate that the tactic to deliver a balanced as well as comprehensive structure for the purpose of reviewing a corporations performance from various perspectives such as financial perspective, customer perspective, growth perspective as well as business along with production procedure perspective. Four different perspectives entailed in the balanced scorecard can be considered to be interrelated as well as inter-associated. For instance, the primary objective within financial perspective is profitability (Martello et al., 2016, p.61). Essentially, profitability can be regarded to be plausible at the time when the perspective of the customers can meet the objective of satisfaction of customers. Detailed analytical review helps in understanding the way balanced scorecard can he linked to diverse performance dimensions. This helps in understanding the way consumers perceive the company and its performance, internal perspective of comprehending factors at which company need to excel at (Martello et al., 2016, p. 61). Besides this, innovation as well as learning perspective can aid in comprehending whether the company can continue to enhance and create value. Additionally, this helps in understanding the way it is important to look at shareholders based on analysis of financial perspective. Objective The current study can help in outlining the issues faced by usage of traditional method of return on investment (ROI) for enumeration of performance of the company. Moving further, the study replicates the way the modern method of balanced scorecard can help in overcoming the issues encountered owing to implementation of the traditional method of return on investment (ROI). This study intends to present the ways in which the modern method can help in addressing the issues identified in the process of enumeration of performance (Perkins et al., 2014, pp. 148-169). Thereafter, this study helps in understanding various benefits of BSC along with illustration of case studies reflecting successes of implementation of BSC. In addition to this, this study also intends to throw light on the limitation of implementation of BSC together with illustration of cases of failure in the process of execution of BSC (Kerai, Sunita, and Ahmed Saleh, 2017, p. 27). Conclusion The above mentioned helps in gaining comprehensive understanding as regards adoption of modern method of balanced scorecard for the purpose of addressing the issues identified in case of traditional method that is return on investment (ROI). This study helps in understanding key features of the traditional performance metrics such as return on investments along with the criticisms attached to the process of intently focussing only on monetary figures. Thereafter, the study moves further to illustrate the modern method, the techniques associated to the new method of assessment of measurement of performance and proper strategic management of the firm. Furthermore, this study also presents succinct summary of a specific case to understand restrictions of balanced scorecard mainly from the Western literature in a bid to ascertain the hurdles related to employment of BSC in particularly China. In addition to this, the study also presents comparison to previous period, announcement of a c ase of failure and success, overall performance in various nations, analysis as well as objective of the study. References Basuony, Mohamed AK. "The Balanced Scorecard in large firms and SMEs: A critique of the nature, value and application."Accounting and Finance Research3.2 (2014): 14. Baxter, Siyan, et al. "The relationship between return on investment and quality of study methodology in workplace health promotion programs."American Journal of Health Promotion28.6 (2014): 347-363. Cooper, David J., Mahmoud Ezzamel, and Sandy Q. Qu. "Popularizing a management accounting idea: The case of the balanced scorecard."Contemporary Accounting Research34.2 (2017): 991-1025. Freeman, Brandon.Balanced Scorecard. [United States?]: Crandon Freeman, 2014. Print. Frost, Jennifer J., et al. "Return on investment: a fuller assessment of the benefits and cost savings of the US publicly funded family planning program."The Milbank Quarterly92.4 (2014): 696-749. Gibbons, Robert, and Robert S. Kaplan. "Formal Measures in Informal Management: Can a Balanced Scorecard Change a Culture?."American Economic Review105.5 (2015): 447-51. Gibbons, Robert, and Robert S. Kaplan. "Formal Measures in Informal Management: Can a Balanced Scorecard Change a Culture?."American Economic Review105.5 (2015): 447-51. Hannabarger, Charles, Peter Economy, and Frederick Buchman.Balanced Scorecard Strategy For Dummies. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley Sons, 2013. Print. Hansen, Erik G., and Stefan Schaltegger. "The sustainability balanced scorecard: A systematic review of architectures."Journal of Business Ethics133.2 (2016): 193-221. Hladchenko, Myroslava. "Balanced Scorecarda strategic management system of the higher education institution."International Journal of Educational Management29.2 (2015): 167-176. Hoque, Zahirul. "20 years of studies on the balanced scorecard: trends, accomplishments, gaps and opportunities for future research."The British accounting review46.1 (2014): 33-59. Kang, Jin-Su, et al. "Corporate social responsibility and sustainability balanced scorecard: The case study of family-owned hotels."International Journal of Hospitality Management48 (2015): 124-134. Kerai, Sunita, and Ahmed Saleh. "Applying the Balanced Scorecard to Improve Student Satisfaction, Market Share and Profitability."AMR(2017): 27. Kuhn, Kephas.Risk Enhanced Balanced Scorecard. [Place of publication not identified]: Grin Verlag, 2013. Print. Lawrie, Gavin, Dirk Kalff, and Henrik Andersen. "Balanced scorecard and results-based management: Convergent performance management systems." (2015). Lin, Mei-Hui, et al. "Sustainable development in technological and vocational higher education: Balanced scorecard measures with uncertainty."Journal of Cleaner Production120 (2016): 1-12. Lueg, Rainer. "Strategy maps: the essential link between the balanced scorecard and action."Journal of Business Strategy36.2 (2015): 34-40. Martello, Michael, John G. Watson, and Michael J. Fischer. "Implementing a balanced scorecard in a not-for-profit organization."Journal of Business Economics Research (Online)14.3 (2016): 61. Perkins, Mike, Anna Grey, and Helge Remmers. "What do we really mean by Balanced Scorecard?."International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management63.2 (2014): 148-169. Rampersad, Hubert, and Saleh Hussain. "Personal balanced scorecard."Authentic Governance. Springer, Cham, 2014. 29-38. Shen, Yung-Chi, Pih-Shuw Chen, and Chun-Hsien Wang. "A study of enterprise resource planning (ERP) system performance measurement using the quantitative balanced scorecard approach."Computers in Industry75 (2016): 127-139.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Self-esteem an Example of the Topic Psychology Essays by

Self-esteem Personality trait has long been the subject of many research studies. But perhaps, the most discussed personality trait that has generated a considerable amount of theoretical and empirical research is the topic of self-esteem. This paper seeks to further examine the nature of self-esteem through new conceptualizations of its properties and dimensions, and to explore how these new ideas in self-esteem research impact on a specific area of psychological well-being an inpiduals vulnerability to depression. Need essay sample on "Self-esteem" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed First, self-esteems definition is examined. According to Rosenberg (1965), self-esteem is the evaluation which the inpidual makes and customarily maintains with regard to himself; it expresses an attitude of approval or disapproval (p. 5). Most researchers who investigate self-esteem utilize this definition as a starting point for their own definition of self-esteem. Coopersmith (1967) states that self-esteem is the component of the self-concept that refers to .ones feelings of self-worth. Holland and Andre (1994) explains that self-esteem is how an inpidual perceive the value or sense of worth about their selves. As it is, self-esteem can be best defined as an inpiduals feelings of self-worth or self-regard. While it is necessary to define self-esteem, it is equally important to acknowledge the motivational aspect of self-esteem (especially this investigation deals with depression). Gecas (1991) maintains that because an inpidual has a self-concept, he will be motivated to maintain and enhance it, to conceive of it as efficacious and consequential, and to experience it as meaningful and real (p. 174). Gecas further explains that one way a person can do this is through the self-esteem motive. The self-esteem motive refers to a persons desire to view ones self favourably and behave in such a way that will maintain or enhance a favorable view of ones self. In short, self-esteem can be motivational. Motivation is that which gives direction to action and intensity and persistence to the directed action. Taking these two definitions into account, it can be said that a persons level of self-esteem dictates what types of behaviour that particular person may engage in. With this motivational aspect of self-esteem develops a debate that has long been the interest of many researches. There has been a long standing debate on the impact of self-esteem to an inpiduals psychological well-being, especially his vulnerability to depression. According to Whitley (1983), self-esteem is related to psychological well-being both empirically and theoretically; that is, high self-esteem is seen by clinicians to be a healthy and desirably characteristic and that many literatures has examined the connection of self-esteem to depression, anxiety, poor general adjustment, and self-referral to mental health professionals. One position in this debate sees self-esteem as a powerful influence on inpidual health and stability. Research in depression provides an example of evidence for a hypothesized protective factor of high self-esteem against the development of symptomatology. Although Becks (1967) theory of depression does not seem to be as emphatic on the idea that high self-esteem is a protective factor; it does suggest that low self-esteem results in a type of vulnerability to depressive symptoms. Beck also records the common finding people suffering from depression commonly express negative feelings about themselves, specifically feelings of worthlessness. A negative evaluation of the self forms one leg of Becks primary cognitive triad of depressive symptoms where the depressed inpidual not only sees himself as inferior, but he dislikes himself for it (p. 259). A connection between level of self-esteem and coexisting depressive symptoms has been recorded across many studies. Many researchers in psychology have adopted this position. Feathers (1985) study of the relations among gender roles, self-esteem, and depressions suggested that self-esteem may be as much as construction of Western, inpidualized culture as are masculinity and femininity. Feather found the widely reported negative correlation between masculinity and depression disappeared when the effects of self-esteem were controlled. This suggested that masculinity and self-esteem might reflect the same construct. Thus, according to Feather, ...self-esteem may reflect in part the dominant masculine values of Western-type cultures (p. 491). Thus, traits researchers attributed to self-esteem were in fact the same traits that researchers attributed to masculinity. Thus one who is masculine, goal- or action-oriented is reinforced for reflecting dominant cultural goals and by virtue of those traits is said to have high self-esteem. It is, however, still unclear as to what is assigned the protective factor against depression high self-esteem or adoption of male-oriented socially supported roles. In 1993, Andrews and Brown compared Rosenbergs (1965) SES to their interview measure. They called their measure the Self Evaluaton and Social Support scale (SESS). The SESS was designed to measure positive and negative self-evaluation using scales measuring personal attributes, role performance, and self-acceptance across occupational, domestic and interpersonal contexts. Andrews and Brown reported that the interview measure was more successful at predicting subsequent depression due to its focus on specific dimensions of self-dissatisfaction for each inpidual. Each interview was conducted by a researcher who gathered facts and coded emotional tone, salience, and frequency of positive and negative comments. This meant the interviewer was responsible for judging the relevance of information and emotional context for inclusion into the data set, comparing them with anchors, and then making ratings of self-esteem for the inpidual. This is clearly a more fluid, state-based approach to self-esteem. Andrews and Brown contrast this approach to the trait-based self-report questionnaires, which they hypothesize are handicapped by their demands on reliability and comparability of item responses across inpiduals. They argue that this focus of the trait-based measures is not sensitive to specific abilities or domain that have salience to the inpidual subject. However, since previous research demonstrates that the prediction of depressive symptoms from level of self-esteem is inconsistent, many researchers have begun looking at a different aspect of self-esteem for a better definition of its relationship with vulnerability to depressive symptoms. This they called the lability of self-esteem. Self-esteem lability is the tendency of an inpiduals self-esteem to fluctuate over time in response to environmental or social influences (Butler, Hokanson & Flynn, 1994). Butler et al. (1994) found that self-esteem lability is a better index of vulnerability to depression than trait or level-bases self-esteem (whether self-esteem is high or low). This research suggested that self-esteem lability interacts with daily events to produce depressive symptoms wherein an inpidual with labile self-esteem had a higher reactivity to life stressors than an inpidual with a more stable sense of self-esteem. Whisman and Kwon (1993) examined the role of self-esteem and hopelessness to life stress and dysphoria. They assessed eighty undergraduates on self-esteem, hopelessness, and dysphoria and reassessed them after three months on life events, daily hassles, hopelessness, and dysphoria (Whisman and Kwon, 1993). They found a significant association between residual change in dysphoria and self-esteem, life stress and an extreme interaction of both. Furthermore, they found that residual change in hopelessness mediated the relations between residual change in dysphoria and both self-esteem and life stress (Whisman and Kwon, 1993, abstract). These studies provide a reasonably solid basis upon which to advance the idea that self-esteem lability has a strong connection with vulnerability to depression. The models generally proposed using self-esteem lability follow a diathesis-stress structure in which an inpidual carries some kind of vulnerability to depressive symptoms that, while predisposing him to a depressive illness, will not develop into depression unless triggered by the correct environmental stressors. The vulnerability to illness is not enough to trigger expression of symptoms. Vulnerability and stressor must both be present at sufficient levels and interact to produce depressive symptoms. The existing research literature is generally supportive of the role of social self-esteem in prediction of depressive symptoms. Many models of depressive vulnerability use the concept of reliance upon external sources for self-esteem or social comparison as a diathesis for future illness. However, there are substantive differences for the relation of personal relevance of this concept. For inpiduals endorsing low levels of social esteem relevance, depressive symptoms were predicted by adverse events and an interaction of social self-esteem and self-esteem lability. Further analysis of the relation between the variables in this interaction term revealed a negative relationship between these variables. This would suggest that for inpiduals endorsing low relevance of social self-esteem, high levels of lability may have a predictive relationship with depressive symptoms when those inpiduals experience low levels of self-esteem derived from social sources. For inpiduals endorsing high relevance of social esteem, depressive symptoms were predicted through an interaction of social self-esteem level and adverse events. While exploratory at this time, these findings would seem to leave little doubt that social self-esteem and its centrality to the inpidual have important effects in a model of vulnerability to depressive symptoms. References Andrews, B., & Brown, G. W. (1993). Self-esteem and vulnerability to depression: The concurrent validity of interview and questionnaire measures. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 102, 565-572. B.E. Whitley, J. (1983). Sex role orientation and self-esteem: A critical meta-analytic review. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44(765-778). Beck, A. (1967). Depression: Clinical, experimental, and theoretical aspects. London: Staples. Butler, A. C., Hokanson, J. E., & Flynn, H. A. (1994). A comparison of self-esteem lability and low trait self-esteem as vulnerability factors for depression. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66, 166-177. Coopersmith, S. (1967). The antecedents of self-esteem. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman and Company. Feather, N. T. (1985). Masculinity, femininity, self-esteem, and subclinical depression. Sex Roles, 12, 491-500. Gecas, V. (1991). The self-concept as a basis for a theory of motivation. In J. A. Howard & P. L. Callero (Eds.), The self-society dynamic: Cognition, emotion, and action (pp. 171-187). New York: Cambridge University Press. Holland, A., & Andre, T. (1994). The relationship of self-esteem to selected personal and environmental resources of adolescents. 29(114), 345-360. Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Whisman, M. A., & Kwon, P. (1993). Life stress and dysphoria: The role of self-esteem and hopelessness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65(5), 1054-1060.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

40+ Amazing Gifts for Writers (That Your Friend Will Love)

40+ Amazing Gifts for Writers (That Your Friend Will Love) 40+ Amazing Gifts for Writers That Will Help You "Win" Christmas 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through Reedsy, the writers were stirring, to make gift-giving easy.That’s right, Christmas is around the corner! We know from personal experience just how hard it is to shop for authors, so we put in the hard work for you and created this guide of usual and unusual gifts for writers in your lives. It’s split into four sections (differentiated by price points) for easy access.We hope that it helps you during the annual holiday crunch. Simply browse below to find the perfect gift for your writer friends - or even for yourself. Merry Christmas shopping, everyone!Below $101. â€Å"Jane Austen† Socks ($9)(Image: Stata)Is there anything cooler in the world than Mrs. Weasley’s clock? (For the Muggles out there, it’s a clock that lets you know where the people in your life are at any given moment in time, which isn’t stalkerish at all.) Well, we have good news for you: it now exists! Built by Stata, it use s technology and GPS and relay your loved ones’ coordinates on a clock face that has such options as â€Å"Home,† â€Å"Friends,† â€Å"Out,† â€Å"Transit,† â€Å"Airport,† â€Å"Lost,† and â€Å"Hospital.† There’s no â€Å"Mortal Peril† option yet - at least not until Voldemort actually pays us a visit in our Muggle world.41. Writing workshops ($120-$500)A writing workshop is literally the gift that will keep on giving, as the knowledge that participants gain from it will benefit them in the long-run.   It’s a great way to encourage writers, both amateur and experienced. Check out these online writing courses below to see if one of them could make the perfect Christmas gift:Catapult24PearlStreetWriter’s Digest UniversityGotham Writers Community42. Subscription to Kindle Unlimited ($120)Two words: unlimited reading. Kindle Unlimited gives its members the freedom to explore over 1 million titles, thousands of audiobooks, and any magazine. This might be the only thing better than a Kindle - although this subscription paired with a Kindle wouldn’t be too shabby, either.These items have been chosen independently by the team at Reedsy, but if you buy something through our post, we may get a small share of the sale. If you have any suggestions for other great gifts for writers, please share them in the comments below!

Friday, November 22, 2019

DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY ABOUT A PERSON

DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY ABOUT A PERSON Being mentioned a lot about descriptive type of essay, we would like to specifically focus on descriptive writing about a person. In this writing your will mention important characteristics that are interesting to the readers and will describe a person in particular. If you know the person, describe the characteristics that you admire about him/her. If you don’t, imagine that you know this person and focus on what you liked about that person in general. There are several ways to portray somebody in persuasive essay about a person. Talk about him in the context of his personal and career achievements. Be detailed about the persons story. You can write your essay as a persons description. Then focus on everything that will describe his character. Also, you essay can have an informative context. Write mostly interesting biography details about a person. Last but now least way is to present a narrative writing. For this matter imagine as if you are the described person and it will give you unique ideas of how to present the chosen person in you persuasive essay writing. DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY ABOUT A PERSON A strong accent of observation is needed for descriptive type of paper. We can write a perfect descriptive essay about a person for you upon your request. To give you more descriptive essay definition, observe the person and provide detailed descriptions about him or her. In this descriptive essay the supporting facts are vivid experiences that you decide to present as an author. Keep in mind that you have to focus on the subject that is strictly a description. You have the ability to show a certain experience, or interesting place, or thing, or a person, or specific memory episode. Â   When writing a descriptive essay, it is important to base it on certain experiences that you have perceived personally. But most of all, it is important to find that interesting points that made you to share this experience with others as an author. You message is your desire to share the initial experience with the readers for them to have a certain impression. Include standard senses descriptions such as touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The American Identity Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The American Identity Crisis - Essay Example On the other hand, there were those who felt that American colonists had come to the New World to leave the world of monarchy and authoritarian decree behind, to found a home for democracy and for personal equality and freedom. The current debate in public opinion has to do with the American war in Iraq. There are many who believe that the United States, once an example for freedom and liberty, is acting like a colonial, or even an imperial power in its handling of Iraq. Since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, the country has sunk into a brutal civil war, which neither the American military nor the Iraqi military can contain. These thinkers assert that, since there is no clear exit strategy for the American military, that President Bush has given his military forces an impossible task of restoring full order before returning home. Instead of leaving the troops there indefinitely, these people argue, preparations should begin immediately for troop withdrawals, since there is no clear rationale for their continued presence in the country. On the other side of the argument are those who believe that the American military has a duty to establish that order before it leaves, and that to leave any earlier would g ive terrorists a foothold in the Middle East and would leave a power vacuum that could end up being very dangerous to American interests. Paine, of course, was on the side of military action against the British government. He used highly incendiary language in his pamphlets: in The Crisis, he wrote that "[t]yranny, like hell, is not easily conquered, yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph." He explicitly compares the fight for American independence from Great Britain to a religious battle between forces of good and evil. He scorned the sensibilities of the Tory loyalists, who, in his opinion, were selling out their children's futures for their own short-term comfort: he quotes the Tory tavern owner who said, "Well! Give me peace in my day!" while playing with his young son. Paine argues that his concern should be more the future, and that he should think, "If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace." Paine's argument was that a swift military action against the British would serve to lance the boil of American servitude that wo uld only continue to fester under the pressure of further British acts of taxation and other forms of official oppression. Paine's rhetoric is no tamer in his larger pamphlet known as Common Sense. He wrote, "Now is the seed-time of Continental union, faith and honour. The least fracture now will be like a name engraved with the point of a pin on the tender rind of a young oak; the wound would enlarge with the tree, and posterity read in it full grown characters." In other words, Paine felt his time period to be a crucial one in the direction of the fledgling colonies: they would either continue under British imperial rule, as would such areas as India and South Africa, or they could break free from their colonial ties and become a flagship for liberty in the New World. He uses the metaphor of writing on the tree to show how long-lasting the lessons of that historical moment would be. And just how permanent

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

External analysis for Ameresco Inc. (AMRC) Research Paper

External analysis for Ameresco Inc. (AMRC) - Research Paper Example heless, increased participation in the energy services industry has yielded increased competition between companies in the industry amid challenges presented by the external environment. The external environment has significant influence on the performance of companies through economic, technological, political-legal, and sociocultural factors. To sufficiently understand the influences of the external environment it is important to concentrate on a specific player in the industry such as Ameresco Inc. which is one of the largest energy services companies in North America. Although the economy cannot be controlled by an organization, it has great influence on the growth and development of a particular organization. This can be attributed to the impacts of economic growth, inflation, economic stability, and unemployment policies on the success of an organization (Dragnic, 2014). Ameresco’s location in North America gives it an advantage of relatively little negative influence of the economy. For example, its location in the USA is favorable to its success due the constant economic stability and growth presenting an opportunity for success. Additionally, inflation rates are relatively low thereby increasing its chances of success. However, areas with high unemployment rates offer relatively cheap labor hence increasing profit margins and vice versa. As such, the cost of labor incurred b Ameresco is relatively high although the changing times may present costs reductions based on labor importation trends. Technology plays a critical role in the de velopment of the energy savings industry. Technological advancements mainly focus on improving efficiency of energy consumption while maintaining low costs and conserving the environment. As such, the recent technological advancements pose a great opportunity for Ameresco’s success. Moreover, the political aspect heavily affects the performance of a particular industry depending on either favorable or unfavorable

Sunday, November 17, 2019

War in Iraq and the US Economic Growth- History of the war in Iraq Essay Example for Free

War in Iraq and the US Economic Growth- History of the war in Iraq Essay Iraq was also known as occupation of Iraq began in 2003 march 20th led by United States. The president of US then George W. Bush, the Prime minister of United Kingdom by then Tony Blair, Prime minister of Spain by then Jose Maria Aznar, and domestic foreign supporters accused Iraq of possession of weapons of mass destruction, which was against the 1991 agreement to unconditionally give them up. This triggered one of the most historically long wars since the Vietnam War. It’s estimated that the war has caused as many deaths and resources as the Vietnam War. (BBC news 26 Nov 2007). The war is still on but key figures in the war have already been eliminated. Among them are sadaam Hussein and his sons. Impact of the War on US Economy As Wall Street reports the most recent advances of the battle, in Iraq, Economist are on the other hand worried that the war might be affecting employment, consumer confidence, and a service industry show down. According the government realized labor figures on April 4 statistics showed that economy had lost 108,000 jobs in March, more than the expected number which was 36,000. More so, the unemployment rate was steady at 5. 8% following discouragement of more people (hopes for quick war April 2003). The increase in unemployment not only affects the individuals but also the economy at large since the government invests a lot on charity in order to take care of citizens who cannot afford basic needs In addition, the crime rates are increasing at a faster rate. As manufacturers on the other hand lay off workers, there is a fall in the institute for supply management’s index for non manufacturing businesses in the service industry. This industry indicates 85% of US economic activities. Thus a fall basically means that a big percentage of economic activities are reducing. Consumer confidence has also been greatly reduced. According to study from university of Michigan consumer confidence was lowest in 9 years. With consumers hope gone people tend to do minimal buying especially of high worth assets. This brings about less money in supply and hence a slow movement of economic progress due to minimal economic activities. Economic growth has slowed in the US. This is due to the softness of the economy. Long term goals of the government to attack Iraq remain unclear. This is slowing the US economy because a large portion of money has already been injected in the war, placing other government plans to broaden the economy at a stand still. Little or no help is likely to be coming from other nations to rebuild Iraq. The Bush Administration alienated so many of its European allies with its unilateral action; it also put European bidders so far from USA government contracts for reconstruction projects. This means the only people who might benefit from such contracts are the Americans. Britons can not hence fund the Americans to do what will only benefit Americans. Financial markets are taking a dark view due to the engagement of the government in war that has brought a budget deficit. This is leaving the state money in circulation less than normal. As a result the prospective investors in stock Market cannot access enough liquidity to invest. With a country’s stock index going town, economic growth is mostly low due to the fact that many economies growth is determined partly by economic activities and financial performance. The war in Iraq might be of negative impact too. Now that uncertainties from war in Iraq have not ended and souring oil prices are trying though not yet the uncertainties might not be eliminated in a short time and the war might not be economic benefit to US. With the US government suffering a budget deficit, it might be difficult for the economy to move forward. Analyst approximated $100 billion, to rebuild and secure Iraq. Such and expenditure added to the already existing deficit will not only slow the entire economic growth of American but also drag it behind. Since the start of the Iraq war, the price of oil shot up from $37 a barrel to over 90$ a barrel. Consistent disruptions from the war have affected oil prices; however one cannot argue that the Iraq war is wholly responsible for the rise in the oil prices. Oil prices have brought negative financial status in the US by transferring approximately $124 billion from US to other oil producing companies in different counties between 2003 and 2008. (Jeannine Averssa Economics writer Tue. Nov. 13) High oil price can slow economic growth of a particular country especially by slowing the spending and rate of investment by consumers and business. This is through limiting the circulation of money. When people reduce the spending power, financial institutions like banks don’t get to lend more hence the bank loans, sale of government securities and activities economic development automatically slows down. Interest changed on money borrowed to by the US Government according report had over $850 billions. Recently the debts interests hit $9 trillion. With an economy’s money being moved out at such rates economic growth of any particular economy has to be slowed (Associated press 2007) U. S decided that it will keep its short term interests rates unchanged. The US federal reserve (Fed) said in a statement that the hesitancy of the US economic expansion appears to owe importantly to oil price premiums and other aspects of geographical uncertainties. † The fed has stressed that policy makers couldn’t assess the risks of future US economy given all the uncertainties over the Iraq situation. (Xinhua News Agency march 22, 2003). This is a dangerous report for any particular economy since the central government is responsible for giving confidential report concerning the governments’ position economically. This means the fed is genuinely foreseeing a dark if not unpredictable future. The Iraq war has also created division among US residents and between bush administrations and opposition leaders. This is being reflected on the economic growth of the country. Currently the US is divided between those who feel that the Bush administration is right, and those that totally oppose it, especially those parents whose sons died in Iraq war and those whose sons are still in Iraq. As a result of the division team spirit has been lost for the country. This is affecting the nation economically since productivity rate is low. However, Bush administration, is trying out economic recovery strategies; like conducting a highly responsible fiscal policy, like taxing the richest individuals heavily. However, economists urge that tax cuts are for more political than they are simulative. Effects in Our Economy today â€Å"People pointed out how war against Iraq may not be compensated for soon enough by other oil producing countries. This is because most members of organization of petroleum exporting countries do not have much additional production capacity. The decline in world prices for oil may not go down as people expect. † (JEANNINE 2000) The Iraq war has hence led to our economy being affected by the oil prices moving up. The hiking of oil prices, in the global economy has resulted to high commodity prices all over the world Economists will urge that many commodities that incur transportation cost in order to be sold, will raise price with a rise in oil prices. This shifts the entire living standards high without increasing the income of individuals. The war in Iraq has hence worsened humanity’s standards of living globally. War in Iraq has also reduced the funding of 3rd world countries by developed countries. Countries that received aid from US for instance have had their economies run bankrupt since the US is facing a deficit budget also. This calls for other stable economies like Japan to cost share by lending to poor countries. the intervention of these other countries brings about extra cost on their side and thus what could have been done say by Japan cannot be done simply because it used the cash to help. This is lowering the chances for innovation by technologically improved countries like Japan and generally lowering the standards of living instead of improving them. Total global energy supplies are declining yet the worlds economy cannot grow beyond its energy budget. The Iraq war has affected this negatively since the world’s civilization will decline with its energy budget. This will happen has the American President instructs his citizens to hold on. If this happens oil will be available still as it will remain in the ground. But then it will be useless as the cost of extracting it will move than the cost selling the oil itself. Conclusion Many theories and suggestions have been advanced regarding the impact of Iraq war and magnitude. Considering the many articles written different opinions aired via media and internet, yes their might be an advantage of the Iraq war to our general economy or the US economy to be more specific, but so far the war seems to have been more of a disaster than problem solving decision. Works cited JEANNINE AVERSA Cost of Iraq war could surpass $1 trillion .Report Puts Hidden war Costs at $1. 6T, AP Economics Writer Tue Nov 13, 6:21 PM ET Global Interdependence: The war in Iraq and the u. s Economy Markets buoyed by hopes for quick war,, but long term outlook is dim. Date Posted on Global Envision: April 16, 2003 Martin Wok. Chief economics correspondent. MSNBC. Updated 4:25 p. m. PT, Fri. , March. 17, 2006 I. f stone . An institute for the rest of us. Institute for policy studies. 1963 Dean Baker. The economic impact of Iraq war and higher military spending. Center for economic and policy research Washington . 2000

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Opportunities for International Investors Essay -- Essays Papers

Opportunities for International Investors ATTITUDES TOWARDS FOREIGN INVESTMENT Because the Foreign Investments Law and supplementary rules establish the principle of equal treatment for domestic and foreign investors, foreign investors enjoy the same rights and duties as Argentine investors. However, the government no longer grants special incentives. Argentina welcomes foreign investments, and its laws governing foreign investment are among the most liberal in the world. In general, Argentina encourages investments through a free-market policy and low income tax rates rather than through subsidies. The basic attitude towards foreign capital is very positive; all previously existing requirements concerning prior government approval of foreign investments have been eliminated. Argentina has traditionally been very hospitable to foreigners. The Argentine government is making active efforts to attract foreign investments. Foreign investments obviously have also played a very important role in the privatization process, referred to below. Domestic capital resources are not sufficient for economic development; the government therefore encourages the inflow of foreign investment. Because Argentina formerly followed a protectionist economic policy to promote inward development, economic activity was excessively regulated. Under a new strategy to encourage foreign trade, rules that obstructed foreign trade have been modified or eliminated. Further, permission is no longer required to import goods, the import tariff structure has been simplified and tariffs have been reduced. Taxes on exports have been almost eliminated. All restrictions and procedures that in the past slowed down the entry of capital and technology from abroad have been abolished. Changes in foreign investment regulations have eliminated obstacles to the inflow of capital into Argentina. RESTRICTIONS ON INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENTS. All restrictions on foreign investments have been lifted and foreign investment does not require any prior approval from the Argentine authorities. Although some remain in sensitive areas such as defense, telecommunications, and oil and gas. Profits may be freely transferred. STATE ASSISTANCE AND GRANTS Special incentives for certain activities and tax reimbursements on exports, among others, are granted under identical conditions to nationa... ... and its eight hypermarkets. Royal Ahold also has a large operation; the Dutch retailer is joint owner of 235 Disco supermarkets. Any improvement for Wal-Mart in Argentina rests on its ability to increase its size substantially and on the economy improving; the outlook for the latter is still suspect. The economy performed worse than expected last year and the outlook for this year, according to the International Monetary Fund, is for 2.5% gross domestic product growth. Interest rates have fluctuated wildly, but the prime lending rate was still in the upper teens at press time.The government has attempted to institute reforms that will stimulate the economy and restore growth. Bibliography Howell, Llewellyn D. and Chad*censored*, Brad, "Models of Political Risk for Foreign Investment and Trade," Columbia Journal of World Business, Fall 1994a. Levy, John B. and Yoon, Eunsang, "Methods of Country Risk Assessment for International Market - Entry Decision," Institute for the Study of Business Markets (ISBM), Report 11-1996. CNN- News Net Work/ business & Finance McGraw-Hill; International Business. e7th; p.191 www. Businessmonitor.co.uk World Bank / Argentina Opportunities for International Investors Essay -- Essays Papers Opportunities for International Investors ATTITUDES TOWARDS FOREIGN INVESTMENT Because the Foreign Investments Law and supplementary rules establish the principle of equal treatment for domestic and foreign investors, foreign investors enjoy the same rights and duties as Argentine investors. However, the government no longer grants special incentives. Argentina welcomes foreign investments, and its laws governing foreign investment are among the most liberal in the world. In general, Argentina encourages investments through a free-market policy and low income tax rates rather than through subsidies. The basic attitude towards foreign capital is very positive; all previously existing requirements concerning prior government approval of foreign investments have been eliminated. Argentina has traditionally been very hospitable to foreigners. The Argentine government is making active efforts to attract foreign investments. Foreign investments obviously have also played a very important role in the privatization process, referred to below. Domestic capital resources are not sufficient for economic development; the government therefore encourages the inflow of foreign investment. Because Argentina formerly followed a protectionist economic policy to promote inward development, economic activity was excessively regulated. Under a new strategy to encourage foreign trade, rules that obstructed foreign trade have been modified or eliminated. Further, permission is no longer required to import goods, the import tariff structure has been simplified and tariffs have been reduced. Taxes on exports have been almost eliminated. All restrictions and procedures that in the past slowed down the entry of capital and technology from abroad have been abolished. Changes in foreign investment regulations have eliminated obstacles to the inflow of capital into Argentina. RESTRICTIONS ON INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENTS. All restrictions on foreign investments have been lifted and foreign investment does not require any prior approval from the Argentine authorities. Although some remain in sensitive areas such as defense, telecommunications, and oil and gas. Profits may be freely transferred. STATE ASSISTANCE AND GRANTS Special incentives for certain activities and tax reimbursements on exports, among others, are granted under identical conditions to nationa... ... and its eight hypermarkets. Royal Ahold also has a large operation; the Dutch retailer is joint owner of 235 Disco supermarkets. Any improvement for Wal-Mart in Argentina rests on its ability to increase its size substantially and on the economy improving; the outlook for the latter is still suspect. The economy performed worse than expected last year and the outlook for this year, according to the International Monetary Fund, is for 2.5% gross domestic product growth. Interest rates have fluctuated wildly, but the prime lending rate was still in the upper teens at press time.The government has attempted to institute reforms that will stimulate the economy and restore growth. Bibliography Howell, Llewellyn D. and Chad*censored*, Brad, "Models of Political Risk for Foreign Investment and Trade," Columbia Journal of World Business, Fall 1994a. Levy, John B. and Yoon, Eunsang, "Methods of Country Risk Assessment for International Market - Entry Decision," Institute for the Study of Business Markets (ISBM), Report 11-1996. CNN- News Net Work/ business & Finance McGraw-Hill; International Business. e7th; p.191 www. Businessmonitor.co.uk World Bank / Argentina

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Pizza Hut Study Essay

1. What are the implications of Pizza Hut’s big price cuts for its brand image? As stated Pizza Hut’s brand image is neither fast food nor full-service. It delivers average quality products for average prices. Previously, it was marketed as a â€Å"more for the same† value proposition (Kotler & Armstrong, 2012). Yet, it has done something that shocked the whole market. It has cut the prices up to 50%. Doing that, Pizza Hut is fully reforming its brand image. They are implementing a â€Å"Same for less positioning† (Kotler & Armstrong, 2012). In a commercial, an actress playing a restaurant employee says, â€Å"We’ve changed just about everything, except how your favorite pizza tastes† (ELLIOTT, 2010). This move is due to a weakened economy and a drop of customers. But initiating a price change is not riskless. Customer may think that the quality has been reduced and Pizza Hut could lose its loyal customers. All this being said, I would say that Pizza Hut’s price cuts may tremendous increase its revenues and remodeling its brand image making good products for a really cheap price. 2. Can customer loyalty be generated through low prices? Customer loyalty can be generated in many ways such as good product quality, extra features, or cheap prices. Some ways can be very effective for some products while other are effective for different products. For example, what would you think if Rolex cut its prices in order to generate loyalty? It would not work because loyal Rolex customers are wealthy and would rather have extra feature than a cut in prices. On the other hand, would you pay much more to have a better pizza? The perfect example of a company who cuts its price is Wal-Mart. For this case, I do think customer loyalty can be generated through low prices. And so does Mr. Nicole – chief marketing officer at Pizza Hut- â€Å"We want to build loyalty beyond the price. † Indeed, with the crisis people tend to be more cost-conscious. Thus, Pizza Hut’s approach to deliver a good product for a cheap price is a good way of attracting customers. 3. Can Pizza Hut sustain such dramatically lower prices and still remain profitable? From my point of view, cutting prices by up to 50% is a real challenge. To remain profitable the company will have to manage its production costs, its marketing channel, and its extra costs. Moreover, as it is said in the text the new pricing mechanism will require some time before it proves itself. That is to say that at the beginning Pizza Hut may become barely profitable, but hope to gain more market share that will further cut costs through larger volume and increase its revenues. Finally, I strongly believed that a company like Pizza Hut would not have done such a thing if it were not fully thought out before. ELLIOTT, S. (2010, August 18). Pizza hut cuts prices again to counteract the slow recovery. Retrieved from http://www. nytimes. com/2010/08/19/business/media/19adco. html? _r=0 Supermarket news. (Marc). Retrieved from http://supermarketnews. com/latest-news/wal-mart-scores-highest-shopper-loyalty-study Kotler, P. , & Armstrong, G. (2012). Principles of marketing, global edition. (14 Int. E. ed. ). Boston: Pearson.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

KFC Marketing plan Essay

Executive summary: Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) continues to be recognized as an earliest franchising company around the world(Teampaperwarehouse.com,2014,2014). Approximately half of KFC’s worldwide restaurant businesses are owned and operated by independent businessmen and women, KFC franchisees(George L,Paugh III). Today KFC is the leading fast food chain and has been successful in creating a renowned international reputation. Since 1960 KFC has targeted many foreign markets and is able to expand in multiple continents in which they have initiated a new challenge in conquering Asia. It has served in more than 80 countries and 25 percent of its restaurants are operated and run by the Company. The report is based on information from range of data sources, including newspapers, magazines, company reports, books and academic journals. Introduction Swot Analysis helps to know a firm where they are lacking behind and what Internal and External factors they are or can face in future.By taking the time to conduct this analysis you will gain a fresh prespective on what KFC offers, what obstacles KFC face, what competitive challenges it have to overcome, and what barriers to growth exist now or might exist going forward. KFC has been an established business but it can also face some problems which SWOT Analysis helps firms to recover. KFC operates in 74 countries and territories throughout the world. It was by Colonel Harland in Corbin, Kentucky. The business was then sold to two Louisville businessmen. In 1966 KFC was listed in New York Stock Exchange.Heublein Inc. acquired KFC in 1971 but soon after conflicts arose between Colonel and Heublein over quality control and cleanliness issues. In 1986, Pepsi Co acquired KFC, by that time KFC had expanded to 55 countries with over 6600 units. Due to strategic reasons, in 1997 PepsiCo spun off its restaurant businesses (Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC) into a new company called Tricon Global Restaurants,  Inc. Today KFC is an iconic brand that is recognized in nearly every country around the world. The competitors of KFC have taken over a large market share. According to findings McDonalds about 35 percent of the share in Sandwich Segment while the Burger King owns about 16 percent of the market share in fast-food industry. The local restaurants in different countries where KFC has presence pose a threat to the company. KFC outsanding brand recognition, experienced management, high quality food, advanced operational systems and unique global infrastructure position help them to capitalize on global opportunities (Panda123,2013,Business and Economics). References: http://www.termpaperwarehouse.com/essay-on/Kentucky-Fried-Chicken-Kfc/38247 viewed on 25th April 2014 Functions of Management by Gpaugh [online] Available at http://www.studymode.com/essays/Functions-Of-Management-620143.html viewd on 25th April 2014 Antiessays.com.(2014).Strategic Management of Kfc – Essays by Panda123.[online] Available at http://www.antiessays.com/free-essays/strategic managment-ofokfc-193565.html viewed on 26th April 2014 Marketing mix Available at www.entreprenuer.com/artcle/70824[online] viewed on 26th April 2014 Postioning.(2014) Available at www.strategicmanagmentinsight.com viewed on 28th April 2014 The Economic Times.(2005).KFC target women customer.[online]Available at http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2003-07-16/27531245_1_kfc-soul-food-chicken viewed on 27th April 2014 Tracy, B.(2014).Marketing.business-The 7 Ps of Marketing.[onlione] Entreprenuer.Available at http://www.entreprenuer.com/articles/70824

Thursday, November 7, 2019

The Freedom of Information Act

The Freedom of Information Act Prior to the enactment of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in 1966, any person seeking non-public information from a U.S. federal  government agency had to first prove they had a legal need to know in order to view related government records. James Madison would not have liked that. A popular Government without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives. James Madison Under the FOIA, the American people are assumed to have a right to know about their government and the government is required to prove a compelling reason in order to keep information secret. In other words, the FOIA establishes the presumption that records of the U.S. Government must be made accessible to the people. Also note that most state and local governments have adopted laws similar in intent and function to the FOIA.As soon as he took office in January 2009, President Obama issued an executive order directing the government agencies to approach FOIA requests with a presumption in favor of disclosure.The Government should not keep information confidential merely because public officials might be embarrassed by disclosure  because errors and failures might be revealed, or because of speculative or abstract fears, wrote Obama, stating that his administration would be dedicated to an unprecedented level of openness in Government.This guide is a simple explanation of how to use the FOIA to request information from the U.S. government agencies. But, please be aware that the FOIA and litigation involved with it can become extremely complex. Thousands of court decisions have been made regarding the FOIA and anyone requiring more detailed information about the FOIA should contact an attorney with experience in governmental affairs. Before Requesting Information Under the FOIA Look for it on the Internet. An incredible amount of information is now available on thousands of government websites, with volumes more being added every day. So before going to all the trouble of writing and sending an FOIA request, just log on visit the agencys website or run some searches. What Agencies are Covered by the FOIA? The FOIA applies to documents in the possession of executive branch agencies including: Cabinet agenciesMilitary branchesGovernment corporationsIndependent regulatory agenciesOther executive branch offices commissions The FOIA does NOT apply to: Any elected official of the US GovernmentOfficers of the federal Judicial Branch Private citizensPrivate companies or associationsGovernment contractors Government grant holdersState or local governments (most state and local governments have laws similar to the FOIA) While elected officials are exempt all daily actions of the United States Congress are published in the Congressional Record. In addition most state and many local governments have adopted laws similar to the FOIA What May and May Not be Requested Under the FOIA? You may, by mail, request and receive copies of any records in the possession of an agency except those covered by the following nine exemptions: Classified defense and foreign policy informationInformation prohibited from disclosure under other lawsInternal agency rules and practicesTrade secrets and confidential business practicesInter or intra-agency communications protected under lawInformation involving matters of personal privacyCertain information regarding law enforcementInformation on supervision of financial institutionsGeological information on wells In addition, especially sensitive information concerning law enforcement and national security issues may occasionally be withheld.Agencies are free to (and sometimes do) disclose information even though the records are exempted under the provisions above.Agencies may also disclose only parts of information while withholding exempted sections. Withheld sections will be blacked out and are referred to as redacted sections. How to Request FOIA Information FOIA requests must be sent by mail directly to the agency that has the records you want. There is no single government office or agency assigned to handle or route FOIA requests.While a few individual agencies currently provide for online FOIA request submittal, requests to most agencies must still be submitted via standard mail or email. Online FOIA requests to the agencies that currently accept them can be submitted on the FOIAonline.gov website. Addresses for submitting FOIA requests to all federal agencies can be found on the FOIA.gov website.Each agency has one or more official FOIA contact offices to which requests should be addressed. Larger agencies have separate FOIA offices for each bureau and some have FOIA offices in each region of the country.Contact information for the FOIA offices of just about all agencies can now be found on their website.The U.S. Government Manual is also useful for determining which agency has the records you want. It is available at most public an d university libraries and can also be searched online. What Your FOIA Request Letter Should Say FOIA information requests should be made in a letter mailed to the FOIA Officer of the agency. If you cant determine exactly which agency has what you want, send a request to each potential agency.You should also mark both the letter and the outside of the envelope, Freedom of Information Act Request to speed its handling by the agency.It is vital that you identify in the letter the information or records you want as clearly and specifically as possible. Include any facts, names, authors, dates, times, events, locations etc. you think might help the agency find your records. If you know the exact title or name of the records you want, be sure to include it.While it is not required, you can state why you want the records.Even if you think the records you want may be exempted from the FOIA or otherwise classified, you can and should still make the request. Agencies have the authority to disclose any exempted material at their discretion and are encouraged to do so. Sample FOIA Request Letter DateFreedom of Information Act RequestAgency FOIA OfficerAgency or Component NameStreet AddressDear ________:Under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. subsection 552, I am requesting access to [identify the records you want in complete detail].If there are any fees for searching or copying these records, please inform me before filling my request. [Or, Please send me the records without informing me of the cost unless the fees exceed $______, which I agree to pay.]If you deny any or all of this request, please cite each specific exemption you feel justifies the refusal to release the information and notify me of appeal procedures available to me under the law.[Optionally: If you have any questions about this request, you may contact me by telephone at ______ (home phone) or _______ (office phone).]Sincerely,NameAddress What Does the FOIA Process Cost? There is no initial fee required to submit an FOIA request, but the law does provide for the charging of certain types of fees in some instances. For a typical requester the agency can charge for the time it takes to search for records and for duplication of those records. There is usually no charge for the first two hours of search time or for the first 100 pages of duplication. You may always include in your request letter a specific statement limiting the amount that you are willing to pay in fees. If an agency estimates that the total fees for processing your request will exceed $25, it will notify you in writing of the estimate and offer you an opportunity to narrow your request in order to reduce the fees. If you agree to pay fees for a records search, you may be required to pay such fees even if the search does not locate any releasable records. You May Request that Fees Be Waived You may request a waiver of fees. Under the FOIA, fee waivers are limited to situations in which a requester can show that the disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations and activities of the government and is not primarily in the commercial interest of the requester. Requests for fee waivers from individuals who are seeking records on themselves usually do not meet this standard. In addition, a requesters inability to pay fees is not a legal basis for granting a fee waiver. How Long Does the FOIA Process Take? By law, agencies must respond to FOIA requests within 10 working days of receipt. Agencies may extend this time if necessary, but they must send written notice of the extension to the requester. What if Your FOIA Request is Denied? Sometimes, the agency simply does not have or cannot locate the requested records. But if the records are found, only the information or parts of information exempted from disclosure can be withheld. If the agency finds and withholds any or all of the information, the agency must notify the requester of the reason and inform them of the appeals process. Appeals should be sent to the agency in writing within 45 days.The websites of most federal agencies include pages fully explaining the agencys specific FOIA process instructions including contact information, records available, fees, and appeals process.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

How to Teach the Present Perfect Continuous

How to Teach the Present Perfect Continuous The present perfect continuous form is often confused with the present perfect. Indeed, there are many instances in which the present perfect continuous can be used as well as the present perfect. For example: Ive worked here for twenty years. OR Ive been working here for twenty years.Ive played tennis for twelve years. OR Ive been playing tennis for twelve years. The main emphasis in the present perfect continuous is on expressing how long the current activity has been happening. Its best to stress that the present perfect continuous form is used for shorter periods of time to express how long that particular action has been taking place. Ive been writing for thirty minutes.Shes been studying since two oclock. In this manner, youll help students understand that the present perfect continuous is used to express the length of a current action. Compare this to cumulative length for which we tend to use the present perfect, although the present perfect continuous can be used. Introducing the Present Perfect Continuous Start by Speaking about the Length of Current Actions Introduce the present perfect continuous by asking students how long theyve been studying in the current class on that day. Extend this to other activities. Its a good idea to use a magazine with photos and ask questions about how long the person in the photo has been doing a particular activity. Length of Current Activity Heres an interesting photo. Whats the person doing? How long has the person been doing XYZ?What about this one? He looks like hes getting ready for a party. I wonder if you can tell me how long hes been getting ready for the party. Result of Activity Another important use of the present perfect continuous is to explain what has been happening that has caused a present result. Stating results and asking questions are effective in teaching this use of the form. His hands are dirty! What has he been doing?Youre all wet! What have you been doing?Hes tired. Has he been studying for a long time? Practicing the Present Perfect Continuous Explaining the Present Perfect Continuous on the Board Use a timeline to illustrate the two principal uses of the present perfect continuous. With such a long string of helping verbs, the present perfect continuous can be a bit confusing. Make sure that students understand the construction by providing a structural chart like the one below: Subject have been verb(ing) objectsHe has been working for three hours.We havent been studying for long. Repeat for the negative and interrogative forms as well. Make sure students understand that the verb have is conjugated. Point out that questions are formed with How long ... for the length of an activity, and What have you ... for explanations of current results. How long have you been sitting there?.What have you been eating? Comprehension Activities Its a good idea to compare and contrast both the present perfect and present perfect continuous when first teaching this tense. At this point in their studies, students should be able to handle working with two related tenses. Use lessons that focus on the differences to help them distinguish usage. Quizzes testing present perfect or perfect continuous use also help students become familiar with the two tenses. Present perfect and continuous dialogues can also help with practicing the differences. Also, make sure to review non-continuous or stative verbs with students. Challenges With the Present Perfect Continuous The main challenge students will face with the present perfect continuous is understanding that this form is used to focus on shorter lengths of time. I find its a good idea to use a common verb such as teach to illustrate the difference. For example: Ive taught English for many years. Today, Ive been teaching for two hours. Finally, students may still have difficulties with the use of for and since as time expressions with this tense.