Tuesday, November 26, 2019

The Transportation System of Hong Kong and Sydney †Compare and Contrast Essay

The Transportation System of Hong Kong and Sydney – Compare and Contrast Essay Free Online Research Papers The Transportation System of Hong Kong and Sydney Compare and Contrast Essay Transport system is important to every modern city. A good transport system can bring convenience to everybody. On the surface at least, every city should have similar transport system. However, due to different factors and environment, there are differences between transport systems in different places. For example, Hong Kong and Sydney, both are famous modern city. Railway system is one of the most important parts in a good transport system. Railway makes transportation more efficient and easier. In Sydney, the City Rail is the main railway which brings people from north to south. Just because Sydney is so big that it takes a long time to travel every stop during the journey, in order to save time and make it more efficiency, the trains are divided into three types: â€Å"All Stops†, â€Å"Limited Stops† and â€Å"Express†. â€Å"All Stops† trains take people to every stop while â€Å"Limited Stops† and â€Å"Express† save time by not stopping at each station. On the other hand, Hong Kong is much smaller compared to Sydney. The main railway in Hong Kong is the Mass Transits Railway (MTR). Similarly, the MTR also makes transportation more efficient and easier to travel. The network of MTR nearly covers all the area of Hong Kong and Kowloon and south part of the New Territories. The MTR is fast, comforta ble and convenient railway in Hong Kong, just like the City Rail in Sydney. However, because Hong Kong is so small, it doesn’t take a long time to travel from one place to another. Therefore, the MTR can stop at every station it travelled through without a long time (probably less than an hour) to travel from the east to the west. Bus is also an important public transport in everywhere. In Sydney, the area is so big that it has to be several bus systems. For example, the Sydney Buses, which is the largest bus company in Sydney, travels many suburbs in Sydney, still not all. Sydney Buses provides regular bus services between the major interchanges of Sydney CBD, Wynyard, Circular Quay, Townhall, Central, North Sydney, St Leonards, Lane Cove, Epping, Macquarie Centre, Chatswood, Manly, Northern beaches, Burwood, Parramatta, Rockdale, Maroubra, Bondi Junction, Bondi Beach, Sydney Airport and many more.(Sydney Buses) The remaining parts have their own bus system to assist the transportation there. If someone is going to travel from one suburb to another suburb which is far away and if the Sydney Buses do not travel the destination, he/she has to travel by train. This makes the bus system in Sydney not as good as in Hong Kong. Compare to Sydney, Hong Kong has a much simpler bus system. There are just 3 bus companies in Hong Kong but they share the same system in Hong Kong. The routes are more or less the same. They all travel to every part in Hong Kong, even the parts that MTR does not cover. As mentioned above, Sydney is much larger than Hong Kong, it is better to have a car to travel. In Hong Kong, the roads are narrow but it is full-filled with buses, taxis, mini-buses, and private cars, which makes serious traffic jams everyday at the busy times. However in Sydney, the roads are much wider and there are fewer cars on the roads which make the traffic very thoroughly. There are also some differences and similarities in other transportations in Sydney and Hong Kong. An Example like the tram in Hong Kong, which is similar to the light rail in Sydney, both travels in a short distance and small area. There are mini bus in Hong Kong, which is like the bus in Hong Kong, while Sydney don’t have. In conclusion, even though there are similarities between the transport system in Hong Kong and Sydney, there are still some differences for example like the bus systems. The transport system in the two cites varies from each other due to different factors and environment. But it is sure that both of the systems bring efficient and convenience to each of them. Reference List: Sydney Buses: www.sydneybuses.info Research Papers on The Transportation System of Hong Kong and Sydney - Compare and Contrast EssayBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionLifes What IfsMind TravelNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceOpen Architechture a white paperThe Project Managment Office System19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraCapital Punishment

Friday, November 22, 2019

How to Work Full-Time and Fit in Vacations

How to Work Full-Time and Fit in Vacations Joanna Niles, a lifestyle and travel blogger, wrote about traveling while working full time over at the HuffingtonPost this week. I thought her tips were great- practical and strategic- and my husband and I used many of the same approaches when we plan travel a few  times a year. Look at the calendarSince I teach workshops and college-level courses, my schedule is bound by the academic calendar. This means I can travel a lot in early and late summer, I have a lot of time in January, and I always have a few 3- and 4-day weekends during the fall and spring.Chances are if you work for a corporate or government employer, you have a variety of paid and national holidays to make the most of, too. Not every trip is a week-long extravaganza- we’ve done weekend jaunts to San Francisco, Philadelphia, Portland, Maine, and have a trip to New Orleans coming up at the end of the month. It’s surprising how refreshing and enjoyable a brief visit can be. You can also be more efficient with your vacation days by adding on one before or after a long weekend.TelecommuteNormally, you’d be working during the day and perhaps socializing at night. Maybe you can work out an arrangement where you can take that format on vacation with you, too. Another option is to work after the family goes to bed or before they’re up in the morning.This tip has the potential to backfire since you can also be pursued by work long after you’re ready to unplug, but if you’re disciplined about allowing and restricting access (yours, and your coworkers!), a vacation where you spend an hour or two emailing and coordinating in the morning and then go about your day can be great for making your getaway productive.This summer I had to take a pile of grading to the beach, and the first two days of our trip were divided between lounging on the sand and marking up papers on the balcony. Sure, I wanted to be spending more of my time on the boardwalk, but the alternative w as postponing our much-anticipated vacation just for a deadline, so it turned out to be a worthwhile compromise.Plan AheadWhen my husband and I first got together, he hated the way I liked to plan six months or a year out, but now he appreciates that if you don’t get a head start on planning trips, you can miss out on awesome seasonal opportunities or experiences that sell out as soon as they become available to the public.Don’t forget to set aside some vacation time around the holidays! My first year of working full-time, I didn’t anticipate that my company wouldn’t just automatically close on important â€Å"eves.† If my boss hadn’t been generous about commuting my sick time, I would have had a sad solitary holiday weekend alone in my apartment instead of back in my hometown.Be FlexibleThat said, sometimes you have to just get that price alert in your inbox, click through, reserve your flight and grab a weekend bag. If budget is the most i mportant factor in your ability to travel, get yourself on the mailing list of sites like The Flight Deal and Airfare Watch Dog and stay tuned as rates rise and fall during the various tourist seasons.Where you go is more important than when you go anyway, and remember how nice a quick weekend can be- fly out Friday after work, enjoy Saturday and part of Sunday, and maybe go in a little late on Monday.How to Travel with a Full-Time JobRead More at Huffington Post

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The Arab-Israeli Peace Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Arab-Israeli Peace Process - Essay Example The Oslo process made Israeli forces withdraw from West Bank territory that contained Palestine and was made to be under Palestinians. The treaty brought peace in Palestine. Both the countries had to ensure they provide maximum security to their citizens and prevent the terror attack. There was peace in Palestine because it was their responsibility to ensure that they avoid terror against the Israelis. The Oslo process had some shortcomings in it. The Oslo process broke down because of improper negotiation habits thus turning the peace that was created to the charade. This provided a much safe platform for the Israelis to keep on doing their projects in West Bank and go unpunished (Rothstein, Maoz & Shiqāqī, 2002). Some of these projects harmed the Palestine. The Oslo process led to loose of trust between the countries and there was no peace. The Palestinians are unsatisfied and grieve thinking of what was to yield a wave of peace in their country is bringing harm. The Palestinians lands have been taken because of a construction of roads and walls thus separating the Palestinians communities (Rothstein, Maoz & Shiqāqī, 2002). The number of deaths has increased evidently in the recent killing in Gaza strip and there were more than a thousand individuals killed in the process. After the Oslo process failed there was no room left for subsequent peace talk between the Israelis and Palestinians because of lack of trust, which is a foundation for establishing treaties. From the shortcoming, we see Oslo process as an inappropriate aid, which is falsely framed to bring peace to the

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

CASE STUDY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case Study Example The research objective is a set of goals you set for your marketing research. This is very important part of your research as it tells what do the researcher hope to achieve and why is s/he carrying out the research. (Koch) For our research problem, the specific objective is to find out what kind of customers shop at the store and what their preferences are, shopping style, shopping style, behavior and demographics. The outcome of this research will be used to design marketing strategy according to the needs of the customers, and providing them what best fits them. In this research, they should go for Primary as well Secondary research. Primary research will be of prime importance they actually need information on customers characteristics. This information can be found out with the help of detailed questionnaire, interviews, and mall intercepts. The use of Secondary sources is also important because researchers will need to look at the past researches done by the mall, and see a general buying behavior among the shoppers of the city or region. Once you have outlined the sources of your required information, you look into the details of how this information will be extracted. In this scenario, we need to find the characteristics of customers who come at the mall. The research conducted will be qualitative as well as quantitative. The quantitative research will involve questions that need use of words to express. There will be very few questions that can be answered in a quantitative manner. By qualitative analysis, the researcher can find out the answers for every unique customer, his/her beliefs, insights, opinion, preference, experience etc in words. These things cannot be measured in numbers, they are unique for every human

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Abortion and Writing Professor Hyde Essay Example for Free

Abortion and Writing Professor Hyde Essay Technical and Business WritingProfessor Hyde The Advantages of Abortion? For many years, abortions have been performed and so has the controversy over abortion. Today, I have decided to write about the advantages of having an abortion. Some may argue that there are no advantages to having an abortion, but that’s what makes this topic such a debatable one. Abortions have been performed since the 1800’s. Not until the infamous decision of Roe v. Wade that abortions became legal medical procedures. It was also the year the United States Supreme Court recognized abortions as part of women’s civil rights. To the average person whether male or female, abortion should be against the law, but I beg to differ. Abortion gives couples the option to choose not to bring babies with severe and life-threatening medical conditions to full term. Aborted fetuses contribute to medical science through stem cell research that cure diseases and re-grow lost or damaged limbs. It’s almost like donating organs of the decease to someone alive in dire need. In cases of rape or incest, forcing a woman who was made pregnant by the violent act would cause further psychological harm to the victim. No child should be born into this world unwanted. Statistics show that unwanted children are raised in a home with no love or supervision. They become adults who commit crime and are sentenced to prison. Another reason women have abortions is they don’t have the financial resources needed to support a child. The majority of the population has Medicaid as health insurance coverage so termination of pregnancy can be free or low cost. If they decide to keep the baby and raise it, the cost to taxpayers could be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. I chose to title my paper â€Å"The Advantages of Abortions† because your life doesn’t have to stop because you chose to end your pregnancy. Women shouldn’t feel ashamed or embarrassed because they chose a different decision than most. An unplanned pregnancy may be a burden now, but years from now it may become a miracle or joy because you had a chance to grow and mature as a person. Before you can raise a child you need to finish raising yourself first.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Where Abortion Goes Wrong Essay -- Pregnancy Birth Papers

Where Abortion Goes Wrong Abortion is wrong. This is a bold statement for a twenty-one-year-old, white male raised in a middle class home, and one that I am not at all comfortable making. It is not just that the debate over abortion is so heated, or that I fear being labeled a Bible-beating fanatic. I am uncomfortable because the issue of abortion is mired in uncertainty. We all know that child abuse and rape are wrong. Under no condition can rape be justified. This is simply a fact that we all accept. The problem of abortion, on the other hand, is not nearly as straightforward. As pointed out by Frederick Turner in Abortion Can be a Moral Sacrifice, pro-life people can be sure that late-term abortions are murder. However, the same surety is not there when they consider two-day old embryos. A similar confusion can be seen by those in the pro-choice camp (Turner, 1992). Here lies the central question: With so much uncertainty surrounding abortion, can and should it ever be legislated? To answer this question, we must first understand the basis for both sides' positions. Misunderstandings have long been the major block to meaningful discussions. The pro-life camp's position is often thought to stem from a hidden agenda to suppress women, whereas the pro-choice position is often linked to loose morals and little emphasis on responsibility. These ideals or traits may be held by a limited number in each group, but they are not indicative of the majority. Most pro-life and pro-choice advocates sincerely believe in their convictions and have legitimate arguments to back up their beliefs. Actually, the arguments of both sides are rooted in the same key principles. The first is an understanding of the worth of the fetus, and, based... ...orn. New York: Delacorte Press/Seymour Lawrence. Thomson, J.J. (1971). A defense of abortion. In R.M. Baird & S.E. Rosenbaum (Eds.), The ethics of abortion: pro-life vs. pro-choice (pp. 29-44). New York: Prometheus Books. Tooley, M. (1972). Abortion and infanticide. In R.M. Baird & S.E. Rosenbaum (Eds.), The ethics of abortion: pro-life vs. pro-choice (pp. 45-59). New York: Prometheus Books. Turner, F. (1992). Abortion can be a moral sacrifice. In L. Bruno (Ed.), The abortion controversy. (pp. 55-58). Warren, M.A. (1973). On the moral and legal status of abortion. In R.M. Baird & S.E. Rosenbaum (Eds.), The ethics of abortion: pro-life vs. pro-choice (pp. 75- 82). New York: Prometheus Books. Zindler, F.R. (1985). Human life does not begin at conception. In C.P. Cozic (Ed.), Abortion: opposing viewpoints (pp. 17-22). San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Using Cost Accounting Information to Enhance Firm’s Competitive Position and Performance

Cost Accounting in Theory The last two decades has seen a revolution in management accounting theory and practice due to the challenges of the competitive environment in the 1980s. Kaplan and Johnson (1987) identified the failings and obsolescence of existing cost and performance measurement systems, which led to the re-examination of traditional cost accounting and management control systems. Conventional financial and management accounting methods have developed primarily as a result of corporate legislation in the 1930s forcing companies to provide externally published financial accounts. Management accounting is primarily focused as a decision making tool for running a business, hence they require more flexibility. According to Kaplan, management accounts have become a subset of financial accounts and that they reflect more on the external rather than internal requirements of the company. Most of the managerial decision-making and control systems in use in the late 1980s were described by Johnson and Kaplan as stagnant. As a result, they went onto research in new accounting systems raising the profile of internal accounting systems by use of financial and non-financial measures. Although their work was at first seen as controversial, it is now considered of key importance for companies aiming to enhance their competitive position and performance. The purpose of cost accounting is to ascertain the costs of products and services. When properly implemented, the cost accounting function will provide necessary information for pricing decisions, identify the profitability of each product, service, or job, aid management in maximizing profits by detecting sources of wastages and excess capacity, and can influence management behaviour. In theory, cost accounting help managers make decisions to fulfill an organization’s goals. Cost Accounting in Practice However, according to a July 2003 study done by the Institute of Management Accountants and Ernst and Young, 98% of managers believe their cost data is distorted while almost 40% believe their cost data is significantly distorted. In practice, most companies still use the same cost accounting and management control systems that were developed decades ago in a competitive environment drastically different from today. In the many cases worked on throughout the semester in Accounting Planning & Control, for example Putz, Seligram Inc. and Zytec, there was an underlying problem of inaccurate costing information that failed management when making decisions. This was due to the traditional cost systems that these companies utilized despite the changing nature of their business environment. One of the main triggers that a company will need a new cost system is when changes occur in the organization and its environment. The article â€Å"You need a new cost system when†¦ † highlights the many signals in which a company needs to redesign or create a new cost system. This article proposes that a cost system must be up to date and functioning properly in order for the theory of cost accounting to be applied in practice. The problem with the state of the accounting profession is the skewed emphasis towards Financial Accounting, as identified by Kaplan. Financial Accounting is used to prepare financial statements for external users. These Financial Accounting reports are for outsiders to assess the business, but the reports focus on compliance with GAAP in broad totals and are not designed to support decision making. Despite this fact, 80% of organizations rely on the GAAP required Normal Costing method to provide management with reports (Sharman and Mackie 12). When management reports echo standard financial reports, management loses. These reports have no activity data and often require managers to prepare their own ad hoc reports when they require decision analysis. These financial reports are difficult to understand by non-accountants and do little to give managers the information they should have at their fingertips to run a company. The Management Accounting problem in this country does not seem to be as problematic in other countries. According to the Sharman and Vikas article in the December 2004 Strategic Finance German companies employ just as many Managerial Accountants as Financial Accountants; The U. S. employs one-tenth the number of practicing Management Accountants than the U. K. , Canada, and Germany. The weak emphasis on Management Accounting and providing information to managers to run a company is partly caused by the overwhelming requirements external parties place on corporations. Companies lose sight that the most important viewers of company feedback are people inside the company. State- of the Art Cost Accounting Information to Enhance Competitive Position Companies realizing the importance of internal reporting adopt state-of-the-art, or up to date cost accounting techniques, straying away from financial reporting and normal costing, in an attempt to accurately measure the costs of acquiring or using resources. This state-of-the- art cost accounting information enables management to add-value for the consumer, and to enhance their firm’s competitive position and performance. In order for a company to enhance their competitive position, they must have an effective competitive strategy. The competitive strategy describes how an organization will compete and the opportunities its managers should seek and pursue. There are two competitive strategies that companies can decide to implement: cost- leadership or product differentiation. When companies adopt the cost-leadership strategy, they decide to uphold a competitive advantage in the marketplace by providing the best value at the lowest price. When companies adopt the product differentiation strategy, they choose to uphold their competitive advantage by offering unique products or services at higher prices than their competitors. According to the confrontation strategy, competitive advantage is not sustainable. This is a realistic view of competition by recognizing that competitors will quickly bring out similar products and match price changes. The underlying argument of the confrontation strategy is that firms must compete in terms of the survival triplet. The survival triplet consists of three strategic dimensions that characterize a product: price/cost, quality, and functionality. These three dimensions are bounded by a minimum and maximum acceptable level which defines the survival zone. In order for firms to survive and remain competitive, firms must operate in their survival zone. With that being said, companies face continuous pressure to reduce the cost of the products or services they sell, or continuously improving the consumer’s perception of quality as related to their competitors. To successfully implement such strategies, managers must have state-of-the-art cost accounting information that will allow firms to adopt target costing to enhance their competitive position. Being that managers have little influence over pricing, (the central theme of economics states that prices are determined by supply and demand), management must monitor costs to receive desired profits. â€Å"Target costing is the allowable amount of cost that can be incurred on a product and still earn the required profit from that product† (Ansari, Bell, Klammer, Lawrence). The article â€Å"Target Costing† proposes that target costing is particularly important at the design stage, where â€Å"70-80 percent of the costs of a product are committed†. Hence, target costing is more than just a cost accounting technique; it is an integral part of the comprehensive management process that aids management in reducing the overall product’s life-cycle costs, helping an organization to survive in an increasingly competitive environment. Nonetheless, target costing is useful in pre-production as well as post production and has many advantages to allowing firms to uphold their competitive position. Target costing requires analysis on competitors’ products and the customer’s perception of their products, and uses this information to assess which particular customer segment of the market to target. This analysis done in target costing allows for companies to create products that adds value, in the eyes of the customer, while staying ahead of the competition by identifying areas of improvement based on the customers’ perceptions. Furthermore, target costing enhances a firm’s ability to uphold their competitive advantage. Target costing reinforces top-to-bottom commitment to process and product innovation and is aimed at identifying issues to be resolved, in order to sustain competitive advantage. Target costing helps to create a company’s competitive future with market-driven management for designing and manufacturing products to meet customer expectations and market price. Also, target costing identifies market opportunities that can be converted into real savings to achieve the best value rather than just simply the lowest cost. Target costing enhances competitive position in the ways aforementioned; however, without state-of-the-art cost accounting information, target costing is impossible to achieve. State-of-the-art Cost Accounting Information Enhancing Performance State-of-the-art cost accounting information can also enhance a firm’s performance in the marketplace. In measuring a firm’s performance, a state-of-the-art accounting technique was developed by Kaplan and Norton called the balanced scorecard. â€Å"The balanced scorecard translates an organization’s mission and strategy into a set of performance measures that provides the framework for implementing its strategy† (Hongren). The balanced scorecard uses financial and non-financial measures to evaluate short-run and long-run performance. Key strategic nonfinancial and operational indicators measure adjustments that a company is making for the long-run. For example, an improvement in quality, as measured by improvement in yields, signals a strong likelihood of higher sales and income in the future. By balancing the mix of financial and nonfinancial measures, the balanced scorecard brings management’s attention to short-run and long-run performance. In for profit companies, the main goal of the balanced scorecard is to improve a company’s financial performance. Non-financial measures simply serve as leading indicators for hard-to-measure long run financial goals. Kaplan and Norton developed four perspectives that firm’s should analyze to achieve performance levels that are necessary to meet customer needs, compete effectively, and achieve financial goal; the financial perspective, the customer perspective, the internal-business-process perspective, and the learning and growth perspective. The financial perspective focuses on increasing shareholder value. Measures of the financial perspective include ROI, ROCE, residual income, and EVA. By managing financial performance, managers are able to manage costs and unused capacity. This will enhance performance by increasing profitability of the firm. The customer perspective measures customer satisfaction and focuses on the importance of the customer on the business. This enhances performance by increasing the firm’s market share and overall customer satisfaction. This will enable firms to meet the future needs of customers and increase customer focus of sales on the organization. The internal-business process perspective focuses on the internal business processes that will meet the needs of customers. This area focuses on product design and innovation, improving efficiency and quality, and post-sales service. This perspective enhances performance by improving the customer-service process, identifying operational problems to improve quality, reducing delivery time, and improving manufacturing capabilities. The learning and growth perspective includes employee training, system capabilities, and employee motivation. Measures of learning and growth perspective include employee satisfaction, and employee training programs. This enhances performance by empowering the workforce, developing employee’s process skills, and enhancing system capabilities. By implementing an effective balanced scorecard, for-profit companies are able to motivate managers to take actions that result in improvements in financial performance. When financial and nonfinancial performance measures are properly linked, nonfinancial measures serve as indicators of lagging future financial performance. These indicators can aid management in improvements in future performance. Conclusion State-of-the-art cost accounting information allows for the implementation of modern cost accounting techniques. Such techniques include target costing and the balanced scorecard. Target costing enhances competitive position and uses state-of-the-art cost information to identify activities that do not add value to the customer. Without modern cost accounting information, there will not be a breakdown of activities and their respective costs to assist managers in analyzing non-value added activities. Target costing relies on state-of-the-art cost accounting information to identify these non-value added activities that managers will eliminate to reduce costs, and uphold their competitive position. The balanced scorecard uses state-of-the-art cost accounting information to motivate managerial behaviours and enhance performance. Managers’ rewards are based on the financial perspective, which metrics rely on cost accounting information. Analysis of operating income, a metric of the financial perspective, depends on modern cost account information that accurately separates material costs and conversion costs to identify spending variances and efficiency variances, which aid management in future financial performance. State-of-the-art cost accounting information enhances a firm’s competitive position as well as their performance in the future by allowing the implementation of modern techniques. Focusing on internal reporting, and not just financial reporting will allow companies to adopt continuous improvement in dynamic, highly competitive environments, through techniques such as target costing and the balanced scorecard. Works cited Sharman, Paul A. and Kurt Vikas. â€Å"Lessons from German Cost Accounting† Strategic Finance. 2004, December. 28-35. Cooper, Robin. You Need a New Cost System When†¦ † Harvard Business Review. 1989, January. 6 pages. Sharman, Paul and Brian Mackie â€Å"Grenzplankostenrechnung (GPK)† Notes from Institute of Management Accountants Annual Conference. www. imanet. org. 1-58. Ansari, Bell, Klammer, and Carol Lawrence. â€Å"Target Costing† Management Accounting, A Strategic Focus. McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. , 1997. Hongren, Datar, Foster, Rajan, and Christopher Ittner. Cost Accounting: A Managerial Emphasis. Thirteenth edition. Pearson Education, Inc. New Jersey 2009. 462-485. Print

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Maket Structure-Micromax

MARKET STRUCTURES What is a Market structure? In economics Market structure is the way the market is organized , based largely on the number of firms in the industry, number of buyers and levels of competition , for example Monopoly, oligopoly , Perfect Competition. Monopolistic competition is the market structure is the market structure I am going to base this assignment on. Monopolistic CompetitionMonopolistic Competition is a type of imperfect competition such that producers sell products that are differentiated from one another as goods but not as perfect substitutes, they differ in terms of brand, quality, and location. In monopolistic competition a firm takes the prices charged by its rivals as given and ignores the impact of its own prices of other firms. Monopolistic competition has the following Characteristics:- †¢ There are many producers and consumers in the market and no company has total control over the market price. There are very barriers in the entry & exit of firms. †¢ Producers have a degree of control over prices. †¢ There is product differentiation. †¢ Independent decision making. Examples of Monopolistic competition:- Firms involving the selling toothpastes, soaps, electronics, and automobiles are examples of monopolistic competition. ANALYSIS OF A COMPANY IN MONOPOLISTIC COMPETITION Company name: MICROMAX About Micromax Micromax is a consumer Electronics Company found in 1991 and based in Gurgaon, Haryana, India.It focuses primarily on the sale of Mobile phones, LED televisions as well as tablets. It has 23 domestic offices as well as offices in Honk Kong, Dubai, USA and also employs over 1400 employees. Micromax is the 3rd largest handset manufacturer and the 12th largest manufacturer in the world. As of 2012 , Micromax leads the Indian tablet market with a share of 18. 4% which is higher than even the likes of Apple and Samsung, it is also the 3rd largest mobile phone vendor in terms of volume.The company’s r apid market share growth since 2008 is primarily attributed to its aggressive low pricing and entry level segments of its products and its wide distribution setup. ANALYSIS OF A PRODUCT FROM MICROMAX Product name: MIcromax A116 Canvas HD The Micromas A116 Canvas HD was launched at the start of January 2013 and is the latest Smartphone to be launched by MIcromax and is also their best phone yet and aims to rival even the best Smartphones of international companies like Samsung, and Micromax has sought to do this with aggressive low pricing.Below are the specifications of the Micromax A116 HD |Screen and Resolution |5† HD(1280X720 pixels) | |Camera |8MP with LED flash & front facing camera | |RAM |1 GB | |Operating system |Android 4. Jelly bean | |Memory storage |4 GB, expandable to 32 GB | |Processor |1. 2 GHz quad core ARM cortex | |Battery |2,100 mAh Battery(approx 21 hours) |Overview The Micromax A116 Canvas HD has a plastic built and has a very powerful chipset and proc essor, and has no physical keys as it is a full touch screen. The Smartphone also comes with the latest operating system from Android which is Jellybean, the battery is a 2,100 mAh battery which will last for an approximate 21 hours. Price The Micromax A116 HD is priced at 15,000 Rupees. COMPETITION AND THEIR PRICESThe following tables are some competition from International Companies for Micromax:- Samsung |Samsung Galaxy Grand |21,500 | |Samsung Galaxy S3 |35,000 | |Samsung Galaxy S3 mini |24,000 |HTC |HTC One X |34000 | |HTC One S |22999 | |HTC One V |18000 |LG |LG Optimus G |35,000 | |LG Optimus L9 |19,899 | Nokia Nokia Lumia 620 |15,000 | |Nokia Lumia 920 |35,490 | |Nokia Lumia 900 |31,500 | The following are some competition from Domestic Companies for Micromax:- Karbonn Karbonn S1 Titanium |11,500 | ELASTICITY OF THE PRODUCT Price elasticity of Demand If the price of the product is increased by a particular amount, then the demand of the product will decrease by a fu rther amount, as the consumer has a host of other alternatives to choose from and will choose the item which will give him the most satisfaction at a lower cost, therefore the demand for these phones are highly elastic.Elasticity Of Supply If the Market price of the product decreases by a particular amount then the firm will supply fewer products than the amount in which the price has increased , as the firm does not want to sell their products at a lower price and will wait till the price increases to again increase their supply, therefore Micromax has an elastic supply. ———————– MONOPOLISTIC COMPETITION MARKET STRUCTURE RHYS CAMARA ROLL NUMBER -1 MARKET STRUCTURE

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Can You Take the SAT in College

Can You Take the SAT in College SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips For many students, the SAT is one of the biggest stressors to comeup during high school. Few anticipate, though, that it may still be a concern during college. Occasionally, however,you might find that you need new SATscores after high school. So can you take the SAT in college? Yes, you absolutely can. There is no regulation that forbids it. In fact, the College Board's website specifically discusses non-high school testers. This article will discuss why you might need to take the test as a college student and coversome solid information about that process- and what makes it both unique and challenging. 2 Common Reasons to Take the SAT in College The SAT isn't a ton of fun. Why would yousubject yourselfto it when you're already in college? Well, actually, there are a few reasons youmay need to take the SAT in college. Applying for Jobs or Scholarships More and more job applications are requiring test scores, and there are scholarships out there for people who score within a certain range. Usually, high school scores serve for these purposes, but not everyone takes the test in high school. Thus, aneed to take the test later arises. It's important torealize that every company and every organization is different. You must adhere to the policies ofthese individual companies and organizations if you want them to take you seriously. Do your research, and, if you can't find the answer on the internet, make sure you call or email for clarification. The hope is that you'll get a message like this the moment a companysee your scores. Transferring Schools The most commonreason that you may need to take the SAT in college is if you are seeking to transfer schools. It's immensely importantfor anyone thinking about transferring to do research into the specific requirements of the school in question. A good place to start would be to read our complete guide to how test scores play into a transfer. Many schools require test scores from potential transfers. Some have different requirementsif you transfer in your first or second year versusif you transfer later on. This is very specific to the school. Some schools recommend including test scores under certain circumstances, but not others- this is often related to how soon after high school you began your college career. Some schools ask for test scores but permit exceptions for those who never took the SAT in high school or for whom taking the SAT now would be unduly difficult. Still other schools are test-optional or test-blind. In other words, they don't require scores. At test-optional schools, you can send scores if you wish, and at test-blind schools, your scoreswill not be considered under any circumstance. This applies to both transfer students and applicants goinginto college for the first time. It may be worthwhile to read our complete guide on the topic. All this goes to show that colleges are all a little bit different. Know the policy of the school you're applying to. The first place to check for this information is on the college's website. Many have a special page covering transfers, which you can find through the admissions or application page. If you can't find the specifics you're looking for on the website, though, there's nothing wrong with emailing a contact person at the school for clarification. Ideally, you should write to someone in the admissions department (as listed on the college's website). Failing that, though, give the college a call- a phone number for their offices should definitely be listed. Yes, that's right: make a real, old-fashioned phone call. Logistics of Taking the SAT in College There are quite a few hoops to jump through when it comes to taking the test, regardless of whether you're in high school or college. It's important to know what you're getting into. How to Register You can register online or by mail. This will involve answering a number of questions about basic personal information, courses taken, etc., as well as submitting a photograph of yourself. It's a good idea to get familiar with the process before you dive right into it. Where You Can Take It You'll be taking the SAT at one of the same test centers as all the local high school students. When you register online, you can easily search for and select the most convenient option. You may have some options; you may be able to choose a location such as a local university or communitycollege campus. Regardless, you will be taking the test with high school students. Choose the test center where you'll feel most comfortable. What's Different Taking It Now Logistically, the big differences are the more stringent requirements when it comes to identification and the difficulty of getting on the waitlist. You should also note that this is age-based; college students younger than 21 don't need to sweat these differences. If you're 21 years old (or older), a student ID is unacceptable identification on test day. You must bring official, government-issued identification, such as a driver's license or passport. Also, if you're 21 years old (or older), you simply cannot be placed on the waitlist. It's impossible, by the College Board's decree. The moral of the story, then, is to register on time and avoid the issue altogether. Additionally, you should be aware that the SAT recently underwent a complete overhaul. If you're in college now, you likely took the SAT on the 2400-scale (if you did take it). We're now on a 1600-scale. The essay is technically optional, though advisable in most cases. Some content has been redesigned, abandoned, or added.Sentence completion questions, asking you to define vocab with minimal or no context, are gone. Trigonometry, on the other hand, now makes an appearance. The essay no longer asks you to argue an opinion but to analyze a passage. In short, it's not quite the test you may remember. Advice for Testers in College Remember that the SAT tests high school topics, not college topics. Don't be fooled into thinkingthat means it's very basic or somehow below you; itdoesn't necessarily make matters easier. There are likely to be a few fundamental concepts that you've gotten rusty on. This may be especially true depending on your major. If you haven't taken any math classes in college, you may have forgotten certain exponent rules or whether47 is a prime number. In other words, even though the topics may not be college-level,per se, you still need to prepare. C'mon, it won't bethat miserable. 3 Key Tips for SAT Prep in College Once again, I cannot stress enough the importance of taking some time to prepare for this test. #1: Familiarize Yourself With the SAT's Specific Style Oddly enough, the SAT tends to reward pretty literal thinking on reading and writing (don't stray far from what the textactually says), while it rewards fairly creative thinking on math (be prepared to move expressions around into novel configurations). #2: Dust Off Rusty Topics Some of the material on the SAT may feel ancient and unfamiliar. This will not do; you've got to get handy with this content. There are many helpful resources out there, but don't forget that practice makes perfect. From full-length practice tests to individual practice problems, dive into experiencing the content firsthand. #3: Consider Your Schedule and Your Needs For many people, college is a very busy season of life. From gruelingclasses, to vibrant social events, to extracurricular commitments, things tend to move at a fast pace. Nonetheless, you still need to prepare before taking the SAT. So, start your preparationprogram well ahead of the test date. Consult your calendar (and syllabi) before committing to a specific test date. You definitelydon't want to wind up taking the SAT the weekend before/after a major exam or project. You don't want to overbook yourself. Conclusion In this guide, we've covered some basics regarding why to take the SAT in college and how to get that ball rolling. While there are a few definite differences versus taking the test in high school, the fundamentals are basically the same. Logistically, the process is almost identical. You'll be at the same sort of test center, and you'll register the same way. All the same rules and regulations apply, only you will need official government-issued identification and you can't get on the waiting list(depending on your age). You will still need to prepare, just like any high school student. Don't dismiss this step- it's crucial. In fact, give yourself extra time, considering how busy college can get. What's Next? The big question is how to prepare for the test. Remember that it's not quite like it was when you were in high school, and take a peek at our complete guide to studying for the test (revisions and all). If you're shooting for a perfect score, there are a few tips that can really boost your chances- including the simple advice of viewing all questions as analytical. There are some great resources out there, such as those created by the College Board's officiallyendorsed resource, Khan Academy. However, Khan Academy will never be enough- learn why. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

How the Assembly Line Revolutionized the Car Industry

How the Assembly Line Revolutionized the Car Industry By the early 1900s,  gasoline cars  started to outsell all other types of motor vehicles. The market was growing for automobiles and the need for industrial production was pressing. The first car manufacturers in the world were French companies Panhard Levassor (1889) and Peugeot (1891). Daimler  and  Benz  started out as innovators who experimented with car design to test their engines before becoming full car manufacturers. They made their early money by licensing their patents and selling their engines to car manufacturers. The First Assemblers Rene Panhard and Emile Levassor were partners in a woodworking machinery business when they decided to become car manufacturers. They built their first car in 1890 using a Daimler engine. The partners not only manufactured cars, they made improvements to the automotive body design. Levassor was the first designer to move the engine to the front of the car and use a rear-wheel drive layout. This design was known as the Systeme Panhard and quickly became the standard for all cars because it gave a better balance and improved steering. Panhard and Levassor are also credited with the invention of the modern transmission, which was installed in their 1895 Panhard. Panhard and Levassor also shared the licensing rights to Daimler motors with Armand Peugot. A Peugot car went on to win the first car race held in France, which gained Peugot publicity and boosted car sales. Ironically, the Paris to Marseille race of 1897 resulted in a fatal auto accident, killing Emile Levassor. Early on, French manufacturers did not standardize car models as each car was different from the other. The first standardized car was the 1894 Benz Velo. One hundred and thirty-four identical Velos were manufactured in 1895. American Car Assembly Americas first gas-powered commercial car manufacturers were Charles and Frank Duryea. The brothers were bicycle makers who became interested in gasoline engines and automobiles. They built their first motor vehicle in 1893 in Springfield, Massachusetts and by 1896 the Duryea Motor Wagon Company had sold thirteen models of the Duryea, an expensive limousine that remained in production into the 1920s. The first automobile to be mass produced in the United States was the 1901 Curved Dash Oldsmobile, built by the American car manufacturer Ransome Eli Olds (1864-1950). Olds invented the basic concept of the assembly line and started the Detroit area automobile industry. He first began making steam and gasoline engines with his father, Pliny Fisk Olds, in Lansing, Michigan in 1885. Olds designed his first steam-powered car in 1887. In 1899, with his experience in making gasoline engines, Olds moved to Detroit to start the Olds Motor Works with the goal of producing low-priced cars. He produced 425 Curved Dash Olds in 1901, and was Americas leading auto manufacturer from 1901 to 1904. Henry Ford Revolutionizes Manufacturing American car manufacturer Henry Ford (1863-1947) was credited with inventing an improved assembly line. He formed the Ford Motor Company in 1903. It was the third car manufacturing company formed to produce the cars he designed. He introduced the Model T in 1908 and it became a big success. Around 1913, he installed the first conveyor belt-based assembly line in his car factory at Fords Highland Park, Michigan plant. The assembly line reduced production costs for cars by reducing assembly time. For example, Fords famous Model T was assembled in ninety-three minutes. After installing the moving assembly lines in his factory, Ford became the worlds biggest car manufacturer. By 1927, 15 million Model Ts had been manufactured. Another victory won by Henry Ford was the  patent battle  with George B. Selden. Selden, who held a patent on a road engine. On that basis, Selden was paid royalties by all American car manufacturers. Ford overturned Seldens patent and opened the American car market for the building of inexpensive cars.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison Research Paper - 1

The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison - Research Paper Example This happens rarely but it does happen and in this kind of scenario we can totally lose our self respect, confidence and will to live. A similar scenario was faced by the narrator of the novel ‘the invisible man’. It is about the person who explains that his invisibility owes not to some supernatural cause of biochemical accident but instead to the reluctance of other people to notice him. He finds himself in a position where he considers himself as invisible among the people who are sleepwalking around him and thus can’t notice him (â€Å"Invisible man†). This above mentioned instance is also known as â€Å"Alienation". As stated in PsycINFO Database by A. Davids, Alienation is a syndrome composed of five interrelated dispositions: egocentricity, anxiety, distrust, pessimism, and resentment. Alienated individuals are "lone wolves," distrusting their fellow men and apprehensive and ominous about their own future. They tend to apperceive others in their social surroundings as being more alienated than they actually are, yet less alienated than themselves. It is also stated that the alienated person has a "weak ego structure as estimated by experienced clinical judgment." However, when talking about the narrator of ‘the invisible man’, we have to make it crystal clear that his case was different, yet he had most of the symptoms of being alienated as described above. The narrator isolated himself in his room which was a shut-off section of a basement where only white tenants were allowed to live, and disguised himself by we aring dark glasses and a hat. It was not because he had a weak ego structure but he did that because he found ‘white people’ his enemy. One of the reasons that a person can get himself into the state of loneliness is when he isolates himself from the world and decides to live alienated. It is really dangerous for anyone to isolate himself, so it was dangerous for narrator of ‘the invisible man’. As