Ill be back Review Essay Example

Ill be back Review Paper Essay on Ill be back To begin with, that does not agree with the summary of the book about the difference in mentality of the protagonists. I do not see obstacles to their love due to the fact that they were born and live in different countries. The novels characters ordinary people, and Im sure similar stories a lot, regardless of culture, to which belong the two lovers hearts They met at a glance in love with each other, they feel good together, she does not want to return to Moscow -. it there waiting for a past that has not brought her happiness, and she is trying to forget it in the arms of a loved one. But she suffered martyrdom by the fact that she has yet to get back to where it does not see his future, to break with the past. Probably talking about the love of a man from Istanbul and a girl from Moscow, the author would like to emphasize differences in the style of life of the inhabitants of these cities and talk about their love of the Bosphorus, which is presented in the novel though not as the main character, but certainly not the last character. Bosphorus, which is home to the love of our heroes with them . We will write a custom essay sample on Ill be back Review specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Ill be back Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Ill be back Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer It would seem that the next book about love, with no clearly defined plot, but it was interesting to read, draw thoughts and reflect on the spoken phrase. At the same time, the book will not please everyone, maybe someone finds it boring, so I advise it for those who like a deep, sensual, atmospheric prose. Often Elchin Safarli compared with Orhan Pamuk, I I can not say anything about it book Pamuk I still do not fall into the hands. But about Safarli I can say I like his style: he is unusual, interesting and most importantly, thought-provoking. And I just can say that this book, I put on the shelf with those to the reading of which will be going back again and again

SAT Historical Percentiles for 2010, 2009, 2008

SAT Historical Percentiles for 2010, 2009, 2008 SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you took the SAT from 2008-2010, you may be wondering what your percentile score is on the SAT. Is a 2000 on the SAT in 2010 the same percentile score as a 2000 in 2008? Do percentile scores change over time? In this article, I will explain SAT percentile scores, how they change, and I'll provide the percentile scores for SAT combined scores and section scores for 2010, 2009, and 2008. What Are Percentile Scores? Percentile scores reveal how well you did in relation to other people. If you scored in the 99th percentile, then you did better than 99% of the people who took the test. If you scored in the 40th percentile, then you scored higher than 40% of the people who took the test. The College Board determines its percentile scores annually from the scores of college-bound high school seniors who took the SAT. The higher your percentile score, the better you did relative to other high school seniors. Do Percentile Scores Change? Generally, percentile scores for equivalent SAT scores stay the same from year to year. For example, a combined SAT score of 1800was the 81st percentile in2010, 2009, and 2008. However, percentile scores for the same combined and section scores can change very slightly. A combined score of 2100 was the 96th percentile in 2010, but it was the 97th percentile in 2009 and 2008. Similarly, a score of 640 on Critical Reading was the 88th percentile in 2010 and 2009, but it was the 87th percentile in 2008. The SAT does try to utilize its scoring system so that equivalent SAT scores are indicative of the same percentile scores and skill level, regardless of when the test was taken. The purpose of the SAT is to provide a valid way to compare students. A score of 1700 from April 2015 is supposed to be equivalent to a 1700 from both May 2015 andMay 2007. How Should You Use This Data and Why Is It Important? Your percentile score is the most straightforward way to determine if you got a good or badSAT score. If you scored higher than the majority of test-takers, then you did well. However, when you apply to a specific college, you're being compared to the other students who apply to that school. Most colleges publicize their 25th and 75th percentile SAT scores. If you want to be competitive for admission at a certain college, then your target score should be aroundthe school's 75th percentile score. Also, percentile scores help put your scores in context. There may not seem to be much difference between a 680 on the Critical Reading section and a 600 on Math, but that Critical Reading score is the 93rd percentile while the Math score is the 74th or 75th. Raising each section score by 100 points would raise the Critical Reading percentile ranking by 6 points but the Math by about 15. If you're considering retaking the SAT, your percentile scores can help you determine how you should prioritize your time. Similarly, a small composite score increase can have a huge impact on your percentile score if you received a middle score. For example, a 1520 is the 51st or 52nd percentile but a 1760 is the 77th or 78th. Raising your score 250 points can raise your score from average to among the top 1/4 of test-takers. Finally, seeing the percentile scores for multiple years shows how little variance there is between percentile scores for the same SAT composite or section score in different years. If you're worried about how an older SAT score stacks up with more recent scores, take a look at these charts to get an idea of how it compares. Frii Spray/Flickr Composite Score Percentiles, 2008-2010 Score 2010 Percentile 2009 Percentile 2008 Percentile 2400 99+ 99+ 99+ 2390 99+ 99+ 99+ 2380 99+ 99+ 99+ 2370 99+ 99+ 99+ 2360 99+ 99+ 99+ 2350 99+ 99+ 99+ 2340 99+ 99+ 99+ 2330 99+ 99+ 99+ 2320 99+ 99+ 99+ 2310 99+ 99+ 99+ 2300 99+ 99+ 99+ 2290 99+ 99+ 99+ 2280 99+ 99 99 2270 99 99 99 2260 99 99 99 2250 99 99 99 2240 99 99 99 2230 99 99 99 2220 99 99 99 2210 99 99 99 2200 99 99 99 2190 98 98 98 2180 98 98 98 2170 98 98 98 2160 98 98 98 2150 98 98 98 2140 98 97 98 2130 97 97 97 2120 97 97 97 2110 97 97 97 2100 97 97 97 2090 96 96 96 2080 96 96 96 2070 96 96 96 2060 95 95 95 2050 95 95 95 2040 95 95 95 2030 94 94 94 2020 94 94 94 2010 94 94 94 2000 93 93 93 1990 93 93 93 1980 92 92 92 1970 92 92 92 1960 91 91 91 1950 91 91 91 1940 90 90 90 1930 90 90 90 1920 89 89 89 1910 89 89 89 1900 88 88 88 1890 87 87 88 1880 87 87 87 1870 86 86 86 1860 85 86 86 1850 85 85 85 1840 84 84 84 1830 83 83 84 1820 82 83 83 1810 82 82 82 1800 81 81 81 1790 80 80 80 1780 79 79 80 1770 78 79 79 1760 77 78 78 1750 76 77 77 1740 75 76 76 1730 75 75 75 1720 74 74 74 1710 73 73 73 1700 72 72 72 1690 71 71 71 1680 70 70 70 1670 68 69 69 1660 67 68 68 1650 66 67 67 1640 65 66 66 1630 64 65 65 1620 63 64 64 1610 62 63 62 1600 61 62 61 1590 59 61 60 1580 58 59 59 1570 57 58 58 1560 56 57 57 1550 54 56 55 1540 53 55 54 1530 52 53 53 1520 51 52 52 1510 49 51 51 1500 48 50 49 1490 47 49 48 1480 46 47 47 1470 44 46 46 1460 43 45 44 1450 42 44 43 1440 41 42 42 1430 39 41 41 1420 38 40 39 1410 37 39 38 1400 36 37 37 1390 35 36 36 1380 33 35 35 1370 32 34 33 1360 31 33 32 1350 30 32 31 1340 29 30 30 1330 28 29 29 1320 26 28 28 1310 25 27 27 1300 24 26 26 1290 23 25 25 1280 22 24 24 1270 21 23 23 1260 20 22 22 1250 19 21 21 1240 18 20 19 1230 18 19 18 1220 17 18 17 1210 16 17 17 1200 15 16 16 1190 14 15 15 1180 13 14 14 1170 13 14 13 1160 12 13 13 1150 11 12 12 1140 11 11 11 1130 10 1 11 1120 9 10 10 1110 9 10 9 1100 8 9 9 1090 8 8 8 1080 7 8 8 1070 7 7 7 1060 6 7 7 1050 6 6 6 1040 5 6 6 1030 5 6 5 1020 5 5 5 1010 4 5 5 1000 4 4 4 990 4 4 4 980 3 4 4 970 3 3 3 960 3 3 3 950 3 3 3 940 3 3 3 930 2 2 2 920 2 2 2 910 2 2 2 900 2 2 2 890 2 2 2 880 1 2 1 870 1 1 1 860 1 1 1 850 1 1 1 840 1 1 1 830 1 1 1 820 1 1 1 810 1 1 1 800 1 1 1 790 1 1 1 780 1- 1- 1- 770 1- 1- 1- 760 1- 1- 1- 750 1- 1- 1- 740 1- 1- 1- 730 1- 1- 1- 720 1- 1- 1- 710 1- 1- 1- 700 1- 1- 1- 690 1- 1- 1- 680 1- 1- 1- 670 1- 1- 1- 660 1- 1- 1- 650 1- 1- 1- 640 1- 1- 1- 630 1- 1- 1- 620 1- 1- 1- 610 1- 1- 1- 600 Enokson/Flickr Section Score Percentiles Here are the percentile scores for each section for 2008-2010. Critical Reading Score 2010 Percentile 2009 Percentile 2008 Percentile 800 99 99 99 790 99 99 99 780 99 99 99 770 99 99 99 760 99 99 99 750 98 98 98 740 98 98 98 730 97 97 97 720 97 97 96 710 96 96 96 700 95 95 95 690 94 94 94 680 93 93 93 670 92 92 92 660 91 91 90 650 89 89 89 640 88 88 87 630 86 85 85 620 84 84 83 610 82 82 82 600 80 79 79 590 77 77 77 580 75 75 74 570 72 72 71 560 69 69 68 550 66 66 65 540 63 63 62 530 59 60 58 520 56 56 55 510 53 53 51 500 50 49 48 490 46 46 44 480 42 42 41 470 39 39 37 460 35 36 34 450 32 32 31 440 29 28 27 430 26 26 25 420 23 22 22 410 20 20 19 400 17 17 17 390 15 15 15 380 13 13 12 370 11 11 10 360 9 9 9 350 8 8 7 340 6 6 6 330 5 5 5 320 4 4 4 310 3 4 4 300 3 3 3 290 2 2 3 280 2 2 2 270 2 2 2 260 1 1 1 250 1 1 1 240 1 1 1 230 1 1 1 220 1 1 1 210 1 1 1 200 Mathematics Score 2010 Percentiles 2009 Percentiles 2008 Percentiles 800 99 99 99 790 99 99 99 780 99 99 99 770 98 98 99 760 98 98 98 750 97 97 98 740 97 97 97 730 96 96 97 720 95 95 96 710 94 94 95 700 93 94 93 690 92 92 92 680 90 91 91 670 89 89 89 660 87 88 88 650 85 85 86 640 84 83 83 630 82 81 81 620 80 79 79 610 77 77 76 600 75 74 74 590 72 72 71 580 70 69 68 570 66 67 66 560 64 63 63 550 61 61 60 540 58 58 56 530 54 55 53 520 51 51 50 510 48 48 47 500 45 45 43 490 41 41 40 480 38 38 36 470 35 35 33 460 31 31 30 450 28 28 27 440 26 26 25 430 23 23 22 420 20 20 19 410 17 17 16 400 15 15 14 390 13 13 12 380 11 11 11 370 9 9 9 360 8 8 7 350 6 6 6 340 5 6 5 330 4 5 4 320 4 4 4 310 3 3 3 300 2 2 3 290 2 2 2 280 1 2 2 270 1 1 1 260 1 1 1 250 1 1 1 240 1 1 1 230 1 1- 1 220 1- 1- 1 210 1- 1- 1- 200 Writing Score 2010 Percentiles 2009 Percentiles 2008 Percentiles 800 99+ 99+ 99+ 790 99 99+ 99+ 780 99 99 99 770 99 99 99 760 98 99 99 750 98 99 99 740 98 98 98 730 98 98 98 720 97 97 97 710 96 96 97 700 96 96 96 690 95 95 95 680 94 94 94 670 93 93 93 660 92 92 92 650 90 90 90 640 89 89 89 630 87 87 87 620 86 85 85 610 84 84 83 600 82 81 81 590 79 79 79 580 77 77 76 570 75 74 73 560 72 72 71 550 69 69 68 540 66 66 64 530 63 63 62 520 60 59 58 510 57 56 54 500 53 52 51 490 50 49 47 480 46 46 44 470 43 42 40 460 39 39 37 450 36 35 33 440 32 32 30 430 29 29 27 420 25 25 23 410 22 22 20 400 19 19 18 390 17 17 15 380 14 14 13 370 12 12 11 360 10 10 9 350 8 8 7 340 7 7 6 330 5 5 5 320 4 4 4 310 4 4 3 300 3 3 3 290 2 2 2 280 2 1 2 270 1 1 1 260 1 1 1 250 1 1 1 240 1 1 1 230 1 1 1 220 1- 1- 1- 210 1- 1- 1- 200 What's Next? Check out the SAT historical percentiles for 2014, 2013, 2012, and 2011, and learn more about how to understand your SAT scores. Also, you may be interested in this post about whether SAT scores predict success. Finally, read this article if you're wondering if you need SAT scores to transfer colleges. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today!

Derivatives Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Derivatives - Literature review Example AP, (2011), derivative transactions entail a number of financial contracts such as forwards, collars, futures, floors, caps, options, swaps, deposits, and structured debt obligations. With reference to the writings by Durbin (2011), the origin of derivates is traced back to the 18th century whereby the earliest form of derivatives known as rice futures were been traded on the Dojima Rice Exchange. In the studies conducted by Hull (2009), he stated that derivatives are essentially contracts between two parties who have agreed on certain conditions under which financial transactions are to be settled and he further added that the most commonly used underlying assets in derivative transactions include currencies, interest rates, stocks, bonds, and commodities. Derivative contracts are categorized into two groups that comprise of the exchange-traded derivatives, which are derivatives that are transacted in a specialized derivatives exchange. The second group of derivatives is the private ly traded derivatives that are traded over-the-counter and therefore, the transactions are not undertaken with the assistance or expertise of an intermediary or the exchange platform (Institute for Financial Markets, 2011). An example of the privately traded derivates is the swaps. Additionally, derivatives are categorized as either option products or lock products; Shirreff (2004) stated that option products give buyers certain rights but they are not under any obligation to agree to the contract under the terms stipulated, an example of an option product is interest rates caps. While lock products underpin the parties in the contract to the terms stipulated until the expiry of the contract, examples of lock products include forwards, futures, swaps. It is of essence to note that the... This paper stresses that derivative contracts are categorized into two groups that comprise of the exchange-traded derivatives, which are derivatives that are transacted in a specialized derivatives exchange. The second group of derivatives is the privately traded derivatives that are traded over-the-counter and therefore, the transactions are not undertaken with the assistance or expertise of an intermediary or the exchange platform This essay declares that derivatives are categorized as either option products or lock products; Shirreff stated that option products give buyers certain rights but they are not under any obligation to agree to the contract under the terms stipulated, an example of an option product is interest rates caps. While lock products underpin the parties in the contract to the terms stipulated until the expiry of the contract, examples of lock products include forwards, futures, swaps. It is of essence to note that the classification of derivates is mainly based on four main factors that include the type of underlying assets entwined with the derivate, the relationship between the derivative and the underlying asset, the market that the derivative transaction will take place, and the returns they offer. The parties involved in the over-the-counter derivative transactions include hedge funds and banks, and this market is the largest in the overall derivatives. Because of the fact that transac tions are performed on private level it means that there is minimal disclosure of information to the public concerning the market and for this reason it remain less regulated.

Comparing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparing - Essay Example Human beings are becoming more inquisitive, than ever before, about the authority of religion and religious scriptures, which sometimes may not match with the scientific discoveries. However, the presence of ‘God Particle’ and ‘Big Bang’ theory has baffled many scientists and philosophers, compelling them to think in terms of God’s existence and creation of universe, with perfection. In response to thinking of certain radicals, a new philosophy of life has emerged, during last few decades, which is called ’Humanism’. This philosophy aims at making human lives ethical and responsible for betterment of human kind, without any religious or supernaturalism. The humanism and its aspirations might be the path to enlightened living for the future generations, as it gets inspiration from the experiences of life, while being guided by reason. Humanists acknowledge that values and ideals are subject to changes as people gather more knowledge about life. Approach to existence of God Russell has his own arguments to explain that he is not a Christian. He has simplified the dogma of Christianity by comparing the similar beliefs that people following two different religions may have. For example, it is essential to believe in God and immortality, for being a true Christian. However, according to Russell, Muslims also must believe in God and immortality. ... Roussell also nullified the â€Å"Natural Law Agreement† and â€Å"Argument from Design†. According to Russell, the â€Å"Moral Argument for Deity† and â€Å"Argument for remedying the injustice† could not stand the test of time, as injustice is evident everywhere and innocents suffer, while wicked people prosper. This is great injustice done by the God, if he exists.(Russell) While Dawkins has similar views about the existence of God, he further treats the Old Testament as a work of fiction and its God the most unpleasant character in this fiction. Dawkins has accused God with different allegations that range from being jealous, vindictive, bloodthirsty, racist, genocidal, unjust and unforgiving, among others. Dawkins has defined the God hypothesis, as God being the supernatural intelligent super being, who has created the universe including the human beings living in this world. However, the alternate view presented by Dawkins explains that the creative intelligence is the result of on-going evolution process and it has the capability of designing complex events.(Dawkins) Hitchens had similar views about the existence of God. In his â€Å"God is Not Great†, he has explained that he does not believe in personal God. Hence, no religious convictions for him. Instead, Hitchens feels that he has religious faith in the revelations of science, which unfolds the structure of this world.(Hitchens) Arguments about meaning of religion While the three philosophers had similar views about any religion being only a dogma, they had their own version to justify this. Hitchens has explained the religious plagiarism, in which all three major religions, Christianity, Islam and Jewish Zoroastrian have borrowed different rituals from each

Discussion 11- reporting net income Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion 11- reporting net income - Assignment Example Habitually, EPS has been hugely applied but it is susceptible to critical errors in calculation. Customarily, EPS is mostly influenced by the model of the accounting policies adopted by the company. Yields gained from the growth percentages is mostly perplexing and may be misleading or even meaningless with regards to small base and even negative earnings collected from past periods. EPS becomes distorted in cases when the company re-tracks share buy back in instances when the company repurchases its main shares thus reduces the amount of the shares placed in issue (Pratt, 2013). This provides automatic increment on the EPS figures. While most companies would boats of elevating the EPS, it is enormously vital to note that earnings must increase which is the desire of the investor. Even after placement of savings on the account of the investor, the cash should earn additional income in terms of compound interest (Peters, 2013). Normally, the EPS does not consider the company’s dept level and concurrent leverage which are the factors that influence the direction taken by the investor in selection of the future investments. EPS are repeatedly configured by the mergers and other entailed acquisition which has least regards for the actual value that is created (Pratt,

Value Chain Of Unilever Management Essay

Value Chain Of Unilever Management Essay Any profit motive concern would like to keep the costs to the minimum and maximize profits that can be sustainable as well. Lean production and waste elimination is the product of years of innovation to reduce costs. (Karlsson and Ahlstrom, 1996) This has worked to the favor of external entities such as suppliers and customers, and to some extent, the employees. Companies have realized the importance to involve the community as a whole in the process to foster a sustainable infrastructure that can ensure growth for the company and other associated with it. Introduction Unilever is a large multinational company, having its sourcing, production and sales throughout the world. There are a large number of fast moving consumer goods including foods, beverages, home and personal care products, and cleaning agents. A single category of products sell under various brands, having different attributes and varieties within a single brand. Some brands are limited to certain regions while some brands are under partnerships or have been acquired from local companies. Production of many products has been outsourced to other companies, under strategic alliances, in order to cut on cost of production, like Lux. The company has been continuously engaged in implementing such strategic moves. To improve the value chain, the secondary activities are highly evident as well as the primary activities. Lean Production at Unilever Unilever has a focus toward eliminating waste and bringing lean production into practice, right from the sources through internal processes to the consumers. With its complex procurement network and production scattered in different places, the possibilities for further enhancement in the value chain are endless. Unilever aims to be a multi-local company, which can understand local needs, and produce new products tailored to local needs.(Jones and Decker, 2007) This localization takes into account the different strategies that have to be put into practice for the same product in different locations, which can be put into reducing costs. There have been various success stories from around the world in this regard. In Peru, Unilever does not has a production facility so it uses the cost effective strategic option of outsourcing to local companies including Alicorp S.A.A., which reduced labor requirements and more focus was given to marketing the products. (SOMO, 2006) The companies involved in these strategic alliances have been strong companies. Unilever has a policy to find a partner with a high innovation potential, that can be used to ensure efficient synchronization with Unilevers own supply chain. As Bonney, 2002 has said that the company practices have partners dedicating a team solely for joint development exercises, where knowledge is effectively shared and applied, and commercial agreements are reached on patents, which signified long term partnership approach. Garijo, 2002, adds that Unilever, before going for an alliance, analyzes its internal capability in a particular domain and asks a potential partner to do the same on its own end. Future agreements are based on such defined capabilities. The gradual shift from house of brands to branded house has involved better internal processes. One example is their investment in information technology, which is been superseded by knowledge management practices over the last decade. Knowledge workshops have led to the creation of the Community of Practice (CoP), which pertain to a certain domain such as supply chain or production RD, who are involved in Knowledge Management Groups (KMGs), which continually enrich the knowledge of the employees. Marketing is one domain where KMGs are becoming active, owing to the tacit nature of localized knowledge in this area, while there are already dozens in supply chain and production technology. (Pos et al, 2005) Unilever has used CoP effectively to deal with Agronomy issues in areas with scarce water. In Australia, innovative irrigation systems were developed while in Brazil, an improved system curbed over-irrigation and associated problems. The resulting agricultural products are low-cost, better quality and have lower disease rates. Through this way of sourcing of raw materials, Unilever has established long term control over its sourcing needs. Given the leverage of its size, Unilever can further and continuously leverage its size to strengthen the very entities that it interacts with; the customers, suppliers and strategic production partners. Waste Management Being a large and growing company, the company needs continuous innovation to manage its waste along the value chain. It has been observed that outsourcing looks convincing but it discounts the control factor. For example in Perus case, the outsourcing has caused considerable cost reduction however it has also made it difficult to impose the standards practiced by the company. The layoffs resulting from the outsourcing and further layoffs by the outsourced company, have spoken about the cost to the employees of such strategic moves. The company has reduced the waste of over-employment and has improved efficiency but created the waste in the form of tarnished labor relations, which shows the inability of the company to follow its own Business Partner Code. (SOMO, 2006) As already discussed, Unilever is effectively improving its inbound logistics. The case of Palm Oil controversy, is one of the reasons to do so, and has in fact made the company respond quickly to such issues. In the case, Unilever could not fully adhere to its Sustainable Development Report 2009 where the company aims to grow while improving the environment and recognizes that each stage of the value chain can affect the environment. Prior to this and earlier declarations, the company had been working hard to restore its reputation, damaged by Greenpeaces Cooking the Climate report, where the company was named as a largest buyer of palm oil made from non-sustainable sources. Further media revelation of the companys continued purchase compelled the company to order its Indonesian supplier to stop buying from a local rainforest. Despite the companys successful sourcing of 15% of its tea and palm oil from sustainable resources, the company has been inconsistent in fulfilling its pledge s. The company has to practically prove its 2015 plan to source all its raw material from sustainable sources. (Drnach and Dowding, 2010) Unilever has been able to nearly eliminate waste in its production facilities and in the outsourced production. This has been due to the implementation of latest technology in its mass production models. At the outbound logistics domain and marketing sales domain, more and more services are being outsourced. There are a large number of companies like advertising agencies, brand activation, event management, media planning, business process outsourcing, distributor networks and more which are specialists in their respective domains (McGovern, 2005). It has been beneficial for the company to outsource to these companies due to the nature of these tasks. However, a collaborative and strategic partnership is made with these companies which can ensure better quality of results. The waste that occurs in this stage is that of the work rejected or delayed, for example, an advertising agency comes up with an advertising idea which is rejected or the distributor mishandles distribution, resul ting in inventory losses. Another waste that occurs in this area is in the form of delays that result in stockpiles of inventory. The distributor can misunderstand the change in the product brand image and fails to distribute to the markets intended for in the new branding. Failing to distribute the product properly can cause the product to lose its repeat or prospective customer. (Spence, 1977) The dual company structure does not create any impediments in the value chain as an equalization agreement eliminated dual board and management. (Jones, 2002) Under an agreed structure, where beneath the two parent companies are many local subsidiaries, the degree of involvement with the subsidiaries is gradually increasing, like its strategic plans, and moving from house of brands to a branded house. (Daye and VanAuken, 2007) It is highly recommended that Unilever should be more proactive by enlisting support and collaboration with their distributors and outsourced companies for marketing sales. The company should avoid being heavily dependent on the outsourced companies by having a system to create its own plans while approaching these companies.(Lei and Hitt, 1995) As for the inbound logistics, I adhere to Drnach, 2010 recommendations that the sources of supply should be tracked and audited regularly. The company should take a step in the improving its value chain without waiting for competitors to do the same, where there might be short term losses. It is also recommended that the knowledge management groups and related programs should be taken to other domains in the value chain by making its use compulsory for maintaining employment. Instead of using community of practice as a tool, the company should consider community of interest in order to create an acceptance of the knowledge management among the employees. It is important, also, to assign enriched roles or provide them alternate roles along the value chain, once the outsourcing has been done, rather than to lay them off. Any addition to the value chain, despite the cost, will add value to the organization as long term. The waste generated from the production itself should be utilized as a raw material for other production processes. Idle time can be utilized in training especially for factory workers, if it cannot be reduced immediately or not at all. This time can also be used in recreation activities for the employees. Employees should be given the chance to take part in decision making exercises that can help the top managers understand the complexity of problems inside the organization. Before the recommendations can be implemented, there should be a comprehensive audit of the value chain of the entire organization that can refine the recommendations. Impact of Change The recommendations will increase the efficiency of the organization and fewer resources would be used in production process. If implemented in letter and spirit, and with greater efforts, the recommendations can provide benefits beyond the intended ones. For example, by enlisting the support of distributors, the company can gather more information about the customers, through the retailers. Such information can be more meaningful than a consumer research conducted by a research company. With technological collaboration (like RFID Tags) with the distributors, the company can track the movement of the products from the production to the consumer in real-time, thus identifying where and when the products reach first and where the product demand varies owing to different factors, like seasonal and occasional. Distributors can also provide the company with information about changing consumer needs in various parts of the same location, leading to a different variety to be researched and launched for that area only, with a limited marketing budget. Maintaining linkages with the outsourced companies can be beneficial while having its own plans before approaching the outsourced companies can be even more beneficial owing to reduced dependencies on those companies. For example, it the company wishes to reposition the brand of an ice-cream, it should do complete planning of the work that is to be outsourced to different companies. With a plan in hand, the company will have a benchmark to compare the results with, so that they will not have to approach the companies again and again for improvements. The company can send a dedicated team to work along with these companies to report back the updates regularly so that the concurrent adjustment and enhancements can be made, rather than making a second approach to adjust the changes. For the inbound logistics the recommendations of tracking and auditing of the sources of raw material will improve the raw material quality and ensure long term availability. This will be possible as the audits will provide information whether the source of the raw material is sustainable. Furthermore the audit will provide information about the supply chain origins. For instance, in a South Asian country, the company can sell packaged milk like Nestle has. The company can reach the dairy farmers, who can be provided vital information as to the time they should deposit the milk. Technology at the village can be enhanced by installing lactometers that can measure how pure the milk is and the farmers are then paid according to the freshness of the milk rather than large quantities of low quality milk. Farmers would be encouraged to take care of their livestock to improve milk quality. Meanwhile the company can educate the farmers on taking care of the livestock through modern technique s such as medication and veterinarian care facilities. The village itself would find incentive to acquire such facilities. Thus by improving the technology of the village i.e. by going on a focused corporate social responsibility initiative, the company has a considerably better raw material that saves processing time and cost. Short term losses for implementing a value chain initiative can be high where the industry structure is not compatible with the initiative. A large company such as Unilever can bear such losses, but the impact it will have on the existing environment and the industry structure will be large enough to influence other players in the industry to follow suit. In my recommendation, that the company should not be reluctant at implementing a value chain initiative even if the losses seem to be high. The enhancement in the value chain will thus be beneficial to the industry not just the organization. The first company to implement the change will be the first one to benefit from the change, while other companies will be forced to follow the new industrial standards to survive. The long term sustainability will be created in term of continuous supply of better quality raw material from a sustainable source. The recommendations on forming knowledge management groups for more employees to share knowledge in their area of practice and interest, will considerably improve the quality of human resources at the organization. Community of interest should be promoted over practice, as it can diversify the views of the employees so that they can become more occupationally mobile rather than restricted strictly to their area of specialization.(Curtis, 1959) Furthermore the strategic moves by the company are expected to result in shifting existing employees to different areas on the value chain. The more occupationally mobile the employees are, the more quicker they will be able to learn their new roles, reducing hiring and training costs as well as retaining the employees along with the company specific knowledge. New employees would have to be taught about the organization from scratch, and would require more training. Lastly the idle time and waste generated by the production process itself can be managed to provide training time to the employees. This will avoid wastage of time in activities unrelated to work. If it is possible, the idle time can be used as a reason to employ part time wage workers who can work between the idle time intervals, while being trained during the intervals. Technology can be used to allow workers to work from home, if they are well trained in their area of work, and use the free time to maintain a reasonable work/home life balance. Waste from the production process itself can be used in other production processes in another factory of the company. For example, certain waste material from the production of soaps can be utilized in producing more soaps. Improved value chain will provide benefits to the community and the company. If both of them grow well, the benefit is passed on to all other players in the market. Framework to Respond to Danger Signals Keeping the Porters value chain model as a tool, a new first-line manager at Unilever can use the framework to identify the waste that occurs at each stage of the value chain, find the danger signals of each waste and respond to it. Inbound Logistics The waste can be the lost production time owing to delay in arrival of raw material, or the low quality raw material. The danger signals can be the number of hours a production process has to be stopped or slowed down, and the number of hours factory workers may have to wait. For each progressive number of hours, the manager has take a certain action. For instance, initially the incoming logistics has to be contacted for verifications of delayed time schedule. Later the production manager has to be informed, while workers are to be informed of the expected time and compensation. If the logistics is too much delayed, the managers can send the workers back to reduce wage cost and inform the higher management through production manager. Production and Operation The waste can include the idle time inherent in various machines in factory due to cool-downs and maintenance. This can cause wasted labor hours, which are paid for the idle times as well. The number of hours elapsed since the shut down is the danger signals. Initially the manager has to inform the workers to wait while the maintenance is in progress. On further delay, the workers are paid and sent back, while the manager liaisons with the maintenance team to know the status and inform the same to production manager. Outbound Logistics The waste includes inventory losses on mishandling, the lost consumer due to delay, misdistribution or low stock at the retailers end and losses owing to miscommunication with the distributors. The danger signals can be the loss percentage. As the percentage increases, the danger signals increases, and so a more high level decision has to be taken. For instance, for a small loss, the distributor is sent the first warning, while both company and distributer assume loss and the manager process the proceeding and informs the production manager and accounts department. On a greater loss, the distributor assumes the loss, failing which the manager has to inform the same to the production manager, accounts manager as well as the Marketing department. Marketing and Sales The waste is the time involved in rejected work from an outsourced company, and lost customers owing to failed brand repositioning based on unreliable research. The line manager has little to do with this domain, however the danger signals is the accumulated inventory if the full or partial production has started concurrent to change in, for instance, product attribute takes place, but is not marketed as yet. The manager can stop the production and inform the concerned positions. Service The waste is the loss of consumer due to inability to attend to consumer complaint or suggestion. The danger signals can be the increase in unattended consumer complaints on which the production has not taken any action, as well as an increase in the inventory levels. The manager has to inform the production to check the complaints and improve the product quality, while coordinate the production with procurement in case a machine update in needed. Procurement The waste that can occur at this stage of the value chain is the negative publicity as well the long term depletion of a raw material from a non-sustainable source. The danger signals can be the increase in inventory as fewer orders are being taken. The manager has to inform the procurement and marketing department after a certain inventory level is reached. Technology Development The waste is the lost production time due to an outsourced production facility not being fully compliant with the technology standards set by Unilever. The danger sign can be the total number of accumulated idle time in a week. Considering that the line manager is employed by Unilever at the outsourced facility, the manager can first inform the outsourced company production department, then to his companys outsourcing manager and production manager. Later the technical team of Unilever can be informed to perform necessary adjustments. Human Resource Management The waste can be the lost production time caused by delays caused by training new personnel. The number of hours elapsed since shutdown are the danger signals. Line manager can inform the human resource and production department to quicken the training period Firm Infrastructure The waste can be the lost production time caused by delays due to unrealistic plans and lack of finance. The number of hours elapsed since shutdown are the danger signals. Line manager can only inform the management of the happenings and try in his capacity to facilitate solutions. Conclusion Operations management is now the key to achieve faster production rates and improve both the top line and the bottom line. (Mukherjee, 2009) This area of study is increasingly being merged with the domain of marketing based on indirect responsibility because of the realization of need to be agile in competition.(Pycraft, 2000) To make sure that consumers are reached in time, sourcing, production and distribution has to be achieved quickly and efficiently.

Wealth and Democracy :: essays research papers

Wealth and Democracy. By Kevin Phillips. (New York: Broadway Books, c. 2002. Pp. vii, 422. ISBN 0-7679-0533-4.)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wealth and Democracy clearly illustrates and emphasizes the importance of Democracy being endangered. The author Kevin Phillips, America’s leading political analyst since 1968 and a graduate of Harvard Law School appears very informed and credible. Wealth and Democracy outlines and explains the politics of the second half of the 20th century. In this book Phillips primarily explores how the rich and politically powerful often work together to create and continue to take advantages at the expense of the national interest, the middle class, and the lower class. The book contains several interesting chapters on history and an analysis of present-day America that reveals the dangerous politics that go with the concentration of wealth. Finally, Phillips gives warnings of new radicalism and argues that the corruptions of wealth and power are destructing the United States. Wealth and Democracy examines the history of Britain and other leading world economic powers to point out the symptoms that signaled their declines such as speculative finance, increasing international debt, record wealth, income and unsatisfying politics. Many of the signs that led to the decline of Britain were noticeable signs in America as it entered the twenty-first century. One might be surprised at the way Phillips emphasizes the despiteful practices of the rich considering his republican background. However, due to Phillips increased knowledge of the GOP (Grand Old Party; the first Republicans) He has concluded Republicans economic polices and biases of the 1990s and early 2000s betray the legacy of who He considers the two greatest Republican presidents, Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wealth and Democracy performs a splendid job of convincing one that democracy is endangered and that the practices of the rich and those in power can be deceitful. For the most part the book is easy to follow, fairly organized and has an exceptionally good index. However Phillips could have done better when making references to his previous works because they are confusing and unclear. Wealth and Democracy :: essays research papers Wealth and Democracy. By Kevin Phillips. (New York: Broadway Books, c. 2002. Pp. vii, 422. ISBN 0-7679-0533-4.)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wealth and Democracy clearly illustrates and emphasizes the importance of Democracy being endangered. The author Kevin Phillips, America’s leading political analyst since 1968 and a graduate of Harvard Law School appears very informed and credible. Wealth and Democracy outlines and explains the politics of the second half of the 20th century. In this book Phillips primarily explores how the rich and politically powerful often work together to create and continue to take advantages at the expense of the national interest, the middle class, and the lower class. The book contains several interesting chapters on history and an analysis of present-day America that reveals the dangerous politics that go with the concentration of wealth. Finally, Phillips gives warnings of new radicalism and argues that the corruptions of wealth and power are destructing the United States. Wealth and Democracy examines the history of Britain and other leading world economic powers to point out the symptoms that signaled their declines such as speculative finance, increasing international debt, record wealth, income and unsatisfying politics. Many of the signs that led to the decline of Britain were noticeable signs in America as it entered the twenty-first century. One might be surprised at the way Phillips emphasizes the despiteful practices of the rich considering his republican background. However, due to Phillips increased knowledge of the GOP (Grand Old Party; the first Republicans) He has concluded Republicans economic polices and biases of the 1990s and early 2000s betray the legacy of who He considers the two greatest Republican presidents, Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wealth and Democracy performs a splendid job of convincing one that democracy is endangered and that the practices of the rich and those in power can be deceitful. For the most part the book is easy to follow, fairly organized and has an exceptionally good index. However Phillips could have done better when making references to his previous works because they are confusing and unclear.