Managing the Work Environment Essay

The job of managing the work environment is a very important one. Human resources managers must consider several things when maintaining a safe and healthy work environment. There are many laws that regulate things that impact an employee’s safety, health, and happiness. But more than that, an organization should provide things concerning safety, comfort, and health for ethical reasons. An organization will likely have more productive employees if they provide a safe and comfortable work environment. It is very important to maintain a safe and healthy work environment for many reasons. One of the big reasons is, it is simply the right thing to do. An employer should always send their employer should always send their employee’s home in the same condition they come to work in every day. The practice of safety also brings finances to the table. A safe environment impacts a project’s bottom line both directly and indirectly. The cost associated with incidents, including lost costs, worker’s comp claims, insurance costs and legal fees are minimized in a safe work environment. The indirect costs of incidents include; the loss of productivity that occurs when people turn their attention to the incident and absences associated with safety incidents. On the other hand; a safe work environment boosts employee morale, which in turn, increases productivity, efficiency, and profit margins. When employees feel they have a good, safe work environment they feel like they ca n make a difference. Safety hazards are conditions in the work environment that have the potential to cause harm to an employee. Health hazards are characteristics of the work environment that more slowly and systematically, and perhaps cumulatively, result in damage to an employee’s health. An example of a safety hazard might be a poorly connected string of wiring that might result in electrical shock to an employee. An example of a health hazard could be a continuous and ongoing exposure to chemicals that may increase the risk of cancer. Occupational safety and health act. (OSHA) 1970. This law regulates organizations and may issue fines to organizations not in compliance. Hours at work, illumination, and temperature, office and work space design are all factors that impact the employee. All human being are subject to circadian rhythms, which tell our bodies when to eat and sleep. This rhythm is very difficult to establish for employees who work very long hours or rotating shifts. These types of working hours cause fatigue and increase the risk of accidents on the job. Lighting has proven to impact an employee’s attitude. Considerable evidence shows that extreme temperatures (in either direction) can affect both attitudes and decision making on the job. Another factor that has been shown to improve mood and productivity is music. Employees tend to be in much better moods when allowed access to a stereo at work. Stress is a person’s adaptive response to a stimulus that places excessive physical or psychological demands on him or her. The stimuli that cause stress are called stressors. Four general sets of organizational stressors are task demands, physical demands, role demands, and interpersonal demands. By nature some jobs are more stressful than others. For example; a surgeon’s position is more stressful than a general practitioner’s position. Stress within the work environment can impact an employee’s health. Overload is a task demand stressor. This is when there is more work to complete than can be handled. One thing that can impact the stress factors is an organization providing a wellness program. The program sometimes includes employee assistant programs which may offer psychologist for the employee to talk to. This is helpful because it is usually free of charge. A wellness program in the work environment provides many benefits to their employees. Wellness programs can help their employees deal with stress by offering gym memberships that provide physical exercise. The idea behind the wellness program is to prevent illness rather than just paying for it after it happens. A well designed wellness program can include counseling services for emotional stress. Employees report an overall widespread feeling of health when allowed to participate in a wellness program. Another benefit of the wellness program saves the company money on employee absences and lost time from other things that a wellness program catches before it causes lost time from work. Employees benefit from health assessments that catch problems with their health before it is a major concern. For example; blood pressures are regularly monitored, weight checked, and cholesterol regularly checked. Some organizations offer cheaper insurance premiums for employees that participate in a wellness program. This type of benefit is a win-win. In conclusion, there are many things to consider when providing a work environment. An employee’s safety, health, and comfort impacts finances of the organization, and the health of the employee. An organization that provides a safe and healthy work environment is likely to retain good productive employees. Health costs are usually less, and turnovers are experienced less often within a safe work environment. With OSHA having requirements that organizations must comply with, companies are likely to provide safety to avoid paying a penalty or fine. Besides being compliant, organizations will most likely want to do this because it’s the right thing to do.

Donald Trump’s Presidency

Donald Trump's presidency has brought a lot of controversy with it. His constant tweeting, his blunt statements, and his act-now-think-later mentality have earned him both praise and criticism since the moment he announced he would run for United States President. One act that has stirred up a lot of mixed emotions is President Trump's announcement of a ban that would prevent transgender individuals from serving in the military. This ban, which was first announced via President Trump's twitter account in late July, will override an Obama-era plan that was previously in place specifically to allow transgender individuals to serve in the military (Davis, 2017). Perhaps what is the most frustrating development of this ban for many people is the fact that it was revealed shortly after President Trump declared his great respect for members of the LGBT community and intentions to protect their individual rights and freedoms during his presidential campaign. While many have cited discrimination as the reason behind this act, President Trump and his staff have ensured the public that this ban is purely for national security reasons, and he wanted to assure the LGBT community that this is not a betrayal (Cooper, 2017). This ban has been a hotly debated topic for quite a while. While both the Trump administration, supporters of the ban, and those opposed to the ban all have valid arguments, anyone who is willing to fight and die for his or her country and its freedoms should have the opportunity to do so. This statement holds especially true for Americans because the United States was founded on this very principle. While the military shouldn't pay for gender reassignment surgeries and treatments, recruitment options should be open to all Americans, including transgender individuals. There are many reasons why this is acceptable, including the fact that transgender people are already serving in the military, transgender individuals provide little to no disruption of military activities, and the transgender ban is currently being scrutinized in court for its constitutionality. Taking all of this into consideration, it's hard to see a reason why transgender individuals shouldn't be allowed to fight for the freedom our country provides. It's difficult to argue that transgender individuals shouldn't be allowed in the military simply because there are already transgender people serving in the military today. In fact, as of 2016, there are an estimated 6,630 actively serving transgender individuals in the military and anywhere from 2,030 to 7,160 individuals serving in reserves. Along with these numbers, an estimated 150,000 transgender individuals have served since the year 2012, which is about 21% of all transgender adults in the United States according to UCLA researchers. In contrast, only 10% of the general non-transgender population has served (Hamblin, 2017). The fact that a higher percentage of transgender individuals has served in the United States military compared to those who do not identify as transgender should serve as an eye-opener to many. After all, active military service poses many risks, especially during times of conflict or war. In fact, several American and British armed forces members in Afghanistan were asked about the threats that they faced. The statistics, which are represented by the above image, are quite shocking. Roughly half of all individuals interviewed said that they saw at least one person killed while actively serving. One in every six people witnessed a close friend being injured or killed. One in four were injured by an IED, three in four experienced long-range attacks with rockets or mortars, and half had been attacked at close range with machine guns (Gee, 2017). The point of these statistics is that serving in the United States military can be dangerous, and if such a high percentage of transgender adults are willing to serve in the United States military and risk injury, they shouldn't be denied the ability to do so. The decision to serve in the United States Military should be respected regardless of any drama created by gender. Along with the fact that transgender Americans have already proved that they are willing to make the same sacrifices as their military comrades, a large majority of transgender individuals cause little to no disruption of military activity while serving. In fact, as far as disruption of military activity is concerned, transgender individuals who could possibly be disrupting military activity by getting reassignment surgery account for less than 1% of all available members. The actual number of all individuals estimated to have surgical treatments while actively serving was between 25 and 130 individuals – hardly enough to cause any meaningful hindrance to military activities (PBS, 2017). In regards to this same issue of military disruption, eighteen other countries were examined in a study to determine if transgender service members cause any noticeable problems. Overall, the study â€Å"didn't find any readiness or cohesion implications† involving transgender individuals. Many countries revealed concerns about bullying issues at one point, but it was later determined that simple policy changes were able to deal with this issue (PBS, 2017). If other countries are able to work around the minor ‘difficulties' that transgender individuals may pose, then why can't the United States as well? Surely if this situation is able to work for other countries, it can for Americans as well. Along with this information, President Trump's proposed ban has received legal criticism as well. There are concerns that this ban would violate the Constitutional rights of those individuals affected by the ban. One example of the legal obstacles that this ban has faced occurred in August of 2017. Two gay rights groups filed a lawsuit to ‘ban' the ban before it could be instated. This lawsuit was filed on behalf of five transgender women who are openly and actively serving in the military, for they feel strongly that this ban would violate their constitutional rights (Cooper, 2017). Although the lawsuit itself wasn't the cause, the individuals who filed the suit earned at least a temporary victory in late October, for the ban was temporarily blocked in court by a federal judge (Kheel, 2017). This same judge responsible for the blockage was quoted saying that the ban â€Å"does not appear to be supported by any facts.† Along with this, another federal judge reviewed this ban in court and halted the ban altogether (Marimow, 2017). He stated that active-duty transgender service men and women already suffer harmful consequences because of the president's policy. Some examples of said consequences include being set apart as inherently unfit, facing the threat of discharge, the inability to move ahead with long-term medical plans, and the inability to commission as an officer.Due to these two federal court rulings, it is clear that there is much to be concerned about regarding the legality of the ban. A third court case was carried out with the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NLCR) and the GLBTQ Legal Advocates ; Defenders (GLAD) as the plaintiffs. They argued that the ban violates the Fifth Amendment rights of all transgender service members, and they pushed for the removal of the ban on funds for gender reassignment surgery (which accompanied the transgender ban). Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly presided over the court. After the case ended, she wrote a 76-page memo emphasizing the fact that the plaintiffs' Fifth Amendment claim is a strong one that will prove difficult to refute once it reaches the Supreme Court. The fact that this ban has been heavily criticized, and in some cases acted upon, by not one, not two, but three highly-esteemed judges only serves to prove that this ban is in violation of the Fifth Amendment and is highly discriminatory against transgender individuals who are only trying to serve their country. This ban has only encountered setback after setback in court, yet the Secretary of Defense is still being pressured to produce a plan for both carrying out the ban and dealing with currently enlisted transgender individuals. Although President Trump is still pushing for action to be taken, the ban is still being processed through the courts as an appeal is being sought after due to the decisions made from past cases (Lopez, 2017). Although there are many ‘arguments' out there that support the idea of a United States Military with a transgender ban, they lack substantial evidence, and the evidence that is presented is far from accurate in most cases. President Trump's two main reasons for the ban, disruption of military service and health and medical costs, are easily discredited when all of the facts are lined out.In regards to ‘disruption of services,' it's clear to see why this isn't a legitimate issue for the United States Military. First of all, there is roughly, on estimate, a total of 13,500 transgender individuals serving actively, in the reserves, or in the National Guard. Of these 13,500 transgender individuals, only an estimated 25-130 active members will ever undergo long-term surgical treatments that would cause disruption while serving. These numbers, compared with the estimated 1,281,900 total of all active service member, along with the 801,200 estimated to be in reserve, account for far less than even one percent of the military's total service members (PBS, 2017). So, assuming that the highest estimate of 130 military members undergo surgical treatment while serving, an extremely insignificant fraction of all military members would be incapable of carrying out military duties while recovering. This accounts for .0015% of all available ‘manpower' at any given time for the military (PBS, 2017). That percentage is hardly worthy of being referred to as a ‘disruption.' The second main ‘reason' behind this ban is the potential costs. The President and his staff worry that the medical treatments and surgeries that transgender individuals require is an expensive and unnecessary cost to the United States Military budget. While gender reassignments and other surgeries are certainly expensive, as stated in the previous paragraph, only about 25-130 individuals will even have the operation done (PBS, 2017), and the military has historically not been required to pay for these surgeries unless they are proven medically necessary on a case-by-case basis. Along with this information, a study in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2015 found that the total costs for these surgeries and treatments would amount to somewhere between 4.2-5.6 million dollars, or roughly ten percent of the annual military healthcare budget. For those that think this is a large amount of money, the annual amount of taxpayer dollars spent on medication for erectile dysfunction alone is over ten times this amount at 84 million dollars annually. Claiming that transgender medical costs are expensive and unnecessary is plain wrong. While not all treatments are medically ‘necessary,' several treatments are. Denying transgender individuals from serving in the military due to medical costs would be the equivalent of denying a diabetic the ability to serve; it makes no sense. President Trump has made a lot of changes since he was elected into Presidency. While his decisions usually at least make some sense, the transgender military ban makes no sense at all. His two main reasons for this ban, which were potential disruption of military activity and medical costs, are backed by little to no evidence, and his ban is coming across as discriminatory both in the public eye and in court so far. Transgender individuals should not be denied the right to serve because they have been allowed to serve (not openly) for several years with little to no problem, they don't cause any disruption or hindrance to military activity, and the ban itself is being reviewed for its potential violation of the Fifth Amendment and discrimination against transgender individuals. All of this effort for a ban that isn't necessary should be spent on something more useful to America.

The Federal Reserve System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Federal Reserve System - Essay Example The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) consists of the Board of Governors and Federal Reserve Bank Presidents. The FOMC is the monetary policymaking body that creates policy designed to stimulate economic growth, full employment, stable prices, and a sustainable pattern of international trade and payments. It makes responsible decisions concerning the open market operations. In addition, the FOMC directs system operations in foreign currencies. The Board of Governors makes decisions regarding cost and availability of money and credit in the economy. The Board regulates banks, contributes to the monetary policy, and oversees the activities of the Federal Reserve Banks. Members of the Board of Governors include Ben S. Bernanke, the Chairman; Roger E. Ferguson, Jr., the Vice Chairman, Susan Schmidt Bies, Mark W. Olson, Donald L. Kohn, Kevin M. Warsh, and Randall S. Kroszner all of whom are responsible for discount rate and reserve requirements. The responsibilities for discount rate policy are shared with the Federal Reserve Banks. In 1976, the Consumer Advisory Council, consisting of consumer and creditor representatives was established to advise the Board of Governors on consumer related issues. Before the appointment to the Board of Governors, Bernanke was one of President Bush's top economic advisers. He received his bachelor's degree in economics from Harvard and his PhD for MIT. He was a professor at Princeton University and chair of the Economic Department. As a member of the Federal Reserve Board, Bernanke is the first new Fed chairman in nearly two decades. The Federal Reserve Banks conduct research on the economy, supervise banks in their region, and provide financial services to banks and the United States government. They hold cash reserves for depository institutions and make loans to them; move currency and coins in and out of circulation; collect and process millions of checks daily; provide checking accounts for the Treasury; issue and redeem government securities; and are the fiscal agents for the United States government. The Federal Reserve Bank districts include: Atlanta, GA; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Cleveland, OH; Dallas, TX; Kansas City, MO; St. Louis, MO; Minneapolis, MN; New York, New York; St., Philadelphia, PA; Richmond, VA; and San Francisco, CA Simplistically speaking, monetary policy is used to control the cyclical fluctuations in the economy. It influences economy activities, by manipulating the supplies of money and credit, thus altering the federal funds rate. Using the three monetary tools - open market operations, discount rate, and reserve requirements, the Fed regulates the money supply. Each affects the amount of funds in the banking system. The open market operations are the purchases and sales of United States Treasury and federal agencies securities. When the Fed desires to increase reserves, it buys securities and to decrease reserve, it sells securities. Such transactions affect the amount of money and credit banks posses, which affects the interest rates and the performance of the United States economy. The discount rate is the interest charged to commercial banks and other depository institutions for loans they receive from their regional Federal Reserve Banks. When the discount rate increases the amount lending made by banks

Fight Club Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fight Club - Movie Review Example Tyler Durden expresses the belief that previous generations were defined by the battles they fought, whether those battles were on the battlefields in Germany and Japan, or the battlefields on college campuses in the 1960s. Man--the male--especially has been defined through violence, and the lack of either a "proper, respectable" American war between Vietnam between the Gulf War or any social cause around which the youth rallied stripped that immediate definition away from a couple of generations. The result was unquestioning acceptance of consumerist mentality and the idea that you could define yourself by what you own instead of what you believed in and fought for. This failing led to a true existential moment that is dramatized perfectly in this film. At the beginning of the film the character of Jack is living in fat city in his prefabricated "essence." But as Sartre says, "man chooses his own self" (279) and the movie follows Jack's existential journey as he does that very thing. What makes this film so terrific, however, and what makes it stand out from similar films is that the fight for Jack's identity is presented not as an existential struggle between a man and his own soul, but rather as a struggle between two different men. Enter Tyler Durden, who forces Ja

Magellan missionRadar sensing and image interpretation Essay

Magellan missionRadar sensing and image interpretation - Essay Example The Mission was named after Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese-born explorer in the sixteenth century, who led an expedition that first circumnavigated the Earth. The earlier radar missions to Venus provided planetary scientist a global map of the surface of the planet and were very valuable in understanding the geological structure of the planet. However it further revealed a need for "global radar data coverage" of the planet's surface in "orders-of magnitude higher resolution" (Ford 1). This need facilitated and provided motivation to determine the design and objectives of the Magellan mission. The main purposes of the Magellan Mission were to create a global radar map of the surface of Venus at higher resolution using the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and to determine the topographic relief of the planet. The end product of these four objectives shall be the classification of geographic and tectonic features of the surface like mountains, ridges, valleys, hills, and planes. Impact processes, lava flows, and other chemical processes will be explained and the internal density distribution of the planet will be modeled. The spacecraft design was economical and simple in relation to other spacecraft missions. In fact, the key components of the spacecraft were acquired from the spare hardware from other space programs including Voyager, Galileo, Viking, and Mariner. The spacecraft was 6.4 m long and with a mass of 3,449 kilograms. Included in the spacecraft were a single radar sensor, a large 3.7-m diameter parabolic High-Gain Antenna dish used for communication with Earth and a science instrument for radar imaging, solar panels about 9.2 m across to collect solar energy for charging the spacecraft's nickel-cadmium batteries and to power the spacecraft, three orthogonal reaction wheels used for pointing control, monopropellant hydrazine thruster system used to make adjustments of large scale orbital corrections. Subsystems included a medium-gain antenna, star scanner, on-board computer, coherent X- and S- band radio subsystem used for communication and gravity field experiments, and two tape recorders. Fig. 1. Labeled drawing of Magellan Spacecraft Key features of the Magellan spacecraft. Shown here are the different hardware and electronic subsystems of the spacecraft. (NASA) The Magellan spacecraft in the payload bay of the Space Shuttle Atlantis before its scheduled launch (Magellan Probe). Fig. 2. Magellan Spacecraft The Magellan Radar Sensor The radar sensor is a single science instrument in the spacecraft capable of acquiring data in three different modes or functions: SAR imaging mode,

Kant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Kant - Essay Example In addition, these laws are not only made by these beings, but these beings are also subject to the laws, which have been made. Every rational or human nature is based on the autonomy of the beings, which is practiced by them. The categorical imperative is at the center of the philosophical concept as espoused in the moral philosophy of Kant and it may be used as a way of determining the motivations that bring about the actions of human beings. Kant's view is that all human beings occupy an unusual place in the creation, and this makes them immensely rational creatures that were given the ultimate commandment of reason. Therefore, it is from this command of reason that all the duties and obligations that are observed by rational creatures are derived (McKinnon 844). Moreover, Kant defined an imperative as any suggestion that stated a certain activity or inactivity taken by a rational being to be necessary. A categorical imperative shows an implicit requirement, which is independent; that it affirms its authority in all situations that are required and justified as ends in themselves. In addition, Kant in his work expressed the extreme dissatisfaction he felt with the moral philosophy that was extremely popular in his time believing that this philosophy would never be able to surpass the level of hypothetical imperatives. A utilitarian in Kant's time would have said that the murder was wrong because of the fact that it did not make best use of the good in those people who were involved but that this was inappropriate for those people who were anxious with the maximization of the optimistic outcomes, which would come for themselves. Because of this, Kant argued that the morals systems that were based on the hypothetical could not persuade moral actions, or be regarded as the basis of moral arguments against others, this is because their imperatives were largely based on the subjective. Therefore, as an alternative Kant conferred an option in a moralistic system t hat was based on the categorical imperative (O'Hagan 525). Kant like the utilitarians based his moral theory on the intrinsic value but this is the only similarities between these moral values. This is where utilitarianism takes happiness to be conceived as pleasure and the absence of pain to be an intrinsic value, moreover, Kant states that one's thinking that they have moral worth for its own sake is enough to be considered one’s good will. In addition, he conceives people to be autonomous moral agents who have moral worth that is intrinsic and it is this, more than anything that makes them deserve moral respect. This hypothesis of Kant is sometimes thought of as the respect of person’s theory of morality (Mina 24). According to Kant, some objections to the moral theory have been there because of the fact that it is not always in the best interests of somebody to tell the truth. Sometimes, the truth is not always, what is needed and instead it can be extremely detrim ental to a person or those who are around him. For example, it would not be a person's best interests to tell a killer where his best friend is if this killer intends to kill his friend. Instead, this person has to lie to the killer to ensure that the life of his best friend is saved and in the process, the moral theory as stated by Kant ceases to function. Kant's moral theory is exceedingly limited to the telling of the truth, and it does not include those circumstances when the truth may not necessarily be a marvelous thing in the end. Still, the belief that one is

Will Private Equity Overtake Public Equity Term Paper

Will Private Equity Overtake Public Equity - Term Paper Example Private equity groups like Slater-Walker in the 1960s and Hanson Trust in the 1980s have been providing an alternative form of financing to public financing for many years now. These were the first firms or conglomerates that tended to fiancà © slumping companies and turned them around for cash generation. These private equity firms were seen as corporate saviors, which helped to revive poor performing firms and gave big returns to shareholders (BBC, 2006). Yet there may be downsides to private equity financing and in one recent analysis and news report, by Times, private equity companies are to face major tax deductions. The Times reported that firms financed by private funding may have to pay millions of pounds in extra taxes as commissioned with changes by the Treasury and Revenue & Customs. The report suggests that such heavy tax burdens can be a downturn for an industry that has created millionaire bosses. The tax rate on capital gains is set to rise from 10% to 40% (Timesonlin e, 2006). According to the report, private equity firms own companies that employ more than 20% of the UK private sector workforce. The Somerfield and Debenhams are major companies in the UK backed by private equity. Private equity bosses carry compensation packages of  £2billion a year so sudden tax burdens could go up to a few million pounds. However despite this sudden tax problem, which may have to be resolved by the BVCA, it is important to analyze why private equity firms have recently been more attractive than public equity firms and why has there been an exodus of top executives who moved from public companies to privately financed companies within the UK and indeed in many other emerging markets of the world. According to a recent cover story by Businessweek Online (Feb 2006), more and more of business firms are keeping away from public companies because of the ‘money, freedom and glamour’ of private companies.

Chinese Foreign Currency Reserves Swell by Record Amount Article - 1

Chinese Foreign Currency Reserves Swell by Record Amount - Article Example However, this spawns another problem. The additional renminbi issued causes the money supply in the country to rise even further. What was not discussed in the article is the direct impact of the level of money supply on inflation. A high level of money supply circulating in the economy causes aggregate demand to rise. This increased demand for goods and services is what pushes general prices to go up. Looking at China’s foreign reserve levels, in the third quarter of 2010, it increased by $194 million. In the fourth quarter, it jumped by $199 million to raise the total to $2.85 trillion. This increase was much larger than what economists had expected. During this time, China â€Å"doubled its intervention in the currency markets to about $2 billion a day† (Bradsher, 2011). And so, the country’s money supply was 19.7 percent higher in December than a year earlier. The increase in money supply though is not solely due to the central bank’s efforts to keep the value of the renminbi in check. Banking loans have also risen and measures taken by the central bank to slow down lending, primarily by increasing bank reserve requirements have proven to be ineffective. Bradsher, K. (11 January 2011). Chinese foreign currency reserves swell by record amount. The New York Times. Retrieved 14 June 2011.

Differences in social relationships on the Internet and conventional, Essay

Differences in social relationships on the Internet and conventional, face to face relationships - Essay Example However, the human need to be connected to others is always present, and so people have turned to the internet, specifically, some social networking sites and applications to fulfill this need in the midst of their busy schedules, as family and friends have become more accessible and available in just a click of a button. It also offers a myriad of opportunities for meeting more people, relaxing with online games, sharing pictures and videos and an outlet to express innermost thoughts and feelings to share with others. McCown et al. (593) conducted a study about people who meet people via the internet and found that in general, they tend to be truthful in their interactions although they initially did not reveal their true names and were careful about their anonymity. Eighty percent of the subjects of the study formed casual or friendly relationships while 6% formed intimate or romantic relationships. About a third of the subjects made offline contact with 40% conversing by phone and 33.3% actually meeting in person. It was also found that people who established friendships on the internet take appropriate precautions to protect their identities but find the medium a safe and effective way to interact with others and to expand one’s social circle. Some people, though, have kept private information about themselves private before getting involved in social networking sites. They go on their lives keeping things to themselves, or have the option to share them with others by verbally divulging such information. Control of information is greater and confidentiality is better assured under the shield of anonymity. In another study by Stephure et al. (658) on online dating and engaging in romantic relationships via the internet, it was found that involvement in online dating increases rather than decreases as people get older due to their diminishing satisfaction with conventional establishment of romances. The internet has become a convenient method of findin g a potential life partner. Stafford, Kline and Dimmick (662) remark that technology users think they can maintain relationships online especially those they have developed offline initially. At the time of their study (in the nineties) when video chat was not yet available, small and quick emails were used to keep in touch as opposed to letter writing. They also comment that some people tend to treat interactions with computers as social encounters so unconsciously, they also expect the rules of social interactions formed offline to also apply online. Colgate and Smith (140) have studied business relationships maintained online and found that the mode of interaction makes little difference to the strength of the relationship. Trust is established in the existence of good one-to-one relationship with the business partner. They also found that â€Å"the effects of the relationship banker are dependent on whether the customer uses primarily the branch versus the internet† (Colg ate and Smith, 40). With the coming of Facebook, old friends have been reunited, families have grown closer, and people have been updated with each other’s lives. Writing one’s status message helps keep others aware of the state of emotions or life situation a particular friend is in and may write their own comment to show support, or mere acknowledgement of

Figurative Language versus Literal Language Essay - 2

Figurative Language versus Literal Language - Essay Example The American language is a living, breathing, and ever evolving language. As such, it is composed of words, phrases, and sentences that find their origins in the most ancient of historical times with its meaning evolving over the years as people use the word for various purposes and to invoke various meanings.There can be figurative uses for the word, or even literal uses which manage to change the context of the word regardless of the word etymology. This paper will look into the etymology and meaning of 10 of the most popular words used in the American English language. The discussion will be started off by looking into the history and meaning of the word Idiom. The word Idiom first came into play in 1580 and was meant to connote a "form of speech peculiar to a people or place â€Å". Although Latin in origin from the word â€Å"idioma†, the modern form of the word actually comes from the French original idiome. (Online Etymology Dictionary) Idioma therefore describes a a l anguage, dialect, or style of speaking that is unique to a particular set of people. It's actual definition is that of a noun that â€Å"an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meaning of its constituents† (dictionary.com). Idioms are therefore cultural in nature (Garland, â€Å"Oh Idioms: Overused, Amusing, and Often Confusing) and should not be confused wih the figurative metaphors that uses an image for comparison purposes, it is also not a simile or a hyperbole. (Garland, â€Å"Oh Idioms: Overused, Amusing, and Often Confusing).... (Online Etymology Dictionary). It is often confused with the word analysis is the word that is used to describe the process of comparing two things. An example of the use of the word Analogy is â€Å"The analogy between the heart and a pump†. (dictionary.com) Now we come to the word Metaphor which is a â€Å"figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance† (dictionary.com). The origin of the word dates back to the 1530's from the Latin word Metaphora which meant â€Å"a transfer†, specially of one word to a different word (dictionary.com). A sample of a metaphor is â€Å"Our fortress is God†. Therefore a metaphor cannot be confused with a simile. A Simile on the other hand is a â€Å"figure of speech where two unlike things are compared†. It is the opposite of a metaphor and dates back to 1393 when the word simile was first used to describe like things. An exam ple of a metaphor would be â€Å"She is like a rose.† Now a Cliche, is a â€Å"trite, stereotyoed expression that usually expresses a popular or common thought of idea that has lost originality due to overuse.† (dictionary.com) An example of a cliche would be â€Å"strong as an ox†. It is most often confused with the word stereotype. An Amphiboly is â€Å"an ambuguity of speech, especially from uncertainty of the grammatical construction rather than that of the meaning of the words†. It seems to describe nonsensical sentences such as â€Å"The Duke yet lives that Harry shall depose†. (dictionary.com) In our modern era of speech, new words have been coined to describe the actions of people over the internet. One such word is Flame Word

Market research about Porsch Essay Example for Free

Market research about Porsch Essay Porsche Market Research Report RMIT University | Market Research | Sem C 2012 3 I. Executive Summary Currently, a number of people in Vietnam can afford luxury brand name cars such as Audi and BMW. Despite the fact that car outlay in Vietnam are three-times higher than its original price, demand seems not have any deduction. The research objective of this research is tounderstand about the Vietnamese target segment of Cayenne Porsche, their buying motives and usage, which require both the qualitative and quantitative information. The three research objectives we follow including: Customer’s? perceptions? create? a? relation? between? their? needs? and? the? cars, some factors customers consider before purchasing a car including? the? image? of? car? related? to? customer’s? image? of? success,? their? characteristics? and? the? current? trend? in? the? market and the occasions customers can use the car affect and the way they take care of it can affect their buying decision. Thus we used the combination of the online focus group discussion, the experiment survey, the secondary data analysis and the depth interview in order to get the needed information. Firstly, some introductory information and backgroundof Porsche Company are presented. Then the secondary research and literature review which include the Industry overview as well as Company overview, the Sale and market and the Customer trend would provide the greater understanding interrelated components about the auto market. Next, the Qualitative research is taken place with the use of Online Focus Group Discussion (getting the responses from luxury car’s? users? on? the? website? Otofun),? the? Secondary? Data analysis and In-depth? interview? which? together? give? the? group? a?greater? understanding? about? the? luxury? car’s? target? market,? their? purchase decisions and usage. Besides that, the Quantitative research is activated with the conduction of the experiment survey, dealing? with? the? statistic? in? order? to? generalize? our? findings? and? understand? more? about? the? luxury? car? brands’? consumer? trend and experiences. After collecting data, the group works with the SPSS software to transfer the information found from the survey and interview and then? export? chart,? graph? and? data? tables? in? order? to? get? the? result? (the? output)? and?interpret? them.? Finally,? the? group’s? members will appraise data collected and formulate the conclusion for the information researched and evaluated in each stage of the research, in order to answer the research questions as well as provide short-term and long-term recommendations for the Cayenne product line to get the competitive advantage in the market. Porsche Market Research Report RMIT University | Market Research | Sem C 2012 4 II. Introduction and background Over the last 60 years, the Porsche Holding Salzburg is the largest and most successful specialty automaker business company in Europe. Today, Porsches roster is quite wide-ranging and now even contains a luxury sport car, the Cayenne. Porsche Cayenne was elected? by? MotorTrend? to? be? the? â€Å"SUV? of? 2011†.? Absorbed? by? latest? Porsche’s? design,? Cayenne? attracts? attentions? by? the? look? of Safety, Elegance and Gentlemen. According to AutoVina, experts said that Cayenne, with high class, appropriate internal forces and latest? engine? V6,? is? a? SUV? that? best? suit? with? Vietnam’s? transportation? circumstances,? while? still? serve? the? needs? of? class? clients. The research study is conducted to find more opportunity in Vietnamese luxury car market, specifically understanding deeply Vietnamese customer as the key to ensure further growth in Vietnam. III. Secondary research and literature review 1. Industry Overview Vietnam is considered as one the countries that has the fastest developing economy. Since 1986, Viet Nam moved from planning economy to free trade and this policy brought the fastest development in Vietnam economy, ranking in the Asia area. In 2007, Vietnam had also joined the World Trade Organization and this milestone opened the new era for Vietnam economy and trade. Since then, many importers appeared and put a step onto the automobile market which was just in the initial stage. Despite the high rate of trade deficit, decreasing purchasing power and rocketing inflation, the luxury car sales has still risen. Besides, limiting the loan rate and increasing interest policy from Central Bank would not actually influence the Vietnam luxury automobile market. According to Mr. Laurent Genet, the CEO of Automotive Asia – official? Audi? importer? in? Vietnam:? â€Å"Our? target? customers? are? the? ones? who? do? not? have? financial? concerns†.? For? them,? a? car? is? the? reputation,? social? position? and? investment. †? Following this sustainable tendency, many luxury automobile importers are extremely optimistic about this fresh but potential market. 2. Sales Market Developing economy, increasing population and improving standard of living are main factors which help rocketing Vietnam Car sales in? recent? years.? According? to? the? latest? report? of? the? Vietnam? Automobile? Manufacturers’? Association? (VAMA),? sales? in? September/ 2012 increased by 9%, reaching 7660 vehicles nationally. However, the majority of businesses, forecast that by the end of the year, the market will only consume less than 95,000 vehicles. At the same time, VAMA statistics has just announced that in the first nine months, sales were down 38% compared to the same period last year. One of the biggest recognizable reasons is due to the? government’s? contradictory? policies,? which? is? rises? in? fees? and? taxes? policies.? According to VietnamNet, at least nine types of taxes and fees have been imposed on car owners which narrows the automobile sales. Do Huu Hao, Chair of the Vietnam Automobile Engineering? Association,? former? Deputy? of? Industry? has? recently? stated? that? â€Å"If? Vietnam? does? not? make? a? breakthrough? in? its? policies,? its? automobile? industry? will? never? be? able? to? develop†. Porsche Market Research Report RMIT University | Market Research | Sem C 2012 5 3. Customer Trend Referring? to? â€Å"Personal? Finance? Monitor†? of? Nielsen in 2011, Hanoi people adore luxury product such as sport car or mobile phone†¦? and? easily? got? attracted? by? them.? They? willing? to? pay? high? price? for? lavish? products? and? believed? that? purchasing? and? consuming them are economic investment. As studied in the International Marketing Review written by Lien Le Monkhouse, Bradley R.? Barnes,? Ute? Stephan,? (2012),? Hanoi? people? can? be? reflected? as? the? kind? of? person? who? highly? appraise? â€Å"saving? face†,? and? consequently? have? high? insights? of? the? â€Å"extended? self-component†? as? well? as? â€Å"the? conspicuousness? dimension†? of? luxury.? Dissimilarly, the Saigonese only bought things when needed. They think high-class? goods? are? for? boasters,? and? they’d? just? spend? on? necessary instead of boasting purposes. Accordingly, Vietnamese consumers? are? aware? of? the? financial? crisis? yet? it’s? easier? for? high- end name brands to attract northern clients; and for southern clients, enterprises should differentiate business strategies and products to meet all demands. Nowadays, a numberofpeople in Vietnam can afford luxurybrand name cars such as Lexus and BMW. Despite the fact that car outlay in Vietnam are three-times higher than its original price, demand seems not have any deduction. In? their? journal? â€Å"Business? Strategy? Series†? (2009),? the? authors stated? that,? for? Trends,? â€Å"there are differences in trends these days. People want safety, fast, sexy, but economical cars†.? Therefore,? â€Å"Efficiency†? becomes? one? of? the? newest? major? trends. The second run-up? is? â€Å"to? personalize? your? style†.? For? example,? men?who love speed and sport conventionally dream about a top-gun car at least once in their life. The third run-up? is? â€Å"Safety†,? and? â€Å"making? cars? more? safety†? is? a? permanent? trend? (like? Lexus’s? pre-collision). Last but? not? least? is? â€Å"Entertainment†,? because? everybody would be so pleased as they have a bottle of wine chilled in the mobile refrigerator inside their luxury car. IV. Problem statement Marketing problem Research Question Research Objectives Hypothesis What Vietnamese market segment should be targeted? (Target segments) Will customers choose the Cayenne? How do the answers to above questions differ depending on demographic group (age, income), psychological (social class, lifestyle and spending on household) and behavioral (benefits and usage rate)? Who are the best prospects? To measure purchase intentions, their lifestyle and perception in order to find out is there a relation between their needs and the car HO: Having Luxury cars is independent from monthly income over 36 millions. H1: Having luxury cars is associated with monthly income over 36 million VND. HO: The people with high social class do not feel the luxury car fulfills the need to enjoy life. H1: The people with high social class feel the luxury car fulfills the need to enjoy life and make the enjoyable life more completed. Porsche Market Research Report RMIT University | Market Research | Sem C 2012 6 How and Why do they purchase a luxury car? (Buying motives) How the performances of Porsche Cayanne affect people? Which factors will customers consider most when choosing a type of car except the budget (the interest or family benefits)? What extent do customers think a luxury car is a status symbol for successful Vietnamese people? What can be the channels they get information? What can be the proper time in their life they consider to buy a luxury car? Will the opinions of their friends/colleagues affect them? To measure the purchase intentions. Understand what factors affect the purchase decision, the reasons and time a customer will buy a car. Also to determine how and what a customer consider before making the purchase. Ho: Different age groups have the same opinion about the statement that? â€Å"luxury? cars? create? good? impressions? on? others† H1: Different age groups have different opinions about the statement that? â€Å"luxury? cars? create? good? impressions? on? others† Ho: On? average,? people? do? not? agree? with? the? statement? that? â€Å"Luxury car is a symbol for successful of most Vietnamese customer. † H1: On average? people? agree? with? the? statement? that? â€Å"Luxury car is a symbol? for? successful? of? most? Vietnamese? customer†? Ho: Customers still buy a luxury car irrelevant with the characteristics with which they describe themselves. H1: Customers do not buy a luxury car irrelevant with the characteristics with which they describe themselves Ho: It is not important to have my car the newest car in the market that few people owns it. H1: It is important to have my car the newest car in the market that few people owns it Ho: Family? members’? opinions? do? not? affect? the? decision? making? of? choosing a car H1: Family? members’? opinions? affect? the? decision? making? of? choosing? a car How do customers use a luxury car? (Usage) What can be the perceived benefits they like when using the car in terms of speed, upgraded safe systems? In what kind of occasion they prefer having a luxury car (business and travelling? ) To determine customers’? lifestyle and usage. Understand the ways customers use the car about. Measure Ho: Consumers do not think that it is important to upgrade the new technical developments. H1: Consumers think that it is important to upgrade the new technical developments. Ho: The job requirement is not the purpose for buying the car (mean =3) H1: The job requirement is the purpose for buying the car Porsche Market Research Report RMIT University | Market Research | Sem C 2012 7 the relationship between the car which helps to reflect their prestige. H0: Customers do not like to travel by their luxury car H1: Customers like to travel by their luxury car V. Methodology 1. Qualitative 1. 1 Online Focus Group Discussion (OFGD) We raised online focus group on Otofun. net forum because we can easily find people who have ability to own a car or have knowledge about car from the famous car forum. In Online focus group, respondents can feel free to express any their opinions without embarrassing or awkwardness due to undirected discussion. Many current users of luxury car brands in the forum were happy and willing to respond clearly to our topic after only some hours since we have posted it. We received nearly 120 comments from nearly 15 members of this forum. So, we got many detail and clear information from that sharing. Some respondents in the forum that even actively give us their mobile number for discussing their deeper information since they think their opinions, ideas cannot be completely reflected through the online comments. However, some people merely answer what was asked by us (the topic owner), so it is quite difficult to expand the information and ask more questions and? because? they? are? seem? â€Å"lazy†? to follow the topic. One more problem with OFGD is besides some members who are willing to help us, some them do not answer the questions and just joke around about the topic. Question Similarities Differences Evaluation Q. 1: Why do you want to choose a luxury car brand? Their? image’s? improvement when choosing luxury car brand. Belief? in? car’s? safety? and? quality? based? on? the brand reputation and long-term business establishment. Most respondents believe that consuming a luxury? car? is? a? way? for? them? to? â€Å"highlight†? their social position to surrounding people and show their success. So, if they have enough money, they actually choose a luxury car brand to purchase, especially business people. Q. 2: How do the family factors affect your car purchase? Not concentrate much on the family factors. When choosing a luxury car brand, people tend to focus on the Some respondents who are married and have children see family factors as a small or medium concentrated factor because they can have more than a car which can be separately used for family factor and. Briefly, most respondents do not think the family factors affect completely their luxury car brand consuming. Most of them tend to be affected by other individual factors. Porsche Market Research Report RMIT University | Market Research | Sem C 2012 8 individual image or personal factors individual factors. Q. 3: What do you think about â€Å"Cayenne†? Porsche brand? Cayenne style and design is more appropriate to elder people, who are more than 40 years. Most young wealthy people may not choose Cayenne although it is a luxury and unique car? brand.? They? think? Cayenne’s? design? is? not fashionable and sporty for young drivers. So when people purchase a luxury car, they do not only focus on the image of car brand, but also the design, style and performance of specific car to fit to their style. 1. 2 Secondary Data Analysis Secondary? data? is? used? for? â€Å"Fact? finding†? purpose? to? understand? clearly? about? the? reason explaining the behavior of consumers who owns a car, explain the outcome of quantitative resources and estimate the market potential or target segment for Cayenne car line of Porsche. TNS, AC Nielsen and International Marketing Review are high authority, as these three legal market research agencies.? These? companies’? major function is to provide the research about the market. We will also use famous online newspaper such as Vnexpress and Vietnamnet for searching the updated news. Moreover, it must be accurate, objective, right time and cost benefit. 1. 3 In-depth Interview Depth interview is an effective interview that allows researchers to discover high amount of information needed about customer behavior. Here, the team conducted depth- interviews with 6 people who own Luxury cars to know more about their consumption and usage. These people are full-time manager positions, around more than 35 years old, already married and working at different areas such as Airlines, Baking, Medical science and Auditing Logistics. On average, their estimated gross income is above 30,000USD. The exact numbers are not revealed. These people are open-minded to share their thoughts during interviews. Some of them have more than 2 luxury cars. One team member has a close relationship with these people, hence they are very willing to help us. In fact, all respondents use car to drive to work every day because they believe it can create a good image in front of their customers and business partners. In other hand, when asking about the perceived benefits they like most when using a luxury car, every respondents agree that the personal convenience and comfortably they received from their luxury car are much more valuable than just for showing off. Furthermore, most interviewees think Cayenne product category is suitable for their age. However, respondents said the style of Cayenne is classical and powerful, it may suit with someone in high-class but classic in style. These Porsche Market Research Report RMIT University | Market Research | Sem C 2012 9 opinions help researchers in discovering the potential targeted Vietnamese customers for Cayenne product line. Finally, most respondents shared that they would like to try a new brand for the next time purchasing car. Thus, researchers need to focus and catch opportunities from those potential customers in order to make them become their customer. It is undeniable that thanks to the interviews, our team had more knowledge to modify the survey questionnaires and provide proper explanation for the outcome of quantitative research. 2. Quantitative research 2. 1 Survey This project utilized survey as data collection tool, and chose cross sectional study as survey method. To generalize unknown problem and relevant data, survey is considered as the most sufficient due to its? â€Å"quick,? inexpensive,? efficient,? and? accurate? means†? (Zikmund Babin 2011). In addition, cross sectional study helps to find out the in-need representational information about the chosen market- car? industry? in? general? and? Porsche’s? market? in? particular? (respondents’? attitude? and? behaviors)? at? a? single? point? in? time.? Data? collection consisted of personal interview and self-administered questionnaires (mail survey). Collecting information via conducting survey is indisputably to have several forms of errors. To preserve the quality of the survey, before starting to launch the actual interview, the team had gone through the pretesting process with classmates and asking for lecturer’s? advices.? The? corrected? final? interview questionnaire contains 11 structured and 1 unstructured questions (see Appendix 1), which are happened to be all straightforward (undisguised questions). Since each team member individually contacts every participant, we could explain them any confusing questions hence it ensures that the survey has been done by the right target segment and since we individually contact them, they realize the seriousness of our work and more willing to put effort in answering the questions. Therefore it significantly helps us eliminate respondent error. 2. 2 Sampling The interview process was administered to a broad range of potential target segment (n=104). Compound interviews were planned with respondents in order to produce more in-depth data collection and opportunities for complement. It took us one week to complete? the? survey? process,? as? each? member? contacts? with? their? parents’? friends? who? already? own? a? car? or? request? our? RMIT? friends’? parents to complete the survey. For the purpose of diminishing random sampling error, we mostly focused only on people who already have car, high income and have credible social status. For example questionnaires had been sent to qualified and high-positioned employees of Vietsov Petro Ltd, Trustbank and Indo China airlines. 2. 3 Instrument: Data collection consisted of personal interview and self-administered questionnaires (mail survey). As it provides many advantages such as geography flexibility, low cost, standardized questions and time-consuming, we can collect the relevant data from targeted respondents. Generally, there are 7 sections containing 12 small questions in this questionnaire. All the questions are diverse, spreading from simple-dichotomy, determinant-choice questions to filter questions and likert scale. Section Iis filter questions in order to identify respondents who meet sample criteria. This section collects data? about? respondent’s? situation? whether? they? own? or? Porsche Market Research Report RMIT University | Market Research | Sem C 2012 10 desire to have a car. Section II and III apply simple dichotomy and determinant choice to collect information about respondents’? demographics such as gender, age, kids and income. This can be seen as using Funnel Technique which requiring general information before leading to more specific questions. In Section IV, semantic differential scale is used to help illustrating the comparison of respondent’s? attitude? towards? Porsche? and? one? other? brand.? Based? on? this? part,? a? further? image? profile? made? from? the? comparison between Porsche and another brand will be built up. From section V, Likert Scale is applied. These questions are vital to the survey as they gather information about purchase motivations from different perceptions, usage purposes and personal image. These questions help figure out what really? drives? respondent’s? attitude? and? behavior. Moreover, understanding exactly their lifestyle, desire, and purpose? may? help? the? researcher? take? a? closer? step? towards? respondent’s? mind? then? form? a? better? strategy.? The questions are standardized, short and simple with specified structure that would avoid complexity and ambiguity. Besides, there are also multitude of? options? which? may? avoid? ‘leading’? questions? and? making? assumptions. VI. Survey Result 1. Actual Sampling The sample size of survey questionnaire is 104 people. However, since we only want to choose the people who already own a car, there are 100 people reach this standard since other 4 people merely intends to buy a car. As aforementioned, our team aims at individuals who have a high possibility to possess a car, therefore the percentage of respondents owing a car counts for 96% of sample size. The survey result also reveals that the proportion of people has the income from 36 million VND to above 63million VND counts for65 %of total respondents and only 14. 56 % of them earns lower than 16 million VND per year. Since it can be unreasonable that people earning 16 million VND cannot own a car, but the reason could be they are RMIT students who cannot purchase a car by themselves, but their families have strong financial power so they already drive cars as a main vehicle. 2. Resul t analysis Research objective 1: Customer’s? perceptions? create? a? relation? between? their? needs? and? the? cars Question 1: Do the monthly salary affect the need of having luxury cars? HO: Having Luxury cars is independent from monthly income over 36 millions. H1: Having luxury cars is associated with monthly income over 36 million VND. Porsche Market Research Report RMIT University |. Market Research | Sem C 2012 11 Results Firstly, the bar graph shows that most of the respondents have a car ownership. These cars are mainly from many popular car brands, namely Audi, Acura, Toyota, Mercedes, Ford, BMW, Chrysler, Lexus, Chervolet, Nissan, etc. In contrast, there is a small percentage of 4. 81 not available, presenting for those did not answer the filter question. However, in overall, the study has met the quota of 100 respondents, having cars, as it shows a wide range of the car brands. Toyota seems to bethe most preferable brand since ittakes themost proportion sincethe graphs represents the highest percentage of 27. 88 is gained by those, owning Toyota cars. The runner up is Ford with 10. 58%. The line chart represents the respondents, having monthly income above 36 million VND mostly have an ownership every kinds of cars, from middle cars such as Subaru or Kia to high-class cars such as BMW and Audi. For example, based on the chart, respondents, owning either BMW or Lexus or Mercedes or Honda that have the income above 63 million have lesser respondents, compared to those driving Toyota. Furthermore, those using either Audi or Acura have an income under 16 million. Thus, it strongly supports for the statement that luxury cars independent from monthly income over 36 million. Secondly, based on this Chi-square test, even though there were more rich people own luxury cars than low income level people (21/67= 31% rich people own luxury cars; 7/36=20% average low income level people own luxury cars); this difference is not statistically significant according to the chi square test (test statistics = 1,675, degree of freedom= 1, p-value=0. 196 0. 05). Therefore, it can be concluded that it do not reject H0. On the other words, having luxury cars is independent from monthly income over 36 million. Explanations. Porsche Market Research Report RMIT University | Market Research | Sem C 2012 12 It can be explained that the desire to own a car can be affected by many other factors, such as whether it is relevant to the customers’? characteristics or fit with job requirement (referred to the next objective) therefore even people who have high income still do not choose a luxury car. In addition, there is a noticeable problem here, which is about the respondent error since the income is a sensitive question so some of them have the tendency to choose a higher range than the actual income or vice versa. Question 2: How do the people with high social class feel the luxury car fulfills the need to enjoy life? Ho: The people with high social class do not feel the luxury car fulfills the need to enjoy life. H1: The people with high social class feel the luxury car fulfills the need to enjoy life and make the enjoyable life more completed. Results The bar chart indicates that the group of people with high social class also mostly disagrees with that idea, counting for more than 12. 5% even though the amount of people who agree also counts a certainly high rate which is around 8%. Based on the Car-fulfill-life. Crosstabulation, most of the high social class respondents agree that luxury car could not help fulfill their need to enjoy the life. This difference is not statistically significant according to the chi square test (test statistics = 1,771, degree of freedom= 1, p-value=0,183 0,05). Therefore, we do not reject H0. It can be said that the people with high social class do not feel the luxury car fulfills the need to enjoy life. Explanations From the data collected, the car purchased is compatible with the owner’s? living? standard.? From? the? bar? chart? in? Q1,? successful? businessman with high monthly income above 36 million tends to own a luxury car brand. However, on the other hand, a luxury car somehow does not really take high position in their perception of life fulfillment. This can be explained that the Vietnammese high-class? people’s? perception? is? quite? different? to? the? general? materialism? tendency among Vietnam society. According to ThanhnienOnline article, the real global billionaires do not really stick with materialism containing luxury car, house.. as common thinking of many Vietnamese people. To those people, car is only a mean of transportation, not a demonstration of their richness and success. This tendency also affects a part of VietNam high-class people and gradually forms a different perception among those successful and wealthy people. Recommendations As what have been proved, there is a gradual changing in Vietnam high-class customers which may put luxury car sales at risk. Taking this in consideration, Porsche should launch campaigns focusing on different aspects of luxury car image such as quality, durability, Porsche Market Research Report RMIT University | Market Research | Sem C 2012 13 service and loyal customer incentives. A luxury car does not only bring a high-class outlook and position but also provides the best quality and many other beneficial incentives. Porsche must demonstrate that it deeply understands this insight, that it knows the car is not just a vehicle, it sticks with successful moments in their career and with happy moments with their families. By recognizing and conducting? strategic? plans? on? time,? Porsche? may? affect? targeted? customer’s? perception? and? change? their? behaviour? in? more? positive ways. Research Objective 2: Some factors customers consider before purchasing a car including the image of car related to their image of success, their characteristics and the current trend in the market. Question 1: How customers evaluate Porsche compared to other three competitors (BMW, Audi Mercedes Benz)? Results To clarify, the study has been conducted through the use of ranking Porsche, presented by the red line in the graph and other brands, including BMW, Audi and Mercedes, presented by the blue line, for each of 9 attributes, namely performance, safety, luxury brand image,? driver’s? image,? prestige,? elegance,? desire? of? the? updated? edition? of? car? model? (desirable),? uniqueness? of? car? accessories and level of equipment. The value in the graph has been calculated to the mean for each attribute. Overall,? the? graph? figures? out? Porsche? is? believed? that? the? car? can? be? raised? the? car? driver’s? social? status? which? is? representative of luxury? brand? image,? driver’s? image,? prestige? and? elegance.? To? illustrate,? the? attribute, gaining the highest mean is the image of the driver with the mean around 4. 8, compared to other brands with the mean around 4. Thus, there is a significant gap between Porsche 3. 6 3. 8 4 4. 2 4. 4 4. 6 4. 8 Other luxury brands Porsche Porsche Market Research Report RMIT University | Market Research | Sem C 2012 14 and one of the other car brands, which is 0. 8. Moreover, in the comparison of prestige, there is a magnificent gap between these car brands which is 0. 2. This is because the red line gains around 4. 4, while the blue one is approximately 4. 6. However, in the comparison of desirable, Porsche is underestimated with the mean near 4. 1, whereas, the other one is approximately 4. 6. This can be explained that there is not much updated version of Porsche Cayenne in recent years. Besides that, most Vietnamese customers are a bit interested in SUV market, not quite much as other foreign market. This can be proven that not much Cayenne models are available in Vietnam much, for example, Cayenne S, Cayenne S Diesel and even Cayenne Turbo S. Explanations: In the social image comparison, all the participants of OFGD agree that current Cayenne models raise the image of the driver.? This? also? supported? for? the? question? no.? 2? that? different? age? groups? have? same? opinion? about? the? statement? â€Å"luxury? cars make good? impressions? on? others†. The graph shows there is no much difference between Porsche and the other brands towards performance, safety, uniqueness of car accessories and level of equipment. This can be explained that the cars chosen for the comparison are premium cars. Based on both OFGD and in-depth interviews, most of the participants acknowledge that premium cars have to meet the certain requirements about safety, performance, its uniqueness of the accessories and the high level of equipment. Recommendations: It is recommended that press releases for the updated version of Cayenne should be widely introduced to be launched. This is because this is the opportunity that can enhance the brand awareness of Porsche, especially Cayenne model. Question 2: Do the customers in different age groups similarly care about the impression they have from other people while driving a luxury car? Ho:? Different? age? groups? have? the? same? opinion? about? the? statement? that? â€Å"luxury? cars? create? good? impressions? on? others† H1:? Different? age? groups? have? different? opinions? about? the? statement? that? â€Å"luxury? cars? create? good? impressions? on? others† Results Firstly, based on the graph, the age groups that have been surveyed includes under 24, 24-under 34, 34-44, 44-under 54, 54-under 64, and 64 and above.

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Posting on Reading Essay Education   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   How education is valued and how it is tied up with culture and the structure of society is the focus of the article. Moreover, several factors that encourage people to attend higher education are also explored in the article. For instance, several examples about the South Korean culture were revealed in the article in order to emphasize how the view of education changes depending on the culture. For the South Koreans, education is seen as a status symbol and not a stepping-stone to acquire a job in the future. The good thing about it though is that statistics has shown that the percentage of dropouts is less in areas that believe in the relationship between education and societal value.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   People from different walks of life have varying points of view regarding education. A survey conducted in order to determine the reasons why people choose to attend higher education reveals that reputation or culture and the enhancement of an individual’s disposition are the topmost reasons why people value their education. At this point, people view the learning and understanding of the English language as an instrumental skill in order to accomplish an individual’s aims to gain a high and respectable social status. Koreans nowadays are struggling to learn the English language, as it gives one a high rank in the social climate. Koreans spend time and effort in studying English that they are willing to undergo rigorous testing just to speak English well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Perhaps, the article does not only discuss education as part of culture. I think the issues in this article also have strong connections with globalization. As the world moves to become a global village, people are forced to increase their chances of belonging to the international community. This objective shall only be accomplished through further education. This is probably one of the reasons why education is seen as a form of earning a high rank in society because being well educated and learning to speak English well keeps you in a range of belongingness with the rest of the global community. The Costs of Educational Zeal   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The article explores the effects of Korea’s valuing of education to the costs of attending the educational institution. Apparently, with the Korean’s growing value for education and the educational institution’s goals to enhance the quality of education, the costs of higher educations have also reached a high. The reasons underlying the high cost of education in the country was explored under different regimes. The influence of colonialism to the educational system of the country contributed much to the high cost that they require of education. Moreover, majority of educational institutions in the country require expensive rates for their services because most of them are privately owned. At this point, I ask myself, why do they need to pay expensive taxes for education when most of the educational institutions are private?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There was not any change during the Park Chung Hee’s term as president of the country. During this time, education was neglected, therefore there were no efforts coming from the government to fix the problem expensive costs of education. Reflecting on it, education in the country has really become a social status, such that only those who can afford it are able to gain the quality education that they deserve. Moreover, the government does not care less whether the people are able to afford education. This reveals how the voices of those people who cannot afford to attend educational institutions are not being heard.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another factor that influenced the high costs of education was what the people called Kwaoe. Kwaoe is the Korean term for tutoring. This service requires large amounts of money that people cannot help but complain about its cost. At this point of time, the government was able to address this issue and ban tutoring all over the country. Throughout the years, noticeable efforts to alleviate the rising cost of education were evident when reviewing the performances of past governments. However, their efforts were not enough to lessen the cost of paying for an individual’s education. The failure of governments to remodel their educational system is understandable, because from the beginning, the faulty budgeting and financing for educational institutions was adapted by the country. What the country needs to work on is modifying the educational system in order to identify its flaws and once and for all end the high costs of education.

Philosophy And Personal Identity Philosophy Essay

Philosophy And Personal Identity Philosophy Essay Personal identity starts at the moment of conception, within time personal identity can change or not change. The change in identity differs in many instances by causes of psychological, physical or environmental changes in the person life. As life progresses in time people tend to change their views on many issues and identity is involved with those issues. Day to day activities also play an important role on a persons present or prior identity by being exposed to different elements encountered within their mind while operating in these activities. The mind is the most important influential part of a person to establish their identity thru time present or future. The identity is very important for the well being of a person in their everyday life, at work, and even with their relaintionships. When it comes to philosophy Personal Identity is a very broad and extensive topic, many philosopher have their own views on the issue. On the other hand my personal choice for this paper has to be a very well known philosopher by the name of John Locke who was one of the greatest in Europe in the late 1600s and early 1700s until his death. John Locker was born into the stage in Europe which was called the Enlightenment in which he helped find the identity of Thomas Jefferson to the idea of the Declaration Of Independence by stating this men are endowed with certain inalienable rights, and that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. With these words stated by Thomas Jefferson, John Locke began his successful thrill of Philosophy and the issue of Personal Identity. As Locke explains his version of Personal Identity he explains it in a higher power and often relies on faith, as opposed to science, to aid him in his major life decisions by using his personal identity. John Lockes views on personal identity are set out in the selection, Of Identity and Diversity, taken from his Essay Concerning Human Understanding. In this essay he talks about humans are able to understand by applying his theories and ideas. John Locke had his heart of personal identity in Section 9 of his essay in which he states his idea of a person is that of a thinking, intelligent (rational) being with consciousness of itself (self-consciousness). The notion of a thinking intelligent being amounts to this.While John Locke had his opinion and theories on personal identity other philosophers do too.In reference Identity is very complex and it has no set definition everyone agrees on. Sarup (1996) talks about identity by using the example of a passport. This may include a photograph of the person as well as other details including nationality, a persons full name and date-of-birth. While a passport is a form of identity it does not express who you are as a pers on. It shows you who you are so that you can be recognized in a bureaucratic sense (Sarup, 1996). Sarup the author states that identity is to do with who one thinks one is, what one believes and what one does. While Kidd another author believes that identity relates to how we think about ourselves as people, how we think about other people around us and what we think others think of us. In other words, the ability to figure out (Kidd, 2002)who we are as a person. Kidd the other author states that we are shaped by our culture, and we shape it and perpetuate in it in our day-to-day lives. Although culture and identity are often linked they are, in fact, different in many ways than one . With culture representing the macro pattern- the bigger picture- and identity representing the smaller more micro meanings we have as individuals ( Kidd, 2002, p.7). In my personal identity I have experienced many facets within my 25 years of living in this earth.My personal identity has been developing each minute of the day,as well as days on and in years.In my readings and research I personally coincide with authors who state that personal identity is divided by two subsets.These two subsets are characterized by experience and learning.On the contrary to Lockes beliefs I feel these two subsets characterize my personal identitys growth.According to Wenger, identity can be seen as a negotiated experience, which is developed through engagement in practice in which gives us certain experiences of participation and what our communities pay attention to makes us as participants (Wenger, 1998). Identity in practice is defined socially not merely because it is believed in a social discourse of the self and of social categories, but also because it is produced as a lived experience of participation in the specific communities (Wenger, 1998, p.151). Learning is a very crucial item people should encounter because it benefits us in the long run when it comes to our daily lives and personal encounters and relaintionships.The many things ive learned thru out my years has set out to my advantage and my personal identity .While working for different companies and organizations my personal identity has differed in each setting because I had a different role in each one.Having different roles in each of my jobs,my personal identity had to change in time in order for my tenure their to be successful and keep up with the rest of the laborers.According to the author Wenger A sense of a learning trajectory gives us ways of sorting out what matters and what does not, what contributes to identity and what remains marginal (Wenger, 1998, p.155). When we speak of ones personal identity we speak as what makes us the person that we are.Our identity consists of what makes us unique and different as an individual and from others.According to Locke personal identity does not involve the body at all,the person could be involved by his soul.If such would occur Locke suggested that the person could be transferred by his own soul.However personal identity to Locke cannot be equated with the identity of a thinking substance either because the identity doesnt follow the identity of the soul ,but follows the set of individual thoughts it contains.Here is an excerpt of one Lockes essay where he states the personal identity would follow the thoughts themselves, and not the thinking substance. Let any one reflect upon himself,and conclude,that he has in himself an immaterial Spirit,which is that which thinks in him,and in the constant change of his body keeps him the same;and is that which he calls himself: Let him also suppose it to be the same soul,that was in Nestor or Thersites, at the Siege Of Troy.But he,now having no consciousness of any of the Actions either of Nestor or Thersites,does,or can he,conceive himself the same person with either of them? Can he be concerned in either of their actions?Attribute them to himself, or think them his own more than the actions of any other man,that ever existed?But let him once find himself conscious of any of the actions of Nestor,he then finds himself the same person with Nestor.(Section 15).Since we know and read that Locke rejects that the identity of a person is the identity of an immaterial substance or soul.For Locke at every moment you could have a different soul,thoughts,or a different thinker and still have the same person see.(Section 25) Another rejection by Locke is the idea the the identity of a man is needed for the identity of the person.It wouldnt be necessary since you could have the same person in two different beings as he states in the Prince and the Cobbler story. For should the soul of a prince,carrying with it the consciousness of the princes past life,enter and inform the body of a cobbler,as soon as deserted by his own soul,everyone sees he would be the same person with the prince.(Section 15). For Locke personal identity is not enough if it doesnt include the identity of consciousness.According to Locke consciousness is the ideas that a soul entertains,not in the soul that entertains them.The most important part of consciousness is memory,since memory can remember the actions and experiences of some past person,from the perspective of that person,then one thereby qualifies as identical with that person.To Locke he describes personal identity as a forensic notion.(Section 26).While most philosophers and philosophy get confused with his identity of consciousness Locke statedFor since consciousness always accompanies thinking,and it is that which makes every one to be what he calls self,and thereby distinguishes himself from all other thinking things:in this along consists consists personal identity and as far as this consciousness can be extended backwards to any past action or thought,so far reaches the identity of that person;it is the same self now it was then;and it is b y the same self with this present one that now reflects on it,that that action was done.(Section 9). Overtime John Locke has been criticized by his theories and his way of thinking by fellow philosophers and other entities.Thomas Reid has a view that is similar to Descartes in which a person who is a simple indivisible substance that has no temporal or spatial parts.Thomas Reid states that My personal identity implies the continued existence of that indivisible thing which I can myself.Whatever this self may be,it is something which thinks,and deliberates,and resolves,and acts and suffers.I am not thought,I am not action, I am not action,I am not feeling;I am something that thinks,and acts and suffers.My thoughts,and actions,and feelings change every moment;they have no continues,but a successive,existence that self or I,to which they belong,is permanent,and has the same relation to all the succeeding thoughts,actions,and feelings which I call mine. Reid argues that memory is the evidence for personal identity,but not the basis of personal identity.Reid developed several arguments w hich go against John Lockes memory is the basis of personal identity.The four main arguments that Reide goes against Locke are: The Duplication problem which states one person may be identity with more than one person. The Brave Soldier Paradox which a man may be ,and at the same time not be,the person that did a particular action. The problem of removing reward punishment and responsibility. The minor objection that confuses consciousness with memory.

BMW Essay -- essays research papers

BMW Strengths   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  BMW is a well-known company with a high status branding that has a very high recognition factor. The company has been strengths in both research and development and design as well as in marketing. For example when it comes to marketing it was a BMW advertisement that was the first e-advertisement that made it to Campaigns 'Pick of the Week' (Doman). However, in a long-term purchase such as these, there is a need for more substance than just marketing, otherwise the life of the company would be relatively short due to the nature of the purchase. It is in these longer-term systems and strategies that we can see many of the strengths of BMW, we can consider these by starting with the market position of the company.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  BMW as well as Mercedes' and a few other companies have managed too successfully attain a market position where they have a focus on a narrow range of exclusive cars. These can be seen as aimed at the market place that is not also sensitive to price, and as such we must argue that the market positioning may be seen as a strength as there will not be such a reaction if the economic conditions change. The customers that are in the target group are happy to pay a premium price for what they perceive as a premium product (Thompson).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This may not be so true of the subsidiary companies that have had different problems, such as the ill-fated Rover group. However, the core product has remained strong (Thompson). This may be seen as diversification, and some of the diversification may also be seen as a strength, for example the purchase of Rolls Royce where there is a similar strategy, however the range and target market are even more focussed and exclusive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The strategy of BMW is designed to be defensive against other car manufactures, and as we will see when it comes to the section on threats this is a defensive strategy that BMW have adopted after learning the need for defensive as well as aggressive marketing and strategies. These strategies can be seen as follows;  Customers may choose any color that the wish from the entire range, this is only matched by Rolls Royce and Aston Martin, other companies offer a choice of color but only wi... ....   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The position of BMW is relatively strong; they have made mistakes, but appear to be learning form them. Their relatively small size can be seen as justified in such a competitive market by their own market position. Therefore as long as the company retains it focus and is not tempted into too great a level of diversification then it should have a bright future. Work Cited European Car, (no author cited), (2001, May), Hydrogen-powered BMW 750hL, European Car, v32 i5 p14 The Economist (UK), (no author cited), (2000, April 1), Milberg's mission. (Strategy of BMW, The Economist (UK), p70 (2) Lorenz Andrew, (2000, Dec 20), Rover and out. (BMW's sale of Rover, automobiles) Autocar, v226 i12 p62 (4) Mintzberg H Quinn J B, Ghoshal S (1998), The Strategy Process, London. Prentice Hall. Thompson J (1998) Strategic Management; Awareness and Change, London, Thomson Business Press Wells Melanie, (2001, April 16), Giving an Old Brand New Mystique. Forbes, p198s02 Foundry Management & Technology, (no author cited), (2000, July), BMW, Ford Motor Sign Definitive Agreement for Land Rover, Foundry Management & Technology, v128 i7 p8

Immigration and America :: Immigrants Emigration Essays

Immigration and America Many modern textbooks state that Christopher Columbus â€Å"found† America in 1492. Taken literally, this statement is obviously false. Many geologists will concur that the lands of the world have been in existence for billions of years. More pertinent to the discussion of American history, learned researchers will concur that there is proven fact that humans lived on the land now called America for thousands of years before the name Columbus reached the Western world. Over 37 million people from Europe, 6 million from Asia, and 10 million from the rest of the world have immigrated to the United States since 1820.[1] In essence almost all â€Å"Americans† are descended in some part from immigrants to the New World. The tossed salad that is America is made great because of the variety of ideas from foreign lands. Immigration is crucial to American success because of the extreme scope of thought contained within America and the acceptance of the world as a whole immigration brings. The success of America is based largely on the wide variety of thought brought to the New World. Multiple accounts describe the trials of immigrants attempting to gain a new lifestyle within America for one or more of a host of reasons. Many of these accounts detail a case in which the immigrant is able to become successful within a self-owned business or create a new idea for the good of the country and the world. Examples of this set of circumstances are plentiful. One such case is Samuel Slater.[2] His careful study of European mills proved very useful upon entrance in America. After building his own mill, America rose to become one of the world’s top producers of manufactured goods. Another valuable example is Andrew Carnegie of Carnegie Steel Corporation. Carnegie, a Scottish immigrant, came to America and first found work as a bookkeeper. He then progressed up the ranks of multiple companies and eventually started a steel business in Pennsylvania, later to become one of the most lucrative businesses in American history. Carnegie’s drive and determination after coming to the New World were outstanding and were voiced within his Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie. â€Å"There was scarcely a minute in which I could not learn something or find out how much there was to learn and how little I knew.

Comparing Moral Systems in Lord of the Flies, Crime and Punishment, Scarlet Letter, and Pygmalion :: comparison compare contrast essays

Superficial Moral Systems Exposed in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, and George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion    "The superficial nature of human moral systems" is a valid concern in society today. This has always been a factor in society that authors have felt the need to address. People see the hypocrisy in themselves and know that it exists in others. The manners that are so commonly used in public are rarely practiced in private. Most people are ashamed to say and do what they believe is right when they are in public. This understanding causes people to worry what other human beings are doing out of the public view. If it weren't for the opinions of others, most of the popular ideas on morality would not be implemented at all. In The Lord of the Flies, the morality of apparently civilized boys gradually seems to vanish in direct relation to the amount of time that they are separated from society. They never understood why they had behaved themselves before they were stranded on the island. They only repeated the moral systems of their parents just as any other perfunctory gesture. As soon as they are on their own, they begin to do what is easiest rather than what is "proper." This concept is not far from what the reaction to any person would be in this situation. If someone found that suddenly he were not longer responsible to anyone, his life would greatly change from the way it was before. People do many things to please family and friends. People only do what is expected. If moral behavior is no longer expected, it will stop being practiced. A perfect example of this human hypocrisy lies in The Scarlet Letter's Arthur Dimmesdale. To his congregation, Dimmesdale is an icon of morality, but he knows better. Every night he beats himself with a "bloody scourge" because he knows that while he is preaching against adultery, he has committed this act. In his Puritan society, what he has done is not allowed. Not only does he not want to be punished, but he also wants to keep his influence in the community. The public opinion is dear to him. He has convinced himself that it is better for everyone if he does not confess, but he knows that he is lying to himself.

Company Analysis Tim Hortons Essay

Tim Hortons is one of North America’s largest developers and franchisors of quick service restaurants with 4,485 system-wide restaurants as of year-end 2013 (Annual Report 2013). Tim Hortons is among the largest publicly-traded restaurant chains in North America based on market capitalization, and the largest in Canada by a wide measure. In Canada, they command an approximate 42% share of the quick service restaurant traffic. Tim Hortons Inc. has iconic brand status in Canada and strong consumer awareness in the U.S. market (Annual Report 2013). According to Ready Ratios (2014), the most important financial ratios to assess a company’s financial picture are: 1. Debt to Equity Ratio= Total Liabilities / Shareholders Equity 2. Dividend Payout Ratio = Dividend per share / Total Net Earnings 3. Return on Equity= Net Income / Shareholder’s Equity 4. Net Profit Margin= Net Profit / Net Sales Debt-to-Equity Ratio The debt-to-equity ratio is a quantification of company’s financial leverage estimated by dividing the total liabilities by stockholders’ equity (Bruns 1992). This ratio indicates the proportion of equity and debt used by the company to finance its assets. It is really important to know about what the debt-to-income ratio number indicates. This number needs to be as low as possible. The less debt relative to the income indicates that a company is financially better off because there is extra money to apply towards future goals. Referring to Appendix B, Tim Hortons debt to equity ratio is at 0.34 and has been steady for the past six years. This shows that the corporation has available money on hand to apply toward their financial goals. Dividend Payout Ratio The dividend payout ratio is used to examine if a company’s earnings can support the current dividend payment amount. The statistic is calculated by taking the dividend and dividing it by the company’s total net earnings (Bruns 1992). Investors usually seek a consistent and/or improving dividends payout ratio. The dividend payout ratio should not be too high. Growing companies will typically retain more profits to fund growth and pay lower or no dividends. Companies that pay higher dividends may be in mature industries where there is little room for growth and paying higher dividends  is the best use of profits. Dividends are paid in cash; therefore, high dividend payout ratio can have implications for the cash management and liquidity of the company. According to Little, dividend payout ratios over 100% means that the company is paying out more to its shareholders than earnings received (2014). This is typically not a good recipe for the company’s financial health; it can be a sign that the dividend payment will be cut in the future. According to Appendix B, Tim Hortons dividend payout is at 38.52% and has been consistent over the previous five years. This shows that the corporation has been re-investing profits to meet their future financial goals. Return on Equity (ROE) The return on equity is the amount of net income returned as a percentage of shareholders equity (Bruns 1992). The return on equity estimates the profitability of a corporation by revealing the amount of profit generated by a company with the money invested by the shareholders. According to Kennon, a business that has a high return on equity is more likely to be one that is capable of generating cash internally (2014). The higher a company’s return on equity compared to its industry, the better. According to Appendix B, Tim Hortons ROE is currently at 32.46%. The subsequent five years has shown similar percentages except for year 2010. The ROE was actually 53.29%. Looking at Appendix C, the ROE comparison between Tim Hortons and Dunkin Donuts shows that Dunkin Donuts has been making steady improvements during the past 5 years and as of year ending 2013 has surpassed Tim Hortons ROE. According to Wong, Dunkin Donuts is the second largest coffee chain after Starbucks with over 7000 outlets, far ahead of Tim Hortons and the company is preparing to expand to the western U.S. (28 August 2014). Net Profit Margin The net profit margin is a number which indicates the efficiency of a company at its cost control (Bruns 1992). The profit margin ratio shows what percentage of sales are left over after all expenses are paid by the business. A higher net profit margin shows more efficiency of the company at converting its revenue into actual profit. This ratio is a good way of making comparisons between companies in the same industry, because similar companies are often subject to similar business conditions. Tim Hortons net  profit margin for year 2013 was at 13.04% and for the previous 5 years has been stable (Appendix B). A comparison between Tim Hortons and Dunkin Donuts (Appendix D), shows that Tim Hortons net profit margin for 2013 was approximately 7% lower than Dunkin Donuts. While Tim Hortons has had a steady profit margin, Dunkin Donuts has increased their profit margin by 14% over the last five years. Conclusion Reviewing the ratios that were presented indicate that Tim Hortons has been a stable profitable company. Their debt to equity ratio has been consistently low, dividend payout ratio has been steady at 38%, return on equity has been consistently between 30 and 50% and the net profit margin has been constant at 13% (appendix B). A review of appendix B shows that the ratios presented have been consistent; however, on August 27 2014 Burger King announced that a deal had been reached to buy the Canadian donut chain (Isidore & Sahadi, August 2014). Many have speculated that the main reason for the merger was to reduce the business taxes paid by the corporation. Looking into the future, the Burger King acquisition may hurt the financial stability of Tim Hortons in the U.S. markets due to loyalty. I think the merger between the two corporations will take a few years to solidify. Until then I would invest due to the constant stability of the company financials and re-evaluate after a year.