Themes in Early American Literature Essays - 1568 Words

Themes of Early American Literature Early American literature does a tremendous job of revealing the exact conditions and challenges that were faced by the explorers and later by the colonists of the New World. From early shipwrecks to the later years of small colonies barely surviving through dreadful winters, the literary works of the time period focus on some very recognizable themes. The theme of any given work – being simply the unifying subject or idea – is a very important element of any piece of writing. As one reviews some of this early literature, it becomes obvious that several themes appear repeatedly, and it is these subjects that were clearly very common among people from all over the New World. While a number of themes†¦show more content†¦The explorer narratives, however, were not the only ones which described a dark and forbidding quality of the New World. The colonists at Jamestown and all along the eastern coast suffered through harsh winters with minimal supplies, causing many deaths and making life in the New World extremely challenging. For example, in William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation he remarks that 50 of the 102 Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth had died within the first year (Perkins and Perkins 50). The reasons for the high number of deaths in the colonies vary, but disease and harsh winters certainly claimed their share. In addition, the colonies struggled to establish crops and solid dwellings for months or years after they first landed, and supply ships proved to be unreliable at best. John Smith of the Jamestown Colony is responsible for writing The General History of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles in which he depicted the grievous condition of the colonists only days after the ships departed and left them to the mercy of the land (Reuben 6). He wrote, â€Å"Being thus left to our fortunes, it fortuned that within ten days scarce ten amongst us could either go, or well stand, such extreme weakness and sickness oppres sed us.† (Perkins and Perkins 36). In the same piece of literature, Smith also noted another very ominous threat to the well-being of theShow MoreRelatedRomantic Period of Literature in America Essay949 Words   |  4 Pages Beginning early in the 17th century, American authors and poets alike began the great shift in writing now known as the romantic period. This movement in literature has many influences, themes, and writing styles that can be highlighted with important works and authors. A promising frontier, new cultures brought by immigration, and a search for spiritual answers were all key influences in bringing about the romantic movement. Themes of the romantic period include nature as a refuge, high imaginationRead MoreEssay on The Innovators of American Literature1066 Words   |  5 PagesThe Innovators of American Literature From their critical assessments on how to improve themselves and to the American public that they influenced by their writings, Jonathan Edwards and Benjamin Franklin illustrate American themes in their personal narratives that quintessentially make part of American Literature. Although they lived in different times during the early development of the United States of America and wrote for different purposes, they share common themes. Their influence byRead MoreAnalysis Of The Novel The Peopling Of The Story 1144 Words   |  5 PagesThere are five key aspects of literature which consists of setting, theme, plot, characterization, and style. Characterization is the â€Å"Peopling† of the story; it is the description of characters. The writer often discusses the behavior of the characters, their thought processes, their appearances, and even sometimes includes their names. Characterization highlights the important details of a character in a story. This also allows readers to imagine how others in the story would react to the mainRead MoreNative American And American Literature Essay1351 Words   |  6 PagesIn all my years of studying literature while living in America, I have only one memory of ever having read anything Native American, and that was in grade school. Native American literature is typically left out of studies in general American Literature, although there do exist plenty of programs for studying these types of narratives separately and individually. It has yet to become a prominent area of study and there a differing reasons as to why this is. Part of the lack of study in this subjectRead MoreDiffferent Types of Colonial Literature Essay731 Words   |  3 Pages American literature extends its roots into colonial times. The works of the earliest North Americans include contributions by Natives and settlers alike, with many similar and differing historical influences, themes, and genres. The Native Americans, before colonial life even began, had developed a strong system of oral storytelling revolving mostly around mother nature. When the Puritans arrived, seeking religious asylum from Europe, their reserved and conservative ways leaked into colonialRead More Journalism and the American Renaissance Essay1721 Words   |  7 PagesJournalism and the American Renaissance      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The period in American Literature known as the American Renaissance was a time of great change in our country. It was an age of westward expansion and social conflict. Americans were divided on such volatile issues as slavery, reform and sectionalism that ultimately led to the Civil War. Emerging from this cauldron of change came the voice of a new nation - a nation with views and ideals all its own. The social, economic, technological and demographicRead MoreEssay Role of Religion in Early American Literature619 Words   |  3 PagesRole of Religion in Early American Literature American Literature, especially of the early settler and colonial period is marked by a deep sense of religion and a stress upon writing about matters related to religion. The development of early American literature thus can be seen to be a reflection of the religious ideals followed by the early settlers and colonists and it became a means of promoting a moral and ethical way of life. Early American literature is filled with an obvious expressionRead MoreThe European Exploration Of America1639 Words   |  7 PagesEuropean exploration of America is notable because it is the start of the mentality among Americans the fuels the need to travel from home in order to find oneself. Since the beginning, the settlers in America have been people who left home to find a new life where they could live successful lives. While this is a theme in all types of literature, it is one that is especially prevalent in American literature because the settlers were an entire people who left their home in search of something betterRead MoreFigurative Devices: Comparing We Wear the Mask and Theme for English B1089 Words   |  5 Pagesconsidered to be early black poets during the twentieth century around the period of civil right movement. â€Å"We wear the mask† and â€Å"Theme for English B† were written in 1895 and 1951 respectively. Even there is approximately 50 yea rs gap between these two poems, the theme that these two poems address is somewhat similar. Even though Dunbar uses symbols as figurative devices while Hughes uses Irony, they both have the same goal, which is to point out the racial issues within American society. Paul LaurenceRead MoreThe History of Childresn Literature Essay1599 Words   |  7 PagesThe History of Children’s Literature EDP1: Task 1 Janet Blake Western Governors University Children’s literature is defined many different ways. It can be simply defined as a book that a child reads, or as Kiefer defined it â€Å"as the imaginative shaping of life and thought into the forms and structures of language.† (Kiefer, 2010, p.5) Literature has been around for hundreds of years, although not in the form that we are used to seeing now. There have always been stories to be told for as long

The Medici s Influence On The Renaissance Period

The Medici family, also known commonly as the house of the Medici was a wealthy merchant class family who gained their wealth and political power through its success in commerce and banking. With the rise to power of Cosimo de’ Medici in Florence, the city was launched into the Renaissance period as the family’s support of the arts and humanities were a big influence. Until the late 14th century the leading family of Florence was the House of Albizzi. The main challengers to the Albizzi family were the Medicis. The Medici controlled the Medici bank—then Europe s largest bank—and an array of other enterprises in Florence and elsewhere. In 1433, the Albizzi managed to have Cosimo, one of the Medici, exiled. However, a pro-Medici leader was†¦show more content†¦Giovanni was a cardinal and future pope who was able to return the Medici family name back to Florence in 1512. The years to come marked a peak in Medici influence in Europe. Giovanni, as was his father, was another big supporter of the arts and was able to provide artists with work. By the 1520’s few descendants of Cosimo remained. However, the Medici remained masters of Florence through their two famous 16th century popes, Leo X and Clement VII. Both were patrons of the arts, but in the religious field they proved unable to advance the ideas of Martin Luther. Clement married of his first cousin, Catherine de Medici, to Francis I of France, the future Henry II. Clement’s plan worked as it led to the Medici blood being transferred to the royal family of Spain. In the 1500’s Ferdinando, part of the Medici bloodline, did much to keep the name of the Medici high and in power. Ferdinando built a road networks in Southern Tuscany and cultivated trade in Leghorn with the silk industry. Ferdinando even proposed a Tuscan expedition to the New World with the intention of establishing a Tuscan colony. Ferdinando is thought to have been wealthier than their ancestor, Cosimo de Medici, the father of the Medici dynasty. Overall, the Medici family used themselves as chess pieces in a real life game for power and wealth. Their lineage become more difficult to trace as time progresses due to the fact that they are marrying themselves off to form alliances andShow MoreRelatedThe Medici Influence and the Italian Renaissance Essay1188 Words   |  5 Pagesglory and influence to Florence. The Medici’s saw the value in contributing to the advancement of the greatest minds of the period. This was evident in their patronage of leading Artists such as Michelangelo and of renowned Teachers such as Galileo. The sphere of influence the Medici’s enjoyed also extended to the political arena, which happened to be heavily influenced by the Catholic Church at the time. The Medici’s were able to capitalize on the power of the Church and through this influence and theRead MoreThe Medici Influence and the Italian Renaissance Essay1401 Words   |  6 Pagesrevealed itself within the Medici family, w ho helped return glory and influence to Florence. The Medici family saw the value in contributing to the advancement of the greatest minds of the period. This was evident in their patronage of leading artists such as Michelangelo and of renowned teachers such as Galileo. The sphere of influence the Medicis enjoyed also extended to the political arena, which happened to be heavily influenced by the Catholic Church at the time. The Medicis capitalized on the powerRead MoreThe Late And Post Renaissance1386 Words   |  6 PagesThe late and post-renaissance was a time dominated by the Medici family, but many other Italian families had their time in power. As the late renaissance ended and the post-renaissance era started, the Corsini family gained power and influence under the Medici. With banks in England, offices around Europe, and palazzos in Italy, the family made fast and large steps toward gaining influence and relevance in Italy. While they earned respect on the financial side, they also progressed on the religiousRead MoreInfluence Of The Renaissance On Modern Western Society Essay1712 Words   |  7 PagesThe renaissance was a time of great and immeasurable change within all aspects of European life; so much so that it could be seen as beginnings of our modern western society. Leading this revitalization in culture and society in Europe’s historical development were to the two of the most dominant states of renaissance Italy, Florence and Venice. These small city-states were the powerhouses of the time and assisted speeding up the renaissance and helped spur revolutionary developments along the wayRead MoreArt Of The Renaissance : Questions And Vocabulary1283 Words   |  6 PagesAssignment 12.5 (Art in the Renaissance) Assignment- Questions and Vocabulary Terms: Giotto, Masaccio, Botticelli, Perspective, Guild, Artisan, Apprentice, Patron, High Renaissance, Pope Julius II, Michelangelo, Northern Renaissance, madrigal. 1) Giotti di Bondone (1266-1337) was an Italian artist and architect from Florence in the very late Middle Ages. He is considered to be one of the most important artists in Italy because he contributed greatly to the Renaissance style of painting and art inRead MoreArt Appreciation : Sandro Botticelli1393 Words   |  6 Pagesof the Renaissance (Botticelli Biography, n.d.). Because of his apprenticeship, Botticelli inherited much from Lippo artistically, and, thus, was able to work independently and open his own workshop at only fifteen years old (Sandro Botticelli Biography | artble.com, n.d.). While opening his own workshop was a very defining and mature move of Botticelli’s career, the peak of his career was when he was asked to be a painter for the most wealthy family in Florence at the time- the Medici familyRead MoreEuropean Collectors Of The 16th And 17th Centuries1447 Words   |  6 PagesEuropean Collectors of the 16th and 17th Centuries: Perhaps two of the most noteworthy art collections in the 1500’s were the collections of the Medici, well know patrons of the arts and of many well-known artists; also the Habsburgs of Austria Known then as the Holy Roman emperors who were known for having an eclectic collection ranging from scientific tools and exotic stuffed animals to religious artefacts and Paintings. Then in the seventeenth century in Britain another famous collector comesRead MoreHumanism in European Renaisaance1013 Words   |  5 Pages The European Renaissance was a time of great change. The people of that time were beginning to take an interest in learning and also began to follow the idea of humanism. Humanism was a way of life where a person would reject most religious beliefs and focus on the here and now. One of the main things Humanist believed in was individual achievement. This gave many artists the opportunity to be known around Europe for his or her talent and not be criticized for being sel fish. This is exactly whatRead MoreThe Story of Michelangelo Essay1090 Words   |  5 Pagesare others that do great things. In the time of the renaissance period there were quite a few artists but only one particularly person stood out and has done great things with his life. Michelangelo wasnt some original person, he was a creative, leader, rebellion, and over all a life changing person that wanted to make a difference in the world. Michelangelo had brought his own style and technique into the public eye, which changed the Renaissance with his originality. In the 1500s, the world ofRead MoreArt Object s Historical Data Of Its Culture And Time Period2146 Words   |  9 PagesPart VI - The Art Object’s Historical Data of its Culture and Time Period I. Overview of politics, economics, religion and ideology in Italy at the time Botticelli was working: Introduction: After the end to the rough and challenging middle ages came a new era of literature art and culture. this period was known as the Renaissance. The Renaissance started in the early 14th century and would go on to the 16th century.The renaissance started a social change all through the entire of Europe and is seen

ICT Related Ethical Issues Free-Samples for Students-Myassingment

Questions: Discuss about the Ethics in ICT. Answer: Introduction This report is about ICT related ethical issues that have encountered by ICT users. ICT stands for Information and Communication Technology and it is advanced version of Information Technology. In ICT various advanced technologies for communication and information sharing are developed that are popular among IT users worldwide. Today in various business organizations ICT is implemented for better business performance and to do business at global level. By using recent ICT technologies such as smart phones, smart devices and other web technologies, for every business organization it has become easier to communicate with their clients and customers those are at remote locations. ICT includes communication devices or applications such as network hardware, software components, mobile phones and satellite systems. Besides these benefits or advantages of ICT, there are some disadvantages of ICT are found that are related to security and privacy. The issues of hacking, DDoS and phishing att acks are commonly encountered by ICT users. These all attacks are known as cyber-crime and it is ethically wrong. But here in this report we are emphasizing on ICT issue that is ethical right and known as ethical ICT issue. We will discuss an incident about ICT ethical issue that is given in a media article and analyze that article on behalf of four classical ethical theories such as utilitarianism, deontology, virtue and contract. This analysis of article on behalf of classical ethical theories will help to determine rightness and wrongness of actions taken in incident. The media article about which we will discuss here in this report is ethical issue of cybercrime in ICT. Discussion First of all we will discuss about article that is based on cybercrime. Cybercrime can be hacking, phishing, identity theft and data breaching etc. About Article of Cyber Crime In selected media article it is defined that the main ICT ethical issue is Ethical Hacking that comes under Cybercrime. Ethical Hacking is different from unethical hacking in a way that it is implemented to help an individual or an organization by identifying weak points of their computer systems or networks that are used by hackers to hack their systems (Iep.utm.edu, 2017). Ethical Hacking is conducted with permission of an individual or a business organizations and main purpose of ethical hacking is to maintain security and privacy for long term. Ethical hackers are commonly known as white hackers because they execute bad actions to perform something good. Whether ethical hacking is an ethical ICT issue but it is related to cybercrime. Through an example of an incident we will discuss that how ethical hacking is implemented (BusinessDictionary.com, 2017). Here we have case of University of Calgary where an email hacking attack was conducted by hackers to obtain information about students, fees structure, their courses and other important information that is related to University. In this hacking process, emails with vulnerable attachments were sent by hackers at email address of University. In this way, they got access of Universitys database. In this situation, it was difficult for security professionals of University of Calgary to restore whole information. Hacker demanded heavy amount to restore data and management of University was ready to pay this amount. But it was not a wise decision to make. In this incident, the hacking conducted by hackers to access database, is unethical hacking. It is harmful for University and big loss of their information will occur (Sina, 2017). But when security professionals of University decided to identify hackers by hacking universitys emails with their permissions then it is a case of ethical hacking. They have checked emails sent by hackers on Universitys email id and by this they try to get IP addresses of hackers networks from where they have sent emails. This activity of security professionals is ethical and the decision taken by them was right. That is why it can be considered as ICT ethical issue (Mhrd.gov.in, 2017). After discussing about an example of ICT ethical issue that has mentioned in a selected media article, now we will analyze this topic on behalf of ethical theories. Article Analysis by Ethical Theories Utilitarianism Under this ethical theory, an action is considered ethically right if concerns of this action leads to happiness. But that action can also be considered ethically wrong if it concerns is unhappiness of others. An action is right or wrong, it is based on circumstances. After analyzing above discussed incident on behalf of this theory we can say that here action of ethical hacking is taken to help University by securing its database, so it can be considered as ethical issue of ICT (TechRepublic, 2017). Deontology This ethical theory is concerned with judgment of an actions morality. It is actually related to rule based ethics. If we analyze above discussed incident on behalf of this theory, then we can say that the action is taken according to rules of universities with its permission. So here ethical rules are followed by ethical hacking (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2017). Virtue Under this classical ethical theory, character of an individual is key element for ethical thinking. According to above discussed case, here security professional is virtue and he has implemented ethical hacking for maintaining security and privacy of Universitys database which is a positive approach towards cyber-crime victims. These security professionals are white hackers and they did not conduct hacking to damage someones data Hursthouse, Pettigrove, 2017). Contract This classical theory is the view that political and moral obligations of persons are depended upon an agreement. In case of above incident, security professionals of university did everything under contract or universitys policies. All legal norms of university were mentioned in contract in clear form. Security professionals followed these norms that is why it is case of ethical hacking, otherwise it would have been case of unethical hacking (Cybercrime, 2017). In this way above discussed these classical ethical theories are related to selected to media article and prove that action taken by security experts of university is ethically right (Techopedia.com, 2017). Recommendations The main arguing point here is that is it okay to hack a website for helping others? In answer of this argument we can say that when hacking is done to resolve problems of victims or to identify reasons of cybercrimes or for any other noble cause then it will be considered as ethical hacking and it will be right to hack a website. But if damage of information is the only purpose of hacking then it is serious case of unethical hacking and it must be restricted by developers and experts of security and privacy. So we would recommend to support ethical hacking of ICT (BusinessDictionary.com, 2017). Conclusion After this whole discussion we can say that ICT ethical hacking is helpful to stop hackers to perform unethical and vulnerable actions of accessing database and information of others. If issues of security, privacy and unauthorized access are implemented to identify reasons of hacking on system of victim, these are considered as ethical issues, otherwise these are unethical. It is actually related to circumstance in which hacking is done. At last we can say that in above discussed article, decision making is right and ethical and security professionals played an important role to perform ethical hacking to resolve problem of hacked data from universitys database. To perform this action, security experts should have experience and knowledge in their field. References Hursthouse, R., Pettigrove, G. (2017). Virtue Ethics. Plato.stanford.edu. Retrieved 17 May 2017, from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-virtue/ Encyclopedia Britannica. (2017). deontological ethics. Retrieved 17 May 2017, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/deontological-ethics Cybercrime. (2017). Ethical Issues. Retrieved 17 May 2017, from https://cps182cybercrime.wordpress.com/ethical-issues/ TechRepublic. (2017). 10 ethical issues confronting IT managers - TechRepublic. Retrieved 17 May 2017, from https://www.techrepublic.com/article/10-ethical-issues-confronting-it-managers/ BusinessDictionary.com. (2017). When was the last time you said this?. Retrieved 17 May 2017, from https://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/utilitarianism.html Sina, I., profile, V., Sina, I. (2017). Cybercrime. I-thics.blogspot.in. Retrieved 17 May 2017, from https://i-thics.blogspot.in/2009/02/cybercrime.html Techopedia.com. (2017). What is Information and Communications Technology (ICT)? - Definition from Techopedia. Retrieved 17 May 2017, from https://www.techopedia.com/definition/24152/information-and-communications-technology-ict Iep.utm.edu. (2017). Social Contract Theory | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved 17 May 2017, from https://www.iep.utm.edu/soc-cont/ Mhrd.gov.in. (2017). Information and Communication Technology (ICT) | Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development. (2017). Retrieved 17 May 2017, from https://mhrd.gov.in/ict_overview BusinessDictionary.com. (2017). What comes after those ellipses?. Retrieved 17 May 2017, from https://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/ethical-issue.html

Violation Of State Accountancy Act Essays - , Term Papers

Violation Of State Accountancy Act RIVERSIDE CPA PAYS $25,000 PENALTY FOR VIOLATING STATE ACCOUNTANCY ACT Hartford - Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz's office announced today that the Connecticut State Board of Accountancy has accepted a settlement agreement with Michael Smeriglio, a certified public accountant (CPA) from Riverside, Connecticut, practicing in Greenwich, which requires Smeriglio to pay a $25,000 civil penalty for allegedly violating the State Accountancy Act. Smeriglio is reported to have received commissions from the sale of financial products. The penalty represents the net income he received from the illegal profits of that activity. Connecticut law bars CPA's from accepting commissions or referral fees, even when done through a business separate from their CPA firm, according to Michael Kozik, attorney for the Connecticut State Board of Accountancy. The Board's case against Smeriglio was initiated when another Connecticut CPA sent the Board a copy of newsletter apparently published by Trusted Securities Advisors, Corp. Smeriglio was quoted in the newsletter as saying, In addition to generating commission revenues that used to go to brokers, I also make my clients feel much more comfortable with me as their personal financial advisor. It's a win win scenario for all of us. According to Kozik, Smeriglio fully cooperated with the Board's investigation. None of Mr. Smeriglio's clients complained to the Board, and he may have even thought that he was acting lawfully by setting up a separate business through which to receive the commissions. He was wrong. He made illegal profits for about two and a half years. This settlement deprives him of all of those profits, Kozik added. The settlement also provides that Smeriglio will immediately stop accepting commissions for referring the products or services of others and will waive his right to receive future commissions on products already sold. The settlement specifically provides that by agreeing to settle the case, Smeriglio is not admitting he did anything wrong. He retains his Connecticut CPA license. Kozik also noted that, although there is a great deal of discussion in the profession and the business community about changing the law prohibiting CPA's from receiving commissions, in late October the Board voted down a proposal to seek such a change from the legislature. The traditional view in the accounting profession is that accepting commissions would imperil a CPA's objectivity and independence. The State Board of Accountancy, which was established in 1907 to regulate the practice of public accountancy in Connecticut, has been part of the Office of the Secretary of the State since 1986. Technology

Bolsa Chica Wetlands Essay Example

Bolsa Chica Wetlands Paper We will be discussing the importance of maintaining the Wetlands, for the sake Of the environment and the species that inhabit the Wetlands, as some of the species are almost extinct and the battle that exists teen the environmentalists and the Land Development Companies. There is currently a proposed residential development by Hardiest Homes Company that could critically harm the habitat while adding contaminated runoff, traffic and pollution problems associated with additional housing. There are currently eight state and federal agencies currently involved with the planning and environmental compliance processes necessary to design and obtain regulatory permits for the Restoration Project involving the Bolas Chic Wetlands. This project will provide the best ecologically appropriate estimation for the wetland and all the combined species. History The Wetlands Reserve was formed through an agreement between the Amigos De Bolas Chic and the Signal Bolas Corporation (Bolas Chic Ecological Reserve). The Bolas Chic Conservancy is a non-profit organization that assists the Operation of the reserve. In 1978, new culverts were installed, and allowed the wetlands to be reconnected to the ocean, which in turn, brought back the salt marsh, as it had been before. In 1 989 the reserves became a freshwater marsh when access to the ocean was dike off, and the salt water was not allowed to influx (Bolas Chic, 2004). In 1992 the Kohl Development Company proposed to build over 4,800 houses on the wetlands, and in response volunteers created The Bolas Chic Land Trust to counter the proposed development. We will write a custom essay sample on Bolsa Chica Wetlands specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Bolsa Chica Wetlands specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Bolsa Chica Wetlands specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In 1 993, the Bolas Chic Land Trust group sought support from the Sierra Club to oppose developing the Wetlands. The Bolas Chic Campaign was formed and volunteers met twice weekly to strategies against Kohl Development. In 1 996, the Sierra Club was involved in a lawsuit with the Bolas Chic Land Trust, which challenged the countys decision for violating the California Coastal Act by approving the Kohl Companys velveteen of the housing for the Wetlands. In 1997, the State of California purchased 900 acres Of wetland from Kohl Development, and in 1999, the Land Trust won the Court Appeal decision that protected the Wetlands, termed the the Bolas Chic Decision, stating that real estate developers could not disturb the habitat for proceeding with their projects. Hardiest Homes in 2000, tried to create a plan to build 1 ,265 houses on the Wetlands Mesa, and the Coastal Commission voted that the 1,265 houses would be allowed to be built on the upper bench of the Mesa, but as a tradeoff the rower bench or Wetlands could not be touched. In 2002 Proposition 50 passed stating that the state purchases no less than 100 acres of the Bolas Chic Mesa. In 2004, State Lands Commission agreed to purchase 103 acres of the lower bench of the Wetlands with the contingency, that the Coastal Commission approves Heath sides plan to build 379 houses on reduced parcel of 65 acres on the upper bench. In 2005, 1 18 acre portion of Bolas Chic was purchased by the State of California for $65 million with funds from Proposition 50. What are Wetlands? Generally, wetlands are lands where saturation with water is the dominant actor determining the nature of soil development and the types of plant and animal communities living in the soil and on its surface (California wetland, 1998). In addition, the term wetlands means those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface Water or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands may be covered periodically or permanently with shallow water and which includes saltwater marshes, freshwater marshes, open or closed rakish water marshes, swamps, mudflats, fens, and vernal pools (California wetland, 1998). Wetlands are also places where children and biologist can go and learn about the environment, while providing a home for many types of habitat and creatures that have slowly disappeared as development erases history. Why Should Wetlands Be protected? Such areas need to be protected, because as developers continue to build homes in the vicinity, many of the animals that have lived there many years are forced to move because they have no place to go. Wetlands are more than just a place for habitat; they also protect the environment in such a way hat filters and cleans water, prevent soil erosion, and provide flood control among numerous other benefits (California wetland, 1998). Developers must understand and see beyond the dollar signs because as they continue construction in the area they are destroying part of history and wildlife. In addition, general public need to protect wetlands because it enhances marine habitat for the costal areas providing more resources of fish. The increased quality and quantity of open water and inter-tidal mudflat habitats would provide habitat for migratory shorebirds, seabirds, and waterfowl. A lately and diverse aquatic community Of marine and estuarine invertebrates and fishes would become established in the full and muted tidal basins. The full tidal basin would provide nursery habitat for the California halibut. Nesting habitat for the state- and federal-listed endangered California least tern and the federal-listed threatened western snowy plover would be increased. Additionally, these areas would provide nesting habitat for a variety of other water-associated birds. Cord grass habitat would expand and is expected to support nesting by the state- and federal-listed endangered light-footed clapper rail. Pickle weed salt marsh habitat would be enhanced. Nesting territory for the state-listed endangered Beltings Savannah sparrow would expand. Increased quality of salt marsh vegetation may improve habitat value for the salt marsh shrew. A diverse wetlands ecosystem would result from the preservation of non tidal habitats including seasonal ponds/sand flats and perennial brackish ponds. upgrades to the Lowlands would indirectly benefit surrounding land uses by providing improved passive use and visual enhancement. 1 1) New and enhanced public access opportunities would result. The tidal inlet Cord grass habitat would expand. Addition of construction jobs and increases in visitors to the area could benefit the local economy. The tidal influence would reduce the potential for mosquito problems (Coastal Conservancy, 2004). What happens to the wetlands if not preserved/restored? It is vital for California to preserve its wetlands because it is a source of fresh water for many species that inhabit the land. Many of the species are unique to the wetlands and without it they cannot sustain life and will vanish. In the asses and 1 9705 in California, many of our wetlands were developed due to regress and arbitration, leaving roughly 10 percent of the states wetlands undeveloped (EPA 2006). This was in part due to ignorance and not knowing the environmental damage and impact on the life that inhabits the wetlands. There are two types of wetlands: coastal and inland. The Bolas Chic is considered to be a coastal and would generally be described as a marsh, bog, or swamp (Watersheds 2004). Oil drilling will continue its presence and along with that the continued contamination of soil and vegetation that surrounds the wells. The IS. S. Fish Wildlife had an ERA (Ecological Risk Assessment) and determined that significant damage to plant and wildlife was thriving and will continue presenting a risk if changes were not made. Food chain exposure is the term used by the U. S. Fish Wildlife, which basically means; the rodent eats the contaminated vegetation and the bird eats the rodent who has eaten the vegetation. The water runoff from the contaminated soil comes in contact with the fish and the fish are eaten by the birds. As you can see its a cycle that will continue unless the wells are capped and the soil cleaned. It is imperative that we preserve and restore the Bolas Chic wetlands for he near extinct species that will make a thriving comeback and also to sustain the plant and animal life that already exist. Restoring the Bolas Chic wetlands will allow a sanctuary for the many birds that migrate south to nest and breed to create life and to keep its species thriving. The goal is to return the wetlands to its pre-1900 condition as a major wildlife stop where millions of birds travel, to rest, feed, and nest (Greengages 2006). The species that inhabit the Wetlands Each year millions of shore birds and waterfowl migrate along North Americas western coastline; this is called The River of Migrating Birds (Bolas 2004). The migration creates a river of birds stretching between North American breeding areas and South American wintering areas. It is called the Pacific Flyaway and is one of four major migratory bird pathways (Bolas 2004). If the Bolas Chic wetlands are not preserved and restored, birds that migrate to South America for the winter will have a lesser chance of reaching their final destination. In the united States over one-third of its endangered species live only in wetlands, and almost half use wetlands at some point in their lives (Watersheds 2006). There are many other plants and animals that depend on wetlands for their survival. For example estuarine and marine fish and shellfish, various birds and certain mammals depend on coastal wetlands for their survival. Most commercial and game fish breed and raise their young in these marshes and estuaries (EPA 2006). Menhaden, flounder, sea trout, spot, croaker, and striped bass are some of the more popular fish the largely rely on coastal wetlands. Shrimp, oysters, clams, and blue and Denseness crabs need wetlands for food, shelter, and for their breeding grounds. Migratory waterfowl use coastal and inland wetlands as resting, feeding breeding, and nesting grounds for at least part of the year. What are the environmental factors? In 1 996 the City of Huntington Beach adopted a General Plan, it was the comprised of 1 6 separate elements. They consist of: cultural resources, economic development, and growth of management and public facilities to increase environmental recourses as well as increase air quality, coastal usage also to reduce the noise and hazardous materials. Wetlands, like rain forest and coral reefs, are as important in simulating oxygen and carbon cycles. The California Coastal Commission estimates that a healthy salt marsh produces five to ten times as much oxygen and equivalent carbohydrates per Cree as a wheat field. This circulation from the bases of the wetlands produces the food web. The food is consumed by hundreds of species, creating a vast food web from fish, birds, to humans. From his book Bring Back Wetlands, wetlands expert Bill Stresses writes Wetlands can reduce the effect Of floods by temporarily storing floodwater and detaining the flow of water through the sponging effect of the soil and the barrier effect of vegetation. After absorbing and detaining this water, wetlands slowly release it. Shirley Doolittle, an environmentalist and former Huntington Beach inoculation and former State Coastal Commission member said, This is the group that has believed in this project for thirty years, and to hopefully see this project become a reality will truly be a dream come true. While the former councilwomen along with the citizens were very excited about the possibility of restoring the wetlands, you could still find others opposing and protesting this event.

Definitions of Defamation, Libel, and Slander

Definitions of Defamation, Libel, and Slander   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Defamation of character† is a legal term referring to any false statement- called a â€Å"defamatory† statement- that harms another person’s reputation or causes them other demonstrable damages such as financial loss or emotional distress. Rather than a criminal offense, defamation is a civil wrong or â€Å"tort.† Victims of defamation can sue the person who made the defamatory statement for damages in civil court. Statements of personal opinion are usually not considered to be defamatory unless they are phrased as being factual. For example, the statement, â€Å"I think Senator Smith takes bribes,† would probably be considered opinion, rather than defamation. However, the statement, â€Å"Senator Smith has taken many bribes,† if proven untrue, could be considered legally defamatory. Libel vs. Slander Civil law recognizes two types of defamation: â€Å"libel† and â€Å"slander.† Libel is defined as a defamatory statement that appears in written form. Slander is defined as a spoken or oral defamatory statement. Many libelous statements appear as articles or comments on websites and blogs, or as comments in publicly-accessible chat rooms and forums. Libelous statements appear less often in letters to the editor sections of printed newspapers and magazines because their editors typically screen out such comments. As spoken statements, slander can happen anywhere. However, to amount to slander, the statement must be made to a third party- someone other than the person being defamed. For example, if Joe tells Bill something false about Mary, Mary could sue Joe for defamation if she could prove that she had suffered actual damages as a result of Joe’s slanderous statement. Because written defamatory statements remain publicly visible longer than spoken statements, most courts, juries, and attorneys consider libel to be more potentially harmful to the victim than slander. As a result, monetary awards and settlements in libel cases tend to be larger than those in slander cases. While the line between opinion and defamation is fine and potentially dangerous, the courts are generally hesitant to punish every off-hand insult or slur made in the heat of an argument. Many such statements, while derogatory, are not necessarily defamatory. Under the law, the elements of defamation must be proven. How Is Defamation Proven? While the laws of defamation vary from state to state, there are commonly applied rules. To be found legally defamatory in court, a statement must be proven to have been all of the following: Published (made public): The statement must have been seen or heard by at least one other person than the person who wrote or said it.False: Unless a statement is false, it cannot be considered harmful. Thus, most statements of personal opinion do not constitute defamation unless they can objectively be proven false. For example, â€Å"This is the worst car I have ever driven,† cannot be proven to be false.Unprivileged: The courts have held that in some circumstances, false statements- even if injurious- are protected or â€Å"privileged,† meaning they cannot be considered legally defamatory. For example, witnesses who lie in court, while they can be prosecuted for the criminal offense of perjury, cannot be sued in civil court for defamation.Damaging or Injurious:   The statement must have resulted in some demonstrable harm to the plaintiff. For example, the statement caused them to be fired, denied a loan, shunned by family or friends, or harassed by the media. Lawyers generally consider showing actual harm to be the hardest part of proving defamation. Merely having the â€Å"potential† to cause harm is not enough. It must be proven that the false statement has ruined the victim’s reputation. Business owners, for example, must prove that the statement has caused them a substantial loss of revenue. Not only can actual damages be hard to prove, victims must wait until the statement has caused them problems before they can seek legal recourse. Merely feeling embarrassed by a false statement is rarely held to prove defamation.  Ã‚   However, the courts will sometimes automatically presume some types of especially devastating false statements to be defamatory. In general, any statement falsely accusing another person of committing a serious crime, if it was made maliciously or recklessly, may be presumed to constitute defamation. Defamation and Freedom of the Press In discussing defamation of character, it is important to remember that the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects both freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Since in America  the governed are assured the right to criticize the people who govern them, public officials are given the least protection from defamation. In the 1964 case of New York Times v. Sullivan, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that certain statements, while defamatory, are specifically protected by the First Amendment. The case concerned a full-page, paid advertisement published in The New York Times claiming that the arrest of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Montgomery City, Alabama, police on charges of perjury had been part of a campaign by city leaders to destroy Rev. Kings efforts to integrate public facilities and increase the black vote. Montgomery city commissioner L. B. Sullivan sued The Times for libel, claiming that the allegations in the ad against the Montgomery police had defamed him personally. Under Alabama state law, Sullivan was not required to prove he had been harmed, and since it was proven that the ad contained factual errors, Sullivan won a $500,000 judgment in state court. The Times appealed to the Supreme Court, claiming that it had been unaware of the errors in the ad and that the judgment had infring ed on its First Amendment freedoms of speech and the press. In its landmark decision better defining the scope of â€Å"freedom of the press,† the Supreme Court ruled that the publication of certain defamatory statements about the actions of public officials were protected by the First Amendment. The unanimous Court stressed the importance of â€Å"a profound national commitment to the principle that debate on public issues should be uninhibited, robust, and wide-open.† The Court further acknowledged that in public discussion about public figures like politicians, mistakes- if â€Å"honestly made†- should be protected from defamation claims. Under the Court’s ruling, public officials can sue for defamation only if the false statements about them were made with â€Å"actual intent.† Actual intent means that the person who spoke or published the damaging statement either knew it was false or did not care whether it was true or not. For example, when a newspaper editor doubts the truth of a statement but publishes it without checking the facts. American writers and publishers are also protected from libel judgments issued against them in foreign courts by the SPEECH Act signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010. Officially titled the Securing the Protection of our Enduring and Established Constitutional Heritage Act, the SPEECH act makes foreign libel judgments unenforceable in U.S. courts unless the laws of the foreign government provide at least as much protection of the freedom of speech as the U.S. First Amendment. In other words, unless the defendant would have been found guilty of libel  even if the case had been tried in the United States, under U.S. law, the foreign court’s judgment would not be enforced in U.S. courts. Finally, the â€Å"Fair Comment and Criticism† doctrine protects reporters and publishers from charges of defamation arising from articles such as movie and book reviews, and opinion-editorial columns. Key Takeaways: Defamation of Character Defamation refers to any false statement that harms another person’s reputation or causes them other damages such as financial loss or emotional distress.Defamation is a civil wrong, rather than a criminal offense. Victims of defamation can sue for damages in civil court.There are two forms of defamation: â€Å"libel,† a damaging written false statement, and â€Å"slander,† a damaging spoken or oral false statement.   Sources â€Å"Defamation FAQs.† Media Law Resource Center.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Opinion and Fair Comment Privileges.† Digital Media Law Project.â€Å"SPEECH Act.† U.S. Government Printing OfficeFranklin, Mark A. (1963). â€Å"The Origins and Constitutionality of Limitations on Truth as a Defense in Tort Law.† Stanford Law Reviewâ€Å"Defamation.† Digital Media Law Project

Marketing Planning as an Essential Foundation for Marketing Success Essay

Marketing Planning as an Essential Foundation for Marketing Success - Essay Example As the report declares prior to formulating an effective marketing program, it is incumbent upon management to consider the company’s current position within the market, the competitive landscape it faces, the unique aspects of the organization and its product, as well as how to position the organization for future profitability; all of which are a natural part of marketing planning. At its simplest expression, marketing planning is focused on two major sequential components, â€Å"establishing the corporate planning perspective and...developing marketing programs†. This paper stresses that effective marketing cannot be implemented as a series of random events; it should be viewed as a sequence that takes in the corporate condition and then tailors a marketing program to maximize opportunities. There are three vital aspects to this process that provide foundational support for success. The first is that marketing planning is, itself, a linear sequence. The value of such a scheme is that execution follows the form. In sequential management processes, it is relatively easy to identify where you are, and deduce where you should go. Marketing planning is more than just a linear process that defines a sequence of events. It is also a mechanism by which leadership is compelled to analyze its current market environment and proactively engage in sound business practices. ... At its simplest expression, marketing planning is focused on two major sequential components, "establishing the corporate planning perspective and...developing marketing programs" (Lazer 1971: 87). Effective marketing cannot be implemented as a series of random events; it should be viewed as a sequence that takes in the corporate condition and then tailors a marketing program to maximize opportunities. There are three vital aspects to this process that provide foundational support for success. The first is that marketing planning is, itself, a linear sequence. The value of such a scheme is that execution follows the form. In sequential management processes, it is relatively easy to identify where you are, and deduce where you should go. For the purposes of marketing planning, the fact that the first step in the sequence-and the second vital aspect of the process-is a corporate planning perspective that allows management the opportunity to analyze the organization's position and evalu ate its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This "first stop" on the map creates the necessary understanding to take the next step in the sequence, which is the third vital aspect of the linear process, and actually formulate a marketing program that meets the needs of customers, aligns with corporate philosophy, and stands a good chance at defeating competitive pressure. These goals would never be achieved, however, if a sequential process were not in place. Marketing planning is more than just a linear process that defines a sequence of events. It is also a mechanism by which leadership is compelled to analyze its current market environment and proactively engage in sound business practices. Marketing Planning Facilitates Good

Sa.1.2.1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sa.1.2.1 - Essay Example er of reasons however it is likely that a great deal of people are starting to enter the field owing to the relative job security guaranteed as a result of the recent financial crisis. Furthermore it may be seen as an excellent opportunity for workers who wish to remain in more rural areas, and people may look to this field as it is the case that there seems to be a growing demand for these positions. The objective of this research piece will be to first break down a the topic into a number of different sub categories such as people studying to be social workers, people who were recently hired as government social workers, people who have been working as a government social worker for a long time etc. Then through a systematic examination of research that has already been conducted on these sub groups it will hopefully be determined that a research gap exists. The research method that will be conducted will be directed towards exploratory research to determine the new issues. To research this issue a combination of primary and secondary research will be conducted. Moreover a number of case studies will be examined with a focus on finding five usable case studies. In terms of the method of data collection that will be employed, a strategy of conducting qualitative research through conducting interviews with a variety of people who are either social workers or are seeking to be social workers. A survey will have to be designed in which pen ended questions will be asked to the interviewees with a mix of direct and open ended questions. By using this mixed survey format a kind of grounded theory approach will be taken. The questionnaires will be analyzed using Microsoft excel and potentially SPSS to determine any particular trends in the field of social work. Moreover, in regards to secondary research it is the case that a great deal of academic literature has been generated on specific sub groups of social workers. Furthermore there is a great deal of academic

Civil War Position Paper Essay Example for Free

Civil War Position Paper Essay The American Civil War almost tore early America and its population apart. Still today people debate weather slavery was the primary cause for the war. In this paper I will explain why I believe slavery was not the primary cause of the American Civil War. Also I will point out many other factors that may have played a bigger role in the cause of the Civil War. Southern states believed STRONGLY in states’ rights. States’ rights are the belief that one should be loyal to their state instead of the country as a whole, also they believed that states should be able to make their own laws to their liking without having to answer to the country. This alone created tension between the southern states and the northern states for northern states felt that the constitution clearly stated that states can create laws as long as they do not conflict with the laws of the country. In addition to the tension between the north and south congress placed a tax on goods bought outside of the country otherwise known as tariffs. In 1828 and 1832, congress raised tariffs higher and higher. These taxes were hated by the southern states for they did not have many factories unlike they’re northern counterparts, and thus they paid tariffs more often. In one instance a southern state refused to pay the tariff nullifying the tax congress had placed this event known as the nullification crisis drove the wedge between the north and south further The bloody fighting between northern and southern voters in Kansas was another step in the path of the civil war. Due to the popular sovereignty act suggested by Senator Stephen Douglas the people where able to vote on whether that territory would’ve been a free state or a slave state, this caused voters from both the north and the south to pour into these states hoping to tip the scale in their favor in doing this conflict between the two erupted as homes were burned and people were murdered. In conclusion I do not believe that slavery was the primary cause of the civil war. My reason for thinking this is because of all the events that the country had to push though on top of slavery. For starters states rights, tariffs, nullification crisis, the Kansas Nebraska act, and the bleeding Kansas scare all played a bigger part in the cause of the civil war rather then slavery.

Report On Pakistan Tobacco Industry

Report On Pakistan Tobacco Industry This project is based on analysis of the tobacco industry because Tobacco in Pakistan holds an economic significance in Pakistan economy. Pakistan is second largest cigarette consumer in south Asia. It is a great source of revenue for major players and for Pakistan economy. It gives the highest revenue to government in terms of taxes. Pakistan tobacco company is dominated by two major players Pakistan tobacco company and philip Morrris. They have brands which hold the maximum share in the cigarratte market few are dunhill, gold leaf, capstan, gold flake, benson and hedges, Marlboro, embassy, and red and white. They have high demand for these brands. The increase in demand and supply may be due to more brands offered by the cigarettes manufactures and in the late 1990s tobacco companies were allowed to advertise their brands. However the consumption of cigarettes is more than the official data mainly due to no record of smuggling and unregistered cigarettes manufacturers. The demand s upply also vary because of seasonal fluctuations, holy month of Ramadan, inflation and increase in population. The companies have enough capacity but they do not utilize that capacity because currently smuggling is practiced in a country at high level. There is an availability of raw material in different regions of the country but NWFP and Punjab are the major producer of the raw material. Tobacco duty structure in Pakistan divided into complicated 3 levels. Lower, lower mid and premium. There are few issues related to the industry the main issue is the smuggling which affects the market badly other are the advertisement, health before trade, increase taxes, close down duty free, tax evasion. These issues have risen because no action taken by the government. They should control smuggling by tracing the distributors which would also helpful in a way to control tax evasion, companies should use modern technologies and should have timely control to have more yield. Table of Contents OVERVIEW Tobacco in Pakistan holds an economic significance in Pakistan economy. Tobacco is grown throughout the country but major source of tobacco raw material is in the Khyber Pakhtoon khowa. In Pakistan, although tobacco cultivation occupies a relatively small area of 0.27% of the total irrigated land in the country and about 3% in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistan was a net importer of tobacco in 1948 but became self sufficient in tobacco production in 1969. It was mainly due increase in productivity and new method used for tobacco cultivation. Pakistan tobacco exports and imports countries are prominent. Pakistan within 30 years of Independence became 5th largest tobacco producer in the world and 4th highest in yield. Currently tobacco industry in Pakistan is dominated by two multinational firms Pakistan Tobacco Company LTD and Phillip Morris Pakistan LTD. Though there are others firms but their influence on tobacco industry is not significant. Other companies are: Sarhad Cigarette Industry, Walton Tobacco Company, International Cigarette Industry, Khyber Tobacco Company, Imperial Cigarette Industry, Universal Tobacco Company, Saleem Cigarette Industry, Souvenir Tobacco Company. Cigarette industry contributes nearly 3.5 percent of total FBR revenue currently the major challenge for Tobacco industry is the increasing trend of smuggling. Overview of the market share of tobacco industry in Pakistan Economic Significance This crop possesses immense economic significance and its impact on the fiscal and monetary policies of Pakistan. Tobacco possesses great source of revenue, employment and foreign exchange earnings to the country. It give the highest revenue to government in terms of taxes. Tobacco industry currently employs about 80,000 workers in cultivation, 50,000 are employed in 21 factories of the tobacco industry and it also provides 1 million indirect employments. It is also an important source of foreign exchange earnings for the country approximately US$ 61.349 million during the fiscal year of 2010-2011.Pakistan Tobacco board have played an important role in developing the production of tobacco crop on scientific methods, if it had not been developed the country would have been importing raw material worth Rs.8-10 billion per annum (2009-2010). Exports Year Quantity exported Value Total Value Tobacco Cigarettes Cigars Tobacco Cigarettes Cigars (M.Rs) (M.US$) (M.Kgs) (M.Nos) M.Nos (M.Rs) (M.Rs) M.Rs 1999-2000 3.90 16.060 273.13 7.440 280.57 5.420 2000-2001 5.98 11.770 578.05 6.220 586.18 10.032 2001-2002 3.20 108.240 231.11 49.180 286.41 4.659 2002-2003 5.49 74.23 316.75 45.62 362.37 6.25 2003-2004 8.27 163.96 642.74 124.35 767.09 13.23 2004-2005 7.17 44.73 626.67 46.94 673.61 11.23 2005-2006 3.83 21.00 332.80 66.70 339.47 5.66 2006-2007 5.77 26.12 0.77 543.85 24.64 1.69 570.18 9.50 2007-2008 4.72 3.97 0.13 449.82 4.17 0.16 454.15 5.68 2008-2009 4.77 10.97 0.02 963.27 14.84 0.03 978.14 13.973 2009-2010 5.17 13.94 11.10 1201.08 24.22 16.41 1241.71 15.521 2010-2011 8.39 23.49 2294.53 39.75 - 2334.28 24.571 Pakistan main exporter for tobacco is US because it does not produce quality unmanufactured tobacco. The value increase by 85% during 2000-2001 fiscal yea. However the value decline by 53% from 10.032 to 4.659 in 2001-2002. The main reason for decline was the aftermath of 9/11 which resulted in exports orders cancelled. Foreign business people were advise to take security clearance. Year 2003-2004 saw a 100% increase in value from pervious year. In 2005-2006 year tobacco industry experienced a fall of around 50% in value and the trend remained till 2007-2008 year. During the last fiscal year Pakistan tobacco industry achieved the highest value of exports at around 24.571 million. FLOW CHART/ MANUFACTURING PROCESS Processing and manufacturing After harvesting and curing, the cured leaf is processed through a Green Leaf threshing plant. The main purpose of this processing is to: Remove sand, dust and other particles Separate the lamina from the stem (threshing) Drive down the moisture content to safe storage levels. Manufacturing At Tobacco factories, the matured tobacco is checked for quality and then carefully mixed with other ingredients to make different forms of tobacco, such as flavorings or pre-processed tobacco. Technical tools are used to keep track of various types of tobacco; computers are increasingly used to keep track of the process. Moisture content is an important part of tobacco process. Too dry and the tobacco leaf will crumble; too moist and it may spoil during storage. Right amount of steam is required to treat the blended tobacco and exact amount of water to make it elastic and then cut into the form in which it appears in the cigarette. Excess moisture is then removed so the cut tobacco can be given a final blending and quality check. Traditionally Cigarette making was done by hand but nowadays it is almost fully automated, with the cut tobacco, cigarette paper and filters continuously fed into cigarette-making machines. The technology has advanced dramatically over the years which have not wear down the quality; each cigarette is automatically quality controlled to ensure that it meets every benchmark for its specification. STRUCTURAL COMPOSITION Product Mix Since Pakistan tobacco industry is dominated by two multinational companies Philip Morris and Pakistan Tobacco Company. Both companies have many brands in cigarettes which are produced to cater different income class. Pakistan Tobacco Company Brands available in Pakistan Super Premium Duhill High and Premium John Player Gold Leaf Benson Hedges Medium Category Gold Flake Wills Kings Capstan Low category Embassy Super Premium Marlboro High and Premium Red and white Medium Category Moven gold Low category K-2 Diplomat Philip Morris Pakistan Brands available in Pakistan Cigarette market in Pakistan is dominated by lower mid-priced cigarettes which are almost 90 percent of the market. Market for Premium category is only 10%. John Player Gold Leaf has a market share of 9.83 percent in the country whereas world leading brand Marlboro which is in the premium category have insignificant share ranging from 0.1 to 0.25% of the total market. In the middle category, Gold Flake has major market share of 38.64 percent followed by Morven Gold which caters to the 37 percent of the market need. Capstan has started losing its share as Pakistan Tobacco Company has introduced another brand as Capstan by Pall Mall, which has started capturing its share in the market. In the lower class Embassy has a market share of almost 4.5 percent whereas Diplomat has a market share of about 2.5 percent followed by K-2 with the market share of 1.5 percent of the total sales. At present, consumer price of a pack of 20 of most sold brand in the country is Rs 28.80 (US $0.33) which i s almost lowest in the world. Installed capacity Installed capacity for cigarettes sticks in billions 2010-2011 Average Industry 126 Pakistan Tobacco Company 45.1 Philip Morris Pakistan 50.1 Others 31 Average installed capacity for cigarettes manufacturing company in tobacco industry is 126 billion stick per year. Pakistan Tobacco Company Ltd which holds the largest market share in industry has an annual capacity of 45.1 billion cigarettes. Philip Morris Pakistan which is the second largest producer of Cigarettes has an annual capacity of 50.1 billion Capacity utilization Capacity utilization increased from 49.6 billion sticks in 2002-2003 to 75.8 billion sticks 2010-2011. Average 68 billion sticks are produced annually. Pakistan Tobacco Company produced 40.5 billion sticks out of a capacity of 45.1 billion during 2010-2011. Philip Morris produced 22.4 billion sticks from capacity of 50.1 billion during the same year. The reason for under utilization of capacity for Philip Morris is due to smuggling and illegal trade which will be discuss later in the report. Capacity utilization of Cigarettes sticks in Billion 2010-2011 Average industry utilization 68 Pakistan Tobacco Company 40.5 Phillip Morris Pakistan 22.4 RAW MATERIAL AVAILABILITY tobzones.jpg The map shows different types of raw materials available all over Pakistan. The major portion of raw material comes from NWFP and Punjab. Pakistan gets the majority of different types of raw material from NWFP mainly due to fertility of soil and suitable weather. NWFP produces around three-fourths of the tobacco leaf grown in the country. The specific raw materials that come from NWFP are Virginia flue-cured, Burley, Nicotiana rustica (country sum-cured/White Patta). Flue Cured Virginia tobacco is now the most widely grown and widely used type of cigarette tobacco in Pakistan and the total production of this high value commodity have increased from 23.8 million kgs in 1967-68 to 66 million kgs in 2007. Punjab is second largest in terms of raw material availability. Punjab is famous for the production of dark air-cured and hookah type tobaccos. Apart from these two raw material Kala Patta (snuff) is also cultivated in Punjab region. Sindh and Balochistan produces Nicotiana Rustica and Country air-cured (Snuff) respectively. Virginia and Burley is procured mostly from local farmers on contract basis Tobacco raw material is available extensively all over Pakistan is a major strength for Tobacco industry mainly. Pakistan is now the 7th largest producer of flue-cured tobacco. Deep researches and development have been carried out by Pakistan Tobacco Board in collaboration with tobacco companies in order to reduce dependence on the import of good quality tobacco leaf such as suitable climatic conditions have been explored in areas of Mansehra, Buner, Swat and Dir districts to meet the quality requirements of cigarettes for domestic use. Forms of Tobacco Intake Raw material is used for to make different form of tobacco such as Chilumhuqqah, chewing tobacco in pan, snuff and niswar. Experts divide tobacco use into two broad categories -smoking and smokeless tobacco. According to a survey conducted by PMRC apart from cigarettes moist dry snuff and chewing tobacco is commonly used in Pakistan. Huqqah and Chilum, are the oldest means of tobacco intake in this region. Production Of Different Types Of Tobacco In Pakistan (Million Kgs) Year Flue-cured Virginia Dark air-cured White Patta Burley Others Total 2000-2001 50.96 1.17 9.65 0.58 23.38 85.74 2001-2002 59.61 1.94 9.38 0.95 20.70 92.58 2002-2003 51.31 1.42 10.83 2.15 22.55 88.26 2003-2004 50.29 0.69 10.98 1.60 22.63 86.19 2004-2005 65.78 0.86 9.91 1.64 *22.63 100.82 2005-2006 73.7 1.6 13.2 0.9 23.12 89.47 2006-2007 65.75 0.80 11.62 0.8 24.27 78.97 2007-2008 69.54 0.96 14.98 0.35 21.93 85.83 2008-2009 71.32 1.38 25.98 - - 98.68 2009-2010 79.79 2.83 26.64 - 109.26 2010-2011 64.670 13.540 - 78.210 Annual estimated requirement of tobacco crop in 2012 Type of Tobacco (MillionKgs) Flue-cured Virginia 66.680 Dark Air-cured 1.085 White Patta 2.190 Burley 0.100 Sun Cured 1.100 Rustica 1.800 Total 72.955 Current production till April/may 2012 White PattaType of Tobacco (MillionKgs) Flue-cured Virginia 75.94 Dark Air-cured 1.41 7.40 Minimum price of raw material Rs.121 Current Market price Rs.140 Prices of raw material Duty Structure Tobacco duty structure in Pakistan divided into complicated 3 levels. Lower, lower mid and premium. In lower level there is an excise duty of Rs.9.5 for a pack of 20 cigarettes below retail price of Rs.20 excluding sales tax. Excise duty is 46% on most sold consumer brand, 56% excise duty on premium brand and 50% on cheapest brand. The excise duty is very low and difficult to understand. The Total revenue potential of the cigarette industry is around Rs 80 billion per year and around Rs.50.2818 billion taxes was collected during 2011-2012 from two multinationals and some other manufacturers. The difference shows that tax evasion in tobacco industry is high. Approximately Rs.9-10 billion tax is evaded annually. The main reason for this evasion is because of the complex tax structure and it is reported that multinationals and federal board of Revenue (FBR) have intentionally made tax difficult so that less amount can be charged thus benefiting cigarettes manufactures tax collection has also been affected due to inefficient check and balance. DEMAND AND SUPPLY ANALYSIS Estimated demand The demand/consumption for cigarettes has seen a steady growth over the years. domestic cnosumption by year.bmp consumption table 2.bmpconsumtion table.bmp The data above shows that consumption of cigarettes has been increasing since 1960 onwards. The data reveals that there have been massive increases in consumption pattern of cigarettes since 1996 mainly due to availability of more brands offered by cigarettes manufactured. Around 200 million cigarette sticks were consumed in 2011. There are about 22 million smokers in the country and 55% of the house households have at least one individual who smokes cigarettes. This consumption trend makes Pakistan an attractive market for cigarettes manufactures. Demographic cigarettes consumption trend 29% of men and 3.4% of women smoke cigarettes regularly according to national health survey Heavy consumption of smoking (20 or more cigarettes per day) is most common and among men 25-44 years of age in Pakistan. 37% of heavy smoking is done in urban areas in contrast to 26% in rural areas. Total cigarettes consumption in South Asia. total consumtion pie chart1.bmp The data shows that Pakistan is second largest cigarette consumer in south Asia. India is biggest consumer of cigarettes in south asia mainly due to highest population in the south asian region. Estimated supply tobacco3.bmp The table has been taken from Pakistan economic survey 2010-2011. Te table shows that since 1990 the supply/ production of cigarettes have been increasing. This table illustrates that production of cigarettes increased during 1995-1996. During 2008-2009 fiscal year supply reached its peak of 75,609 millions. Demand and Supply analysis There are certain points that we can derive from demand and supply of tobacco industry. Firstly there was a huge increase in consumption and production of Cigarettes in 199. The increase in demand and supply may be due to more brands offered by the cigarettes manufactures and in the late 1990s tobacco companies were allowed to advertise their brands. However the consumption of cigarettes is more than the official data mainly due to no record of smuggling and unregistered cigarettes manufacturers accurate. Some common factors for demand and supply fluctuation are discussed below Seasonal Fluctuations in demand Seasonal do play a part in consumption of cigarettes. During winter the demand for cigarettes increases. Demographics are also important, northern areas of Pakistan generally have a higher demand for cigarettes. Religious month of Ramdan Ramdan effects the consumption of cigarettes. During the month of Ramadan consumption of cigarettes decreases as people only smoke after fast or those who dont smoke tend to avoid smoking in front of people as it is unwelcomed by the society. Increase in population and availability of brands Increase in the population of Pakistan along with more availability of cigarettes brands by manufacturers have contributed in increasing the demand and supply of cigarettes. Moreover increasing trend of smoking being considered as fashionable has also contributed towards the increase in consumption. Different varieties means more choice for consumer. A Daily Times survey revealed that wholesale dealers supply fake and smuggled cigarettes to about 20,000 retailers of Lahore, who sell them to ignorant consumers who can either not tell the difference or sent their children or servants to buy cigarettes Natural disasters Natural calamities is another factor for fluctuation in demand and supply of Cigarettes. The worst floods in 2010 since 1974 damaged fertile tobacco-producing land such as in NWFP Taxation and inflation Changes in tax structure and inflation affect the production and consumption of cigarettes. An increase in tax results in decrease in production and increase in price thus reducing the demand for cigarettes. Inflation level in Pakistan is always increasing, the increase in price level make it worse for manufacturers and government as people shift to smuggled brands which are available at cheaper price. This act result in loss of revenue to government in terms of taxes and loss of sales for manufacturersporter.jpg Porters five Forces Model By using Porters Five Forces Framework we will discuss five basic competitive forces within the tobacco industry. The threat of potential new entrants, the bargaining power of suppliers, the bargaining power of buyers, the threat of substitutes, and the extent of competitive rivalry. Threat of new Entrants The barriers to entry in the Pakistan tobacco industry are low mainly due to less competition in the industry and local companies can easily enter the market however the barriers to enter the market nationally are very high. The reason for high barriers at national level is due to high manufacturing, distribution and marketing cost which makes it difficult for local companies to sustain themselves at national stage. High investment cost is required to build production facilities that can mass-produce tobacco products at the national level. Moreover packaging cost of cigarettes countrywide is very high which cannot be afforded by the new local firm. Brand identity is another barrier to entry in Pakistan Tobacco industry. Brand awareness is very important in any industry. In Pakistan government has imposed restriction on advertising. The ban on cigarettes adverstising is acting as a barrier to entry because advertising and communication is required to product strength in the mind of consumers. This ban is also effecting existing companies in a way that they cannot reinforce their current brands and will find difficulty in launching new brands. High brand loyalty in Tobacco industry is another entry barrier for new firms. Example Benson Hedges users will not shift to a new product because of high emotional attached to it. Bargaining power of Suppliers In Pakistan tobacco industry raw material for cigarettes is provided by farmers to manufacturers. Apart from Green Revolution agricultural products have been exploited in all decades this as resulted in low prices of agricultural products but throughout Pakistan history policies have been favoring industries, finished goods are sold at higher price whereas raw material are bought at lower prices. In Tobacco sector supplier has less bargaining power because of less competitors in tobacco industry. Many of the tobacco farmers are located in NWFP, Punjab. Even though government has imposed minimum price but it has been ineffective due to dominance of multinational firms in the tobacco sector. Multinational have bargaining power because they control more than 70% of the market thus illustrating that the farmers have little bargaining power due to the government interaction. Bargaining power of Buyers Economy plays an important role in buying cigarettes in tobacco industry. As we know Pakistan economy is uncertain with high unemployment, increasing inflation and political instability. These factors affect the buying power of consumers. Buyer power in tobacco industry also depends on disposable income. A decline in buyers disposable income results in buying cheaper brands of cigarettes and if a buyers disposable income increases, then they are more likely to buy more expensive brands. By looking at the current scenario Pakistan Tobacco Company launched a low price brand Capstan which became very popular among consumer and captured 14% of market share which effected the market share of Philip Morris brand Moven gold. A recent example of Pakistan Tobacco Company increased the price of Dunhill which resulted in decrease of their market share as consumers shifted towards low price brand Capstan. Consumers in the United States are now increasingly becoming more concerned with health issues. Consumer health awareness has hurt the market for tobacco sellers and has also led to the increase for government regulation. But in Pakistan which has more population than United States serves as an attractive market. Moreover less government regulation results in cigarettes manufacturers exploiting consumers. Threat of Substitutes The biggest substitute for tobacco users is to just quit using any type of tobacco product. many companies are trying to make product which is beneficial for the smokers to quit smoking, for this purpose they started campaign promoting awareness regarding health isssues. There are many services to help people using tobacco. As health issues and diseases increases day by day so people themselves willing to quit smoking for this purpose they started using different product or services like they started workout which would be the motivating factor or them to quit smoking. There are also some government websites which teaches different method to quit smoking and live a healthier life. Some people prefer to consult doctor and they provide them with prescription tablets or pills which would make them able to forget about smoking and it would be a source for them to live normal life, this also be one of the substitute for tobacco products. . There are many benefits which motivates the consumer of tobacco to quit like smokers will to live the heather life would be the motivating factor other than this the cost involves in getting cigarette is very high and due to inflation and rising prices of the cigarette consumer could not afford to have additional items into their daily routine so they started involved in different methods to quit smoking and Buyer propensity toward tobacco substitutes seems to have increased over time with the evidence that smoking can lead to health risks such as lung cancer, emphysema, heart disease, pregnancy complications, and other health problems. Competitive rivalry Competitive rivalry in tobacco sector is medium to high because more than 70% of the tobacco market is controlled by Pakistan Tobacco Company and Phillip Morris Pakistan. Both firms are involved in intensive price wars in order to get a market share. Dominant firm like PTC is continuously decreasing its in order to maintain its market leadership. Pakistan Tobacco Company reduced the price of its medium-price to sustain market share. This triggered threat to Philip Morris Pakistan as they also had to reduce their prices. Pakistan Tobacco Company controls the largest market share at around 60%. Pakistan tobacco company brand gold flake contributes largest revenue for the company. Both companies have divided their brands into different segments to cater different income class people. Even though the volume of cigarettes have been steady for the past few years the revenue continue to increase, thus making cigarettes manufacturers financial position stronger Rivalry in the low and medium sector of cigarettes has been a strong focus of the leading companies in recent years. The market for low and medium category is increasing in country mainly because of the income level in Pakistan. Pakistan Tobacco Company leads in this sector by having around 3 brands for medium and 1 brand to cater low income class. With the potential growth in middle and low category Pakistan Tobacco Company introduced another brand by name Capstan by mall pall even though it had Capstan brand. Philip Morris are also introducing new brands under medium and low category to extract the profitability. By using the Porters Five Forces Framework we were able to discuss the five basic competitive forces within the tobacco industry. The level of difficulty for new entrants; the lack of bargaining power of suppliers; the bargaining power of buyers between different brands; the high level of potential substitutes; and the competition rivalry, as well as domestic growth areas; were all analyzed within the tobacco industry using the Porters Five Forces Framework. Dominant forces such as government regulation and health awareness influence change in the tobacco industry. The potential impact that theses forces could play on the tobacco industry could be harsh if companies dont adjust and change with them. MAJOR PLAYERS Pakistan Tobacco Company LTD In 1947 Pakistan Tobacco Company Limited was established. The company congratulate itself for being the first multi-national company to start its business in Pakistan. Pakistan Tobacco Company is the subsidiary company of British American Tobacco which started its operations for over 100 years now and dealt in over 180 countries. The Company has international reputation for manufacturing and marketing high quality brands for the adults. PTC is one of the leading companies in Pakistan. PTC has two art factories in two different states and has more than 1,700 people working there and more than a million people working in various aspects of the business indirectly. PTC is the market leader. PTC has a vision of being the leaders of growth, champions of productivity, responsibility and a leading organization PerformanceClipboard01gross turnover of ptc.bmp The gross revenue was increased of about 67 million in year 2011 from 60 million in year 2010 because of the successful introduction of brand capstan which occupied 14% of the market share. In 2011, the growth was initiated by new performance of its brand Capstan established in July 2010. PTC captures a market share of about 49.4 percent in the overall market. At the beginning of 2012, the companys brands have performed well against the competition. The 77 percent increase in such marketing, distribution and selling activities during the period, the operating margins decreased to 9.76 percent in 2012 from 10.27 percent in 2011. The operating margin declined, but still the Company was able to control costs during the period. The gross profit increased to 30.71 percent in 2012 from 25.75 percent last year as

Informing Panasonic

From the Information supplied In the case, Identify three Information needs of Panasonic as an organization and explain why this information would be important to managerial decision – making at the company. Three information needs of Panasonic Has the ability to create, store, share and analyze data about products, customers and suppliers in ways that were not even feasible Just a few decades ago. Ђ It had developed numerous duplicative, inconsistent and incomplete records stored in ultimate isolated databases across the enterprise It also prevented the company from making timely decisions, which diminished Panasonic flexibility and agility. Importance of information to managerial decision making Helps in making effective problem – solving decisions 2. Explain how the new information system benefits both Panasonic and its various stakeholders. Panasonic was able to save millions of dollars per year Improves Panasonic time – to- time marketReduces the time re quired to bring a product to market from 6 months to 1 month Reduces the amount of time required for creating and maintaining product information by 50 per cent It allowed Panasonic to move away from It's â€Å"push† Inventory model, towards a † pull† model. Improved Its response to retailers' orders so that its retailers have been able to cut inventory to seven days. 3. Compare and contrast the â€Å"push† and â€Å"pull† models of Information supply outlined n the case.What are the potential advantages and disadvantages of each method? O Push inventory model Information is centralized and delivered automatically to everyone who needs it, simultaneously C] The company would push products to retailers such as Best Buy and Cult City Pull inventory model Marketing and sales had to request both structured and unstructured information from numerous sources 0 vendors order products on as-needed basis o Advantages – Push – pull Disadvantages

Company Analysis: Sunrise Senior Living Essay

Sunrise Senior Living Inc. is one of the top firms in the rapidly growing long-term care industry. They provided a number of services for senior citizens including assisted living, meals, transportation, housekeeping, and licensed and highly skilled nurses for certain residents who require 24 hour care. The company was started in 1981 in Fairfax, Virginia by married couple Paul and Terry Klaassen who had a vision of creating alternative senior living options that emphasize quality of life. They have started what is now the most recognized company in the industry boasting innovative products and services for senior citizens. Ultimately after thoroughly researching the company’s credentials, I decided that Sunrise Senior Living would be a favorable investment given that it is part of quickly expanding industry, it is the top firm in the industry, and expert analysts believe that it is a smart investment. Introduction and Statement of Purpose The purpose of this report is to provide a thorough analysis of Sunrise Senior Living in order to make a decision as to whether this company is worth investing in. This report will include an analysis of the company’s history and public relations, the company’s financial performance and trends, economic variables that affect the company, and an overview of the industry and competing firms. In order to conduct this analysis, all of the components previously mentioned have been researched in depth. All analysis and suggestions made will be supported with valid evidence from a variety of different sources. Financial analysis will include a glance at the company’s balance sheets and income statements of the past few years along ith their performance in the stock market of the past few years. The basic structure of this report consists of an executive summary, a brief introduction to the report with basic information of the Sunrise Senior Living Inc. , a more sufficient overview of the company outlining the research conducted in order to draw conclusions regarding the objective of the report, a comprehensive analysis of the company under the criteria previously mentioned, my personal recommendations as to whether an individual should invest in this company, and finally, an appendix with all necessary tables, graphs, etc. hat are necessary to support my recommendations and more clearly illustrate some of the company analysis. Sunrise Senior Living Inc. is a company based in Fairfax County, Virginia that provides a number of senior living services in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Sunrise Senior Living offers independent living services which include housing, meals, transportation, housekeeping, and licensed and highly skilled nurses for certain residents who require 24 hour care. Also, these assisted living communities boast nostalgic neighborhoods that provide uniquely designed accommodations, services, and care to support residents who are cognitively impaired or face issues with memory loss, including Alzheimer’s disease. Finally, it provides a medication management program, which includes the storage and distribution of medications as directed by the resident’s physician. As of December 31, 2009, Sunrise Senior Living operated 384 communities, including 335 communities in the United States, 15 communities in Canada, 27 communities in the United Kingdom, and 7 communities in Germany. The company was founded in 1981 by Paul and Terry Klaassen who had a vision of creating alternative senior living options that emphasize quality of life. (Yahoo Finance) Sunrise Senior Living Inc. is in the healthcare sector of the long term care facilities industry. The senior care industry is continually growing because of the increased life-span of the population. With the Baby Boomers entering the age of retirement, the senior citizen population is currently supplying a huge market for companies who provide these service-oriented products (Business Week). In fact, according to an article by Senior Care  Marketer, â€Å"The senior care industry is booming and it’s just getting started as the baby boom generation cares for their aging parents and require care themselves as they transition into their own senior years. People sixty-five years and older represent the fastest-growing age group in the United States, and it is projected that the 75+ population will increase 70% by 2025. By 2030, 70 million Americans will be over the age of 65 – that’s one out of every five Americans! †(Senior Care Marketer). With that said, there a number of competing firms that are seeking to reap the benefits of this growing industry. Sunrise Senior Living is currently the leading competitor in the senior care industry. However, there are number of other firms that are close behind including Brookdale Senior Living, Emeritus, Gentiva, Odyssey Healthcare, and ResCare. Overview Company History and Background As previously mentioned, Sunrise Senior Living Inc. was founded by Paul and Terry Klaassen more than 25 years ago. The idea for this now successful business originated in Holland where Paul Klaassen would visit his grandparents as a child. Paul’s grandparents lived in assisted living homes called verzorgingstehuizen. These assisted living homes are very similar to those offered by Sunrise today. The verzorgingstehuizen allowed its residents to be independent while simultaneously providing support or care for those who needed it. To start this company, a youthful and energetic Paul and Terry Klaassen sold their home and moved into a run-down nursing home in Northern Virginia. Paul and Terry went on to renovate this nursing home and open up their first location of Sunrise Senior Living. Paul and Terry cared for the residents themselves in their first years of business, but word quickly spread regarding their new successful business. As demand for their services increased, they opened up two more locations in the mid 1980’s. Taking on a similar strategy as they did with the old nursing home, they opened up new locations by renovating older buildings and converting them into warm environments that were fit for caring for senior citizens. By 1987, Paul and Terry opened their first Victorian-style mansion which is now a nationally recognized icon for their company. (Sunrise Senior Living) As with any successful business or corporation, it all starts with a vision and mission statement which provides direction and purpose. When founding Sunrise Senior Living, Paul and Terry Klaassen wanted to â€Å"champion quality of life for seniors in a home-like, resident-centered environment, unlike existing, more institutional options. † Their operating philosophy originates from a deep seated certainty in the method in which they accomplish the most premium quality of care of every individual. These convictions that have served as the foundation for Sunrise Senior Living’s mission statement are now also the foundation for Sunrise’s Principles of Service and Core Values. These set of principles and values currently direct Sunrise’s team members and employees at all of their locations worldwide. Sunrise Senior Living’s Principles of Service include preserving dignity, nurturing the spirit, celebrating individuality, enabling freedom of choice, encouraging independence, and involving family and friends. Their core values include passion, joy in service, stewardship, respect, and trust. Each member of the Sunrise Senior Living team is encouraged to follow these principles and core values to ensure that each resident or client receives the most premium caliber service. Sunrise Senior Living) At first glance, one may question the importance of information such as mission and vision statements. However, by evaluating and analyzing a company’s mission and vision statements, it becomes possible to take a deeper look into the company’s culture and goals which can often be an indicator of their success and or failure in various fiel ds. Also, as an investor, it is important to possess a thorough understanding of the company’s purpose and values. Although the primary concern for most investors is the return they will receive on their investment, another factor that investors consider is the company’s reputation which is linked to their morals and code of ethics. For example, an investor may choose not to invest in a certain company even though it would provide large returns on his or her investment because he or she may not agree with the company’s mission and vision statements. Products and Services As previously mentioned Sunrise offers a number of different services and amenities for senior citizens. These services include assisted living, Alzheimer’s and memory care, independent living, skilled nursing, and short term stays. Not to mention that Sunrise also offers different financial options for those residents who have trouble with payments. Under each main service offered are a number of more specific programs as well. For example, one program in particular that Sunrise is known for is their reminiscence neighborhoods, which is part of their Alzheimer’s and memory care treatment. These specially designed neighborhoods were created in order to allow senior citizens to re-live their glory days. To do this, members at Sunrise Senior Living begin by gaining an understanding of the senior’s life stories without overlooking minute details. The reminiscence program encompasses a number of different activities that allows them to retain the spirit of their youth. It includes encouraging residents to participate in common daily practices such as gardening, sewing, office work, and household chores. Additionally, the reminiscence program offers â€Å"Snoezelen† environments which are essentially forms of stimulation for the senses and are used to maintain calmness and serenity among all of the seniors. These â€Å"Snoezelen† environments integrate music, aroma therapy, peaceful sounds, and visual displays for an experience that is incredibly soothing. (Sunrise Senior Living) Although Sunrise Senior Living offers a number of innovative and unique services, their customer and employee reviews are mixed to a certain degree. In order to best find out the opinions of customers and employees regarding Sunrise, I decided that it would be best to examine random personal accounts of both customers and employees. I have examined a number of different websites and blogs in which individuals share their experiences with Sunrise Senior Living. Customer and Employee Reviews Measured up is a website that offers a wide variety of customer reviews and complaints of a number of businesses worldwide. There was recently an instance that occurred on June 19, 2010 in which a Sunrise neglected to aid one of their resident’s who fell and broke her leg and eventually needed a hip replacement surgery. The review off the company was written by the daughter of the woman who fell. She, unfortunately for Sunrise Senior Living, had only the worst things to say about the company. After the incident, Sunrise, according to the daughter of the woman, did not offer fair compensation for the injury of her mother. She also stated that the members at Sunrise did not give any form of apology whatsoever and â€Å"treated the entire affair with as cold a heart as they could muster. † She even went on to say that the â€Å"Sunrise Difference† was cruelty, malice, and disdain. She also strongly advised any individual with elderly loved ones to stay away from Sunrise Senior Living because she thought they were cold and malicious. (Measured Up) As aforementioned, this incident occurred on June 19, 2010. It is especially relevant because of how recent this whole affair took place. As with any company or organization in general, it takes only one mishap to permanently tarnish a reputation. The incident with the woman falling is obviously going to be detrimental to Sunrise Senior Living’s reputation. This is important because it is a tribute of customer satisfaction, even though it was only one incident. This decrease in customer satisfaction, if great enough, will be reflected in the financial performance of the company because clients will no longer demand Sunrise’s services as much. Employee reviews of the company are arguably equally as important as customer reviews given that ultimately, it is the employees who are running these companies. According to Glassdoor, a blog that provides insight and internal reviews of jobs and companies, Sunrise Senior Living received an average employee rating of 2. 6 out of 40 reviews, meaning that employees feel that working at Sunrise is â€Å"Ok. † Also, Mark S. Ordan, CEO and Director of Sunrise since March of 2008, received a 44% approval rate by employees. Although these statistics are from a relatively small sample, considering that Sunrise consists of close to 5000 employees, it is still a testament to the entire company’s satisfaction in their workplace. (Glass Door Reviews) Recent News Recently, Sunrise Senior Living has done some restructuring with regards to their upper level management as well as the relationships they hold with some of their joint ventures. Namely, they have appointed Marc Richards as Chief Financial Officer, Greg Neeb as Chief Investment and Administrative Officer, and David Haddock as the General Counsel. In terms of their joint ventures, Sunrise Senior Living is currently working with Ventas, HCP, and CNL Lifestyle Properties. In order to understand the restructuring of these relationships it is necessary to possess a basic understanding of the function of each of these companies. (Sunrise Senior Living – Investor Relations) Ventas is one of the country’s primary healthcare real estate investment trusts. Their increasing portfolio contains 602 healthcare-related facilities that contain roughly 50,000 licensed beds and senior housing units which are located advantageously in 44 states in the US and two provinces in Canada. Ventas) HCP, a real estate investment trust, was established in 1985 and is a publicly traded company of the S&P 500. Their portfolio contains 673 properties in 42 states and Mexico, and mezzanine loans and other debt instruments. All of which are spread across the healthcare industry including senior housing, life science, post-acute/skilled nursing a nd hospital. (HCP) CNL Lifestyle Properties, also a real estate investment trust, is a company that invests in properties projected to produce income that focus primarily in lifestyle related industries. CNL Lifestyle Properties purchases properties and leases them on a long-term basis with the potential of long-term revenue. CNL Lifestyle Properties owns 10 ski resorts, two former Six-Flags owned and branded parks, two former non branded Six-Flags Parks, and three former Six-Flags owned water parks just to name a few. (CNL Lifestyle Properties) Sunrise Senior Living has restructured with Ventas through sale of joint venture interests which brought forth funds improving their balance sheet as well as reaching a new agreement that allows Sunrise to continue to manage senior living facilities owned by Ventas. With HCP, Sunrise has ended management contracts with 27 communities which has allowed them to reduce their debt. Finally, Sunrise has gained 40% ownership interest, from 10% in the previous year of a wholly owned subsidiary of CNL Lifestyle Properties, offering the opportunity to purchase their new partner’s interest in the venture. All of these adjustments are consistent with their strategy of pursuing sole ownership of the assets they manage.