Neoclassical Theory of Distribution Essays

Economics Theory / Neoclassical Theory of Distribution Essays Economics Theory / Neoclassical Theory of Distribution Essay Economics Theory / Neoclassical Theory of Distribution Essay Essay Topic: Classical Economics Theory / Neoclassical Theory of Distribution Name: Course: Institution: Instructor: Date: Economics Theory / Neoclassical Theory of Distribution Athletes in professional teams are paid way higher than teachers are. This is not due to games being more valued than education. Rather, it is a matter of demand and supply. Teachers are paid by the government that has many responsibilities such as infrastructure, public services amongst others. Therefore, it has limited money to spend on the teachers. Additionally, the teachers are many since a school could have many teachers, and all of them have to be remunerated by the government. On the other hand, professional players such as footballers are paid by the NFL. The NFL has more money to spend on players who are not as many as teachers are (Brown, 2012). Additionally, there are many people willing to pay for a game than those willing to pay for lectures. A player will be paid from proceeds received from tickets sold, as well as income from media broadcasters who pay to air the game. In addition, fans support the teams through buying their items such as jerseys. Therefore, athletes depend on the number of people they draw to the stadiums (Sexton, 2012). I feel that this is fair since the athletes train hard to become stars who entertain people. Thus, if they manage to pull more crowds and bring in more money for colleges than teachers do, then they deserve their reward. Reference Brown, R. (2012). Do NFL Player Earnings Compensate for Monopsony Exploitation in College? Journal of Sports Economics DOI: 10.1177/1527002512450266 Sexton, R.L. (2012). Exploring Economics. New York, N.Y: Cengage Learning.

Christmas Tree Worm Facts

Christmas Tree Worm Facts The Christmas Tree Worm is a colorful marine worm with beautiful, spiraling plumes that resemble a fir tree. These animals can be a variety of colors, including  red, orange, yellow, blue and white. The Christmas tree shape shown in the image is the animals radioles, which can be up to about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Each worm has two of these plumes, which are used for feeding and respiration. The rest of the worms body is in a tube in the coral, which is formed after the larval worm settles on the coral and then the coral grows around the worm.The worms  legs (parapodia) and bristles (chatae) protected within the tube are about twice as large as the portion of the worm visible above the coral.   If it worm feels threatened, it can withdraw into its tube to protect itself. Classification: Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: AnnelidaClass: PolychaetaSubclass: CanalipalpataOrder: SabellidaFamily: SerpulidaeGenus: Spirobranchus Habitat of the Christmas Tree Worm The Christmas tree worm lives on tropical coral reefs throughout the world, in relatively shallow waters less than 100 feet deep. They seem to prefer certain coral species.   The tubes that Christmas tree worms live in can be up to about 8 inches long and are constructed of calcium carbonate.The worm produces the tube by excreting calcium carbonate that it obtains from ingesting sand grains and other particles that contain calcium. The tube may be much longer than the  worm, which is thought to be an adaptation that allows the worm to withdraw fully into its tube when it needs protection. When the worm withdraws into the tube, it can seal it tight using a trapdoor-like structure called an operculum. This operculum is equipped with spines to fend off predators. Feeding The Christmas tree worm feeds by trapping plankton and other small particles on their plumes. Cilia then pass the food to the worms mouth. Reproduction There are male and female Christmas tree worms. They reproduce by sending eggs and sperm into the water. These gametes are created within the worms abdominal segments. Fertilized eggs develop into larvae that live as plankton for nine to 12 days and then settle on coral, where they produce a mucus tube that develops into a calcareous tube. These worms are thought to be capable of living over 40 years. Conservation Christmas tree worm populations are thought to be stable. While they arent harvested for food, they are popular with divers and underwater photographers and may be harvested for the aquarium trade. Potential threats to the worms include habitat loss, climate change and ocean acidification, which could affect their ability to build their calcareous tubes. The presence or absence of a healthy Christmas tree worm population can also indicate the health of the coral reef.   Sources De Martini, C. 2011. : Christmas Tree WormSpirobranchus sp.. Great Barrier Reef Invertebrates. University of Queensland. Accessed November 29, 2015Frazer, J. 2012. The Overlooked Joy of the Christmas Tree Worm. Scientific American. Accessed November 28, 2015.Hunte, W., Marsden, J.R. and B.E. Conlin. 1990. Habitat selection in the tropical polychaete Spirobranchus giganteus. Marine Biology 104:101-107.Kurpriyanova, E. 2015. Exploring the Diversity of Christmas Treet Worms in Indo-Pacific Coral Reefs. Australian Museum. Accessed November 28, 2015.Nishi, E. and M. Nishihira. 1996. Age-estimation of the Christmas tree worm Spirobranchus giganteus (Polychaeta, Serpulidae) living buried in the coral skeleton from the coral-growth band of the host coral. Fisheries Science 62(3):400-403.NOAA National Ocean Service. What Are Christmas Tree Worms?NOAA Encyclopedia of the Sanctuaries. Christmas Tree Worm.SeaLifeBase. (Pallas, 1766): Christmas Tree WormSpirobranchus giganteus. Accessed November 29, 2015. University of Queensland.  Great Barrier Reef Invertebrates: Spirobranchus giganteus.

Race and ethnicity in the fishing industry in south america Research Paper

Race and ethnicity in the fishing industry in south america - Research Paper Example As much as the globe has been hit by the globalization wave, the Uros people have kept to themselves and only speak the Quechua language making them unable to interact with tourists (Hilburn 193). One of the reasons why the Uros people do not interact with other ethnicities is because they are self sufficient as they have everything that they need on their islands meaning that they do not have to use money for them to obtain the things they need (Hilburn 193). In essence, these people often weave their own clothing and they exchange fish for other products that they need while the other basic needs they draw from the environment. With this, this essay will delve into race and ethnicity in Latin America with a focus on the Uros people in Lake Titicaca, how they interact with people from other ethnicities and races and the different tribes and hierarchies of race and ethnicity on the lake. Fish is the main staple food for the Uros people and the other inhabitants on Lake Titicaca, which means that they only eat white meat alongside potatoes and Quinoa making their diet to be balanced. The hierarchies of the Uros people are not so defined but they tend to help in solving of social problems where this creates respect and authority especially when there is conflict. The Uros do not usually intermarry as they tend to marry among themselves as they only intermarried with the Aymaras in the past, where they lost their identity, customs and language in the process. Surprisingly, the Uros people have no desire of seeking employment outside the islets floating on the lake because they consider to have everything that they need on the islands making labor recruitment in the area to be a scarce venture. In some instances, these people consider tourists to be arrogant because when they visit the islets they fail to understand how to walk on the reeds that make up the ground for them making

A specific insurance company Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A specific insurance company - Research Paper Example For the year 2013 the company’s products/operations were divided as followed: In 2012 the company reported an additional 2% increase in revenues mainly due to increased sales of property/casualty premiums and higher return on investments. Although the company has reported improved revenue streams during the past few years, their growth has been mainly fueled by expected organic growth. The company growth strategy has been geared towards increasing insurance premiums sales by enhancing their independent agent network, improving sales support and organization and improving their online sales platform. Allstate has also been working to lean down operations through the sale of less profitable segments such as the sale of the Lincoln Benefit Life unit to Resolution Life in 2014 for $600 million (Hoovers). The purchase of their subsidiary Esurance in 2011 helped solidify Allstates online presence and improve their corporate image as an innovator. Allstates management has been working towards improving their profitability through careful risk management, maintaining their current levels of profitability in the auto segment as well as increasing returns in their homeowners insurance and annuity business segments. It is interesting that the majority of the insurance advertisements in cable TV, as well as online popular TV websites such as Hulu are about Esurance and Allstates brands. Allstates main rival is State Farm, a giant privately held company with currently the largest market share in the U.S. insurance market. State Farm is the top provider of casualty, property, life, health as well as auto insurance. The other main competitors for Allstate are Progressive (PGR) with a $19.86 billion in market capitalization and Farmers Group (Yahoo). To better gauge Allstate’s financial performance I will analyze some of the companys key financial ratios and how the compare with industry averages. From the

Wal-Mart Essay Example for Free

Wal-Mart Essay Wal-Mart’s first foray outside the United States was in Mexico in 1991. Although Wal-Market executives had no previous foreign experience, they recognized that there were substantial income and cultural differences in Mexico. Accordingly, the American retail giant established a 50/50 join venture with Cifra SA, Mexico’s largest retailer. Despite havig a partner, the company made a number of blunders. Among them were poorly translated signs and a merchandise assortment that including inappropriate items such as ice skates,, leaf blowers, and riding lawn mowers. To make matters worse, wal-mart’s vaunted information system would automatically re-stock merchandise that local managers had tried to close out. The Mexican stores sold American-stlyle packedge meat and vegetables, which many shoppers preferred to purchase from small neighborhood stores. Also, most Mexican suppliers shipped directly to stores rather than to retailer warehouses and distribution centers. Thus, wal-mart lacked the control that translates into low prices in the United States. As Sam Dunn, Director of administration for Wal Mart de Mexico, commented, â€Å"The key to this market is distribution.  The retailer who solves that will dominate. † One sign of Wal-Mart’s long –term commitment to Mexico was its decision in mid-1997 to convert its joint venture shares into Cifra common stock and purchase enough additional shares to have a controlling stake in the company; the new enterprise is called Wal-Mart de Mexico S. A de C. V. (Walmex). Meanwhile, Wal-Mart turned its sights further south. In 1995, the company teamed up with Lojas Americanas SA and opened five stores in Brazil; operating without a partner in Argentina, Wal-Mart opened four stores. By 2000, the company was operating 12 Supercenters in Argentina. The stores offer a staggering variety, with a typical mix of approximately 50. 000 different products. In 1994, wal -mart entered Canada by acquiring the 122-store Woolco chain. The market appeared very attractive, because a high percentage of the Canadian population lives within 100 miles of the border. In addition to a high familiarity with Wal-Mart, Canadians also speak English and have a monetary system that is similar to the American one. The small size of existing Woolco stores resulted in disappointing sales; Wal-Mart responded by moving to new locations or expanding units. Much early sales growth came at the expense of existing department stores. Future growth may be hampered by the relatively small Canadian population and a trend towards cross border shopping to escape high value-added taxes. Also, management at Zeller? s, Wal-Mart? s main competitor in Canada, has responded by renovating stores and expanding beyond its traditional discount formula. South America The retailing environment in South America is very competitive, in part because Carrefour had arrived first. The French company inked distribution deals with manufactures of leading local brands; this is a key advantage, because well-known consumer packaged –goods brands such as Tide detergent are not widely accepted in South America, Moreover, Carrefour player hardball, undercutting Wal-Mart? s prices on key items such as cooking oil, rice, and shampoo. Some observer’s noted that Carrefour? s French heritage undoubtedly gave it the upper hand in presenting fresh fish, meat, and produce. Local retailers were strong as well; faced with rampant inflation in the late 1980s, they had invested in sophisticated cash registers and an inventory control system to help them make frequent-even daily-price adjustments. Despite these competitive challenges, Wal-Mart quickly adapted to the unfamiliar environment. It hired local managers, who in turn helped develop the right product assortment and merchandising approaches. For example, the Wal- Mart Supercenters in Argentina initially kept fresh seafood in glass display cases. However, South Americans typically want to examine prospective food purchases up close and even touch them; Wal-Mart made the appropriate changes. Wal-Mart quickly discovered that, in South America, the entire family shops together; it turned out that Wal-Mart? s aisles were not wide enough to accommodate such groups. Shoppers also were information deprived; Wal-Mart responded with clinics and in-stone demonstrations such as weekly makeovers in the cosmetics departments. Wal-Mart also had to adjust the approach of its Sam? s Club warehouse stones. Small business operators were expected to account for a significant amount of purchases at Sam? Club. However, even these buyers were unable to afford the bulk packs that are mainstays of Wal-Mart? s wholesale club format. Sam? s managers were forced to break down bulk quantities into smaller packs and even sell individual items. Europe Market entry in europe came in 1997 whit the purchase of 21 hypermarkets from Wertkauf GmbH. The following year Wal-Mart acquired 74 additional hypermarkets from Spar Handels AG. The early going was difficult; the two acquired companies were merged under a centralized headquarters, a major remodeling program affecting most of the stores was launched, and distribution was centralized. In addition, the company? s aggressive pricing resulted in a price war among Germany? s retailers who had already been through traumatic changes related to the reunification with East Germany in 1990. Wal-Mrt? s losses in Germany for 1999 were estimated to run as high as $200 million. However, with the transition largely in place, in 2000, company officials announced plans to open 50 more stores in Germany and to double its share of the hypermarket sector to 20 percent by 2003. In 1999, wal-Mart shocked the European retailing world by offering more than $10 billion for Britain? third largest supermarket chain, Asda Group PLC. It was the largest cash offer ever made for a UK business. Industry observers noted that Asda had spent years studying such fundamental elements of the Wal-Mart approach as everyday low pricing and an â€Å"anti-management â€Å" management culture that, for example, calls for having a greeter at the front of the store and stresses the importance of calling store personnel â€Å"colleagues†. As Asda Chairman Archie Norman said, â€Å"The culture and attitude of Wal-Mart is one that we aspired to†. ASIA Wal-Mart is also targeting Asia. With China due to join the world trade organization, wal-mart executives intend to capitalize on the economic expansion that will follow, wal-mart? s earliest foray into china, a joint venture launched in 1996 with Thailand’s Charoen Pokphand group, was terminated after 18 months due to management differences. Although Beijing restricts the operations of foreign retailers, wal-mart executives have made a point of building relationships with government officials. In addition, wal-mart exports approximately 4 billion worth of goods from china each year. Joe Hatfield, wal-mart? chief in Asia, spent a great deal of time checking in local shops to better understand the type of merchandise the typical Chinese consumer wants to buy. Through trial-and-error, wal-mart has learned what type of merchandise sells and what doesn? t. by the end of 2000, wal-mart had 10 stores in china. However, it still lags behind France’s Carrefour SA, which has opened more than 20 small-scale discount stores in 14 Chinese cities. Wherever wal-mart goes, competitors are forced to adjust to the new retail climate. In china, Dutch retailer Royal Ahold NV and Hong Kong supermarket chain park ? N shop have scaled back. In the face of wal-mart? voracious appetite for acquisitions, metro AG, Germany’s number one retailer, bought the Allfauf and kriegbaum hypermarket chains. New slogans that closely resemble wal-mart? s such as â€Å"ehrliche Niedrigpreise† (honestly low prices†) greet shoppers at metro? s real hypermarkets, and the stores open earlier in the day. Still, the size and scale of wal-mart? s operation give it tremendous buying power. For example, wal-mart buys 20 percent of all the Pampers brand disposable diapers produced by Procter gamble. In Mexico, Francisco Martinez, CFO of rival commercial Mexicana SA, noted, â€Å"I buy 20,000 plastic toys, and wal-mart buys 20 million.

Sense of Lost Love :: essays papers

Sense of Lost Love Love bears all the happiness and all the pain; true satisfaction will come from loving another with all your heart. My mother always told me to remember that because that to her creates and embodies the genuine essence of life. Those words still echo through my head like ringing chime bells lost in the mist. She never hurt another soul, nobody as kind as she. Then she left me that night, no word of good bye or any wave, or hug. Nights after that I cry myself to sleep, the anguish so harsh, the wound etched so deep. I thought my heart could never feel the love that I felt for my mother. Days go by and I learn to cope with life without her loving presence, her words so sweet and wise. Her spirit never dwarfed by the agony that plagued her. I am sure she never wanted to leave me, yet another call beckoned her. My heart cracked and slowly died when she left, still so much distress in my heart. Then you came into my life; you brightened the darkest parts of my soul. You shared with me your love and your heart. You tended my broken heart and mended my empty soul. One child of glory you gave to me, a bundle of joy and tears. The happiest days of my life I spent with you, never believing that you would leave me like my mother. Now I see you there my love, my angel, my spirit, there you lay breathing heavily agonizing in so much pain. How could you even dare try to leave me? My heart starts the trek to pain again, the suffering and the torture will never abate. I know you must leave me, you think for Richard, our son. Think not of his pain for I will comfort him and help him through that torment.

Guilt in the Scarlet Letter

Undoubtedly, Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth had all committed sin in one form or another, but Chillingworth’s sin lies on a much larger scale because while Hester and Dimmesdale repent for their sin Chillingworth fails to even recognize his own. Throughout The Scarlet Letter, the author illustrates Chillingworth’s transformation towards a devilish personality. This transformation is fueled by what becomes Chillingworth’s obsession for revenge through the psychological torture of Reverend Dimmesdale.Furthermore, because Chillingworth has allowed himself to become consumed with his thirst for revenge he himself has committed a sin, and although Hester and Dimmesdale have both sinned, their sin does not carry a similar weight to that of Chillingworth’s sin. Hester and Dimmesdale have sinned against themselves; their sin does not, directly or indirectly, affect those around them. Chillingworth, on the other hand, purposefully torments Dimmesdale and thr ough this torture he externalizes his sin.The sense of the harmful nature about Chillingworth’s sin would be further developed in saying that Hester and Dimmesdale’s was born out of love, Chillingworth’s came from spite. A sin directed to harm someone is certainly more inhumane than a sin that came out of love. Another point, which further intensifies the magnitude of Chillingworth’s sin, is his lack in ability to forgive those around him. Chillingworth continually exacerbates Dimmesdale’s pain until the day he dies and even on his dying day Dimmesdale makes it a point to forgive Chillingworth’s sin.This places further shame on Chillingworth’s sin because he has yet to realize that, even though Dimmesdale may deserve to be shown justice, he was in the wrong as well and that there should be a mutual form of forgiveness. Because Chillingworth is lacks the ability to be forgiving, which may in turn explain the oversight of his own sins, he does not come forth seeking forgiveness in the community, in his victim, or in God. Both Hester and Dimmesdale sought public forgiveness for their sin which shows willingness for change on their part. Chillingworth, however, did not.Hester, from the very beginning, accepted her punishment with dignity. She did not give up the father of the child and continued her stoicism throughout the book, saying that when she had served her punishment it was not up to those in a local position of power to say so and that when her time was up it would simply just fall off. Dimmesdale’s last efforts were put forth into seeking public forgiveness. The words he spoke to the people explaining his sin were near the last words he said before he dies which could be said to be portrayed as almost noble.However, Chillingworth would never admit he was also at fault of wrongdoing. This stubbornness further plays into his transformation into a devil like figure. Chillingworth’s sin was born out of an evil spite for Dimmesdale, thus making his sin inherently evil where as Dimmesdale and Hester bore a sin out of love. This contrast, along with Chillingworth’s self-consuming quest for revenge serves to illustrate his transformation towards the devil. This highlights his sin as the lowest of the three

Dimensional Fund Advisors Case Analysis Essay

1)DFA’s investment strategy is based on their belief in the principle that stock market is efficient. They attempt to match a broad-based, value-weighted small-stock index and position themselves in the market as a passive fund manager that still claimed to add value by capturing specific dimensions of risks identified by financial science. DFA’s investment strategy incorporates elements of both passive and active management. It is passive in the sense that like many other index managers, it focuses on the importance of diversification, lower turnover and lower fees than actively managed portfolios. It is active in the sense that it develops its small-value stock focus based on academic research and uses certain techniques (such as its unique trading method in obtaining discounts and lower transaction cost) to contribute to a fund’s profits eve when the investment is inherently passive. 2)DFA’s clients are mainly major institutions (including corporate, government, union pension funds, college endowments and charities) and high-net-worth individuals. The main concern of their existing clients is potential high costs due to illiquid nature of many DFA holdings. DFA’s new product is a family of funds managed to reduce tax payments and the new clients it tries to serve are investors who are eventual taxpayers on any taxable flower received by a DFA fund they hold. To serve this new client base, DFA needs to continue its strength in keeping trading costs low and focus on reducing the taxes paid by clients. Some new issues that DFA will face include the complication of tax-optimization (such as handling the trade-off between putting more weight on non dividend-paying stocks and assuming more portfolio tracking error and volatility) as well as the possibility that tax management may lead to higher transactions costs. 3)Based on information given in the case, DFA accepts semi-form efficiency which indicates that stock prices fully reflect all past prices and all publicly available information. DFA’s trading strategies reflects that it felt that on average the market price correctly incorporated all public information, so it is only concerned about whether there is negative private information known to the seller of the block of stocks but not to the market. DFA’s trading strategy such as avoiding stocks if news  announcements are coming in the near future or if stock has recently reported sales by insiders reflect a belief that stock prices can potentially not reflect all private information. DFA also does not accept the weak-form efficient because if stock prices only reflect all information in past prices, they would see the value of performance fundamental analysis of the firm they are looking at (but the case indicates that DFA does not performance fundamental analysis). 4)Fama and French’s three factor model attempts to explain the variation of stock prices through a multifactor model that includes a size factor and BE/ME factor in addition to the beta risk factor. Fama-French model essentially extended the CAPM (which breaks up cause of variation of stock price into systematic risk which is non-diversifiable and idiosyncratic risk which is diversifiable) by introducing these two additional factors. Fama and French find that stocks with high beta didn’t have consistently higher returns than stocks with low beta and this indicates that beta was not a useful measure under their model. Their model is based on research findings that sensitivity of movements of the size and BE/ME factor constituted risk, and therefore risks associated with small companies and risks associated with high BE/ME companies in addition to beta risk explain a great deal of the variation of stock prices. The two factors in Fama-French model(company size and company BE/ME)are both firm specific risk and not market related risk, and it would appear that DFA (which base a lot of their strategies on this type of academic research) is not utilizing macroeconomic variables. However, as Fama and French argued, these factors explained so much of the common variation in stocks that they essentially capture sensitivity to risk factors related to macroeconomic variables. Therefore, not directly using macroeconomic variables (which is inherently hard to find or predict), but using the size and BE/ME factor may be a better way to represent certain types of market risk. In addition, because DFA is positioned as a passive manager that adds value, its goal then would not be to beat the market, but to follow it with the belief that in the long run indices will perform better than active strategies (which may focus on designing products that addresses macroeconomic variables such as market timing, etc ). 5)The efficient market enthusiasts believe that small stocks will outperform large  ones, and stocks with high BE/ME will generate higher returns than stocks with low BE/ME. On the other hand, behaviorists believe that the size and value premia is not always true, and there are several variable factors need to be considered. For example, in the early 1980s, when the US went into a recession, the small companies were particularly performed poorly, even when the economy and stock market rebounded after a decade, those small stocks still continued to lag.Also, by late 1990s, value stocks’ return was surpassed by the spectacular performance of growth stocks due to the high-tech stocks with very high market capitalization and relatively low assets. However, DFA believes in the efficient market theory, they prefer small stocks over large ones and value stocks over growth stocks. 6)DFA should justify its belief by stating that although the systematic risk would cause certain efficient market theories to bereversed during such times (large stocks outperform small stocks; growth stocks outperform value stocks), the market efficient theory will eventually prevailin the long-run based on the historical data done by Fama and French. Other than the market efficient theory, DFA also believes in two other principles: the value of sound academic research and the ability of skilled traders. Those two factors can contribute to fund’s profits. Because of DFA’s ability to excel in those two areas, they believe that they can provide more value even in efficient market environment. 7)Trading costs associated with small and value stocks include illiquidity and adverse selection problems. To be more specific, the illiquidity of small stocks may cause the stock price move substantially when a purchased is made. Also, the information asymmetry may also result in the adverse selection problem. DFA manages the small stocks illiquidity problems by using block trade to extract a discount on a stock purchase, thus creating value for the clients. In addition,to avoid the adverse selection problems, DFA’s traders follow several steps: 1) DFA will not buy a stock if the target company is going to make major announcement. 2) DFA will leverage the research system to avoid stocks that are more likely to have negative prices in the near future. 3) DFA avoids stocks that have recently reported sales by insiders. 4) DFA pays attention to its sellers and the nature of stock  block they traded. 8)It’s not an embarrassment for DFA when small stocks underperformed large stocks in the mid of 1980s. Because systematic events can’t be possibly avoided. In fact, DFA’s small stocks portfolio outperformed other small stocks investing competitors during the recession. This suggests that DFA’s focused principles in academic research and traders’ ability are adding value to its investors. Besides, this event alone doesn’t prove either rational or behavioral explanation is more likely since the recession is a one-off event. Therefore, DFA should not abandon its small stocks strategy because in the long run the trend is more likely to reverse itself. Even if small stocks were to continue to outperform large stocks for another decade, DFA could still provide value then other small stock investment fund. And as more fund are trading on large stock, the benefit of return on large stock may eventually goes away, making small stock.

Ergonomic Redesign of a Tim Hortons Café Franchise

Ergonomic Redesign of a Tim Hortons Cafà © Franchise The safety of workers in the workplace is becoming an important aspect of business. In recent years, the number of employees suing their former employers has been increasing. Many workers sue their former employers for workplace injuries accruing over time. Unlike accidents, the impact of long-term exposure to bad working conditions is difficult to prove.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Ergonomic Redesign of a Tim Horton’s Cafà © Franchise specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is because an employer can argue that the employee had an underlying condition, or that the employee condition occurs to many regardless of working conditions. The best way for lawyers on both sides to determine the truth in regards to long-term injuries is by carrying out an ergonomic analysis of the working environment of an employee. This paper presents the findings and recommendations of an ergonomics analysis carried out at Cafes in Canada. The goal of the analysis was to determine whether the working conditions in the fast food restaurants are safe for workers. The specific systems investigated in the exercise were the service lines. Background Tim Horton’s Cafà © began operations in 1964, taking the name of one of the founders, who was a Canadian Hockey player. The company opened several branches in Canada, and later started licensing franchises across Canada and the United States. The franchise agreements did not include any standards regarding work practices the cafà ©s. The result is that each store has variable staff safety standards. The danger with this is that Tim Horton cafà ©s with poor ergonomic practices can destroy the reputation of he Horton Brand, leading to loss of business across North America. In addition, the company will find itself with many cases in court relating to workplace injuries suffered from long-term exposure to poor working conditions. Structure of the Report This p aper has four main sections. The first section looks at the ergonomic problems of workplace design and work practices. It identifies the problems with the workplace design of Tim Horton’s Cafà ©s. The second section deals with an assessment of these problems. The assessment will analyze various facet of the working environment at the Cafà ©. The third section presents the result of the analysis and the final sections identifies redesign consideration that the cafà © needs to make. Problem Identification The main area of interest in this project was the safety of the staff working inside any of the Tim Horton’s Cafà © Franchises in Canada. The staff is very vulnerable to low intensity strain that may accrue into long-term injuries. They do repetitive jobs that involve carrying various loads and using certain postures repeatedly. As pointed out earlier, the concerns identified relate to the long-term impact of repeated exposure to some of the tasks associated with th eir jobsAdvertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Any Tim Horton’s Cafà © Franchise has a manager, waiters, cashiers, and chefs. The actual number of employees in each cafà © depends on the proprietor. The specific members of staff this analysis focused on were the waiters. Their main job is to take client orders and to fill them. The service model used in Tim Horton’s Cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s is predominantly, self-service. The clients buy food from a counters and goes with the food to the eating area. The waiters work is behind the counter, taking the orders and filling them. The tasks a waiter handles are a follows. First, the waiter receives a receipt from the client across the counter. Secondly, the waiter studies the receipt and places it in a receipt box. The waiter then picks the appropriate packaging for the food items required by the client. Thirdly, the waiter picks the food, and packs it. Finally, the waiters place the food on a tray, and hands it back to the client. In many stores, food such as donuts, cakes and pastries are on display racks under the counter. The waiter simply picks the food and packs it. In some cases, the waiter must make an order by asking the kitchen staff to prepare a food item. This is common with burgers and sand witches. The kitchen staff prepares the food items and hands them over to the waiter, who then packs them and hands them over to clients across the counter. The waiters have several pieces of equipment at their disposal when handling their duties. First, they have microwave ovens for heating food quickly. Secondly, they have juice dispensers for fresh juices. Thirdly, the waiters use touch-screen pads to place orders to the kitchen for food items that are not in the display racks at the counter. The major risks that waiters face while working at Tim Horton’s Cafà © include lower back stra in, ankle injuries, and neck injuries. These risks come from the constant bending, turning, and movement of hands while serving customers. The movements a waiter makes between studying a receipt and packing food involves turning, and bending. Repeated turning can put pressure on the ankle joints and the knees. The bending and long hours of standing can lead to back pains. In addition, the constant crouching to pick up food items at the lower shelves of the display counter can also lead to neck pains. This means that the main design principles needed to address these concerns should be those that solve problems associated with repeated stress on the back, ankles and knees, and the neck. Assessment The focus of this project was to explore different ways of making the work of the waiters more convenient using ergonomic principles. This called for an in depth analysis of the tasks and the work done by the waiters. During the process of problems identification, it was possible to identif y the main tasks carried out by a waiter behind the counter. This section deals with an in-depth assessment of these tasks about potential bodily injuries.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Ergonomic Redesign of a Tim Horton’s Cafà © Franchise specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Procedure The three main methods used to gather information about the operations at Tim Horton’s Cafà © were as follows. First, observation proved very useful in determining how the food service process works at Tim Horton’s Cafà ©. Secondly, interviews with staff proves useful in finding out what their view were regarding the working conditions. They were simple interview simply aiming at finding out what they felt were the biggest challenges associated with their work. The third method was an online review of the view of former Tim Horton’s employees on glassdoor.com. The reviews used in the analysis were all fro m the month of November 2013. Findings The observations took place for a period of two hours on a Saturday evening. This is one of the peak times for the cafà ©. The waiters were aware of the process. The objectives of the process were as follows. First, it was important to develop metrics for use in carrying out ergonomic analysis of the working conditions in the cafà ©. Secondly, the process sought to identify the challenges of working as a waiter in a Tim Horton’s Cafà © of relevance to ergonomics. Thirdly, the observation exercise aimed at finding out how often the cashiers took breaks, and any signs of agitation by clients based on customer service. The main observations made in regards to the time spent on various tasks were as follows. On average, it took a waiter 45 seconds to fill an order. The sizes of orders varied from a single cup of coffee to trays of assorted snacks. Serving single items was the quickest for of service. It took longer to prepare sandwiches a nd burgers. The second observation was that a waiter bends or squats at least twice every five minutes. The main reason for this is the design of the display shelves. If a client ordered something in the shelves, the waiters had to bend or squat to reach it. The third main observation was that the waiters made a 360-degree turn (or equivalent) at least once every five minutes. This usually occurred when clients ordered food that was not in the display shelves. The waiter had to turn to the kitchen window and place the order. Finally, the observations revealed that accessing packaging material broke the serving routine whenever a waiter needed to open a new batch of packaging materials.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The interviews with the waiters were very brief. They took place just before the waiters left their stations at the end of their shifts. Three waiters were interviewed. The waiters were asked to respond to three questions. The three questions were as follows. What are the most challenging aspects of your job? Are suffering from any recurrent bodily pain that you associate with this job? What changes would you like to see in your working conditions? The answers to the first question were as follows. First, the waiters said that the most challenging aspect of their job was standing for long hours. A normal shift lasted for eight hours. Each of their shifts had at least one peak time. The peak time for the morning shift was between 12.00 pm and 2.00 pm, which coincides with lunch hour. The second peak time was between 5.30 pm to 8.00 pm. During those hours, the waiter said that they have to work on their feet with barely any time to rest. For the slower hours, it is possible to take breaks. However, as long as the waiter is behind the counter, the waiter must remain standing. The design of the area did not anticipate the need for sitting. Secondly, the waiters all reported that they had minor back pain and inflammation of their soles. They also said that they frequently suffer from headaches and dizziness at the end of their shifts, depending on how stressful the day was. When asked about the changes they would like to see in the workplace to make their working environment more pleasant, they said that they would like to have comfortable resting chairs for use during the slow hours of the day. The third aspect of the assessment of the working conditions at the Tim Horton’s Cafà © was an online review using glassdoor.com. Glassdoor.com is a website that collects reviews from former employees on the working conditions of the companies they worked in. So far, glassdoor.com has over 280 reviews from former Tim Horton’s Cafà © employees. The review u ndertaken for this project used the employee reviews posted in the month of November 2013. The format of the data available from glassdoor.com include the duration the reviewer worked at the company, the position they held in the company, and the pros and cons of working for the company. They review also allows former employees to indicate whether they would recommend the company to a friend, and to offer any advice to the senior management. The results obtained that are relevant to ergonomics were as follows. First, the reviewers felt that the best part of working in a Tim Horton’s Cafà © was that it gave someone an opportunity to meet many people, learn about customer service, and grow under the supervision of the managers. On the list of cons, the highest rated negative experience was standing for long hours. Three out of the ten reviewers singled this as their worst experience. Table 1 below shows the cons given by employees to glassdoor.com. Figure 1: Cons of working in a Tim Horton’s Cafe One of the main observations from this review was that standing for long- hours was a source of concern for two employees. These two employees both worked as cashiers in the company. The rest worked in other department. The rest of the issues show that there is a morale problem in the company. Many employees feel that they pay is too low, and that the environment is too stressful. Stress can lead to accidents in the workplace. Too much tension can also affect the quality of customer care in the cafà ©. Results The analyses of the findings made above are as follows Task Analysis The tasks a waiter performs when serving clients are as follows Receiving receipt from cashier Studying receipt and placing it in receipt box (Order confirmation) If food needs preparation, placing order to the kitchen Picking packaging material Picking food item or/and Pouring drinks Placing food items in tray Handing over the food to client These a waiter must complete at le ast six of the eight tasks listed. The options available arise of the waiter does not need to order a food item from the kitchen, and whether not the client want both food and drinks. Table 1: Task Analysis The analysis of the tasks carried out by the waiters revealed several things. The tasks that require the most physical exertion are tasks iv-vii. The previous one do not require much movement in the service area. The first significant task from an ergonomic point of view is the picking of packaging materials. Every order made must be packed for the client. This means that each time a client makes an order the waiter must make this motion before proceeding to the next step. The implication of this task is that minor changes in the position of the packaging materials can result in significant changes in the working conditions of the waiter. It is imperative to ensure that the packing materials are at a comfortable height for each waiter. The second task of interest from an ergonom ic perspective is the picking of food items, either from the kitchen, or from the display shelves. This activity is also repeated severally making it a significant source of strain for the waiters. The third point arising from the analysis of the tasks taking place at the counter is that the waiters make circular motions if the food items ordered are not inside the display shelf in front of the waiter. These circular motions can lead to lateral strain in the ankles especially of the waiter turns in the same direction each time. The final task of interest is placing food items in the tray. While the waiters do this for only a short period, it represents the time when they carry peak lead as they hand it over to the customer, Depending on the size of the order, the weight of the tray can range from 0.5 kg to 4 kg. This is very significant because repeated loading can led to strain and back injury. Diagram 1 below shows a waiter in a Tim Horton’s Cafà © serving coffee. The layo ut of this store is such that the waiter must turn 180-degrees to pick food items placed on the display shelf behind the counter. If a waiter turns in the same direction each time there is an order, they may end up with ankle injuries, or sprains. The second picture shows a young customer squatting to take a closer look at the snacks in the display shelf. A waiter may also need to squat to pick the items in the lower shelves of the display shelf. Figure 2: Inside a Tim Horton’s Cafà © NIOSH Equation The movement that are relevant to the calculation of the NIOSH equation include the movement from the counter to pick packaging materials, and the bending motion needed to pick food items located at the bottom of the display shelf. The display shelf has a number of levels. This makes it more demanding to pick items at the bottom shelf as opposed t items in the higher trays. The measurements taken at the cafeteria showed that the waiters must bend an average of two times every fi ve minutes. The significant measurements needed to find the NIOSH values are given in the table below Average load 0.5 kg Horizontal distance of hands from midpoint 50 cm Distance of the hands to the floor 60 cm Lifting Distance 50 cm Angle of symmetry 45 deg Table 3: NIOSH Parameters RWL = 23 * 0.5 * 0.955 * 0.895 * 0.856 * 0.81 * 1 = 6.82 kg Design Recommendations The analysis presented above opens the way for certain design choices the management of Horton needs to consider. The current design of the workplace can result in long-term injuries. The design choices in questions should help reduce the stress placed in the backs and ankles of the waiters based on the repeat motions they make behind the counter. The design choices are as follows. First, the management of the cafà © needs to consider placing stool behind the counters for waiters to use as they rest. The current design assumes that the waiters do not needs a place to sit because they spend the whole day be hind the counter. This assumption is not correct. Waiters spend a lot of time standing waiting for customers during the off-peak hours. The situation is very different during the Peak hours. In this regard, the management can help to reduce the strain associated with standing for long hours by giving the waiter stools to sit on when the number of customers is low. The type of stool chosen for this task should meet the following criteria. First, it should be high enough for the waiter to sit on it without climbing or first squatting. a situation where the waiter must rise or squat to reach the seat may be counterproductive. This is because repeating this motion many times will only introduce new stress areas. The best solution it to use a height adjustable stool. This will ensure that each waiter can adjust it to a comfortable height. Secondly, the stool should have a backrest, to promote a good sitting posture. Poor sitting postures on stools without backrest can lead to back proble ms. Thirdly, the stool should be able to swivel. This will make it easier to mount and to dismount from the nearest direction. The second element that the management needs to consider is the type of shoes the waiters wear to work. Shoes play a very important role in the way the body distributes loading stresses. One of the reason flat shoes are recommended for pregnant women is that they help them to keep a good posture while walking. This reduces the strain on their backs. Waiters spend very many hours on their feet. This means that one the factors that contribute towards their comfort at work is the type of shoes they wear. In this regard, the management of Tim Horton’s Cafà © should consider introducing a strict policy on the shoes waiters should wear to work. The recommended type of shoes is flat shoes with soft interiors, but with firm rubber soles. a shoe with soft interiors will reduce the pain arising from pressure points associated with tough interiors. The soft int eriors will spread the weight of the wearer across the soles of the feet. This reduces the risk of injury to bones in the feet. Tough rubber exteriors are also very important for two reasons. First, the exteriors should not bulge under the weight of the waiter because that will lead to stress on the ankle joint. Secondly, rubber soles have good grip. This will eliminate the possibility of slipping. In effect, it will eliminate the risk of dislocation while walking in the cafà ©. The third design consideration that the management should make is rearranging the display shelves to reduce the number of times a waiter must bend to pick out items chosen by customers. Several options exist in this regard. The first option is to use a static display shelf for displays, and them to put all the food items in counters, which waiters can reach without bending or squatting. This will eliminate the need to bend. The second option is to determine the position of the food items based in the demand . An analysis of the sale records will reveal the fastest moving items in the cafà ©. These items should be in the highest shelves to reduce the frequency of bending to pick food items. The third option is to eliminate the display shelves all together and find higher shelves for the food items. This will be the most costly option among the ones under consideration. It will require the cafà © to reconstruct its entire counter area. The fourth option would be to use a display shelf that has a conveyer system for lifting food items from the lower shelves to a comfortable height. This option retains the display shelf and all its advantages, and them provides a means of accessing items on the lower shelves while eliminating the need to bend or squat. The fourth redesign option the management needs to consider relates to the placement of the packaging materials. Our analysis showed that the waiters handled the materials in a way that they found convenient. Some of them picked the materi als one by one as needed, while some picked several packages and places them conveniently on the countertop. From this observation, the management should consider aprons designed to hold a limited quantity of packaging materials that can serve about thirty customers. The tradeoff in this case will be between the quantities of packaging materials an apron can hold versus the weight of materials. The advantage that such as apron will provide it that it will eliminate the motions associates with reaching for the packaging materials. This is the most consistent motion the waiters make. Therefore, eliminating it will result in a reduction in long-term injuries. The second advantage of such as apron is that it will eliminate the challenge of using a common height as a parameter. The counter tops have a fixed height. This height is not ideal for all the waiters, whose heights can vary by up to two feet. The apron will ensure that each waiter has the packaging materials at a convenient heig ht. A variation of this idea is to use a belt like the one technicians use for their tools to hold the packaging materials. Budget The cost these measures are presented in the table below. Options Description Cost ($) Counter Stools 5 Resting Stools @ $500 for ensuring the waiters have a place to sit during off-peak hours. 2500 Implement use of appropriate Shoes Hire consultant to find out the best shoes for the purposes. Buy 10 shoes for the [emailprotected] $50 500 Display Shelves Cost of construction of new shelves for food display 1000 Change order of items in the display shelves to bring fast moving items neat the top Nil* (This can be done internally using existing personnel) Install Shelves with conveyors to eliminate bending and Squatting 2000 Giving Waiters Aprons that can store packaging materials Cost of Aprons or Belts @ $20 200 Table 4: Implementation Cost of Ergonomic measures While this report concentrated on the impact of the physical working envi ronment, it is important to note that the motivation of employees also plays a role in the safety of the workplace. This means that Tim Horton’s Cafà © needs to address the other issues such as poor remuneration and feelings of boredom at work. These are leading causes of accidents in many companies. The total cost of implanting the measures proposed will vary depending on the specific measures chosen by the company. References Clute, B. (2012). An Eye on Ergonomics. Automotive Design Production , 42-43. Glassdoor. (2013). Tim Hortons Reviews. Web. Mallon, J. (2012). Dont Just Manage Musculoskeletal Disorders, Drive Performance through Ergonomics. EHS Today , 55-57. Middlesworth, M. (2013). A Step by Step Guide to Using the NIOSH Lifting Equation for Single Tasks. Web. Walters, D., Frick, K., Johnstone, R. (2011). Regulation Workplace Risks: A Comparative Study of Inspection Regimes in Times of Change. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing.

Media Studies Coursework

Media Studies Coursework Media Studies Coursework Media Studies Coursework Writing Strategies By definition, media studies is a discipline which deals with three aspects of different media, including content, history and effects. If you are writing a media studies coursework, it means that you have to explore one of those aspects in relation to the specific medium, for example, the internet or the newspaper. The subjects in media study vary in their theoretical and practical focuses, but most media studies coursework projects can be divided into three categories: Criticism of the styles and forms Investigation of the production process Sociological analysis of the media As these three elements suggestion, media studies integrate different sciences and humanities, with many disciplines overlapping. Nevertheless, while writing media studies coursework you should be careful not to confuse the assignment with sociology, cultural studies, philosophy, communication studies, or any other related and yet different discipline. Media Studies Coursework: Things to Consider Media studies coursework writing should include the following: Critical and yet creative analysis and research into existing or new forms of media (for example, the internet vs. print media). It is highly recommended to emphasize the emerging digital media and its role in todays world of media communications For example, you may explore how the emergence of digital media has changed the world we live in You may also discuss the role of media in history of humankind and the overall social progress Your media studies coursework may be purely theoretical in nature: You may explore the impact on media on contemporary life or image a situation when there are no media at all You may offer your individual perception of the specific media or look at how different people use media You may write an effective media studies coursework on the ethics and effects of media on society, public opinion Also, your media studies coursework may be devoted to examination of the relations between the law and media Custom Media Studies Coursework Writing If you have no time to devote to writing media studies coursework, if you want to get an original and relevant coursework written from scratch, if you want to cooperate with professional coursework writers online, you have a unique opportunity to try our legitimate, customized, and absolutely confidential writing services. We will write your coursework from scratch, provide free cover page and outline, ensure proper referencing, and provide free revisions upon your request. We deliver written coursework projects on time and we do not plagiarize. Related posts: Help Assignment Favorite Season Essays Essay Help Essay Assignment Descriptive Essays

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The Royal Prerogative is a feature of the UK Constitution in need of radical reform - Essay Example Analysis The exercise of the royal prerogative powers has been curtailed. These days, there has been clear demarcation of powers that has been have been delegated to both the prime minister and the crown, though much of these powers are exercisable by the prime minster. However, leaving bit of these powers in the hands of the crown has little or no effect, to such an extent that it does not make sense having these powers vested in the crown1. It is important for the people of the United Kingdom to realize that times have changed, and circumstances are different. The needs that led to bestowing such powers to the crown have now become non-existent. This leaves the royalty as a toothless bulldog that can no longer bite. In order for the United Kingdom to fully deliberate itself from the shackles of history, the royalty’s expansive powers should be fully relegated to parliament and only act as a ceremonial organ2. The monarch’s constitutional presence should no longer be a reason for debate among the intellectuals. The independence of the judiciary is achieved by ensuring that the judiciary does not act as a mouth piece of the executive. In the past, the exercise of such powers has failed to reflect the wishes of the larger interest of the people of United Kingdom, rather has been used as a tool for the monarchy to meet its personal ends3. The judiciary, on the other hand was ripped off its independences it could not question the exercise of such powers of the royalty. These tainted and undermined the performance of the judiciary. Thus, the judiciary should be guaranteed protection from the crown in order to be act without fear or favour4. The power to deal in matters of foreign affairs should be retrieved from the hands of the crown and be left with the legislature , who are in a better position to enact laws that protects the sovereignty of the united kingdom and its people and to also promote the good neighbourliness with other countries. It also advocates for better and efficient interdependence, in cases where the countries involved come in to form a major economic block5. Historically, the legislature was also at the hands of the crown and has not fully barred the monarch from exercising these powers as she still has the sole mandate to appoint the prime minster6. This greatly affects the powers and functions of the prime minster, as he or she has to act in bias, of the crown who appointed him. The prime minister then becomes a puppet for the monarch to act according to the whims of the monarch. The result is that the entire legislature is tailored to meet the desires of the crown at the expense of the interest of the citizens of the United Kingdom7. The legislature should therefore be freed from the chains of the crown, and equipping it through laws, to be able to run its affairs and make its appointment without any interference from the monarch. The bills that also come before parliament will be focusing on the larger i nterest of the people of the United Kingdom rather than a smaller minority which is the crown8. The ancient practice invoking the United Kingdom to be ruled according to divine rights of kings has caused the United Kingdom to lag behind from attaining democracy for its people. The prerogative power of the monarch has often been

Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business Strategy - Essay Example The vast existing literature based on strategic management reflects both these perspectives from the firm’s point of view. The traditional economic theories embrace the firm’s resource position while conceptualizing strategies to be adopted by the firm (Andrews, 1971). On the other hand, a majority of the formal tools used in economics nowadays emphasize upon the product-market facet of a firm. Although these are two different perspectives of studying a firm’s resource position and its market activities, these are both focused on the role of resources used by the firm in determining its strategic decisions. Hence, one might expect to yield the same insight on following either of these two perspectives of the resource based view of a corporate organization. However, these insights might arrive with differing levels of ease, depending on which perspective the analyst has chosen. Literature review Economists traditionally consider economic units (firms) in terms of the resource endowments each firm has. These resource endowments are typically confined to three factors, namely, land, labour and capital. Authors that espouse the resource based perspective of the firm accredit Edith Tilton Penrose for laying the building blocks of this theory (Rugman and Verbeke, 2002). Penrose (1959) has made direct contributions to develop the modern view of resource based management. She has as well indirectly influenced the proposition by contributing further into these theories; the theory of creating competitive advantage, theory of sustaining the competitive advantage for the firm and the relationship between economic rents and competitive advantage (Penrose, 1959). There are debates regarding the work by Penrose. Rugman and Verbeke (2002) have put forth the argument that Penrose’s work was not aimed at providing strategy prescriptions for the creation of a sustainable flow of rents. The ideas put forth by Penrose have been used by several scholars as the foundation for models depicting the relationship between rents and competitive advantage of firms and they emphasise that this relationship plays a significant role in the achievement of sustainable competitive advantage. However, the argument against the espousing of the resource-based view (RBV) of Penrose by these scholars, is that, she had given a rigorous description of the growth process of firms in her works and did not intend to build up a strategy prescription for firms (Rugman and Verbeke, 2002). Till 1984, when Wernerfelt presented his work ‘A resource-based view of the Firm’ this perspective of looking at firms did not become well accustomed with economists and analysts. While other papers did not yet receive much formal attention, the paper by Penrose (1959) had received wide acclamation from contemporary and modern economists. According to Wernerfelt (1984), some of the resources used in firms have certain properties that are unpleasant and unhelpfu l for modelling purposes. Due to this reason economists might not have considered these resources as a good measure for strategizing competitive advantage of firms’. While products of a firm are easy to identify and the characteristics of their production and sales can be categorised and measured easily, a firm’