Wednesday, March 18, 2020

The Fed and Interest Rates essays

The Fed and Interest Rates essays Subject: THE FED AND INTEREST RATES Changing the interest rates is definitely a good monetary policy for the Fed to use when slowing down or speeding up the economy. The government would want to speed up the economy when the economy is in a recession because the goal of the Fed is to promote economic growth. On the other hand, the economy will want to slow down the economy when the economy is growing so rapidly that the inflation rates are rising rapidly as a result. Economic decisions, such as monetary policy, are all part of a game, but in this game there is no way to see what is going to happen. All one can do is guess what they should do to encourage economic growth. Background Information on Newspaper Article According to economic analysts, the Fed is expected to lower the interest rate from its current 4% down either a half-point or a quarter-point. This will be the first time since 1994 that the Feds key rate has been below 4%. According to the paper, Just how worried the Fed still is about U.S. companies shrinking earnings will be evident in the size of this weeks cut... From this expectation of lowering the interest rate, one can derive that the Fed believes the economy is in a recession an in order to get the economy out of the recessionary gap the Fed must lower interest rates. In opposition to the Feds future decision, is a distinct minority of economists. These economists argue that the Fed has already cut the interest rates enough and that they should let those cuts work their way into the economy. Those who are in favor of the interest rate cut argue With the market still down year to date, layoffs and bankruptcies rising and few signs of a turnaround in spending on technology equipment, yields on short-term Treasury securities continue to signal that the Fed isnt done cutting. ...

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Trouble with Did and Had

Trouble with Did and Had Trouble with Did and Had Trouble with Did and Had By Maeve Maddox Ive begun to notice the use of did in contexts that call for had. In an episode of CSI New York, the Sinese character remarks: If I didnt do it, he would have killed me. Hes referring to something bad he did earlier in the episode. He wasnt killed, so the act hes referring to is both contrary to fact and in the past. The statement is an example of the contrary-to-fact past conditional. Because the if clause refers to a contrary-to-fact past event, it requires the past perfect form of the verb. If I hadnt done it, he would have killed me. Heres another example of using did when had was called for: Did you bring any beer? I wish I did. The speaker has arrived at a gathering of friends. Its clear from the context that hes wishing hed thought to bring some beer. The main verb in the first sentence is bring. The second sentence conveys a regret that the speaker did not carry out an act in the past. Since the bringing of the beer remained undone in the past, the past tense of bring is called for in the second sentence: Did you bring any beer? I wish I had (brought some is understood). What do you think? Do errors like these portend a further erosion of the past perfect? Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Comma After i.e. and e.g.Expanded and ExtendedMay Have vs. Might Have

Friday, February 14, 2020

Strategies emerging market MNEs employ Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategies emerging market MNEs employ - Essay Example Their point is to achieve a certain level of competitive advantage, but such kind of advantage can hardly be generated if some essential strategies or strategic actions will not be employed. Concerning this point, it is important to create an illustration on how exactly some firms create strategies in order to generate their portion in the pie. Knowing how some firms established their market especially those new entrants is as good as finding how they initiate strategies in order to make a difference. Regarding this, the work at hand covers the points elucidating the unique strategies that the emerging market multinational enterprises (MNEs) employ in pursuing globalization or international expansion in comparison to the moves of MNEs from developed countries. The traditional MNE is characterised by foreign direct investment (FDI), which generally is all about firm-specific capabilities created at home country and momentarily expanded towards country-by-country way of internationalis ation (Guillà ©n and Canal, 2009). According to Guillà ©n and Canal, this model was most popular much of the post-World War II. However, today, new existing MNEs from emerging markets are trying to make a difference in order to go for an international expansion. Knowing what these strategies are is the main focus of the work at hand. Prior to this, it is also important to understand the traditional model of MNE first to provide the essential foundation of comparison to its new MNE counterparts comprising new emerging MNEs and those from developed economies. Understanding traditional model of MNE Strengths pertaining to technology, marketing and managerial capability were important common features of the old model of MNE during the post-World War II (Guillen and Canal, 2009). According to Guillen and Canal, advanced multinational firms in Japan, North America and Europe participated in this activity and eventually created their market share and initiated international expansion. Fi rst, one can spot the point that multinational companies rely on their ability to employ advanced technologies. The implementation of technology is important in the issue of globalisation or international expansion (Alvarez and Marin, 2013; Holm and Sharma, 2006). The transfer of technology was viewed a significant component of global expansion because that will have to ensure operation and formulation of product or service offerings sustained at the most convenient and fast-paced approach. On the other hand, the idea of initiating marketing strategy is founded by the ability of the firm to understand the needs in the market. However, the idea might be eventually confined within the basic consideration of subsidiary marketing knowledge as this can be the essential foundation on how to go for international expansion (Holm and Sharma, 2006). Finally, the traditional model of MNE has to include the concept of managerial capability, as this has significant impact on the resource profile of the subsidiaries (Manev, 2003). This will have to fuel the right decision-making process in order to sustain survival of the firm in the international setting where there are other potential factors to keep constantly in mind such as culture, politics, social concerns and other considerations. In addition to all of these, Guillen and Canal added that the traditional model of MNE employed traditional product differentiation strategies and vertically integrated structures. All of these have specific advantages as integrated along with the existing practices of the emerging market MNEs, but at some point they may also provide a significant explanation as to why the emerging market and developed economy MNEs may have outsmarted the traditional

Saturday, February 1, 2020

Business Forecasting and Data Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Forecasting and Data Analysis - Essay Example For the chart above, in order to improve the chart’s usefulness, the firms included in the graph are those with total weekly labor hours below 100,000. The few firms (approximately 10) which had total labor hours at more than 100,000 were not included. The graph shows that there is no systematic change in overall management score based on total labor hours. To determine if variations one variable changes in tandem with another variable, the correlation may be used. In this case, SPSS was used to determine Pearson correlation; a correlation statistic of higher than 0.50 is considered moderately strong, and the closer the coefficient is to 1.0, the stronger the correlation. For all three instances above, correlation coefficients are weak because none of them exceeded 0.50 nor approached the maximum of 1.0. In all cases, however, results are significant at the 0.01 level. This means that while the correlations of all three variables with management score are significant, the variations attributed to them are not very large. In conducting the regression analysis, the intention is to predict the value of a dependent variable if the values of predictor variables are known. The problem given seeks to determine whether or not variations in total sales among firms may be determined based on firm ownership, assets, management score, and weekly labor hours. Because there are four predictor variables, multivariate regression will be used. The assumptions on which the regression is based are that the variables are normally distributed and that there is a linear relationship between the dependent and independent variables. The model summary table below shows that the model has an R-value (representing simple correlation) of 0.914, indicating a high degree of correlation.  

Friday, January 24, 2020

Orson Welles The Magnificent Ambersons Essay examples -- Movies Films

â€Å"The biggest mistake we have made is to consider that films are primarily a form of entertainment. The film is the greatest medium since the invention of movable type for exchanging ideas and information, and it is no more at its best in light entertainment than literature is at its best in the light novel.† - Orson Welles Orson Welles was passionate about film. By the young age of 25, he had directed, produced, and starred in what is today considered by most to be the greatest movie ever made, Citizen Kane. About a year later, Welles began work on his next film project, The Magnificent Ambersons. Based on the novel of the same name by Booth Tarkington, The Magnificent Ambersons tells the story of a falling aristocratic family in a small midwestern town during the late 19h century. It depicts the sad, rapid industrial growth of the Midwest. Welles, who grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin and later in Illinois, understood what life was like in this part of the country and the novel allowed him to delve into his roots and examine his personal past. Surviving many risks and crises, this film is still revered today, almost 60 years later, as yet another great work of art by Orson Welles. After finishing up Citizen Kane, Welles’ search for a second film to fulfill his contract with the Hollywood studio RKO radio pictures was a hard one. He first wanted to make The Pickwick Papers with W.C. Fields, but someone else was already under contract to make the film with another studio. He also considered trying Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness but RKO considered the project too experimental, and he finally decided to write a script based on Booth Tarkington’s novel, which had won a Pulitzer Prize in 1919 (McBride 53). It had been film... ...ugh The Magnificent Ambersons had a poor track record at the box office, it was still admired by many. A July 20, 1942 Time Magazine review called it â€Å"a great motion picture, adult and demanding. Artistically it is a textbook of advanced cinema technique† (Variety Film Reviews). It was also nominated for several Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Art Direction, Best Black and White Cinematography and Best Supporting Actress (Agnes Moorehead) (O’Neil). Moorehead won the New York Film Critics Award for her performance as Fanny Minafer (O’Neill). â€Å"Agnes Moorehead gave a brilliant and thoughtful portrayal in the somber and murky Orson Welles picture The Magnificent Ambersons† (Variety Film Reviews). There has been speculation that the film would be widely regarded as Welles's best work and possibly the greatest film ever made had an original cut been available.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Project management process Essay

Which of the four phases of the project management process do you feel is most challenging? Why? The focus of project closedown is to bring the project to an end. Projects can conclude with a natural or unnatural termination. A natural termination occurs when the requirements of the project have been met—the project has been completed and is a success. Closing down the project. During closedown, you perform several diverse activities. Conducting postproject reviews. Once you have closed down the project, final reviews of the project should be conducted with management and customers. Closing the customer contract. The focus of this final activity is to ensure that all contractual terms of the project have been met. A project governed by a contractual agreement is typically not completed until agreed to by both parties, often in writing. Closedown is an important activity. A project is not complete until it is closed, and it is at closedown that projects are deemed a success or failure. Completion also signifies the chance to begin a new project and apply what you have learned. Now that you have an understanding of the project management process, the next section describes specific techniques used in systems development for representing and scheduling activities and resources. What are some sources of risk in a systems analysis and design project, and how does a project manager cope with risk during the stages of project management? The purpose of systems analysis and design is for a business to increase their efficiency, because when you look at a current system you will see flaws that need fixed ans within the new system that you design you will take these into consideration. A new system will make the the business more profitable. The Capital Project Risk Management Process is intended to result in the effective management of project risks (threats and opportunities). The objective of the project risk management process is to help project sponsors and project teams to make informed decisions regarding project alternatives. The project manager, project sponsor, and project team members jointly develop a written plan that enables them to identify, assess, quantify, prepare a response to, monitor, and control capital project risks. There are two stages in the process of Project Risk Management, Risk Assessment and Risk Control. Risk Assessment can take place at any time during the project, though the sooner the better. However, Risk Control cannot be effective without a previous Risk Assessment. Similarly, most people tend to think that having performed a Risk Assessment, they have done all that is needed. Far too many projects spend a great deal of effort on Risk Assessment and then ignore Risk control completely. Search the Web for recent reviews of project management software. Which packages seem to be most popular? What are the relative strengths and weaknesses of each package? What advice would you give to someone intending to buy project management software for his or her PC? Why? There are basically two types of online PM applications that can be accessed and utilized with any compatible web browser. The first and most common type is web-based software that is hosted and maintained by a third party, such as Project Genius and Basecamp. These products offer numerous advantages, especially for those groups who are spread out over a large geographical area or who spend a lot of time traveling. The main selling point for these tools is that all you need is an Internet connection to access your project information. That is, there’s no need to worry about remotely connecting to your company server or to lug around copies of data on external storage devices. An added bonus is that multiple people can access and modify the same information simultaneously, so there’s no confusion about which version of a project management form is the most recent. One downside of these applications hosted by third-parties is that most have some sort of monthly fee associated with them, and these fees can start to add up fast. However, there are some services, including Basecamp and Central Desktop, which offer free accounts to those with limited needs. Others, such as Clarizen, offer substantial discounts if you subscribe for an extended period of time and pay for that subscription in advance. A nice thing about the free accounts provided by certain vendors is that they can be upgraded to full paid accounts at any time. So, even if you think that the free version of these applications won’t be enough for your project management needs in the long run, you can still test them out without spending a dime. Another disadvantage of these third-party services that may be a deal-breaker for some is that you are basically locked in to the design and format of the software. That is, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to modify the application so that it includes all the fields and forms you need as well as get rid of all the ones you don’t. If the ability to do this is high on your list, you may be better off going with self-hosted, open-source project management software. I’ll talk more about this option in the next section. Suppose that you have been contracted by a jewelry store to manage a project to create a new inventory tracking system. Describe your initial approach to the project. What should your first activity be? What information would you need? To whom might you need to speak? Initiating the project. Establishing the project initiation team. This activity involves organizing an initial core of project team members to assist in accomplishing the project initiation activities. Establishing a relationship with the customer. A thorough understanding of your customer builds stronger partnerships and higher levels of trust. At PVF, management has tried to foster strong working relationships between business units (such as purchasing) and the IS development group by assigning a specific individual to work as a liaison between both groups. Establishing the project initiation plan. This step defines the activities required to organize the initiation team while it is working to define the scope of the project. Chris’s role was to help Juanita translate her business requirements into a written request for an improved information system. This task required the collection, analysis, organization, and transformation of a lot of information. Establishing management procedures. Successful projects require the development of effective management procedures. Within PVF, many of these management procedures had been established as standard operating procedures by the Systems Priority Board and the IS development group. Establishing the project management environment and project workbook. The focus of this activity is to collect and organize the tools that you will use while managing the project and to construct the project workbook. Developing the project charter. The project charter is a short (typically one page), high-level document prepared for the customer that describes what the project will deliver and outlines many of the key elements of the project. I need to speak to the manager of this company and find the warehouse keeper, because he know the inventory clearly. If I were an employee at Petrie’s Electronics, I would work on this project because a project scope statement is a short document prepared primarily for the customer to clearly describe what the project will deliver and outline generally at a high level all work required for completing the project. Jim was successes to briefly introduce this new project and its objectives to the customer. He also claimed what opportunity and project benefits will bring to the company. We can clearly see the team members and their responsibility and the general estimated project duration. This project scope statement is good, but there are some problems: they need project deliverables and the stakeholders can not show in this document. In addition, the objective of this project cannot enforce customers to regard our products as the first and only choice, this project should be track customer purchase to forecast buying patterns and serve better customer services by this new customer relationship management system. Tangible cost includes hardware and software cost, labor cost, and operational costs from employee training and building renovations.Intangible cost includes loss of time to decision or conflict, employee morale and operational inefficiency.This project will directly bring intangible benefits like organizational and operational benefits: increased employee morale, increased organizational flexibility and competitive necessity, first to market. Every project has risks. Now Jim’s team just has a general idea and plan to this project, but it is still a high-risk project. After they correct the scope statement, they must face some feasibility concerns like operational, technical and schedule feasibility. Because this is a new and challenging system, hardware, software and operating system to be used are very important; the process of examining the system also will be a big risk in the future. If I were part of Jim’s team, the team’s risk is my risk. That is not a big deal; I think we can pass it over together. On this case, if I work in this Jim’s team, I am worrying about operational risk because in current days, competition is fierce and technology changes fast, I hope this system can fit the day-to-day operations of the organization.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

The Theme of Community in the Open Boat Essay - 2412 Words

Stephen Cranes Theme of Community Stephen Crane is well known in the literary world for his many underlying themes. In Stephan Cranes The Open Boat, one of the many themes that can be seen is that of community. He brings to life the importance of the each individuals role in the group setting. Crane uses a dire situation in which mens lives are in the hands of each other to show that without group togetherness no one would make it. He shows the group being given false hopes from outside forces but, how in the end the group must band together for survival and not rely on anything but themselves. The Open Boat is one of Cranes best known works. Throughout the story, paralleling an actually event in his life Crane brings the†¦show more content†¦By using his personal life experience he created a masterpiece. Crane later moved to England, where he passed away in 1900 from tuberculosis at the age of 29. (Encyclopedia) Crane begins the story with four characters, the captain, the correspondent, the cook, and the Oiler, bailing and rowing in their small craft. He shows the self sacrifice of each individual, and how each person must do his part for the community of men to survive. In the beginning of the story a passage states, The oiler, steering with one of the two oars in the boat, sometimes raised himself suddenly to keep clear of water that swirled in over the stern. It was a thin little oar and it seemed often ready to snap. The correspondent, pulling at the other oar.... . 1 This in the most basic sense illustrates each man doing his part for the group. The correspondent and oiler continuously take turns rowing their small craft, never stopping, only resting when spelled by the other. The cook sits in the bottom of their floating hell bailing the seawater. The captain masters the craft and keeps the men together. Without each finger of the proverbial hand there would be no fist. Together, the men fell into this situation, and for their survival, together they must learn to become one. The most powerful section of the story supporting the community theme reads, IT would be difficult to describe the subtle brotherhood of menShow MoreRelatedThe Correspondent as Spokesperson and Mediator in Stephen Cranes The Open Boat828 Words   |  4 PagesCorrespondent: the Spokesperson and the Mediator in Stephen Crane#146;s #147;The Open Boat#148; Stephen Crane#146;s #147;The Open Boat#148; has long been acclaimed as a fascinating exemplar of Naturalism, generating many studies that range from the indifference of Nature to the #147;psychological growth of the men through the experience#148; (466). The psychological growth happens to every man on the boat, yet is mostly depicted through the voice of the Correspondent and in the form ofRead MoreShow Boat Changes Its Wicked Stage1709 Words   |  7 PagesShow Boat Changes Its â€Å"Wicked Stage† On the night of December 27, 1927 the musical Show Boat opens (Laufe 475). The show ends in silence; no applause or a standing ovation. There was not even a curtain call. (Sheed 120) Producer Florenz Ziegfeld thought that the show had failed. (Sheed 120) What he did not know that night was that Show Boat was to go on to be one of the most influential shows in American musical theatre. Show Boat revolutionized American musical theatre by changing the settingRead MoreNaturalism in Stephan Crane and Jack Londons Works1265 Words   |  5 Pagesbrothers, Jimmy and Tommie. The story focuses on the life and struggles of Maggie and her family within the slums. Maggie desperately tries to escape the life within the Bowery, but eventually succumbs to it and passes away a broken woman. A central theme occurring in â€Å"Maggie† is naturalism, and within this specific story, no one escapes their environmental and biological destiny. Stephan Crane highlights the harsh effects of urbanization and industrialization occurring within the story. Maggie’s parentsRead More In Superman and Paula Browns New Snowsuit the main character feels1464 Words   |  6 Pagesauthors show the feelings of betrayal by the way in which they write. c) Differences in the stories. I am going to talk about themes of betrayal, comparing Superman and Paula Browns New Snowsuit and Chemistry. In both of these stories, some characters are betrayed. The narrator in Superman and Paula Browns New Snowsuit is betrayed by her community when they think she is guilty of pushing over Paula Brown and ruining her new coat. She felt especially betrayed by her Uncle FrankRead MoreWho Am I As A Reader?1446 Words   |  6 Pagesaddressed and of the techniques used in their presentation, which meant an interesting experience for me and I consider myself literary enriched. What impressed me most of all works studied, was the theme of irony, flipped in works like Desiree’s Baby, and The Story of An Hour, by Kate Chopin and The Open Boat, by Stephen Crane. As a reader, you can imagine the end of the story in a certain way, naturally, assumed by anyone, but at the end, you are surprised by a tragic, unfortunate finish. Also, I mustRead MoreThe Open Boat by Stephen Crane Essay1882 Words   |  8 Pages â€Å"The Open Boat† is short tale of endurance, suffering, and redemption. The story focuses on four interesting sailors on a journey towards survival. They try their best to overcome the adversities of the water and raging storm. Crane focuses on the constant struggle of man’s immobility to control his own life. â€Å"The Open Boat† is a nonfictional fiction some call it. It typically is argued as only fiction, but many lean toward its nonfictional quality. Crane wrote the story based off his real lifeRead MoreAnalysis Of Flowers For Algernon By Daniel Keyes And Miss Peregrine s Home For Peculiar Children By Ransom Riggs1351 Words   |  6 PagesRevision Essay Thematic Essay: Question: The texts we read and view can open our eyes to the world around us. The human mind is one of the most extensive networks known to mankind and can be easily influenced through the use of written texts. Texts often feature themes and issues about the world around us, helping open our eyes to issues that could affect us, as a society. In Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, both main characters;Read More Stephen Cranes A Mystery of Heroism Essay1325 Words   |  6 Pagesin most of his stories. Crane follows a strict pattern in most of his work. His subject matter usually deals with the physical, emotional, and intellectual responses of ordinary people confronted by extraordinary, extreme experiences. Fairly common themes are presented in his writing, including fallen humanity and harsh realities; yet all seem to overlap in the category of heroism. Crane, fascinated by the status of a hero, seemed to moralize each story he wrote with a sense of hope. Readers get theRead MoreAnalysis of Jeanne Wakatsuki Huston ´s Farewell to Manzanar Essay1015 Words   |  5 Pages The internment of Japanese Americans is often a part of history rarely mention in our society. One of these internment camps was Manzanar—a hastily built community in the high desert mountains of California. The sole purpose of Manzanar was to house thousands of Japanese Americans who were held captive by their own country. Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston was interned at Manzanar when she was seven years old with her family. Their only crime was being of Japanese descent. In her memoir, â€Å"FarewellRead MoreFarewell To Manzanar Essay1195 Words   |  5 PagesThe internment of Japanese Americans is often a part of history rarely mention in our society. One of these internment camps was Manzanar—a hastily built community in the high desert mountains of California. The sole purpose of Manzanar was to house thousands of Japanese Americans who were held captive by their own country. Jea nne Wakatsuki Houston was interned at Manzanar when she was seven years old with her family. Their only crime was being of Japanese descent. In her memoir, â€Å"Farewell to Manzanar