Cognitive Therapy For Postpartum Depression - 2496 Words

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Postpartum Depression Postpartum depression (PPD) affects 13% - 19% of postnatal women worldwide (é ¦â„¢Ã¦ ¸ ¯Ã§â€° ¹Ã¥Ë† ¥Ã¨ ¡Å'æ” ¿Ã¥ â‚¬ : è ¡â€ºÃ§â€Å¸Ã§ ½ ²Ã¨ ¡â€ºÃ§â€Å¸Ã©Ëœ ²Ã¨ ­ ·Ã¤ ¸ ­Ã¥ ¿Æ', 2014). The impact of PPD on women, infants and their families is significantly negative and enduring, and imposes a burden on the health-care system (Leung et al., 2013). More awareness and understanding of this mental health problem should be promoted in the general population and among health care providers, families, friends, and new mothers themselves. This paper will discuss on the definition, prevalence, risk factors and consequence of Postpartum Depression, and treatment options with a focus on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Postpartum Mood Disorders Postpartum mood disorders is defined as a spectrum of illness including postpartum blues, postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis. The postpartum blues are extremely common and no specific treatment is usually needed. Postpartum depression is less common and may significantly impact both the health of the mother and baby. Postpartum psychosis is extremely rare with clinical features including mania, psychotic thoughts, severe depression, and other thought disorders, and requires hospitalization. This paper will focus on reviewing and discussing postpartum depression. Postpartum Depression Postpartum depression (PPD) exists as a part of the spectrum of major depression, coded with a modifier for postpartum onset which is defined as an episode of depression, mania, orShow MoreRelatedPostpartum Depression And Its Effect On Child Development1500 Words   |  6 Pages â€Æ' Specialization My area of specialization is maternal postpartum depression and its effect on child development. It s a well-documented fact that postpartum depression affects not only the patient but other family members including the children. Client Agency The clients in this intervention will be women who have recently given birth. The intervention would occur at a hospital or medical setting during the six week check-up. The clients that would participate in this intervention would beRead MorePostpartum Depression : Symptoms And Symptoms1134 Words   |  5 Pages Postpartum Depression Vanda Mallo Keiser University Postpartum Depression The birth of a baby can generate powerful emotions, from excitement and joy to fear and anxiety. But it can also result in something unexpected, depression. Postpartum depression affects approximately 10-15% of women and impairs mother-infant interactions that in turn are important for child development. Postpartum depression is sometimes mistaken for baby blues, but the signs and symptoms are more intenseRead MoreThe Concept Of Coping : Postpartum Depression And Anxiety Essay1308 Words   |  6 Pages individual perception, and behavior (Giddens, 2013). The two exemplars that will be addressed in the following sections are postpartum depression and anxiety. Postpartum Depression Postpartum depression (PPD) can be described as a period of depression that begins following childbirth lasting more than two weeks (Camp, 2013). Up to 15% of women suffer from depression during the first three months after delivery and the cause of PPD remains unknown (Camp, 2013). Research has shown that PPD mayRead MorePostpartum Depression : A Mental Health Disorder1414 Words   |  6 Pages Postpartum depression, or PPD, is a mental health disorder that occurs in women prior to the birth of a newborn infant. PPD is caused by a dramatic shift in hormones occurring anywhere from a month to a year after childbirth. Because of the hormonal changes, women may feel that pregnancy is a time of happiness, fear, excitement, exhaustion, and even sadness. Expecting mothers may also feel a multitude of emotions after delivery as well. Postpartum depression in new mothers is a debilitating illnessRead MorePostpartum Depression And Postpartum Psychosis1135 Words   |  5 PagesPostpartum Depression vs Postpartum Psychosis 1. Postpartum Depression vs Postpartum Psychosis 2. Faith Williams 3. Comp 1 4. Abstract Ongoing sleep deprivation, the intense experience of birth, radical role shifts, and hormonal fluctuations all collide to produce mood swings, irritability, and feelings of being overwhelmed in the majority of mothers. While as many as 80% experience some form of the â€Å"baby blues,† a smaller percentage experience Postpartum Depression, with even fewer momsRead MoreDepression And Postpartum Depression1042 Words   |  5 PagesPostpartum depression: What is it, how long does it last, and does it affect children on the long run? Postpartum depression is a depression that affects woman usually during the first months after giving birth. Postpartum depression affects 1 in 5 woman. It can also affect fathers. In most cases, postpartum depression can last many years. There are 3 types of postpartum psychiatric disorders: postpartum blues, postpartum psychosis and postpartum depression. According to Health Facty, there are 10Read MorePathophysiology And Effects Of Postpartum Dep ression1528 Words   |  7 PagesRhetoric Professor Jaffe The Pathophysiology Effects of Postpartum Depression After childbirth, around 85% of women experience some sort of mood change. For most, the symptoms, following childbirth are minor and brief, otherwise known as the baby blues. Though, 10 to 15% of a woman’s baby blues manifests and develops into postpartum depression and in extreme circumstances, psychosis (Zonana, J., Gorman, J., 2005). Postpartum depression is a multifaceted phenomenon with various components. ThisRead MoreCommon Types of Depression1325 Words   |  6 PagesTypes of Depression, there’s so many of them everyone is different so everyone has their different depression type. Here are some common types that are more known or in your case you probably never heard of. Major Depression or also known as Chronic Depression. Major Depression is lost in interest, lost in energy and this mood could last for a day or more. Systems of this could be feeling guilty, worthless, hypersonic (extensive sleep), restless, slowed down, thoughts that recur on death or doi ngRead MorePostpartum Depression And Its Effects On Women1163 Words   |  5 PagesPostpartum Depression According to two recent studies, 7-13% of all postpartum women suffer from depression. Even more alarming, the prevalence of postpartum depression (PPD) in mothers who have pre-term infants rises to 30-40% according to a recent review (Robertson E, Grace S, Wallington T, Stewart DE., 2004; Schmied V, Johnson M, Naidoo N, et al., 2013). Mood and anxiety disorders, specifically PPD, are severe, yet common complications in women of reproductive age. Undertreated depression inRead MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Postpartum Depression2232 Words   |  9 PagesResearch Postpartum depression affects about 13% of new mothers within the first year after childbirth (Marrs, 2013). Every year there are nearly 4 million births and approximately 1 in 7 women experience postpartum depression (â€Å"Postpartum Depression-ACOG†, 2013). When a woman is screened for PPD, they are typically evaluated after giving birth and approximately 4-6 weeks after delivery. Screening can include the use of Postnatal questionnaires to determine the severity of the depression and the treatment

BAY OF PIGS Essay - 2837 Words

BAY OF PIGS It seems that the United States has been one of the most dominant, if not the most dominant, countries in the world, since the Declaration of Independence. Yet, on Monday, April 17, 1961, our government experienced incredible criticism and extreme embarrassment when Fidel Castro, dictator of Cuba, instantly stopped an invasion on the Cuban beach known as the Bay of Pigs. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, his advisors, and many Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officials, made the largest error of their political careers. Once the decision was made to invade Cuba, to end Castro and his Communist government, Kennedy and his administration were never looked at in the same light nor trusted again. Russian leader Nikita†¦show more content†¦As Kennedy viewed everything happening politically in Cuba, he began to think of what America could do to help. Former President Lyndon B. Johnson attended many of the meetings and helped advise Kennedy in these conferences. After a meeting w ith Kennedy in early March in 1961, Johnson told news reporters, â€Å"We don’t intend to sit here in our rocking chair with our hands folded and let the Communism set up any government in the Western Hemisphere† (If U.S. 47). U.S. Senator William Fullbright of Arkansas was concerned over newspaper stories that predicted an invasion on Cuba (Schlesinger 251). If anyone in Cuba expected an attack, it would ruin the surprise attack, and the mission would have less chance for success. Fullbright wanted to let Cuba solve their problems, as long everything was contained in only Cuba (252). William Fullbright advised Kennedy and other U.S. leaders, â€Å"The Castro regime is a thorn in the flesh; but it is not a dagger in the heart† (252). Fullbright admitted to the fact that there was a problem in Cuba, but he did not view Communism as a big problem. Meetings continued through March and April, and the American people wanted to know if anything was going to be done. O n April 8, Kennedy stated in a news conference, â€Å"There will not, under any circumstances, be an intervention in Cuba by U.S. armed forces† (Flaherty 94). President Kennedy did not want the AmericanShow MoreRelatedBay of Pigs1627 Words   |  7 Pages In this paper, I will do a case study on the Bay of Pigs and why the United States tried to conduct this attack. I will find out what intelligence led to this invasion attempt as well as what intelligence failures were made which resulted in the failure of the invasion. I will discuss what impact the Bay of Pigs had on the United States Intelligence community and what changes was made. I will end this paper with any findings I have concluded to if the failure has any affect on how the U.S. conductsRead MoreThe Bay Of Pigs1217 Words   |  5 PagesThe Bay of Pigs was an attempted invasion that occurred on the south coast of Cuba. While researching this occurrence, it seems that it was a failed attempt to invade communis t Cuba. This invasion was to overthrow the communist leader, Fidel Castro, had power in office until the year 2008. The main reason for the failure, many believe, is because of the Central Intelligence Agency, under the power of the young President John F. Kennedy (Bay of Pigs 378). The purpose of this research paper is to reviewRead MoreBay of Pigs and Realism1563 Words   |  7 PagesA Perfect Disaster: The Bay of Pigs Invasion and Realism D-Day, April 17, 1960; Brigade 2506 lands in the Bay of Pigs, a small beach in southern Cuba. Backed by former president Dwight Eisenhower, endorsed by current president John F. Kennedy, and masterminded by the Central Intelligence Agency, the plan to overthrow Fidel Castro, Prime Minister of Cuba, had been months in the making (Dunne 1). By the summer of 1959, as former Cuban leader Fulgencio Batista was overtaken by Castro, charges of communistRead MoreBattle Of The Bay Of Pigs1970 Words   |  8 PagesBattle of the Bay of Pigs The purpose of this paper is to provide battle analysis and highlight the events before, during, and after the Bay of Pigs battle, as well as elaborate on the significance it held on American-Soviet relationships. The battle was not successful due to several intelligence failures and biases during the planning phase. If proper intelligence preparation of the battlefield were utilized, the outcome would have been in favor of the United States (US), with the alternate outcomeRead MoreThe Bay of Pigs Essay1441 Words   |  6 PagesThe Bay of Pigs â€Å"First, I want to say that there will not be, under any conditions, an intervention in Cuba by the United States Armed Forces. This government will do everything it possibly can, I think it can meet its responsibilities, to make sure that there are no Americans involved in any actions inside Cuba†¦ The basic issue in Cuba is not one between the United States and Cuba. It is between the Cubans themselves.† These words were spoken by President John F. Kennedy at a press conferenceRead MoreThe Bay Of Pigs Invasion1147 Words   |  5 PagesLouis Tullo Mrs. Forsyth U.S. History II 30 March 2016 Bay of Pigs Invasion Bays in pigs invasion is a cold war planned and fought by American president John F. Kennedy in an attempt to overthrow in early 1960’s. This came after Fidel Castro overthrew the then Cuban president Fulgencio Batista. The president was corrupt and had allies in the United States allowing the Americans to control the Cuban economy (Khan 21). The incoming Castro did the opposite by disapproving the Americans and resistedRead MoreThe Bay Of Pigs Invasion1392 Words   |  6 PagesChapter 1 - The Bay of Pigs Invasion - 1961 Figure 1The above image is a primary source image of Fidel Castro (right) an infamous Cuban dictator, and Che Guevara who played a number of key roles within the Cuban government. This photo was taken in 1961, during which the Bay of Pigs Invasion took place. The photo was taken by Alberto Korda, a Cuban photographer. This photo allows us to peer into the past and see Castro presumably leading Cuban troops. There is a large possibility of bias when consideringRead MoreThe Bay Of Pigs Invasion1652 Words   |  7 PagesThe purpose of the Bay of Pigs Invasion was to overthrow Fidel Castro as leader of Cuba and help stabilize the Cuban government. Fidel Castro started the MR-26-7, an anti-Batista group. At the time, Batista was the so called president and he claimed to be running a disciplined democracy.The people saw this as a dictatorship takeover. Castro ran the group as a clandestine cell system with ten members in each cell and they did not know the whereabouts or activities of the other cells. He was buildingRead MoreThe Bay Of Pigs Invasion2240 Words   |  9 Pagesthey cannot change the law of nature and they know it.† stated Allen Dulles, the fifth director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The Bay of Pigs Invasion was an encounter that occurred on April 17, 1961, between Cuban exiles, armed and trained by the American Central Intelligence Agency and the military forces of Fidel Castro. With the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion the United States found itself more involved in the Cold War and experienced a new era in the military, political, and intelligenceRead MoreThe Bay Of Pigs Invasion1108 Words   |  5 PagesThe Bay of Pigs is an inlet of the Gulf of Cazones located approximately 97 miles southeast of Havana (Capital of Cuba). The Bay of Pigs Invasion is one of the United States biggest invasion fails in history. The invasion was meant to overthrow communist Cuba and bring Fidel Castro’s power to an end. This was obviously a fail , because as we now know, Fidel had been in power until 2008, and now his brother Raul Castro is the president. The blame for this fail is on the Central Intelligence Agency

Accounting Theory A conceptual framework

Questions: 1. Explain why principles-based standards require a conceptual framework? 2. Why is it important that the IASB and FASB share a common conceptual framework? 3. It is suggested that several parties can benefit from a conceptual framework. Do you consider that a conceptual framework is more important for some parties than others? Explain your reasoning? 4. What is meant by a 'cross-cutting' issue? Suggest some possible examples of crosscutting issues? 5. What you think is the fundamental problem with financial statements based upon the historic cost measurement principle used under US GAAP? 6. What do you think of the principle' accounts must reflect economic reality' as a core principle of measurement in accounting? 7. How would you measure economic reality? 8. What is reliability in accounting? 9. The article states that the US standard setter FASB requires companies to record a provision in relation to environmental costs of retiring an assetif its fair value could be reasonably estimated. How do you think companies would go about estimating such a provision? 10. What aspects of the requirements were used by US companies to defer recognition of a liability? 11. In what ways does the recognition of the liability in relation to future restoration activity affect net profit in the current year and future years; and cash flow in the current and future years? 12. The article refers to changes in disclosure requirements relating to environmental liabilities in many countries around the world. How important is? Answers: 1. Need of conceptual framework for principles-based standards: In the words of Macve (2015), the conceptual framework could be described as an effort to demonstrate the purpose and nature of accounting. Such type of framework is necessary for principles-based standards, since it lays out a basic structure for the standards. Therefore, with the help of such standard setting and associating the same with a conventional body of objectives and concepts have helped both IASB and FASB in issuing more valuable and reliable standards over time. The framework would help in ensuring that the changes would be within its basic concepts and they would not lead to an inconsistent standard (Zhang Andrew, 2014). ACCA has depicted that the availability of a conceptual framework would result in principles-based system, in which the accounting standards are framed from an agreed conceptual bass with specific objectives. In the absence of an effective conceptual framework, the principle-based standards could result in inconsistency for both internal and external users. The internal users consist of the practitioners of accounting, while the external users comprise of the report readers. In addition, absence of conceptual framework could lead to bias on the utilisation of standards and standard settings might misdirect the preparation of financial statements (Saito Fukui, 2016). Thus, conceptual framework would contribute the future developments of principle-based standards. 2. Importance of sharing a common conceptual framework for IASB and FASB: The importance of sharing a common conceptual framework for both FASB and IASB is briefly represented as follows: Beneficial in undertaking economic decisions: The IASB framework emphasises expediency to different groups of users, particularly the investors providing risk capital. The FASB framework, on the other hand, emphasises efficacy in decision-making on the part of external parties, which lack information related to investment and credit (Cajaiba-Santana, 2014). Thus, adoption of a common framework would help the different accounting users of the organisations in terms of decision-making. Helpful in evaluating the prospects of cash flow: Both FASB and IASB frameworks take into account the common interest of the external users of the accounting statements in evaluating the net cash inflows to the organisation. Such evaluation of net cash inflows would help the external users to evaluate the financial position of the organisations. This, in turn, would facilitate the decision-making process of the internal users. In this case, the framework is common and therefore, combining the same into a single framework would enhance the quality of financial reporting of the organisations. Claims and changes in enterprise resources: According to the frameworks of IASB and FASB, the above two objectives could be accomplished with the help of information pertaining to organisational resources, their claims and changes. The IASB framework segregates these changes in the form of change in financial position and performance. On the contrary, the FASB framework segregates the changes in the form of comprehensive income and performance along with solvency, liquidity and fund flows (Richardson et al., 2015). However, both the frameworks urge the need for supplementary information and notes. Therefore, the adoption of a single conceptual framework would help the reporting entities and their associated stakeholders in preparing and assessing financial information in an effective manner. 3. Importance of conceptual framework for some parties in contrast to others: Several parties could be benefitted from a conceptual framework. These parties comprise of the developers of financial reports (accountants), auditors and the external users of the organisation. In this regard, Tracey (2015) stated that the external users include government agencies, employees, customers, investors, lenders, suppliers and financial analysts. The above-stated parties have identical requirements for a conceptual framework and thus, there is no party, which has greater need compared to another. This is because conceptual framework is a method of interconnected goals and fundamentals, which could lead to consistent outcomes. The preparation of financial reports, reporting, interpretation and evaluation are interconnected with each other. The users of the financial statements make decisions based on the reports prepared along with their detailed analyses. Thus, it needs consistency throughout the phases and such consistency could be accomplished with the help of a conceptual framework. 4. Cross-cutting issue: As commented by Hrisch, Freeman Schaltegger (2014), cross-cutting issue reflects those areas, which result in conflict between the different standards. One instance associated with the issue of cross-cutting is the fragmentation and internal inconsistency of the conceptual framework. In reality, the prudence and accrual of the going concern and prudence is an example of cross-cutting issue. However, it is to be noted in accordance with IAS 1, if the operation associated with the concept of accruals is not consistent with prudence, there is greater chance of prevalence of the latter. Despite it is only indirect; the identical prudence override applies consistency and the going concern (Stahl De Luque, 2014). Therefore, the issues pertaining to cross-cutting need to be addressed, which are probable to offer benefits to the organisations in the short-run. This is because the cross-cutting issues have considerable impact on various agenda projects, which might reduce the business profitability of the organisations to enjoy short-term benefits. 5. Fundamental problem with financial statements based upon the historic cost measurement principle used under US GAAP: According to Christensen Nikolaev (2013), historic cost principle is the conventional method of recording costs at the purchase cost. It is based on the assumption that money is a steady measurement unit. Under this method, profit is ascertained by contrasting revenue with the historical asset cost. Hence, in terms of ascertainment of income, the accountants assume that a business is keeping in pace at the time it has managed to recover its initial investment and it has been better, when the business has recovered more than the initial cost. However, the historic cost principle under US GAAP is not adequate for accounting during changes in price level (Shalev, Zhang Zhang, 2013). Thus, the financial reports developed with the historic cost principle are not free of defects to the degree that: 1.It fails to signify the impact of the changes in price level 2.The disclosure of the assets in the balance sheet statements are made at impracticable values 3.The income statement fails to bear effective charges, especially for the materials consumed (in $) and depreciation Along with this, the rising rate of inflation has further aggravated the loopholes of the historical cost principle under US GAAP. As a result, there has been under-costing of the products and services, which has led to illusionary paper profit. Due to the inaccurate results of historical cost principle, the US companies following the principle often have to bear higher tax payments, wages and dividends during upward price changes. Thus, the information obtained from the historical cost principle is not adequate due to unrealistic values and distorted reports. 6. Review of the principle accounts must reflect economic reality as a core principle of measurement in accounting: In the words of Palea (2014), the accountants often construct reality, instead of depicting the same. The performance of the organisation and its valuation would be vacant and self-fulfilling tautology. This might be the case, as markets tend to rise due to positive earnings of the firms. This is because of the constant rise in markets, which has resulted in revaluation of assets. However, Liao et al., (2013) argued that there is nothing like truth in accounting, instead, there is stretching of the truth far. Therefore, it is not possible and non-beneficial to depict the reality in a neutral manner. On the other hand, if the accountants intend to stretch the truth beyond the limit, it might lead to accounting crimes and scandals. Thus, the above-stated principle is an argument associated with relevance. This is because the historical cost principle has been outdated and therefore, it is not pertinent to include it for gauging the economic reality (Qu Zhang, 2015). It is necessary to consider the markets or projections, which gauge economic reality. This is relevant for effective decision-making. Henceforth, the perceptions could be challenged, since there is only a single system of measurement. 7. Way of measuring economic reality: As commented by Fargher Zhang (2014), economic reality is a slippery concept, which would vary from situation to situation. For instance, valuation relies on the asset attributes, which are measured. These include monetary assets like cash, intangibles that are derived from future cash flows and continued operations and the assets traded in the global markets at market price. Along with this, the change in economic reality is inherent, based on the users demanding the information. In case of investors, the economic reality is associated with future earnings or cash flows. In case of traders, economic reality is the existing selling price of the market, while the same for the manufacturers is the existing purchase price. Finally, in case of the auditors, the historical transactions comprise of economic reality. 8. Reliability in accounting: In the words of Bischof, Brggemann Daske (2014), information could be adjudged as reliable, if a user could rely on the same to be accurate in terms of materiality. In addition, it helps in faithful representation of the information, which it purports to present. Thus, considerable misstatements or omissions in the financial reports might minimise the reliability of information constituted in the same. For instance, a competitor has sued an organisation for damages. If the latter company agrees for a settlement with the competitor, it might negatively influence its financial condition. Thus, non-disclosure of such type of information would result in loss of reliability for the users using the financial reports of the organisation. The historical costs could be reliable, in case, the mathematical computations are checked. However, the provided case study depicts other interpretations, which include verifiability and precision in contrast to the estimates or market prices (Greenberg et al., 2013). The historical cost accountants interpret verifiability and the market-based accountants interpret reliability for undertaking economic decisions based on individual ontology or global view. Thus, it could be stated that reliability in accounting could be ensured by prudence, faithful representation, completeness, neutrality and single economic entity concept. 9 Way of estimating the provision related to environmental costs of retiring an asset: By taking into account the rising environmental issues and awareness, it has been observed that the global organisations are compelled to consider such issues confronting the individuals and the overall global communities. Hence, it is desirable for the organisations to make particular provisions for identification of these constituents within their business activities. In order to record such activities and present the same effectively to the stakeholders, the accountants of various global organisations need to adopt certain provisions for recording the constituents of environmental liability (Chen, Cho Patten, 2014). The provisions formed for environmental liability are associated with the present and future profits and losses of organisations coupled with fair evaluation and finance management of the businesses. The provisions, which are associated with this process, include planning and costing of different processes along with forming provisions based on on-demand performance and guarantees of the organisations (Hallgren Johansson, 2016). In addition, it has been evaluated that the provisions in this regard are required by taking into account the overall effects of these activities on the profitability of the organisations. 10. Aspects of the requirements used by US companies for deferring recognition of a liability: As observed from the case study, the organisations in US are required to follow the standards framed on the part of US Financial Accounting Board, which has issued various provisions in 2002 in relation to the realisation of the business environmental liability. In order to comply with this provision, the organisations conducting practices in relations to obligations of asset retirement are needed to set aside environmental liabilities, which are directly related to the eventual asset retirement. Moreover, as per the case study, the environmental liabilities are set aside, in case, the fair asset value could be anticipated effectively. Such formation of provisions has been directed towards the improvement process of environmental liability within the business course. The case study has highlighted that formation and implementation of these policies is necessary for the US firms in developing and establishing their businesses in the nation (Cormier, Lapointe-Antunes Magnan, 11. Impact of liability recognition in relation to future restoration activity on net profit and cash flow in the current and future periods: According to the view of Yook et al., (2017), the implementation of measures pertaining to environmental sustainability result in increased cost of the organisation in the initial; phase. Such increased expenses are spent due to enforcement of various measures like reporting of the measures of corporate social responsibility in the annual reports of the companies. In addition to this, the shareholders of the organisation are considered as well in relation to the management measures and the activities of corporate social responsibility. Since large amount of cost is spent on the enforcement of measures pertaining to environmental sustainability, it is projected that the net income in the present year would reduce due to rise in level of expenditure (Lewis, Walls Dowell, 2014). On the other hand, Cormier Magnan (2015) argued that the net income of the organisation would rise, as the goodwill of the organisation is projected to increase sharply in future. Thus, the completion and implementation of the measures of CSR are considerable in enhancing revenue and profit margin of the organisation due to rise in goodwill value. Coming to the aspects of cash flow statement, it has been evaluated that the initial activities of CSR would raise the expenditure of the organisations, which would move outwards in the beginning. However, the rise of profitability in future would result in favourable movement of cash flow of the organisations in future. Thus, the considerable effects of such practices on cash flow and profit level denote the significance of realisation of environmental liability for the firm. 12. Importance of liability recognition and the degree of such disclosure on the part of the organisations: As advocated by Cho Patten (2013), environmental liability denotes the obligation on the manufacturers in relation to waste emission in large amount because of the process of manufacturing. Putting differently, it is the amount incurred on the part of an organisation in order to pollute the environment. The rising concerns amongst the various individuals and communities have compelled the management of the organisations to undertake measures for enhancing their performance in relation to environmental sustainability. For enhancing the environmental performance, the policy makers of various firms maintain considerable amount of budget for execution of the measures (Chen, Chen Patten, 2014). Along with this, the realisation of environmental liability has been the major CSR source displayed on the part of an organisation. The effective realisation of the process pertaining to environmental liability would help in enhancing the overall goodwill of the firm. Thus, in the current era, it has become mandatory for the business organisations to realise environmental liability within the business processes. References: Bischof, J., Brggemann, U., Daske, H. (2014). Fair value reclassifications of financial assets during the financial crisis. Cajaiba-Santana, G. (2014). Social innovation: Moving the field forward. A conceptual framework.Technological Forecasting and Social Change,82, 42-51. Chen, J. C., Chen, J. C., Patten, D. M. (2014). Manipulative environmental disclosure: Further analysis of corporate projections of environmental capital spending.Accounting and the Public Interest,14(1), 87-109. Chen, J. C., Cho, C. H., Patten, D. M. (2014). Initiating disclosure of environmental liability information: An empirical analysis of firm choice.Journal of business ethics,125(4), 681-692. Cho, C. H., Patten, D. M. (2013). Green accounting: Reflections from a CSR and environmental disclosure perspective.Critical Perspectives on Accounting,24(6), 443-447. Christensen, H. B., Nikolaev, V. V. (2013). Does fair value accounting for non-financial assets pass the market test?.Review of Accounting Studies,18(3), 734-775. Cormier, D., Magnan, M. (2015). The economic relevance of environmental disclosure and its impact on corporate legitimacy: An empirical investigation.Business Strategy and the Environment,24(6), 431-450. Cormier, D., Lapointe-Antunes, P., Magnan, M. (2015). Does corporate governance enhance the appreciation of mandatory environmental disclosure by financial markets?.Journal of Management Governance,19(4), 897-925. Fargher, N., Zhang, J. Z. (2014, September). Changes in the measurement of fair value: Implications for accounting earnings. InAccounting forum(Vol. 38, No. 3, pp. 184-199). Elsevier. Greenberg, M. D., Helland, E., Clancy, N., Dertouzos, J. N. (2013).Fair Value Accounting, Historical Cost Accounting, and Systemic Risk. Rand Corporation. Hallgren, A., Johansson, J. (2016). Determinants of Disclosure Quality: A study of environmental liability disclosures. Hrisch, J., Freeman, R. E., Schaltegger, S. (2014). Applying stakeholder theory in sustainability management: Links, similarities, dissimilarities, and a conceptual framework.Organization Environment,27(4), 328-346. Lewis, B. W., Walls, J. L., Dowell, G. W. (2014). Difference in degrees: CEO characteristics and firm environmental disclosure.Strategic Management Journal,35(5), 712-722. Liao, L., Kang, H., Morris, R. D., Tang, Q. (2013). Information asymmetry of fair value accounting during the financial crisis.Journal of Contemporary Accounting Economics,9(2), 221-236. Macve, R. (2015).A Conceptual Framework for Financial Accounting and Reporting: Vision, Tool, Or Threat?. Routledge. Palea, V. (2014). Fair value accounting and its usefulness to financial statement users.Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting,12(2), 102-116. Qu, X., Zhang, G. (2015). Value-relevance of earnings and book value over the institutional transition in China: the suitability of fair value accounting in this emerging market.The International Journal of Accounting,50(2), 195-223. Richardson, P., Dellaportas, S., Perera, L., Richardson, B. (2015). Towards a conceptual framework on the categorization of stereotypical perceptions in accounting.Journal of accounting literature,35, 28-46. Saito, S., Fukui, Y. (2016). Convergent evolution in accounting conceptual framework: Barker and Penman (2016) and ASBJ (2006). Shalev, R. O. N., Zhang, I. X., Zhang, Y. (2013). CEO compensation and fair value accounting: Evidence from purchase price allocation.Journal of Accounting Research,51(4), 819-854. Stahl, G. K., De Luque, M. S. (2014). Antecedents of responsible leader behavior: A research synthesis, conceptual framework, and agenda for future research.The Academy of Management Perspectives,28(3), 235-254. Tracey, E. (2015). Discussion of Conservatism, prudence and the IASB's conceptual frameworkby Richard Barker (2015).Accounting and Business Research,45(4), 539-542. Yook, K. H., Song, H., Patten, D. M., Kim, I. W. (2017). The Disclosure of Environmental Conservation Costs and Its Relation to Eco-efficiency: Evidence from Japan.Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal,8(1). Zhang, Y., Andrew, J. (2014). Financialisation and the conceptual framework.Critical perspectives on accounting,25(1), 17-26.

The Author Is Michael Crichton, And The Book Is The Lost World. Many P

The author is Michael Crichton, and the book is The Lost World. Many people have read this book, along with its predecessor, Jurassic Park, and many people have been enthralled with the thought of living dinosaurs in the 20th century. ?What if the dinosaurs did not become extinct? What if they still exist (The Lost World takes off a couple years after the first book. A separate island is discovered, an island where the dinosaurs were actually created. There are two different research groups sent to the island. One to observe the dinosaurs in the wild and the other to bring them back for research purposes. The fighting starts from there. What many people don't know, is that these books, along with countless other Crichton works, contain many of the same themes. One of these themes is that Technology will backfire if it is taken for granted. Also, he says that power corrupts those who possess it. Chaos and randomness rule the world. Nothing can be predicted, and nothing is as it seems . Last and not least, mother nature sits above all else. Technology plays a key role in many parts of society in today's world. Computers run everything from huge assembly lines to the light switch. Some hard-core proof that technology will backfire is the Year 2000 bug (Y2K). The Y2K bug will make many computers not work properly, and in many cases, they will shut down completely. The problem stems back some 50 years, to when the first computers were being made. It could have been fixed in the 1970's, but nobody figured out that it would be a problem until a few years ago. People have taken for granted the use of computers for many years now, and only now will people realize that we can't depend upon new technology so much. This is exactly what Michael Crichton means in The Lost World. The people who were designing the dinosaurs didn't realize how powerful the dinosaurs really were, and the dinosaurs took over the island. Now the dinosaurs had all of the power. ?Absolute power corrupts absolutely.?(MacBeth, William Shakespeare, Act ) Shakespeare was absolutely right. Power does corrupt those who have it. It can't be confirmed that the dictators that make it in to office are psychos beforehand, but the power probably makes their greed a little worse. Bill Clinton and countless other world leaders have abused their power. In The Lost World, a company called InGen literally holds the power of life in its hands. InGen recreated real dinosaurs, which had previously been extinct for hundreds of millions of years. They had the power, and then they abused it by trying to make some money. If they had just gone about the research no one would have been hurt, and everything would have worked out in the end, but the power consumed them. ?Hammond was a hustler, and his true talent was raising money?. He built his park in an island called Isla Nublar,? but the park system broke down, and the dinosaurs got free.? (Lost World pg. 209) Crichton seems to view mathematics in a certain way. His character Ian Malcolm has his Chaos Theory, and according to this theory, certain things cannot be explained or predicted. The dinosaurs on the island were supposed to die off without a certain chemical, but they lived anyway. That is a perfect example of the chaos theory. It just can't be explained. They only engineered female animals, because they didn't want these animals to be reproducing, but somehow they changed genders, and procreated. These were all just examples of nature. The last theme is that Crichton wants nature to be above all else. He believes that nature is best left alone, and if it has worked for billions of years, it will continue to work if we don't fool around with it. Dinosaurs were living millions of years ago, and they became extinct for a reason. ?Evolution doesn't always act like a blind force should.? (Lost World pg. 207) No one really knows that reason. Who are we, as humans, to decide what to bring back to life? The dinosaurs lived naturally for seven years on Isla Sorna, and no one knew

Essay on The Progressive Presidents

Essay on The Progressive Presidents Essay on The Progressive Presidents Essay on The Progressive PresidentsThe progressiveness of the U.S. presidential elections of 1912 was concluded in different philosophies of the two prime candidates, Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, both of whom expressed Progressive ideas. Although both candidates, Wilson and Roosevelt, were Progressive, their attitudes regarding the promotion and implementation of the ideas of Progressivism in the United States were different, at least in their theoretic approaches. Reviewing the complex nature of Progressivism, it is possible to explore how presidents’ policies while in office may be different from their rhetoric on the campaign trail. Actually, the study of presidency helps to better understand the nature of political philosophy (Bowles, 2011). According to third-party Bull Mooses, Americans needed a new party that would help the nation to awaken and promote the sense of justice. The Progressive Party was aimed at the fulfillment of the duty to â€Å"maintain the g overnment of the people, by the people and for the people† (Bull Moose Party, 1912). The Bull Moose Party was linked to Roosevelt’s political ideas. Wilson and Roosevelt expressed their ideas and priorities in their speeches: New Nationalism by Roosevelt and New Freedom by Wilson. The major goal of this paper is to compare each president’s political principles with his actions while in office and define how well their actions matched their rhetoric.Comparing Theodore Roosevelt’s political principles with his actions while in officeTheodore Roosevelt’s political principles differed from his actions while in office. Roosevelt’s political principles were aimed at developing new nationalism through socialization of democracy. He highlighted the â€Å"need for government to regulate capitalism, and provide a square deal for all Americans† (Roosevelt, 1910). Roosevelt wanted to achieve equality of opportunity, destructing the established spe cial privileges. He said, â€Å"The essence of any struggle for healthy liberty has always been, and must always be, to take from some one man or class of men the right to enjoy power, or wealth, or position, or immunity, which has not been earned by service to his or their fellows† (Roosevelt, 1910). He wanted to achieve practical equality of opportunity for all American citizens.Roosevelt’s presidency had been focused on realization of the new form of democracy through combining Hamilton’s strong presidency and Jefferson’s egalitarian political thought.   In fact, Roosevelt was the first political leader who managed to identify national principle with reforms. He realized that American leader should not only represent the national interests, but also develop reforms to meet the needs of the nation. As a result, some of Roosevelt’s policies while in office were different from his rhetoric on the campaign trail. In general, Roosevelt became an in itiator and promoter of many progressive reforms. He supported organized labor, the control and regulation of business by the government, the protection of consumer rights (Bowles, 2011).Comparing Woodrow Wilson’s political principles with his actions while in officeWoodrow Wilson’s political principles differed from his actions while in office. Wilson Inaugural Address made in 1913 provides many important facts that reflect Wilson’s political thought. He said, â€Å"We have built up, moreover, a great system of government, which has stood through a long age as in many respects a model for those who seek to set liberty upon foundations that will endure against fortuitous change, against storm and accident† (Wilson, 1913). He wanted to improve commerce of the world based on the just principles of taxation. He planned to use the government as an instrument to promote national interests, improve banking system and industrial system. He proposed to reform pol itical institutions, rejecting the ideas of traditional constitutionalism.The presidency of Wilson demonstrated different outcomes. Wilson was progressive in his ideas and tried to make some changes in conditions in both the economic and political fields. He referred to historicism. Wilson acted as a reformer. He managed to lower tariffs, improve banking regulation, but failed to break up monopolies. Besides, he led the US into WWI (the Great War) in 1917, despite his peaceful intentions. He passed the Espionage Act and Sedition Act to suppress the opponents of war (Bowles, 2011).Conclusion  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus, it is necessary to conclude that both presidents succeeded in the Progressive era due to their progressive political ideas. The success of Theodore Roosevelt in politics did not influence his political contest at presidential elections of 1912. Woodrow Wilson managed to win, having the highest electoral vote and the majority of the popular vote. N evertheless, these progressive presidents have very much in common.   Both of them developed policies while in office that differed from their rhetoric on the campaign trail. Both political leaders addressed the problems caused by increased industrialization, urbanization and the growth of big businesses in their political rhetoric, but they used different approaches to solve the problem while in office. Roosevelt placed emphasis on the importance of increased efficiency brought on by big businesses, but highlighted the need to pass legislation against the abuse of power, while Wilson argued that all monopoly was unproductive and wanted to abolish it, promoting small businesses. Undoubtedly, both presidents contributed to the development of the US during the Progressive Era.

Dnde enviar la solicitud para la greencard por matrimonio

Dnde enviar la solicitud para la greencard por matrimonio   Los ciudadanos americanos y los residentes permanentes pueden solicitar la tarjeta de residencia   por matrimonio para sus esposos enviando la aplicacià ³n  al USCIS. Estas son las reglas. La solicitud al Servicio de Inmigracià ³n y Ciudadanà ­a (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s)  se hace mediante la planilla I-130. Debe acompaà ±arse de otros documentos y del pago de la cuota correspondiente. A la hora de enviar los papeles pueden darse las siguientes posibilidades: El solicitante est en Estados Unidos y su marido o mujer estn en otro pas Es el caso en el que un ciudadano americano o residente permanente legal est en Estados Unidos y su cà ³nyuge se encuentra en otro paà ­s. El lugar al que hay que enviar la documentacià ³n depende del estado o territorio en el que vive el solicitante. Asà ­: Si reside en: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado,Dakota del Norte, Dakota del Sur,  Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Nuevo Mà ©xico, Oklahoma, Oregà ³n, Texas, Utah, Washington o Wyoming o en los territorios de Samoa, Puerto Rico, Guam o las Islas Marianas,  la documentacià ³n que se envà ­a por correo ordinario del servicio de Correos pà ºblico ha de dirigirse a: USCISATTN: I-130PO Box 21700Phoenix, AZ 85036 Pero si se envà ­a por Express Mail o utilizando un servicio privado de mensajerà ­a tipo UPS o Fedex, entonces el sobre con la documentacià ³n ha de enviarse a: USCISAttn: I-1301820 E. Skyharbor Circle SSuite 100Phoenix, AZ 85034 Si el solicitante reside en: Alabama, Arkansas, Carolina del Norte, Carolina del Sur, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Luisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minesota, Misisipi, Misuri, Nuevo Hampshire, Nueva Jersey, Nueva York, Ohio, Pensilvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Virginia Occidental, Wisconsin y Washington D.C., entonces los envà ­os realizados por correo ordinario del Servicio de Correos Pà ºblico (US Postal Service o USPS) han de dirigirse a: USCISP.O. Box 804625Chicago, IL 60680-4107 Sin embargo, si se prefiere utilizar un Express Mail o un servicio de mensajerà ­a privado, la direccià ³n a la que se envà ­a es: USCISAttn: I-130131 South Dearborn-3rd  FloorChicago, IL 60603-551 En los casos en que ambos cnyuges estn en este momento residiendo en el extranjero Puede suceder que el solicitante està © viviendo temporalmente en otro paà ­s pero desea regresar a Estados Unidos. Por esta razà ³n solicita la tarjeta de residencia para su cà ³nyuge. Son pocos los casos en los que se da esta circunstancia pero sà ­ que son posibles. La direccià ³n a la que enviar la documentacià ³n es la seà ±alada en el supuesto anterior cuando se envà ­a a las oficinas (lockbox) de Chicago,  IL. Recordar enviar a una u otra direccià ³n en Chicago dependiendo del servicio de envà ­o que se utilice. Adems, si el solicitante vive en un paà ­s donde el USCIS tiene una oficina internacional, puede enviarse la documentacià ³n allà ­. Es lo que se conoce como una presentacià ³n de solicitud directamente en una oficina consular (DCF, por sus siglas en inglà ©s por Direct Consular Filing).  Estas son las posibilidades con sus direcciones para envà ­o de correo y servicio de mensajerà ­a en paà ­ses en los que se habla espaà ±ol: CubaEl SalvadorGuatemalaMà ©xico DFMà ©xico, Ciudad JurezMà ©xico, MonterreyPerà ºRepà ºblica Dominicana El USCIS mantiene un pgina con las direcciones de correo de cada una de esas oficinas. Cuando el solicitante y el cnyugeresiden en Estados Unidos Si  adems de la solicitud de la tarjeta de residencia para su cà ³nyuge aplica por un ajuste de estatus para à ©ste mediante la planilla I-485. En estos casos, si se emplea correo ordinario del Servicio de Correos la direccià ³n de envà ­o es: USCISP.O. Box 805887Chicago, IL 60680-4120 Si se prefiere utilizar Express Mail o un servicio de mensajerà ­a privado (courier service) entonces enviar la documentacià ³n a: USCISFBAS131 South Dearborn-3rd  FloorChicago, IL 60603-5517 Es muy importante estar seguros de que se puede ajustar el estatus. Ya que si no se puede, la consecuencia es que el cà ³nyuge extranjero debe salir de Estados Unidos y completar el proceso para la green card mediante un procedimiento consultar. Y en el momento de salir de los Estados Unidos comienza a aplicar el castigo o penalidad de los 3 y 10 aà ±os si se ha estado en el paà ­s como ilegal. No pueden ajustar su estatus dentro de Estados Unidos los cà ³nyuges de residentes permanentes que estn en situacià ³n de ilegalidad. En el caso de esposos de ciudadanos el caso es distinto. Sà ³lo est prohibido que ajusten estatus los que ingresaron al paà ­s cruzando ilegalmente la frontera. Por lo tanto, consultar con un abogado para ver cules son las opciones en el caso de estancia ilegal por parte del cà ³nyuge extranjero. A tener en cuenta Si la documentacià ³n se envà ­a al lugar equivocado se va a producir un retraso en la tramitacià ³n de la solicitud. Para asegurarse de tener siempre la direccià ³n correcta se puede verificar si ha habido cambios en la pgina web del uscis o llamando al  1-800-375-5283. Adems, las peticiones de una tarjeta de residencia para el cà ³nyuge pueden ser hechas en base tanto a matrimonios heterosexuales como homosexuales. Y es que las bodas entre gays y lesbianas producen los mismos beneficios migratorios que las que se celebran entre un hombre y una mujer. Finalmente, tener en cuenta que la green card puede ser negada por ms de 40 causas. Algunas son temporales y el problema desaparece con el paso del tiempo. En otras ocasiones es posible solicitar un perdà ³n y en algunos casos simplemente es imposible. Es decir, casarse con un ciudadano o un residente no siempre quiere decir que se obtiene la green card. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

When I was a Kid.The most important piece of advice in my life Essay

When I was a Kid.The most important piece of advice in my life - Essay Example As a child I acted as if I was in my own little world and did not seem to care about anyone else. However, there is one memory that is so vivid in my mind because I remember it was the day when I received the most important piece of advice in all my life. My father said to me that it did not matter how many times I fell to the ground, but what was really important were the number of times I picked myself back up and continued on with the same determination that I once had as a young child. The first time I remember these words of advice coming in handy was when I joined my first soccer team. I was the smallest kid on the team and it showed through my lack of enthusiasm to tackle some of the other players. It did not matter to me that I was the smallest player because what I lacked in size I sure made up with grit and determination. Because of my stature within the team, both figuratively and literally, I had to work hard to even get noticed, whereas other players seemed to have a muc h easier job getting the attention of the coach. There was one time that I remember just like it was yesterday. I was sent onto the field to play a game during a thunderstorm. My team was trailing and I was expected to change the course of the game for my team. At one stage the ball fell to me right in front of the opposing goal but I slipped during the moment I had a chance to become a hero. I felt so disappointed that I had let the team down, but ultimately I was dismayed with myself. Even though the field was very slippery that day, I could not blame the poor weather conditions for falling to score the goal. I picked myself up and wiped all the dirt and mud off my face. As I was doing that, I could hear my father whisper those words of advice in my ear. I knew then that I had to make a choice, and I chose to forget about what happened and continue like the incident had never occurred. I threw myself at every ball that came near me and I was determined to turn the game around for my team. At the end of the game, we had turned things around. The game was won and I felt vindicated for choosing to forget about what happened and focus on the task at hand. As I was walking off the field, I glanced toward my father and saw him nod in approval. Another time where my father's words of advice proved invaluable was when I was failing some of my courses at school. I admit that I did not put in the effort required in order to do well, but this does not mean that I did not care about my schoolwork. I could have chosen the path of continuing to be toward the lower end of my class academically, but I decided to put in place some steps that would help me to improve my grades. First of all, I asked questions of the teachers whenever I was unsure about something or did not understand it fully. I began to take notes during class and I would go over them in my spare time. There were occasions when I even stayed back after school to study some of the subjects that I was doing po orly in. It took me about a semester to pull up my grades, but I think it was worth it in the end. There was a lot of hard work involved, and I had to change my attitude toward learning. Admitting weakness and seeking out improvement is not an easy thing to accomplish, but the words of my father helped me to see that I had the option of turning things around and that is what I did. Since I was a child, I would say that I am still similar in many ways; however, one thing that has changed has been that I am much more focuser now than I ever was. I have done this by setting achievable goals and then putting plans in motion that will help me to accomplish them. As my father once said, the times you fall are not important, it is only the times you get back up that

Performance management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Performance management - Essay Example Performance management concept links the individual interests and objectives with the mission and strategic objectives of the organisation thus enabling employees to focus on the performance objectives (Aguinis 2012). Historical development of performance management Some of the earliest theorists of scientific management include Fredrick Winslow Taylor who advocated for scientific management concepts with the aim of improving the productivity of each individual employee. According to Taylor, simplification of the jobs would increase employee productivity, and enable cooperation in the organisation. Ideally, Fredrick Taylor contributed to performance management through advocating for the replacement of the ‘rule of thumb’ and replace it a scientific method that could enhance the efficiency of work in the organisation. Taylor’s second scientific management principle is geared at matching workers to their jobs depending on the job description, skills and capabilities of each individual inn the organisation. ... ocation of the work between management and workers in a manner that managers spend most of their work time while laying out strategies and training while workers perform the routine activities in an efficient manner. Taylor made a contribution to performance management through ensuring job description, task specialization and incentive schemes for the highly performing employees (Aguinis 2012). Another early theorist of performance management in organisations was Mc Gregor. He came up with improved performance appraisal methods and measures of improving organisational effectiveness. According to Mc Gregor, performance management should involve appraisals that cater for administrative needs such as salary levels and promotion opportunities, information need such as the need for feedback and suggestion and finally motivation of the workforce. McGregor challenged the original notions of Taylor since employees could not be machine parts that can be redesigned or even eliminated. He perce ived employees as individuals with unique needs thus introduced a human relations approach to performance management. According to his theory X and Y, theory X asserts that average employees dislike work and thus individuals must be coerced since they tend to avoid both work and responsibility. Some of the modern methods that have been implemented in order to encourage this category of employees perform effectively include punishments and rewards (Bacal 2011). Theory Y asserts that work is natural just like play and people will apply self-direction and control in attaining organisational objectives, thus eliminating the need of coercion and punishments. In addition, employees will accept and seek more responsibility if rewards are associated with achievement and creativity of the individual

Video Game Console Essay Example for Free

Video Game Console Essay Introduction This three year strategic marketing plan for the Alpha System has been created by its founders to secure additional funding for growth and to inform employees of the company’s direction. The first year of the marketing plan will be a tactical/guerilla approach to marketing with certain objectives and goals to meet. Even though Alpha Systems was launched 2 years ago on a Kickstarter campaign, the firm has seen tremendous growth over the last several months. We have had a lot of recognition from major video game publications and blogs. Our beta group has given us the right feedback to improve our video game system and worked out all of the major flaws in the system. The demand for our console is predicted to be high after we tried to get funding on â€Å"Shark Tank†. There was enough demand that we had to limit the number of beta tester request. Our pre-sale Kickstarter campaign saw high demands for people wanting day one systems. The market segment we service has been very receptive to our system launched with a high quality aluminum console, which is available in several popular colors to reflect our user’s personal style. Over the next three years, Alpha Systems can increase distribution, and enter a new era for our console and accessories; which will increase our bottom line sales and affect our return on our investment into our system and winning customers from the major gaming system platforms. Mission Statement â€Å"Our mission is to merge the valleys and gaps between the popular gaming platforms. It will allow users to play all popular games across multiple platforms on a single system; eliminating the need for multiple video game machines and accessories.† Product Description and Classification Alpha Systems video game console system will support all major video games system platforms, and allow you to use the online content provided by the game. There is a custom dashboard and the operating system reads all of the codecs that PlayStation â„ ¢, Xbox â„ ¢, Nintendoâ„ ¢, and retro games. The Alpha  Console will have the ability to support surround sound and high definition video. The system will also support DVD, and Blu-ray codecs. There will be two controllers in the box with an optional smart controller that customers can purchase. The system will have 16 GB of DDR3, and a two terabyte SSD hard drive. The operation system will be based upon open source Ubuntu with a dashboard look at feel. There will be support for web browsing and online video streaming. Applications like Spotify and Netflix will be pre-installed. Product Classification The Alpha System will fall under the classification of a Specialty Product Offering classification of the three-way product classification system. By providing a single console for you to play all of your favorite games on without the need for multiple systems to play the games one. Alpha System will become the premier video game system. Target Market Our target market is parents of teens who are looking to give their children the latest in technologies, and young adult’s age 19 to 25 who are avid game players, and have the disposable income to buy a higher end gaming system. Also we would target people who would want a single system, but yet would want to play games exclusive to PlayStation â„ ¢ and XBOX â„ ¢ and other gaming systems. Competitive Situation Analysis Analysis of Competition using Porter’s 5 Forces Model Competitive Rivalry: Our business model and advertising is directly pointed to compete in the same arena as Microsoft and Sony for the premiere video game systems. By doing this it will show the larger video game systems that will we not back down and that we are confident in our product. Threat from New Entrants: After Alpha System enters the market, our business model is structured about gaining a majority of ground in the market place, and taking user away from XBOXâ„ ¢ and PlayStationâ„ ¢ and allowing them to play all the proprietary games all on one system. While we always will work hard on our product to stay  current in an ever changing video game world. We have developed work around all of the major media digital rights management codecs. This will allow all major games to be played regardless of what system they are designed for. This will allow the optical drive to read the gaming media. Threat from Buyers: The number one threat from buyers in this market segment is loyalty to another brand. They may simply choose to buy an XBOXâ„ ¢ or PlayStationâ„ ¢ simply because they are used to buying those systems. There is a certain social stigma attached to owning an XBOXâ„ ¢ or PlayStationâ„ ¢ since they are for the most part the only video game systems on the market. Getting Vloggers, and bloggers to give our system positive review can go a long way towards neutralizing the negative stereotype a new system may or may not have. Threat from Suppliers: Many of the suppliers of the raw goods needed to develop the cross-platform gaming systems may have exclusive deals with Microsoft or Sony to build gaming systems. With that being said we may have to find new suppliers or research other avenues to get the gaming system made, and have to make a well informed and financially sound choice as to the direction we will go with manufacturing the system. Threat from Substitutes: Microsoft and Sony will always be a direct substitute for our console, but our job is to show the customer how our product is different and a better solution to their gaming system even if it is the smallest differences and, in our humblest opinion, superior. SWOT Analysis In this first paragraph, please introduce the SWOT analysis. For more information, see the recommended text, index topic â€Å"SWOT analysis.† This section is laid out to summarize the analysis in a table, and is then followed by more detailed explanations of each item. Please see specific instructions in the four sections below the table. STRENGTHS *indicates core competency Strengths We will be the first non-major bard video game system on the market that will play games from every video game system. Alpha Systems will not succeed without an innovative product. We have established that we can be as flexible as our users need us to be. If there is a game that we cannot play we will develop a way to play that game. By creating a market for the all-in-one gaming systems, we will be the gaming system that plays all of the major games from the major gaming machines. Weaknesses Low name recognition- At first we will have to hustle to find our share of the 55 billion dollar gaming industry. We will have to have a heavy ad campaign to get our name out there fast. Being we are going to be an unknown system at first we have to be creative in how we select our suppliers. Any mistake we make could and will be fatal to our company. Opportunities Some of our target demographic will not go away from their video game console at all. We can understand that, but we will use target ad campaigns that will attract the users in that demographic via YouTube and viral videos, and  social media buzz. These will get the people we want to reach at the rate we need to reach them at which is fast and immediate. We will also use a hands on approach at E3, CES, Insomnia Gaming shows and pretty much every comicon in the US and Europe and Japan. This will give our target demographic a hands-on time with our gaming system. We will have several systems set up on a local area network, and have a championship game battle. Job creation we will create jobs in America for the system and put people back to work. Threats The major video game manufactures like Microsoft, and Sony will likely take us to court and try to stop us, but we will prevail because of the ability to have free market competition, and they will be looked at as having a majority of control over the market. They may make changes to their digital right management coding to try to stop us from having their games played on our systems, but we will work with them and come up with a deal as long as they are willing to play fairly, and allow open source game codec development. Sony and Microsoft my push out the newer systems before they are due on the market; which means we will have to adapt to their new DRM. They may also try to purchase us in order to put an end to interfering in their 55 billion dollar market place. During the next three years, Alpha System seeks to achieve the following objectives using our marketing mix, including product, price, distribution, and marketing promotions strategies. If core financing is approved for this marketing plan, Alpha System will ramp up manufacturing, allowing Alpha System to achieve the following: Market Objectives Product Objective Expand into 5 major retailers buy 1st black Friday we are on the market. To hit our 2.5 million dollar sales goal. Price Objective To maintain our 15% ROI by the end of the fiscal year. Place Objective To add 10 more major retail chains throughout the world by the end of the second fiscal year. Promotion Objective To achieve 50 percent market awareness by the end of the 2nd fiscal year. Marketing Strategies We will have the most useful mix of marketing strategies, because focusing on getting our name out there will our primary focus. We will launch up to 30 viral video, and we will harness all of the video game YouTubers, bloggers to review and rate our game system by shipping them two free game systems. One to play and one to give away. The game systems will be in a special color because they are going to be limited pre-launch editions. These will create the buzz we need pre-launch. We will also use gaming convention in the USA and Europe and Asia to allow our system to be been prior to launch. This will allow people to get hands on experience with the system and allow them to see the capabilities of what is possible with our technology. Product Strategies Customizable Colors Sleek design No additional cost to online services Price Strategies Research the price points. Set a mid-range price point that will make the system desirable. Stage focus groups in regards to price. Place Strategies Develop relationships with major retailers, and find out supply chain requirements. Work out requirements with 3rd party logistic providers. Plan logically which distribution hubs product will be shipped from in relationship to retail locations. Promotion Strategies Viral Videos on YouTube, Social Media, Web launch day Game Trade Shows Give away systems pre-launch/ Day One Special Edition Explanation of Strategies This is the most effective strategies for our gaming device. We have thought out the development, and distribution, and promotion that will work for our product. Our product is simply the best system on the market and we will push it out to people, and allow them to realize what they have been missing out on over the past 30 years of video gaming, and show them the future of gaming and that they have a choice that is not Microsoft or Sony. Tactics and Action Plan Our Tactic and action plans are designed precisely from date of design to the 3rd year of product life. We feel that we will not have to micromanage our people, but yet make them accountable for their role in the greater good that is to place Alpha System on the market. Product Action Plan Tactic Due Date Responsible Party Develop System Blue print Month 1 Engineering Operating System and Codecs Month 1 and 2 Programming Source raw materials Months 1 to 4 Sourcing Price Action Plan Tactic Due Date Responsible Party Research Competition Months 5 to 9 Marketing Focus Groups Months 9 to 13 Marketing Pre-Launch Trade shows Months 3 to 24 Marketing Place Action Plan Tactic Due Date Responsible Party Develop Retail chains placement Year 2 Sales Choose Logistics partner Months 23 to 24 Operations Supply Units prior to commitments 22 to 36 Operations Promotion Action Plan Tactic Due Date Responsible Party Produce Videos Months 23 to 36 Marketing Celebrity endorsements 20 to 36 Promotions Give Aways 35 to 36 Promotions Monitoring Procedures Monitoring is the most important procedure we will have weekly conference calls with suppliers to make sure our raw materials and finished goods are underway, and will make the cargo ship in time to be shipped to our logistics partner. We can hold in person meetings to discuss development and pre-launch status. Prior to launch of the system we will hold a companywide conference to show people what their hard work contributed to. We will also seek to make a positive Return on our investment through the distribution chain, and seek to make sure we are complying with retailer’s requirements. Also we will ask retailers for reports to see how many units are moving off the shelves.

Inductive Knowledge Paradox Essay -- Philosophy Reasoning

In Nelson Goodman’s The new riddle of induction, the problem of inductive knowledge is brought into question and a collection of possible solutions are presented. The paradox of inductive knowledge has been misunderstood into bringing forth a radical ideology of relativism by philosophers such as Quine and a variety of other modern thinkers, however a possible solution presented by Hempel and a new version outlined in this paper present a different case all together concerning the acquisition of knowledge. In order to understand the new paradox presented in this paper the argument presented in the original raven paradox has to be made clear. The paradox of the raven stems from the belief that viewed scientific phenomena, in connection to a hypothesis in fact does not necessarily lead to truth but instead only serves to strengthen the held hypothesis regardless of what facts the evidence presents. The belief that all ravens are black under normal scientific standards is thought as being supported by the evidence of only black ravens being observed, in logic such a statement would be described as their being such a thing that it is a raven and it is black. From this statement a logically equivalent hypothesis can be made, if an object is not black it holds that it is not a raven, this statement unlike the initial hypothesis of all ravens being black however presents problems, all evidence of non-black objects seems to strengthen the prior held belief even though there is virtually no co nnection between all those possible objects and the raven. The observation of non-black things that are not-ravens strengthening the hypothesis unjustifiably is arguably showing how inductive reasoning is ungrounded in truth, however Hempel ... ...r a possible world, which itself is a problem. The issue of inductive knowledge is still one that remains unsolved, however in the various attempts at a solution the problem has changed from being one of a seemingly impossible actual knowledge to a further examination into a criterion of meaning. Because of the misinterpretation of this paradox there has been a great deal of confusion over the legitimacy of modern science however the paradox itself can be seen as only a matter of philosophy and is more concerned with the solution to a long standing philosophical puzzle then a critique of modern science. Works Cited Nelson Goodman, The new riddle of induction; knowledge readings in contemporary epistemology, oxford university press: 2005. Willard Quine, Two dogmas of empiricism; From a logical point of view 2nd edition, Harvard university press: 1980.

NeoMed Tech

Subject line: Describe what went right and what went wrong with this venture. Add in how you would fix the Identified problems, If this was your company. Needed Technologies developed a diagnostic device used for cardiac testing, and is headquartered in Ohio. They developed a CAD screen system to detect coronary artery disease. The company was founded in 2000 and is based in Cleveland, Ohio.Needed Technologies was faced with a lot of difficult decisions at the beginning when it came to where their product would best fit and be most successful. They ad developed a technology that could fit Into many markets, but needed to choose a product path and market. Their continued challenges occurred due to the changes In the market direction of venture capital opportunities and the funding available, all due to changes in the economy at that time.Due to the lack of funding, and a continued decline in Venture Capital funding along with a downturn in the economy; I believe had the economic situa tion been different at the time when they needed venture capital funding, the would've faced less challenges. The management team and Board of Directors were selected carefully and all had the experience and the background needed for success In the product market space. Needed Technologies had a strong business plan, and had conducted extensive research in initial planning stages.I believe based on the reading materials in this chapter; they did all the right things in the planning and early development stages. Although Needed Technologies had to contend with big name competitors and major players in the diagnostic and imaging market such as GE Medical and Philips, also located in the Ohio region; their strategy to be headquartered in Ohio was a sound decision. However, they should've investigated further in the opportunity to obtain venture capital funding outside of the Ohio region.Perhaps they could've spent more time studying competitive business cases of companies Like competit or, Heartaches, who specializes In the BEST test. The Heartaches product, although more costly, had seen success and was widely accepted in the Medical field. Despite the added cost of the Heartaches BEST test, they were seeing success in the market. One strategy change I would've considered early on was not applying all resources of their technology into one area.Needed Technologies should've considered applying their initial product development to the technology of screening for drugs, drug delivery applications or detecting cancer. These areas would've possibly allowed for a quick to market product, without the additional approvals, quality standards applied in the medical equipment space, and FDA approvals needed. Bringing a simpler product to market first could've brought in revenue to fund the long-term reduce focus off CAD screen system.The profits from a drug screening or drug delivery product could've assisted in funding their long-term product focus, they missed an opportu nity to develop a quick revenue steam. Defense space, for detection of nuclear weapons, or dirty bombs. With the shift later in Venture Capital funding opportunities, they could've experienced success in this area as well. Bottom-line, they put all their eggs in one basket; they failed to have a backup product to develop a quick revenue stream to further fund their long-term goal.However, without a crystal ball that was a difficult decision. There were clear signs of shifts in investment opportunities, the shift indicted investments being shifted towards Homeland Security, military applications, and protection from various biological and chemical threats. Needed Technologies should shift some of their resources to developing a product to fit into that area, thus allowing them the opportunity to obtain additional venture capital funding, and perhaps developing a profitable product in the Homeland Security space.The revenue stream from this reduce would allow them later to proceed wit h their CAD screen system. There was another area of investment that should've been further investigated, â€Å"Angel Investors†, most of who are Entrepreneurs themselves currently, or at some point in their career. Inviting one of the Angel investors a seat on the board, as well as leveraging the experience they have gained from starting their own company, dealing with the challenges of starting a business, and investigating further Venture capital funding areas.Needed Technologies should've reached out farther than Just the Ohio-based Venture Capital firms, this would've allowed them a broader audience of investors and opportunity. I don't believe holding off for perfection is necessarily wrong, especially when dealing with, and factoring in the value of human life. The Needed Technologies board of directors and upper level management all appeared to encompass strong ethics and while that might be a weakness to others, ethics are important and should never be compromised. T oo many companies take the short cut to success and people get hurt.

In cold blood by Truman Capote Essay

â€Å"Oh, no! Oh please. No! No! No! No! Don’t! Oh, please don’t! Please! † (245). These were the last desperate words to be uttered by Nancy Clutter before she was savagely murdered. In Cold Blood, explicitly narrated by Truman Capote, is the true story of a brutally unexpected murder. Through this novel, Capote brings to life the harsh realities of a horrendous crime committed on the high wheat plains of western Kansas. A quiet all-American family was murdered during the bleak early hours of November 15th, 1959. As Capote recreates the murder, the investigation that led to the capture, the trial and the execution of the killers, he generates compelling suspense and empathy. The narrative embodies a twisted plot that grips you and forestalls you from putting it down. This book has more than one main character essentially because these two characters are the reason for the entire plot. Throughout the first half of the book, the reader basically chases after the murderers, Richard Eugene (Dick) Hickock and Perry Edward Smith. Perry and Dick were familiar with each other since they had celled together at Kansas State Penitentiary. Dick is your average guy, young (28 years old), arrogant, practical, and fastidious. Dick grew up with loving parents on a small farm near Olathe. He had a fond childhood and was married twice with two sons. Adversely, he was jailed for passing bad checks. Nonetheless, Dick’s character is not as ruthless and confident as he makes it seem in the first half of the novel. Perry, on the other hand, is someone people would look at curiously. He’s short with a very muscular torso and stubby legs. His legs were damaged due to a motorcycle accident in 1952. Perry’s only living relatives are his father, Tex John Smith and his sister, Barbara Johnson. Perry’s other two siblings, were victims of suicide. In contrast to Dick’s childhood, Perry’s was lonely and disorganized since his mother had abandoned him and he was left to grow up in a brutal Catholic orphanage. Perry’s goal in life was to dig up treasure in Mexico. He retained a wide collection of maps and souvenirs from different countries along with letters from his father and sister. Dick’s aspiration in life was to be a football player, but these were crushed by an atrocious car accident that left his long-jawed and narrow face tilted. Both Perry and Dick have similar surface traits, such as a high awareness of hygiene, especially with their fingernails. However, their inner personalities were miles apart. Except for the murder they committed that brought them together, they had nothing in common and, they disliked each other deeply. The main conflict or challenge that Perry has to face is Dick’s acceptance. Perry presented himself as a macho guy who is capable of murder and mayhem in order to stick with Dick. By presenting this image of himself, Perry believes he has acquired Dick’s trust and partnership. However, Dick does not think so. â€Å"Dick was sick of him – his harmonica, his aches and ills, his superstitions, the weepy, womanly eyes, the nagging, whispering voice. Suspicious, self-righteous, he was like a wife that must be got rid of. † (215). Dick’s opinion of Perry is quite apparent from this quote; he clearly intends on getting rid of Perry. By trying to be something he is not, Perry allows himself to be mistreated by Dick. He literally does everything Dick does and trails behind him ignorantly. Planning the murder was all Dick’s idea, and initially, he intended Perry to be his silent partner. Due to this conflict between Dick and Perry, Perry committed the murders, predominantly to impress Dick. The murders themselves become another conflict that Perry has to face. In the months after the slayings, he is haunted by the voices of the victims. Perry has to confine himself to a life of regret and unfulfilled dreams. Dick’s main conflict is facing up to his parents’ expectations. His parents raised him to be a fine law-abiding individual. However, Dick’s character betrays his parents’ hopes and trust. Through the work of four critically scrutinizing investigators, the cold heartless murder of the four members of the Clutter family is finally resolved and the culprits are caught. On December 30, 1959, Perry & Dick were arrested out in Las Vegas by two regular patrol officers. At the time, they were not told the exact reason why they were being arrested, only that they were on parole violation. In the midst of one-on-one interviews with the murderers, Detective Alvin Dewey (head investigator of the KBI) finally induced Perry and Dick to confess to the murder. They did so because they had no other choice; the evidence against them was unmistakable and Dick had turned against Perry. Dick confessed to the investigators that Perry was the one who shot all four members of the Clutter family, as Dick remained his silent partner. Between Dick and Perry, there’s an immense fissure surrounding trust. Once their crime is confessed, they turn against each other and blame one another for different parts of the crime. This shows how selfish human nature can be. By writing this book, Capote wanted readers to have a better understanding of human nature and the circumstances that induce us to behave the way we do. Overall, this book was a great read. It made me aware about something that actually happened long before I was born and it gave me a glimpse of what the world was like before our generation. Considering that this narrative is a true story, the style in which Capote wrote this book made it feel like a regular, yet captivating novel. The author fabricated some of the conversations to highlight the story’s novel-ish state. â€Å"‘Never mind,’ he [Mr.Clutter] said, responding to Nancy’s problem. ‘Skip the 4-H. I’ll take Kenyon instead. ‘†(19). Near the beginning of the novel, there are a lot of conversations that never took place in actual fact. Capote added these conversations to fill in the missing pieces of the story and to give the reader a sense of the victims’ lives before they were murdered. The book is divided up into four sections each linked through highly important events. Capote varies the length of the chapters to emphasize its level of importance. The chapters before the actual murder are short and shift back and forth between Perry, Dick and the Clutter household. This technique builds up the excitement and thrill of the events. The chapter in which Perry confesses is lengthy and is written in present tense thus emphasizing its importance. As I researched the background of this book, I found out that Capote started writing this novel because he got deeply attached to the story. At the time that the murder took place, Capote was a news reporter for Timelife and was given the job of writing a piece on how the killings had devastated a happy, tight-knit little community. He was in the town writing his piece when the suspects were actually caught, at which point the story takes off. During the chapter consisting of the trial, Capote writes as if he were watching from afar and does not entirely engage the reader in the scene, but rather, he presents it as if it were being seen thorough glass. This style of writing credits to Capote’s journalism skills. It allows the reader to be the audience and analyze the situation as they see it; the reader is basically the judge in the trial. This book really makes you think about the issue; murder is something that society constantly faces. This narrative basically allows you to understand and reflect on the different aspects of human nature.

Juicy Couture Essays

Juicy Couture Essays Juicy Couture Essay Juicy Couture Essay Background of the Brand/Property: 1. Juicy Couture is perceived as a luxurious, exciting and fun brand that is designed with a strong sense of whimsy. It is a brand that produces collections of clothing, accessories, jewelry and fragrances created for women, men, children, and dogs. The current guest creative director for Juicy Couture, Erin Fetherston, describes the brand as ‘totally free-spirited and fun-loving. ’ Juicy Couture is marketed as a high-end clothing line at an affordable price, and is aimed at women ages 15–45. Out of this range, teens are their core clientele. They also have clothes and accessories for children, babies, and pets. Juicy Couture products are carried in a variety of venues but were at first only carried in very few locations such as Neiman Marcus. The company didn’t establish exclusive boutiques and flagship stores until 2006. Juicy Couture also has a plus-size line called ‘Extra Juicy’, which was exclusive to Nordstrom but is now widely available. There are 62 full-price retail stores in the United States and 18 more internationally throughout Europe and Asia. The clothes are also carried by high-end department stores and specialty boutiques. The company also operates more than 30 outlet stores in the United States and has products for sale through their website, which was previously operated by Neiman Marcus but Juicy Couture is taking its e-commerce business in-house. 2. The current product categories available under the Juicy Couture name are women’s clothes, including everything from dresses to tracksuits to sleepwear and accessories, handbags, shoes, and jewelry. They have also expanded into swimwear and watches. They offer a young girls line and some dog accessories. Juicy Couture also produces a separate, higher-priced line of clothes called Bird. Juicy Couture also has eyewear and fragrances that they produce, both men’s and women’s. Other interesting product categories that Juicy distributes are cosmetics, Barbie dolls, and computer accessories. Juicy Couture’s top competitors are The Gap, Guess? , and HM. Juicy Couture’s price points are quite higher than those of the top competitors but they do, however, deliver a higher quality product to their customers along with a more exclusive brand image. 3. According to Women’s Wear Daily, Juicy Couture launched a new fragrance for women in September with Elizabeth Arden called Peace, Love, and Juicy Couture. Elizabeth Arden also produces all of the other Juicy Couture fragrances. Juicy Couture and Movado Group have a long-term, worldwide licensing agreement to design, produce, and market a collection of watches under the Juicy Couture and Couture Couture brand names. The collections launched in fall 2006 and are sold throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. Juicy Couture also licenses their eyewear with Safilo Group, a leader in the premium eyewear sector. They have the right to design, manufacture, and distribute optical frames, sunglasses, and related eyewear products for the Juicy Couture brand. This partnership was formed in 2005. Schwartz and Benjamin Incorporated own the Juicy Couture footwear licenses. Juicy Couture also licenses their swimwear business. The licensee for this is Swimwear Anywhere, Incorporated. In 2008, Juicy also signed a license agreement with Maclaren Strollers. 4. Although Juicy Couture is owned by Liz Claiborne Incorporated, the former co-creative directors and current creative director have always had control over the design and marketing of the company. A signature advertising technique used by Juicy Couture is to send thousands of free outfits to celebrities, fashion editors, and stylists every year. Prior to Juicy Couture being bought by Liz Claiborne, this was the only way they advertised. Juicy began their widespread advertising program with the launch of their first women’s fragrance. Advertisements ran in magazines have always been very fun and exaggerated. For the first fragrance advertisements, a woman with an oversized red bow in her hair and a tattooed man are drinking from straws out of a perfume bottle that says ‘Juicy Couture’. Their advertisements are always light hearted and entertaining, something that is attractive to consumers who are tired of hearing about the recession and hard times that have been had. After this, Juicy advertised for their total lifestyle collections as well as their growing line of perfumes. The Juicy Couture brand is known for its whimsical styles and this idea is carried all the way through to the retail stores. Store displays include big vases filled with candy and faux mounted wildlife, like a moose, decorated with Juicy Couture jewelry. Some would even consider the fact that the designers of Juicy produced a handbag that read ‘Choose Juicy’ across the front in large block letters advertising. And this doesn’t just hold true for this one particular bag, Juicy Couture is known for splashing their name across articles of their clothing and on nameplates on many of their jewelry pieces. This is easy way for the company to advertise makes their products well known and sought-after. 5. The Juicy Couture retail stores are the epitome of the Juicy look and attitude. They are over the top and totally glamorous. The decor within the stores are unique and pleases the senses. As mentioned above, there are vases of candy scattered around the stores, along with other unexpected touches. There is no comparison when viewing the Juicy Couture website and thinking of the store that you just shopped in, the two fuses together perfectly. Colors that pop and draw the customer’s attention are a must. As well as unusual displays, which make one feel that they are not shopping at a regular store. They are shopping in a ‘Juicy’ world and that is precisely the impression that the company wishes to bring to their customers. Suggestion and opinion on licensing efforts: 1. I believe that Juicy Couture monitors the quality and look of every category of products that they license in order for them to fit within the brand image. When Juicy Couture started out as a very small and privately owned company, the designers had a very clear vision built for the company. They had always been very fun and cheeky with their designs and business approach. When Liz Claiborne bought the company, the founders and designers, Gela Nash-Taylor and Pamela Skaist Levy, stayed with the company as co-creative directors to make sure that the company’s vision wouldn’t get lost while the company was expanding. This gave the designers the opportunity to expand their line into a complete lifestyle brand with the help of Liz Claiborne in the financial, manufacturing, and distributing aspects of the business. All of the licensees for the Juicy brand understand that it has a certain image to withhold and this, along with the quality products that they produce to be sold under the Juicy name, are the reason why Juicy has licensed out the right for them to produce their products. If the purpose of good licensing is for all of the product categories to merge together seamlessly under one brand name, Juicy Couture has accomplished this task. 2. Juicy Couture has a pretty extensive distribution channel. Being that they are a large company, this is definitely a necessity. However, some people may argue that Juicy Couture has lost its exclusivity because their distribution is too wide spread. Juicy Couture seemed to have realized this a few years ago when they realized that their men’s business wasn’t working very well. They discontinued manufacturing and distributing clothes for men but still, however, produce a men’s fragrance. Right now, I think that Juicy Couture is permeating the exact market that they wish to be. They are an extremely well known company, their claim to fame being their unforgettable velour and terry cloth tracksuits, and popular companies should have widespread distribution to be made available to their large target market. In the case of them losing exclusivity, I don’t think that that’s something to be worried about. The Juicy Couture label has always been positioned at a better price point and not all consumers who want to be proud owners of Juicy Couture products can be. Also, the brand has created a separate line called Bird, which is a higher priced collection with a not so widespread distribution. By extending their brand to contain a higher priced line, they are increasing the exclusivity for that collection and allowing the regular Juicy Couture line to seem in reach to many consumers. The brand has over 80 stores within the United States, as well as stores overseas in Asia and Europe, they also operate about 30 retail outlets within the United States. The line is also distributed in a number of department and specialty stores and is also available on their e-commerce website. 3. I would say that all of the marketing efforts made on Juicy Couture’s behalf, including their advertising, web site, and store displays, are consistent with the brand. The people who operate all divisions of marketing and visual merchandising make sure that a clear and distinct brand image is seen throughout their company. Due to this seamless marketing strategy, Juicy Couture has secured a large loyal customer base. They also attract new consumers by adding product lines, such as watches and fragrance, while sticking to their signature over the top and interesting advertising program. Although Juicy Couture has been ever expanding since being sold to Liz Claiborne, their advertisements are cohesive throughout all product categories. 4. Juicy Couture has their toes in many product categories, ranging from women’s and children’s collection to computer accessories. Although I’m sure that there are some products that Juicy Couture could introduce to their plethora of already existing lines, the failure of their men’s clothing line could be a tell tale sign that there’s no need for them to over saturate their markets. Juicy Couture has been around long enough for the company to know what works with their target customer. To continue to grow and evolve within their current markets would be the best strategy for them in my eyes and maybe down the road try to introduce a new product category or line.