International Portfolio Diversification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

International Portfolio Diversification - Essay Example Investing on the stock market can be a very risky venture. According to Yavas (2007), both the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and the Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) indicates that investors should hold a well diversified portfolio in order to reduce risk. Beta is used to measure risk. A stocks beta indicates the sensitivity of the stock’s returns to the market returns (Madura 2006, p. 304). Madura (2006, p. 304) states that investors who have a diversified portfolio use beta to determine how well their portfolio reflects movements in the market. Investors believe that favourable characteristics that are related specifically to a particular firm will offset unfavourable characteristics of other firms. This is also true for industries and so it implies that a wide range of stocks spanning various industries should be held. It is expected that certain factors affecting securities on the stock market are either firm or industry specific and so in order to reduce unsystematic ri sk holding securities from a wide range of industries is recommended. This is also true in relation to national securities. Certain risks are country specific and so in order to reduce risk international portfolio diversification is recommended. This paper examines how International portfolio diversification can result in a reduction in portfolio risk. It looks at various elements of risk that are associated with portfolio. It looks at market returns in five countries and shows how correlation between these markets can impact negatively on portfolio risk reduction. An analysis is also carried out to determine whether of the returns on stock markets in Japan and Canada are integrated based on their trade relationships over the years. The findings from other studies are also explored to determine how they concur with the results from this research. How can international diversification reduce risk? There are differences in the level of economic growth among countries. Some are develop ed while others are developing. Yavak (2007) states that these differences can lead to portfolio risk reduction as the timing of business cycles are usually different. According to Eiteman et al (2007) the case for international portfolio diversification can be broken down into two components. They are the potential risk reduction benefits of holding international securities and the potential foreign exchange risks that comes with it. Portfolio risk reduction The risk associated with a portfolio of securities is measured by the ratio of the variance of the return on the portfolio in relation to the variance of the market return (Eiteman et al 2007). As noted earlier, this is represented by beta. As the number of securities in the portfolio increases the portfolios beta approaches the market beta. A portfolio that is fully diversified would have a beta that is equal to 1. Therefore the risk that is associated with holding a particular stock can be reduced through diversification. How ever, risk cannot be eliminated totally (Eiteman et al 2007). This can be explained by the fact that the total risk of a portfolio comprises a systematic and a non-systematic element. The systematic element is associated with the market and unsystematic element is related to the individual elements in the portfolio. Increasing the number of securities in the portfolio reduces the unsystematic element (Eiteman et al 2007). This same approach can be taken in the form of investing in various stock markets across the globe. When investors hold securities in several countries they are able to cushion their portfolio from shocks in any one market. Therefore, if economic conditions in one country are affected by unfavorable factors, any resultant reduction in stock market returns may be offset somewhat by gains in other stock markets or at least be cushioned by the relative weight of other securities held in other parts of the world. This is however, assuming that the markets are not highl y

English coursework (Oscar Wilde) Essay Example for Free

English coursework (Oscar Wilde) Essay In an essay of 3-4 pages discuss how Oscar Wilde uses stereotypes and concepts from traditional fairy-tales and in invert them in his short stories. In the majority of Oscar Wildes fairytales there are numerous stereotypical characters and concepts. In an exemplary fairytale there is the philanthropic character, who is very important to the format of fairytale, for instance a Prince or King, This individual usually, forms an advantageous partnership with a bi-character such as Princess, Queen, Frog, or a Wizard, this may work in reverse in some fairy tales where e. g. the Princess is the leading character and the King is the sub-role. The enemy of the protagonist is called as a villain whose only existence in a fairytale is to try and prevent the leading character and his/hers acquaintances from saving the day or more importantly the world. The evil being is primarily associated with negative images for example bad manners, ruthless personality, or the trademark evil express of amusement. In contrast the valiant hero/heroine is linked with a clean depiction. Witches, Dragons, and Wolves are more often than not portrayed as Villains. Fairy-tale writers use techniques in which they lead the reader to believe that the hero/heroine will prevail in the battle against evil, because the story gives the impression that the villain is superior to the central character. Almost ever fairy-tale begins with the opening phrase Once Upon a Time and end with and they live happily ever after. Use of these phrases result in the reader instantaneously recognises that it is a fairy-tale. Castles are prominent buildings in fairytales because most of fairy-tales were written in medieval-times where castles were the biggest buildings you would see, and they are also related to Kings and Queens. Wilde makes extensive use of traditional fairy-tale characters, which do not exist in real life, in his stories such as ogres, giants and talking birds. I think Wilde choose to do this because he knew bizarre creatures put the message of his choice across much easier to the readers, children in particular. I know this from The Happy Prince and The Selfish Giant where the winter season is given human characteristics and actually given a voice to speak: He is too selfish. What separates Oscar Wilde from other writers in Victorian times is that he uses traditional fairy-tale characters to address contemporary issues to express his opinion. In The Happy Prince Wilde embarks upon the difficulty of poverty and privilege, which were disregarded subjects in that era. When the Prince was alive he lived in the palace of San-Souci, here he wasnt allowed to see the outside world, that didnt bother the Prince because there he had everything he wanted and needed. He was very happy this led to people naming him the Happy Prince: My courtiers called me The Happy Prince, and happy I was indeed, if pleasure be happiness. In the Palace no grief would enter, his courtiers fearing the happy prince would see true misery and sadness. The Prince lived a very luxurious and rich life and was easily pleased with his wealth. When he died they made a statue of him and placed high above the city. From this position he had a respectable view of everything. This meant that he was able to life outside the Palace: Beggars starving, children being abused, poverty all this made the Happy Prince grieve because he was powerless to stop any of this as he was a statue. Here Wilde makes a direct comparison between the rich and the poor. Wilde does this to make the reader sympathise with the poor people: When the Swallow flies over the city he sees rich people sitting in the warmth of their expensive residences and beggars sitting outside of their gates. The Swallow also spots to children hungry and cold lying in each others arms for warmth under a bridge to seek shelter from the heavy rain, but they are told to leave by the watchman, and they walk back out into the rain. Incidents like this make the Happy Prince cry every single day as he sits and watches the wretchedness of the city. Wilde sends the message that human fickleness is a weakness in The Happy Prince. As a statue the Happy Prince was very beautiful and expensive. His body was covered in leaves of fine gold, he has two bright sapphires as eyes and a large red ruby encrusted in his sword-hilt. The Happy Prince was admired by many people in the city as a consequence of this awe-inspiring appearance. A mother says to her child: Why cant you be like the Happy Prince She uses the Happy Prince as a role model for her son, little does know of the Happy Prince but him being a very expensive statue. This show how people judge based on small assumptions of physical appearance only. Eventually the Happy Prince loses all his fine possessions, as he has given them away to those whose needs are greater, and two townsfolk spot the statue. They decide to take it down; they compare its value to that of beggars: As he is no longer beautiful he is no longer useful. The Arts Professor believes that without beauty the statue is useless. This indicates that they didnt place the statue above the city as a symbol representing something with a deep philosophical intent, but merely as an appealing decoration for the city. Wilde also shows some fickleness and its consequences in The Nightingale and the Rose where the nightingale observes a young student who is in love with his teachers daughter. He wants to give her a rose which symbolises his love for her, but cannot afford one. The nightingale sympathises for the young student, he decides to go through agony and in the end sacrifice his life to get that rose for him. The student receives the rose, and goes to the professors daughter to ask her if she will accept his rose, but she frowns and says that she has been given far better gifts from another man. The student walks away in disgust and throws the rose into the gutter where gets flattened by a cart-wheel. The nightingales sacrifice was in vein. The student decides to exclude himself from ever loving again and he dedicates the rest of his life to studying philosophy. This tale has had an important morale stressed by Oscar Wilde. He uses a dramatic ending to emphasise his point. He undoubtedly show s the destructiveness of a fickle nature. The fairytale The Selfish Giant explores selfishness and ignorance by portraying the stereotypical character of a giant as a ruthless monster in some part of the story. Wilde uses little children to contrast the enormous giants dominance. When the giant arrives at his castle he finds children playing innocent games in his garden. The giant furiously chases them away and builds a high wall around his garden. As a result of this no seasons but winter enters his doomed garden. As summer, autumn and spring comes and goes one constant climate remains in the giants garden and his only. Wilde uses the endless winter a metaphor for the ongoing sentence of the giants misery, that winter has sentenced him for being selfish and cruel to the children. The giant soon realises his that all that time he was away, the little children had been preserving his garden and now that they were away it was winter forever. He figures this out when he sees one of his trees blossoming because a group of children climbed upon it. The giant apologises to the children and breaks down the stone fence: and my garden shall be the childrens playground for ever and ever. The giants change of heart causes his garden to blossom and allow the other seasons to enter accordingly. When the giant dies, he goes to paradise. Wilde does this to stress the storys morale and message by showing that if you stop being selfish you will be rewarded. Wilde does use many traditional fairytale conventions but still his stories are different from the tradition in a variety of ways. Traditionally the good triumph when they have made a noble sacrifice. Wilde doesnt necessarily do this. In fact he tends to not do it at all. This is evident in The Nightingale and the Rose where a nightingale unselfishly sacrifices his life for something as minor as getting a red rose to a student who is in love. In the end the student is rejected by the girls he loves, and the nightingales sacrifice was in vein. This story shows that Oscar Wilde will write sorrowful endings if he has to emphasise his point. A reasonable amount of Wildes tales do not introduce the story with the phrase Once upon a time and conclude it with And they all lived happily ever after. Wilde is very attentive in the ways in which he opens a fairy tale, but when it comes to ending one he usually goes with a harsh approach, and does not include psychological twists. In a world of magic and wonder Wilde does not exclude the use of religious imagery, this is hardly ever done in fairy tale. For example; when the Happy Prince and his little assistant the swallow both die doing their heroic deeds. God orders an angel to bring Him the two best things in the city the angel chooses the Happy Prince and the Swallow, because they were recognised for doing good deeds and therefore rewarded with an entry to Gods paradise. In the Selfish Giant we also see Wildes strong belief in God, when the giant dies and allowed entry in Paradise by God, because the giant has become a better individual. I think Wilde does this because he himself believes that good things come to those who deserve it, and he wants to encourage the readers to believe in that too. This is especially aimed at younger readers. Though Wildes stories are fairy tales they bare a resemblance to modern day life. In the beginning of storytelling fairy tales were used as a form of entertainment and written for that purpose as well. Where Wildes tales differ is when the tales carry a message hidden behind a great storyline, this not only done to give the reader a good read but also to teach and educate things that they perhaps didnt know or had a different perspective of. Nowadays stories always have these messages in them, but Oscar Wilde was one of the first to introduce this style of story-formatting, as readers crave for more than just a good story. The drama and intensity was also quite unusual elements Wilde added in his tales. These days drama is an essential ingredient to almost every genre of literature, Wilde was one of the first to discover this, which is one of many reasons why his tales are still loved and admired across the world to this day.

Essay --

Haley Hicks Howerter ENGWR 300 16 December 2013 Emerson: Transcend Conformity Transcendentalism; most people are unfamiliar with this term but not the ideas behind it. A religious deviation that started in the 1820’s caused one of the most influential movements in history. The after effects would be seen in the beliefs of those who fought for civil rights, women’s rights, and abolition; anytime a rebellion rears its head, there tends to be some distinctly transcendentalist ideas and mindsets found fueling the individualist fires of change. Transcendentalism and its various principles changed the face of the world and the way people thought by challenging the majority and scorning conformity. They challenged people to be individuals; to look inward for the truth and make their own happiness. Those that were a part of this movement also spoke out against figures of authority when it was believed they acted against the common good. There was a vague optimism and stubborn refusal to accept any truth but the ones found to be true to the individual tha t was characteristic of its supporters. In a world that seems to be constantly telling its inhabitants what we should think, it is important to remember that we are each still our own person and how we live our lives is up to us. The movement was not without its critics and opposition, but the lasting effects of the philosophical ideals stood the test of time and continue to change people for the better. While there were many great thinkers, writers and leaders of this movement, the one that many consider to be the father of the movement is Ralph Waldo Emerson. His humble nature made him reluctant to take such a title, and he was not the creator of transcendentalism, but his influence on ... ...eveloping an acid tongue.† Men who isolate themselves not only deprive themselves of friendship and love, but also make themselves unfit for marriage. Society isn't always achieved easily, but by "chemical affinity" and even then "in very small doses." Striking a balance between solitude and society is difficult because "solitude is impracticable, and society fatal." (Society and Solitude) But this Thinking is not solely his own; Socrates once said, â€Å"To find yourself, think for yourself.† In one of his most influential works, Self-Reliance Emerson once said that â€Å"It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude. (Self-Reliance)† "Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth." - H.D. Thoreau

Understanding The Process Of Laundry Detergency Environmental Sciences Essay

Detergency is a procedure where dirts are removed from substrate stuffs. It ever is reviewed and researched because of its commercial importance. Washing and cleansing is a complicated procedure because it involves interactions of much physical and chemical influence. In general, rinsing procedure contains remotion by aqueous surfactant solution of ill solute thing and disintegration of drosss from fabric surfaces [ 1 ] . 2. Preliminaries Before discoursing how detergents work in rinsing procedure, we have to cognize how dirts adhere to cloths and the different types of dirts. In the present, the substrate is a fabric normally, fabricated by knitting, weaving or blending together a batch of fibres which have spun into narrations before incorporation into the fabric. Soil is something present in the matrix of the fabric but differs from the fabric fibres both in composing and form, while characteristically is of a comparable size. Dirt may be liquid or solid. If it is liquid, it must be non-volatile and non-aqueous. The liquid dirt here is termed oily dirt to separate from the solid particulate dirt. These two types of dirts may happen together: an external atom is more possible to adhere to fabrics when the latter already has liquid dirt. There are two chief differences between liquid dirt and solid dirt: form and rheological belongingss. The greasy dirt alterations shape by and large while the particulate dirt holds its initial form all the clip [ 2 ] . No affair liquid or solid, both sorts of dirt adhere to the fabric because of a effect of Van Der Waals and interrelated interactions between the dirt and the substrate. 3. Washing Procedure 3.1 Structures The most important ingredients in detergents are chemicals called wetting agents. The word aa‚ ¬Aâ€Å"surfactantaa‚ ¬A? comes from aa‚ ¬Aâ€Å"surface active agentsaa‚ ¬A? and as defined, the wetting agents are chemical signifiers which tendency to concentrate or better to adsorb at interfaces, or to organize colloidal sums in solution at really low molar concentrations. As shown in Figure 1, it is obvious to bespeak the basic demand of wetting agents is combination of hydrophilic and hydrophobic parts in molecules, i.e. amphiphilic molecules. When the wetting agents dissolved in H2O, they will prefer to hold an orientation that can minimise inauspicious interactions between hydrophobic molecular subdivisions and aqueous stage ( Figure 2 ) . Figure 1 Structure of Wetting agents Beginning: pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/B1319/B1319.html Figure 2 Wetting agents dissolved in H2O Beginning: slides of talks Therefore, there are several signifiers when wetting agents are in solutions ( Figure 3 ) . Figure 3 Different signifiers of wetting agents 3.2 Mechanism As the cardinal construction of wetting agents mentioned, the lavation procedure is easy to explicate. To do H2O wash better, surface tenseness has to be reduced so H2O can wet things more uniformly. That is exactly what a wetting agent does. The wetting agents in detergents improve H2O ‘s capableness to wet things, spread over surfaces, and ooze into soiled apparels fibres. Wetting agents do another of import occupation excessively. In the solution incorporating the wetting agents whose molecules adsorb on the surface of dirt and fabrics at the same time, the hydrophobic portion of their molecule is attracted to H2O, while the other portion is adhering to dirt and grease. Neither detergents nor soap accomplish anything except adhering to the dirt until some mechanical energy or agitation is added into the equation [ 3 ] . So the wetting agent molecules help H2O to acquire a clasp of lubricating oil, interrupt it up, and wash it off ( Figure 4 ) . Figure 4 Illustration of the particulate dirt remotion If the dirt is oily, it will scatter in solution as emulsion, while it is particulate, it disperses as suspension. 4 Components Used for wash, the detergents ever contain wetting agents, builders, enzymes, decoloring agents, and other minor additives such as optical brighteners, fabric softeners, and scattering agents [ 4 ] . Among them, wetting agents and builders are the two most of import ingredients. 4.1 Wetting agents As an abbreviation for surface active agent, wetting agents remain the most of import constituents for the development of cloth attention and place attention merchandises [ 5 ] , consisting from 15 % to 40 % of the entire detergent preparation [ 6 ] . Wetting agents used in detersive preparations can be classified into four groups harmonizing to the hydrophilic group: non-ionic detergents, nonionics, cationics, and zwitterionics. In the usage of detergent composings, alkylbenzene sulfonates, alkyl sulphates alcohol ethoxylates, kats, and betaine are popular, and biodegradable wetting agents such as APG and MES will be a development tendency in the detergent composings [ 4 ] . Nowadays, mixed active preparations are popular worldwide because they offer the advantage of good public presentation over a wider scope of wash conditions and let makers flexibleness with regard to surfactant supply and demand [ 7 ] . Besides at the same clip the commixture helps to stay mile to the tegument of custodies. 4.2 Builders A possible builder should fulfill a big figure of demands including sequestering ability, alkalinity, buffer capacity, bleach compatibility, dirt deflocculation, unwritten toxicity, skin soaking up, oculus annoyance, effects on fish and other aquatic animate beings, and other environmental and economic practicableness [ 8 ] . We use builders to take Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions in difficult H2O and in dirts, for ever wetting agents can non work efficaciously in H2O particularly in difficult H2O. And the great sum of wetting agents in the detergent preparations increases the figure of troubles and the costs of sewerage disposal. Figure 5 Structures of polydimethyl siloxanes and their derived functions [ 4 ] We have ionic, organic and polymer builders [ 4 ] . In the Attic, Sodium tripolyphosphate ( STPP ) was the most used in the yesteryear. However, for phosphates can easy do a batch of environmental jobs that later, we use organic builders such as EDTA, NTA, ODA, IDA, and so on as a replacement for STPP. But still question their clean efficaciousnesss, inauspicious ecological or toxicological influences, and the cost. Besides, we use borates and zeolites as ionic builders, and now multifunctional builder is demanded, such as superimposed crystalline silicate ( Na2Si2O5 ) which combines a high public presentation per unit mass with a high grade of multi-functionality [ 9 ] . Polymeric builders have good builder capacity but most of them are non of course biodegradable. So now a bio-based polyester co-builder, which is found to be non-toxic to aquatic life is invented [ 10 ] . 4.3 Enzymes Encapsulated enzymes have been used worldwide for 40 old ages in detergent merchandises, particularly laundry preparations, and for biodegradability and functionality at low temperatures, its importance additions [ 11 ] . Enzymes can assist to better detergence, such as peptidase, amylase, cellulase, and lipase. Alkaliphilic Bacillus strains are frequently good beginnings of alkaline extracellular enzymes to be used in detergents [ 12 ] . Before people think enzymes in detergents ever cause allergy, but now this has been changed and substituted by the recommendation of carefully use by the practician. 4.4 Bleachs We use bleaches to destruct unwanted discolorations on the cloth, and besides dyestuff in solution which causes hemorrhage. Laundry detergents typically contain percarbonate or perborate salts as bleach systems [ 13 ] . The bleach activity ever requires a suited temperature. For the energy economy and other restricts, scientists focus on new accelerators to make the same clean efficaciousness at a comparatively low temperature. However, at the same clip of decoloring discolorations, bleaches besides increase melting degree of the fabric [ 14 ] . As used in day-to-day lavation, we besides have to see the built-in toxicity and toxic by-products of decoloring additives. 4.5 Other Additives Some laundry detergents contain â€Å" optical brighteners † . These are fluorescent dyes that glow blue-white in UV visible radiation which can do yellowed cloths appear white [ 15 ] . Fabric softeners are to cut down the clash between fibres, and between fibres and the tegument. They are frequently a cationic wetting agent, which is attracted to the negatively charged substrates like proteins and many man-made cloths. Scattering capacity is a step of how a liquid stage influences a solid stage [ 16 ] . From some respects it decides the cleansing capableness. We add some scattering agents into the detergents to better the decreasing of the surface tenseness so increase the efficaciousness of detergents. 5. Development Scientists are concentrating on detergents for wash which are biodegradable, effectual, and low toxic to clamber. Biosurfactants are possible the replacements for chemical wetting agents. Compared with chemical wetting agents, they are better in biodegradability and effectivity at utmost temperature or pH and in holding lower toxicity [ 17 ] . However, it is difficult to happen a balance between the hydrolytic and the biodegradability, non merely for the wetting agents, but besides for the enzymes and other additives in the detergents [ 18 ] . Now many biosurfactants are tested for utilizing in laundry preparations, as what Mukherjee AK [ 19 ] and Srokova I [ 20 ] have done. To salvage energy and H2O, there is a tendency of concentrated detergent, and besides it is environment friendly [ 21 ] . And different new sorts of additives are added as softeners, odor-removers, antibacterial constituents, and others which can give detergents multifunction.

The Safavid and Moghul Empire

The Safavid Empire really put Iran on the map for their economic strength. The Safavid Empire was founded by the Safavids and covered all of Iran, parts of Turkey, and Georgia. The Shiite based empire lasted from 1501-1722. The reason for their success was their locations on the trade routes. Shah Ismail, age 14 ruled from 1501 to 1524 and by 1510 he had conquered all of Iran. Shi’ism was introduced to Iran and many Sunni Muslims were murdered. But there was a positive side to their religion; the early Safavid Empire was a theocracy. Religious and political powers were all together. The Empire became rich because it was in the center of the trade route in the Ancient World. Shah Abbas was leader during the golden years of the Safavid Empire. Although he had a small army, they were well trained and had had the best weapons. With the help of the Europeans Shah Abbas had some success against the Ottoman Turks. After Shah Abbas died the Safavid Dynasty suffers and leaders lacked leadership skills. Afghan people invaded and seized the capital of the Safavid Empire and what is left of the Safavid dynasty falls apart. The Mogul Empire (also spelled Moghul or Mughal) was founded by Babur in 1526 and stretched from almost all of India and westward into Europe. Babur’s army was small, but had better weapons. Babur captured Delhi and conquered North India until he died in 1530. Akbar was Babur’s grandson son and was 14 when he took the throne. By 1605 Mogul ruled most of India. Akbar was a great negotiator, was lenient with different religions, and was very humane. He even married a Hindu woman. People had to pay 1/3 of their harvest every year to the state, but sometimes that tax might be lowered or excused. Trade and manufacturing flourished during this time. After Akbar died, Jahangir took over and continued to strengthen the central government. He convinced his wife to arrange a marriage with him son and her niece and he becomes the ruler after Jahangir. Shah Jahan could not deal with domestic problems and cost the Empire a lot of many. He had many expensive projects such as the Taj Mahal which was built for his favorite wife who dies while giving birth to her 14th child. The government had to raise taxes to pay for it. When Shah Jahan dies, his sons fight for power and one ends up killing another so the son Aurangzeb becomes king. He was a devout Muslim and forbade drinking, gambling, and prohibited the building of Hindu temples. As a result of this, people are unhappy and the Persians attack in 1739. The British arrived in the Mogul Empire and wanted to take over. Of course the British won and they had the right to collect taxes in areas surrounding the Calcutta. Muslim woman began to fight in battles and female relatives become advisors to leaders. Moguls brought together Indian and Persian cultures and influences. The Mogul and Safavids, although very different had many things in common. Both had important rulers who started their reign at 14. Both were of Islamic religion, and they both had small armies but advanced weapons. The rulers played a role in the Empire’s decline. Both started out as strong, wealthy empires and started to decline. And The Mogul and Safavid Empire had strong religious beliefs.

Veterans File Lawsuit After Health Benefits Were Denied

Veterans File Lawsuit After Health Benefits Were Denied Class Action by Veterans Denied VA Benefits for PTSD Can Now Proceed A recent ruling by a Senior U.S. District Judge now allows those Navy and Marine Corps veterans who developed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after their service in Iraq and Afghanistan to file suit against the military for denying them Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits. A detailed article on the case is available here.A Question of DispensationA federal judge in New Haven, Connecticut certified a class-action lawsuit brought by a number of veterans against Navy Secretary Richard Spencer. The suit alleges the servicemembers unfairly received less-than-honorable discharges following minor infractions brought on by untreated mental health problems. The less-than-honorable designation prevents these veterans from receiving VA benefits- including mental health treatment.A Similar CaseStudents from Yale Law School are representing another group of veterans in a similar class-action lawsuit against the Army. They allege nearly one-third of the close to two million veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan now suffer from PTSD and related mental health disorders. They also suggest the military issues a high number of less-than-honorable discharges for minor infractions attributable to mental illness.Poor Odds of AppealFederal prosecutors cited the ability of plaintiffs to reapply for discharge upgrades as a reason to reject the class-action lawsuit. Under new rules established last year, veterans with mental-health problems now qualify for additional leniency. However, the Navy discharge review board approved only 16% of discharge upgrade applications. The Army and Air Force- in contrast- approved some 51% of upgrades.We Can HelpIf you are disabled and unable to work, call Disability Attorneys of Michigan for a free confidential consultation. We’ll let you know if we can help you get a monthly check and help you determine if any money or assets you receive could impact your eligibility for disability benefits.Disability Attorneys of Michigan works hard ever y day helping the disabled of Michigan seek the Social Security Disability and Veterans Disability benefits they need. If you are unable to work due to a physical, mental, or cognitive impairment, call Disability Attorneys of Michigan now for a free consultation at 800-949- 2900.Let Michigan’s experienced disability law firm help you get the benefits you deserve.Disability Attorneys of Michigan, Compassionate Excellence. Michigan Veterans Disability Benefits Lawyer, Veterans Disability Benefits, Veterans Disability Benefits Lawyer

What Is the PreACT

What Is the PreACT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Finally, a practice test from the ACT with a name that doesn't include a corny inspirational verb! That's right - the ACT is rolling out a new test called the PreACT this upcoming school year. It's similar to its SAT counterpart, the PSAT, although not exactly the same. In this article, I'll tell you what's on the PreACT, how its different from the PSAT, and what it means for you as a student. What Is the PreACT? The ACT recently announced that it will be adding a new test to its repertoire: the PreACT. It's a multiple-choice test aimed at preparing 10th grade students for the ACT. This new test seems poised to emerge as a competitor for the PSAT, although the ACT claims this was not the intention behind its creation. The ACT retired the ACT Explore (for 8th and 9th graders) and ACT Plan (for 10th graders) tests in 2014 to make way for the new ACT Aspire program (which is a set of standardized tests spanning grades 3-10).The PreACT is different from ACT Aspire tests because it serves as a way for students to see direct score predictionsbased on the same scale and content as the regular ACT. The PreACT has the same four multiple-choice sections as the regular ACT: English, Math, Reading, and Science. There is no Writing section. The test is also scored the same way as the regular ACT, on a scale from 1-36. The main difference is that it's considerably shorter. While the regular ACT is 2 hours and 55 minutes long (3 hours 35 minutes if you add the Writing section), the PreACT is only 1 hour and 55 minutes long. The questions on the exam will be questions from past ACTs that have been reformulated, so the difficulty level of the test is on par with the regular ACT. The point of the test is to help students get a better sense of where they would score on the real ACT and how much more they need to prepare before taking it. The PreACT will debut in the 2016-2017 school year. Schools and districts can choose to administer the test anytime between September 1st and June 1st. The changing of the seasons has no bearing on the PreACT. It is timeless. It is all around us. How Is the PreACT Different from the PSAT? The PreACT is different from the PSAT in a couple of significant ways. First of all, there's no scholarship competition associated with the PreACT. Its sole purpose is to prepare students for the ACT; scores will not have any direct effects on the college admissions process. It's genuinely just a practice tool. Another difference is that the test wil cost slightly less than the PSAT - it's $12 per student rather than $15. The SAT and the ACT are currently in a contentious battle for a greater share of the standardized testing market, so this move appears to be an attempt to further undercut the dominance of the PSAT. Schools can also administer the PreACT whenever they want during the year, whereas the PSAT has a specific October testing date with only one alternate date available. Offering greater flexibility is most likely another appeal to students and school districts who might be frustrated with the rigidity of the PSAT testing schedule. Students will be able to see the original PreACT questions and their answers within two weeks of taking the test. This is a much faster turnaround than the PSAT, which typically doesn't release scores until six weeks after the test. Your results will be piping hot when they're delivered. Don't burn your tongue. Remember, eating the score report is the only way to truly eliminate your mistakes. What Does This Mean for You? Ok, there's a new official practice test for the ACT. So what? Well, if you plan on taking the ACT as a junior, you might consider taking the PreACT in 10th grade to augment your prep efforts. Since it's made up of actual ACT questions, it will give you an accurate estimate of your score level and help diagnose your weaknesses so you can study strategically. Based on what we know about the PreACT so far, however, you should view it as an option rather than a necessity. If you're a motivated studier, you can take timed ACT practice tests, assess your mistakes, and get the same information about your strengths and weaknesses without handing over the cash equivalent of two Chipotle burritos. If you're more of a procrastinator, it might be a good idea to sign up for the PreACT. It will help you get familiar with the format of the ACT earlier than you would otherwise, and it does the grunt work of assessing your areas of weakness so you can start fixing them. Dust off that tool kit sitting in the back of your brain, and create a DIY masterpiece. What's Next? Do you really have to start preparing for standardized tests this early?Find out whether you should start studying for the ACT in 10th grade or hold off until a bit later. If you plan on taking the SAT instead of the ACT, you actually have two practice test options in 10th grade. Learn more about the difference between the PSAT 10 and the PSAT/NMSQT. When should you take the ACT for the first time? This article will give you the tools to decide on the best test date for your ACT debut. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

The Biggest Sharks in the World

The Biggest Sharks in the World The whale shark holds the title of the worlds biggest shark species. Growing to a length of about 65 feet (the length of about 1 1/2 school buses!) and weighing about 75,000 pounds, this streamlined fish is really a gentle giant.   Some areas frequented by these sharks, such as Ningaloo Reef  in Australia, have become popular tourist destinations because of their swim-with-sharks programs. Whale sharks live  in tropical and warmer temperate waters in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. In addition to their size, these sharks can be easily recognized by their gorgeous coloration, which is formed from lighter spots and stripes over a gray, blue or brown skin. They also have very wide mouths, which they use to eat tiny prey primarily plankton, crustaceans, and small fish, which are filtered from the water as the shark swims. The second-biggest shark species is the basking shark, which grows to about 40 feet long. These animals are also plankton feeders. They live primarily in temperate ocean waters throughout the world. The Biggest Shark Filmed In summer 2015, a video swept the news, touting it was the biggest shark ever filmed. What many of the news reports failed to mention is the species. There are more than 400 shark species, and they range in size from the 60-foot whale shark to pygmy sharks and lantern sharks that are less than a foot long when fully grown. The biggest shark filmed was actually a white shark, also known as a great white shark. At average lengths of 10 to 15 feet, white sharks are generally much smaller than a whale shark or basking shark.   So, while the 20-foot white shark nicknamed Deep Blue may (or may not) be the largest white shark ever filmed, its by far not the largest shark ever filmed as there is plenty of video footage of much larger whale sharks and their slightly smaller relatives, the basking shark.   The Biggest Shark Ever Caught According to the International Game Fish Association, the largest shark ever caught was a white shark nabbed in  Ceduna, Australia. This shark weighed 2,664 pounds.   Another one of the largest white sharks caught is thought to be a 20-foot shark caught by a trawler about 12 miles off the coast of Prince Edward Island, Canada. The significance of the sharks size was underestimated at the time, and the shark was initially buried. Eventually, a scientist dug it up to investigate it and realized the enormity of the find. The shark was later estimated to have been about 20 years old, meaning it may still have had some growing to do Sources Bateman, D. 2015. Canadian Who Caught Real-Life Jaws Wishes He Hadnt. Toronto Star Newspapers. CBS News. 2015. Giant Great White Shark Caught OFF P.E.I. Was a Teenager. Grenoble, R. 2015. This Is Deep Blue, Probably the Biggest Shark Youve Ever Seen. The Huffington Post.Martins, Carol, and Craig Knickle. 2009.  Whale Shark.  Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department.

Module 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Module 5 - Essay Example The number of visits made have a mean of 2.86 with a variance of 4.87. The standard deviation is 2.21 confirming the spread of the data. Group A has wide variations in terms of among the group observations. As Richmond, R (2006) puts it, the amount of variations in a group determine how the elements of the group are spread and how the differences amount to. The workers in group A are quite different from each other and it will not be a good idea to hire them due to this. Both groups have the same mean of 79.1 but the workers in group B have almost the same traits than in group A. When it comes to getting the services of a certain group, Group B is most likely due to its homogeneity. Group A has a standard deviation high above the expected of 24.12. In business, the mean is the best measure of central tendency. For example when you are reporting the sales you made in a day, the mean in the figure to use sine it shows what you have done in overall. On the other hand, while dealing in shares, the median is the most important as it shows the price which is the expectation of many. It shows where many people would like or got their shares in. In exports, the mode is the most important since it determines the frequency of doing business as well as the expected profit. Mode is also applicable when one is dealing with prediction of future business

Should Campus security be allowed to search students for drugs or Essay

Should Campus security be allowed to search students for drugs or weapons - Essay Example Because today the exposure to media and violence is so high that it can affect the young minds negatively. This stigma can be avoided if the schools and colleges help to eradicate such evils because training begins at educational institutions. For this purpose and many other some campuses have started searching students for drugs and weapons so that students who are used to such habits can be punished severely for bringing in such stuff (so that they never repeat the mistake again) but the question that is being discussed here is that should the campus security be allowed to carry out searches? If schools experience high level of violence and drug use then school officials may wish to consider adopting search policies that permit under certain circumstances to screen students and search school property for drugs and weapons. There is definitely no harm in doing it since a school is conducting it for the safety of its students and to make them better people who can serve the nation. Violence at school often involves the use of weapons. Traditionally, weapons prohibited on school grounds are firearms and explosives, but recently, many states have widened these guidelines. For example, in Kansas, weapons include firearms, explosive devices, bludgeons, metal knuckles, throwing stars, electronic stun guns, specific types of knives (such as switchblades and butterfly knives), and any weapon that "expels a projectile by the action of an explosive. For example if your child comes back from school and tells you about an incident where his/her friend pointed a knife at him/her during a common fight, would you feel okay? Obviously not! And these kind of situations have become so common now a days that school authorities are left with no option but to conduct security checks since if anything happens on school grounds it comes under the responsibility of the concerned authority, and in such cases parents are the first ones to come up and blame the schools. Sometimes

Common household items (chemicals) found in cells Assignment

Common household items (chemicals) found in cells - Assignment Example Due to its large presence, it acts as the main solvent in a cell. This is why most of the chemical reactions taking place in the body involve molecules (solutes) that are dissolved in water (solvent). Chemical reactions require aqueous medium to take place, thus water’s role is verified. A cell that lacks sufficient water tends to get shrink and dehydrated. Cells getting dehydrated leads to total dehydration of human body which is fatal. Thus, water, like oxygen, is a very important constituent of cell. Now, we talk about inorganic compounds of a cell that are also found in common household. Carbohydrates are other important carbon-based chemicals/molecules that give energy to the cell. Since most carbohydrates are sweet, these are commonly known as sugars. These are called Monosaccharide, Disaccharides and Polysaccharides. Monosaccharides comprise of glucose and since, glucose is the most abundant monosaccharide in blood, it is also referred to as blood sugar. The breakdown of simple sugars, like glucose, â€Å"provides both a source of cellular energy and the starting material for the synthesis of other cell constituents† (Cooper, 2000). Two monosaccharides combine to form a disaccharide. For example, glucose combines with fructose to form sucrose, and when glucose combines with galactose, then lactose is formed which is milk sugar. Many monosaccharides combine to form polysaccharides. Here, chains of glucose molecules combine to form glycogen and starch, found in animal a nd plant cells respectively. Lipids or, in other words, fats are also found in cells. These lipids are divided into categories namely fatty acids, triglycerides, phospholipids and steroids. Lipids are not only a main component of cell membrane but also act as energy and neutral fat storage. These also act as a protective layer around the cell to prevent abnormal activities like extra water coming in and out.

Treatment Plan for Severe Heart Failure and Diabetes Research Paper

Treatment Plan for Severe Heart Failure and Diabetes - Research Paper Example It is imperative for him to take his situation seriously and consult with his physician on a regular basis, so that, if his health condition worsens, then it can be treated timely. This problem of breathlessness could also be early symptom of lung cancer, due to this possibility; Herbert’s complete physical is strongly recommended that will help in diagnosing any subtle diseases prevailing in his body. Government should also play its due role in saving this man’s life, because he is not in a good financial position, so it is the duty of federal agencies to pay his medical dues. In many cases breathlessness and hypertension are directly responsible for heart failure (Lavine & Gellman, 2002). In the light of this observation, the role of nursing and other medical staff becomes significant in saving the life of a patient. Healthy lifestyle with mild level of exercise, minimize the breathlessness, as respiratory system has to inhale sufficient amount of air to compensate fo r fatigue, in this way it starts working properly. On the other side it also causes an individual’s appetite to normalize (Nodari, Metra, Cas, & Cas, 2003). At the same time, formalized group discussion panel containing professional doctors, was unable to develop a more effective and efficient way for the treatment breathlessness and appetite disorder, in comparison with existing ones (Kasje, Denig, Stewart, Graeff, & Haaijer-Ruskamp, 2012). A revolutionary finding is being highlighted by Mangiavacchi & et al, (2008), which points out towards the increased death rate, due to heart failure, in those diabetics who were suffering from respiratory issues, and were treated by insulin, thus concluding in the favor of non-usage of insulin on diabetic heart patients. At the same time, Metformin is recommended for the treatment of diabetes in heart patients with breathlessness (Eurich & etal, 2009). Breathlessness is caused by a malfunctioning part of a respiratory system, starting fr om nose to lungs (Bennett, 2003). On the other hand, this situation can be caused by blockage of air passages of nose, thus limiting the airflow to the lungs A problem in human’s circulatory system can also cause an individual to feel breathless, because with the sufficient amount of oxygen reaching to the cells of the body. The nerves system, therefore attempts to compensate for oxygen deficiency (Bennett, 2003). By pushing respiratory rate to a higher level, as a consequence patient feels breathless. It is believed that an early detection of breathlessness and appetite loss in elder people could be helpful in treating the disease (Boonman-de Winter & etal, 2009). In the case study Mr. Herbert has been diagnosed, with breathlessness earlier, so it will be relatively simple to devise a healthcare plan for him. Along with this, his caring attitude regarding his health is commendable. Metaformin treatment is suggested for Herbert, because it does not endanger the life of a card iac patient with breathing disorder, unlike insulin (Andersson & etal, 2010). Along with the medication, proper, light and routine exercise is also prescribed for the patient under study. However, relax home environment is critical for the health of the patient. According to the findings of a preliminary study, breathlessness could

Cultural Anthropology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cultural Anthropology - Essay Example His definition offers a complete overview of the subject matter of anthropology and is widely quoted by many. This essay now defines culture and its characteristics. People in cultures mostly have the same human cultural traits (O'Neil, p. 5). However, many human beings have different ways of expressing these traits that result from varying cultures and traditions. This essay used to compare the classification of two lifestyle patterns in North American Indian regions': the culture of foragers and the culture of horticulturalists to discuss and analyze the similarities and differences of both cultures in relation to their way of food production, way of living and the like. In his book Primitive Culture, Edward Tylor defined culture as "that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, arts, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society" (Kottak 62; Scupin 43). He emphasized on the last phrase "acquired by man as a member of society" for he believed that culture is not only acquired through biological inheritance but living and being part of a society as well for they are more exposed to cultural tradition. His definition also suggests that culture includes all aspects of human activity-tools, weapons, fire, agriculture, animal domestication, metallurgy, writing, airplanes, computers, penicillin, nuclear power, rock-and-roll, video games, designer jeans, religion, political systems, science, sports, and social organizations. It involves every activity from the fine arts, popular entertainment, development of new technology and even everyday behaviour. The process by which a person learns his or her culture is called enculturation (Kottak 62). An individual acquires any cultural tradition because of the capacity of a human being to learn. Though animals learn from experience or from other members of their group, the cultural learning only develops within the human capacity to create symbols or signs. Cultural learning signifies that people have the ability to create, remember, and deal with ideas. According to Kottak, culture is learned ("Cultural Anthropology" 63). People begin to internalize an established group of meanings and symbols that people use to define their world, express their emotions, and create their judgments. This can be done through a process of conscious and unconscious learning and interaction with others. People transmit culture through observation where most children modify their own behaviour in accordance to what their culture entails as right or wrong or bad or good. Culture is proven to be acquired unconsciously because of the cultural tradition that they do automatically without a direct instruction to maintain them. Anthropologists stated that cultural learning is intricate among humans and though humans differ in their emotional and mental abilities, people can still learn their cultural tradition. Culture is also shared for it is a quality not only of individuals but of individuals as members of groups as well (Kottak 63). People who grow up in the same culture have shared their beliefs, values, memories, and

The Impact and Implications of Corporate Culture Research Paper

The Impact and Implications of Corporate Culture - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that 21st century is recognized as an era of globalization and industrialization. The countries around the world have interconnected with each other through trade. All these have lead to the development of industries, factories, and corporate offices. Chang, Chiou, and Chen suggest that an organization is a common platform where individuals work in accord to earn profit and livelihood. In other words, it is identified as a business identity where a group of people certified to act as a single body manage the whole company with the help of employees and different types of management committees with the sole aim of profit maximization. Every company has its unique style of functioning which often contributes to its culture. A culture of a company is based on the principles, beliefs, ideologies, and values. The culture of an organization determines the behavior of workers in the organization as well as with people outside the company. An emplo yees’ performance can increase or diminish based on the environment of a corporate culture. If an employee is happy and comfortable, then he will be able to contribute his maximum energy to the workings of the company. However, an unsatisfied worker will always incur the loss of the company. The organization must have some guidelines for its workers. So, predefined policies that direct employees are represented by the organizational culture which gives them a proper sense of direction to accomplish their targets. So, a healthy workplace must clear the roles and responsibilities of employees. The manner an individual behaves in his or her workplace determines his or her corporate culture. This culture reflects the aggregated principles, values and beliefs of corporate employees and it also represents the product of different factors such as market, strategy, product, technology, history, kind of employees, national culture and style of the management committee. It is also defi ned as the set of distributed assumptions that guide all the happenings in the corporation by defining suitable behavior for various situations. It is also the sketch of such assumptions and behaviors that are imparted to new workers as a method of perceiving and even, feeling and thinking.

Cultural Anthropology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cultural Anthropology - Essay Example His definition offers a complete overview of the subject matter of anthropology and is widely quoted by many. This essay now defines culture and its characteristics. People in cultures mostly have the same human cultural traits (O'Neil, p. 5). However, many human beings have different ways of expressing these traits that result from varying cultures and traditions. This essay used to compare the classification of two lifestyle patterns in North American Indian regions': the culture of foragers and the culture of horticulturalists to discuss and analyze the similarities and differences of both cultures in relation to their way of food production, way of living and the like. In his book Primitive Culture, Edward Tylor defined culture as "that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, arts, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society" (Kottak 62; Scupin 43). He emphasized on the last phrase "acquired by man as a member of society" for he believed that culture is not only acquired through biological inheritance but living and being part of a society as well for they are more exposed to cultural tradition. His definition also suggests that culture includes all aspects of human activity-tools, weapons, fire, agriculture, animal domestication, metallurgy, writing, airplanes, computers, penicillin, nuclear power, rock-and-roll, video games, designer jeans, religion, political systems, science, sports, and social organizations. It involves every activity from the fine arts, popular entertainment, development of new technology and even everyday behaviour. The process by which a person learns his or her culture is called enculturation (Kottak 62). An individual acquires any cultural tradition because of the capacity of a human being to learn. Though animals learn from experience or from other members of their group, the cultural learning only develops within the human capacity to create symbols or signs. Cultural learning signifies that people have the ability to create, remember, and deal with ideas. According to Kottak, culture is learned ("Cultural Anthropology" 63). People begin to internalize an established group of meanings and symbols that people use to define their world, express their emotions, and create their judgments. This can be done through a process of conscious and unconscious learning and interaction with others. People transmit culture through observation where most children modify their own behaviour in accordance to what their culture entails as right or wrong or bad or good. Culture is proven to be acquired unconsciously because of the cultural tradition that they do automatically without a direct instruction to maintain them. Anthropologists stated that cultural learning is intricate among humans and though humans differ in their emotional and mental abilities, people can still learn their cultural tradition. Culture is also shared for it is a quality not only of individuals but of individuals as members of groups as well (Kottak 63). People who grow up in the same culture have shared their beliefs, values, memories, and

Marketing Mix Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing Mix - Essay Example The paper will significantly concentrate on product, price, and place and promotional attributes of the selected product. It was Sony who manufactured a â€Å"LED-backlight LCD television† in the year 2004. However, Samsung was the first company to coin the term â€Å"LED TV† when they manufactured this product on their range of Edge-LED lit LCD televisions in the year 2009. There are even an enormous number of competitors in the marketplace of LED TVs such as LG, Vizio and Sharp. Focussing on the marketing mix strategy of Samsung LED TVs, the research paper will also try to recommend a few modifications in the existing strategy followed by the company. 2.0 Product The LED (Light Emitting Diodes) is a modern technology in the range of televisions. It has swapped the use of ‘standard florescent tubes’ in television. This technology is used by Samsung for producing high quality and fine images. This section of the research paper will focus on the product qual ities that are offered by the company along with the likely qualities sought by the customers. 2.1 Features that Customers Care the Most The features that are mostly sought by customers in the LED TVs are as follows: The images that are displayed by the LED TVs should be livelier The size of the LED TVs are expected to be drastically small, even hardly an inch The LED TVs should be energy savers and consume at least 40% of less power than that of other televisions The images produced by LED TVs are expected to be finer dark Last but not the least, the vibrant images’ quality should make the price paid worthy (Hall, 2011) 2.2 Features of Samsung LED TVs vs. Features of its Competitors The biggest competitors of Samsung LED TVs are Sony. It is better to compare the two with respect to a particular brand for making the differences distinct. Samsung C6500 vs. Sony EX700 The picture of Samsung C6500 has a stellar view with its input of High Definition signals. This feature makes t he picture look extremely bright. On the other hand, Sony EX700 has a major drawback of contrast degradation at the side angles that ranges to even more than 15 degrees off-centre. Thus, it is evident that the picture quality of Samsung LED TVs is better than that of Sony’s. The black level/contrast ratio of Samsung is better than that of Sony as in the dark scenes it maintains an inky black view. But the series of Sony EX700 maintains a view that is little ineffective than Samsung C6500. In case of appearance, Sony EX700 has a drawback of framing bezel which is wider. Moreover, it has a depth of 2.25 and a rotating table stand. On the other hand, Samsung C6500 has a depth of just 1.2 inches along with a bezel frame that has thickness of just 1 inch. The â€Å"swivelling chrome quadrapod stand† makes it look expensive and attractive (Wiley, 2010). 2.3 Consumers’ Criteria of Choices and Use of LED TVs The most important thing that the consumers look for while dec iding to buy an LED TV is the budget. It is important to decide on the amount that they can pay for buying the product as there are quite a few ranges of price in this category. Next, the customer should decide on whether they

Controversial Role of Marine Protected Areas in Fisheries Management Essay Example for Free

Controversial Role of Marine Protected Areas in Fisheries Management Essay Marine protected areas (MPA) refer to the zones in which human activity has been placed under some restrictions for protection and restoration of the natural environment, its surrounding waters and the occupant ecosystems, and any cultural or historical resources that may require preservation or management. They play a dominant role in protecting marine biodiversity, ecosystem function and sustaining healthy coastal communities. MPA is relevant to biodiversity and scale, legal and compliance, and socio-culture (IUCN amp; UNEP-WCMC, 2010). It is a site-scale unit that is essential for conservation of marine biodiversity and maintenance of productivity of oceans. Also, the protection of MPA is integrated into various policies and environmental safeguards of international financial institutions. Besides, MPAs are recognized as traditional practices, cultural values, rights and involvement of local/indigenous communities in protection, use and management. This essay focuses on controversy surrounding MPAs. It discusses the direct benefits of marine protected areas, followed by the reasons why commercial and recreational fishers are against the designation of MPAs. Last, it proceeds with a personal judgement on the role and relevance of marine reserves with the case of Phoenix Islands Protected Area. Section 2 Marine protected areas have brought a number of direct benefits in terms of biological diversity, fisheries, science, recreation and tourism, and education. * Biological diversity MPA mitigate or even avoid risks of diversity loss by providing refuges for species and protects their habitats that support their livelihood without human disturbance. It also facilitates the protection of unique, endemic, rare, and threatened species over a fragmented habitat (Fisheries and Oceans Canada 2011). * Fisheries MPAs have improved fish catch and led to stable catch levels. The species are able to spawn or to produce eggs and grow to adults in ‘no-take’ reserves. Also, increasing abundance moves to neighboring areas resulting from the spillover effect. The migration contributes to productive stocks adjacent to marine protected areas. * Science MPAs have created undisturbed locations free from exploited uses for scientific studies with enormous research potential. Fishery biologists believe that protected zones can be used as controls to monitor and study the recovery of fish populations (Sanchirico 2000). * Recreation amp; tourism Well managed marine protected areas have attracted thousands of visitors to view abundant marine life from observatories, with glass-bottomed boats, by snorkeling or scuba diving (Kenchington, Ward amp; Hegerl, 2003). The establishment of marine reserves opens new opportunities for local economy as tourist attractions. * Education The protected zones offer people opportunities to observe undisturbed marine species. They pass on the values of MPAs to the community with understanding and demand for sustainable management of their marine environments (Kenchington, Ward amp; Hegerl, 2003). Section 3 Marine protected areas are used as a tool for fisheries management. These areas have brought both benefits and costs to fisheries management. On one hand, the closed areas offer a hedge against management errors by improving the long term management of fisheries. On the other hand, they raise management costs of additional monitoring and enforcement, or even utilization of new technology. However, there remain some management uncertainties. The long run success of MPAs is uncertain in controlling effort because fishers internalize the social cost of their activities and concentration of fishing effort moves to unprotected areas. Moreover, the openness of marine environments and the susceptibility to broad oceanographic shocks make the protected zones likely to be responsive to external factors (Sanchirico 2000). Lack of enforcement and monitoring of these areas will also call into doubt that they are effective hedges. Additionally, the overall impact is unclear with few empirical results on the protected areas and unprotected. Because of uncertain fisheries management, commercial and recreational fishers often do not support the designation of marine protected areas. For one reason, fishers are sometimes displaced from their traditional fishing grounds to the remaining non-protected areas. The congestion effect generates conflict between users of the resource affecting both the displaced trawler and the fixed-gear fishermen. Also, displaced fishers have to spend additional time and effort learning about stock concentrations and oceanographic conditions that exist in the remaining areas (Sanchirico, Cochran, amp; Emerson 2002). More importantly, the designation forces fishermen to venture out to more distant waters leading to potential occupational risks. For another reason, transport costs and capital costs are increased. More fuel and time are spent on searching fish, and equipment and devices should be purchased. Section 4 The Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) was established in 2008, located in the Republic of Kiribati (Wikipedia 2013). It is the largest marine protected area (MPA) in the Pacific Ocean with an area of 408,250 km2. PIPA offers natural habitat for both marine and terrestrial biodiversity, especially for coral reefs and green turtles. It has protected the indigenous natural heritage from human disturbance as well as restored the islands for terrestrial species. Marine protected areas contribute to maintenance of biological diversity, healthy ecosystem and the promising future for the coming generations. These areas are beneficial beyond fisheries and marine ecosystem. They support scientific research, serve as tourist destinations with rising incomes for the local and educate people with their values. The protected zones provide both natural and cultural values. Furthermore, the ocean is correlated with the land and the air. MPAs affect the land and the air indirectly but significantly because the three elements are in the natural cycle. Thus, only with well management of the areas will they bring the most benefits to the humans to the great extent. Section 5 1. Fisheries and Oceans Canada 2011, Government of Canada, viewed 16 May 2013, lt; http://www. dfo-mpo. gc. ca/oceans/publications/dmpaf-eczpm/framework-cadre2011-eng. asp#c7gt;. 2. Kenchington, R, Ward, T amp; Hegerl, E 2003, Commonwealth of Australia, viewed 16 May 2013, lt; http://www. environment. gov. au/coasts/mpa/publications/pubs/benefits-mpas. dfgt;. 3. IUCN amp; UNEP-WCMC 2010, UNEP amp; WCMC, viewed 16 May 2013, lt; http://www. biodiversitya-z. org/areas/46#topgt;. 4. Sanchirico, JN 2000, Resources for the Future, viewed 16 May 2013, lt; http://www. rff. org/Documents/RFF-DP-00-23-REV. pdfgt;. 5. Sanchirico, JN, Cochran, KA amp; Emerson, PM 2002, Resources for the Future, viewed 17 May 2013, lt; http://www. cbd. int/doc/case-studies/inc/c s-inc-rf-04-en. pdfgt;. 6. Wikipedia 2013, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. , viewed 17 May 2013, lt;http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Phoenix_Islands_Protected_Area#Natural_heritagegt;.

Reflective Report For Project In Fostering Solutions

Reflective Report For Project In Fostering Solutions As a part of my Postgraduate degree program I got an internship opportunity for a period of three months at Fostering Solutions Ltd. The internship duration was from June till September. This report is a reflection on my experience of working as a consultant at Fostering Solutions. The project consisted of conducting a Competitor Analysis for the betterment of Fostering Solutions. Along with me were my team members Li who was responsible for carrying out the process improvement and Mani Shankar was vested with the responsibility of devising a national and marketing strategy. There was going to be a lot of team work, since the three parts would be combined together as one project. The project turned out to be a grand success and in this report I take you through my journey as a consultant from the beginning of the project till its conclusion looking at the various problems I faced and how I overcame them, the skills I learnt, my strongest motivation, how we developed team capabilities and finally the ending of the project. This was one of earliest projects that were posted on blackboard which I applied for, and was successful in proclaiming an internship after an interview with Fostering Solutions at Manchester Business School. It was a special feeling as I had a chance to work for a foreign company and this would subsequently add commendable strength to my resume. The Beginning The prospect of working on a live project as a consultant evoked plenty of excitement. For me the most significant aspect of the project was my opportunity to inculcate the theories and models I learnt in class to the corporate world. Having done my Bachelors in Management studies and currently pursuing a Post graduation in Business Analysis, this was the perfect opportunity for me to utilize my skills and relate to the learnings from the classroom. Most significantly having the knowledge and understanding of business models which I studied in the Analysing companies module at Manchester Business School helped me a lot. Though, this was possible only because I was able to implement those learnings in my internship project. The beginning was challenging because this was a new industry to me and we were unfamiliar with the concept of fostering. I had to start from scratch by learning the fostering basics, the industry mechanics followed by the current scenario of the market. This was going to be the foundation of the project and a key factor to its success. All this had to be done in a short span of time because I needed to get a head start in the project. 2.1 Day 1 In our first meeting with the client at Fostering Solutions Ltd, we were introduced as external consultants to all the members of staff in different departments. My first observation about the company was its organisational culture. I noticed that the organisational culture was of the role culture type, in which the organisation is split up into various functions and each individual is responsible for a particular duty. (Learn management, 2010) We were given a briefing about the project, the companys background and the fostering industry in general. I learnt that Michelle Sloan would be supervising me for my part of the project at the company. My first impression about Michelle was that she is a friendly and easy going person. I was given authority and freedom to work in any method comfortable to me. Her style of leadership was participative, since she would give me freedom and authority to work in my own way although she would check and double check my work to assess its suitability . We were presented a red folder containing inspection reports of different offices of fostering solutions, details of Fostering Solutions offices, contact details and a survey that was conducted on foster carers named as Foster Carer Viewpoints. This was the first significant aspect of my learning process to carry out a competitor analysis, this was regarding an inspection carried out by an organisation named Ofsted on independent agencies known as Ofsted Ratings. I learnt that Ofsted ratings is one way to assess competitors. The motivation I was strongly motivated by the fact that Fostering Solutions were going to take our findings and analysis very seriously. Subsequently our supervisor Prof Kurt kept highlighting the fact that Fostering Solutions unlike other big company internship project would analyse our recommendations meticulously and implement a few key ones. Knowing I had an opportunity to make a difference to an organisation was a big driving force for me. In addition to this I acknowledged to the fact that I was working for a social cause of helping overcome the shortage of foster carers in United Kingdom to the increase in the number of children in care with local authorities. My findings would help Fostering Solutions to recruit better and more foster carers and in turn help a number of children find homes and family. The Learning process In this section I reflect upon the learning process with respect to this internship project. I illustrate the gradual progress I made towards completion of the project successfully, there were learnings and knowledge gain at every level. The learning process began with understanding the foster carer approval process. Understanding this process was very complex and was a difficult task. As the project progressed I realised I cannot compare the approval process or the number of foster carers approved between different competitors because they would not divulge such key information to me. There was no other procedure to find the information either. However understanding this process helped me understand that for a fostering agency it is critical that the right people register their initial interest with the agency. This was the first step to recruiting foster carers. Therefore, more the number of suitable applications received more will be the foster carers approved. The learning proces s continued with understanding the Fostering industry business model. Learning and understanding the business model was key to carry out an efficient competitor analysis. Independent agencies like Fostering Solutions recruit and approve foster carers, and place them with children provided by local authority. The Independent agency charges the local authority for this and pays the foster carer allowance for their carer service. Shown below is my understanding and reflection about the fostering industry business model. My Understanding of the Fostering Industry Business Model For determining an organisations success in todays highly competitive and complex environment, the business model is the most significant tool. I understood that for any company to exist in this industry it has to recruit foster carers. Subsequently, I learnt more and more about the company, the industry and how things work in general with each passing week. One of the key learnings was when I realised that the local authority runs this industry and is a key ingredient of the business model. This understanding was essential for me to carry out my competitor analysis. After this the most significant aspect was to list out the key issues involved in recruiting foster carers. I understood that different people had different motivations to choose fostering. They are 1. For the sole purpose of fostering. 2. For the purpose of fostering and the financial interest in the allowance they would get. 3. They could be interested in adoption but first would like to foster the child and adopt at a later stage. After this I began the data collection process by assembling data regarding the industry to write a brief description and the challenges it is facing. By doing so, I learnt that there was a shortage of foster carers in the industry and an increase in the number of children coming into care. I learnt that the government of the United Kingdom were looking to reduce spending on Fostering in the coming years and this was a major threat to the fostering industry. By the end of June after consulting with Michelle, Fostering Solutions, we short listed nine companies on whom I would be filing reports which would shed light on how these firms compete with Fostering Solutions in the market. On doing further analysis to understand the factors which clarified how these firms compete with Fostering Solutions, I came up with criteria on which they would be compared and analysed, these criteria included turnover, profit margin, number of employees, location, foster carer allowance paid, services pr ovided, placement provided and Ofsted ratings. On carrying out a through analysis of these factors would enable me to gain an understanding of the positioning of these companies in the market. The learning process reached its peak when I could prepare a framework for my project report as shown below. Framework of the competitor analysis Working in teams There were times when I had to inherit the qualities or role of a leader, friend, colleague and subordinate while working as a part of a team. Good team leadership is to create conditions which would allow thoughts, ideas and people to succeed, by coming together and with a flow in the performance. When in pursuit of challenging team goals one can encourage effective teamwork by balancing peoples strengths with building good relationships. I enjoyed working with this team. The team would meet twice a week to discuss our parts and understand the progress each one of us was making. We would go to the office to meet with the client twice a week till the middle of July. The difficulties I faced in working in this team were communicating with Li who is Chinese and has a funny English accent. Similarly, she would have found our accent funny and would have found it a little difficult to grasp an understanding in one conversation. There were numerous occasions most recently today itself when I had to ask her to repeat her suggestion on the recommendation because I could not understand her English in the first attempt. Despite the cultural and geographical differences, it was an interesting experience working with a person from another country. I adjusted my method of working and communicating with the dynamics of the team. I believe this would be a key requirement for my future prospects when I work in an organisation. It is very important to adjust and settle down in accordance with the dynamics of the team you are working with. Despite our differences, we were a team that worked together, fought the difficulties and appreciated each others work. (Lawf ord, 2003) We shared work in such a way that every member could use his/her strengths to attain the required goal and not have to work on tasks which required skills which may be deficient. By doing this we increased the productivity of the team and the team morale. An example could be that I was good at making charts and compiling the whole report, whereas Li was good at the editing work and proof reading and accordingly we distributed the tasks to achieve proper synergy. An example of our progress as a team with reference to the Tuckmans Team Model Tuckmans Stages of Team Development Tuckmans model gives an understanding of how a newly formed team gradually develops maturity, ability and the establishment of relationships within the team members. From the Forming stage where the team comes together for the first time through 4 different stages the team goes through a series of changes and ultimately performs as a team and works towards achieving its goals Forming  stage Formation of the team Tuckmans model explains In this stage the team has been assembled and tasks are allocated among members. Team members pretend to get on with each other but they might not trust each other due to not knowing each other well enough. At this stage I felt it was important to bring the group together and work on our goals. It was important that we established our roles and this stage was a period of high learning. It is a stage where I learnt about beliefs, attitudes and observed the behaviour of my team members. Such things gave me an idea to understand these individuals and thus understand the group dynamics which were going to be formed. Storming Tuckmans model explains In this stage the team members strive to get down with the issues and ways to achieving them. At this stage, it is expected that arguments and tempers will flare. We did have a lot of arguments regarding each others report analysis and findings. The arguments occurred on topics such as format of the reports, whose part should come first and also the word count. As mentioned above, the incident where I named a file wrongly had led to arguments. Sometimes teams can become stuck in this phase for a long time due to persistent arguments and problems. At this stage the most important thing is to listen to each other, there was a need to create a positive vibe in the group and appreciate each others work. There was a necessity to set tasks and walk along with the team towards the next step. Hence a belief of yes we can was needed to make the transfer to the next stage. Norming  stage Tuckmans model explains This as the stage where the team members get used to the working ways of each other and develop trust and strive for team productivity. In this phase teams begin to work as a cohesive unit trusting each other. Li and Mani were aware that I work through the night and sleep early in the morning right upto 11 a.m. Hence we used to schedule some meetings for 1p.m. or later. Mani and I took a little longer to finish our sections of the report because we had a tough time getting the data we needed from secondary sources. Li understood and appreciated this difficulty. We had developed an understanding of exactly what was going on in each others section of report. It is highly important to self evaluate and communicate effectively at this stage. We shared responsibility by delegating tasks to be completed between the three of us. The risk at this stage was that the team could become complacent and lose its creativity or driving force that is required to achieve success in its goals. Our team did not lose its focus we kept working towards a common goal and took the step towards the final stage of our project. Performing  stage Tuckmans model explains This is a stage where the team is totally committed and strives towards a common goal. This is the final stage of the team where it focuses in finishing the tasks it set out and adjourning. Once we finished individual parts of group report, we met regularly at Manchester Business School to discuss the link between the 3 parts. At this stage individuals in the team are highly motivated for the success of the team wasting little time with high trust on one another. We proof-read each others work and thoroughly examined each others recommendations, sometimes through discussions, before coming to a consensus. It is key to note that a team according to tuckmans model can return to an earlier level if there is a change, for instance a review of the recommendations or the report or if a team member leaves prematurely. Difficulties Faced and How I Overcame Them At the outset of this Internship project I faced plenty of difficulties. In this section I reflect on the difficulties that I faced and what I did to overcome them. The beginning period was very tough for me from a personal point of view. My Father had a heart problem during May end/June start. I could not concentrate on my work and kept thinking about how things would be back home and worrying. It was an emotional and stressful beginning. At such time, there is no way to find out if your family is telling you the truth about the situation or otherwise. This makes things all the more difficult. It took me about ten to fourteen days to get back to normal self and believing that everything was alright. Nevertheless, this incident motivated me a lot to give it my best shot. I worked harder than ever to make my parents proud of me. 6.1 Problem solving model This problem solving model was adapted by me from the eight disciplines problem solving method. (David Bruce, 2010) I reflect on different problems I faced during the project and how I used this model to find a solution to those problems. Lack of Data During the early days of the project I had a tough time because I was reading information that had nothing to do with competitor analysis. Such was the vast nature of information provided to me about Fostering Solutions. I was given a number of books on fostering, care and training methods, which I read and found out, had nothing to do with my competitor analysis. A lot of precious time was wasted in going through irrelevant data. Often in research projects consultants could spend time reading, researching information that are of no use in the research but still have to be read and assessed to find out its use in future analysis. When analysing this problem with respect to the model I concluded the best option would be to create a framework and scope for my research. By doing so I exactly understood the data I was required to collect and carry out further analysis. I got all the data regarding Fostering Solutions from the company. However getting information about competitors to undertake a competitor analysis was a challenging task. Getting the financial data such as turnover, profit margin proved to a job in itself. During a meeting with Dr. Kurt, he suggested FAME database and it worked. The data for 8 companies out of 9 was available but TACT being a charity organisation there was no data. Another problem was that for Orange Grove (now taken over by Hillcrest Foster Care) and SWIIS the financial information available was only for the year 2008 and not 2009. But the data for other companies was available as per our requirement. The research could have been better had I got the required annual reports of these companies. I overcame this difficulty by considering the options to counter this problem. I selected the best suitable option which would be to conduct a comparison of these companies on data that I had such as services provided or fost er carer allowance. In this way I used my problem solving model and decided to concentrate on the data I possessed to continue my competitor analysis, rather than getting demotivated about the unavailable data. Similarly, getting data regarding the foster carer allowance was a hurdle. This information is important as it provides insight into who provides the best allowance to the foster carers and where Fostering Solutions stands in comparison. The hindrances I faced during this task were immense. This data for many competitors was not available directly; it was either hidden in the services page or FAQs section. By The Bridge did not divulge this information as it was not present on their website, but only in their brochure which they wont send out unless an initial application was filled. I went to the step 2 of my problem solving model and tried a few options to find out this data. I tried calling fostering companies on my radar and acting like a person who was interested in foster care and asked for access to their annual reports, brochure and foster carer allowance. I was told there was no access to annual reports and for brochure I would be required to fill in an application form. Lat er, I decided to try calling them saying I was a Manchester Business School postgraduate student and wanted their brochure, annual report of 2009 or 2008 as I am doing a research project on fostering industry. Even this trick did not work as they outsmarted me. The person I spoke to told me to forward my research project plan and key objectives and then only they will send this information. I could obviously not send this because the research objective was a competitor analysis for the benefit of Fostering Solutions. Thus, foster carer allowance for By The Bridge and TACT could not be found out after exploring the options stage. Hence I went to step 3 of the problem solving model and decided to compare these companies on other key factors such as size, turnover, ofsted ratings and services provided. Similarly, there was no data available regarding number of children placed by each of the competing companies. It would have been very helpful and interesting if I could have got data regarding children placed by each of 9 competitors. There was data available only regarding total children placed by all the Independent agencies and local authorities. I have included the same in the competitor analysis, but there was no data available on children placed by each competitor. Vast nature of the project The vast nature of the project and short span of time of 3 months to complete was a hindrance. According to our Academic supervisor Prof Kurt this project could have been carried out as a PhD for a three year term, such was its wide scope. I had 4000 to 6000 words to present and analyse data, compare the 9 companies to fostering solutions and come up with how they compete with them. This was always going to be too short to compile reports on these companies, write down my analysis, analysis regarding financial data, compile findings/comparison for each company to fostering solutions and lastly recommendations. I progressed to step 2 of the problem solving model and explored my options. Then I selected the suitable option of presenting some of the important data in the appendix and decided to strictly following the framework I had set out for the project and restricting myself to only presenting analysis and information that was key and omitting irrelevant data. Skills Utilized, skills I Lacked and Skills Acquired Skills Utilized Skills I utilized to successful completion of the project It is extremely crucial that a consultant has a complete understanding of the project requirement. I achieved this by breaking down the project into small elements and developed my understanding of the requirement of my client. This was done by discussing the project brief in detail with Fostering Solutions and Prof Kurt. Having applied this skill effectively I now feel I would be able to carry this experience on to future assignments I receive at my workplace. Secondly, having broken down the project into tasks I utilized my communication skills to keep the client informed about my progress in the report. I used the 7 Cs of communication clarity, confidence, comprehensive, concise, conviction, comfort and charisma to effectively communicate throughout the project.(Leslie, 2010) Having good communication skills helped me massively because this being a team project, there were three lines of communication. Firstly with the client, secondly with my team and thirdly with my academic supervisor Prof Kurt. Hence, to avoid confusion it was important to see that everyone was on the same wavelength. This was achieved by arranging a meeting between the company supervisors and our academic supervisor, Prof. Kurt. We agreed that all communication regarding meeting with our academic supervisor would be handled by Mani Shankar. I would be reporting directly to Michelle at Fostering Solutions and emailing Prof Kurt regularly regarding the progress of my report. We had a number of meetings at Manchester Business School and Fostering Solutions to discuss the progress of the project. Once the channels of communication were established early in the project, I had no problems working on the report and communicating with both the supervisors. Thirdly, I needed to be a good analyst to successfully progress in this report. Prof. Kurt gave me a nudge in the right direction by suggesting FAME database to me to look for financial data of companies that are available. Once this was done, competitors were assessed and compared with Fostering Solutions on turnover, profit margin, foster carer allowance paid, services provided and placements provided. This required a lot of data collection most of which was secondary and required a lot of analysis to find out exactly how they competed with Fostering Solutions in the market. Having analysed data on each competitor I discussed it with Michelle and Prof Kurt and got their feedback on the same. I found out an interesting statistics at fostering.net. From this file I found out that local authorities were always going to be big competitors with independent agencies in this industry. They had placed more children, recruited more foster carers and received more applications than the independent fostering agencies across the UK. This was the first analysis I had conducted. Showing it and proving it in meetings at MBS with the supervisors and again at Fostering Solutions gave me a lot of confidence. I started believing in my abilities to succeed in this challenging project and provide a lasting contribution to the success of Fostering Solutions. I found it difficult and challenging to collect the data required in order to carry out my analysis. FAME provided limited information and financial data for some companies were available only for the year 2008. There was no other way to find out the information I needed. I overcame this problem by comparing and doing my analysis for these companies on other variables such as foster carer allowance and services provided. Belief in my abilities grew when I discovered that local authorities had recruited, placed more children and received more applications than independent agencies and proved it with evidence in a meeting at Fostering Solutions. I conducted my analysis on turnovers, foster carer allowance, services provided and the locations of the competitors. This understanding was essential for me to come up with important observations regarding how the competitors compete with Fostering Solutions. Thus, in this way I excelled in using my analytical skills. Skills that I developed during this internship were my planning, organisational skills and time management. If I had to be successful in this project it was essential for me to plan and organise tasks before executing them. I believe I did this efficiently. One thing I would like to highlight and criticise myself is it took me a while to get a head start; Prof. Kurt and Michelle were extremely understandable, patient and helpful. This report could have been better if I had made a better start and I am critical about this issue. Though, the effort that has been put in is the same as I worked longer hours at a stretch when the real assignment began. I efficiently planned the time schedule for understanding the industry, data collection, analysis and writing the report. After analysing the data I would discuss it with Michelle. She would give her feedback and I would incorporate the completed data and analysis in my written report. As planned I completed writing my report before August 22nd 2010. Hence I believe that I have developed good planning and organising skills because without them I would not have been able to complete this project within the time duration; especially after the slow start that I had. One skill I lacked due to my inexperience of working on a project of such magnitude was presentation skills with respect to formatting and presenting a management report. This was the first time I had worked as a consultant for a company. I had no idea about how to present a report of such magnitude. Prof Kurt in one of our final meetings was critical about the way I had presented and written my report. My report draft had a shabby presentation with parts in bold, unnecessary paragraphs and some parts underlined unnecessarily. Prof Kurt showed me the right way and guided me to prepare the report and present it in a more professional and readable way. He taught me that presentation is a key aspect in report writing and all the hard work done could be undone by a shabby presentation. He gave us ideas to make the report look good and interesting to the reader. AIDA Model Attention Interest Desire Action I learnt that a good presentation of the report is a must because firstly it will capture the attention of the reader and generate an interest in the material. After which the reader would develop a desire to read it. These lessons will remain with me for the rest of my life and in future when I work for a company and have to present a consulting report I would reflect upon these lessons Prof Kurt enlightened upon me. (Aida, 2010) Working with Fostering Solutions The Client Fostering Solutions were supportive of this project. Michelle my supervisor was very excited about the whole project from the start. She was very friendly, supportive to me during the duration of the project. I was given a lot of freedom to choose whether to go and work from the office or working from my home/business school library. Michelle could not give me proper feedback because my report was in bits and pieces and in draft format till start of first week of August. But once I sent her the report in full, she helped me edit and also proof read given data analysis for me. Once I submitted my final draft to her, she was very happy with it and gave me her feedback. Michele and Prof Kurt appreciated my effort inspite of the challenges I faced such as lack of data, time constraints, word constraints to conduct a competitor analysis. Michele presented my findings, analysis and recommendations to the director of Fostering Solutions who requested for the FAME financial data to be put in the appendix, and congratulated me for my good work. In my recommendations to the client I adopted a diplomatic method to avoid being too critical or too polite. Michele was critical about a few of my recommendations at first, but once we debated the issues involved she realised that I had raised valid arguments. My responsibility was to recommend ways in which Fostering Solutions could compete in a better way in the market with respect to competitors. Hence I had to find out and raise concerns in the current working methods/strategy of Fostering Solutions in comparison with its competitors. This had to be done with care due to sensitivity of the issue involved, no organisation would like to hear or accept their faults or limitations. Thus I had to structure my recommendations in such a way that it would be read and accepted by the client. The reason being unless they are accepted with an open mind there is no chance of it being implemented by the organisation. Self evaluation model Following is a self evaluation model in which I assess the utilization of skills in this internship project using a coordinate diagram. X axis Skills to be evaluated 1 Planning and organising tasks 2- Communication skills 3- Analytical 4 Problem solving skills 5- Presentation skills with respect to formatting, editing. 6- Team work 7- Creativity Y axis Perfomance rating 1 Poor 2 Satisfactory 3 Good 4 Excellent Self evaluation model Excellent 4- (1, 4) (3, 4) (6, 4) Good 3- (2, 3) (4, 3) Satisfactory 2 (5, 2) (7, 2) Poor 1- 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Skills to be evaluated Coordinates and evaluation using the coordinates model (1, 4) Planning and organising skills Excellent (2, 3) Communication skills Good (3, 4) Analytical skills Good (4, 3) Problem solving skills Good (5, 2) Presentation skills with respect to formatting and editing, presentation of work has to be improved -Satisfact