Performance Indicator Ball Market

Performance Indicator Ball Market Free Online Research Papers The widespread adoption of the technology would change several aspects of the new ball market. Analyzing form the Value Creation point of view, we can anticipate the following changes. Consumer benefit (B) will increase, by a limited amount, as the consumer will now be able to identify the degradation level of each ball. They will not have to rely on visual assessment of the ball which was highly unreliable. They will also be protected from degraded balls that are sold in the used balls market. However, it is debatable if the consumer base will be able to recognize this newly created value that adds quality to their game, since the perception is that the ball quality can be judged visually. In essence, there is value creation but the customers may take time to recognize it. The cost of producing one unit(C) would increase slightly, though not by a very large amount. There would also be a surge in the demand for new balls because of the reduction in the supply of used balls. This is an impactful change as it modifies the market structure and changes the demand curve. First let us look at what happens in the used ball industry. Here, the value proposition of final product goes up significantly. Before the introduction of PI technology if you bought a dozen used balls, you would probably end up with a mix of degraded, partially degraded and good quality balls. Now, if degraded balls start turning grey then you are in fact sure that the balls you are buying are not degraded. There is a significant customer value addition to the industry product, or a spike in B. But there is a reduction of the supply of used balls as fewer balls are now to be found on the courses. This simply reduces the size of this used ball industry by almost half. Also, the cost of each old ball found of the course will go up due to the reduction in supply. Thus C increases. Als o, this combination of added consumer surplus and less supply would make the demand curve steeper and more inelastic. The only logical choice for maintaining revenues for used ball manufacturers would be to increase price (P) to capitalize on the new value proposition and increase margins to make up for lost volume (Q). Coming back to the new ball market, there would be fewer substitutes in the market, and these would be more expensive and more reliable than before. Also, the overall size of the new ball industry would increase. The demand curve would slope steeper decreasing price elasticity, and shift outwards to reflect a total volume increase and increased consumer surplus. Thus the new ball manufacturers would be able to increase prices (P) without decreasing their volumes (Q) (perhaps even increasing their volumes at the same time). They will be able to thus CAPTURE a. the value created by the new technology and b. the new demand created by reducing the value of competing product(used balls) The overall volumes of the firms and the profit per unit both are likely to go up after widespread adoption. Research Papers on Performance Indicator Ball MarketThe Hockey GameDefinition of Export QuotasBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfOpen Architechture a white paperMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductTwilight of the UAWGenetic EngineeringHip-Hop is ArtIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalThe Project Managment Office System

Ace the Interview Avoid These Questions!

Ace the Interview Avoid These Questions! The most stressful part of an interview for many people is when you’ve recapped the job responsibilities and your experience and the hiring manager leans back and says, â€Å"So, do you have any questions for me?† The recruiting whiz kids over at Careerealism have compiled a list of red flag questions that would make any employer think twice about your application- all you have to do is remember to ask  anything else.â€Å"Are you going to check my Facebook?†Recent court cases have actually begun to tilt in favor of applicant privacy, but it’s always better not to ask something that makes you look guilty. Before you go in for an interview, double-check your privacy settings and make sure you’ve vetted your friends list. Consider locking your Twitter and Instagram if you tend to be very free with your words there too!â€Å"What are the company perks?†If the company that’s interviewing wants to hire you, odds are they will tell you wha t perks to expect! Hold off until you’re filling out hiring paperwork with HR to ask about things like tech discounts or mileage reimbursements. A roundabout way to uncover the same information is â€Å"What do you love about working here?† or â€Å"How do you find the workplace culture?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Will I have to work evenings or weekends?†Again, wait until you have a job offer and see what your contract says. Nobody who â€Å"really wants a job† would ask this question- at least that’s how your prospective employer is likely to see it. Even if you know you’ll have childcare or transportation concerns, until the ink is dry, at least create the illusion that the company’s productivity comes before your own!â€Å"What exactly does your company do?†You would be better off kicking your shoes off and taking a nap mid-interview than asking this one. Who applies for a job- or worse, schedules an interview!- without learning at least a little about the company they’re visiting!? Believe me, I’ve been in that frenzied state of applying to e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g, and when I got the exciting interview call or email, I had to quickly Google and find out who on earth I’d just agreed to meet with.Do your research! Have a recent recent article that mentions the company or one of its clients ready to refer to, and have specific questions about this job  in this department. They don’t have to be particularly soul-searching, but they should be focused and reflect actual curiosity on your part.Now make sure your buttons are buttoned and your shoes are shined, and go ace that interview!

Computers and Construction Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 22500 words

Computers and Construction - Dissertation Example Importantly, the literature review will give the study a rather vital starting point and framework, especially for an incisive comparative analysis of the current, past and future status of BIM and other technologies in the construction industry. Generally, the last three decades have seen a tremendous upsurge in the number of literatures written on BIM and other computer technologies applied in the construction, architecture and engineering sectors. In some of the old and even recent literary materials, BIM is also portrayed as a comparatively new subject, serving the interests of the AEC sciences and the construction industry (Wong & Wong, 2010). These literatures also emphasise the role of BIM in availing excellent opportunities for academics, researchers and practitioners to significantly contribute to the development and further implementation of BIM across AEC sectors of economy. Among the most popular topics in the reviewed literatures include BIM implementation in architectur al and construction practice, the influence of BIM on construction management, the changes that BIM creates to the cost estimation, virtual construction development and collaborative technique in construction industry. ... While countries such as England, Canada, Scandinavia, Australia, Singapore Slovenia, the USA and Hong Kong have reported considerable progress in the development of BIM, accompanied by adequate and valuable case studies, surveys, publications and researches, other regions such as Africa, South America, Ireland and Russia are lagging behind in BIM adoption and implementation (McGraw-Hill Construction, 2009). Similarly, big construction firms such as AutoDesk, Bentley and McGraw-Hill Construction have made tremendous steps in BIM adoption and implementation while their smaller counterparts such as those involved in building residential homes lag behind in this regard. The following sections review some of the literatures and studies related to BIM and the economic importance of its implementation. Past Publications and Results If the evidences from past and current studies and literatures on Building Information Modelling are anything to go by, BIM can be said to have immense economic value not only to its designers, owners and constructors but also to the users of the built structures (Rice & Gerber, (2010). The achievement of this project’s objectives is likely to be dependent on the information that will be assembled from past studies and literatures on the subject of the economic value of BIM. Although individual writers and researchers have also covered the subject of BIM in general and that of the economic impacts of the technology in particular, most of the authors and researchers are corporate organisations in the construction, engineering and architectural industries (McGraw-Hill Construction, 2009). One such authors and researchers is McGraw-Hill Construction. One publication by this organisation, which touches on the economic importance and impacts

Ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Ethics - Assignment Example These are complex theories because nothing is white or black but has shades of grey. Thus killing for extortion is wrong but killing in self defense is right. Interestingly in a civil society, law and ethics often clash because while law deals with the wrong doings of people, it also reserves its judgment on the evidences of those acts, ethics primarily relies on the intangible guidelines of good and bad actions which are universally accepted. Thus, what could be legally wrong could also be construed as ethically correct behavior. For example, in some places, euthanasia is legal but many think that it is ethically wrong because killing in any form is wrong. In the contemporary environment of advancing technology and globalization, ethical consideration in personal and professional lives has become important because technology has provided people with strong tool to exploit others. Piracy and plagiarism are unlawful and unethical activities that have become easy with internet. Hence, accountability of actions and responsible behavior that takes into account the interests of others is highly desirable ethical conduct. (words: 270)

Developmental Psych Core Questions Essay Example for Free

Developmental Psych Core Questions Essay Core Chapter Learning Objectives for PSY 104 Developmental Psychology 1. Explain the role of theories in understanding human development, and describe three basic issues on which major theories take a stand. (pp. 5–7) 2. Describe recent theoretical perspectives on human development, noting the contributions of major theorists. (pp. 21–26) 3. Identify the stand that each contemporary theory takes on the three basic issues presented earlier in this chapter. (pp. 26, 27) 4. Describe the research methods commonly used to study human development, citing the strengths and limitations of each. (pp. 26–31) 5. Describe three research designs for studying development, and cite the strengths and limitations of each. (pp. 34–38) 6. Discuss ethical issues related to lifespan research. (pp. 39–40) Chapter 2 1. Explain the role and function of genes and how they are transmitted from one generation to the next. (p. 46) 2. Describe the genetic events that determine the sex of the new organism. (pp. 46–47) 3. Identify two types of twins, and explain how each is created. (pp. 47–48) 4. Describe various patterns of genetic inheritance. (pp. 48–52) 5. Describe major chromosomal abnormalities, and explain how they occur. (pp. 52–53) 6. Explain how reproductive procedures can assist prospective parents in having healthy children. (pp. 53–57) 7. Describe the social systems perspective on family functioning, along with aspects of the environment that support family well-being and development. (pp. 59–60) 8. Discuss the impact of socioeconomic status and poverty on family functioning. (pp. 60–63) 9. Summarize the roles of neighborhoods, towns, and cities in the lives of children and adults. (pp. 63–65) 10. Explain how cultural values and pract ices, public policies, and political and economic conditions affect human development. (pp. 65–70) 11. Explain the various ways heredity and environment can influence complex traits. (p. 70) 12. Describe concepts that indicate â€Å"how† heredity and environment work together to influence complex human characteristics. (pp. 72–74) Chapter 3 1. List the three phases of prenatal development, and describe the major milestones of each. (pp. 80–85) 2. Define the term teratogen, and summarize the factors that affect the impact of teratogens on prenatal development. (pp. 85–86) 3. List agents known or suspected of being teratogens, and discuss evidence supporting the harmful impact of each.(pp. 86–93) 4. Discuss other maternal factors that can affect the developing embryo or fetus. (pp. 93–95) 5. Describe the three stages of childbirth. (pp. 96–97) 6. Discuss the baby’s adaptation to labor and delivery, and describe the appearance of the newborn baby. (pp. 97–98) 7. Describe natural childbirth and home delivery, noting the benefits and concerns associated with each. (pp. 99–100) 8. List common medical interventions during childbirth, circumstances that justify their use, and any dangers associated with each. (pp. 100–101) 9. Describe the risks associated with prete rm and small-for-date births, along with factors that help infants who survive a traumatic birth recover. (pp. 101–106) 10. Describe the newborn baby’s reflexes and states of arousal, including sleep characteristics and ways to soothe a crying baby. (pp. 106–111) 11. Describe the newborn baby’s sensory capacities. (pp. 111–113) 12. Explain the usefulness of neonatal behavioral assessment. (pp. 113–114) Chapter 4 1. Describe major changes in body growth over the first 2 years. (pp. 120–121) 2. Summarize changes in brain development during infancy and toddlerhood. (pp. 121–129) 3. Describe the development of the cerebral cortex, and explain the concepts of brain lateralization and brain plasticity (pp. 124–125, 126) 4. Describe how both heredity and early experience contribute to brain organization. (pp. 125, 127–128) 5. Discuss changes in the organization of sleep and wakefulness over the first 2 years. (pp. 128–129) 6. Discuss the nutritional needs of infants and toddlers, the advantages of breastfeeding, and the extent to which chubby babies are at risk for later overweight and obesity. (pp. 130–131) 7. Summarize the impact of severe malnutrition on the development of infants and toddlers, and cite two dietary diseases associated with this condition. (p. 132) 8. Describe the growth disorder known as nonorganic failure to thrive, noting symptoms and family circumstances associated with the disorder. (pp. 132–133) 9. Describe four infant learning capacities, the conditions under which they occur, and the unique value of each. (pp. 133–136) 10. Describe the general course of motor development during the first 2 years, along with factors that influence it. (pp. 137–138) 11. Explain dynamic systems theory of motor development (pp. 138–140) 12. Discuss changes in hearing, depth and pattern perception, and intermodal perception that occur during infancy. (pp. 140–147) 13. Explain differentiation theory of perceptual development. (pp. 147–148) Chapter 5 1. Describe how schemes change over the course of development. (p. 152) 2. Identify Piaget’s six sensorimotor substages, and describe the major cognitive achievements of the sensorimotor stage. (pp. 153–155) 3. Discuss recent research on sensorimotor development, noting its implications for the accuracy of Piaget’s sensorimotor stage. (pp. 155–160) 4. Describe the information-processing view of cognitive development and the general structure of the information-processing system. (pp. 160–162) 5. Cite changes in attention, memory, and categorization during the first 2 years. (pp. 162–165) 6. Describe contributions and limitations of the information-processing approach, and explain how it contributes to our understanding of early cognitive development. (p. 165) 7. Explain how Vygotsky’s concept of the zone of proximal development expands our understanding of early cognitive development. (pp. 165–166, 167) 8. Describe the mental te sting approach and the extent to which infant tests predict later performance. (pp. 166, 168–169) 9. Discuss environmental influences on early mental development, including home, child care, and early intervention for at-risk infants and toddlers. (pp. 169–172) 10. Describe theories of language development, and indicate how much emphasis each places on innate abilities and environmental influences. (pp. 172–174) 11. Describe major milestones of language development in the first 2 years, noting individual differences, and discuss ways in which adults can support infants’ and toddlers’ emerging capacities. (pp. 174–179) Chapter 6 1. Discuss personality changes in the first two stages of Erikson’s psychosocial theory—basic trust versus mistrust and autonomy versus shame and doubt. (pp. 184–185) 2. Describe changes in the expression of happiness, anger and sadness, and fear over the first year, noting the adaptive function of each. (pp. 185–188) 3. Summarize changes during the first two years in understanding others’ emotions and expression of self-conscious emotions. (pp. 188–189) 4. Trace the development of emotional self-regulation during the first 2 years. (pp. 189–190) 5. Describe temperament, and identify the three temperamental styles elaborated by Thomas and Chess. (pp. 190–191) 6. Compare Thomas and Chess’s model of temperament with that of Rothbart. (p. 191) 7. Explain how temperament is assessed, and distinguish inhibited, or shy, children from uninhibited, or sociable, children. (pp. 191–193) 8. Discuss the stability of temperament and the role of heredity and environment in the development of temperamen t. (pp. 193–194) 9. Summarize the goodness-of-fit model. (pp. 194–195) 10. Describe Bowlby’s ethological theory of attachment, and trace the development of attachment during the first two years. (pp. 196–198) 11. Describe the Strange Situation and Attachment Q-Sort procedures for measuring attachment, along with the four patterns of attachment that have been identified using the Strange Situation. (pp. 198–199) 12. Discuss the factors that affect attachment security, including opportunity for attachment, quality of caregiving, infant characteristics, family circumstances, and parents’ internal working models. (pp. 200–202, 203) 13. Discuss fathers’ attachment relationships with their infants, and explain the role of early attachment quality in later development. (pp. 202, 204–205) 14. Describe and interpret the relationship between secure attachment in infancy and later development. (pp. 205–206) 15. Trace the emergence of self-awareness, and explain how it influences early emotional and social dev elopment, categorization of the self, and development of self-control. (pp. 206–209) Chapter 7 1. Describe major trends in body growth during early childhood. (pp. 216–217) 2. Discuss brain development in early childhood, including handedness and changes in the cerebellum, reticular formation, and the corpus callosum. (pp. 217–219) 3. Explain how heredity influences physical growth by controlling the production of hormones. (p. 219) 4. Describe the effects of emotional well-being, nutrition, and infectious disease on physical development. (pp. 219–222) 5. Summarize factors that increase the risk of unintentional injuries, and cite ways childhood injuries can be prevented. (pp. 222–223) 6. Cite major milestones of gross- and fine-motor development in early childhood, including individual and sex differences. (pp. 224–227) 7. Describe advances in mental representation during the preschool years. (pp. 227–229) 8. Describe limitations of preoperational thought, and summarize the implications of recent research for the accuracy of the preoperational stage. (pp. 229–233) 9. Describe educational principles derived from Piaget’s theory. (pp. 233–234) 10. Describe Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s views on the development and sign ificance of children’s private speech, along with related evidence. (pp. 234–235) 11. Discuss applications of Vygotsky’s theory to education, and summarize challenges to his ideas. (pp. 235–237) 12. Describe changes in attention and memory during early childhood. (pp. 237–239) 13. Describe the young child’s theory of mind. (pp. 239–241) 14. Summarize children’s literacy and mathematical knowledge during early childhood. (pp. 241–243) 15. Describe early childhood intelligence tests and the impact of home, educational programs, child care, and media on mental development in early childhood. (pp. 243–248) 16. Trace the development of vocabulary, grammar, and conversational skills in early childhood. (pp. 248–251) Chapter 8 1. Describe Erikson’s stage of initiative versus guilt, noting major personality changes of early childhood. (p. 256) 2. Discuss preschoolers’ self-understanding, including characteristics of self-concepts and the emergence of self-esteem. (pp. 256–258) 3. Cite changes in the understanding and expression of emotion during early childhood, along with factors that influence those changes. (pp. 258–259) 4. Explain how language and temperament contribute to the development of emotional self-regulation during the preschool years. (p. 259) 5. Discuss the development of self-conscious emotions, empathy, sympathy, and prosocial behavior during early childhood, noting the influence of parenting. (pp. 259–261) 6. Describe advances in peer sociability and in friendship in early childhood, along with cultural and parental influences on early peer relations. (pp. 261–264) 7. Compare psychoanalytic, social learning, and cognitive-developmental approaches to moral development, and cite child-rearing practices that support or undermine moral understanding. (pp. 264–269) 8. Describe the development of aggression in early childhood, noting the influences of family and television, and cite strategies for controlling aggressive behavior. (pp. 269–272) 9. Discuss genetic and environmental influences on preschoolers’ gender-stereotyped beliefs and behavior. (pp. 273–276) 10. Describe and evaluate the accuracy of major theories of gender identity, including ways to reduce gender stereotyping in young children. (pp. 276–278) 11. Describe the impact of child-rearing styles on child development, explain why authoritative parenting is effective, and note cultural variations in child-rearing beliefs and practices. (pp. 278–281) 12. Discuss the multiple origins of child maltreatment, its consequences for development, and effective prevention. (pp. 281–283) Chapter 9 1. Describe major trends in body growth during middle childhood. (p. 290) 2. Identify common vision and hearing problems in middle childhood. (p. 291) 3. Describe the causes and consequences of serious nutritional problems in middle childhood, giving special attention to obesity. (pp. 291–293) 4. Identify factors that contribute to illness during the school years, and describe ways to reduce these health problems. (pp. 293–294) 5. Describe changes in unintentional injuries in middle childhood. (p. 294) 6. Cite major changes in motor development and play during middle childhood, including sex differences and the importance of physical education. (pp. 294–299) 7. Describe major characteristics of concrete operational thought. (pp. 299–301) 8. Discuss follow-up research on concrete operational thought, noting the importance of culture and schooling.(pp. 301–302) 9. Cite basic changes in information processing and describe the development of attention and memory in middle childhood. (pp. 303–305) 10. Describe the school-age child’s theory of mind, noting the importance of mental inferences and understanding of false belief and capacity to engage in self-regulation. (pp. 306–307) 11. Discuss applications of information processing to academic learning, including current controversies in teaching reading and mathematics to elementary school children. (pp. 307–309) 12. Describe major approaches to defining and measuring intelligence. (pp. 309–310) 13. Summarize Sternberg’s triarchic theory and Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, noting how these theories explain the limitations of current intelligence tests in assessing the diversity of human intelligence. (pp. 310–312) 14. Describe evidence indicating that both heredity and environment contribute to intelligence. (pp. 312–317) 15. Summarize findings on emotional intelligence, including implications for the classroom. (p. 313) 16. Describe change s in school-age children’s vocabulary, grammar, and pragmatics, and cite advantages of bilingualism. (pp. 316–319) 17. Explain the impact of class size and educational philosophies on children’s motivation and academic achievement. (pp. 319–321) 18. Discuss the role of teacher-student interaction and grouping practices in academic achievement. (pp. 321–322) 19. Explain the conditions that contribute to successful placement of children with mild mental retardation and learning disabilities in regular classrooms. (p. 322) 20. Describe the characteristics of gifted children, including creativity and talent, and current efforts to meet their educational needs. (pp. 323–324) 21. Compare the academic achievement of North American children with children in other industrialized nations. (pp. 324–325) Chapter 10 1. Describe Erikson’s stage of industry versus inferiority, noting major personality changes in middle childhood. (p. 330) 2. Describe school-age children’s self-concept and self-esteem, and discuss factors that affect their achievement-related attributions. (pp. 330–334) 3. Cite changes in understanding and expression of emotion in middle childhood, including the importance of problem-centered coping and emotion-centered coping for managing emotion. (pp. 335–336) 4. Trace the development of perspective taking in middle childhood, and discuss the relationship between perspective taking and social skills. (pp. 336–337) 5. Describe changes in moral understanding during middle childhood, and note the extent to which children hold racial and ethnic biases. (pp. 337–339) 6. Summarize changes in peer sociability during middle childhood, including characteristics of peer groups and friendships. (pp. 339–341) 7. Describe four categories of peer acceptance, noting how each is related to social behavior, and discuss ways to help rejected children. (pp. 341–342, 343) 8. Describe changes in gender-stereotyped beliefs and gender identity during middle childhood, including sex differences and cultural influences. (pp. 342–345) 9. Discuss changes in parent–child communication and sibling relationships in middle childhood, and describe the adjustment of only children. (pp. 345–346) 10. Discuss factors that influence children’s adjustment to di vorce and blended families, highlighting the importance of parent and child characteristics, as well as social supports within the family and surrounding community. (pp. 347–350) 11. Explain how maternal employment and life in dual-earner families affect school-age children, noting the influence of social supports within the family and surrounding community, including child care for school-age children. (pp. 350–351) 12. Cite common fears and anxieties in middle childhood, with particular attention to school phobia. (pp. 352, 353) 13. Discuss factors related to child sexual abuse and its consequences for children’s development. (pp. 352–354, 355) 14. Cite factors that foster resilience in middle childhood. (p. 354) Chapter 11 1. Discuss changing conceptions of adolescence over the past century. (pp. 362–363) 2. Describe pubertal changes in body size, proportions, sleep patterns, motor performance, and sexual maturity. (pp. 363–366) 3. Cite factors that influence the timing of puberty. (pp. 366–367) 4. Describe brain development in adolescence. (pp. 367–368) 5. Discuss adolescents’ reactions to the physical changes of puberty, including sex differences, and describe the influence of family and culture. (pp. 368–370) 6. Discuss the impact of pubertal timing on adolescent adjustment, noting sex differences. (pp. 370–371) 7. Describe the nutritional needs of adolescents, and cite factors that contribute to serious eating disorders. (pp. 371–373) 8. Discuss social and cultural influences on adolescent sexual attitudes and behavior. (pp. 373–376) 9. Describe factors involved in the development of gay, lesbian, and bisexual orientations, and discuss the unique adjustment problems of these youths. (pp. 376, 377) 10. Discuss factors related to sexually transmitted diseases and to teenage pregnancy and parenthood, including interventions for adolescent parents. (pp. 376, 378–380) 11. Cite personal and social factors that contribute to adolescent substance use and abuse, and describe prevention and treatment programs. (pp. 380–382) 12. Describe the major characteristics of formal operational thought. (pp. 382–384) 13. Discuss recent research on formal operational thought and its implications for the accuracy of Piaget’s formal operat ional stage. (pp. 384–385) 14. Explain how information-processing researchers account for cognitive change in adolescence, emphasizing the development of scientific reasoning. (pp. 385–386) 15. Summarize cognitive and behavioral consequences of adolescents’ newfound capacity for advanced thinking. (pp. 386–388) 16. Note sex differences in mental abilities at adolescence, along with biological and environmental factors that influence them. (pp. 389–390, 391) 17. Discuss the impact of school transitions on adolescent adjustment, and cite ways to ease the strain of these changes. (pp. 390, 392–393) 18. Discuss family, peer, school, and employment influences on academic achievement during adolescence. (pp. 393–395) 19. Describe personal, family, and school factors related to dropping out, and cite ways to prevent early school leaving. (pp. 396–397) Chapter 12 1. Discuss Erikson’s theory of identity development. (p. 402) 2. Describe changes in self-concept and self-esteem during adolescence. (pp. 402–403) 3. Describe the four identity statuses, the adjustment outcomes of each status, and factors that promote identity development. (pp. 403–406) 4. Discuss Kohlberg’s theory of moral development, and evaluate its accuracy. (pp. 407–409) 5. Summarize research on Gilligan’s claim that Kohlberg’s theory underestimated the moral maturity of females. (pp. 409–410) 6. Describe influences on moral reasoning and its relationship to moral behavior. (pp. 410–414) 7. Explain why early adolescence is a period of gender intensification, and cite factors that promote the development of an androgynous gender identity. (pp. 414–415) 8. Discuss changes in parent–child and sibling relationships during adolescence. (pp. 415–417) 9. Describe adolescent friendships, peer groups, and dating relationships and their consequences for development. (pp. 417–421) 10. Discuss conformity to peer pressure in adolescence, noting the importance of authoritative child rearing. (p. 421) 11. Discuss factors related to adolescent depression and suicide, along with approaches for prevention and treatment. (pp. 421–423) 12. Summarize factors related to delinquency, and describe strategies for prevention and treatment. (pp. 423–426) Chapter 13 1. Describe current theories of biological aging, including those at the level of DNA and body cells, and those at the level of organs and tissues. (pp. 432–434) 2. Describe the physical changes of aging, paying special attention to the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, motor performance, the immune system, and reproductive capacity. (pp. 434–438) 3. Describe the impact of SES, nutrition, obesity, and exercise on health in adulthood. (pp. 438–444) 4. Describe trends in substance abuse in early adulthood, and discuss the health risks of each. (pp. 444–445) 5. Summarize sexual attitudes and behaviors in young adults, including sexual orientation, sexually transmitted diseases, sexual coercion, and premenstrual syndrome. (pp. 445–449) 6. Explain how psychological stress affects health. (pp. 449–451) 7. Summarize prominent theories on the restructuring of thought in adulthood, including those of Perry and Labouvie-Vief. (pp. 451–453) 8. Discuss the development of expertise and creativity in adulthood. (pp. 453–454) 9. Describe the impact of a college education on young people’s lives, and discuss the problem of dropping out.(pp. 454–455) 10. Trace the development of vocational choice, and note factors that influence it. (pp. 455–458) 11. Discuss vocational preparation of non-college-bound young adults, including the challenges these individuals face.(pp. 458–459) Chapter 14 1. Define emerging adulthood, and explain how cultural change has contributed to the emergence of this period. (pp. 464–466) 2. Describe Erikson’s stage of intimacy versus isolation, noting personality changes that take place during early adulthood. (pp. 468–469) 3. Summarize Levinson’s and Vaillant’s psychosocial theories of adult personality development, including how they apply to both men’s and women’s lives and their limitations. (pp. 469–471) 4. Describe the social clock and how it relates to adjustment in adulthood. (p. 471) 5. Discuss factors that affect mate selection, and explain the role of romantic love in young adults’ quest for intimacy. (pp. 472, 474) 6. Explain how culture influences the experience of love. (p. 475) 7. Cite characteristics of adult friendships and sibling relationships, including differences between same-sex, other-sex, and sibling friendships. (pp. 475–476) 8. Cite factors that inf luence loneliness, and explain the role of loneliness in adult development. (pp. 476–477) 9. Trace phases of the family life cycle that are prominent in early adulthood, noting factors that influence these phases. (pp. 478–485) 10. Discuss the diversity of adult lifestyles, focusing on singlehood, cohabitation, and childlessness. (pp. 486–488) 11. Discuss trends in divorce and remarriage, along with factors that contribute to them. (pp. 488–489) 12. Summarize challenges associated with variant styles of parenthood, including stepparents, never-married single parents, and gay and lesbian parents. (pp. 489–491) 13. Describe patterns of career development, and cite difficulties faced by women, ethnic minorities, and couples seeking to combine work and family. (pp. 491–495) Chapter 15 1. Describe the physical changes of middle adulthood, paying special attention to vision, hearing, the skin, muscle–fat makeup, and the skeleton. (pp. 502–504, 505) 2. Summarize reproductive changes experienced by middle-aged men and women, and discuss the symptoms of menopause, the benefits and risks of hormone therapy, and women’s psychological reactions to menopause. (pp. 504, 506–509) 3. Discuss sexuality in middle adulthood. (p. 509) 4. Discuss cancer, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis, noting sex differences, risk factors, and interventions. (pp. 509–513) 5. Explain how hostility and anger affect health. (pp. 513–514) 6. Discuss the benefits of stress management, exercise, and an optimistic outlook in adapting to the physical challenges of midlife. (pp. 514–517) 7. Explain the double standard of aging. (p. 517) 8. Describe changes in crystallized and fluid intelligence during middle adulthood, and discuss individual and group differences in intellectual development. (pp. 518–520) 9. Describe changes in information processing in midlife, paying special attention to speed of processing, attention, and memory. (pp. 520–523) 10. Discuss the development of practical problem solving, expertise, and creativity in middle adulthood. (pp. 523–525) 11. Describe the relationship between vocational life and cognitive development. (pp. 525–526) 12. Discuss the challenges of adult learners, ways to support returning students, and benefits of earning a degree in midlife. (pp. 526–527) Chapter 16 1. Describe Erikson’s stage of generativity versus stagnation, noting major personality changes of middle adulthood and related research findings. (pp. 532–535) 2. Discuss Levinson’s and Vaillant’s views of psychosocial development in middle adulthood, noting gender similarities and differences. (pp. 535–536) 3. Summarize research examining the question of whether most middle-aged adults experience a midlife crisis.(pp. 536–537) 4. Describe stability and change in self-concept and personality in middle adulthood. (pp. 538–539) 5. Describe changes in gender identity in midlife. (pp. 540–542) 6. Discuss stability and change in the â€Å"big five† personality traits in adulthood. (pp. 542–543) 7. Describe the middle adulthood phase of the family life cycle, and discuss midlife marital relationships and relationships with adult children, grandchildren, and aging parents. (pp. 543–551) 8. Describe midlife sibling relationships and friendships. (pp. 551–553) 9. Discuss job satisfaction and career development in middle adulthood, paying special attention to gender differences and experiences of ethnic minorities. (pp. 553–555) 10. Describe career change and unemployment in middle adulthood. (p. 556) 11. Discuss the importance of planning for retirement, noting various issues that middle-aged adults should address. (pp. 556–557) Chapter 17 1. Distinguish between chronological age and functional age, and discuss changes in life expectancy over the past century. (pp. 564–566, 568–569) 2. Explain age-related changes in the nervous system during late adulthood. (pp. 566–567) 3. Summarize changes in sensory functioning during late adulthood, including vision, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. (pp. 567–570) 4. Describe cardiovascular, respiratory, and immune system changes in late adulthood. (pp. 570–571) 5. Discuss sleep difficulties in late adulthood. (pp. 571–572) 6. Summarize changes in physical health and mobility in late adulthood, including elders’ adaptation to the physical changes, and reactions to stereotypes of aging. (pp. 572–575, 576) 7. Discuss health and fitness in late life, paying special attention to nutrition, exercise, and sexuality. (pp. 575–579) 8. Discuss common physical disabilities in late adulthood, with special attention to arthritis, a dult-onset diabetes, and unintentional injuries. (pp. 580–582) 9. Describe mental disabilities common in late adulthood, including Alzheimer’s disease, cerebrovascular dementia, and misdiagnosed and reversible dementia. (pp. 582–588) 10. Discuss health-care issues that affect senior citizens. (pp. 589–590) 11. Describe changes in crystallized and fluid abilities in late adulthood, and explain how older adults can make the most of their cognitive resources. (pp. 590–591) 12. Summarize memory changes in late life, including implicit, associative, remote, and prospective memories. (pp. 591–594) 13. Discuss changes in language processing in late adulthood. (pp. 594–595) 14. Explain how problem solving changes in late life. (p. 595) 15. Discuss the capacities that contribute to wisdom, noting how it is affected by age and life experience. (pp. 595–596) 16. Discuss factors related to cognitive change in late adulthood. (pp. 596â€⠀œ597) Chapter 18 1. Describe Erikson’s stage of ego integrity versus despair. (p. 604) 2. Discuss Peck’s tasks of ego integrity, Joan Erikson’s gerotranscendence, and Labouvie-Vief’s emotional expertise.(pp. 604–605) 3. Describe the functions of reminiscence and life review in older adults’ lives. (pp. 606, 607) 4. Summarize stability and change in self-concept and personality in late adulthood. (pp. 606–608) 5. Discuss spirituality and religiosity in late adulthood. (pp. 608–609) 6. Discuss contextual influences on psychological well-being as older adults respond to increased dependency, declining health, and negative life changes. (pp. 609–611, 612) 7. Summarize the role of social support and social interaction in promoting physical health and psychological well-being in late adulthood. (p. 611) 8. Describe social theories of aging, including disengagement theory, activity theory, continuity theory, and socioemotional selectivity theory . (pp. 612–615, 616) 9. Describe changes in social relationships in late adulthood, including marriage, gay and lesbian partnerships, divorce, remarriage, cohabitation, and widowhood, and discuss never-married, childless older adults. (pp. 619–623) 10. Explain how sibling relationships and friendships change in late life. (pp. 624–625) 11. Describe older adults’ relationships with adult children, adult grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. (pp. 625–626) 12. Summarize elder maltreatment, including risk factors and strategies for prevention. (pp. 627–628) 13. Discuss the decision to retire, adjustment to retirement, and involvement in leisure and volunteer activities. (pp. 628–632) 14. Discuss the meaning of optimal aging. (pp. 632–633) Chapter 19 1. Describe the physical changes of dying, along with their implications for defining death and the meaning of death with dignity. (pp. 640–642) 2. Discuss age-related changes in conception of and attitudes toward death, including ways to enhance child and adolescent understanding. (pp. 642–644) 3. Cite factors that influence death anxiety, including personal and cultural variables that contribute to the fear of death. (p. 643) 4. Describe and evaluate Kà ¼bler-Ross’s theory of typical responses to dying, citing factors that influence dying patients’ responses. (pp. 647–648) 5. Evaluate the extent to which homes, hospitals, and the hospice approach meet the needs of dying people and their families. (pp. 650–653) 6. Discuss controversies surrounding euthanasia and assisted suicide. (pp. 654–659) 7. Describe bereavement and the phases of grieving, indicating factors that underlie individual variations in grief responses. (pp. 659–660) 8. Explain the concept of bereavement overload, and describe bereavement interventions. (pp. 663, 665) 9. Explain how death education can help people cope with death more effectively. (p. 665)

Antigone & Ismene in Sophocles Antigone :: Antigone essays

Antigone & Ismene The personalities of the two sisters; Antigone and Ismene, are as different from one another as night and day. Antigone acts as a free spirit, a defiant individual, while Ismene is content to recognize her limitations as a woman in a male dominated society. In the Greek tragedy "Antigone", by Sophocles; Antigone learns that King Creon has refused to give a proper burial for the slain Polyneices, brother of Ismene and Antigone. Infuriated by this injustice, Antigone shares the tragic news with Ismene. From her first response, "No, I have heard nothing"(344). Ismene reveals her passivity and helplessness in the light of Creon's decree. Thus, from the start, Ismene is characterized as traditionally "feminine", a helpless woman that pays no mind to political affairs. Doubting the wisdom of her sisters plan to break the law and bury Polyneices, Ismene argues: We who are women should not contend with men; we who are weak are ruled by the stronger, so that we must obey....(346) Once again Ismene's words clearly state her weak, feminine character and helplessness within her own dimensions. Antigone, not happy with her sisters response chides her sister for not participating in her crime and for her passivity, saying, " Set your own life in order"(346). For Antigone, no law could stand in the way of her strong consideration of her brother's spirit, not even the punishment of an early death. Ismene is more practical ; knowing the task is impossible, she feels the situation to be hopeless. It is a wonder, which of the two sisters are really guilty of these chronic charges. Of coarse, Antigone acted so quickly, and failed to take the advice of the moderate sister, Ismene. Instead, going against Creon's words, Antigone rashly goes ahead and breaks the law. Antigone is a fool, she must learn that such defiance, even when justified, is not conductive to longevity. Although Antigone is foolish, she is also courageous and motivated by her morals. Proper burial of the dead was, according to the Greeks, prerequisite for the souls entrance into a permanent home. Therefore, perhaps Ismene is also foolish for her quick refusal to help Antigone perform the duty of Polyneices proper burial. Ismene definitely seems hasty in her acceptance of personal weakness. Perhaps in some way, both sisters are guilty of the same tragic sins. Perhaps it is this rashness, more subdued in Ismene's case, that leads both sisters to their own destruction. To my surprise, there is a strange twist in both sister's character towards the end of the play. Antigone makes a rather contrasting

Summer of Love

The Summer of Love The 1960s was a decade of political and social upheaval. The counterculture, which was what the decade was called, became disappointed with all the restrictions and conventions of the straight society. The Summer of Love did not occur until 1967, but the decade was inspired by the Bohemian spirit which was already present in the 1950s; known as the Beat generation. The counterculture gained significant influence in liberal cities such as Berkley and San Francisco. In 1967, Scott McKenzie released his song San Francisco and with this song came rumors of a huge love-in in the summer.This is what fueled the Summer of Love. Leaders of the counterculture in the Haight-Ashbury district were anxious to start planning an event that would fit in with the Summer of Love hype. Their hope was that musicians and other artists would just naturally travel over to the Haight-Ashbury. The Summer of Love would not have been the same without the usage of LSD and marijuana, free love, and the all famous rock and roll music. Drugs seemed to be the way of life for the hippies; they were using all kinds of drugs throughout the decade but the two drugs that were most associated with the Summer of Love were LSD and Marijuana.To the hippies they used the term â€Å"dope† instead of â€Å"drugs† because dope was good; but drugs included both good and bad substances. Miller stated, â€Å"Substances that were perceived as expanding consciousness were good; things which made the user dumb were bad† (Miller 2). Another drug that was used in the Summer of Love was marijuana. It was not as huge as LSD, but it was still used throughout the decade. Marijuana was first introduced in America during the Jazz Age and became one of the central fixtures of the 1960s counterculture.Baugess wrote, â€Å"It was intrinsic to the jazz music scene; many musicians used marijuana for its perceived ability to boost creativity and as a way to find relief from racial oppr ession† (Baugess 400). It grew popular among the blacks and was used to basically boost your creativity. It later became very popular to the beatniks, in which they would later change the meaning of the drug, a way to deepen intellectual understanding and used to rebel against the society. The hippies would use it for the pleasurable side effects, but also to heal the body and soul. Smoking marijuana was an act of rebellion against puritanical Americans.It was known to expand the mind, just like LSD did. Not only did hippies use the drug, but it was also consumed by the political radicals and Vietnam soldiers. Marijuana was grown in plenty in Vietnam and supplied soldiers with a mass of relief from the experience of war. Marijuana left a huge impact on the counterculture; it had a connection to music, musicians like Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, and others would write songs that reflected the centrality of it. The main drug that would be known throughout the Summer of Love and most r ecognizable to the decade would be LSD.This would later be known on the street as â€Å"acid† which was a hallucinogenic drug able to induce altered mental states in its users. LSD was created in a Swiss pharmaceutical laboratory in the 1930s and discovered in 1938 by Swiss chemist, Albert Hoffman. In the decades before, it was used as a treatment drug and alcohol addiction. Miller wrote, â€Å"Also in the Cold War struggles with the Soviet Union (the Central Intelligence Agency monitored early LSD research closely, seeing the chemical as a potential tool for espionage or perhaps for disabling a large enemy population)† (Miller 4).On April 19, 1943, Albert Hoffman synthesized another batch of LSD-25 and created a version that would be able to dissolve in water and had pleasant hallucinations. Later, he had perfect recall of the hallucinations saying that his mind was conscious throughout the experiment. It was created for three main purposes; it was fun, revolutionary, and good for the body and soul. Miller stated, The belief of the hippie was â€Å"If it feels good, then do it so long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else† (Miller 5).Not only was it fun but it also led to the hippies arguing, that it was time for a social revolution, which made it revolutionary because not only did they argue but it would also affect the larger society. The hippies had to learn to tolerate their deviant behaviors. As a West Coast hip author concluded in 1969, â€Å"The government is right in its stand on drugs. They are a definite threat to society†¦Drugs†¦must be ruthlessly suppressed lest the people feel too good† (Miller 5). With all this being said LSD was also a tool that was good for the body and soul which would provide healing and insight.In 1960, Timothy Leary, a Harvard psychology professor, tried LSD and soon would become so enthused by its potential that he lost his job. Timothy Leary described his first trip as the â€Å"mos t shattering experience of my life,† for it â€Å"flipped my consciousness into a dance of energy, where nothing existed except the whirring vibrations and each illusory form was simply a different frequency† (Anderson 259). By 1966, he became a huge star who would advise young adults to take LSD to expand their minds.They accepted his advice and the hippies clung into Leary’s phrase, â€Å"turn on, tune in, and drop out. † The phrase is broken down into three simple segments; â€Å"Turn on† meant to go within yourself. â€Å"Tune in† meant to interact accordingly with the world around you. â€Å"Drop out† meant self-determination and a discovery of one's abnormality. Ken Kesey studied at the University of Oregon and then would enroll into a graduate creative writing program at Stanford University in 1959, which would spark his interest in the San Francisco counterculture.As Ken Kesey would work night shifts at the hospital he had acce ss to the drugs and would perform controlled experiments on himself. LSD was only available through pharmaceutical company, Sandoz in New York. Sinclair wrote, â€Å"Using his homemade laboratory in Berkley; a student named Augustus Owsley Stanley III manufactured what he claimed to be enough LSD for a million and half doses† (Sinclair 200). They became widely known and soon fell to Leary. Owsley would soon become the Pranksters’ chemist, supplying the active ingredient fro Kesey’s organized events called acid tests.These acid tests soon became advertised events in public halls. In January 1966, two thousand people attended one at San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium and the Warlocks (now the Grateful Dead), provided the music and Kesey wired the place with speakers, cameras, and TV screens for them to replay. Leary would become one of the most famous countercultural figures in this era along with Ken Kesey. LSD was a huge part of the spiritual and music s cene of the Summer of Love.There was one church which was Tim Leary’s League for Spiritual Discovery; he wanted to keep his religion pure and aloof from social structures. He described it as evading the law, â€Å"We’re not a religion in the sense of the Methodist Church seeking adherents. We’re a religion in the basic primeval sense of a tribe living together and centered around shared spiritual goals† (Miller 8). Many believed that it spoke of as a sacrament, as Miller stated, â€Å"A sacrament is a covenant between man and God and also any ritual that corporately grows out of that covenant to express it more fully.It can be bread and wine, peyote or mushrooms, cup of tea, LSD, the tobacco used in the sacred pipe whatever is put into the body to connect the world outside with the world within† (Miller 11). This was common a sentiment. Not only was LSD for individual experiences but it was also for religious communities. For example, William C. Sh epherd observed LSD as being a â€Å"sense of social ‘belongingness’† (Miller 13). Which it provided a new basis for group intimacy, and helped maintain and further the intimacy.Some believed there were bad effects of LSD on the people. The bad effects that LSD had on Summer of Love is that people would drink without knowing knowledge of the chemical, but Kesey said he never dosed anyone without their notice. Another was it was used as a means of social control. The ones that loved dope loved its psychic staff of life and the few that did not were not influential at all. Sex was used for the physical pleasure saying free people should be able to express their sexuality as they please. As stated by Miller, â€Å"Sex was fun. Sex was healthy.And this hip approach to sex helped revolutionize attitudes and practices in the nation as a whole† (Miller 25). There were some who saw liberated sexuality as having a larger significance meaning as sacramental sex. Som e felt that sex was best within a context of love and concern for the partner. So for a new sexual ethic, some poised absolute freedom meaning that sex out of love could be better then casual sex. Dope and sex went hand in hand because as stated before dope was good because it enhanced your sexual experience. Dope would help people expand their sexual horizons.As Miller stated, â€Å"Timothy Leary summed up the dope/sex connection: the key energy in our revolution is erotic†¦The sexual revolution is not just part of the atmosphere of freedom that is generating with the kids†¦and central issue of the psychedelic experienced is erotic exhilaration† (Miller 37). Throughout the 1960s, music served as an integral part of the counterculture movement. It was seen to embrace an alternative lifestyle from previous generations and also to protest against war and oppression. Hippies would organize outdoor music festivals across America.The music was based around the reminders of the 60s and the outrage toward the Vietnam War. Some of this popular music represented a direct protest of the war and also reflect the desire for peace and love. Rock and roll was just as important as dope and sex were. Rock music was what the hippies lived and breathed and was the most important musical form. Even though it was based around rock, Miller stated, â€Å"Folk music was the music of the cultural rebellion until around 1966, when the Beatles began to take on mythic significance as interpreters of the culture, new specifically hip rock bands† (Miller 42).Some of the earliest acid rock bands are the Grateful Dead, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Country Joe and the Fish, Big Brother, and Janis Joplin. There were many festivals that took place in the 1960s like Woodstock which was in 1969, but it was not as organized and peaceful as the Monterey Pop Festival. The Monterey Pop Festival was one of the biggest events of its time and it helped launch the careers of seve ral major rock artists, including Janis Joplin, Country Joe and the Fish, Otis Redding, and others.Sinclair said, â€Å"Monterey has come to be viewed by many as the seminal rock festival of the early hippie era† (Sinclair 210). It was a festival that took place over a three-day period that started on June 16 through June 18, 1967, in Monterey, California, at the Monterey Fairgrounds. There were more than 30 acts lined up, 90,000 attendees, and perfect weather. They had a projection room, shops and booths, and Owsley supplied a new batch of LSD which was called Monterey Purple. The organizers wanted to create an atmosphere that produced the â€Å"peace and love† ideas that was popular in the music and to be taken seriously.This was the first major festival of the rock era, and it went down in history as the most peaceful and well-organized event of its time. It was also significant in that it offered a number of acts that would soon become famous in America. For three days they all lived together and out of all this they did not have any major problems that came up; the Monterey Pop Festival was the high point of the 1967 Summer of Love. Baugess stated, â€Å"Filmmaker D. A. Pennebaker recorded the event and produced a very popular documentary that brought the music and personalities of the festival into theaters across America† (Bauges 439).There were a lot of the acts who refused to get filmed but Janis Joplin’s manager talked her and her group into being filmed and soon a star would be born. One in particular was Janis Joplin. Janis Joplin was the most important female singer of the counterculture. Whether she meant to or not her rebellious example expanded artistic and professional possibilities for women. Baugess wrote, â€Å"The hippie scene of 1967 provided the perfect context for Joplin’s rebelliousness, talent, and unique charisma to flourish, and Big Brother became one of the favorite Haight-Ashbury bands† (B augess 328).Their appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival opened doors for them, but especially for Joplin, she became the star, to where she was signed by Columbia Records as a result of her appearance at the festival making it her first major performance. Her emergence as a famous symbol of the â€Å"youth culture† put pressure on her band so she left Big Brother and went on to pursue her own music. She goes down in history as a huge iconic figure of rock-and-roll music, along with Jim Morrison of The Doors and others.Another huge singer of the counterculture and a big part of the Monterey Pop Festival was Joseph McDonald soon to be known as â€Å"Country Joe and the Fish. † He was born on New Year’s Day in 1942 and was named after the Soviet dictator, Joseph Stalin. He would spend most of his time playing music in different bands. Baugess wrote, â€Å"His songwriting became the center of a group that manifested, variously, as a songwriter’s workshop, a magazine, a protest group, a jug band, and finally a rock band called Country Joe and the Fish† (Baugess 411).At first the band only consisted of McDonald and the guitarist, Barry Melton, which was â€Å"the Fish,† and then they would add other musicians if needed. The formation of the band was because of Joe’s enterprising spirit and his spirit of protest. Their first record, â€Å"I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die Rag,† was a satirical song about the Vietnam War which Joe self-produced and would go down in history as one of the most recognizable songs of the antiwar movement. His music was captured by the college campuses and 1965; they performed at the Berkley campus.Later in 1966, they acquired a manager, Ed Denson, and from that point they focused on becoming a folk-rock band. Their manager, Denson, created the band’s name which was referred to communist politics. For example, â€Å"Country Joe† was the popular word at the ti me of World War II for Joseph Stalin and â€Å"the Fish† refers to Mao Zedong’s saying â€Å"that likens communist revolutionaries to fish who swim in a sea of peasants† (Baugess 411). The band changed over the years but McDonald stayed lead vocals and Melton stayed as lead guitar.They grew popular among Berkley and San Francisco and also still remained regulars on college campuses. In December 1966, they signed a recording contract with Vanguard Records and their first two records were on Billboard’s album charts for two years. When they performed on stage, their performance included a light show that was on a screen so they could create a psychedelic experience. In the summer of 1967, they toured the East Coast and in 1968, toured Europe and also released a third album. Their fourth album was released a year later, 1969.The song â€Å"Fixin’-to-Die-Rag† really became popular after they starred in two musical events, Monterey Pop Festival i n 1967 and Woodstock in 1969. Soon after the song became the anthem of the anti-Vietnam War movement. â€Å"Fixin’-to-Die-Rag† had black humor and sarcasm and the chorus mocked the war’s justification and voiced coldness about it. So, before they played their trademark song, they would spell out an F-I-S-H cheer, but instead in summer of 1968, their cheer had â€Å"U-C-K† because they were provoking the antiwar movement’s rebelliousness of convention.Their edgy style disaffected the mainstream. By 1970, Joe and Barry took on solo careers. Joe kept on playing at large antiwar presentations. Country Joe mixed together satire, irreverence, and political commitment. Another popular musician of the counterculture was the Jimi Hendrix Experience. He joined the Army at 17 and after being discharged in the early 1960s; he joined the Isly Brothers and Little Richard and performed on â€Å"chitin’ circuit. † He left them in 1966 for the emergen t countercultural rock and roll of the East Village.Here he performed as Jimmy James and the Blue Flames; he then agreed to go to England where the Jimi Hendrix Experience was formed. On bass was Noel Redding, drums was played by Mitch Mitchell and Hendrix mashed together some influences from the blues like B. B. King and others. Curtis Mayfield was the guitarist and â€Å"Hendrix incorporated the style of English guitar emanating from the likes of Cream, the Who, and Jeff Beck† (Baugess 292). His group became hugely popular and was recommended by Paul McCartney of the Beatles, helped the Jimi Hendrix Experience a spot in the Monterey Pop Festival in June 1967.From the exposure of the festival it gave the band four years of stardom and they released three records; â€Å"Are You experienced? (1967), Axis: Bold as Love (1967), and the double LP Electric Ladyland (1968)† ( Baugess 292). Hendrix was set aside from the other rock groups because of the use of transcended rac e the â€Å"white† world of rock and â€Å"black† world of blues and rhythm. Baugess stated, â€Å"While Hendrix’s management coded the combination of African American musical traditions and psychedelia as â€Å"white† in the press, his work entered the R Billboard charts† (Baugess 292). He died on September 18, 1970 of drug complications.

Link Manufacturing Process and Product Life Cycles

133 Link manufacturing process and product life cycles Focusing on the process gives a new dimension to strategy Robert H. Hayes and Steven C. Wheelwright Although the product life cycle concept may have value for managers, its emphasis on marketing can make it inadequate for strategic planners. These authors point out that using a process life cycle can help a company choose among its various manufacturing and marketing options. Using the concept of a â€Å"product-process matrix,† they show how a company's position reflects its weaknesses and strengths, and they discuss the implications for corporate strategy. Mr. Hayes is professor of business administration at the Harvard Business School. He is currently serving as faculty chairman of and teaching at Harvard's Senior Managers Program in Vevcy, Switzerland. One of his previous articles in HBR is â€Å"How Should You Organize Manufacturing? † (coauthor, Roger W. Schmenner, JanuaryFchruary 1978). Mr. Wheelwright is associate professor of business administration at the Harvard Business School. He is currently teaching in the MBA program and is faculty chairman of Harvard's executive program on Manufacturing in Corporate Strategy. One of his previous HBR articles is â€Å"Corporate Forecasting: Promise and Reality,† [coauthor, Darral G. Clarke, NovemberDecember 1976). The regularity of the growth cyeles of living organisms has always fascinated thoughtful observers and has invited a variety of attempts to apply the same principles—of a predictable sequence of rapid growth followed by maturation, decline, and death-to companies and selected industries. One such concept, known as the â€Å"product life cycle/' has been studied in a wide range of organizational settings. However, there are sufficient opposing theories to raise the doubts of people like N. K. Dhalla and S. Yuspeh, who argued in these same pages a few years ago that businessmen should forget the product life cycle concept. Irrespective of whether the product life cycle pattern is a general rule or holds only for specific cases, it does provide a useful and provocative framework for thinking about the growth and development of a new p roduct, a company, or an entire industry. One of the major shortcomings of this approach, however, is that it concentrates on the marketing implieations of the life cycle pattern. In so doing, it implies that other aspects of the business and industry environment move in concert with the market life cycle. While such a view may help one to think back on the kinds of ehanges that occur in different industries, an individual company will often find it too simplistic for use in its strategic planning. In fact, the concept may even be misleading in strategic planning. In this article we suggest that separating the product life cycle concept from a related but distinct phenomenon that we will call the â€Å"process life I TJie Product Life Cycle and Internationa! Trade. Louis T. Wells, |r. , ed. ICambridge, Mass. ; HarvaiiJ University Press, 1D71I, im example. proviJcs evidence from a number of industries that argues for broad application of this concept, 2. N. K. Dhalla and S. Yuspirh, â€Å"Forget the Priidutt Life Cycle Cnni;epU† HBR I3nuary-February 197(1, p. 101. 134 Harvard Business Review January-February 1979 cycle† facilitates the understanding of the strategic options available to a company, particularly with regard to its manufacturing function. The product-process matrix The process life cycle has heen attracting increasing attention from husiness managers and researchers over the past several years. ^ Just as a product and market pass through a series of major stages, so does the production process used in the manufacture of that product. The process evolution typically hegins with a â€Å"fluid† process—one that is highly flexible, hut not very cost efficient—and proceeds toward increasing standardization, mechanization, and automation. This evolution culminates in a â€Å"systemic process† that is very efficient hut much more capital intensive, nterrelated, and hence less flexible than the original fluid process. Using a product-process matrix, Exhibit I suggests one way in which the interaction of both the product and the process life cycle stages can he represented. The rows of this matrix represent the major stages through whieh a production process tends to pass in going from the fluid form in the top row to the sys temic form in the bottom row. The columns represent the product life cycle phases, going from the great variety associated with startup on the left-hand side to standardized commodity products on the right-hand side. Diagonal position A company [or a husiness unit within a diversified company) can be characterized as occupying a particular region in the matrix, determined by the stage of the product life cycle and its choice of production process for that product. Some simple examples may clarify this. Typical of a company positioned in the upper left-hand comer is a commercial printer. In such a company, each job is unique and a jumbled flow or job shop process is usually selected as being most effective in meeting those product requirements. In such a job shop, jobs arrive in different forms and require different tasks, and thus the equipment tends to be relatively general purpose. Also, that equipment is seldom used at ioo% capacity, the workers typically have a wide range of production skills, and each joh takes much longer to go through the plant than the lahor hours required by that job. Further down the diagonal in this matrix, the manufacturer of heavy equipment usually chooses a production structure characterized as a â€Å"disconnected line flow† process. Although the company may make a numher of products (a customer may even be able to order a somewhat customized unit), economies of scale in manufacturing usually lead such companies to offer several hasic models with a variety of options. This enables manufacturing to move from a job shop to a flow pattern in which batches of a given model proceed irregularly through a series of work stations, or possihly even a lowvolume assembly line. Even further down the diagonal, for a product like automobiles or major home appliances, a company will generally choose to ake only a few models and use a relatively mechanized and connected production process, such as a moving assembly line. Such a process matches the product life cycle requirements that the automobile companies must satisfy with the economies availahle from a standardized and automated process. Finally, down in the far right-hand comer of the matrix, one would find refinery operations, such as oil or sugar processing, where the pro duct is a commodity and the process is continuous. Although such operations are highly specialized, inflexible, and capital intensive, their disadvantages are more than offset by the low variable costs arising from a high volume passing through a standardized process. In Exhibit 7, two corners in the matrix are void of industries or individual companies. The upper right-hand comer eharacterizes a commodity product produced by a job-shop process that is simply not economical. Thus there are no companies or industries located in that sector. Similarly, the lower left-hand corner represents a one-of-a-kind product that is made by continuous or very specific processes. Such processes are simply too inflexible for such unique product requirements. Off the diagonal The examples cited thus far have been the more familiar â€Å"diagonal cases,† in which a certain kind of product structure is matehed with its â€Å"natural† process structure. But a company may seek a position 3. For example, William ), Abernathy and Philip L. Townscnd, â€Å"TechnoloRy, Pioductivity, and Process Changes,† in Tachnalo^icdl Forfcoitinj: iind Social Cbange, Volume VII, No. 4, 1975, p. ^79) Abcmathy and lames Ulierback, â€Å"DyQ. mic Model of Process and Product Innovation,† Omega, Volume HI, No. 6, 1975, p. 6i9i Abernathy and Uuerback, â€Å"Innovation and the Evolution of Technology in the Firm,† Harvard Business School Working P. iper |HBS 7S->fiR, Revised |unc 197^!. Process life cycles 135 Exhibit I Matching major stages of product and process life cycles Product structure Product life cycle stage I Low volume-low standardization, on e of a kind Multiple products low volume Few major products higher volume IV High volume-high standardization. commodity products Process structure Process life cycle stage Jumbled flow (job shop) Commercial printer Disconnected line Mow (batch) Heavy equipment Connected line flow (assembly line) Automobile assembly IV Continuous flow off the diagonal instead of right on it, to its competitive advantage. Rolls-Royce Ltd. still makes a limited product line of motor cars using a process that is more like a job shop than an assembly line. A company that allows itself to drift from the diagonal without understanding the likely implications of such a shift is asking for trouhle. This is apparently the case with several companies in the factory housing industry that allowed their manufacturing operations to become too capital intensive and too de- 136 Harvard Business Review January-February 1979 pendent on stable, high-volume production in the early 1970s. As one might expect, when a company moves too far away from the diagonal, it hecomes increasingly dissimilar from its competitors. This may or may not, depending on its success in achieving focus and exploiting the advantages of its niche, make it more vulnerable to attack. Coordinating marketing and manufacturing may become more difficult as the two areas confront increasingly different opportunities and pressures. Not infrequently, companies find that either inadvertently or by conscious choice they are at positions on the matrix very dissimilar from those of their competitors and must consider drastic remedial action. Most small companies that enter a mature industry start off this way, of course, which provides one explanation of both the strengths and the weaknesses of their situation. One example of a company's matching its movements on these two dimensions with changes in its industry is that of Zenith Radio Corporation in the mid-1960s. Zenith had generally followed a strategy of maintaining a high degree of flexibility in its manufacturing facilities for color television receivers. We would characterize this process structure at that time as being stage 2. When planning additional capacity for color TV manufacturing in 1966 [during the height of the rapid growth in the market), however. Zenith chose to expand production capacity in a way that represented a clear move down the process dimension, toward the matrix diagonal, by consolidating color TV assembly in two large plants. One of these was in a relatively low-cost labor area in the United States. While Zenith continued to have facilities that were more flexible than those of other companies in the industry, this decision reflected corporate management's assessment of the need to stay within range of the industry on tbe process dimension so that its excellent marketing strategy would not be constrained by inefficient manufacturing. It is interesting that seven years later Zenith made a similar decision to keep all of its production of color television chasses in the United States, rather than lose the flexibility and incur the costs of moving production to the Far East. This decision, in conjunction with others made in the past five years, is now being called into question. Using our terminology. Zenith again finds itself too far above the diagonal, in comparison with its large, primarily Japanese, competitors, most of whom have mechanized their production processes, positioned them in low-wage countries, and embarked on other costreduction programs. Incorporating this additional dimension into strategic planning encourages more creative thinking about organizational competence and competitive advantage. It also can lead to more informed predictions about the changes that are likely to occur in a particular industry and to consideration of the strategies that might be followed in responding to such charges. Finally, it provides a natural way to involve manufacturing managers in the planning process so that they can relate their opportunities and decisions more effectively with marketing strategy and corporate goals. The experience of the late 1960s and early 1970s suggests that major competitive advantages can accrue to companies that are able to integrate their manufacturing and marketing organization with a common strategy. ^ Using the concept We will explore three issues that follow from the product-process life cycle: [1) the concept of distinctive competence, [2) the management implications of selecting a particular product-process combination, considering the competition, and |3) the organizing of different operating units so that they can specialize on separate portions of the total manufacturing task while still maintaining overall coordination. Distinctive competence Most companies like to think of themselves as being particularly good relative to their competitors in certain areas, and they try to avoid competition in others. Their objective is to guard this distinctive competence against outside attacks or internal aimlessncss and to exploit it where possible. From time to time, unfortunately, management becomes preoccupied with marketing concerns and loses sight of the value of manufacturing abilities. When this happens, it thinks about strategy in terms only of the product and market dimension within a product life cycle context. In effect, management concentrates resources and planning efforts on a relatively narrow column of the matrix shown in Exhibit 1 on page r35. 4. See â€Å"Manufacturing—Missing Link in Corporate Stiatcgy,† by Wickham Skinner, HBR May-June 1969, p. i]6. Process life cycles 137 Exhibit II Expanded product-process matrix Product structure Product lite cycle stage III Low volume —low standardization, one of a kind Process structure Process life cycle stage Multiple products low volume Few major products higher volume IV High volume-fiigh standardization. commodity products Key management tasks Flexibilityquality †¢ Fast reaction †¢ Loading plant, estimating capacity †¢Estimating costs and delivery times †¢ Breaking bottlenecks †¢ Order tracing and expediting †¢ Systematizing diverse elements †¢ Developing standards and methods, improvement †¢ Balancing process stages †¢ Managing large, specialized, and complex operations †¢ Meeling material requirements †¢ Running equipment at peak efficiency †¢ Timing expansion and technological change †¢ Raising required capital Jumbled flow (lobshop) Disconnected line flow (batch) Connected line flow (assembly line) IV Continuous flow Hone Dependabilitycost Flexibility-quality Dependability-cosi dominant competitive mode †¢ Custom design †¢ General purpose †¢ High margins †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Custom design Ouality control Service High margins †¢ Standardized design †¢ Volume manufacturing †¢ Finished goods inventory †¢ Distribution †¢ Backup suppliers †¢ Vertical integration †¢ Long runs †¢ Specialized equipment and processes †¢ Economies of scale †¢ Standardized material The advantage of the two-dimensional point of view is that it permits a company to be more precise about what its distinctive competence really is and to concentrate its attentions on a restricted set of process decisions and alternatives, as well as a re- stricted set of marketing alternatives. Real focus is maintained only when the emphasis is on a single â€Å"patch† in the matrix—a process focus as well as a product or market focus. As suggested by Wickham Skinner, narrowing the focus of the business unit's 138 Harvard Business Review January-February 1979 ctivities and the supporting manufacturing plant's activities may greatly increase the chance of success for the organization/' Thinking about both process and product dimensions can affect the way a company defines its â€Å"product. † For example, we recently explored the case of a specialized manufacturer of printed circuit boards. Management's initial assessment of its position on the m. atrix was that it was producing a lowvolume, one-of-a-kind product using a highly connected assembly line process. (This would place it in the lower left comer of the matrix. On further reflection, however, management decided that while the company specialized in small production batches, the â€Å"product† it really was offering was a design capability for special purpose circuit boards. In a sense, then, it was mass producing designs rather than boards. Hence, the company was not far off the diagonal after all. This knowledge of the company's distinctive competence was helpful to management as it considered different projects and decisions, only some of which were supportive of the company's actual position on the matrix. Effects of position As a company undertakes different combinations of product and process, management problems change. It is the interaction between these two that determines which tasks will be critical for a given company or industry. Along the process structure dimension, for example, the key competitive advantage of a jumbled flow operation is its flexibility to both product and volume changes. As one moves toward more standardized processes, the competitive emphasis generally shifts from flexibility and quality (measured in terms of product specialization) to reliability, predictability, and cost. A similar sequence of competitive emphases occurs as a company moves along the product structure dimension. These movements in priorities are illustrated in Exhibit 11 For a given product structure, a company whose competitive emphasis is on quality or new product development would choose a much more flexible production operation than would a competitor who has the same product structure but who follows a cost-minimizing strategy. Alternatively, a company that chooses a given process structure reinforces the characteristics of that structure by adopting the corresponding product structure. The former approach 5. â€Å"The Focused Factory,† HBR May-June 1974, p. 113. 6. Robert H. Hayes and Roger W. Schmenner, â€Å"How Should You Organize Manufacturing? † HBR January-February iy78, p. 105. positions the company above the diagonal, while the latter positions it somewhere along it. A company's location on the matrix should take into account its traditional orientation. Many companies tend to be relatively aggressive along the dimension—product or process-where they feel most competent and take the other dimension as â€Å"given† by the industry and environment. For example, a marketing-oriented company seeking to be responsive to the needs of a given market is more likely to emphasize flexibility and quality than tbe manufacturing-oriented company that seeks to mold the market to its cost or process leadership. An example of these two competitive approaches in the electric motor industry is provided by the contrast between Reliance Electric and Emerson Electric. Reliance, on the one hand, has apparently chosen production processes that place it above the diagonal for a given product and market, and the company emphasizes product customizing and performance. Emerson, on the other hand, tends to position itself below the diagonal and emphasizes cost reduction. As a result of this difference in emphasis, the majority of Reliance's products are in the upper left quadrant, while Emerson's products tend to be in the lower right quadrant. Even where the two companies' product lines overlap. Reliance is likely to use a more fluid process for that product, while Emerson is more likely to use a standardized process. Eaeh company has sought to develop a set of competitive skills in manufacturing and marketing that will make it more effective within its selected quadrants. Concentrating on the upper left versus the lower right quadrant has many additional implications for a company. The management that chooses to compete primarily in the upper left has to decide when to drop or abandon a product or market, while for the management choosing to compete in the lower right a major decision is when to eater the market. In the latter case, the company can watch the market develop and does not have as much need for flexibility as do companies that position themselves in the upper left, since product and market changes typically occur less frequently during the later phases of the product life cycle. Such thinking about both product and process expertise is particularly useful in selecting the match of these two dimensions for a new product. Those familiar with the digital watch industry may recall that in the early 1970s Texas Instruments introduced a jewelry line digital watch. This product represented a matrix combination in the upper left-hand quadrant, as shown in Exhibit U. Unfortunately, this line Process life cycles 139 of watches was disappointing to Texas Instruments, in terms of both volume and profitability. Early in 1976, therefore, TI introduced a digital watch selling for $19. 95. With only one electronic module and a connected line flow production process, this watch represented a combination of product and process further down the diagonal and much more in keeping with TI's traditional strengths and emphases. Organizing operations If management considers the process structure dimension of organizational competence and strategy, it can usually focus its operating units much more effectively on their individual tasks. For example, many companies face the problem of how to organize production of spare parts for their primary products. While increasing volume of the primary products may have caused the company to move down the diagonal, the follow-on demand for spare parts may require a combination of product and process structures more toward the upper left-hand corner of the matrix. There are many more items to be manufactured, each in smaller volume, and the appropriate process tends to be more flexible than may be the case for the primary product. To accomodate the specific requirements of spare parts production, a cohipany might develop a separate facility for them or simply separate their production within the same facility. Probably the least appropriate approach is to leave such production undifferentiated from the production of the basic product, since this would require the plant to span too broad a range of both product and process, making it less efficient and less effective for both categories of product. The choice of product and process structures will determine the kind of manufacturing problems that will be important for management. Some of the key tasks related to a particular process structure are indicated on the right side of Exhibit U. Recognizing the impact that the company's position on the matrix has on these important tasks will often suggest changes in various aspects of the policies and procedures the company uses in managing its manufacturing function, particularly in its manufacturing control system. Also, measures used to monitor and evaluate the company's manufacturing performance must reflect the matrix position selected if such measures are to be both useful and consistent with the corporate goals and strategy. Such a task-oriented analysis might help a company avoid the loss of control over manufacturing that often results when a standard set of control mechanisms is applied to all products and processes. It also suggests the need for different types of management skills [and managers], depending on the company's major manufacturing tasks and dominant competitive modes. While a fairly narrow focus may be required for success in any single product market, companies that are large enough can [and do) effectively produce multiple products in multiple markets. These are often in different stages of the product life cycle. However, for such an operation to be successful, a company must separate and organize its manufacturing facilities to best meet the needs of each product and then develop sales volumes that are large enough to make those manufacturing units competitive. An example of separating a company's total manufacturing capability into specialized units is provided by the Lynchburg Foundry, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Mead Corporation. This foundry has five plants in Virginia. As Exhibit U shows, these plants represent different positions on the matrix. One plant is a job shop, making mostly one-of-akind products. Two plants use a decoupled batch process and make several major products. A fourth plant is a paced assembly line operation that makes only a few products, mainly for the automative market. The fifth plant is a highly automated pipe plant, making what is largely a commodity item. While the basic technology is somewhat different in each plant, there are many similarities. However, the production layout, the manufacturing processes, and the control systems are very different. This company chose to design its plants so that each would meet the needs of a specific segment of the market in the most competitive manner. Its success would suggest that this has been an effective way to match manufacturing capabilities with market demand. Companies that specialize their operating units according to the needs of specific, narrowly defined patches on the matrix will often encounter problems in integrating those units into a coordinated whole. A recent article suggested that a company can be most successful by organizing its manufacturing function around either a product-market focus or a process focus. * That is, individual units will either manage themselves relatively autonomously, responding directly to the needs of the markets they serve, or they will be divided according to process stages (for example, fabrication, subassembly, and final assembly), all coordinated by a central staff. Companies in the major materials industriessteel companies and oil companies, for exampleprovide classic examples of process-organized manu- 140 Harvard Business Review January-February 1979 facturing organizations. Most companies that broaden the span of their process through vertical integration tend to adopt such an organzation, at least initially. Then again, companies that adopt a product- or market-oriented organization in manufacturing tend to have a strong market orientation and are unwilling to accept the organizational rigidity and lengthened response time that usually accompany centralized coordination. Most companies in the packaging industry provide examples of such product- and market-focused manufacturing organizations. Regional plants that serve geographical market areas are set up to reduce transportation costs and provide better response to market requirements. A number of companies that historically have organized themselves around products or markets have found that, as their products matured and as they have moved to become more vertically integrated, a conflict has arisen between their original productorganized manufacturing facilities and the needs of their process-oriented internal supply units. As the competitive emphasis has shifted toward cost, companies moving along the diagonal have tended to evolve from a product-oriented manufacturing organization to a process-oriented one. However, at some point, such companies often discover that their operations have hecome so complex with increased volume and increased stages of inhouse production that they defy centralized coordination and management must revert to a more product-oriented organization within a divisionalized structure. ct line with a manufacturing system—a set of people, plants, equipment, technology, policies, and control procedures—that will permit a relatively high degree of flexibility and a relatively low capital intensity? Or should it prefer a system that will permit lower cost production with a loss of some flexibility to change [in products, production volumes, and equipment) and usually a higher degree of capital intensity? This choice will position the company above or below its competito rs along the vertical dimension of our matrix. There are, of course, several dynamic aspects of corporate competitiveness where the concepts of matching the product life cycle with the process life cycle can be applied. In this article, however, we have dealt only with the more static aspects of selecting a position on the matrix. We will discuss in a forthcoming article how a company's position on the product-process matrix might change over time and the traps that it can fall into if the implications of such moves are not carefully evaluated. Strategy implications We can now pull together a number of threads and summarize their implications for corporate strategy. Companies must make a series of interrelated marketing and manufacturing decisions. These choices must be continually reviewed and sometimes changed as the company's products and competitors evolve and mature. A company may choose a product or marketing strategy that gives it a broader or narrower product line than its principal competitors. Such a choice positions it to the left or right of its competitors, along the horizontal dimension of our matrix. Having made this decision, the company has a further choice to make: Should it produce this prod-

Accounting For Managers Example

Accounting For Managers Example Accounting For Managers – Coursework Example Outsourcing/Offshoring and Re-Verticalization 5th April Outsourcing Offshoring and Reverticalization Emergently, U.S. companies are shifting their focus from outsourcing and offshoring of their operations and subsequently relocating them to the United States. According to Noreen, Brewer, and Garrison (2014), the reversal of the offshoring and outsourcing practice has gained prominence as the leading companies opt to re-strategize their operations by relocating foreign subsidiaries back into the country. This essay is aimed at discussing the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing and offshoring versus the re-establishment of companies back into the United States. Outsourcing/ OffshoringAdvantages Outsourcing and offshoring practices have been characterized by key advantages that have led to their widespread adoption. Outsourcing enables companies to transfer production tasks to specialized vendors with the expertise and resources in a particular field. The model therefore leads to high quality products and saving on time. In addition, offshoring facilitates steady growth with limited overhead costs (Noreen et al. 2014). Through offshoring, firms are exposed to low-cost labor and readily available raw materials. On the other hand, outsourcing enhances risk sharing as companies shift selected responsibilities to other vendors. In relation to corporate tax, foreign subsidiaries have provisions to defer paying corporate tax until the earnings are transferred back into the United States. Subsequently, the demerits of outsourcing and offshoring practices have been the focus of public debate in light of the recent economic recession.Reverticalization of Outsourcing and Offshoring Offshoring majorly leads to the transfer of employment opportunities to the emergent market. This is in contrast to the emergent trend of re-verticalization that is rooting for the relocation of key companies into the US. Re-verticalization positively contributes to the creation of job o pportunities in the country and revitalization of the economy through the 35 % corporate tax (R. Hira & A. Hira, 2008). The relocation of firms in the US further underlines effective management of confidential data by eliminating third parties as opposed to offshoring that majorly avails recruitment and payroll information to offshoring vendors. Re-verticalization further eludes risks associated with hidden costs resulting from international transactions and contracts that add up to the overhead costs. Consequently, re-verticalization of the key operations of companies also advances the company’s focus on customers. With offshoring, vendors engaged with numerous organizations thereby failing to meet client-specific needs of an organization (R. Hira & A. Hira, 2008). In contrast, re-verticalization concentrates on the core operations of an institution based on corporate and business strategy of the company. ReferencesHira, R., & Hira, A. (2008). Outsourcing America: The true c ost of shipping jobs overseas and what can be done about it. New York: Amacom.Noreen, E. W., Brewer, P. C., & Garrison, R. H. (2014). Managerial accounting for managers. S.l.: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Accounting For Managers Example Accounting For Managers – Coursework Example Relevance of a Budget to an Organization s 14th April Relevance of a Budget to an Organization According to Reimers (2007), financial planning in an organization is underpinned with effective budgeting tools and in this regard he defined a budget as an organization’s quantitative expression of financial plans for a future period that could range between months or years. This essay is aimed at examining the relevance of preparing and utilizing a budget in an organization. Preparation of a budget is requisite in the determination of the capital structure of an organization. Through the application of budgetary tools, management is able to realign effectively financing of assets through the perfect matrix of equity, debt and securities (Garrison et al., 2015). As a result of capital budgeting, the management will be better placed to formulate strategic goals, accurately estimate and forecast cash flows, control and monitor organization’s expenditures. The budget is also i nstrumental in the formulation and amendment of financial policies. According to Reimers (2007), the budget constitutes an integral part in the decision-making framework within an organization. As a decision making tool, the budget explicitly depicts the financial plans of an organization thereby providing a framework for the development of appropriate policies and strategies on future undertakings. Garrison et al., (2015) noted that the importance of a budget is further underlined with its role in organization performance monitoring. Organizations should prepare a budget to facilitate comparability of the actual performance of a firm against the previously forecasted performance. Vis a vis, the budget provides the management with the baseline for the evaluation of the performance of the organization within a specific period. Similarly, based on the organization’s performance, the management is able to evaluate the emergent market trends and strategize on the future performa nce of the firm (Garrison et al., 2015). In addition, organizations should prepare budget in order to reduce uncertainties associated with market trends through effective planning for the limited resources, balancing of inflow and outflow of funds and strategic investment of organization’s income. ReferencesGarrison, R. Noreen, E. and Brewer, P. (2015). Managerial Accounting (15th Edition). New York, U.S: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.Reimers, J. (2007). Financial accounting. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.