Sunday, November 24, 2019

Car Eu Essays

Car Eu Essays Car Eu Paper Car Eu Paper The single European act became law among member states of E Goal: To remove barriers to cross border trade Investment within confines of E Benefits: Increased competition corresponding reduction In prices Jan 1, 1999: SUE member states adopted Euro as common currency Benefits: Would make it easy for the European consumers to compare prices across nations leading to harmonistic of prices within Euro Zone Reason for Persistence of price differentials within EX. Since 1985: Block Exemption Clause: Regulations that allowed car manufacturers to restrict competition between car dealers. (Automakers dictated where a dealership could be located, to limit the number of brands that a dealer could sell prohibit dealer from selling vehicles outside home country) Block exemption clause was scrapped in 2002: European Commission Issued new set of regulations that encouraged competition within EX. market (came Into full effect In 2005) What are the sources of significant price differentials in the EX. automobile market? Resource of price differentials: block exemption clause. Due to this, the car dealers were restricted to carry a free and competitive business among them. This control on the dealers segmented the market through controlled competition which resulted In such a difference In prices of same cars within the European market. Transportation cost 2. Reasons behind the UK market being one of the most expensive car markets: Block exemption clause in EX. competition policy: Tight control and lack of competition among the dealers which will make their operation inefficient and costly. High costs of doing business in I-J. The purchasing power of the customers in UK might be higher than most other European countries. 4. What do you think will happen to the price differentials in the EX. automobile market under the new regulations set to take effect in September 2005? After the implementation of new regulations: Restriction by the companies on the lealer will be removed, thus enabling free competition and efficiency. The degree of price differentials will decrease in the European market. 5. What will be the impact of these new regulations on a) competitive intensity in the EX. automobile market b) Profitability of automobile operations in the ELI? 0 a. The new regulations shall increase the competition in the automobile market by remov ing control of the companies over the dealers. Due to the increased competition, their will be more value to the customers. The profitability of the automobile operations would depend on the ability to reduce production cost, innovate and reach scale of economies. If these parameters are achieved profitability would increase. B. 6. Which automobile companies will do best in the post-2005 environment ? 0 Post 2005, due to impact of new regulations, there shall be increase in the competition in the automobile market. Companies that would innovate, provide automobiles to the customers at competitive price, superior operation efficiency I. E achieve scale economies at the earliest would do best.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Nursing Research Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nursing Research - Article Example There are a number of studies that have been used in the analysis of comfort care in various nursing homes. The author begins by stating that various nursing homes are the source for care amongst various old people in the society. The paper presents an orderly and informed review of the existing literature and theory that gives the basis of the study. The paper is a descriptive and exploratory study that involves different qualitative methods and the semi-structured in-depth interviews with the staff members of a single nursing home. The open ended questions are good given that it gives the respondents an opportunity to explain their ideas. The only weakness at the point is the failure to include other organizations. The structured open ended questions were used in the collection of data. Questions in education, professional experience and intervals were the topical basis by which the respondents provide the end of life care. One of the main strength of the study was that it was audiotape recorded and therefore can be easily traced and tracked. The application of the grounded theory provided a further analysis of the study. The involvement of forty two staff members is a good representation of the entire population. The inclusion of the nurses, administrators and certified nursing assistants, housekeepers and social workers represents various groups of people that are directly impacted by the study. The paper prepared reasonable documents that requested for the respondents acceptance during the study. The entire reason for the study was explained to the respondents. There ethical documents were also prepared and approved before the real study was conducted. The author presents a clear understanding of the concept. The paper shows interlink of the existing literature review and the results. The study also is also precise with regards to the analysis of the data collected from the respondents. With the constant increase in the number of

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Hilton Hotel Corporation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Hilton Hotel Corporation - Case Study Example (Maxwell et al, 2004: p. 168). Hilton International is spread over four global regions including: UK and Ireland; Africa and the Middle East, Europe, Asia Pacific; and the Americas. According to Maxwell and Lyle (2002: p. 251), the strategic objectives central to the business plan include: The above objectives are drilled down to tactical actions on delivery, which in turn demand good people practices in recruitment and assessment, reward and remuneration, career tracking, and discipline and competencies in the Human Resource function. (Maxwell and Lyle, 2002: p. 251). The main objective for the existence of any business like the Hilton Group is to generate superior shareholder value. It was at first believed that the business should do everything possible to satisfy the shareholders and no body else since shareholders are the ones who take maximum business and financial risk by contributing capital to the business. While we agree with this central idea, it must also be noted that the success of every business is dependent on how the business satisfies its customers. The satisfaction of the customer and the shareholder appears to be in conflict but it turns out that shareholder value can only be created if customers are satisfied. Satisfying customers means providing them with the right goods and services at the right prices at the right time and at the right place. Therefore to satisfy the shareholders, the business must begin by satisfying customers. Put in other words, shareholder value can only be created through the creation of customer value . Stemming from a decreasing number of customers, and considering the current competitive marketplace, hotel companies now find it necessary to win the loyalty of the limited number of customers. (Gilbert et al, 1999: p. 25). Following from this we would try to examine how Hilton Hotel International attempts to increase its market share in the existing market given that the customers are limited in number and that their demands are continually changing. The Hilton Hotel has its major focus on the customer. The major assumptions that one can make for the current five years are as follows: that the business wishes to maintain constant growth by 5% annually as measured by Return on equity, Return on Assets, Return on Capital employed, growth in dividends and other important financial ratios. The business also wishes to attract and retain more customers as measured by its market share in the in hotel industry. It also wishes to maintain the most profitable customers providing them with the highest possible value for their money. Another important assumption is that the business wants to maintain a very good relationship with shareholders and other lenders so as to ensure that its cost of borrowing funds (cost of capital) remains at the lowest possible level. This will enable it reduce its business and financial risk as measured by the debt-to-equity ratio, the current ratio and quick ratios as well as the creditor's payment period and retain earnings. Based

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Future of Tourism in Oman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Future of Tourism in Oman - Essay Example There are many difficulties in the development of this industry, because the locals do not want to exceed the limits of a local tourism promotion and thus they are prevented from a global expansion. Tourism in Oman Oman has many different privileges. First of all, this country makes large investments in ecotourism and first class tourism and tourism in this country can be interested for both Western and Eastern tourists. Oman can assure tourists of the absence of corruption and there are many perspectives for business development in this country. Oman is opening its doors for tourists†¦ The spectators are so much attracted by the new territories and numerous sightseeing that the pleasure of exploring this country transfers the borders of traditional tourism. There is no doubt that Arab hospitality is legendary. People from those countries are full of hospitality and there is no doubt that the Westerners will be greatly impressed by a large number of attractions in this country. There are two million inhabitants in Oman and this is an independent state of the Arab world. Tourists are mainly attracted by â€Å"vast coastline, over a thousand miles long, stretching from the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf to the Yemeni border in the south† (The Seven Stars of the Gulf; Oman: Traditional Terraced Village Scubadiving off the Coast of Fujairah, 2009). Moreover, there are deep historic roots in this country. The Oman museum in Muscat is rather attractive for tourists and there is no doubt that people in this country are proud of their legendary heroes, such as Sindbad the Sailor, for example. There is an evident harmony between the ancient port of Muscat and modernization of this port nowadays. A feeling of cleanness and safety is everywhere. There are different perceptions of the northern and the southern frontiers of Oman. Thus, tourist from different countries can find the places to live and to visit with respect to their own interests (Martin, 200 5). Nevertheless, it should be noted that the most explored part of Oman, which is favorable for tourists is Salalah. Tourist agencies are attracting new tourists speculating on the following things: â€Å"waters are inviting, the sand the softest and silkiest, and the birdlife extraordinary, a visitor's guide cautions you against wandering away "while wearing a sea dress" (Beirman, 2003). Oman provides tourists with different opportunities of having rest. There is an essential technological impact exerted on Oman and the Western tourists can exert a serious negative impact on cultural, moral and social values in Oman (Richards, 1999). On the one hand, in the modern global world such issues as traditional clothes or color of hair can be different even among Omani people. In their hearts and souls these people are religious and they do not have any intention to change their religion or culture. There are many difficulties for Oman and its ability to adapt social and cultural changes with respect to the Western traditions and customs. With this respect, it can be claimed that countries around the world are interested in promotion and support of their interests. In case the residents of one country want to get acquainted with the values of people and nations from another country, there is no doubt that the former should be tolerant to another country and preserve historic uniqueness and dignity of another nation. There is a high cultural

Friday, November 15, 2019

Three Big Ideas About Child Development Young People Essay

Three Big Ideas About Child Development Young People Essay Understanding child development means that we as carers and parents can understand skills and typical behaviours of children within our care, providing an environment which is nurturing and one that will foster growth. Laura Berk (2000) provides a simple definition of child development; a field of study devoted to understanding all aspects of human growth and change from conception through adolescence. (Berk: 2000, p4). This paper will look at three important theories of child development that you as a teacher or parent should know in order to understand the changes that take place from birth to adulthood. When we talk about child development we refer to three stages called development areas; Physical development involves the growth and change in a persons body and body functions. In this domain we look at the physiological and motor development as well as the influences of health, illness and nutrition. Cognitive development refers to the growth and change of a persons ability to process information, solve problems and gain knowledge. In this area we consider the study of brain development, memory, learning, thinking, language and creativity. Social-emotional development involves the growth and change of our interactions with others and our feelings. Included in this area is the study of relationships, emotions, personality and moral development. Whilst we discuss each area of development separately it is important to realise that they do overlap. One domain can influence the other. Interest in the field of child development began early in the 20th-century. (ref) Many theories have been put forward to explain why and how children develop. Theorist Jean Piaget played a major influence on the way we understand children. He explained childrens development in terms of their cognitive development in a theory known as Piagets theory of cognitive development. Piaget believed that children think differently from adults, arguing that its not that children know less than adults but their thinking skills are qualitatively different. (ref) Many of his ideas came from observing his own children. Piaget was convinced that intellect grows through processes he termed assimilation and accommodation. Assimilation refers to using existing mental patterns in new situations. (ref) In accommodation, existing ideas are modified to fit new requirements. Thus, new situations are assimilated to existing ideas, and new ideas are created to accommodate new experiences. In his theory children mature through a series of distinct stages in intellectual development. Sensorimotor (0-2years): Piaget believed that an infant is born with no way of making sense of the world. Infants use reflexes which act on the world in specific ways so that the child gradually adapts to the world. Motor movements are seen as the basis for the eventual development of intelligence. These slowly become separated from motor activity as the child learns to represent objects, actions and thoughts through play and language. According to Piaget, object permanence emerges during infancy. This relates to the understanding that objects continue to exist even though they are out of sight. Preoperational (2-7 years): Piaget describes toddlers thinking as illogical. This is due to two main characteristics of their thinking processes; egocentricism and centation. Piaget sees young childrens thinking as egocentric; meaning they can only see things from their point of view. They cannot take into account the ideas or needs of others. Due to their stage of cognitive development their thinking is not yet flexible enough to consider more than one aspect of a given situation. They are now in a stage of self-centred thinking. (ref). Centration is the term Piaget uses to describe young childrens tendency to focus their attention on a single aspect of a situation or object. This is where Piagets experiment for the conservation of volume. This stage of development also describes toddlers having improved memory skills, problem solving skills and begin to understand concepts; for example, words such as big and small, colours and the ability to recite numbers. (ref) As children progr ess into pre-school, children practise mental representations by using mental imagery and language symbols. (Ref) Concreter Operational (7-12years): The typical school aged child is entering this stage of development. Children begin to think logically however, they tend to need concrete objects to help them solve problems rather than being able to use abstract ideas. (ref). Piaget would describe the school age child as less egocentric. According to his theory a child is now able to view the world and themselves from other perspectives. (ref) Children at this stage have a longer attention span, a better concept of time and distance and their ability to remember improves. Formal Operational (12-15years): Children at this stage break away from concrete objects and thinking is based more on abstract principles, such as honour or democracy. (ref). Full adult intellectual ability is attained during this stage. For Piaget, the development of scientific reasoning is the pinnacle of development. (Vialle, Lysaght, and Verenikina: 2008, p55). At this stage older adolescents can comprehend math, physics and other abstract systems. (ref). Some critics have faulted Piagets theory on several grounds but mostly for its vagueness. Some would say that Piagets theory has limited our perception of childrens capabilities- particularly in the pre-school years. (ref). Others may say there has been too much focus on what children cant do rather than what they can. According to Siegler (2004) children continuously gain specific knowledge; they do not undergo stage like leaps in general mental ability. (more) However, Piagets work has encouraged us to see childrens cognitive skills as being different from those of adults. His theory is valuable for understanding how children think. If we understand how children think and learn we can provide a stimulating environment that will support their learning. Using Piagets theory of cognitive development, a teacher or parents role is to provide the stimulation and observe carefully to see when to step in and interact or change experiences (ref). (125 more) While Piaget stressed the role of maturation in cognitive development, Lev Vygotsky focused on the impact of socio-cultural factors. His Socio-cultural theory of cognitive development saw that social interaction and language has a major influence on the development of childrens thinking. Vygotsky places great importance on the tole of significant adults such as teachers, parents and also peers. -The zone of proximal development: Like Piaget, Vygotsky believed that children actively seek to discover new principles. However there is emphasis that many of a childs most important discoveries are guided by these significant adults. (ref). Vygotsky realises that some tasks can be beyond a childs reach. The child is close to having the mental skills needed to do the task, but it may be slightly too complex to be mastered alone. The zone of proximal development means children learn with the guidance and assistance of those within their environment. Parents, teachers or other sensitive caregivers will know that children will need assistance, guiding the child to support them in the learning process. Vygosky argued that childrens thinking is highly influenced by interactions and conversations with other peoples. If we want to understand how children think and learn, Vygotsky proposes that we need to observe them when they are relating with others. (ref). Vygotsky proposed that language plays a critical role in learning. He noted that preschoolers often talk to themselves as they complete activities and tasks. He called this Private speech. According to Vygotsky, private speech enables children to talk through problems (ref). Erik Erikson proposed a theory of development that focuses on the emotional and social aspects of development and how these impact on the overall development of the person from infancy to old age. (ref). He called it a Psychosocial theory of development focusing on the social experiences we have in life that shape our psychological make- up. Erikson was a student of Sigmund Freud and believed that the social interactions an individual experiences has a greater influence on development. (ref). Erikson identified eight stages of development over the entire human lifespan, each stage marked by a crisis. If each crisis is resolved in a positive way then the child would develop high self esteem and was more likely to respond to the next crisis in a positive way, developing a healthy personality. If the crisis was resolved in a negative way then it was likely the child would develop low self esteem and have difficulty resolving future crisis. (ref). His theory, particularly the first four stages hold vital considerations for you as a teacher or parent, ensuring that young children develop and maintain a positive sense of emotional wellbeing. -Stage one (0-1 years) Trust vs Mistrust: According to Erikson, a critical emotional struggle in infancy is between trust and mistrust. Emotionally healthy babies come to understand they have nurturing, responsive caregivers who meet their basic needs. They view the world as safe and enter into trusting relationships with caregivers and later, other individuals. However, a degree of mistrust is also important to keep infants safe from harm. But for the most part, the emotionally healthy baby is trusting of the world. (ref) A critical part of achieving trust from Eriksons view is the ability of infants to come to know and develop an emotional tie with caregivers; also known as attachment. Mary Ainsworth described attachment as the affectional tie that one person forms to another specific person, binding them together in space and enduring over time (Ainsworth: 1973). Stage two: (1-3 years) Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt: Once toddlers have developed a sense of trust with significant adults and understand their basic needs will be met, they are willing to venture away from the safety of parents and caregivers. We see this as striving for control over their environment. (ref). Children express their growing self control by climbing, touching, exploring and trying to do things for themselves (Coon Mitterer: 2007). Offering support, achievable tasks and time, children are more likely to experience success and thus feel autonomous and develop feelings of positive self-esteem. (ref). However, if we are impatient, provide tasks that are too difficult or become unsupportive with their efforts, children will develop feelings of shame and doubt about their abilities, resulting in low self esteem. Stage three: (3-5 years) Initiative vs Guilt: In this psychosocial theory of development, Erikson saw the preschool years as a time when children develop a sense of initiative. Preschoolers develop an increasing sense of their own ability and have a desire to make things happen. Through play, children learn to make plans and carry out tasks. Parents can reinforce initiative by giving children freedom to play, ask questions, use imagination and choose their own activities. (ref). When encouraged, this sense of initiative will support the development of high self esteem. However, when preschoolers receive negative feedback, prevent play or punished for trying to plan and make things happen they will develop a sense of guilt, thus developing low self esteem. (ref.) -Stage Four (6-12 years) Industry vs Inferiority: Middle childhood is the time to resolve the crisis of industry versus inferiority, according to Erikson. Primary school years are a childs entrance into life, where children begin to learn skills valued by society. His theory states that as children gain positive feedback from developing skills required for their particular culture, they will develop a sense of industry if they win praise for productive activities such as building, painting, cooking, reading and studying. This high self esteem will motivate children to challenge new tasks. However, if children receive negative feedback and have trouble developing skills and a sense of inferiority will arise, resulting in low self esteem and less motivation to try new tasks. (160 more)

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Price of Gasoline :: essays research papers

ANALYZING THE PRICE OF GASOLINE The assignment this week presents a problem where the American Automobile Association (AA) generates a report on gasoline prices that it distributes to newspapers throughout the state. It further states that on February 18, 1999, the AAA called a random sample of fifty-one stations to determine that day’s price of unleaded gasoline. The following data (in dollars) was given in this report: Table 1 - Prices of Unleaded Gasoline at 51 Stations 1.07  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.31  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.18  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.01  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.23  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.09  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.29  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.10  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.16  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.08 0.96  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.66  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.21  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.09  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.02  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.04  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.01  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.03  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.09  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.11 1.11  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.17  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.04  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.09  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.05  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.96  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.32  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.09  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.26  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.11 1.03  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.20  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.21  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.05  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.10  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.04  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.97  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.21  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.07  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.17 0.98  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.10  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.04  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.03  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.12  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.10  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.03  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.18  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.11  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.09 1.06  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Create a data array with the gasoline price data A data array is defined as â€Å"data that have been sorted in ascending or descending order† (Shannon, Groebner, Fry, & Smith, 2002, 72). The following section presents the data presented in Table 1 as a data array. Data Array 0.96, 0.96, 0.97, 0.98, 1.01, 1.01, 1.02, 1.03, 1.03, 1.03, 1.03, 1.04, 1.04, 1.04, 1.04, 1.05, 1.05, 1.06, 1.07, 1.07, 1.08, 1.09, 1.09, 1.09, 1.09, 1.09, 1.09, 1.10, 1.10, 1.10, 1.10, 1.11, 1.11, 1.11, 1.11, 1.12, 1.16, 1.17, 1.17, 1.18, 1.18, 1.20, 1.21, 1.21, 1.21, 1.23, 1.26, 1.29, 1.31, 1.32, 1.66 Data Analysis Given the data presented in the previous sections, the next few sections use two histograms to estimate the number of prices that are at least $1.15. The first histogram presents the data using five classes and the second uses fifteen. Histogram #1 Data Used in Histogram #1 (5 classes) Range  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.70  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   # of Classes  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Class Width  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.1400  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bin #  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Classes  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Frequency  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Relative Frequency  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cumulative Frequency  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cumulative Relative Frequency 1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.9600 < 1.1000  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  27  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.53  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  27  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.53 2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.1000 < 1.2400  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  19  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.37  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  46  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.90 3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.2400 < 1.3800  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.08  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  50  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.98 4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.3800 < 1.5200  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.00  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  50  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.98 5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.5200 < 1.6601  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.02  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  51  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.00 Histogram #1 (using 5 Classes) Estimate of the Number of Prices that are at least $1.15 Using the histogram presented in the previous section, the estimate of the number of prices that are at least $1.15 is five. This is because the only values that can be counted fall into bins three, four, and five. Even though bin two may contain values that are above the $1.15 threshold, they can not be counted as they are not guaranteed to be above the stated value. Therefore the formula for the estimate is: Estimate = B3 + B4 + B5, where B3=4, B4=0 and B5=1. Histogram #2 Data Used in Histogram #2 (15 classes) Range  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.70  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   # of Classes  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  15  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Class Width  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.0467  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bin #  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Classes  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Frequency  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Relative Frequency  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cumulative Frequency  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cumulative Relative Frequency 1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.9600 < 1.0067  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.08  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.08 2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.0067 < 1.0534  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  13  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.25  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  17  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.33 3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.0534 < 1.1001  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  14  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.27  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  31  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.61 4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.1001 < 1.1468  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.10  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  36  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.71 5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.1468 < 1.1935  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.10  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  41  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.80 6  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.1935 < 1.2402  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.10  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  46  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.90 7  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.2402 < 1.2869  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.02  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  47  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.92 8  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.2869 < 1.3336  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.06  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  50  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.98 9  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.3336 < 1.3803  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.00  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  50  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.98 10  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.3803 < 1.4270  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.00  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  50  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.98 11  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.4270 < 1.4737  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.00  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  50  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.98 12  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.4737 < 1.5204  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.00  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  50  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.98 13  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.5204 < 1.5671  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.00  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  50  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.98 14  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.5671 < 1.6138  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.00  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  50  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.98 15  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.6138 < 1.6601  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.02  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  51  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.00 Histogram #2 (using 15 Classes) Estimate of the Number of Prices that are at least $1.15 Using the histogram presented in the previous section, the estimate of the number of prices that are at least $1.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Islam Studies Jahiliyyah Essay

The essay shall explore the concept of the jahiliyyah and demonstrate the importance and impact it has to understand the origins and development of Islam. The Jahiliyyah is a core and critical part of the foundations of Islam, that certain elements of the jahiliyyah were borrowed, adopted and developed; whilst other elements were discarded as Islam evolved. It is important as aspects of the jahiliyyah period continues to have an influence after the advent of Islam. Elements of the jahiliyyah such as the geographical location; the political, social and religious life; pre-islamic literature, rituals of the Ka’ba and the role of Women have shaped the understanding of Islam. The term ‘Jahiliyyah’ means the period of ignorance or barbarism; reflecting the Arabian culture before the birth of Muhammad(Mvumbi, 2010). The concept reflects the period in which Arabia had no dispensation, no knowledge of Allah or one God and no revealed sacred text (Hitti, 1987). The Jahiliy yah represents a cultural milestone, as Muslims believe they transitioned from an period of ignorance to the period of knowledge and enlightenment (Armstrong, 1991). The religious situation of Jahiliyyah is important to examine in order to understand Islamic monotheism. The religious situation of pre-Islamic shapes one’s understanding of the origins and developments of Islam, as Islam is a civilization, culture and religion. The importance of the concept is because Islam developed and built on a previous Arabian religion. Firstly the understanding the geographical location and characteristics of that period would inform and shape one’s understanding of Islam and culture. The Arabian peninsula is covered with desert and divided in two sectors: the north and the south(Mvumbi, 2010). The geographical characteristics influences the cultural and religious situation.The northern part were a pastoral society and the southern part had permanent settlements such as Yemen and th e Bedouin lifestyle (Mvumbi, 2010). Areas such as Yemen were important because of its advanced civilizations, fertile land and rich agriculture. Most areas were hospitable, rich in food and water, and trades such as spice trades (Hoyland, 2001). The desert created a harsh environment with extreme conditions, the climate varied from north to south influencing people of the time to be nomadic (Brockelman, 1960). The nomadic lifestyle created sub-cultures which led to the diversity of languages. The trade, agriculture and linguistics are central notions that have had significant importance to Islam religion and culture (Goodman, 1999). . For example, it is believed that Muhammad was a trader who stimulated the growth of trade in Mecca (Goodman, 1999). It is strongly believed that Islam and arabian’s spiritual consciousness was born the vastness of the desert, this strongly emphasise why it is important to understand Jahiliyyah as the roots of Islam begin in this period (Mvumbi, 2010). The Arabians within that period believed in religion, were more polytheism focus than the monotheism perspective of today. They believed in deities, these deities were the daughters of Allah, the supreme God (Husayn, 1982). They built temples for their idols in particular at Makka it was the most religious place. These notions of Jahiliyyah reflect Islam; as the Islamic faith was first revealed in Makka and the fact that Arabians had the notion of a supreme one and only God prior to the rise of Islam (Mvumbi, 2010). The surrounding religion such as Judaism and Christianity whom had a monotheistic faith influenced the Arabians and Islam of today. This reinforces that Arabia prior to Islam shared unity of God before Muhammad (Mvumbi, 2010). These key principles demonstrate that Islam was a revival and continuation of Jahiliyyah and this stresses the importance of that concept. Another element of the Jahiliyyah period was the political and social life, such as the Bedouin society. The political structure was tribal based, that consisted of individuals who participated in larger groups (Weissleder, 1978). This tribal aspect reflects the adopted leadership of Muhammad; as tribal rulers were seen as an arbitrator than a ruler (Weissleder, 1978). This political structure influenced the Shura system. The legal system of this period was based on tribal or customary law which influenced the Islamic communities of today(Weissleder, 1978). This element reinforces why Jahiliyyah period shaped the origins and understanding of Islam. Similarly the social integration of pre-Islamic shapes our understanding of Islam. The no tion of social integration developed within the Byzantine and Sassanic period (Hoyland, 2001). The Sassanic dynasty influenced the Islamic administrative system, it was also the aftermath of the competition dwelling between the two dynasties (Hoyland, 2001). Although these dynasties were competitive they shared a common values such as being imperialists and harmony (Hoyland, 2001). The imperial commercial network meant that the leaders had to negotiate and political rapports were created with the empires and harmony prevailed. The Bedouins became the foundational symbol of Arab nationhood identity (Hoyland, 2001). They became the nationhood identity through their significant oral transmitted poetry and written Arabic literature, which became the basis and core language and humanity of Islam (Hoyland, 2001). The pre-Islamic poetry was very fine and unique, it became the linguistic standard of the interpretations of the Qu’ran. It is noted that the pre-Islamic poetry was a central aspect of tribal humanism and in a sense contributed to Islamic humanism (Hoyland, 2001). This once again support that the pre-Islamic period intertwines with key principles of Islam and shapes one’s understanding that Islam adopted foundational principles. Along with the highly praise Arabic poetry and language, is the adopted style of language such as Saj of Kuhhan. The rhyming structure a distinguishing feature of Saj became Arabic prose (Hoyland, 2001). The style of Saj is evident within the Qu’ran, by understanding the style one may understand the socio-cultural context that this emerged from; as well as how the pre-Islamic language has been adopted by Islam. Another adopted principle of the pre-Islamic period was the role of the Ka’ba and religious practices. It is important to explore the rituals of the Jahiliyyah concept to notice the similarities, adoptations and continuation of principles that is reflected in Islam. For example, during the Jahiliyyah, there was sacred truce period to the Ka’ba which occurred for three months, the annual pilgramage which is now the ritual of the Hajj for Muslims (Armstrong, 1999). The only other difference of the role of the Ka’ba was during that time within the Ka’ba there was three hundred and sixty idols of worship within the Ka’ba (Armstrong, 1999). The practice of Islam such as fasting could be reflected in the pre-Islamic practices however it was the exclusion of hunting and sexual activity (Armstrong, 1999). So rituals that were practiced throughout the pre-Islamic period were adopted and integrated into Islam. By examining these rituals it reinforces the importance of understanding the pre-Islamic period. By understanding the concept of Jahiliyyah one would understand the continuity, the improvements and changes of principles demonstrated within Islam. These changes, adaptation can be viewed through the ideals of women and marriage within the pre-islamic period and the ideals of women and marriage in Islam. For example, pre-Islamic period; endogamy, polygamy and polyandry were common. Whereas, Qu’ranic revelations indicates the focus on polygamy rather than polyandry; however it was revealed at the time where the socio-context had increased numbers of widows. Similarly, the idea of an temporary marriage, this within pre-Islamic period was instigated by a woman; however in the Shiite practice it is only permissible by the man. This notion parallels with divorce, women were allowed to dismiss their husbands; however with the Shari’s women are disadvantaged when in attempt to divorce. The gender inequality is reflect in women’s roles as well. Women in pre-Islamic period were given a status, they were involved in divination and had a religious function; they also had the status of entertaining. However, Orthodox Islam has rejected the principle of giving women status and equality. The role of women within the pre-Islamic period reflects how Islam does not always adopt the principles of pre-Islamic period, but rather rejects some notions. As the essay demon strated the period of Jahiliyyah has significantly contributed to the success of the Prophet Muhammad’s mission. Significant features of the Jahiliyyah such geographical location; the political, social and religious life; pre-islamic literature, rituals of the Ka’ba and the role of Women have shaped the understanding of Islam. These features have demonstrated the Islamic religion within context of it’s origins and development. By understanding the concept of the Jahiliyyah one can understand which features are adopted, integrated, improved and rejected as Islam evolved. References Armstrong, K, 1991. ‘Jahiliyah’ in Muhammad: A Western Attempt to Understand Islam. 1st ed. London: Victor Gollancz Ltd. Brockelman, C, 1960. History of the Islamic peoples. New York: Capricorn books. Goodman, D, 1999. Pre-industrial Cities and Technology. London: Routledge Hoyland, R, 2001. Arabia and the Arabs: From the Bronze Age to the Coming of Islam. 1st ed. London: Routledge. Husayn, M, 1982. The life of Muhammad. Lagos: Academy Press. Mvumbi. 2010. Introduction to Islamic theology: A study of some major theological issues . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.cuea.edu/mvumbi/images/stories/PDF/ClassNotes/INTRODUCTION%20TO%20ISLAMIC%20THEOLOGY.pdf. [Accessed 14 May 13]. Schuon, F, 1976. Understanding Islam. 1st ed.London: Unwin Paperbacks Weissleder, W, 1978. The Nomadic Alternative. Chicago: Mouton Publishers

Friday, November 8, 2019

Free Essays on Canadian Advertising

and the French translation subtitled on the sign. In Montrà ©al, it’s generally the opposite; signs are in French with the English translation. This is generally harder for marketers in Canada because they not only have to advertise in English, but also in French. And also they have to research and are able to come up with an advertisement that will target the French as well. In the US, marketers generally only market to English speaking Americans. Canadians also are very preservative p... Free Essays on Canadian Advertising Free Essays on Canadian Advertising Canadian Advertising Differences Canada is a very preservative country. They are very serious with a lot of the things they do. Also Canada has a very strong economy. Currently Canada’s GDP per Capita is around 30,000 Canadian Dollars which falls in second right under the United States. About 40% of the Canadian population is of British descent, while 27% are of French origin. Another 20% are of other European background, about 10% are of E or SE Asian origin, and some 3% are of aboriginal or Mà ©tis (mixed aboriginal and European) background. In the late 1990s, Canada had the highest immigration rate of any country in the world, with more than half the total coming from Asia. Over 75% of the total population lives in cities. Canada has complete religious liberty, though its growing multiculturalism has at times caused tensions among ethnic and religious groups. About 45% of the people are Roman Catholics, while some 40% are Protestant. English and French are the official languages, and federal document s are published in both languages. In 1991, about 61% of Canadians cited English as their mother tongue, while 24% cited French. No when it comes to advertising Canada has it a lot harder than the US. Although Canada’s majority language is English, there is a high French speaking population, especially in Quebec. The majority of the population in Quebec is French. Business and other signs and billboards usually have the English words and the French translation subtitled on the sign. In Montrà ©al, it’s generally the opposite; signs are in French with the English translation. This is generally harder for marketers in Canada because they not only have to advertise in English, but also in French. And also they have to research and are able to come up with an advertisement that will target the French as well. In the US, marketers generally only market to English speaking Americans. Canadians also are very preservative p...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Doing Sales the Old Fashioned Way. Yup it’s Cold Calling.

Doing Sales the Old Fashioned Way. Yup it’s Cold Calling. The Dreaded Cold Call Does the very phrase â€Å"cold calling† send shivers down your spine? A September 2014 Forbes article, 10 Sales Techniques To Never Cold Call Again, notes that â€Å"cold calling is a dreaded and daunting task that strikes fear down the backs of even the most fearless of marketers.† I’m not a stranger to cold calling. As a fairly new college graduate, I worked at the Volunteer Legal Services in Oakland, CA, where part of my job was to call attorneys and ask them to accept pro bono cases. Most of them said no. But since then, I’ve had very little need to cold call- and frankly have avoided it, believing that it was simply inefficient. When Mark, one of my first unofficial business coaches, yelled at me because I wasn’t making enough cold calls to drum up business, I blatantly ignored him. Nothing Else is Working! When the print version of my book, How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile, became available in November 2015, I had a dream that the book would be snapped up by every college bookstore in the country. But I soon faced the harsh reality that this was not happening- not even slightly. Without a publisher and its attendant publicity machine, I had a challenge: How would I let college bookstores know about the availability of my book? One thing was for sure: My dream would not be realized if I didn’t do something. I reached out to my resources for help. A friend who has connections to college career services failed to return my emails and phone calls. â€Å"Contact the National Association of College Bookstores (NACS),† said my business coach. So I contacted NACS and discovered, after 3 months of waiting, that â€Å"We don’t have a good means of single title promotion.† I tried going to the marketing department at the distributor of my book (Ingram), who came back with, â€Å"It would be up to you as the ‘publisher’ to promote and market your book and direct people to our distribution partners to place an order.† Gee thanks. Biting the Bullet- Picking Up the Phone Finally, it got through my thick skull that there was no easy way to do this. So I started cold calling. First, I walked into the University of Wisconsin Bookstore in my home town of Madison. They ordered two copies. Encouraged, I called the Yale Bookstore (my alma mater). They ordered two copies too! Not only that, but the Barnes Noble in Madison was happy to order a couple of copies for their shelves! I called some more college bookstores. Some of them said no. Others, to my great joy, said yes! Here’s where my book will be carried as of this writing: Yale University NYU University of Wisconsin-Madison (downtown and Hilldale) University of Chicago Evergreen State College Alabama University Iowa State University University of Utah Barnes Noble, East Towne Mall, Madison, WI Here I was looking for a broad solution that would not require the work of making individual phone calls to individual bookstores. I was so stuck in thinking there must be a better way that I missed out on the opportunity to do it the old fashioned way. Once I started calling, I started getting results. Of course I can’t possibly call every book store in the country and ask them to carry my book. But I can call a lot of them, and if people buy the book, at some point I trust the balance will tip. Coach Mark, if you’re reading this, guess what?! I’m making cold calls. And it’s working. If you like How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile and want to see the print book in your local Barnes Noble or other bookstore, please let them know about it and let me know if I can add to the above list! And if there’s a situation in your life where you’re waiting for a magical solution, maybe that solution is simply picking up the phone, and dialing.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Problem Solving College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Problem Solving College - Essay Example In problem solving one should explore all options one by one until you come across the best one. However, in general, as one gains experience in solving problems, one develops one's own techniques and strategies, though they are often intangible. The computer is not an intelligent machine. It does not have the ability to think about the solution of the problem. Our task is to provide a series of steps, which when written in a programming language becomes a code. The computer runs the code for the solution. The good part is that the computer can run the solution consistently, again and again once we have written the code, saving us from the tedious and boring work. Programs are written to solve problems posed by people. The difficulty of writing the programs is driven by the difficulty of the problems. The difficulty of the problems is limited by the imagination of the people posing the problems. Now we'll see how problem solving by programming is difficult. Programming is a complex skill that takes time to master. To solve a specific problem via programming, you need to understand the nature of the problem. Think about the solution of the problem. Then we will choose a programming language. You need to have knowledge of the programming language you decide to use. ... Depending on the nature of the task problem solving can either be easy or difficult. Let's take a very simple example of finding the largest number from a given list of unsorted numbers. We can easily solve this problem manually, provided the given list of numbers is not too big. If we have to solve the same problem using programming then it is not so easy .We will have to explain the computer all the steps one by one and code it for the compiler to run the solution. Similarly, if we have a list of numbers which is very big, say ten thousand numbers and we have to find the maximum one so it would be easier to write a code for the problem rather than going through the whole list. There are many ways to find the maximum number in a given list of unsorted numbers. We will discuss one of the ways to solve it. Our first step would be to consider the first number as the largest. We will save that number in a temporary location .Then we will compare it with all the other numbers in the list and if we encounter any number greater than the number stored in our temporary location, we will update our location. The last noted item in our memory location is the largest in the list when the process is complete. Hence, we can say that it depends on the nature of the task whether problem solving is difficult with programming or not. Similarly, we consider another example of a factorial generating program. We can easily calculate the factorial of a small number in our minds but think about a program that will return you the factorial of any number you want. It can be as large as you want because you don't have to worry about the computations. The computer is going to

Friday, November 1, 2019

Accounting assignment ( memo to the manager ) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Accounting ( memo to the manager ) - Assignment Example The market it covers expands from Middle East to North Africa and all the way up to North America. The company has its offices in a number of countries including United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey,  China, USA, Canada and United Kingdom. Emaar has consistently maintained its financial position and stability. The numbers on the financial statement indicate a slight decline in revenue from 30th September 2007 to 30th September 2008 (1.62%). Although the revenue has declined slightly, the net profit has gone up by (0.4%). This indicates that the cost of revenues has gone down. From the company’s perspective, this shows that they have controlled on their costs. However, an interesting feature to note in the financial statements is that ‘selling, general and administrative expenses’ form a considerable portion of the overall expenditure both in 2007 and in 2008. Moreover, the ratio of selling and administrative expenses to the gross profit stands out to be (29.5%) and (29.1%) in 2007 and 2008 respectively. This indicates a very high proportion and is reducing the profitability considerably. In order to control these expenses, we first need to analyze the composition of these expenses. Selling, general and administrative is the sum of all direct and indirect selling expenses and all general and administrative expenses incurred by a company. Selling expenses are of two types, direct and indirect. Direct ones are those which can be linked with the sale of a specific unit. This would include warranty, advertisement or credit expenses. Indirect ones are those which cannot be allocated to a sale of a specific unit but is applied to all units in proportion. This would include telephone and postal charges. Whereas, general and administrative expenses include other expenses such as rent, heating, lighting and salaries of non-sales personnel (Investopedia). High SG&A expenses can be