Classroom Engagement and Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Classroom Engagement and Management - Assignment Example This makes it necessary to seek to outline and tabulate an approach and present it to the reader in the form of a personal best practice. Introduction Class room management has traditionally been understood as just that – management. However, the student should also be aware of the fact that classroom management necessarily requires a close collaborative agreement with the other stakeholders in the process; students. Although the phrase classroom management necessarily refers to an active process by which a leader, the teacher, interacts with the managed, students, the reality that the article seeks to display is that classroom management is ultimately a two way street that requires close cooperative agreement from all stakeholders involved. As a function of developing this cooperation and agreement, the article notes that there are several steps that the teacher and students can engage in that will help this to take place to a greater degree. The first of these is with regard s to seeking to agree on classroom rules at the very beginning of the year. This of course helps to level the playing field and present the students with the metrics by which they will be expected to follow. Additionally, checking in with students at the start of every classes emphasize as a means of possibly averting any negative behavior prior to it being exhibited. Furthermore consistency and expectations is emphasized as a means of ensuring that conformity in cooperation is uniform. Naturally, reinforcing positive behavior among students is one of the most effective means of discouraging negative behavior. As the age-old dictum goes, it is easier to catch flies with honey. A further aspect of classroom management is emphasizes with regards to maintaining student dignity. This not only helps to increase the level of self-respect the student has for himself/herself, it also helps to increase level of respect with which they engage with others (Deaton, 2013). Tying along with this is the need for the teacher to maintain a level of neutrality and not engage in any accusatory type behavior. i) Specify how you will present and conduct yourself Oftentimes, it is the case that classroom management has a great deal to do with the way in which the stage is set. What is meant by this is the fact that the teacher must be highly cognizant of the fact that their appearance and the way in which one conducts the interaction has a great deal of impact with regards to the way in which stakeholders will interact with the educator. As such, the classroom management plan that this particular student would seek to implement would be one of presenting a recognizable appearance of authority while maintaining this visual appearance with an ordered and structured approach to the lesson plan (Lawrence, 2013). Unfortunately, this is oftentimes overlooked and counts as one of the elements that is either performed in excess or not at all. However, when performed appropriately, the resu lts allow for an educator to maintain control of the classroom, maximize the level of respect that is rendered, and encourage participation from all involved. ii) Specify the behavioral goals for you students With regards to the behavioral goals that would be expected, this is also oftentimes misunderstood and underutilized by the educator. All too often, the

Management of the Cash Position Essay Example for Free

Management of the Cash Position Essay Not only do these managers often have difficulty in comprehending sophisticated forecasting techniques, but the cash flows of their companies are usually dependent upon fewer customers and a smaller number of product lines than those of their larger competitors. Thus the cash flow pattern of the small firm is typically too unstable over time and the available data describing it too limited for reliable forecasting. The small business is subject to still other constraints, apart from those applicable to all firms, which tend to restrict the use of even relatively simple cash management techniques. Small firms, for example, are normally unable to afford the division of talent available to larger companies in the form of highly educated financial managers. Many small firms, struggling hard just to remain solvent and earn a fair return, suffer further from lack of recognition that a cash management problem even exists. Once a problem is discovered the manager may lack knowledge of the methods available for a viable solution. A solution which requires more manpower or expenditures than can be covered out of normal cash flow is Dr. Grablowsky is assistant professor and rhairman of the Department of Finance at Oid Dominion University. He has published articles in the JSBM, the Journal of Financial Education, and the Journal of Behavioral Economics. Prior to his entry into education. Dr. Grablowsky was with the Department of Cost, Planning, Systems, and Analysis at the Monsanto Co., World Head, quarters, St. Louis.  typically rejected by the small business. This article will present the results of a survey of small-business cashmanagement practices and compare these methods with techniques commonly employed by larger corporations. Small businesses are defined in this study as firms with annual sales under $5 million. Data for this study were collected by means of a mail questionnaire distributed to two hundred firms selected randomly, within the various business classifications, from classified advertisements appearing in the telephone directories of the Greater Norfolk-Portsmouth SMSA and the  Hampton-Newport News SMSA. The firms were selected in five different distribution levels, with annual sales varying from under $50,000 up to $5 million. The firms in the survey operated at from one to thirteen locations and employed up to three hundred persons, although more than half had fewer than ten employees. Of the two hundred businesses selected for study, 66, or 30 percent, responded. A breakdown of the respondent firms by industry and size is given in Table 1. The Cash Budget It was hypothesized that few of the firms with sales under a million dollars would prepare cash budgets; in fact, only 30 percent of all firms in the sample did so. Several interesting relationships were noted in this regard. One was that the newer firms 1 For an example of this situation see B. J. Grablowsky, Management of Accounts Receivable by Small Businesses, Journal of Small Business Management, Vol. 14, No. 4, October, 1976, pp. 26-27. 5 According to E. Donaldson, J. Pfahl, and P. MuUins, Corporate Finance (New York: The Ronald Press Co., 1975), pp. 22-23, this would include, based on average sales per company, over 86 percent of all firms in the U,S. budgets, the larger ones updated their budgets more frequently than the others. One of the reasons for the more frequent update was that none of the largest firms made more than a thirtyday cash forecast while the smaller ones normally made budgets for up to a year. This last finding is in agreement with the results of other studies showing that few firms with  sales under $3 million make sales forecasts, whereas virtually all firms with sales over $10 million prepare one or more projections for various planning periods. As the firm grows, cash budgeting becomes more essential. Of the firms that prepared cash budgets, an annual planning period was the most common, although some also used weekly, monthly and quarterly budgets. No company made a cash budget for more than one year. The frequency of updating the budgets was well distributed over weekly, semimonthly, monthly, quarterly, and annual intervals. Another question asked whether or not the firms cash balances were being handled in the most effective and efficient manner. Of the 67 firms sampled, forty-eight replied that they felt they were efficiently utilizing their cash balances, but, of these, only eleven regularly prepared cash budgets. The assumption by the 37 firms that did not prepare cash budgets that they were efficient in the use of their cash balances is certainly made in ignorance. Conversely, of the remaining 56 firms that did not preoare cash budgets twenty-three replied, and probably rightly so, that they were not using their cash balances in the most 3 See Orgler. Cash Management, pp. 4-13, for a discusFion of factors affecting the time horizon for cash budgets. Aso see: Keith Smith. Management of Working Capital (St. Paul, Minn.: West Publishing Co., 1974), pp. 35-49, for a survey of the practices of large businesses. Soldofsky and Olive, Financial Management, p. 559. were more likely to prepare budgets than t heir longer-established competitors. A possible explanation lies in the higher educational attainments of the owner-managers of the newer firms. This characteristic, together with the attitudes of the owners toward budgeting, is believed to be a major determinant of the efficiency with which financial planning is handled in the small firm. The d^ta also showed that, somewhat contrary to expectations, in the size categories which included the largest and the smallest firms (i.e., those with less than $50,000 and those with between $1  million and $5 million in sales) a smaller percentage prepared cash budgets than in the other groups. This result was expected for the smallest firms but quite unexpected for large ones. On the other hand, of the firms that prepared cash  effective manner. This realization alone should have provided impetus to the managements concerned to investigate the need and advantages for cash budgeting—yet they still failed to prepare the budgets which could have improved their cash flow performance. The managers of these firms recognized that they had a problem—the need for more efficient cash management—yet they failed to take the proper steps to solve it. These same firms tended to take fewer of their allowed trade discounts than others, suggesting that because they did not forecast cash flows they found it necessary to resort to expensive sources of financing such as foregoing discounts. Cash Collection  actions that they could take themselves. Although only about half of the respondents had even heard of lock boxes or concentration banking, more than one-third did use one or both of these methods for reducing float time. Generally, the respondents reasoned that they could not justify expending the time and money required to reduce float, because such action would not (in their opinion) materially improve the cash position or the profits of the firm. As with many other decisions confronting small businesses, this one was usually made with inadequate information or investigation. The principal reason, again, was the lack of human resources and expertise available to the small firm. Wholesalers, because of the regional or national nature of their sales, were the most frequent users of these techniques. Businesses with a local sales orientation, such as service establishments and retail stores, were much less likely to use any method to improve cash collections.

The Slave Trade And Its Effects On Early America Essay -- essays resea

The Slave Trade and Its Effects on Early America   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Slavery played an important role in the development of the American colonies. It was introduced to the colonies in 1619, and spanned until the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. The trading of slaves in America in the seventeenth century was a large industry. Slaves were captured from their homes in Africa, shipped to America under extremely poor conditions, and then sold to the highest bidder, put to work, and forced to live with the new conditions of America.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There was no mercy for the slaves and their families as they were captured from their homes and forced onto slave ships. Most of the Africans who were captured lived in small villages in West Africa. A typical village takeover would occur early in the morning. An enemy tribe would raid the village, and then burn the huts to the ground. Most of the people who were taken by surprise were killed or captured; few escaped. The captured Africans were now on their way to the slave ships. â€Å"Bound together two by two with heavy wooden yokes fastened around their necks, a long line of black men and women plodded down a well-worn path through the dense forest. Most of the men were burdened with huge elephants' tusks. Others, and many of the women too, bore baskets or bales of food. Little boys and girls trudged along beside their parents, eyes wide in fear and wonder† (McCague, 14).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After they were marched often hundreds of miles, it was time for them to be shipped off to sea, so that they could be sold as cheap labor to help harvest the new world. But before they were shipped off, they had to pass through a slave-trading station. The slave trade, which was first controlled by Portugal, was now controlled by other European nations. In the late 1600's, Spain, Holland, England, France and Denmark were all sending ships to West Africa. The slave trade was becoming big business (Goodman, 7).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Selection of the slaves by the traders was a painstaking process. Ships from England would pull up on the coast of Africa, and the captains would set off towards the coast on small ships. â€Å"If the slave trader was a black chief, there always had to be a certain amount of palaver, or talk, before getting down to business. As a rule, the chief would expect some pr... ...m for slave owners, because they wanted the most efficiency out of their slaves as possible. In some places doctors were called in to treat blacks as well as whites.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The slave trade played an important role in the growth of the American colonies. Without the trading of slaves in the seventeenth century, American plantations would not have prospered into the export empire that they were. Works Cited Buckmaster, Henrietta. Let My People Go. Boston: Beacon Press, 1941. Davis, David Brion. Slavery and Human Progress. New York: Oxford University Press,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1984. DuBois, William Edward Burghardt. The Suppression of the African Slave-Trade to the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  United States of America. New York: Schocken Books, 1969. Goodman, Walter. Black Bondage: the Life of Slaves in the South. New York: Farrar,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Straus & Giroux, 1969. Howard, Richard. Black Cargo. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1972. McCague, James. The Long Bondage 1441-1815. Illinois: Garrard Publishing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Company, 1972. Stampp, Kenneth M. The Peculiar Institution. New York: Borzoi Books, 1982.

Competition Techniques :: essays research papers

Competition Techniques   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A complete pole vault jump is best explained by breaking it down into 9 basic steps. The steps are pre-run preparation, beginning the run, the acceleration and pole drop, the speed plant, the take off, the Tap Swing, the rockback, the clean to turn to push, and the Bar clearance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First thing to do after warming up properly is to step to the back of the runway and place the left foot on the starting mark. The right foot will be slightly behind and to the right of the left foot for good balance. Hold the right hand along side of the body at or above the waist. The left hand holds the pole a few inches in front of the chest. The pole is balanced in an almost vertical position. The vaulter should be in a position ready to drive off the starting mark.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Next, to begin the run, the right hand remains constant at the waist. The top hand holds the pole a few inches away from the chest as the initial body lean and push-off of the left foot tilts the pole toward the pit. Drive hard off the left foot to get the pole moving. Transfer the weight of the pole into the right hand. The legs are driving the hips. The hips are driving the top hand and the top hand is driving the tip of the pole. Relax the drive and work into a smooth accelerating run.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Then, the pole vault acceleration and pole drop begins at the starting mark and ends when the tip of the pole hits the back of the box. The pole tip has a smooth and constant drop to a horizontal position during the acceleration and pole drop. The height of the pole tip dictates the speed and form of the run. The run gets faster and the turnover of the feet moves forward under the hips as the pole tip drops. If the right hand gets behind the hips during the acceleration and pole drop push it forward going into the left foot as the pole reaches its level position. The vaulter may have to raise his or her elbows slightly to get the pole to a perfectly level position. For the high school pole-vaulter this position is about hip level.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Next, the pole vault speed plant starts on the left foot two strides before the take-off.

English Essay – Indian Camp

English Essay – Indian Camp The transition from child to adult can be a rough process. At times a radical experience has to occur for the change to happen. A meeting with the basic conditions of life, and with that the circle of life, can in many cases be a trigger for the transition from boy to man. In this short story the transition is linked to the dichotomy between civilisation and nature, civilisation dominating nature. In the short story â€Å"Indian Camp† by Ernest Hemingway, there is a case where a boy meets a natural environment.The result is that a feeling of superiority towards nature is created. The author of the text focuses on what impact seeing life and death can have on a child’s mind. The meeting with life and death is seen as a contributor to gaining adulthood. The author portrays a boy’s development as resulting from a strong experience. The short story is structured as a fairy tale with a home-out-home structure. With that is meant that he starts in a comfortable place and then goes on a journey and then returns. In the text the comfortable place is the boat and the journey is to the island were the Indians live.In that way Nick starts out as one person, and after the journey learns something that makes him a different person. In a way the structure underlines the theme, because it helps you focusing on the change. The boy named Nick starts his development toward adulthood in the text. He begins as a fragile boy who depends on his father and ends up as an independent and confident young man. The transition can be seen in many differences in Nick in the start and the ending of the text. In the beginning he relies on the support of his father where in the end he is fine by himself. â€Å"Nick lay back with his father’s arm around him. †¦. â€Å"They were seated in the boat. Nick in the stern, his father rowing† In the short story Nick comes to terms with the circle of life. He experiences both li fe and death, which makes him grow up. To understand life you need to have seen death. In addition to that, Nick also gets the picture of civilisation dominating nature. That is shown through the father who actually changes the course of two persons’ lives. The Indian woman and the unborn child would have died if it had not been for his father. Therefore his father acquires a godlike status, which leads to the ambiguous ending: He felt quite sure that he would never die† It is not clear whether â€Å"he† refers to Nick or to the father. It might be both of them, assuming that Nick has understood how you can dominate nature. As previously mentioned, the ending reveals some changes between before and after the experience. The ending shows that Nick develops an understanding of life and death. A difference in the environment is that they arrive in the evening and return in the morning. It can be interpreted as if the evening represents the ending of his childhood an d the morning the start of his adulthood.Also, the night is related to nature, and with that the events in the Indian camp. When the sun rises and the light breaks through they return to civilisation. In that way civilisation is linked to light. The night and day theme underlines the change from a naive boy’s lack of understanding to a young man coming to terms with the basics of life and civilisation. In addition, we see a change in the environment. It starts off as gloomy and finishes as something harmonious. â€Å"The two boats started off in the dark. Nick heard the oarlocks of the other boat quite a way ahead of them in the mist. †¦. â€Å" The sun was coming up over the hills. A bass jumped, making a circle in the water. † The change in the environment is an indicator of what lies ahead. The evening environment symbolises death and the unknown. The morning represents an entrance to adulthood. The bass making a circle in the water is a symbol of the circle o f life. Nick sees the circle in the end of the text, and that is sign of him now having seen and possibly understood life and death. â€Å"A bass jumped, making a circle in the water. † The circle of life is depicted in two ways.On the one hand, the baby’s birth and the dad’s death form parts of the circle of life. When someone is born somebody else dies. On the other hand we see that when the baby enters the world, and with that the early stages of life, Nick leaves the early stages of life. This means that the circle also says that when somebody enters a new stage of life somebody else leaves it, exemplified by the new-born baby and Nick. The short story is set among the â€Å"savages†, which is a perfect place to understand the natural order of life. It takes place in an Indian village and in that way shows nature as pure as it is.The transition from boy to man, and with that the understanding of life, has to be seen in an environment that underlines t he basic conditions of life. With that the author actually says that to understand how nature functions you have to leave the normal civilised life. To sum up, the author manages to describe the transition from boy to man as a result of meeting the circle of life. Furthermore, he problematizes civilised society and thus shows that you cannot understand the true nature of civilisation without seeing its opposite; nature. English Essay – Indian Camp English Essay – Indian Camp The transition from child to adult can be a rough process. At times a radical experience has to occur for the change to happen. A meeting with the basic conditions of life, and with that the circle of life, can in many cases be a trigger for the transition from boy to man. In this short story the transition is linked to the dichotomy between civilisation and nature, civilisation dominating nature. In the short story â€Å"Indian Camp† by Ernest Hemingway, there is a case where a boy meets a natural environment.The result is that a feeling of superiority towards nature is created. The author of the text focuses on what impact seeing life and death can have on a child’s mind. The meeting with life and death is seen as a contributor to gaining adulthood. The author portrays a boy’s development as resulting from a strong experience. The short story is structured as a fairy tale with a home-out-home structure. With that is meant that he starts in a comfortable place and then goes on a journey and then returns. In the text the comfortable place is the boat and the journey is to the island were the Indians live.In that way Nick starts out as one person, and after the journey learns something that makes him a different person. In a way the structure underlines the theme, because it helps you focusing on the change. The boy named Nick starts his development toward adulthood in the text. He begins as a fragile boy who depends on his father and ends up as an independent and confident young man. The transition can be seen in many differences in Nick in the start and the ending of the text. In the beginning he relies on the support of his father where in the end he is fine by himself. â€Å"Nick lay back with his father’s arm around him. †¦. â€Å"They were seated in the boat. Nick in the stern, his father rowing† In the short story Nick comes to terms with the circle of life. He experiences both li fe and death, which makes him grow up. To understand life you need to have seen death. In addition to that, Nick also gets the picture of civilisation dominating nature. That is shown through the father who actually changes the course of two persons’ lives. The Indian woman and the unborn child would have died if it had not been for his father. Therefore his father acquires a godlike status, which leads to the ambiguous ending: He felt quite sure that he would never die† It is not clear whether â€Å"he† refers to Nick or to the father. It might be both of them, assuming that Nick has understood how you can dominate nature. As previously mentioned, the ending reveals some changes between before and after the experience. The ending shows that Nick develops an understanding of life and death. A difference in the environment is that they arrive in the evening and return in the morning. It can be interpreted as if the evening represents the ending of his childhood an d the morning the start of his adulthood.Also, the night is related to nature, and with that the events in the Indian camp. When the sun rises and the light breaks through they return to civilisation. In that way civilisation is linked to light. The night and day theme underlines the change from a naive boy’s lack of understanding to a young man coming to terms with the basics of life and civilisation. In addition, we see a change in the environment. It starts off as gloomy and finishes as something harmonious. â€Å"The two boats started off in the dark. Nick heard the oarlocks of the other boat quite a way ahead of them in the mist. †¦. â€Å" The sun was coming up over the hills. A bass jumped, making a circle in the water. † The change in the environment is an indicator of what lies ahead. The evening environment symbolises death and the unknown. The morning represents an entrance to adulthood. The bass making a circle in the water is a symbol of the circle o f life. Nick sees the circle in the end of the text, and that is sign of him now having seen and possibly understood life and death. â€Å"A bass jumped, making a circle in the water. † The circle of life is depicted in two ways.On the one hand, the baby’s birth and the dad’s death form parts of the circle of life. When someone is born somebody else dies. On the other hand we see that when the baby enters the world, and with that the early stages of life, Nick leaves the early stages of life. This means that the circle also says that when somebody enters a new stage of life somebody else leaves it, exemplified by the new-born baby and Nick. The short story is set among the â€Å"savages†, which is a perfect place to understand the natural order of life. It takes place in an Indian village and in that way shows nature as pure as it is.The transition from boy to man, and with that the understanding of life, has to be seen in an environment that underlines t he basic conditions of life. With that the author actually says that to understand how nature functions you have to leave the normal civilised life. To sum up, the author manages to describe the transition from boy to man as a result of meeting the circle of life. Furthermore, he problematizes civilised society and thus shows that you cannot understand the true nature of civilisation without seeing its opposite; nature.

How to Get a Commercial Drivers License (CDL)

How to Get a Commercial Drivers License (CDL) Congratulations on your decision to start your career as a Professional Truck Driver! You are entering a field that is in high demand, so your chances of getting a job and becoming a truck driver are more than excellent!The first thing you have to do is to get your commercial driver’s licence (CDL).Different states have different guidelines, click on your state below to find out how you can get started.AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaNorth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingThe Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration works with each individual state to license and certify drivers.The Commercial Motor Vehicle Sa fety Act of 1986 was designed to improve highway safety. It ensured that drivers of commercial vehicles are qualified to drive them and removed unsafe drivers from the highways. The Act established minimum standards and required states to upgrade their existing programs.Before the Act was passed, even in states with separate license classes, drivers were not necessarily tested in the types of vehicles they would be driving. States must now test commercial drivers according to federal standards to ensure that drivers know how to operate the trucks or buses they intend to drive.CDL Classes for Every StateThere are separate classes of commercial driver’s licenses. Every state issues licenses in these categories:Class A: Any combination of vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GWVR) of 26,001 or more pounds, provided the GVWR of the vehicle(s) being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.Class B: Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle tow ing a vehicle not in excess of 10,000 pounds GVWR.Class C: Any single vehicle, or combination of vehicles, that does not meet the definition of Class A or Class B, but is either designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver, or is placarded for hazardous materials.The license allows you to drive at the class(es) below it. So If you have a Class A license, you can drive Class A, B, and C vehicles. Those with a Class B license can drive Class B and C vehicles.EndorsementsTo be licensed for certain types of commercial vehicles, extra testing is required. If you pass, you will receive an endorsement on your CDL. These are the endorsements that you can apply for:T―Double/Triple Trailers (knowledge test only)P―Passenger (knowledge and skills tests)N―Tank Vehicle (knowledge test only)H―Hazardous Materials (knowledge test only)S―School Buses (knowledge and skills tests)Applying for a Hazardous Materials Background CheckAfter you get a C DL, apply for a background check from the  TSA if you’ll be obtaining a hazardous materials endorsement. You may do this online or by contacting a TSA agent. They will ask for:Your CDL or CDL permit number.Proof of legal status.Proof of Identity.Next, the TSA will ask you to go to a fingerprint office to give your fingerprints. The TSA and the FBI will conduct background investigations. You will be responsible for various  fees.   Learn more here.If you already have your noncommercial driver’s license, check this round up of state guidelines and see what you’ll need to do to be certified to drive safely behind the wheel of a commercial rig!

Socialism in Tanzania

Socialism in Tanzania Free Online Research Papers There were many problems that plagued Tanzania as it was beginning its development as an independent country. Tanzania was plagued with economic inequality and too much dependence on foreign investments. A school teacher, Julius Nyerere, from the former Tanganykan country had a vision of African socialism that would create a prosperous socialist society in Africa. From the developments that took place, Nyerere was on the right track, but through governmental mismanagement and environmental issues, his goals were never fully developed. Tanzania began its independence as Tanganyika in 1961. The school teacher, Julius Nyerere, became the first president of Tanganyika under the new republican constitution. In 1964, Tanganyika was loosely joined with the islands of Zanzibar, and was renamed the Republic of Tanzania (Skinner 2003). Nyerere was a strong supporter of African socialism. He wanted Tanzania to be self-sufficient, to prosper, and be equal to all. To end the economic inequality and restrict government corruption, Nyerere, ordered income limitations and established village collectives (Duiker, 727). The peasants did not agree to this so the government burned their villages and forced them into collective farms. This forced coercion immensely affected the agricultural efficiency and output of the nation, and eventually led to one of the downfalls of Nyerere’s goals. Another concern of the African leaders was the control of their industries by foreign powers and increase self-reliance. Their goal was to restrict foreign investments and nationalize the major industries while also continuing to support democratic ideals and values (Duiker, 727). The government succeeded in nationalizing the industries, and by 1967, had transformed the government into the largest employer of the nation. There were some major issues in Tanzania that caused Nyerere’s self-reliance plan to fail. The country was crippled by agricultural issues because of poor soil, inadequate rainfall, and limited resources (Duiker, 727). The government also imposed excessive taxes which helped to further damage the economy. Because of these issues, self-reliance was not an acceptable solution for Tanzania; they had to continue to depend on foreign countries for economic assistance. Tanzania did not respond to Nyerere’s African socialism, as shown through the slow growth and continued rural and urban poverty. The quest for socialism left Tanzania as one of the poorest and least developed countries, and its dependence on foreign aid was the world’s highest (Skinner 2003). One option to overcome some of these issues would have been to unite with a country that had fertile land, such as Kenya. By uniting with a Kenya, together they could have traded resources to help eachother become self-sufficient. The only problem with joining with Kenya was that Kenya welcomed foreign investments and profit incentives. Tanzania was also bordered by four bodies of water. They could have invested in some type of irrigation systems to combat their inadequate rainfall percentages. In conclusion, I believe with some improvement, Nyerere’s system could have worked and helped Tanzania establish itself as a successful socialist nation. From the textbook’s perspective, their problems were minor, and with some adjustments, Tanzania could have enjoyed being self-reliant and prosperous. Nyerere could have tried to reverse the collective farming to see how well that system would work. He could have also lowered the taxes imposed and used more foreign aide as other nations did. All in all, with a little modifications, I believe in the long run, the plan would have worked. ? Bibliography Duiker, William J., and Jackson J. Spielvogel. The Essential World History. 6th Edition. Boston: Wadsworth, 2011. Skinner, Annabel. History of Tanzania. April 2003. enotes.com/topic/History_of_Tanzania (accessed November 12, 2010). Research Papers on Socialism in TanzaniaBringing Democracy to AfricaAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Definition of Export Quotas19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraTwilight of the UAWRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeQuebec and CanadaStandardized TestingInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males

The Great Gatsby Quotes and Analysis

The Great Gatsby Quotes and Analysis The following quotes from  The Great Gatsby  by F. Scott Fitzgerald are some of the most recognizable lines in American literature. The novel, which follows the pursuit of pleasure by the wealthy elites of the New York Jazz Age, deals with themes of love, idealism, nostalgia, and illusion. In the quotes that follow, well analyze how Fitzgerald conveys these themes. â€Å"I hope shell be a fool – thats the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.†Ã‚  (Chapter 1) Daisy Buchanan is talking about her young daughter when she makes this seemingly-unfeeling statement. In reality, this quote demonstrates a rare moment of sensitivity and self-awareness for Daisy. Her words show a deep understanding of the world around her, particularly the idea that society rewards women for being foolish rather than smart and ambitious. This statement adds greater depth to Daisys character, suggesting that perhaps her lifestyle is an active choice rather than the result of a frivolous mindset. â€Å"It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced – or seemed to face – the whole eternal world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey.†Ã‚  (Chapter 3) The novel’s narrator, young salesman Nick Carraway, describes Jay Gatsby thusly when he first encounters the man in person. In this description, focused on Gatsby’s particular manner of smiling, he captures Gatsby’s easy, assured, almost magnetic charisma. A huge part of Gatsby’s appeal is his ability to make anyone feel like the most important person in the room. This quality mirrors Nick’s own early perceptions of Gatsby: feeling unusually lucky to be his friend, when so many others never even meet him in person. However, this passage also  foreshadows  Gatsby’s showmanship and ability to put on whatever mask someone wants to see. In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars. (Chapter 3) Although  The Great Gatsby  is often held up as a celebration of Jazz Age culture, it’s actually the opposite, often  critiquing the era’s  carefree hedonism. Fitzgerald’s language here captures the beautiful but impermanent nature of the wealthy’s lifestyle. Like moths, they’re always attracted to whatever the brightest light happens to be, flitting away when something else grabs their attention. Stars, champagne, and whisperings are all romantic but temporary and, ultimately, useless. Everything about their lives is very beautiful and full of sparkle and shine, but disappears when the harsh light of day- or reality- appears.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart.† (Chapter 5) As Nick reflects on Gatsby’s opinion of Daisy, he realizes how much Gatsby has built her up in his mind, so much so that no real person could ever live up to the fantasy. After meeting and being separated from Daisy, Gatsby spent years idealizing and romanticizing his memory of her, turning her into more illusion than woman. By the time they meet again, Daisy has grown and changed; she is a real and flawed human who could never measure up to Gatsby’s image of her. Gatsby continues to love Daisy, but whether he loves the real Daisy or simply the fantasy he believes her to be remains unclear. â€Å"Can’t repeat the past?†¦Why of course you can!†Ã‚  (Chapter 6) If there’s one statement that sums up Gatsby’s entire philosophy, this is it. Throughout his adult life, Gatsby’s goal has been to recapture the past. Specifically, he longs to recapture the past romance he had with Daisy. Nick, the realist, tries to point out that recapturing the past is impossible, but Gatsby utterly rejects that idea. Instead, he believes that money is the key to happiness, reasoning that if you have enough money, you can make even the wildest dreams come true. We see this belief in action with Gatsbys wild parties, thrown just to attract Daisy’s attention, and his insistence on rekindling his affair with her. Notably, however, Gatsbys entire identity stemmed from his initial attempt to escape his poor background, which is what motivated him to create the persona of Jay Gatsby. â€Å"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.†Ã‚  (Chapter 9) This sentence is the final line of the novel, and one of the most famous lines in all of literature. By this point, Nick, the narrator, has become disillusioned with Gatsbys hedonistic displays of wealth. He has seen how Gatsby’s fruitless, desperate quest- to escape his past identity and recapture his past romance with Daisy- destroyed him. Ultimately, no amount of money or time was enough to win Daisy, and none of the novels characters were able to escape the limitations imposed by their own pasts. This final statement serves as a commentary on the very concept of  the American dream, which claims that anyone can be anything, if only they work hard enough. With this sentence, the novel seems to suggest that such hard work will prove futile, because the â€Å"currents† of nature or society will always push one back towards the past.

Slavery and the Making of America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Slavery and the Making of America - Essay Example Slave owners could sell their own children by proving they were illegitimate. Slave owners often slept with female slaves (Luminary_Aurora 2013). In the process, some of them conceived and depending on whether the owner was open about these relations, they could sell these children. Often considered an investment, slave owners could even intentionally impregnate their female slaves to place a sort of dividend. Slave owners considered the slave status something acquired from the mother only (Luminary_Aurora 2013). As a result, selling their children was not considered immoral or cruel. In effect, slave owners could either sell such children or keep them as their own slaves in hopes to make profits off of them.Frances Driggus went back to slavery after county Gaol found her guilty of theft in February 1699. Before this incident, Driggus allegedly stole meat from Charles Trelfo several years after being granted freedom (Luminary_Aurora 2013).

GERMANY EXERCISE Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

GERMANY EXERCISE - Term Paper Example subsequent victory at Sedan on 2 September last year is a true case study that our survival depends on our ability to unite as German speaking people and proclaim German unity. The history of the national movement in the German speaking lands dates back to the periods of Napoleonic wars when romantic nationalism and pan Germanism began to rise. For example, the advocacy of building a German nation as a political force was particularly started as a response to the constant invasion of German territories by the French under Napoleon. However, many of the past attempts to create a federation among German states based on common nationhood have always faced numerous difficulties some of which include hostilities and tension between Prussia and the other German speaking lands as well as the Catholic-Protestant divide just to name a few. The original philosophy of the German nationalist movements has always been premised on the principles of collective self determination of the German speaking people, and the need for territorial unification to achieve these ends. According to early German philosophers such as Johann Gottfried Herder, who first developed the concept of German nationalism particularly argued that ethno-linguistic nations are the only legitimate nations. Throughout the history, the definition of being German has always presented numerous difficulties. This is particularly owing to the linguistic diversity in the German speaking lands with the main German dialects currently being Bavarian, Swabian, Cologne and Saxon. In this regard, despite our common history as German speaking peoples, the us of terms like â€Å"Sprachnation†-people united by a common language, or â€Å"Kulturnation†-a people united by a singular culture can not properly define what a German is. In my humble opinion, I would define German a unique people with a rich tied history dating back to the Middle Ages. From Prussia to Baden to Wà ¼rttemberg and to Bavaria, We the Deutsche are one

Choosing MBA Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Choosing MBA Program - Essay Example The most vital factor considered when choosing an MBA program is the cost of the program. In Canada, the most expensive business administration programs are offered in Rotman (Toronto), Ivey (Western), Queens, Schulich (York) and Desautels. Their prices range from $50,000 to around $100,000. Also, the cheapest business administration programs range from $5,000 to approximately $10,000. They are offered in institutions such as the University of Quebec, Royal Military College, Sherbrooke, Laval and Memorial (MBA Programs.org., 2012). The other factors considered when selecting an MBA program include the teaching quality, peer group, competition, international accreditation, reputation of the school, curriculum, and bilingualism among other factors (Hecterra Inc., 2012). All these factors are of vital importance before an individual selects his or her Masters in Business Administration program of choice. When one earns a Masters in Business Administration degree, they are able provide m anagement skills and business skills. Furthermore, the program shapes one’s vision to do international business. Most school profiles provide convenient information regarding the programs (Bragg, 2011). In Canada, these programs at accredited schools are similar to those in Anglo-Saxon countries. This is because the accreditation standards are not similar in most countries. Some states have various legal requirements for accreditation. Firstly, the learners cover a wide field of programs. Afterwards, in their second year they specialize on their curriculum of interest. Most of the business administration programs provide training which goes beyond general business management. Additionally, the programs allow the individual to earn joint degrees (Corbett, 1998). The full-time and part-time Masters in Business Administration programs are often seen as the tradition education model. This is mainly because the students cover a wide range of topics in their first year. Lucky enoug h, the part-time MBA programs are flexible because, the student can multitask. This asserts that learners are able to work while subsequently pursuing their studies since; there programs require less class time (Corbett, 1998). In this case, I have chosen to specialize in the accounting field. The Master of Accountancy is regarded as a graduate professional degree which prepares the learners for public accounting. Furthermore, this field of specialization provides the learner with 150 credit hours as required by most states before taking the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination. The program runs for a period of one year which contains over twelve semester credit courses. On the contrary, the accounting field is not liable for preparing the learners to undertake (Certified Public Accountant) CPA examinations. From research, after graduating, one enters into the consulting or the corporate accounting field. Alternatively, the graduates have the capability to pursue Certifie d Internal Auditor (CIA) or Certified Management Accountant (CMA) among other certificate programs. For online accredited programs, accounting allows learners to perform duties such as financial planning, information technology operations, reviewing corporate budgets among other operations. The Master of Accounting Program (MAcc) also develops the learner’

Shackletons Artic Adventure Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Shackletons Artic Adventure - Assignment Example when Ernest Shackleton, an Irish born explorer, distinguished himself, not only among the masses, but also among the 27 crew members that included scientists, officers and seamen. Shackleton earned the respect shown to him by these men, not to mention the respect of millions today, by serving as an able leader putting his men’s wellbeing, both physical and mental, above everything else (WGBH, 2001). Repeatedly during the expedition, the Endurance crew members faced fatal situations, yet every time, they were able to beat the odds and survived. Although some of their success can be attributed to providence or luck, but Shackleton’s leadership is widely regarded as the critical differentiation. Put your people first. While Shackleton was leading the expedition to be the first to reach the South Pole, he himself and his crew members suffered a great ordeal that eventually made them weak. Shackleton realized that a further push would be equivalent to putting their life at risk. That is why he chose to turn back, even though he knew that being the first to reach the South would bring hi everlasting fame and glory. Alongside the strong desire to lead to the expedition, his sense of responsibility for his men was impeccable. This decision of Shackleton gave his crew members the confidence that their lives would not be sacrificed as a means for meeting the goal of the expedition. Be flexible in tactics. While the elementary goal to survive remained paramount, Shackleton remained intelligently flexible in the strategies that he adopted to achieve the goal. His adaptability to the demanding environments was incredible and that is what gave him strong control over the expedition and fostered zeal within him making him believe that he would be able to bring all 27 crew members safely back home. Choose your people carefully. The recruitment notice posted by Shackleton itself speaks for his honesty. He knew about the uncertainties that are inevitable during the journey

Suicide In Mental Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Suicide In Mental Health - Essay Example The paper is issued by the UK Parliament as Command Paper, Cm 4386. The site provides access to the full-text of the report". (Intute:Social Sciences,2006). The objective is to improve the health of everyone and the health of the worst off in particular. The program emphasizes on the fact that good health is inherent need of all, but many people spend most of their lives ill or die young from preventable diseases, this need should be effectively addressed with good support and the first comprehensive Government plan focused on the main killers: cancer, coronary heart disease and stroke, accidents, mental illness. They emphasize on the tougher but attainable targets. The objective is to reduce the death rate in people under 75 suffering from cancer by at least a fifth. The focus is to reduce the death rate in people under 75, suffering from coronary heart disease by at least two fifths. The death rates caused by accidents by at least a fifth and serious injuries caused by accidents by at least tenth. In the sensitive area of mental illness, to reduce the death rate from suicide and undetermined injury by at least a fifth. If these targets are achieved there is opportunity to save lives by preventing up to 300,000 untimely and unneces sary deaths. To achieve this target the government is putting in more money: twenty one billion pounds for the NHS alone to secure a healthier population. The focus is also to raise awareness first by tackling smoking as the single biggest preventable cause of poor health. The aim is to integrate Government, and local government work to improve health, stressing health improvement as a key role for the NHS. The emphasis is on high health standards for all, not just privileged few. can make a difference. We want to see a new balance in which people, communities and Government work together in partnership to improve health. "Our drive for better health is in line with a background of real improvement in health: people live longer and healthier lives life expectancy is now 80 for women and 75 for men many infectious diseases of the past - such as cholera, diphtheria and polio - have been brought under control death in childbirth is now rare. But new problems arise, including AIDS and v ariant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease". (Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation,1999). People can improve their own health, through physical activity, better diet and quitting smoking. Communities can tackle poor health, which springs too from a range of wider, community factors - including poverty, low wages, unemployment, poor education, sub-standard housing, crime and disorder and a polluted environment. (Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation,1999) Health inequality is widespread: the most disadvantaged have suffered most from poor health. The Government is addressing inequality with a range of initiatives on education, welfare-to-work, housing, neighborhoods, transport and the environment which will help improve health. As well as taking action on our key targets, we are also tackling other important health issues like sexual health, drugs, alcohol, food safety, water fluoridation and communicable diseases - to put our new approach into practice. We want to see healthier people in a healthi er country. People improving their own health supported by communities working through local organizations against a backdrop of action by the Government. We want to see everyone take the

Shackletons Artic Adventure Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Shackletons Artic Adventure - Assignment Example when Ernest Shackleton, an Irish born explorer, distinguished himself, not only among the masses, but also among the 27 crew members that included scientists, officers and seamen. Shackleton earned the respect shown to him by these men, not to mention the respect of millions today, by serving as an able leader putting his men’s wellbeing, both physical and mental, above everything else (WGBH, 2001). Repeatedly during the expedition, the Endurance crew members faced fatal situations, yet every time, they were able to beat the odds and survived. Although some of their success can be attributed to providence or luck, but Shackleton’s leadership is widely regarded as the critical differentiation. Put your people first. While Shackleton was leading the expedition to be the first to reach the South Pole, he himself and his crew members suffered a great ordeal that eventually made them weak. Shackleton realized that a further push would be equivalent to putting their life at risk. That is why he chose to turn back, even though he knew that being the first to reach the South would bring hi everlasting fame and glory. Alongside the strong desire to lead to the expedition, his sense of responsibility for his men was impeccable. This decision of Shackleton gave his crew members the confidence that their lives would not be sacrificed as a means for meeting the goal of the expedition. Be flexible in tactics. While the elementary goal to survive remained paramount, Shackleton remained intelligently flexible in the strategies that he adopted to achieve the goal. His adaptability to the demanding environments was incredible and that is what gave him strong control over the expedition and fostered zeal within him making him believe that he would be able to bring all 27 crew members safely back home. Choose your people carefully. The recruitment notice posted by Shackleton itself speaks for his honesty. He knew about the uncertainties that are inevitable during the journey

Bank of America Part III Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Bank of America Part III - Essay Example This research aims to evaluate and present two major objectives of Bank of America Corporation. There are first, to rebalance as well as realign the organization so as to provide their clients with the most exclusive and finest financial services, and second, to reinforce their balance sheet as well as capital situation to generate the appropriate conditions for continuing shareholder value augmentation. The vision of BAC is to develop into the best financial services organization in the world. The management of BAC believes that the accomplishment of this vision can be assessed by their clients, their human resources and their shareholders. BAC’s management considers that they would succeed in attaining the vision of the organization when they would be able to preserve the faith and confidence of their clients, customers, staffs, shareholders as well as policymakers. The core principals of Bank of America Corporation are to bring value for their shareholders in addition to th eir customers and clients, retain faith and confidence in their team, hold on to the power of their human resources, endorse opportunities and act sensibly. BAC caters the financial needs of three main groups of customers, viz. individual consumers, companies and institutional investors. The management of BAC recognizes that their decisions and measures can impact the lives of many individuals and hence they consider themselves liable for regimented risk management and for operating in the appropriate way. With the dynamically changing economic and market conditions, the management of BAC is attempting to bring about a change in their organizational culture. They had moved from acquiring franchise to the efficient operation and management of the franchise. BAC was earlier positioned as a commercial bank focused on the US; however they had repositioned

What it means to be an American Essay Example for Free

What it means to be an American Essay The United States of America is a wonderful country where there is equal opportunities, rights and freedoms, and justice. America’s founding fathers like George Washington saw the potential of America being the greatest country of all. They created the constitution. The constitution created a stronger federal government and gave citizens rights. It wasn’t until 1865 that the United States Constitution ended slavery. America has prospered so much since then and now in the 21st century everyone wants to come to America where there is work and you can live a better life. Sometimes Americans take these rights for granted and end up in prison losing their right of freedom and close all their opportunities. Americans should cherish all their rights. I believe that an American is someone who has liberty, has opportunities to become successful, and can vote. Can you imagine not having freedom or the freedom of speech and religion? In Saudi Arabia there is no freedom of religion their religion is only Sunni Islam. If you don’t follow their religion the people face limited employment and educational opportunities. Their government executed someone for charges of witchcraft. American’s have the right to practice whatever they want and this makes me feel happy to be an American. My mother and father have taught me that if you’re a hard worker than you can achieve whatever you want. America is full of opportunities but it all starts with school you have to get good grades and try your best. In America you can get scholarships that pay for your college education. This is an excellent opportunity available to Americans. There is a lot of places where you can go to get a job because there is a lot of businesses. America is a democracy were Americans decide what they want for their country. This is good because in other countries there are monarchies where the citizens don’t have a say in the future of their country. Whatever the king or dictator want’s he gets. This is a form of protection of our rights. In conclusion, it is great to be an American and live in America. An American is someone who has liberty, has opportunities to become successful, and can vote. Americans can express their opinion with freedom of speech.

Factors to Consider Before Merger and Acquisition

Factors to Consider Before Merger and Acquisition CHAPTER 1 Introduction 1.1. Background to the research According to the Chambers 20th Century dictionary the research could be defined as a â€Å"Systematic investigation towards increasing the sum of knowledge†. It was also stated as â€Å"An endeavor to discover new or collate old facts by the scientific study of a subject or by a course of critical investigation† in the Concise Oxford Dictionary. (The Concise Oxford Dictionary) Research can also be defined as the process which helps to find something new or it helps in clarifying certain doubts about the research that was being done already. This research looks in to the factors that encourage business organization all over the world to engage in the process of mergers and acquisitions (MA). It also examines the factors and incentives on the basis of which the MA have been a continuous popular strategy for the firms for expanding their businesses. Why and what type of firms will engage in this process. This research also helps the firms to understand the benefits that they can get from the MA process. There are various other growth and diversification strategies like franchising, licensing and Joint ventures which are popular amongst the business organizations. This research also discussed the challenges that firms face while engaging in the process of MA. MA is not an easy process because it is difficult for the organizations that are previously competing with each other to join and work together as one new entity. Organizations have different culture; they are using different management practices. It is very difficult for the employees to adjust to the new culture of the organization. In this research it is also going to be found out that what benefits that a firm can get after a successful MA process. Mergers and acquisitions is an issue of great academic interest. There are studies about this issue in the field of industrial economic and strategic management as well as on organizational theories. Especially in the current economic situation, where companies are facing liquidity problems and facing tough competitions from their rivals, MA is an important survival strategy as well for the organizations. With the globalization and the world is being a global village, the need for companies to join together and to cater the needs of the customers have to work together. The phenomenon of MA is equally popular amongst the firms with same kind of business as well as for the organization in different business. The firm that is discussed as a case study in this research is a big pharmaceutical company of the world. After the merger the company became the biggest pharmaceutical company of the world. In year 1998 the volume of business through the MA process was 2.4 trillion. This increases every year with more and more companies are entering the process of MA. In this research the case study GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) was discussed. It is going to be evaluated in this research that how the organization benefitted from the merger and acquisition process and whether it was a successful merger or not. In this research the definitions of MA given by different authors and the types of mergers were also discussed. The motive that attracted the organization to involve in the process of mergers and acquisition and the benefits that they got from this process was also discussed. MA is a complex process that involves two different companies, having their separate identity, so the problem arises in the integration process after the MA. In order to measure the performance of GSK the financial statements are analyzed. 1.2. Significance of the Study This research will help in finding out the factors that encourages companies to engage in the process of mergers and acquisition (MA). What are the factors that firms have to consider while starting the process of mergers and acquisitions? It is also going to be find out in the research that why companies are using MA as business expansion strategy for the growth of their business both in the International as well as local markets. This research will help in better understanding of the issues that are involved in the process of MA. The firms have to look at the human resource aspect of the mergers and acquisitions instead of just considering the financial and business aspect. Apart from the factors and parties involved in the process of mergers and acquisitions it is also going to be find out that what are the factors that have to be managed in the process, otherwise they will result in the failures of the whole process of MA. This study will also help the companies who are planning to engage in the process of MA about the relationship between the parties involved in this whole process. Globalization has made it easy for the firms to interact with each other, share their experiences about the markets, made strategic alliances to expand their businesses. This study will help in understanding the fat that how firms are using the mergers and acquisition as international business expansion strategy. It is also going to be find out in this study that why companies adopt the MA to expand their businesses in the international as well as national market when they have other business expansion strategies available to them like Strategic Alliances and joint ventures. 1.3. Statement of Purpose The purpose of this study was to find out that what were the factors that encouraged firms to engage in the process of mergers and acquisition? This research was going to evaluate the different business growth and expansion strategies that firm are using in order to expand their businesses. As GSK was taken as case study for discussing the mergers and acquisition as a business growth strategy, it was also going to be discusses that why GSK selected MA as a growth strategy to expand their business. This research also looked into the factors that encouraged firms in general and GSK in particular to involved in MA process. It was also going to evaluated that what were the positive points, that GSK would get after their merger and what were the challenges that GSK faced in the during merger and pre merger phase . In order to evaluate the performance of the GSK in this research the financial statement of the GSK was evaluated so as to saw the performance of the company in the post merger stage. This research looked at the annual turnover of the GSK after their merger so as to see that how much growth company had after the merger. In this report the earning per share (EPS) of the GSK was discussed and compared over few years in order to get the feel of that how well the company was working and how much benefit, the shareholders of the company had of their MA. The purpose of doing this research to help the students, researchers and companies to understand that how they can merger and acquisition effectively in order to expand their businesses. This research is really helpful full for the companies who are interested in doing mergers as they come to know through this research that what are the benefits they can get after the MA process. They will also come to know through this research that what will be the challenges that they will have to face if they want to be a part of mergers and acquisition process. This research will provide will help the firms who are interested in the process of mergers and acquisition to understand that how they will face with the problem of cultural differences if they are going for mergers with organizations from others cultures. They will also come to know that how important is the proper integration of cultures and integration of different department of the organization in the successful process of MA. 1.4. Aims and objectives This research will help the companies who are planning to engage in the process of mergers and acquisitions. They come to know through this research that what factors they have to take into consideration while going for mergers and acquisitions. What are the benefits and what are the negatives of MA. Who are the parties that are involved in merger and acquisition? The research has several aims regarding mergers and acquisitions of companies, especially Glaxo and SmithKilne. Merger and Acquisitions are never easy as many companies fail in their initial steps but some of them succeeding as well although number of failure is high. They fail because they could not recognize the actual factors on which they are doing mergers and acquisition. There are several factors upon which merger and acquisition takes place like HR, lack of capital, IT, lack of expertise, need for globalization and it is not necessary that companies do merger and acquisition on all factors but it depends on companies strategies and requirements as well. But in todays dynamic environment companies do merger and acquisition for increase their efficiency and effectiveness; companies have increasingly used mergers and acquisitions to change the scope and/or competitive environment of their business. Other factors which are useful in successful mergers and acquisitions are communication, corporate culture and change for surviving. In this project the researcher will discuss the factors that have impact on before, during and after merger and acquisition. Researcher will also look into the financial statement of the GSK for the last three years to determine that whether the company grows in its market price per share and price earnings ratio. That is the main indicators that determine the performance of the company. 1.5. Research Questions What factors encourages firms to adopt mergers and acquisitions as an international business strategy? What are the other international business expansion strategies available to firm? What benefits are likely to be gained by the firm, under the international business expansion strategy in mergers and acquisitions? What factors encouraged GSK to engage in merger and acquisitions? What are the benefits of MA? What are the challenges faced by the firm while engaging in the process of mergers and acquisitions? What strategies could be implemented to enhance the international business operations? CHAPTER 2 Literature Review 2.1 Business Expansion and Growth Strategies Businesses can expand or grows by number of ways. Whatever type of choice there may be, the business owners are on the hot seat because they have to make judgments, they should consider the best available choice that are in line with their main objective of expanding or growing business. In order to provide an initial understanding of the basic business growth and expansion strategies, some of them are discussed here. Directly exporting, Indirectly exporting with the help of middle man, producing product in the target company, Franchising and joint ventures, strategic alliances are some of the methods that companies all over the business world are using to expands all over the world. Apart from methods mentioned above, Mergers and acquisitions are the method that big multinational companies in all business sectors are using to expand their businesses internationally as well as in domestic market. Firms are using MA as an expansion growth strategy in order to cut down their cost of unnecessary advertisement and other marketing programmes that they are using in order to capture new markets with the help of MA. Companies diversifies their businesses so that they can enter new markets. 2.1.1 Business expansion through Geographical expansion It is the first and foremost aim of every business to grow in term of capturing new markets as well as in the financial terms. It is easy with the help of MA process, two companies that were previously competing with each other and spending a lot of their financial resources on un necessary marketing their products, can join their hands with MA process to capture new geographical markets. GSK after their mergers captures big market of Europe, Asia, USA and Japan. In most of the world GSK, after their merger became the biggest pharmaceutical company of the world. It is important to know that what are the methods, modern small, medium and large businesses are using in order to expand their businesses internationally. Some of the methods that organizations are using to expand internationally and in the local markets are as follows; 2.1.2 Ansoffs Growth Matrix (Product Market Mix) In order to understand the growth strategies, one of the common business strategy frame work is called as Ansoffs Growth Matrix. This matrix is developed by H. Igor Ansoff, a strategic management guru. This matrix helped organization in establishing a direction for the growth. In this growth matrix product and market are taken against vertical and horizontal axis. It helped organizations to understand the factor that how they grow their business. They can either enter the existing market with new product or they can enter the new market. (Campbell and Craig 2005) 2.1.3 Market Penetration In this kind of growth strategy the firm actually wants to sell more of its product in to the existing market. The firms want to grow their business by capturing more market share, for that firm allocates more of its resources to product development. This is less risky because the firm already knows the market. (Campbell and Craig 2005) 2.1.4 Market Development In this strategy the firm tries to enter the new market with the existing products. This happens when the firm wants to sell their existing product to new geographical markets in order to capture them. In this strategy firm has to invest highly on the marketing and sales department, in order to pursued customers to purchase their product. (Campbell and Craig 2005) 2.1.5 Product Development This strategy necessitates on the development of new product for the existing markets. In this strategy the organization had to invest highly on the research and development. Firms have to come up with new products that are in accordance with the current trends and needs/tastes of the customer. (Campbell and Craig 2005) 2.1.6 Diversification Diversification is the highly risky strategy. In this strategy firms want to sell entire new product in the entire new market for entire new customers. Diversification is of two types, related diversification and unrelated diversification. Related diversification is the one in which firms stick to the business in which it already are working. Unrelated diversification refers to the strategy where firm enters in to the entirely new business. (Campbell and Craig 2005) 2.1.7 Franchising Franchising is a business growth model in which the franchisor not only sells the its trademarks to the franchisee but despite of that he provides the franchisee with the whole business model that includes, accounting system, processes, training and technical and marketing support as well. This kind of business expansion model is very common in retail, food business, as well as in the service sector. As GSK is a big multinational company that is involved in the pharmaceutical industry so, business expansion models like Franchising are not suitable for them. 2.1.8 Licensing Licensing is another form of business expansion strategy that is very similar to the franchising. It worked the same way as franchising but in licensing licensor only allow licensee to use their intangible assets and in return gets royalty fees on monthly or annual basis. Intangible assets include patents, formulas, designs, copyrights and other intangible assets. This type of strategy was also not feasible for big company like GSK. 2.1.9 Strategic Alliances Strategic alliances are a kind of business expansion strategy in which two potential or actual competitors enters into a cooperative agreement. This is usually used by the companies, that are interested in entering the markets with less risks and they want to divide their initial fixed cost for starting a business. There are few other methods apart from the ones that are discussed above. Some companies used to expand their businesses by exporting, some like to go for joint ventures. 2.1.10. Mergers and Acquisitions Mergers and acquisition is the method that is used by the firms all over the world in order to expand their businesses. According to a research, the total volume of mergers and acquisition business in year 1998 was 2.4 trillion. Mergers and acquisition is the kind of business expansion strategy that was used by GSK. Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham were the companies that are in the same business of pharmaceutical and healthcare products. GSK selects mergers and acquisition because it is easy for the manufacturing companies in the same trade and having almost same culture. A major factor in the mergers of the two firms was the suitability of the process for both the organization. After the MA of the two organizations they became the largest pharmaceutical company of the world. 2.2 Mergers and Acquisitions (MA) Merger and Acquisition have been discussed by the Strategists and been at the centre of management research as a quick and efficient way to expand their business and to get into new unknown markets, to create competitive advantage, to have spread risk and dominate existing market as well. 2.2 Definitions of Mergers and Acquisition Merger and acquisition is usually defined as a coming together of two companies however although people thought merger and acquisition to have same meaning but technically its different. An acquisition can be defined as the process of taking over of another, firm in which firms develops its own current situation by acquiring other firms resources and competencies (Johnson and Scholes 1999). Acquisition could also be defined by (Bowman and Asch 1996) as a process in which a firm acquired the shares and assets of other companies, liabilities and as well as its trading activities. Business all our the world are learning the fact that they have to find strategic partner, if they expect to be successful in todays globalized business world even big huge multinational companies are looking for companies in national as well as international markets with whom they can make strategic alliances. In order to operate in another country a firm has to get license for its product; get raw material or other stuff from local suppliers to meet the requirement of â€Å"local or domestic content† and so on. In order to overcome and avoid those difficulties firm develop global strategic alliances and strategic networks (Coffey, Cook and Hunsaker, 1994). Companies, Firms are always looking for partners with whom they can balance their strengths and counterbalance their weaknesses. This thing helps companies to achieve greater sales and economies of scale (Coffey, Cook and Hunsaker, 1994). Concept of merger and acquisition is not, new in Europe. This concept is reforming the financial landscape of the global business world from the last three decades and the most number of businesses grouped together in USA. It was shown from the data available that in 1998 more than $1 Trillion were spent on the activities of MA. Banking industry occupied the major part in the activity (Hitt et al, 1998). Acquisition is usually seen as a part of the growth of particular firm but some also believes that it was also often used by firms to save their dyeing and diminishing industries. Business growth could either be external or internal. Internal growth was in the form of investment in new or second hand plant or machinery or acquiring an existing going concern organization i.e. the example of external growth. A firm would choose amongst the internal and external growth according to its own requirements by thoroughly studying it as which one was more profitable. An acquisition is a bilateral agreement where the owner accepted the cash and securities or the mixture of both of these in returns of the shares in existing company. (Chiplin and Wright, 1988). Chiplin and Wright (1988) stated that, merger could also be defined as a process in which two companies decided to come together to shape a new legal body. Sian Herbert Jones (1982) defined merger â€Å"as a marriage between two companies of roughly of the same size†. The bigger company in the process usually controlled the assets of the new entity. The shareholders of the companies will have to exchange their shares with the newly created companies. A merger can also be defined as a process in which one firm amalgamate with another firm and disappeared in the new company. All mergers were accepted by the governments as they were in accordance with the laws of the states where they actually happened as well as they were also on the official scale. (Reed S. etal 2007). The number of mergers in 1980s has far exceeds the number of mergers in 1960s. Usually in 1960sthe mergers took place between companies of same sizes and in most of cases doing the same business. But in 1980s and 1990s the trends have with eased the MA of companies of different size of business and of dissimilar type of business (Tetenbaum 1999). The tendency of the organization to present in the mergers of vertical nature and the diversification type does not seem to be stop in future. Yet firm that starts merger usually attained small economic profits but value created by MA and that benefitted mostly to the small firm that was reached (Barney 1997). Lubatkin (1983) defined the main reason of acquiring and merger a novel firm to get better overall performance by attaining the synergy effect which is also normally described as â€Å"2+2=5†effect (Cartwright and Cooper, 1993, Hover 1971) between two organizations and that at the end helps them in gaining competitive advantage (Porter, 1985, Weber 1996). (British Institute of Management, 1986, Hunk 1988, Marks 1988, Weber 1996) stated that the successful rate for the firms in the process of MA were around 20 to 60 percent. 2.2.1 Different Types of Mergers and Acquisitions Mergers and acquisitions can take various forms. It depends upon the firm, a firm may choose to invest its recourses away from its current firm but within same type of business or it can decide to move to a complete new industry and invest in the area that is entirely new to it. There are following types of mergers and acquisition (MA). Different authors defined them as 2.2.2 Horizontal Mergers Horizontal merger can be defined as merger between companies that produce identical or closely related products. It can also be defined as a combination of two or more competitor working within the same geographic locality. The merger of Carlton and Granada television on UK as both are television companies to form ITV plc was a horizontal merger same as the example of Daimler and Chrysler link up. Other examples of horizontal merger in Europe in airline industry is the Lufthansa-Swiss International Linkup, Air France-KLM merger and the takeover of Buzz by Ryan air are the examples of horizontal merger in recent past.(Smart and Megginson 2008) 2.2.3 Vertical Mergers Merger in which companies with current or potential buyer relationship combines to create a more integration company, that type of merger can is called as vertical merger (Scott, Megginson, 2008). Vertical merger can be of Forward Integration or Backward Integration. Vertical merger can also be used as a marketing tool like Ford has acquired a financial subsidiary that has make it easy for their customer to obtain finance to purchase their products (Ford Motor Credit). 2.2.4 Conglomerate Mergers Conglomerate Mergers can be defined are of two types. One is called as product extension merger in which firms with similar but exact line of business joins. On the other hand a pure conglomerate merger occurs between companies involved in completely different line of businesses. Pure conglomerate merger is also called as classic conglomerate mergers. Pure conglomerate mergers were very popular in 1960s but it started to decline from 1980s onwards. In year 1984 the merger of car maker General Motors and that of computer consulting firm (EDS) Electronic Data System is a prime example of pure conglomerate mergers. 2.2.5 Concentric Mergers In the concentric mergers the companies might not moved to the different kind of business as they does in conglomerate merger. In this firm expands its activities at the same time measuring of unity of existing activities. This can be done by acquiring technologies that can help the firm in marketing customer type (concentric marketing) or it can also be done by acquiring customers for existing technologies (concentric technology) Jones 1982. The merger of Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKlineBeecham was a concentric merger as both companies were in the business of pharmaceutical and health care products and their merger at that time created the biggest pharmaceutical company in the world. 2.2.6 Strategic Merger All merger are in some aspects are strategic mergers because they starts with having a particular strategy in mind. It can be define by authors and strategist to create an efficient merged company than that of its remerged companies. As it was explained in the definition of strategic merger that all mergers are strategic mergers, similarly the merger GSK was a pure strategic merger because they management of GSK was aware of the fact that they was going to be the biggest pharmaceutical company in the world after that MA process and they were able to reduce their cost of producing new medicines and formulas by economies of scale after merger. They were also expecting to capture the world market by geographically expanding their business. 2.2.7 Non value maximizing Motives and different theories of Mergers The basic motive of merger should be of maximizing shareholders wealth but unfortunately not all mergers are motivated towards the maximization of shareholders wealth. Different authors have given different theories related to non value maximizing motives. According to this theory poorly monitored managers will pursue mergers that will not create value maximization for the shareholder but they are of the view that this will increase the asset value of the company. They think that remuneration is linked with the size of the company, so in order to pursue their motive they initiate and do mergers. Michael Jensen (1986) hypothesizes that the mergers will use free cash flow to the process of merger that will have a negative NPV in order to expand the assets of the firm. So that they will derive greater remuneration from the firm because they are of the view that larger the firm larger will be their remuneration and they can also get personal benefits from the organization. Shleifer and Vishny (1989) purposed that the unmonitored managers try to pursue the projects that have negative NPV so as to increase the size of the firm in order to make them indispensible to the organization because they have the team that has expertise in managing the large organizations. 2.2.8 Hubris hypothesis of corporate takeover Richard Roll (1986) contends that some managers overestimates their qualities and pursue takeovers because they are of the belief that they have capabilities that can manage their takeover targets better than the people who are already managing that. 2.3 Value Maximization and Realistic Benefits of Mergers Numbers of theories are discussed regarding the benefits of MA. Some of theories and the important benefits that firms think that they are getting from MA are as follows. 2.3.1 Synergy Donald (2008) describes synergy as a simple phenomena that suggested that joining together of two companies can helped the organization in creating more share holders value than they have created while working separately. Synergy can be of two types. 2.3.2 Operating Synergy: (Economies of Scale and Scope) Economies of scale and economies of scope were both considered as the part of operating synergy that any organization had after mergers. Studies revealed that both these studies are important determinants in the creation of shareholders wealth (Houston, James and Ryangaert 2001). 2.3.3 Economies of Scale It can be defined as the spreading of the fixed expenses that any firm had over the manufacturing level. The expenses that were considered as scale in this case were the fixed cost in the form of rent, maintenance cost of machinery, depreciation of building, lease payments, interest expenses, and property taxes. that you have to pay, no matter how much production you have. So here the cost is decreased with every unit produced e.g. if fixed cost for producing one unit id  £2 and the firm is producing 1000 units per month. The cost decreased to  £1, half as it was in previous month, if the firm starts producing 2000 units per month in a month and so on (Donald 2008). 2.3.4 Economies of Scope This synergy is refers as by using specialized set of skills or assets that are already there for production related services and products. Like Honda already has infrastructure to produce engines, so they are using those infrastructure to produce items like lawn mowers, snow blowers apart from making engines for cars (Donald 2008). 2.3.5 Financial Synergy (Lowering cost of Capital) The financial synergies helps the organizations in the way that they can either creates higher cash flows or it can low the cost of the capital. Synergy is a stated motive in almost all the mergers and acquisition. Bide (1993) examined the motives of 77 mergers and acquisition in 1985 and 1986 and he stated that in one third of the takeovers synergy is the primary motive. 2.3.6 Diversification Diversification can be refers to the act of a company to buy a firm that was currently out of its previous main business. There were normally two reasons that encouraged firm to go for diversification. The first the acquiring company wants to take advantage of financial synergy that can help them in reducing their costs second being that with the help of diversification firms wants to enter the new product line or new product so as to spread its operation. If a firm is having slower growth rate it can increase its market share as well as increase and expands its market. Investor often perceived companies in unrelated business areas as riskier because it is difficult for top management and they are sometime reluctant and did not have enough financial resources to finance the golden opportunities available to them. (Morck, Shleifer and Vishny 1990). 2.3.7 Strategic Realignment The strategic realignment theory that firms engaged in the process of mergers and acquisitions because they think that this is the easiest way of getting used to of the external environments. Changes came from various sources but the change that is related to the regulatory environment and technological innovation is considered as the most. 2.3.8 Regulatory Changes In recent years companies, where deregulation occurred are seen to have more MA activities. This includes financial industry, healthcare, defense utilities, media telecommunication. There is proof which shows that the takeover activity is more in deregulated industries than that of regulated industry (Jensen 1993, Mitchell and Mulherin 1996, Mulherin and Brooke 2000). Deregulation helps in breaking down of the artificial barriers that exists in these companies. This can be evident by the facts that in now days ba

Artificial Tanning Essay -- Skin Cancer Culture Papers

Artificial Tanning Jim Rice loved the way tanning made him look and feel, that is, until he became personally affected by the dangers that came with the frivolous glitz and glamour of a nice tan. Artificial tanning has become a sub-culture for youths across the nation. Those who do not go tanning are a minority and those who do tan ignore the health risks posted in every tanning booth and bed in the state of Massachusetts. However, for Jim Rice, a middler chemical engineering major at Northeastern University, the health risks of tanning transformed into a frightening reality. "Recreational tanning was always the hip thing to do back in high school," said Rice. "But when I started to notice skin discoloration on my lower hip during my senior year of high school it wasn't so hip anymore." When doctors told Rice that he had pre-cancerous cells in existing moles he didn't think much of it. He figured that he would have the moles removed and his worries would be over. "I got the most perplexed when my dermatologist told me to stay out of the sun and wear sunscreen at all times," said Rice. It was as if being tan was more of a priority than his health. Following his initial surgery, Rice had to pay a trip to his skin doctor every six months. Upon his first visit back to the doctor, Rice was diagnosed with two cancerous growths - one pre-cancerous and one cancerous. Another surgery would have to take place immediately. Suddenly, Rice looked back on his frequent tanning salon habits and his "darkness" competitions with fellow lifeguards over the summers in utter regret. Rice has had seven surgeries since. He had plastic surgery to help reduce the scarring on his body. His doctors placed him on an extremely high risk f... ... admits that she is impatient and would rather get spray-tanned in 30 seconds over sweating in a tanning bed for twelve minutes. There are no proven health risks of spray tanning as of right now; however the FDA is investigating the safety of the DHA component in the "Mystic Tan". "Everyone should be aware that what happened to me could very possibly happen to anyone," said Rice. "The risks that come along with tanning are not far from a reality, even if they sneak up on people ten or twenty years down the road." Rice understands that tanning provides an ultimate self-esteem boost. Although Rice wishes that he could get his tan back, he realizes that tanning is only a temporary satisfaction. He has learned this the hard way. "People really need to weigh out how important tanning is to them and if they are prepared to deal to the consequences," said Rice.

The One Truth Of Reality Essay -- essays research papers

The One Truth of Reality The one single truth of reality is not measured or distinguished -- it is the ultimate paradox. The journey by which one achieves this truth can be a journey of increasing realizations of paradoxes, and finally, freedom from the bubble of limitation of a mind that would perceive such paradoxes as paradoxes in the first place. Truth is the same as spiritual feeling. Of spiritual perception. Of clear perception. Of freedom of the mind. Freedom of the soul. Freedom of the Heart. It is ultimate love and empathy. The end of struggle. Fully knowing the truth is to be enlightened. Fully realizing the truth is having transcended the distortions of the Machine (see The Machine at my web site given below). Truth means complete fulfillment and true happiness. Truth is impossible to change or destroy -- doing so contradicts the very nature of a single truth from which all things seen through distorted perception stem. Finding truth (and thus everything that it is) is the ultimate subconscious goal of all struggling. The search for truth, the want of truth, paradoxically, most often leads to illusion and darkness and pain. This is the case for the general spiritual state of humanity in the late Twentieth Century. In this way, truth, freedom, love, clear perception, purity, transcendence, and enlightenment are all the very same thing. During the journey, one will no doubt see many facets of truth and see them as separate, distinguished, or part of a duality; but in time, one will see how they all link up and ultimately, how everything is a part of the same thing, and how perceiving everything in terms of truth is transcendence of distinguishment and knowing the truth; and in this way, being enlightened, free, and fulfilled -- attaining the ultimate happiness. Transcendent of the Measurable What is perceived tangibly through the primary five senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell) contradicts the nature of truth which is actually transcendent of all distinguishments in the "more tangible" environment. When a person focuses on what he (or she) sees and reacts to it and especially seeks to control his environment, he lives in a dualistic (or polyistic) state wherein lives his struggle to find non-struggle and peace and fulfillment. The illusion is what is sensed through these five senses and having perceived this as somethin... ... the transcendent planes, including the Mindscape. The Journey The journey is the process of the growth of awareness and insight into ultimate truth. Eventually, this means awareness beyond simple intellectual facts, but an awareness of one's truest self, and thus an awareness into the truest nature of everything. Mentally, this can be perceived, just as feelings can be perceived. To feel free of the struggle of pain and pleasure is to feel the currents of the one's entire being, and in this know oneself; and in this, know the truth; and in this, be truly free; and given an end to the quest for self there is an end to the deepest loneliness (which ultimately is confusion regarding oneself) and the greatest sense of fulfillment. The goal, then, should be to find and submit oneself completely to, like water, the feelings that may be perceived (visualized or seen) by the mind as white light. This is a journey through the maze of walls that are a result of the struggling of the psyche in the midst of the darkness and confusion. The easiest way to find the way out of a maze is to rise above (transcend) it and, seeing the light of the universe beyond, find a path leading to the exit.

Water for Elephants Analysis

Water for Elephants Every book has the same basic hero archetype; a protagonist that faces a problem and rises up to save the day. My book was water for elephants and the protagonist was Jacob. He is the main character of the book. He is seen through two different perspectives. He is seen as the ninety something year old in a retirement home and as a 23 year old that makes a life changing decision. The journey starts when Jacob is days away from getting his degree in veterinary science from Cornell University, Jacob learns that his mother and father have been killed in car accident.His life changes as he finds put that his parents were in dept paying his tuition bills and that the bank was going to take away his father’s practice. When Jacob realizes that he is all alone with no home he jumps a train, not knowing were its going. As it turns out that it was a circus train. And his new life begins. The chapters in the book switch through the ninety year old and 20 year old persp ective. On the circus train he meets the love of his life Marlena, a performer in the circus. The two of them share a love for animals and bond over their friendship that evolves into a relationship.The main problem is that Marlena is married with Jacobs’s boss, August. The two of them fight against their love in the beginning, but circumstances bring them together to the point where they cannot deny how much they want to be together. August is a man with a split personality. He is categorized as schizophrenic. When he is in a good mood, August is generous person giving gifts to his favorite people, making them feel appreciated and adored. But when August does not feel good about himself, he is violent. He becomes irrational and paranoid.He is alternately charming and brutal, both to the humans and animals aboard the Benzini Brothers train. He beats up Marlena throughout the book. He is also abusive towards the animals he trains, denying their emotions. At a point in the book when Jacob is tired of the abusive attitude August has, he takes Walter's knife and sneaks out of the stable car. Jacob makes his way through the train to Augusts’ room. Jacob finds August asleep and alone. Jacob wants to kill him but cannot bring himself to do so. Jacob leaves the knife on Augusts’ pillow and sneaks back to his own room.This is the moment Jake almost loses sight of who really is, but he realizes it was the wrong thing and turns away from the bitterness. August eventually gets what he deserves when Queenie, the elephant at the circus that August abuses, kills him. After having an affair with Marlena, Jacob discovers that she is pregnant. The young parents wanting to the best thing for their family try to get away. Uncle Al is another important character. Uncle Al, the violent and abusive owner of the circus, is a symbol more than a character. Al represents â€Å"misguided humanity†.He is only after power and money, he has no heart. He takes adv antage of other people’s misfortune. He is known for redlighting circus workers; having them thrown off the moving circus train in the middle of the night to avoid paying them, in which he hopes that they die or are severely injured. He is an antagonist along with August. I feel kind of bad for August he is the head animal trainer and he was abusive and deserve what he got. But he did have a mental illness he was a  paranoid schizophrenic, so I don’t think that he should be completely blamed for his actions.This fits into the hero archetype because Jacob is the protagonists. He faces protagonist like Uncle Al and August. He is alone at first and he is faced with great loss. He travels with the circus not knowing where he is headed. He stands up to August who abuses Marlena and the animals. He takes care of Jake and protects him from being redlighted when he gets sick with. He is very intelligent and this helps him throughout the book. He faces a quest to stand for wh at he believes in without losing sight of who he really is. He fights for his love and gives Marlena a home.He does the right thing by going back to Cornell to get his degree and give a better life to Marlena. He is the hero because he helps people, stands up for what he believes in and does the right thing. I liked the cyclic ending. The ninety year old Jacob finds his home, at last. He goes to see the circus that’s in town and meets with the manager Charlie. He begs him to accompany the circus by selling tickets. Charlie eventually agrees and Jacob believes he has finally come home. The best years of his life even with the downturns were at the circus where he met his wife. I think this was a peaceful ending to a great book.