Old Hamlet and Claudius Essay Example

Old Hamlet and Claudius Paper Claudius, Old Hamlet and Polonius are all fathers and the way in which each is presented by Shakespeare is quite different. On the surface, the play is a revenge tragedy in which a grieving son seeks to avenge the death of his murdered father. However I think it has been very cleverly crafted by Shakespeare around a bleak theme of appearance versus reality that explores the corrupt, sinister region of the human nature that is present beneath the surface of us all. Shakespeares portrayal of many of the characters in the play and in particular of fathers is as both malevolent and egotistical. Claudius hypocrisy masquerades as fatherly love and concern; Polonius obsequiousness and search for position masquerades as service to the King, using his daughter as a pawn in the process; Old Hamlets torment and manipulation of Hamlets emotions is passed off as regaining his honour. On the surface fathers are presented by Shakespeare as having to be loved, honoured and obeyed almost without question. However the effect this has on their children is quite catastrophic leading to resentment, repression, bitterness, madness and eventually death. I will examine the way each of these characters is presented with close reference to Act 1 Scene II (Claudius), Act 1 Scene V (Old Hamlet) and Act 1 Sc. III (Polonius). Claudius, the newly crowned King of Denmark and uncle to Hamlet, assumes the role of Hamlets stepfather after marrying Gertrude following the death of old Hamlet. He takes on this role very early on in the play when he publicly announces his love for Hamlet in Act 1 Sc. II: And with no less nobility of love Than that which dearest father bears his son do I impart toward you. (I. ii. 10-12) We will write a custom essay sample on Old Hamlet and Claudius specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Old Hamlet and Claudius specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Old Hamlet and Claudius specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Hamlet is very resentful toward Claudius because of his lack of mourning for the death of Old Hamlet and his hasty marriage to Gertrude A little more than kin and less than kind. This use of play on words in Hamlets first line of the play reveals his bitter frame of mind. Claudius is no longer a mere relative but his father and Hamlet is not kindly disposed toward him. Claudius on the other hand, seems more than willing to adopt the role as his new father. On the surface, he is presented as a loving father but hints of duplicity become apparent in later scenes. He is aware of Hamlets popularity and is perhaps trying to exert some control over him as well as win the favour of his people and wife. In the Lawrence Olivier filmed interpretation of the play it is only after Gertrude expresses concern for Hamlets well-being that a change in his attitude becomes apparent. At this stage of the play, the audience is unaware of Claudius devious and self-centred nature and so it is difficult to establish if he is sincere in his affection toward Hamlet. He is aware of Hamlets power to form a faction against the King because of his popularity and throughout the speech in which he talks to him, he must choose his words carefully so as not to provoke him further. He is also rather forceful in this speech and tries to persuade Hamlet not to leave for Germany, away from his prying eyes: And we beseech you, bend you to remain Here, in the cheer and comfort of our eye, Our chiefest courtier, cousin, and our son. (I. ii. 15-17) This is intended by Claudius to comfort Hamlet, encourage him to stay, and emphasise the point that he will be held with the greatest respect as a noble, cherished as a kinsman and loved as a son. However it could also be taken to have a very different, more sinister connotation; he would be able to constantly watch Hamlet for any treacherous behaviour. Shakespeares use of language in Claudius speech makes his words seem persuasive and cajoling, trying to make Hamlet come out of his mourning and turn to support his new father. He speaks smoothly using assonant sounds, Survivor bound in filial obligation and Throw to earth this unprevailing woe. Shakespeare uses imagery of thunder and a cannon, however, to reflect Claudius joy at Hamlets affirmative answer; these are not particularly joyous sounds of revelry which denotes he has some ulterior motive. Imagery of disease and decay used in Hamlets speech, An unweeded garden that goes to seed, helps to suggest he may have a sense of his step-fathers hypocrisy. Old Hamlet appears to Hamlet several times throughout the play, in spirit form. The audience do not actually see him in life and it is therefore difficult to judge what sort of a character he is as there is no real evidence he is not from hell The spirit I have seen may be the devil. Shakespeare presents Old Hamlet and Claudius differently and Hamlets actual father is portrayed in a much better light than his hypocritical step-father drawing a distinction between fathers and step-fathers. Hamlet draws several comparisons between Claudius and Old Hamlet. His first soliloquy is studded with imagery So excellent a King, that was, to this, Hyperion to a satyr. This is an interesting contrast; he sees Claudius as a satyr, a Greek mythological beast that loved to indulge in all kinds of sensual pleasures in comparison to his father who he describes as the Titan Hyperion, father of the sun, the moon and the dawn. He is as far from his brother as Hamlet is from Hercules My fathers brother, but no more like my father than I to Hercules ! Clearly Old Hamlet is presented in a far better light by Shakespeare and the audience feels more sympathetic towards him. It is easier to understand why Hamlet reacts to him as he does.

Background on the Killing of Harambe the Gorilla

Background on the Killing of Harambe the Gorilla On May 28, 2016, an employee at the Cincinatti Zoo and Botanical Garden shot and killed a silver-back gorilla named Harambe after a small child wandered from his mother and fell into Harambe’s habitat. The gorilla, who was alarmed by the child, a sudden interruption to his normally routine life in captivity, became agitated. Zoo officials chose to kill the gorilla before he could harm the child. The boy survived, suffering minor injuries and a concussion. The Debate Could there have been a better way to handle this situation, given how quickly the events transpired? This became the central question of a nationwide debate that transpired on social media and in news outlets, after video of the incident was published and circulated on Youtube. Many felt that the zoo could have handled the situation differently and believed that the killing of the animal was cruel and unnecessary, especially considering the silver-backed gorilla’s status as a critically endangered species. Petitions circulated on Facebook asking for the mother, a childcare worker, to be arrested for child endangerment. One petition garnered almost 200,000 signatures. The incident raised questions of zoo maintenance, security, and standards of care. It even reignited a public debate over the ethics of keeping animals in captivity. Investigations of the Incident The Cincinnati Police Department investigated the incident  but decided not to press charges against the mother, despite widespread public support for a negligence charge. The USDA also investigated the zoo, which had been cited previously on unrelated charges, including for security concerns in the polar bear habitat. As of August 2016, no charges have been filed. Notable Responses The debate over Harambe’s death was widespread, even reaching as high up as then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, who stated that it was â€Å"too bad there wasn’t another way.† Many public figures blamed the zookeepers, arguing that had the gorilla been given just a few more moments, he would have handed the child off to humans as other gorillas living in captivity have done. Others asked why a tranquilizer bullet could not have been used. Said Wayne Pacelle, CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, â€Å"The killing of Harambe saddened the nation, because this magnificent creature did not place himself into this captive setting and did nothing wrong at any stage of this incident.† Others, including zookeeper Jack Hanna and legendary primatologist and animal rights activist Jane Goodall, defended the zoo’s decision. Although Goodall originally stated that it seemed in the video that Harambe was trying to protect the child, she later clarified her position that the zookeepers did not have a choice. â€Å"When people come into contact with wild animals, life and death decisions sometimes have to be made,† she said. Significance to Animal Rights Movement Like the killing of Cecil the Lion by an American dentist one year prior, the widespread public outcry over Harambe’s death was viewed as a significant win for the animal rights movement, despite its tragic catalyst. That these issues became such high-profile stories, covered by The New York Times, CNN, and other major outlets and discussed on social media broadly, marks a change in the way the public engages with animal rights stories in general.

Mexico Versus venezuela research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Mexico Versus venezuela research paper - Essay Example Another economical problem is that most of the country’s commercial bank assets are by the financial institutions of the U.S. This shows that Mexico is solely dependent on their neighbors in the top. If the economy of U.S were to collapse then, Mexico is to experience a big economical problem of their history. Another big problem facing the economy of Mexico is the big existence of drug cartels in the country. Mexico has a reputation of being the hub of drug lords to the likes of Pablo Escobar, who controlled most of the Mexico. These drugs end up ruining the youth of the country hence not being able to discharge their duties bringing a stalemate to the economy. Drug cartels bring violence to the country hence discouraging investment from foreigners in the country. In addition, these drugs bring about money laundering and this as well becoming perilous for the economy of Mexico (Krugman, 25). However, the best economic policy to this issue is by surely investing in education, infrastructure, telecommunications, energy and agriculture. It is to protect the poorest if the U.S economy starts to slow down. The government has to come with a better way of taxing informal commerce with the financial system in order for a business to pay for public investment. Mexico should try to collaborate with other countries and stop solely depending on U.S. Venezuela is the preferred country of choice. It is that Venezuela is very conscious when it comes to environmental conservation since its most territory is dedicated to the national parks and reserves. (Soto, 47). Big airlines like Air France, British, Lufthansa, Alitalia, and Iberia all serve Venezuela hence being a good economic fare. Economic freedom score of Venezuela is at 36.3 Venezuela is also a big player in the petroleum industry. This gives it a major economic boost. The country is also the most urbanized in whole of South America (Middlebrook 98). Despite

Cross-cultural management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cross-cultural management - Assignment Example That is why all objects that are found on the land are living, since they emanated from the land, which gives life, soul and spirit to the living. According to Ferraro’s notion of culture, â€Å"Everything that people have, thinks, and does, they do it as members of a society.† In relation to the aboriginal culture of spirituality, this notion can easily be confirmed. This is because, in the aboriginal culture, spirituality is expressed in the form of ceremonies, paintings and rituals (Holden, 2002 p42). This fact points to the fact that the expression of spirituality in this culture is not done as individual aspect, but rather as a societal aspect, where all people are enjoined either through ceremonies or rituals to conduct their spiritual expressions. There is a great relationship between the aboriginal spirituality and the land, since the aboriginal culture upholds the fact that land is their food, their culture, their identity and their spirit. Therefore, in any as pect of expressing spirituality; the ceremony, the ritual or the painting, has to start and end with the connection of the people to the land, since land is the fundamental aspect of their lives. The ceremonies and the rituals are conducted on land, since land serves as the major bond that links life and the aboriginal people. The tight connection between the spirituality and land concepts in the aboriginal culture emanates from the fact that, the aboriginal people believe that they originated from the land, and they will end up in the land, once they are dead (Velo, 2012 p77). Therefore, to them, land is as good as the spirit that gives them life, and it is a fundamental source of life for them. No wonder therefore that any spiritual aspect of the aboriginal pe

Deciding Right from Wrong Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Deciding Right from Wrong - Essay Example However, even after thousands of years, we are still unable to make universal principles with respect to rights and wrongs. The rights of some people are the wrongs of the other people. For example, keeping more than one wife is a sin or a wrong thing for Christians whereas Muslims find nothing wrong in it. Based on individual perceptions, many scholars and philosophers tried to segregate between the rights and wrongs with the help of some ethical theories. This paper briefly analyses the rights and wrongs with the help of some ethical theories formulated by some eminent scholars and philosophers. â€Å"The concepts of ethics fall into two main categories; notions having to do with morality, virtue, rationality, and other ideals or standards of conduct and motivation; notions pertaining to human good or well-being and the "good life" generally† (Slote, n.d, p.2). Killing of enemies in a war is perceived as a right thing even though killing of innocent people are perceived as a wrong thing. Moreover, capital punishment is accepted as a morally right thing by many countries whereas some other countries reject capital punishment, purely on moral grounds. In other words, some people believe that killing of an antisocial element is good for the rest of the people in the society and hence such killing should be made legal, considering the future wellbeing of the other people. Most of the countries give capital punishments to terrorists because of the above notion. However, some people are of the view that taking the life of another person cannot be justified under any circumstances because of the immense value associated with human life. In their opinion, we are only creations and only the creator has the authority to make any modifications on our lives. Moreover, killing of criminals will deny them the opportunity to correct themselves. Some of the Muslims have the belief that killing of enemies of their religion is a sacred act. In short, killing of people i s justified under some circumstances by some people whereas others object it under any circumstances. In other words, moral theories associated with killing of other people are widely differing in different places. â€Å"The categorical imperative of Immanuel Kant, tells us that we may not use or mistreat other people as a means either to our own happiness or to that of other people† (Slote, n.d, p.2). Moreover, Kant argued that "Act only on that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law"(Categorical Imperative, n.d). Kant believed that the moral principles were applicable universally. In his opinion, it is impossible to have a moral principle right at some places and wrong at other places. Nobody knows from where we come and where we go after death. As per Kantian theory, human being has a special role in the creations and hence moral principles with respect to human cannot be applied to other living things. However Kant strongly criticized the segregation of good and evil based on the personal beliefs or the religious beliefs. In his opinion,"Act in such a way that you always treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never simply as a means, but always at the same time as an end†(Categorical Imperative, n. d.) â€Å"Utilitarian consequentialists regard pleasure or the satisfaction of desire as the sole, intrinsic human good, and pain or dissatisfaction as the sole,

Core Context Overview Ratios And Evaluation Finance Essay

Core Context Overview Ratios And Evaluation Finance Essay Kesko Corp is a diversified retail business headquartered in Helsinki, Finland. Founded in 1940, it deals with food trading, logistics, data and network management, building and home improvement alongside agricultural supplies, car and machinery trading. Apart from Finland, the company operates through subsidiaries like Kesko Food, Musta Porssi, Konekesko, Indoor, Intersport in Norway, Sweden, Russia, Lithuania, Estonia, Belarus and Latvia. 2. CORE: Context, Overview, Ratios and Evaluation Context: External Kesko has around 2,000 stores structured as chain operations in parts of Nordic, Baltic, Scandinavian regions. Kesko and K-retailers comprise of K group which employs approximately 45,000 employees with year 2011 turnover stands at â‚ ¬ 12 billion. By 2011, Kesko Corporation has circa 19,000 employees with net-sales around â‚ ¬ 9.46 billion. An increase of 7.8% from last years (â‚ ¬ 8.77 billion). Finnish net-sales rose by 7.3% and other countries operations increased by 10.1%. Main drivers of success were food trade, building, car and machinery business. Earning-per-share of 2011 stands at 1.85 compared to 2.08 in 2010. A dividend of â‚ ¬ 1.2, 65% of the EPS was issued. Keskos market share is 35% and local major competitors are: S-Group (45%) Suomen Lahikauppa International competitor includes: Lidl Internal Kesko is controlled by its shareholders. Shareholders elect the Board of Directors and Auditor. Kesko Group is managed by the Board and the Managing Director who is also the President and CEO. CEO and President are selected by the Board of Directors. The company has Corporate Management Board having 7 members that control different divisions and responsibilities of the group. All Kesko Board members are non-executive directors. In 2011 it was decided by the Board that all of its members are independent of its companys shareholders. The Board ensures that the companys administration, operations and accounting as well as financial management controls are in place. Shareholding as below: The companys share capital is â‚ ¬ 197.2m. Total number of shares is 98.6m of which 31.7m are classed as A shares and 66.9m are B shares. Share A carries 10 votes and Share B one vote. Key group strategies include: Growth in Russian Regions Investment in development of store network Development of e-commerce Healthy profitable growth and increase shareholder value. All in all Keskos capital expenditure in growth stands at â‚ ¬ 425m in year-2011. Six new K-citymarket stores, 17 K-supermarkets in food business, 4 new K-rauta stores in building and home-improvement, 1 Kodin Ykkonen departmental store. The aim is to open 10 new stores in Russia with approx. â‚ ¬600m expenditure till 2015. Overview: Kesko: YEAR 2011 â‚ ¬m 2010 â‚ ¬m Turnover % Change 9,460 7.8% 8,776 Cost of Sales % Change 8163 8.17% 7546 Operating Profit % Change 281 -8.4% 307 Profit after Tax % Change 197 -8.8% 216 Operating Cash flow % Change 215 -51% 438 Capex % Change 427 30.2% 328 Total Debt (Long + Short term) % Change 400 -16.1% 477 Total number of Employees % Change 18,960 4.1% 18,215 The difference between costs and sales determines the operating profit. Though turnover is healthy, decrease in operating profit can be attributed to increase in cost of sales. Expenses also increased and in totality affected the profit position. Increase in capital expenditure is due to expansion in international markets and machinery which impacted negatively on the cash-flow position. Total debt position decreased which shows a healthy sign of effective use of company resources. Employee number remains constant. Koninklijke Ahold: YEAR 2011 â‚ ¬m 2010 â‚ ¬m Turnover % Change 30,271 2.5% 29,530 Cost of Sales % Change 22,350 3.4% 21,610 Operating Profit % Change 1,347 0.8% 1,336 Net Income % Change 1,017 19.2% 853 Operating Cash flow % Change 1,786 -15.4% 2,111 Capex % Change 881 -21.1% 1117 Net Debt % Change 1,088 47.6% 737 Total number of Employees % Change 218,000 2.3% 213,000 In comparison to Kesko, Ahold is 3 times bigger company as above. c).Ratio Analysis The ratio analysis is made up of performance, working capital, liquidity/solvency and shareholder ratios. Performance ratio is how well the company manages its assets and converts them into revenue and how efficiently converts its sales into cash. The better these ratios are the better value for shareholders. Kesko in comparison with Ahold Performance calculations 2011 2010 Change in 2011 Ahold 2011 Gross margin 2011: 13.7% 14.0% -0.3% 26.17% 1297/9460 2010: 1230/8776 Expenses/sales 2011: 18.1% 18.4% -0.3% 21.72% 1721/9460 2010: 1622/8776 Net margin* 2011: 2.9% 3.5% -0.6% 4.45% 281/9460 2010: 307/8776 Asset turnover 2011: 3.6 3.4 0.2 2.92 9460/2565 2010: 8776/2550 Return on 2011: 12.5% 13.9% -1.4% 12.99% Capital 281/2233 employed * 2010: 307/2210 Gross margin has declined because of increase in cost of sales sub-sequentially affecting the net margin. Slightly better asset turnover shows improved sales performance by every â‚ ¬ invested in the given year. Given the retail nature of the business this is normal. ROCE is not a matter of huge concern, however needs to be monitored closely. The ROCE decline could be the reduced profits attributed to shareholders. Ahold on the other hand shows big numbers. From retail perspective, Keskos performance is not bad at all. There are few dips in the numbers which are usual for a transactional retail business. d).Working capital is used to measure the companys short-term financial health. It is also called operational liquidity for the period of 12 months. Positive working capital can prove that the company can pay its short-term liabilities well. Negative working capital will increase the risk of default on short-term liabilities. Keskos working-capital ratios Working Cap Calculations 2011 2010 Change Ahold 2011 Inventory days 2011: 38.8 days 36.6 days 2.2 23.9 (divided by CoS) 867 x 365/ 8,163 2010: 757365/7,546 Debtor days 2011: 27.0 days 25.8 days 1.2 9.1 (divided by 700 x 365/9,460 sales) 2010: 620365/8776 Creditor days 2011: 51.3 days 52.4 days -1.1 39.8 (divided by CoS) 1148 x 365/ 8,163 2010: 1,085 x 365/ 7,546 Some difference year-on-year. Increase in inventory days shows negative cash-flow and control on inventory. Increase in debtor-days is bad for cash hence the cash position. This could be poor collection or price negotiations for discounts. Also seems like customers are taking longer to pay. Early payments to creditors depict the decrease in creditor-days, a virtuous gesture for suppliers but not good for cash. (d).Liquidity and Solvency ratios also a measure of companys ability to pay its short-term obligations also called a Quick ratio. This means that the current assets should outweigh current liabilities to stay positive. It also indicates the companys ability to meet interest payments. Higher the level of capital compared to debt, the lower these ratios are. Liquidity calculations 2011 2010 Change Ahold 2011 Current ratio 2011: 1.33 1.49 -0.16 1.13 2161/1625 2010: 2407/1616 Acid test 2011: 0.80 1.02 -0.22 0.81 2161- 867/1625 2010: 2407-757/1616 Solvency 2011 2010 Change Ahold 2011 Interest cover 2011: 13.40 18.05 -4.65 281/21 4.01 2010: 307/17 Gearing 2011: 0.18 0.21 -0.03 0.56 400/2233 2010: 477/2210 Decrease in current ratio is due to in-efficiencies in debtor and inventory turnover. Shortfall in cash has deteriorated acid test which is more conservative than current ratio. Variation in interest cover is an imminent concern given its retail landscape and possible inability to meet its debt obligations. Keskos cost of sales needs to be addressed to better manage profits sub-sequentially improving its cash reserves to shield the interest-cover shortfall. Decrease in gearing is a positive sign, showing Keskos good portion of equity is in place displaying monetary strength. e).Shareholders and Investment ratios Return on equity is the measure to see how much profit is left for shareholders. Higher this ratio, higher the profit for shareholders. Shareholders can decide to withdraw this profit or keep it invested in the business as retained earnings. Earning per share is a measure of firms profitability. Dividend cover is the number of times a firms dividends to shareholders is paid from its net profits. Higher the cover, more the ability to pay the shareholders. PE ratio measures price compared to earnings. The bigger the earning, more potential of rise in future earnings. Shareholder Calculations 2011 2010 Change Ahold 2011 Ratios 2011: ROE 197 / 2,233 8.8% 9.7% 0.9 17.3% 2010: 216 / 2,210 2011: 1.85 2.08 0.1 0.92 EPS 197 / 99 2010: 216 / 99 2011: Dividend Cover 1.85 / 1.20 1.54 times 1.6 times 0.06 2.30 EPS / Dividend 2010: Per share 2.08 / 1.30 PE Ratio 2011: 24.1 / 1.85 2010: 34.70 / 2.08 13.0 16.82* -3.82 11.48 Low ROE is result of low profit. Debt in the company also affects ROE, but in Keskos case debt has been reduced which might not be relevant for decline in ROE. Keskos increase in intangible assets can also result in low ROE. EPS is declined resulting from decline in operating profit, and possible increase in capital expenditure from last year. But still manageable and shows strong growth potential. Dividend cover is constant but relatively lower than Ahold. PE ratio is declined from previous year. This may show low market confidence in 2011. *http://www.kesko.fi/en/Investors/Share-information/Key-indicators-by-share/ f).Conclusion and Recommendation: Kesko is a strong company with year-on-year growth. However year 2011 has underperformed. The year seems a bit challenging ranging from its high cost of sales and higher volatility in its share price. Given its higher interest payments shows a possibility of higher borrowing costs. Increase in intangible assets (Computer Software, Licences) and expansion cost in the form of CAPEX is also a driver of declining cash-flows. The seasonal nature of operations arising from seasonal fluctuations took a toll on profits which are not earned throughout the year. Depending on Keskos segmental characteristics these profit variations are possible. Kesko Strengths Diversified product portfolio Effective Business model Growth in E-commerce Strong chain support functions Weaknesses High dependency on euro-zone. Lack of skilled labor Foreign exchange risks Changes in the Groups structure by creating a new subsidiary in Russian market and transferring 36 stores to the subsidiary has also affected Keskos performance. Uncertainties in the euro zone, volatility in consumer demand is affecting the appetite for CAPEX in the euro zone. Hence the reason of strong expansion in Russia. E-commerce is booming with international customers creating alternative benefits for Kesko. Future looks favorable for Kesko. Low investment in euro-zone will offset high CAPEX in Russian region. Steady growth in the food business expects to continue. Home and building business is expected to balance against consumer demand. Net sales are expected to grow next year i.e. 2013. All in all the growth-story looks good for Ahold. Ahold has the means to acquire Kesko. However my recommendation would be hold the acquisition desire for now till numbers become promising. As an alternative a 20% shareholding now will be suitable for Ahold. In both scenarios, if Kesko does well in the future, Ahold is sure to benefit from its interest in Kesko. Answer 3: The cash-flows of the project are below: Year 0 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Sales Revenue 0 300,000 510,000 680,000 450,000 240,000 Loss of Contribion (35,000) (35,000) (35,000) (35,000) (35,000) Variable Costs (160,000) (240,000) (280,000) (210,000) (140,000) Fixed Costs (22,000) (22,000) (22,000) (22,000) (22,000) Op Cash flow 65,000 195,000 325,000 165,000 25,000 Working capital (70,000) (70,000) (70,000) (70,000) (70,000) Capital Cost (500,000) Residual Value 100,000 Net Cash flow (500,000) 78,000 338,000 598,000 278,000 98,000 Depreciation of 80,000 is not included in fixed costs as it does not affect cash. Head office overheads are also not a constant fixed cost over 5 year period so not including in the fixed costs. The Payback time is approx. 2 years 6 months. Net Present Value calculation is below with discount rate of 15%. Year Cash flow PV Factor PV 0 (500,000) 1.0 (500,000) 1 78,000 0.870 67,860 2 338,000 0.756 255,528 3 598,000 0.658 393,484 4 278,000 0.572 159,016 5 98,000 0.497 48,706 NPV 424,594 NPV is positive, so recommendation to the board is to go ahead with the project With adding back depreciation of 40,000 i.e. 80,000 x 5 at the end of 5 year: Year Cash flow PV Factor PV 0 (500,000) 1.0 (500,000) 1 78,000 0.870 67,860 2 338,000 0.756 255,528 3 598,000 0.658 393,484 4 278,000 0.572 159,016 5 98,000 0.497 48,706 Depreciation (400,000) NPV 24,594 NPV is still positive, so recommendation to the board is to go ahead with the project. The IRR is 43.7%, where NPV becomes zero. Answer 4: Usefulness of Company accounts to assess value of companies Hello friend, In order to understand company accounts, the financial accounting statements provide a representation of financial position and performance of the company. Company accounts are made up of 3 statements: Balance Sheet (aka Statement of financial position) Income Statement ( aka Profit and Loss account) Cash-flow statement Cash-flow statements show how much cash came in or went out in a particular period. For example, I started a business of selling flowers with  £40. On Tuesday morning, I bought flowers worth  £40 and sold three-quarters of flowers for  £45 cash that day. My cash-flow position during Tuesday will look like this: Cash invested by me:  £40 Cash from sales of flowers:  £45 Cash paid to buy flowers: ( £40) Closing balance of cash  £45 Income statements show how much wealth i.e. profit is generated or lost by the company over a period of time. Profit and loss can be defined as increase or decrease in wealth through trading activities. For income statement it shows wealth generated on Tuesday. It represents the difference between the value of the sales made and the cost of goods sold. Sales revenue:  £45 Cost of goods sold (3/4 of  £40) (30) Profit  £15 It is the cost of flowers sold that is matched against the sales revenue to get profit. Not the whole cost of flowers is shown as unsold flowers in my case  ¼ of  £40=  £10 will adjusted against the future sales revenue that it will generate. Balance sheet shows accumulated wealth of the business at the end of the given period. It also shows what form have that wealth taken? For balance sheet the wealth created at the end of Tuesday trading. It will show list of resources held at the time. Cash (closing balance)  £45 Stock or inventory for resale  £10 Total assets  £55 Equity  £55 Equity is the stake of the owner in the business. Where-as assets include cash and stock. Cash is a vital resource for a business to function. It is used to retire debt and or for the purchase of stock. However, reporting cash alone will not portray the health of the business. The changes in cash do not tell us how much profit is generated. Thats why income statements are used. A balance-sheet on the other hand shows total wealth of the business. Cash is only one form in which wealth can be held, however in bigger businesses there are land, machinery and equipment is also classed as wealth in the balance-sheet. A combination of these statements states the financial position and health of the company. The relationship of these statements can be seen by a figure below: Another way to valuing a business is through company assets, price of parallel business and finally the cash-flow. Company assets are appraised to assess their value deducting any liabilities. The sales of similar business are valued in the area of your business. Location is very important in valuing the business though the limitations include undermining the value of your business by management and sales. The most effective way is the liquidity of the business i.e. cash position minus liabilities. You know what is coming your way. Issues: Issues related to these statements are the way they are presented. Use of creative accounting can somehow alter the real picture and position of the company. Audited company accounts are seldom used by investors or potential buyers, primarily for the reason of creativeness. Depending on the nature of your query for valuing the company, apart from simplified company accounts mentioned above, it can vary from share price to ratio analysis to cost of capital or debt and so on.

Puritanism: The People, Religion, and Poetry Essay -- Religion History

Puritanism: The People, Religion, and Poetry Puritan literature began the American tradition. Though they followed the traditions of European poetry, later American poets continued this borrowing from Europe, until innovations led American poetry further away from the standards the Puritans had held for poetry. The poetry the Puritans wrote was characterized substantially by their religion. It affected their themes, taken from their everyday lives, but focused on faith and theology. Also, it influenced the degree of community and individualism, which bridged the older traditions of community to the growth of individualism down through American history. They also valued logic and considered it an important means to learning God's truth. It was this logic and their concepts of God and how he revealed himself to people, that gave them a strong belief in nature as a book to be read, containing the truths they already held. Reading the book of nature was one of the significant aspects of Puritan poetry that later poets followed unti l some began to question that there were any good foundations for doing this. Gradually, conceptions about nature and God and perception led poets farther from this Puritan tradition. By the time of modern poetry, understandings about nature, God, and people had been completely changed. Thus, Puritan poetry affected American poetry by providing ideas that could not only be followed, but could also be rejected. One of the results of reading the book of nature is the tendency to use metaphors to nature. Use of metaphor extended beyond nature, though. Many Puritan poets used metaphors and extended metaphor often. Their examples were English metaphysical and conceitists poets. Like these poets, the Puritan... ...American Poetry. Ed. Jay Parini. New York: Columbia University Press, 1995. pg 50. Taylor, Edward. "Upon a Spider Catching a Fly." Columbia Anthology of American Poetry. Ed. Jay Parini. New York: Columbia University Press, 1995. pg 49 Tenth Muse Lately sprung up in America, The . By a Gentlewoman in those parts. (London: Stephen Bowtell, 1650): 3-4. Representative Poetry On-line: Editor, I. Lancashire; Publisher, Web Development Group, Inf. Tech. Services, Univ. of Toronto Lib. RPO 1997.  © I. Lancashire, Dept. of English (Univ. of Toronto), and Univ. of Toronto Press 1997. available at http://www.library.utoronto.ca/utel/rp/poems/abrad1c.html. accessed 12/6/01. Winthrop, John. â€Å"A Modell of Christian Charity.† The American Intellectual Tradition, volume I. third edition. Eds. David A. Hollinger and Charles Capper. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.

Food and Beverage Services Essay

FOOD & BEVERAGE SERVICE The Hotel Industry – Introduction Definition and Origin of the Hotel Industry otel is defined as â€Å"A place where a bonifide traveller can receive food and shelter, provided he is in a position to pay for it and is in a physically and mentally fit conditioned to be receive, â€Å"Hence, a Hotel must provide food and beverage, lodging to travellers on payment and has, in turn, the right to refuse if the traveller is drunk, disorderly, unkept, or not in a position to pay for the services offered. The most important function of a hotel is to provide Food and shelter to prospective guest. To provide food & shelter, there are number of departments or Ares, who all functions together round-the-clock inside hotel premises. All departments are broadly categorized in two parts: 1. OPERATIONAL DEPARTMENT (CORE DEPARTMENT): †¢ Front office (revenue center) †¢ Food & Beverage service (revenue center) †¢ House keeping (cost center) †¢ Food production (kitchen) (cost center) 2. ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENT (NON-CORE DEPARTMENT) †¢ Maintenance department †¢ Account department †¢ Human resource department †¢ Electronic data processing department †¢ Communication department †¢ Security department †¢ Purchase department †¢ Stores. †¢ Sales & marketing department FOOD & BEVERAGE SERVICE FRONT OFFICE: The main function of the department is: †¢ To allot the room to the guest, called as check-in. †¢ To maintain the room records for reservation and allocation. †¢ To collect the room charges and other miscellaneous charges for various services used by guest during his/her stay at the hotel, at the time of departure of guest. Back Office †¢ Reservation desk: this section is used for taking booking for rooms. †¢ Telephone operator: this section is used for attending all phone calls land up in the hotel or for providing trunk dial facility to guest. †¢ Business center: this section is used for secretarial job of guest. Food & Beverage service department: The main function of this department is: †¢ To provide food & beverage facilities to the guest. †¢ To provide food & beverage for groups, conferences, meetings, theme parties etc. FOOD & BEVERAGE SERVICE HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT The main function of this department is: †¢ To take care of the cleanliness of rooms, and the hotel building and its furniture and furnishings. †¢ To maintain the linen room for maintenance of room linen, restaurant’s linen etc. †¢ To maintain the gardening work of hotel. †¢ To maintain guest laundry facility for room guest staff laundry facility for staff of hotel. FOOD & BEVERAGE SERVICE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT The main functions of this department are: †¢ To maintain all the equipment s placed inside or related with the hotel. †¢ To be responsible for smooth supply of electricity, water, and smooth function of air conditioning unit. †¢ To be responsible for AMC of important and expensive equipments. †¢ To maintain all the furniture and fixtures of rooms and other area of hotel. ACCOUNT DEPARTMENT The main function of this department is: †¢ Preparation of budget and allocation of revenue and expenditure for various department †¢ Maintain all account related books as accordance to the government rules and regulations. †¢ Preparation of balance sheet of the company. †¢ Liaising with Govt. offices for tax and revenue related matters. †¢ Collection of revenue from guests, companies etc. †¢ Giving salaries to employees. †¢ To keep check on the food & beverage cost. †¢ To keep check on the purchase and sale of alcoholic beverages for the property. †¢ To keep the account orevenue generated and expenditure under various heads for each department. HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT The main function of this department is: †¢ Recruitment and selection of employee for hotel as per requirement. †¢ Training and development of employee †¢ Maintenance of attendance records, leave records etc. †¢ Maintenance of personal file for each employee with all details, for the purpose of periodically appraisal. FOOD & BEVERAGE SERVICE COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT The main function of this department is: †¢ Maintenance of telephone connections for each room and other area of hotel. †¢ Maintenance of cable connections of televisions of rooms and other places of hotel. †¢ Maintenance of audio-visual equipments for conferences and parties. †¢ Maintenance of audio-visual equipments of the hotel. SECURITY DEPARTMENT The main function of this department is: †¢ To be responsible for safety and security of guests of hotel. †¢ To be responsible for safety of employee. †¢ To keep check on theft cases of hotel. †¢ To cooperate with staff for fire exit procedure. †¢ To keep record of received materials and dispatched materials of or for the property. †¢ To keep record of movement of fixed assets of property. †¢ To keep check on unauthorized entry of people. PURCHASE DEPARTMENT & STORES The main function of this department is: †¢ To purchase materials from the market as per requirement of various department of hotel. †¢ To purchase all types of equipments and materials for hotel. †¢ To liaison with different companies or vendor for supply of perishable or non-perishable goods. †¢ To liaison with different dealers for provision of non- vegetarian items (chicken, mutton, fish, beef, etc. ) †¢ To store all the purchased items properly as per basic rule (F. I. F. O. ). †¢ To issue the material to the user department of hotel after making proper record. †¢ To maintain the smooth flow of perishable and non-perishable goods for the department. SALES & MARKETING DEPARTMENT The main function of this department is: †¢ To sell the room nights and various conferences facilities to various clientele. †¢ To sell the room nights to individual guest for holiday purpose. †¢ To make the brand image of hotel in the market. †¢ To act as an agent for hotel and provide various information of changes and updating. FOOD & BEVERAGE SERVICE The different serviceareas are:- †¢ Restaurant †¢ Room Service department †¢ Banquet department †¢ Bar & lounge. †¢ Restaurants: this is also called as dinning room. Guest come inside the room. Order dishes as per choices and food is served to them. There are different types of restaurants: Coffee Shop A concept borrowed from the United States, distinguished by its quickservice. Food is pre-plate and the atmosphere informal. Table coverlayouts are less elaborate and have basic essentials only. Continental Restaurant The atmosphere is more sophisticated and caters for people who can eat at leisure. The accent is on good continental food and elaborate service. Specialty Restaurant The entire atmosphere and decor are geared to a particular type of foodor theme. Thus restaurants, which offer Chinese, Japanese, Indian cuisinewould be termed â€Å"specialty restaurants†. The service is based more orless on the style of the country from which the particular cuisine originates. Fast food joints The entire environment is characterized by high investment, high labor costs and vast customer throughput †¢ Room-Service: the department provides food & beverage service in the guest rooms †¢ Bar: this sub-department is responsible for service of Alcoholic beverage. This place are having special license to serve alcoholic beverage. †¢ Banquet: this sub-department is responsible for serving food & drinks to special groups having specific needs and demands. FOOD & BEVERAGE SERVICE The service of food and beverage may be carried out in many ways depending on a number of factors: †¢ The type of establishment †¢ The type of customer to be served †¢ The time available for the meal †¢ The turnover of customer expected †¢ The type of menu presented †¢ The cost of meal served †¢ The site of establishment Food & beverage service can be looked at from the customer’s point of view. Essentially, the customer enters a food service area, orders or selects his/ her choice and then is served (the customer may pay either at this point or later). Food and beverages are then consumed, following which the area is cleared. FOOD & BEVERAGE SERVICE Broadly we can categorize the service methods in five types: A. Table Service B. Assisted service C. Self- service D. Single point service specialized or in situ service A. TABLE SERVICE In this category, the guest enters in the area and is seated. Menu lists are given or displayed for orders. The orders are been taken by waiter/ess. Then the service is done a laid cover on the table. Following are the type of service come under this category: English Service: Often referred to as the â€Å"Host Service† because the host plays an active role in the service. Food is brought on platters by the waiter and is shown to the host for approval. The waiter then places the platters on the tables. The host either portions the food into the guest plates directly or portions the food and allows the waiter to serve. For replenishment of guest food the waiter may then take the dishes around for guests to help themselves or be served by the waiter. French Services: It is a very personalized service. Food is brought from the kitchen in dishes and salvers, which are placed directly on the table. The plates are kept near the dish and the guests help themselves. Silver Service: The table is set for hors d’oeuvres, soup, main courses and sweet dish in sterling silverware. The food is portioned into silver platters at the kitchen itself, which are placed at the sideboard with burners or hot plates to keep the food warm in the restaurant. Plates are placed before the guest. The waiter then picks the platter from the hot plate and presents the dish to the host for approval. He serves each guest using a service spoon and fork. All food is presented in silver dishes with elaborate dressing. American/Plate Service: The American service is a pre-plated service, which means that the food is served into the guest’s plate in the kitchen itself and brought to the guest. The kitchen predetermines the portion and the accompaniments served with the dish balance the entire presentation in terms of nutrition and color. This type of service is commonly used in a coffee shop where service is required to be fast. Russian Service: An elaborate silver service much on the lines of French service except that the food is portioned and carved by the waiter at the gueridon trolley in the restaurant in full view of the guests. Display and presentation are a major part of this service. The principle involved is to have whole joints, poultry, game and fish elaborately dressed and garnished, presented to guests and carved and portioned by the waiter. Gueridon Service: This is a service where a dish comes partially prepared from the kitchen to be completed in the restaurant by the waiter or, when a complete meal is cooked at the tableside in the restaurant. The cooking is done on a gueridon trolley, which is a mobile trolley with a gas cylinder and burners. The waiter plays a prominent part, as he is required to fillet, carve, flambe and prepare the food with showmanship. The waiter has to have considerable dexterity and skill. Snack-bar Service: Tall stools are placed along a counter so that the guest may eat the food at the counter itself. In better establishments, the covers are laid out on the counter itself. Food is either displayed behind the counter for the guests to choose from, or is listed on a menu card or common black board. B. ASSISTED SERVICE In this type of category, the guest enters in the dining area and assisted himself for getting the food, either from buffet counter or he may get served partly at table by waiter/ess and the extra need to be collected from counter by himself. Consumption may be done on either at table, standing or in lounge area/ banquet hall. Buffet Service: A self-service, where food is displayed on tables. The guest takes his plate from a stack at the end of each table or requests the waiter behind the buffet table to serve him. For sit-down buffet service, tables are laid with crockery and cutlery as in a restaurant. The guest may serve himself at the buffet table and return to eat at the guest table laid out. The waiter may serve a few courses like the appetizer and soup at the table. C. SELF SERVICE In this type of service, the guest enters in the dinning area, selects his own tray or from the food counter and carries food by himself to his seating place. D. SINGLE POINT SERVICE In this category, the guest orders, pay for his orders and get served at single point. There may be may not be any dinning area or seat-outs. The different types are: Take Away: Customer orders and is served from single point, at counter, hatch or snack stand; customer consumes off the premises. Food Court: series of autonomous counters where customers may either order and eat or buy from a number of counters and eat in separate eating area, or take-away. E. SPECIALISED SERVICE In this category the guest is served at he place, which is not meant or designated for food & beverage service (i. e. guest rooms or any special area). Grill Room Service: In this form of service various meats are grilled in front of the guest. The meats may be displayed behind a glass partition or well decorated counter so that the guest can select his exact cut of meat. The food comes pre-plated. F&B SERVICE PERSONAL & THEIR ATTRIBUTES All types of catering establishments require a variety of staff positions in order to operate effectively and efficiently. The food and beverage service department usually has the largest staff. Able leadership and supervision is required to effectively direct the department and guide the staff. The personnel in the food and beverage service industry require practical knowledge of operations as even a small error can cause displeasure to the guest. Coordination of activities of all outlets is essential to provide the guest with quality service at all times. Teamwork is the watchword in any food and beverage service department. A dedicated and committed team, with able leadership, under ideal working conditions, helps in fulfilling the establishment’s ultimate goal of guest satisfaction. Food and Beverage Manager The food and beverage manager is the head of the food and beverage service department, and is responsible for its administrative and operational work. Food and Beverage Managers direct, plan and control all aspects of food and beverage services. Food and Beverage Managers require excellent sales and customer service skills, proven human resource management skills, and good communication and leadership skills. In general, food and beverage manager is responsible for: i) Budgeting The food and beverage manager is responsible for preparing the budget for the department. He should ensure that each outlet in the department achieves the estimated profit margins. ii) Compiling New Menus and Wine Lists In consultation with the chef, and based on the availability of ingredients and prevailing trends, the food and beverage manager should update and if necessary, compile new menus. New and updated wine lists should also be introduced regularly. iii) Quality Control The food and beverage manager should ensure quality control in terms of efficiency in all service areas, by ascertaining that the staffs are adequately trained in keepingwith the standards of the unit. iv) Manpower Development The food and beverage manager is responsible for recruitment, promotions, transfers and dismissals in the department. He should hold regular meetings with section heads, to ensure that both routine as well as projected activities of the department go on as planned. He must alsogive training, motivate and effectively control staff. Assistant Food and Beverage Manager The assistant food and beverage manager assists the food and beverage manager in running the department by being more involved in the actual day-to-day operations. This position exists only in large organisations. An assistant food and beverage manager’s job includes: i) Assisting section heads during busy periods. ii) Taking charge of an outlet, when an outlet manager is on leave. iii) Setting duty schedules for all the outlet managers and monitoring their performance. iv) Running the department independently in the absence of the food and beverage manager. Restaurant Manager Therestaurant manager’s job includes: i) Setting and monitoring the standards of service in the outlets. ii) Administrative duties such as setting duty charts, granting leave, monitoring staff positions, recommending staff promotions and handling issues relating to discipline. iii) Training the staff by conducting a daily briefing in the outlet. iv) Playing a vital role in public relations, meeting guests in the outlets and attending to guest complaints, if any. v) Formulating the sales and expenditure budget for the outlet. vi) Planning food festivals to increase the revenue and organizing advertisement campaign of the outlet along with the chef and the food and beverage manager. Room Service Manager The room service manager reports directly to the food and beverage manager and is responsible for the room service outlet. The room service manager checks that the service rendered to the guests conforms to the standards set by the hotel. He also monitors all operational aspects of the outlet such as service, billing, duty charts, leave and absenteeism, in addition to attending to guest complaints regarding food and service. The room service manager is also in charge of the sales and expenditure budget. The room service is most liable to have problems. The room service manager should ensure coordination among the room service order taker, the captain and the waiter. Bar Manager Bar Manager organises and controls a bar’s operations. A bar manager arranges the purchase and pricing of beverages according to budget; selects, trains and supervises bar staff; maintains records of stock levels and financial transactions; makes sure bar staff follow liquor laws and regulations; and checks on customer satisfaction and preferences. Banquet Manager The banquet manager supervises the banquet operations, sets up break-down service according to the standards established by the hotel. He co-ordinates the banquet service in conjunction with other departments involved and prepares weekly schedules for the banquet personnel. He supervises the work of the banquet sales assistants, who do the banquet bookings and the captains and waiters who perform the food and beverage service activities under his guidance. He is responsible for organising everything right down to the finest detail. The banquet manager projects the budget of the banquets,and works in close coordination with the chef in preparing menus. He is responsible for making an inventory of all the banquet equipment and maintaining a balance between revenue and expenditure. Other Staff Designations at Various Levels The following are the various designations with their job specifications in the food and beverage department. i) Senior Captain or Maitre d’ Hotel The senior captain has overall responsibility for operations. He prepares the duty charts in consultation with the outlet manager. ii) Reception Head Waiter. This staff member is responsible for accepting any booking and for keeping the booking diary up-to-date. He / she will reserve tables and allocate these reservations to particular stations. iii) Captain / Chef de Rang This position exists in large restaurants, as well as in the food and beverage service department of all major hotels. The captain is basically a supervisor and is in charge of a particular section. A restaurant may be divided into sections called Sations, each consisting of 4 to 5 tables or 20 to 24 covers. A captain is responsible for the efficient performance of the staff in his station iv) Waiters / Commis de Rang / Server. The waiters serve the food and beverage ordered by a guest and is part of a team under a station captain. They should be able to perform the duties of a captain to a certain extent and be a substitute for the captain if he is busy or not on duty. They should; also be knowledgeable about all types of food and beverages, so that they can effectively take an order from a guest, execute the order and serve the correct dish with its appropriate garnish and accompaniment v) Trainee / Commis De Barraseur The trainees work closely with the waiters, fetching orders from the kitchen and the bar, and clearing the side station in a restaurant. vi) Wine Waiter / Sommelier Wine waiters have an important role to play in reputed establishments. Their job is to take orders for the service of wine and alcoholic beverages and serve them during the meal vii) Room Service Waiters / Chef D’etage Room service waiters work in the room service outlet, serving food and beverage to guests in their rooms. viii) Carver / Trancheur The carver is responsible for the carving trolley and the carving of joints at the table as required. The carver will plate up each portion with the appropriate accompaniment. ix) Floor Service Staff / Floor Waiter. The floor service staffs are often responsible for an entire floor in an establishment or, depending on the size of the establishment, a number of rooms or suites. Floor service of all meals and breakfast is offered either throughout the day or in a limited time depending on the size of the establishment. The floor service staff would normally work from a floor pantry or from a central kitchen with all food and drink reaching the appropriate floor and the required room by lift and in a heated trolley. x) Lounge staff / Chef de sale Lounge staff may deal with lounge service as a specific duty only in a first class establishment. The lounge staff is responsible for the service of morning coffee, afternoon teas, aperitifs and liqueurs before and after both lunch and dinner, and any coffee top ups required after meals. They would be responsible for setting up the lounge in the morning and maintaing its cleanliness and presentation throughout the day. FOOD & BEVERAGE SERVICE IMPORTANCE OF PERSONAL HYGIENE Hygiene involves care for the health of others and oneself. Waiters are involved in physical work, moving about, lifting trays. So look after your health; guard against leg or feet weakness; maintain good sight; and clean teeth and mouth. A balanced diet, fresh air, and suitable recreation help all. Service must be done in a clean way to protect guests against foodpoisoning or passages of disease. Dirt and dirty practices make dinning unpleasant as well as unsafe. Points to remember for maintaining of personal hygiene:A shower or bath should be taken daily. * Always use either deodorant or talcum powder. * Sufficient sleep (minimum 06 hours), and adequate healthy intake of food (more vegetable, less oil) and regular exercise will keep body healthy. * Always trim nails and keep hands clean. * Male should be clean-shaven with well-trimmed moustache. * Wear clean uniforms. * Daily wash your undergarments. Always wear clean undergarments. * Hair must at all times be clean and well groomed. * Always brush your teeth after eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner. * IF you are directly handling food, then follow these rules * Always wash your hands before touching food, and always after coming from toilet. * If you are suffering from any skin, nose, throat or stomach problem or trouble at work, tell your senior and don’t handle food. * Use waterproof dressings on cuts and sores. And remember to keep those dressings clean. * Be clean in yourself and in the clothes you wear. * Don’t smoke in a kitchen or dinning room. And never cough or sneeze over food. * Clean as you go in the kitchen, if anything get spilled, wipe it immediately. See that all utensils are kept clean. * Cover food, keep it clean, and serve it either cold or piping hot. when handling food, rather than your fingers. * Always keep the lid on a dustbin. * In restaurants, remember that clean, fully equipped, well-lit, and airy conditions are required for maintenance of hygiene. SERVICE EQUIPMENTS Food and beverage service equipment may be divided into glassware, chinaware and tableware which are further subdivided into flatware, cutlery and hollowware. GLASSWARE Glassware refers to glass and drinkware items besides tableware, such as dishes, cutlery and flatware, used to set a table for eating a meal. The term usually refers to the drinking vessels, unless the dinnerware is also made of glass. The choice of the right qulity glass is a vital element if the cocktail is to be invitingly presented and give satisfaction to the consumer. Well designed glassware combines elegance, strength and stability, and should be fine and smooth rimmed and of clear glass. CHINAWARE China is a term used for crockery whether bone china (expensive and fine), earthenware (opaque and cheaper) or vitrified (metallised). Most catering crockery used nowadays tends to be vitrified earthenware, which is very durable and haven been strengthened. Crockery is also usually given rolled edges to make it more chip resistant. Chinaware is made of silica, soda ash, and china clay, glazed to give a fine finish. Chinaware can be found in different colours and designs which are always coated with glaze. Chinaware is more resistant to heat than glassware. ed off carefully. TABLEWARE Tableware includes the dishes, glassware, cutlery, and flatware eating utensils (knives, forks, and spoons) used to set a table for eating a meal. The nature, variety, and number of objects varies from culture to culture, and may vary from meal to meal as well. Tableware may be categorised as follows: Flatware Flatware denotes all forms of spoon and fork. Flatware, especially that used by most people when they eat informally, is usually made of stainless steel. Cutlery Cutlery refers to knives and other cutting instruments. Holloware Holloware refers to table service items such as sugar bowls, creamers, coffee pots, teapots, soup tureens,or custard – based and Philadelphia – style.

Management Issues Most Relevant Motivational Theory

Management Issues Most Relevant Motivational Theory Introduction Most employees consider the level of payment and the workplace conditions before accepting a particular employment position in a company. Once they are employed, there is little improvement in their productivity. Different workers will respond positively to different motivational factors depending on which level in the hierarchy of needs they value most.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Management Issues: Most Relevant Motivational Theory specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Workers in lower ranks may still be struggling to satisfy their physiological needs and thus a pay rise would motivate them. Job contracts have been used in modern times whereby an employee is paid according to his output. This is limited because some contract jobs require team work. It can only work for workers with certain levels of wage rates. To a majority of workers, the most effective motivational factor may fall under the considera tion of social needs and sense of belonging. Motivational factors Among the three factors which are job enlargement, job enrichment, and empowerment, I consider empowerment as the most effective motivational factor. This is because it can be used to motivate a wide range of workers from different job levels and departments. Employees are able to plan their work according to what they consider the most important procedure. This gives employees a sense of belonging, and motivates innovation. Empowerment also assures those who are shaping their careers of accumulating experience. Productivity will improve because the workers minds are open. They can lay procedures in ways they consider most efficient because they are the ones in the actual workplace. The management can wait for the final product to check performance. Management can count the number of products and test their quality. Employees are able to build a reputation of good performance which before was taken only by the top man agers. I consider self actualization as the most important aspect of motivational theories. This is because it combines the effects of other factors such as the recognition of effort and performance. It also gives opportunity for promotion and improvement.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Attributes of this generation This generation exists in a time when productivity is high because of technological advancement, and the low number of employees used per unit. In a developed country, the cost of living is high but a majority of workers are able to afford their physiological needs without much strain. It is also good to note that any job will serve the basic needs first. However, the middle level groups no longer view their basic needs as threatened. They prefer a workplace that gives them a sense of responsibility by allowing them to act rationally as masters of thei r working space. Modern employees despise close supervision. This generation believes in building a career that lasts through ones lifetime. They expect to move from a low ranking employee position to the top management. They expect wage rates to increase as one goes up the rank of his/her profession not only by increasing productivity but also by increased responsibility. Conclusion Self actualization is the most effective aspect of motivation in today’s generation. This is because it combines a majority of considerations like career development and recognition. The productivity of modern economies relies in the middle class groups who no longer feel threatened about their physiological needs. However, employees would also consider what competitors offer in comparison to their workplace.

buy custom Pandemic in America essay

buy custom Pandemic in America essay The modern society in the United States is well prepared to tackle any pandemic that may break out at the earliest stage possible. The researchers in the center for diseases control have set up strategies which would help the health department to respond quickly to the threat of an outbreak before it spreads far into the society. My supporting the motion is triggered by the recent bird flu outbreak and the speed at which the out break was contained by the health department of the United States. An outbreak of a pandemic is dangerous to both the in effected and affected individuals and has serious negative effects to the country as well. These negative effects include; deaths of the affected individuals, stigma in the social environment, and economic downturn due to the heavy financial capital that government utilizes in order to curb the situation before it spreads too far. The effects are unacceptable and that is why reinforcement towards containing the situation is put in place (Prevention). In contrast, the opposing individuals also have the right to be in their position. In December, 2005, avian flu outbreak in Cambodia and Vietnam was viewed to have had affected the government of the United States which had the required reinforcement to curb the pandemic. However, it took about two weeks before the government said anything about the situation which at the time had spread to far into the society affecting large population of those nations. This may have shown that United States may be slow to take action in the case of a pandemic yet tit has the required reinforcement to fight back the pandemic. But, the slow action does not imply that the s country is not well prepared for an occurrence of an epidemic(Steinhardt,p.98). Another reason which has facilitated me to supporting the argument is the methods of pandemic containment that are used by health practitioners in the country. In case of any pandemic outbreak, health practitioners respond quickly to the pandemic but there is a common formula that is used to curb the situation. The first step is to give medical attention to the infected individuals. The medical attention in this case includes special treatment which is done in evacuated locations whereby patients response top the medication is seriously monitored. This helps in the analyses of the seriousness of the pandemic and the gestation period of the viruses causing the influenza. The second step and the most importat is the investigation to the source of the pandemic. Here, the medical practitioners use the first patients as the main tool for the research methods. Patients are interviewed in order to get the information about the earliest symptoms of the pandemic, and also tested so as top get the main source of the pandemic whether a virus or an influenza. This helps the researchers to know the gestation period of the viruses which in turn gives the information about the rate at which the diseases can spread in the society in the society. This helps the researchers into making the reports which calls for the necessary speed to be applied in order to curb the situation before it spread to an uncontainable situation. The last step involves the research on the characteristics of the source of the pandemic. At this point, he researchers need to have found the pandemic carrier and now they have to find the habitat and the necessary environmental conditions for the survival of the same. If the virus happens to be unknown to humans, necessary matching concept is applied to the virus and the known virus which are almost similar in nature. The findings made will have stated the cause of the pandemic, the habitat of the causing organism, mode of transmission whether respiratory or contact, and the method of containment (Association). At the outset, the methods which are applied sin containment of the pandemic include creation of unsuitable environment for the organisms in the patients body as stipulated in the research findings. After the success of curing the in effected individuals, the researchers get back to the working on the vaccinations which would be used to completely eliminate the pandemic from the society. In the United States this is done by health researchers in the center for diseases control (Ali,p. 65). In the United States, the research on the vaccines to be used against an epidemic is an involving process which takes a longer time while the containment method is still underway in the fields. Scientists in the research process in most cases grow virus for the anticipated vaccine in large vats which have cultured animal cells. This takes a longtime to mature thus delaying the realization of the complete control of the epidemic. At last, vaccine is found and given to the unaffected individuals to prevent the spreading of the epidemic. The United States health practitioners are the most reliable in the world. In casee any other country in the world experiences an outbreak of an epidemic which may seem to be complicated, affected country calls for the involvement of the United States researchers. The government sends heath researchers of the center for diseases control to carry out research on the epidemic and help to find methods of controlling the same. In addition, the world health organization also uses health practitioners from the country in the effort to control diseases and epidemics in many places of the world. This proves the United States to have capability of controlling an epidemic which can affect the citizens at the earliest time possible. In case of the outbreak of an epidemic, the government still proposes the evacuation method of affected individuals from the society as a way to curb the situation. The formula was supplied in the event of the outbreak of H1N1 flu which is the most recent epidemic to have reached the United States. More also, the federal government has made emergency funding to restore staffing at health departments. This is taken to be one of the measures of preparedness of containing an occurrence of an outbreak of an epidemic. Also, special nurses have been recruited and trained in the methods which can be used to control the situation. These nurses have been distributed to local health facilities where they are mandated to take charge to rare cases of illnesses reported to the health facilities. The health department also has put measures of epidemic control into place. In case of an epidemic, quarantine is the first response put in place by the department. The method is said to be the most effective since the epidemic cannot reach too many of the unaffected individuals in the country. After the quarantine, public awareness campaigns are put in place and at this step the moving individuals in and out of the country undergoes medical test at the points of clearance in the airports. In conclusion, the United States health department is the rated as the most effective in the world today. This makes many countries to rely on the services of the United States government in the efforts to contain the epidemic. The federal government has strengthened the capabilities of the health departments by ensuring that they receive enough funding which would enable them to cater for the epidemic outbreak. I support the argument that United States is ready to control any epidemic that outbreaks in the country. Buy custom Pandemic in America essay

Hedge accounting under IAS 39 and IFRS 9 - A critical comparison Dissertation

Hedge accounting under IAS 39 and IFRS 9 - A critical comparison - Dissertation Example IFRS 9 is still in its development phase and such studies help in changing accounting methods from a rules-focused approach to more of a principle- based view; this is done to encourage more personalities and institutions to apply hedging as it has benefits associated with good pricing and effective financial reporting. All the selected 32 hedge fund managers participated in the survey and the researcher’s contribution helped in bringing them up to speed with the scope of the study and ensured these participants were previously using IAS 39 for relevance purposes. The researcher also queried the achievements and financial performance across all accounting spectrum since these UK based hedge fund managers started applying IFRS 9. ... 41 Results 41 Demographics 41 Research Questions and Hypotheses 41 Quantitative aspects 42 Qulaitative analysis 45 CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 49 Summary of findings 49 Data collected revealed that a majority of the respondents were familiar with the provisions of IFRS 9 having encountered the instrument in their line of work. The proposed changes, therefore, had a direct effect on how the respondents and their organizations would operate upon full adoption. From the analysis of participant opinions, majority had in-depth knowledge of IFRS 9 and IAS 39 judging by the precision of their responses. This was attributed to both their routine responsibilities within the various Hedge Funds and level of education that inclined towards advance financial management for a majority of the sample population. It was therefore fair to form a preliminary conclusion that the respondents were authorities in their own individual rights within the region of hedge ac counting. 49 With the majority of respondents willing and ready to fully move from IAS 39 to IFRS 9, opening conclusions were drawn that the new system was found acceptable by the bulk of industry players making the instrument much better that IAS 39 on the strength of its acceptability. This was further supported by the present rate of the instrument’s application where it was revealed through the collected data, that 97% were actually enjoying larger provisions of the system. Revelations of IFRS 9 eliminating 80-125 effectiveness testing rule and hedging net options stood out as significant positive changes that the new instrument would bring upon adoption. 49 Conclusions 52 Recommendations 53 Bibliography 55 Abstract This study will seek to provide a

Google Company Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Google Company - Research Paper Example Google follows people-centric strategies that broadly cater to the varying demands of its users and rely on customer satisfaction. It integrates the use of technology with the business processes in order to optimize productivity. Its business strategy is basically focused on providing free access to information to a diverse populace. Advertising is its major source of revenue. Its three key products and services are AdSense, Google App and Android operating system for mobiles that have considerably contributed to its global sales volume and database of customers. AdSense facilitates advertisements for clients for widening their client base and Google App helps to organize personal and professional lives of users and helps them to communicate effectively. Android was launched in 2011 as a mobile-based platform for developing applications for mobiles which is now used by more than 250 million users worldwide (ar, 2012). Its organic culture and decentralized functioning hugely promote i ts business strategy and goals. It facilitates a constant learning environment for its employees and gives them full freedom to experiment with new ideas. They are highly driven by ethical standard, motivation to innovate and share knowledge across its various stakeholders and shareholders. Google not only offers huge opportunities for growth for its workforce but also for its customers to expand their business interests across the globe. Its state of the art research team is relentlessly working towards the development of creative products.... sements for clients for widening their client base and Google App helps to organize personal and professional lives of users and helps them to communicate effectively. Android was launched in 2011 as mobile-based platform for developing applications for mobiles which is now used by more than 250 million users worldwide (ar, 2012) Its organic culture and decentralized functioning hugely promote its business strategy and goals. It facilitates a constant learning environment for its employees and gives them full freedom to experiment with new ideas. They are highly driven by ethical standard, motivation to innovate and share knowledge across its various stakeholders and shareholders. Google not only offers huge opportunities of growth for its workforce but also for its customers to expand their business interests across the globe. Its state of the art research team is relentlessly working towards development of creative products and services to improve and improvise user experience and meet the challenges of time. Personal opinion With offices in more than 50 countries and providing services in more than 100 languages, I believe that Google has been successful in its mission of providing people with access to critical information cutting across age, gender, class, race, culture and border. Its global values and credibility of well-researched database helps its users to meet their demands timely and efficiently. Its applications and AdSense are very useful for small business, entrepreneurs and corporate houses for advertising business products and services across wider database of customers. They are important mechanisms of exploiting new opportunities of personal and professional growth. Their cloud based applications have also emerged as vital platforms for storing