Smu Mb0044 Sem 2 2013 Solved

Q1. State the important considerations for locating an automobile plant. A1. Automobile plant automated flaw lines, automatedassembly lines, flexible manufacturing systems, global transition rapid prototyping. Building manufacturing flexibility things are necessity. About the automated flow lines we can say it is a machine which is linked by a transfer system which moves the parts by using handling machines which are also automated, we have an automated flow line. Human intervention ma is needed to verify that the operations ate taking place according to standards.When these cab be achieved with the help of automation and the processes are conducted with self regulation, we will have automated flow lines established. In fixed automation or hard automation, where one component is manufactured using services operations and machines it is possible to achieve this condition. We assume that product life cycles are sufficiently stable to interest heavily on the automate flow lines to achie ve reduces cast per unit. Product layouts ate designed so that the assembly tasks are performed in the sequence they are designed at each station continuously.The finished item came out at the end of the line. In automated assembly lines the moving pallets move the materials from station to station and moving arms pick up parts, place them at specified place and system them by perusing, riveting, & crewing or even welding. Sensors will keep track of there activities and move the assembles to the next stage. The machines are arranged in a sequence to perform operations according to the technical requirements. The tools are loaded, movements are effected, speeds controlled automatically without the need for worker’s involvement.The flexibility leads to better utilization of the equipments. It reduces thenumbers of systems and rids in reduction of investment as well as a space needed to install them. One of the major cancers of modern manufacturing systems is to be able to respo nd to market Demands which have uncertainties. Prototyping is a process by which a new product is developed in small number so as to determine the suitability of the materials, study the various methods of manufactured, type of machinery required and develop techniques to over come problems that my be encountered when full scale manufacture is undertaken.Prototypes do meet the specification of the component that enters a product and performance can be measured on these. It helps in con be reforming the design and any shortcomings can be rectified at low cost. Flexibility has three dimensions in the manufacturing field. They are variety, volume and time. There demands will have to be satisfied. In that sense they become constraints which restrict the maximization of productivity. Every business will have to meet the market demands of its various products in variety volumes of different time.Flexibility is also needed to be able to develop new products or make improvements in the prod ucts fast enough to cater to shifting marker needs. Manufacturing systems have flexibility built into them to enable organization meet global demand. You have understood how the latest trends in manufacturing when implemented help firms to stay a head in business Q2. Explain essentials of Project Management Philosophy A1. Project Management Philosophy A project never goes smooth. It brings unexpected problems during the execution of any phase that marks a difference between the planned activities and actual executions.The deviations enforce re-planning of further activities so that the extra budget and time spent on previous activities can be compensated by revised project plan. A loser is a loser only when he realizes it and gives up. As long as one thinks he has the capability of changing lose situation to a winning situation, he is never a loser. Project management philosophy emphasizes on sharing the problems with all stakeholders and team members so that different brains come o ut with different responses and any of the response(s) can become the best solution(s).Challenge sharing definitely brings out a solution from somebody else having a different set of experience and exposure who has already been into such a situation and has come out of it already. Sharing problems and challenges saves one from re-inventing the wheel. Documentation sharing and a knowledge sharing platform make a strong basis for keeping all on the same wheel. Managers mostly focus on driving out results from the teams rather than enabling and empowering them to become self driven. Energy flows automatically and uncontrolled. Results start coming out without reaching the deadlines and prior to demand.It depends on managers that by empowerment they start preparing or building leaders within the teams. A combination of leaders, if synergized properly, propels a resultant progress of the project. Managers become critical key in engaging people in the project. A high level of engagement i s lodged in the team members via project manager. As long as the project manager is able to drive teams, it makes them engaged to the project. On the other hand if project manager inculcates and inspires team members to self-engage themselves, the team members do not depend to be driven by project manager.Q3. Several different strategies have been employed to assist in aggregate planning. Explain these in brief A3. Planning is a primary management responsibility. Aggregate planning is concerned with organizing the quantity and timing of production over a medium period of time up to eight to ten months with undetermined demand. Specifically aggregate planning means combining all of an organization`s resources into one aggregate production schedule for a predetermined intermediate time period. The objective of aggregate planning is to maximize esources while minimizing cost over the planning period. The aggregate production plan is midway between short-range planning and long-range pl anning. Aggregate planning includes the following factors: 1. Work force size and composition 2. Demand forecasts and orders 3. Raw material planning 4. Plant capacity management 5. Utilizing outside subcontractors 6. Inventory management Aggregate planning is the link between short-term scheduling and long-term capacity planning. What are aggregate planning strategies? There are three types of aggregate planning strategies: Pure Strategy.In this strategy, only one production or supply factor is changed. Mixed Strategy. This strategy simultaneously alters two or more production or supply factors or some combination. Level Scheduling. This strategy has been adopted by the Japanese and it embodies maintaining constant monthly production schedules. What aggregate planning strategies influence demand? Aggregate planning can influence demand in the following ways: 1. Pricing strategies. Pricing can be used to increase or reduce demand. All things being equal, increasing prices reduces de mand while lowering prices will increase demand. . Advertising and promotion strategies. Advertising and promotion are pure demand management strategies in that they can increase demand by making a product or service better known as well as positioning it for a particular market segment. 3. Delayed deliveries or reserving orders. Managing future delivery schedules is a strategy for managing orders when demand exceeds capacity. The net effect of delayed deliveries, or back ordering, and reservations is to shift demand to a later period of time, often to a more slack period, which provides a smoothing effect for overall demand.However, the negative is that a percentage of orders will be lost as consumers are unwilling or unable to wait the additional amount of time. 4. Diversifying the product mix. Product mix diversification is a method used to offset demand seasonality. For example, a lawn mower manufacturing company may diversify into snow removal equipment to offset the seasonalit y of the lawn mower industry. What aggregate planning strategies influence supply? Aggregate planning is also used to manage supply considerations by using the following strategies: 1.Subcontracting (outsourcing). Subcontracting is a method of increasing capacity without incurring large capital investment charges. It can turn the competitive advantage of other corporations to the contracting organization`s advantage. However, subcontracting can be costly, and also reveals part of the business to potential competitors. 2. Overtime and idle time. A direct short-term strategy for managing production capacity is to either increase or decrease the number of the work force. This strategy has the advantage of utilizing the currently existing work force.However, overtime is expensive and can produce job burnout if relied upon too extensively. On the other hand, enforcing idle time on the work force can result in resistance as well as a drop in morale. 3. Hiring and laying off employees. Hir ing and laying off employees is a medium- to long-term strategy for increasing or decreasing capacity. Hiring employees usually involves the cost of training while laying off employees can incur severance charges. Laying off employees can also cause labor difficulties with unions and reduce morale 4. Stockpiling inventory.Accumulating inventory is a strategy for smoothing variances which may occur between demand and supply. 5. Part-time employees. Certain industries have seasonal requirements for lower skilled employees. Aggregate planning can be used to manage these seasonal requirements. What is the charting method of aggregate planning? Charting is a highly utilized trial-and-error aggregate planning method. It is relatively simple to use and is easily understood. Essentially, the charting approach uses a few variables in forecasting demand, applying current production capacity.While the charting method does not assure an accurate prediction, it is simple to implement requiring o nly minimal calculations. But trial and error method does not provide an optimal solution. The charting method requires five steps to implement: 1. Calculate each period`s demand. 2. Calculate each period`s production capacity for regular time, overtime, and subcontracting. 3. Determine all labor costs including costs for hiring and layoffs as well as the cost of holding inventory. 4. Evaluate organizational employee and stock policies. . Create optional policies and evaluate their costs. EXAMPLE 1. 30 A Florida men`s suit manufacturer has created expected demand forecasts for the period June-January, as shown in Table 1. 2. The daily demand is calculated by dividing the total expected demand by the number of monthly working days: AVERAGE DEMAND = TOTAL EXPECTED DEMAND / NUMBER OF PRODUCTION DAYS FIGURE 1. 6 MONTHLY AND AVERAGE MEN`S SUIT DEMAND The graph in Figure 1. 6 illustrates that there is a substantial variance between the monthly and average men`s suit demand.What are the co sts of aggregate planning? Aggregate planning is a systems methodology having major organizational impacts. Every strategy has associated costs and benefits. Increasing hiring means increasing training costs and incurring associated employment benefit costs. Increasing inventory increases carrying costs consisting of capital and storage costs, deterioration, and obsolescence. Using part-time employees involves the costs and risks of using improperly trained and inexperienced personnel as well as creating possible union conflicts.Using subcontractors has the cost of exposing an organization to potential competitors. EXAMPLE 1. 31 Using the data in example 1. 30, it is possible to develop cost estimates for the men`s suit manufacturer. Basically, the manufacturer has three choices: 1. The manufacturer can meet expected monthly production fluctuations by varying the work force size, hiring and laying off employees as needed. In this scenario, an assumption is made that the men`s suit m anufacturer has a constant staff of 55 employees. 2.Another alternative is to maintain a constant work force of 51 employees and subcontract for additional expected demand. 3. A third alternative is to maintain a work force of 69 employees and store suits during the slack demand months. Organizational Costs THREE PLAN SUMMARY COSTS In this example, the best production plan is plan 3 which maintains a work force of 69 employees and stores men`s suit inventory during low demand months. Q 5: Explain the basic competitive priorities considered while formulating operationsstrategy by a firm? Answer:Operations strategy reflects the long-term goals of an organisation in its corporate strategy,a clear understanding of the operating advantages and a good cross functional coordinationbetween functional areas of marketing, production, finance, and human resources departments arerequired. Operating advantages depend on its processes and competitive priorities considered whileestablishing the ca pabilities. The basic competitive priorities are: Cost, Quality, Time, Flexibility Cost: Cost is one of the primary considerations while marketing a product or a service.Being a lowcost producer, the product accepted by the customer offers sustainability and can outperformcompetitors. Lower price and better quality of a product will ensure higher demand and higherprofitability. To estimate the actual cost of production, the operations manager must addresslabour, materials, scrap generations, overhead and other initial costof design and development, etc. Quality: Quality is defined by the customer. The operations manager looks into two importantaspects namely high performance design and consistent quality.High performance design includessuperior features, greater durability, convenience to services, etc where as consistent designmeasures the frequency with which the product meets its design specifications and performs best. Time: Faster delivery time, on-time delivery, and speedy dev elopment cycle are the time factors thatoperations strategy looks into. Faster delivery time is the time lapsed between the customer orderand the delivery. On-time delivery is the frequency with which the product is delivered on time.Thedevelopment speed is the elapsed time from the idea generation up to the final design andproduction of products. Flexibility: Flexibility is the ability to provide a wide variety of products, and it measures how fast themanufacturer can convert its process line used for one product to produce another product afterWhile customisation is the ability of the firm to satisfy the specific needs of each its customer, thevolume flexibility is the ability to accelerate or decelerate the rate of production to handle thefluctuations in demand. For example, the production of fertilisers of different specifications andapplications.

Iron Crowned Chapter 12

There was a moment of stunned silence. â€Å"That's impossible,† said Kiyo at last. â€Å"Unless you're saying she should kill all those monarchs?† â€Å"No need,† the old man replied. â€Å"Even I know how it works,† I argued. â€Å"The only way to claim a land is if its previous monarch dies or grows too weak to hold it. Otherwise, they're bound together. The monarch and the land are one.† â€Å"Aren't you listening?† he asked. â€Å"The crown changes that. The crown breaks that bond. Doesn't matter how strong they are. No killing – unless you want to. The land is freed up, allowing you to seize it if you're strong and ambitious enough, which, of course, you have to be even to possess the crown.† Ambitious enough. His words reminded me of our fight, when I'd nearly killed Kiyo in my rage. I stared down at the crown in disgust. â€Å"I don't want it. I don't want that kind of power. That was never my intention.† The crown's keeper now looked as baffled as Kiyo and I had been moments ago. â€Å"Then why did you come for it?† â€Å"Eugenie,† said Kiyo uneasily. â€Å"I don't think you should leave it. Regardless of what it truly does †¦ well, the original plan still holds. You don't actually have to use it. Just having it may still be enough to scare Katrice into peace – especially if she knows its true power.† I lifted my eyes from the crown, staring off absentmindedly at the cave's scorched walls. â€Å"Of course she knows. And so does Dorian. He's known all along.† It was a sign of Kiyo's tact and self-control that he made no scathing remarks about Dorian. â€Å"You have to take it,† exclaimed the old man, glancing back and forth between our faces. He seemed shocked and even offended that I was seriously considering leaving it. â€Å"You passed the test. No one who has done that has ever refused the crown.† The sick feeling in my stomach grew. He knew. Dorian knew. â€Å"You don't have to use it,† reiterated Kiyo. â€Å"But Katrice won't know that.† â€Å"I was an idiot,† I murmured. â€Å"An idiot to think it was just a war prize. If I accept it †¦ what happens if someone else takes it? If it's stolen?† After experiencing so many attempts at rape, I was well aware of the extent of Otherworldly ambition. â€Å"The crown will only work for its current owner,† said the caretaker. â€Å"It will only stay with the worthy. If it's taken – or if you die – it will return here, and we will wait for the next challenger.† â€Å"Hold on,† said Kiyo. â€Å"You just wait here all the time? How old are you?† I didn't wait for a response. I felt dizzy on my feet and so, so tired, both mentally and physically. I wanted to get out of this place. â€Å"Let's go,† I said. â€Å"We'll take the crown.† The old man beamed. â€Å"Excellent. I look forward to hearing of your victories.† I scowled and moved for the exit. This was hardly the situation for warm and fuzzy good-byes, so Kiyo and I simply left without any more conversation, though I could feel the caretaker's gaze burning into my back. The trek out of the mountain was quiet as well and seemed to go much more quickly. The fire barriers were gone. When we finally emerged, the light and air of that barren landscape seemed like the sweetest, most refreshing thing ever. Volusian and Deanna were exactly where we left them. Deanna's expression lit up. Volusian's didn't ostensibly change, but I sensed definite dismay. â€Å"You did it!† exclaimed Deanna. â€Å"Now you can help me and find out – â€Å" â€Å"No,† I interrupted, heading straight to my horse. â€Å"Not now. We're not dealing with that yet.† Her pale eyes widened. â€Å"But you promised to – â€Å" â€Å"Not yet,† I growled. Something about my tone and look must have been pretty intimidating because she vanished without comment. I knew she'd be back, though. I glanced at Kiyo, who was already on his horse, face troubled. â€Å"Think those snakes are regular residents or just part of the test?† I asked. He glanced around, taking in the scattered holes in the ground. â€Å"I don't think we can assume they're gone.† I made sure my pack was secure, the crown inside it. â€Å"Then let's get out of here. We're not stopping until we're out of the unclaimed lands.† Kiyo's face was lined with worry. â€Å"Eugenie – â€Å" But I was already urging my horse down the road, back in the direction we'd come. Our initial ride had been brisk but still energy-conserving. Now, I held nothing back. I let the horse run as fast as she could, half-suspecting she wanted out of this cursed place as much as I did. The speed and rush of air was almost enough to distract me from what had just happened and what was to come. Almost. Kiyo easily kept up with my hard pace, and the speed made any conversation difficult. I lost track of time but had the sense of riding for hours as the sun moved across the sky. I fell into such a lull surrounded by the dreary landscape that crossing back into the Otherworld's claimed regions was like a splash of water in the face. We'd emerged into the Honeysuckle Land and were suddenly surrounded by heat and color. Kiyo slowed his horse down. â€Å"Eugenie, we have to stop.† When I didn't react, he yelled more harshly, â€Å"Eugenie!† It snapped me from my haze, and I slowed too, eventually bringing my horse to a halt. His trotted up to us. â€Å"Eugenie, it's almost night. We have to make camp here. We'll be safe now that we're out of that place.† â€Å"Safe? I'm a war leader. This place isn't on our side yet. They could have a lot of leverage if they found and captured me.† â€Å"That's just an excuse,† he said. â€Å"It won't happen, and you can't keep up this pace without rest. The horses certainly can't either.† I didn't know much about animals, but Kiyo did. These two didn't seem ostensibly exhausted, but they were breathing a bit more heavily than when we'd left. I petted the head of mine in apology. I didn't want to stop, but Kiyo was right. The lush and beautiful land provided any number of camping spots. The trick was finding a concealed one that kept us near the road. If we strayed too far, the Otherworld's nature could very well shift us away to another location. And, despite his confident words, I think Kiyo did worry a little bit about the Thorn Queen being discovered in this kingdom. At least we had Volusian to keep watch. We finally settled for a small glade that was almost impossible to see through the trees until you were right inside it. Not far away was a small lagoon edged in stones. I was filthy from the fight but didn't have the energy to bathe fully and settled for washing my hands and face. Nonetheless, back in our camp – which really was just a place to sleep since we needed no fire here – Kiyo insisted on changing my bandages again. â€Å"You tore more stitches in the lich fight,† he said with dismay. â€Å"We can keep the blood loss down, but you have to get this treated soon.† I nodded without hearing him, my mind still wrapped around what I'd learned. Once he'd pulled my shirt back down, I turned and faced him. â€Å"Dorian knew, Kiyo. Dorian knew what this crown could do. That's why he wanted it. I wouldn't be surprised †¦Ã¢â‚¬  It killed me to say the next words. â€Å"I wouldn't be surprised if he set it up from the beginning with Masthera.† I again expected mockery from Kiyo, but his dark eyes were serious and full of sympathy. â€Å"I wouldn't be surprised either. I'm sorry.† It was true what I'd said in the cave: I was such an idiot. I should have listened to my initial instincts, the ones that said a battle prize wasn't enough to end a war. A prize that could strip Katrice's kingdom from her? Yeah. That would end a war, true, but Dorian should have told me. He should have told me what the crown's real threat was. And then you wouldn't have done it, a voice in my head pointed out. I knew it was the truth. I wouldn't have risked my life – or Kiyo's – to come after some artifact that put me one step closer to being the conqueror everyone expected me to be. â€Å"Dorian knew,† I repeated. â€Å"Dorian let me risk my life for this.† Kiyo stayed silent for a few moments, staring off into the rapidly darkening trees around us. â€Å"You said he resisted at first, though. Until he realized I could go.† â€Å"Was that an act, though?† I rested my forehead in my hands, doubting everything I'd come to believe about Dorian. I'd so, so wanted to trust him. â€Å"Did he pretend to be hesitant, knowing I'd be suspicious if he was aggressive?† â€Å"For all his faults †¦ I don't know. He does care about you, Eugenie. I don't think he'd carelessly throw you into danger. He might have seriously waited until he knew you could go in with backup.† I sighed and lifted my head back up. â€Å"You're giving an awful lot of credit to someone you hate.† A small smile crossed Kiyo's lips. â€Å"I don't hate him, not exactly. I don't trust him. I don't like him. And †¦ well, I certainly carry a grudge for his taking you from me.† I narrowed my eyes, a spark of anger flaring up in me. â€Å"No one ‘took' me. I'm not something you guys can just pass around!† â€Å"Sorry, sorry,† he said hastily. â€Å"I didn't mean it like that. I just mean that after we split up, it's been hard seeing you with him. That's petty jealousy, I admit it. But I also hate that his grand, brash action won you over and drove the final stake in our relationship.† â€Å"His ‘grand, brash action?' Do you mean killing Leith? I'll never regret him doing that,† I said fiercely. Despite how dark it was growing out here, I could see Kiyo's eyes boring into me. â€Å"Do you mean that, Eugenie? Was your personal vengeance worth all the people who've died since then?† I looked away. â€Å"He deserved it. You don't understand.† â€Å"I understand perfectly well what he did. And if I could have? I would have done a lot more than run a sword through him. Really, that was almost merciful compared to what he deserved. But the fallout †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I know.† I sighed again. â€Å"I know what I've caused, all the upheaval in this world.† A sudden odd thought occurred to me. â€Å"Maiwenn †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Kiyo tensed, not following my jump in thoughts. â€Å"What about her?† â€Å"Dorian knew that too! She knows what the crown does; I'm certain of it. That's why he kept telling me not to let you talk to her!† I shot up, full of fury now. â€Å"Goddamnit! He played me. He's always played me! It doesn't matter if he loves me. It's his nature. He can't love without using it to his advantage. Goddamnit!† My cry rang out into the empty night as I paced irritably. In seconds, Kiyo was up too, gripping me by my arms. â€Å"Hey, hey. Calm down. He may have tricked you, but he can't make you do anything you don't want to with the crown. You're in control. No harm's done.† â€Å"No harm?† I exclaimed. â€Å"Kiyo, I almost killed you! Do you understand? Do you understand what I almost did? I lost control! How am I supposed to forgive myself for that?† He drew me into his arms. â€Å"I forgive you for that, and that's all you need to worry about. Don't beat yourself up with the guilt.† I clenched my fists. â€Å"The craziest part is that the fake-lich whatever guy thought what I did was a good thing. Me shoving my friends aside for power. That's what the crown represents. That's what I'll become.† â€Å"I won't let you,† said Kiyo fiercely. â€Å"It's in my blood,† I said weakly. â€Å"I realize that now.† â€Å"Maybe. I don't know. I used to think †¦ well, I used to think it was all just some easy decision you could make. ‘Do this, don't do this.' That was stupid of me. It's more than that, this conflict in you. And I didn't help – not in the way you needed. I will now – if you'll let me.† I peered up at him in confusion. â€Å"Why? After everything I've done?† â€Å"Because I – † Kiyo cut himself off. I could hardly see him now, but the feel of his hands was warm on my skin. â€Å"Because it doesn't matter. Because I screwed up. Because we never should have split up. I've been wanting to tell you something for a while. We should have – â€Å" I broke away and stalked off across the glade. I couldn't hear this. I couldn't hear some proclamation of love, not when my heart was still broken over Dorian's betrayal. I'd trusted him. I'd trusted him, despite all the evidence that he would go to great extremes for power. I'd thought love for me would be stronger than that ambition. I'd been wrong. Even if he loved me, his heart would always be split between me and his craving for power. It was his nature, just as my own nature was divided between human and gentry ways. â€Å"I need to sleep, Kiyo,† I said roughly. â€Å"I can't hear this right now.† â€Å"But Eugenie – â€Å" â€Å"Good night.† I turned my back to him – I knew he could see in the darkness – and curled up on the grass. It was hardly a comfortable bed, but compared to last night's discomfort, this felt like heaven. Kiyo said no more, and I eventually heard him settle down. Volusian had been put on watch, meaning neither Kiyo nor I had to stay awake. In my case, it didn't matter. Sleep wouldn't come no matter how much I willed it to. I stayed up most of the night, staring up at the clear sky and its glitter of stars. The Otherworld had the same constellations as the human world, which surely presented some sort of physics quandary, one I didn't have time to think much about right now. Dorian knew. That crown. That fucking crown. Part of me wanted to go over to my bag, grab the crown, and throw it off into night, never to be seen again. What had the old man said? It'd return to its home? No harm done. No harm except the loss of my potential to steal Katrice's land from her – hers and anyone else's who opposed me. Was that what Dorian had wanted? Would he have tried to convince me that it was the only way to win the war? And would I have believed it? Maybe. I'd been willing to risk a lot for peace by coming after the crown at all. Maybe that had just been the â€Å"gateway drug† in Dorian's eventual plan for conquest. In the end, it didn't matter what his plan was. What mattered was that he'd betrayed me. I'd opened myself to him, loved him. That was over now. It was that thought, that thought and the anger burning within me, that got me up and around early when dawn broke. Kiyo – who apparently had slept – instantly woke when he heard me stirring. â€Å"Let me guess,† he said. â€Å"You didn't sleep.† â€Å"Nope.† I took out some of the travel food from my bag, cringing when my fingers brushed against the crown. Kiyo stood up and stretched, then wandered off into the foliage. He returned several minutes later with some mangos in his arms. â€Å"Supplement your breakfast,† he said, tossing me one. He leaned against a tree and bit into one of his own. I nodded my thanks, but the fruit's sweetness was lost on me. Nothing had any taste. I was distantly aware of Kiyo's eyes on me but ignored them. â€Å"What are you thinking?† he asked at last. â€Å"How much I hate Dorian.† â€Å"What are you going to do?† This was something I'd thought about for a while, so I had a solid answer. â€Å"Go to him. Call him out. Pass him a note in class. Tell him it's over – everything. Us. Our alliance.† Kiyo's eyebrows rose. â€Å"You might not want to be so hasty on that last one.† â€Å"How can I be in a partnership with someone like that?† I exclaimed. â€Å"You can be in business with people you don't like. I wouldn't throw away his military support in the middle of this mess.† â€Å"I don't need his help,† I said obstinately. â€Å"Especially if Katrice does call a truce over the crown.† â€Å"And if she doesn't?† â€Å"I don't know.† I stood up and rubbed my sticky hands on my jeans. Kiyo was the last person I expected to be having this discussion with. â€Å"What are you getting at? Should I forgive him? Let it all go and jump back into bed?† â€Å"No. Absolutely not.† Kiyo walked over to me, almost mirroring our positions from last night when he'd been on the verge of telling me something romantic. Only, I'd since had more time to come to terms with my anger and could actually focus now on Kiyo, the concern in his eyes and the way his body always made mine feel. â€Å"But I don't think Dorian will leave the war, no matter what else happens between you. And you should take that help.† â€Å"I'm afraid †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Until those words came out of my mouth, I didn't realize I meant them. â€Å"I'm afraid when I see him, when I talk to him †¦ he'll do it again. He'll convince me of, I don't know. Whatever his plan is. He'll justify it and lure me back in.† Kiyo cupped my face between his hands. â€Å"You don't have to do anything you don't want to. You're strong. And I'll go with you, if you want.† I looked up into Kiyo's eyes, feeling lost in their depths and confused by what I saw in them. â€Å"I do want you to.† Leaning down, he pulled me close and kissed me almost before I realized what had happened. There was heat in his lips, heat and hunger and that raw, animal passion that so defined him. My body pressed against his, and I was startled at the arousal that kiss ignited within me, me who twenty-four hours ago had been sworn and sealed to Dorian. Now, the desire within me was all for Kiyo, a desire that was probably equal parts revenge against Dorian, a resurgence of my feelings for Kiyo, and the simple lust triggered by being with anyone I found so attractive. I pulled away from him, and it wasn't easy. That kiss had consumed me, taken over my reasoning. I had a feeling I was seconds away from ripping his clothes off and throwing myself at him. Some annoyingly rational part of me kept saying I shouldn't do that until I knew for sure if it'd be because I still cared about Kiyo or because I wanted to get back at Dorian. â€Å"No, don't. I can't,† I said, taking a few steps away. â€Å"I'm not †¦ I'm not ready†¦.† I knew he could tell that wasn't exactly true. He'd be able to smell the desire on me, the pheromones and other physical signs that said I wanted him. But my head and heart? No, I wasn't sure about that. â€Å"Eugenie †¦Ã¢â‚¬  His voice was husky, every ounce of him radiating that dark, primal sexuality that had always drawn me in. â€Å"I can't,† I repeated. â€Å"Please †¦ don't do that again†¦.† I hurried off blindly, into the forest, ignoring the branches and leaves whipping against me. I didn't have to go very far because something told me Kiyo wouldn't follow. He'd leave me alone for now. I sank to the ground, leaning my head back against the smooth bark of a tree I didn't recognize. My heart pounded in my chest, in turmoil from Kiyo's advances. I'd suspected he still cared, especially seeing as the breakup had been more my idea than his. He'd conceded its wisdom, true, but I'd always known he'd wished things could have been different. Hell, that made two of us. I exhaled and closed my eyes. What did I do with this? What did I do with Kiyo's feelings? What did I do with my own feelings? Because at the core of it all, my heart was still raging over Dorian. I'd meant what I said to Kiyo: I was indeed going to go back and tell Dorian we were over. I'd been disappointed in Kiyo – still was, a little – over his not taking direct action against Leith. Yet, as much as that had hurt me, Kiyo had been blunt and open about his reasons for it. That was better than someone telling you pretty lies. Pretty lies. Dorian was full of them – and not just about the crown. Suddenly, I found myself questioning why he'd even suggested Kiyo come along on this quest, rather than Jasmine. Maybe Dorian had thought this would be a convenient way to get rid of someone he'd always seen as a potential rival. I didn't know. The only thing I was certain of was that I was getting more and more worked up as I sat there. A faint splash startled me out of my emotional maelstrom, and I opened my eyes. No cry of alarm had come from Volusian back at camp, and a moment later, I realized what was going on. Rising, I headed over toward the pool in the glade's heart. Sure enough, I found Kiyo swimming laps back and forth. The lagoon was crystal clear, sparkling in the morning sunlight, and it sang to my magical senses. I wondered if he was there to clean off yesterday's battle or to work out his frustration over me. Judging from the lines on his face – maybe both. I watched him for a minute, knowing opportunities to catch him unaware were rare. The water and his mood had distracted him; he normally would have smelled and heard an observer. After a little while longer, I made my decision. I began taking off my clothes. Kiyo turned and noticed me just as I slipped into the water, easing myself down the stone edge. â€Å"Eugenie †¦ what are you doing? You're soaking your bandages.† I swam over to him, on the pool's far side. â€Å"I'm here naked with you, and that's your biggest concern?† He eyed me carefully. â€Å"Well, that was our last batch of them.† I put my hands on his chest. â€Å"We'll be home soon.† When I brought my lips to his, joining us in a deep kiss, I felt the same response as earlier. He answered me hungrily, arms wrapping around my waist as we pressed together. Now, however, it was Kiyo who broke us apart – despite the arousal in his eyes. I had a feeling there was a human versus animal war going on within him. â€Å"Wait,† he said. â€Å"Earlier †¦ you told me you couldn't †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I changed my mind. I can do this,† I said. â€Å"Does it need to be more than that right now?† I was still going to tell Dorian I was done with him, but I didn't need to for this. I had mentally broken up with him. I was free to do whatever I wanted. I moved toward Kiyo again, slowly walking us toward the water's edge. Our top halves emerged, the morning air slightly chill against my wet skin. â€Å"I don't trust why you're doing this,† said Kiyo. But when I drew him closer, he didn't pull back. â€Å"I think you're getting back at Dorian.† I kissed him hard, cutting off whatever logical arguments he might attempt. â€Å"Maybe I am,† I said at last. He was gasping, a little surprised at the intensity. I felt empowered, filled with lust for Kiyo and – yes – anger at Dorian. â€Å"But you're the one I'm doing it with. Doesn't that mean something?† There was a pause as Kiyo's dark, smoky eyes studied me intensely. â€Å"Yes.† With one swift motion, he turned me around, pushing his body against mine. â€Å"It does. This is how it should have been anyway.† I caught my breath as he kissed my neck, teeth grazing my skin. â€Å"And I'll take back what's mine.† My body burned, both at his touch and the dangerous tone in his voice. Then, the full meaning of his words hit me. I started to turn around but his hands were on me, pinning me against the ledge surrounding the water. â€Å"Hey, I'm not yours,† I growled. â€Å"I thought I made that clear.† â€Å"You're right,† he said. â€Å"But you're not his either. Not anymore. You never should have been. We never should have been apart. And if you want this – if you want to do this – you have to tell me you feel something for me. I can't believe this is just simple revenge sex.† â€Å"Kiyo – â€Å" The hands that held me slid forward to my breasts, the roughness of his touch sending shockwaves through my body. â€Å"Tell me,† he breathed against my ear, his hands sliding along my stomach and down between my thighs. â€Å"Tell me you still feel something for me.† His body closed the miniscule space left between us, pushing me right to stone. I felt him hard and ready. â€Å"I †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I closed my eyes, lost in the way his hands touched me and stoked the sexual tension that had been building between us for days. What did I feel? For a moment, I was conflicted. Maybe this wasn't right. Maybe I did need to end things formally with Dorian before letting my emotions run away with me. â€Å"I †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes?† He bent me over, hands gripping my waist, and suddenly, he was sliding into me, a low groan escaping his lips as he filled me up. I gave a small cry at the unexpected act, one that turned into a moan of pleasure as he began to move in and out of me. â€Å"Tell me there's still something, anything †¦Ã¢â‚¬  he grunted. â€Å"If not, I'll stop and let this go. Just say it.† â€Å"I †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Again, I couldn't summon the words. This time, it was simply because I was too lost in how he felt. I'd forgotten what it was like with him, the way he'd always loved to take me from behind, driven by the animal instinct within him. There was more than that to him, though. Images flashed through me, the way he'd fought by my side, the compassion when he'd seen how hurt I was over Dorian's deception. â€Å"Tell me,† he said again, a savage and hungry note in his voice. â€Å"Tell me you want me; tell me there's still something between us. That you don't want me to stop.† He felt so good, so strong and hard. â€Å"No †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No what?† â€Å"No †¦ don't stop †¦ there is †¦ of course there's still something†¦.† I meant it. And with that, the animal within him was unleashed. I screamed as he gave me the full force of his body, my arms pushing hard to keep me from being shoved against the ledge. The sound of our bodies slapping together echoed around us as he thrust tirelessly, taking me over and over as he reclaimed my body. â€Å"I've missed you, Eug,† he managed to say. â€Å"Missed having sex with you. Missed making love to you. But especially †¦ especially missed fucking you.† His words were punctuated with a particularly sharp thrust, one that took me hard and deep as he bent me over more. I screamed again, but it was out of ecstasy, not pain. Kiyo had always been able to make me come this way, and now was no exception. I felt the nerves of my body explode, every part of me shaking. Still he kept moving in me with that primal need, pushing me into sensory overload. He'd given up on words, simply making small grunts as our bodies connected. At last his body reached its breaking point, giving me the hardest thrusts he was capable of as his climax hit. He held me tight, my body there to fulfill his need as he came in me, groaning and spasming until he'd finally given me all he had. He pulled out, and I turned around, my own breath shallow and rapid. â€Å"That †¦ maybe we shouldn't have done that †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Kiyo put an arm around my waist and pulled me to him. His lips grazed mine. â€Å"You sound like a guy the morning after. You're the one who attacked me, remember?† â€Å"True,† I admitted. With my lust sated, I was feeling slightly more coherent. But only barely. His naked body was still right against mine, and that was distracting. â€Å"Give me a few more minutes,† he murmured. â€Å"A few more minutes and we can do it again †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"We're probably just creating more problems.† He kissed my neck. â€Å"What's one more problem among all the others we have? One more time, Eugenie. I've missed you so much. Let's do this just one more time.† I could feel that he was indeed almost ready again. I lifted one of my legs up, half-wrapping it around him as my body decided it was ready again too. â€Å"And then what?† â€Å"Then?† Kiyo's mouth moved toward mine. â€Å"Then we go see Dorian.†

Undarstending Life of Older Persons with Special Needs

CHERRYFIELDS HOUSING WITH CARE Address 2D Cherryfields Lawn Hartstown Clonsilla Dublin 15 01 8097 134 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting  [pic]FREE  01 8097 134  end_of_the_skype_highlighting Information Staff is trained to Fetac Level 5 Residents are involved in agreeing their individual plan of care and support which includes medication management, personal care needs, diet/nutrition, social, spiritual and emotional care, all of which are enshrined in the core values of the Organisation.Cherryfields opened in 2006 as the first scheme of its type in Dublin, offering another choice in care to those in need of a more supported living environment. Cherryfields provides 27 units of accommodation specifically for dementia care and 29 units for older people in need of 24 hour care and support. Cherryfields is not a Nursing Home and residents in upstairs accommodation have complete freedom to come and go as they please. Each dwelling is carpeted; ensuite bathrooms are provided with non slip flooring.A range of storage is provided within each dwelling, including lockable units for use by residents. Each dwelling has a TV and telephone point. Residents have a key to the front door of their own dwelling. Staff call points are provided throughout each dwelling in case the resident requires assistance. Cherryfields provides a homely environment within easy access of local shops in Hartstown. At Cherryfields, Fold Ireland has provided three bungalows, each with 2 bedrooms, which are allocated in association with Fingal County Council. ACCOMODATIONFold Ireland currently has two Housing-with-Care Schemes in Dublin; Cherryfields is situated in Hartstown, Clonsilla, Dublin 15 and Anam Cara is in Glasnevin, Dublin 11. Each Scheme provides 56 units of accommodation; ground floor dwellings in each location provide a secure environment for those with dementia. Residents have their own flat let. This is their own home, where each is encouraged to bring personal belongings to ma ke it a home-from-home. Each flat let has built-in wardrobes, en-suite and kitchenette, but is otherwise unfurnished.Both schemes have communal areas where residents can socialise and take part in group activities. Our Schemes have garden and/or patio areas for the residents to enjoy, which are secure, well maintained and sensory in nature. FACILITIES In Housing-with-Care, arrangements can be made for access to hairdressers, dentists, chiropodists and other professional services to come into the Scheme. Residents may of course choose to retain existing arrangements for such services. DINING Fold Ireland believes in providing a well balanced diet for residents using fresh and seasonal ingredients.When a resident moves in, we will discuss their dietary requirements, including any specially prescribed diet. The catering services are inspected by local Environmental Health Services ensuring full compliance with Safe Catering Guidelines and Food Hygiene requirements. Meals are generally served in communal dining rooms, allowing residents to meet and socialise in small groups. There are daily menu choices for each meal. ACTIVITIES Remaining active is the key to a long and health life. At Fold Ireland we embrace this, and Housing-with-Care provides a range of activities throughout the week.Residents are encouraged to bring their own ideas for activities and participate in developing the programme of events. From time to time day trips, shopping outings and evening social events may be arranged. HEALTH The health of our residents is as important to us as it is to you. Where possible residents will retain their own GP and other healthcare providers, or we will assist in arranging new providers where this is not possible. Fold Ireland will manage all aspects relating to medication if required, and can support residents to keep managing these themselves if that is an agreed choice.THE COAST OF HOUSING WITH CARE There is a weekly rent for the accommodation and charge for care services provided. These prices have been agreed with the HSE. The care costs are means tested by the HSE and the rent is payable by the tenant at a rate of â‚ ¬108 per week. Tenants must contribute a small amount to the care costs each week pending their financial situation. A financial assessment is completed by the HSE in order to decide this. The HSE meets each tenant before moving into the schemes. Included in the charge are the resident’s meals, heating, electricity, laundry services and repairs to the property.Services that are not included within the weekly charge are those of a personal choice including: a telephone in your room, hairdressing, chiropody and prescription charges. ELDERLY PEOPLE&THOSE WITH DEMENTIA Our Housing-with-Care schemes for Older People and those with dementia provide a relaxing and friendly atmosphere where the residents can feel secure and cared for. These schemes provide tailored care and support to residents, whilst promoting a heal thy lifestyle through social activities, exercise and other activities agreed with the residents.Residents are encouraged, where possible, to remain in control of their affairs, maintaining their independence for as long as possible. For those with dementia we aim to prolong our residents' cognitive and mental skills through a range of daily activities, which enable them to exercise their minds and bodies. This not only engages them but also provides an ideal opportunity for each resident to socialise. Fold Ireland understands that it is not only the person with dementia that is affected by this condition; it's their family, friends and careers as well.We offer support as needed while the resident progresses through the dementia condition. Fold Ireland works in association with The Health Service Executive. HSE undertakes unannounced, periodic, inspections at both Housing-with-Care Schemes. BIBLIOGRAPHY: †¢ http://www. foldireland. ie/ †¢ http://www. foldireland. ie/pages/ 24/elderly-people-and-those-with-dementia †¢ http://www. foldireland. ie/pages/30/the-cost-of-housing-with-care †¢ http://www. foldireland. ie/pages/29/health †¢

Russias new leader (International Relations) Essay

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Relection paper on case hospital strategy for survival Research

Relection on case hospital strategy for survival - Research Paper Example Public hospitals were faced with a serious shortage of funds to support their operations. Most of them ended up shutting down permanently, while other merged with various institutions in order to stay afloat (Scott 3). It is interesting to note that despite the fact that O’Brien was backed up by City officials, they still required him to prove the economic viability of the Cambridge Hospital. Being a director of a public health institution, the challenges were endless. Private hospitals were not making the situation easier as they sought to conquer the territories that were previously held by public hospitals (Scott 6). The journey of keeping the hospital afloat has been far from easy. The management has tried severally but the challenges have been persistent. Despite the financial challenges, the City Council of Cambridge has been seen to interfere with the smooth operations of the hospital. The scrutiny on the hospital’s budget by the city council was somewhat obsessive (Scott 15). It would have been easy for any CEO of a public hospital to give up and walk away when faced with such challenges such as lack of support from the city government and patients. The hospital should be lauded for its endless efforts such as strong campaigns to attract and retain customers. The innovative programs also contributed to the success of the hospital. Just as the CEO reflected, having observed the course of the hospital’s progress, there are many issues of optimism and concern (Scott 20). One such issue of concern is the nature of health care over the years and the relationship with the city council. This case should be an eye opener to all public institutions that are being faced with challenges of surviving. The only question I have is why there have to be so many challenges to the process of reviving a

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Crimes Against Information Systems Analysis - Essay Example Cyber-terrorism is the new crime preference to inflict havoc on the masses of society. Watson (2002) defines cyber-terrorism as "the use of cyber tools to shut down critical national infrastructures (such as energy, transportation, or government operations) for the purpose of coercing or intimidating a government or civilian population." (p.8) Over the years, the level of cyber-terrorism has evolved. Years ago, hackers attained satisfaction by simply breaking into a system (Wilmot, 2004). However, Littleton (1995) still regards hackers as dangerous and further implies imminent danger by questioning the ability of a hacker to become a cyber-terrorist. Wilmot (2004) contends that hackers' abilities to "crack passwords or find a back door route through a security firewall" shows that hackers can easily use a simple act to corrupt data in high technology. (p. 287). Though hackers implement a more simplistic form of cyber-terrorism, and their trespassing is not as harmful as modern day cr ackers-those who seek to disable networks or systems-both hackers and crackers pose danger to the world that holds critical information. However, the sophistication of cyber-terrorists' methods correlates with the degree of their motives. An intent Motives and Methods of Cyber-Terrorists An intent of cyber-terrorist includes causing a devastating amount of damage, while remaining elusive. To illustrate the elusiveness of a cyber-terrorist, Littleton (1995) uses two examples from the late 1980's. The identification, trial, and conviction of Robert T. Morris transpired only because he spoke of his creation, the 1988 Internet Worm, to several people. Rather, the author of the famous Michelangelo virus remains unidentified and escaped consequences altogether. The low risk of being captured coupled with the benefit of easily gaining access to restricted areas makes the crime of cyber-terrorism more appealing to criminals. Motives of cyber-terrorists range from mischief to malice. Today's juveniles have joined the cyber-terrorist realm by defacing Web sites. However, Watson (2002) regards the less serious crimes as highly consequential. When a site is defaced, its information is altered. Misleading information ultimately deceives viewers of the site and result in decrease of confidence and capital for owners of the site. Both hackers and crackers gain access to exclusive information by deciphering protective codes (Wilmot, 2004), which Littleton (1995) claims is not hard to do. A mischievous hacker seeks to only occupy an area considered off limits. On the other hand, a malicious cracker not only breaks codes to enter off-limits areas, but he or she seeks to vandalize or defile the area by causing immediate damage or planting viruses which slowly infiltrate and destroy systems that operate as critical infrastructures (Morris; Wilmot, 2004). Impact of Cyber-Terrorism According to Wilmot (2004), citizens cannot function without the critical infrastructures of their communities. One part of the critical infrastructure extremely vulnerable to cyber-terrorism is the public safety system. Branches of the public safety

Lavender.The Side Effects of Using Lavender Essay Example for Free

Lavender.The Side Effects of Using Lavender Essay Lavender Introduction Therapeutic Use:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For quite a long time, lavender has been used as an antiseptic and for mental health purposes. In the recent world, lavender is used as a traditional medication for ailments like anxiety, insomnia,restlessness, headache,depression, upset stomach, hair  loss among many others defects within the body of the human beings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In most cases, Lavender is always used as anaromatherapy. This is a condition in which the scent of the essential oil from the flower is inhaled. Apart from inhaling the essential oil, it can also be diluted with another oil then it is applied to the skin. The dried lavender flowers are at times used to prepare tea. Theliquid extracts can then be taken through themouth (Blumenthal, Goldberg Brinckman, 2000). The Side Effects of Using Lavender   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The use of the diluted lavender oil or simply using lavender as an aromatherapy is in most cases considered safe for most adults. The disadvantage of this however is that applying lavender oil to the skin can at times cause irritation. Some reports have also been recorded that use of lavender can also cause the boys to develop breasts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lavender oil is poisonous when taken through the mouth.When the tea made from its extracts are taken by mouth, they can cause headache, constipation as well aschanges in appetite   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Using lavender as a sedative medicine may lead to increase in  drowsiness. Scientific Evidence That Show Efficacy for Any of the Therapeutic Uses   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is very little scientific proof to show lavenders effectiveness in tackling health related issues.Several studies done on lavender for anxiety show different results that cannot be relied upon. Preliminary results of the study shows thatlavender oil when mixed with oils from other herbs, may help reduce hair loss. This condition is known asAlopecia  areata(Henly, Lipson Korach, 2007). References Henley D.V, Lipson N, Korach K.S (2007). Prepubertal gynecomastia linked to lavender and tea tree oils.New England Journal of Medicine.  356(5), 479–485. Lavender. (2009). Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Retrieved from http www.naturaldatabase.comLavender (Lavandula angustifolia) Miller. (2009). Natural Standard Database. Retrieved from http://www.naturalstandard.com. Blumenthal M, Goldberg A. Brinckman J. (2000). Lavender flower. In:Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Newton, MA: Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Source document

Ice Cream Essay Example for Free

Ice Cream Essay According to market research conducted in 1996, 80% of Filipino consumers bought on impulse (they bought only upon passing an ice cream shop or scooping station, but without an intention to buy first); 98% ate ice cream was an afternoon snack. Furthermore, studies showed that per capita consumption of ice cream was less than a forth of a gallon per person per year. In 1992, it stood at 0. 23 gallons per person and declined to 0. 20 in 1993. On average, domestic ice cream market was 13. 8 million gallons from 1991-1993, worth estimated p 2. 5-3 billion per annum. Bulk ice cream comprised 86% of the industry sales while the rest was accounted for by frozen novelties. Main competitors in this include San Miguel Corporation’s (SMC) Magnolia and RFM’s Selecta. Magnolia Other trailing competitors are Universal Robina Corporation’s (URC) Presto, Arce Dairy Ice Cream, and Pure food’s Coney Island, as well as foreign brands like Baskin-Robbins ,Dreyer’s and Haagen-Dazs. Magnolia – The pioneer ice cream brand in terms of flavour, quality control, variety, technology and distribution produced by the merger of SMC and Nestle. It introduced the Flavor of the Month series that provided a huge variety of ice cream flavours to the consumer, with projected volumes of FoM ice cream sold reaching over 28 million gallons. It pioneered the introduction of tropical fruit flavours. It was the first to achieve International Standards Organization quality standards, and is the only Filipino ice cream brand that has expanded overseas. Magnolia is poised as the main competitor, as it aims to be at the forefront of the dairy industry. With increasing competition, MNC intends to make its products available in neighborhood stores and major outlets; introduce a feedback mechanism that will help the corporation monitor the market; and employ new approaches to selling. Currently, magnolia is the preferred choice of many five star hotels, fine dining restaurants, sports and country clubs and food chains. Presto – this brand claims value for money, as part of the corporate philosophy of the Gokongweis, owners of JG summit corp. hich URC is part of, which is to make available value-for-money items for all its consumer-branded products, and as such has positioned its prices lower than Magnolia Selecta. Presto excels in the frozen novelties market, as was demonstrated in their introduction of Tivoli bars, the first ice cream bar in the Philippines, a phenomenal success that had competitors challenge it with their own versions of ice cream bars. Presto currently holding the number three position, is determined to fu rther widen its market share and catch up with the giants. Thus, the company is eyeing the possibility of plant capacity expansion and wider distribution network. It is also determined to enhance its advertising campaigns and be very active in the communication field. Arce Dairy – This ice cream brand was started in January 1995 and immediately got hold of a 5% market share. Its trademark was the use of carabao milk as base, comfortably within the 5-16% fat content requirement to be called ice cream because carabao milk contains considerably more fat than cow milk (9. 65% as opposed to 4. 16%). Only the expensive ice cream (super deluxe and super special) of Arce contain carabao milk, and are priced at higher than the rates of the competition, showing that Arce’s main strength is its appeal to the AB market where its products cost P3-5 more than its competitors’ products, and as its regular ice cream products are priced lower than its competitors by P3-5 which indicates its attempt to appeal to the CD market’s tendency to want every peso to count. Coney Island – 1976 saw the entry of Coney Island in the local ice cream market. It introduced a new standard of creaminess thanks to its products’ high milk fat content, setting a standard for flavour richness back then. Purefoods acquired it in 1991 and increased its production capacity without having neglected the improvement of its quality. In line with Pure Food’s rule of following the highest international standards, Coney Island tried to implement the zero-vegetable fat and at least 10 percent milk fat standard of US ice cream. It used high quality ingredients like Callebaut chocolate from Belgium for its top-of-the-line products such as the Premium Bar, Pure and Simple and Bugs Bunny Bar. It repositioned itself in the market in 1995 to improve local competitiveness. It marketed its products as â€Å"Not Just Ordinary Ice Cream†, supported by new flavours and packaging. Coney Island revised its product classification, and began categorizing its bulk ice cream as simply creamy, fruit and nuts, and cakes and pastries instead of the traditional premium and super premium. This move was inspired by a study that showed that consumers buy ice cream on the basis of flavour concepts. Foreign Brands – Foreign include Haagen-Dazs, Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream and Baskin-Robbins. Dreyers was the first to penetrate the local market.

Investment Appraisal Decision Making

Investment Appraisal Decision Making 1. INTRODUCTION The research is undertaken in the partial fulfillment of degree of MBA. The dissertation focuses on the investment appraisal in the Indian hotel industry. Shareholders and Creditors invest capital in an enterprise in the hope of gaining a return. For loan creditors they require interest plus a return of their capital, while shareholders require dividends and maintenance or increase of share prices. The capital invested is channeled through the enterprise and invested in capital projects, which must generate returns commensurate with the expectations of the providers of that capital. Capital investment within any organization is crucial and important for the organizations well being and long time survival. Capital investments are those which have long-term effects on the organization by providing benefits over a number of years. This dissertation also shows the different types of investment appraisal and shows the company where to invest and where to not invest. Questionnaire is desig ned to collect primary data along with secondary data collected during literature review. Conclusions will be based on the basis of data collected from questionnaires. Secondary data and recommendations will be presented that will enhance the decision making process made in the Indian hotel industry by the investment appraisal methods. 2. OVERVIEW OF INVESTMENT APPRAISAL Capital expenditure decisions are crucial to the long-term viability, success and survival of a company. Capital investment appraisal provides a framework in which capital projects can be considered, screened and evaluated. Because of the inflexible nature of capital projects, risk and uncertainty, and environmental change, e.g.; the tax factor, changes in government policy and technological change, it is essential that they are carefully selected, to ensure that they will help the organization to achieve its objectives. Therefore, Investment decision is one of the key decision areas of financial management. An investment decision can be defined as one that involves the firm making a cash outlay with the aim of receiving, in return, future cash inflows. Decisions about buying a new machine, building a factory, extending warehouse, improving a delivery service, instituting a staff training scheme or launching a new product line are all examples of investment decisions that need to be made by the industry. In order to make such decisions and to ensure that they are consistent with each other, a common method of appraisal is required which can be applied equally to the whole spectrum of investment decisions and which should help to decide whether any particular investment will assist the company in maximizing shareholder wealth. Therefore, investment appraisal methods cannot replace managerial judgement, but they helps to make that judgement more sound. Investment appraisal is also referred to as ‘capital budgeting (Lumby. S, 1988). The decision making consists of different stages: Planning Identifying the alternatives to be considered and their transformation into workable proposals. Appraising the alternatives and selecting the best one with regard to the organ isations goals. Implementing the decision. Reviewing the selected investment project (RÃ ¶hrich. M, 2007). 3. RESEARCH AIMS OBJECTIVES Every organization has problems in its investment areas, so an appropriate investment appraisal is required to solve these problems.The role of investment appraisal is to ensure that appropriate information is gathered relating to the investment alternatives. Capital investment decisions allocates resources within the organization to offer the best potential of meeting its objectives. It maintains and improves profit performance and increase market share. It achieves a balanced product portfolio. Investment appraisal methods are relevant to all decisions that form part of the investment planning process. Understanding different investment appraisal methods, their assumptions, limitations and possible usages will lead to an increased understanding of different decision making and an informed choice of methods. This should greatly enhance decision making in regard to both single investment projects and investment programmes. It enhances various alternatives to use different methods of investment appraisal to make business decisions. It also develops higher order skills through having to consider other factors, apart from quantitative methods, that a business might have to consider in making business decisions. The main goal of long term decision making is that the firm must handle the investment in order to earn profits greater than the funds committed. In order to handle these decisions, firms must have to make an assessment of the size of the outflows and inflows of funds, the lifespan of the investment, the degree of risk attached and the cost of obtaining funds. The main focus of this research is to analyze the decision making process made in the Indian hotel industry by the investment appraisal methods. Taj Residency Plc, Abad Plaza Plc are the hotels in India which are included in this research. This dissertation will try to answer following questions using investment appraisal methods depending on problems identified during the analysis and searching for a lternatives. Key considerations in making investment decisions are: Should an investment be undertaken or rejected? In the case of mutually exclusive investment projects, which one should be preferred? For how long should n investment project should be utilized? When should the investment project be started? What is the scale of the investment can the company afford it? How long will it be before the investment starts to yield returns? Which of the investment projects should be preferred and carried out when limited financial budget restricts the number that can be undertaken t the same time? How long will it take to pay back the investment? What are the expected profits from the investment? Could the money that is being ploughed into the investment yield higher returns elsewhere? Does the proposed investment fit in with the organizations strategic objectives? What are previous proposals to see which techniques the organization uses? How the organization allows for risk and inflation in investment proposals? Which investment appraisal techniques would the companies wish to consider for making long term investment decision? Investment appraisal in the Indian Hotel Industry Hotel Industry in India has made tremendous boom in the recent years. Hotel Industry is inextricably linked to the tourism industry and the growth in the Indian tourism industry has fuelled the growth of Indian hotel industry. The hotel industry and tourism industry in India are straightly linked to each other. Revenues of Hotel and Restaurant (HR) industry in India during the financial year 2006-07 was INR604.32 billion , a growth of 21.27% over the previous year, primarily driven by foreign tourist arrivals ,which increased by 14.17%. at present, there are 1,980 hotels approved and classified by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, with a total capacity of about 110,000 hotel rooms. The tourism industry is showing excellent performance, in terms of foreign tourists arrival. It is estimated that over the next two years 70,000-80,000 rooms will be added across different categories throughout the country. The thriving economy and increased business opportunities in India have acted as a boon for Indian hotel industry. The cheaper airlines rates to India has also made growth in the domestic and international tourists which helped the industry very successfully. In recent years the Indian government has taken several measures to boost travel tourism which have benefited hotel industry in India.Investments in tourism infrastructure are essential for Indian hotel industry to achieve its potential. But instead there are few challenges faced by the Indian Hotel industry. They are lack of cost structure, shortage of efficient manpower, shortage of resources etc, so an appropriate investment appraisal is required to select and monitor the investments properly. The hotels which are included in this research are Taj Residency Plc, Abad Plaza Plc. Taj Residency Plc is a five star hotel which is situated in Cochin, kerala, India. Its a hotel which consists of 108 rooms including 12 spacious suites. The hotel provides all the services for the customers. The hotel is situated near to the sea, so it focuses mainly on international tourists. The Taj Residency Group is focusing on building a new hotel under the same name in another place in kerala, India. Abad Plaza Plc is a five star hotel which is situated in Cochin, kerala, India. Its a hotel which consists of 80 fully furnished luxury rooms. The hotel provides much more quality services for the satisfaction of customers. Warmth and hospitality has always been the strong points of this hotel. It is located near to the railway station and close to bus station as well. The hotel is trying to expand the business by way of building another hotel in another city in kerala, India and they are planning to extend the existing hotel into more bigger one in order to build more rooms and provide more service facilities to customers. So, a good decision must be made by using efficient investment appraisal techniques in order to invest in the right place and in the right time. 4. LITERATURE REVIEW OF INVESTMENT APPRAISAL An investment is ‘any course of action that involves sacrifices now or in the near future in anticipation of higher future benefits (Pike and Neale, 2003). Investment appraisal is influenced by the fact that external shareholders and potential investors have access to accounting data and make their estimates of firms economic rte of return with accrual-based accounting numbers. As a result, there is a continuing history of research analysing and relating accounting rate of return and economic rate of return concepts. Accounting information affects investment appraisal in many ways (Danielson Press, 2003). There are four basic techniques for the appraisal of capital investments which are : Payback (PB) measures the time that it will take to recover the total funds invested in an project. It shows the time required for the total cash inflows to equal the total cash outflows. A Project is considered attractive if it has short payback period. Projects with short payback periods allows managers to recuperate their investment quickly and give them more flexibility to reinvest these funds in future. They also have fewer risks than projects with longer payback periods. The payback period is popular method to evaluate capital investments. The shorter the payback period is, the more desirable the investment. Because the payback period focuses on short-term results, it does not require managers to predict cash flows far out into the future. Accounting rate of return (ARR) measures the percentage return the project achieves over its life in terms of profitability. Accounting rate of return is often used internally when selecting projects. It measures the performance of projects and subsidiaries within an organization. ARR is almost similar to payback period method but the important difference is that it tends to favor higher risk decisions, whereas use of the payback period leads to overly conservative decisions(Broadbent. M, Cullen. J, 2003). Internal rate of return (IRR) measures the percentage return the project achieves over its lifetime in discounted cash flows. The advantage of using IRR method is that it does not consider the time value of money and therefore is more exact and realistic than the ARR method. The shortcomings of this method are that it is time consuming to compute (Shim. K. J, 2000). Net present value (NPV) compares the initial cost of the project with the future discounted cash flows it generates. It allows the company to screen the company projects potential profitability by discounting future cash flow expectations and comparing the sum of these cash flows to the initial capital expenditure required to fund the project. Though similar to IRR method, NPV does not calculate an investments exact rate of return but instead calculates the exact dollar amount that an investment exceeds, or fails to meet , the expected rate of return. NPV provides an excellent decision criterion for investments. NPV does not suffer from any of the drawbacks of the payback or IRR methods. NPV is the method most recommended by financial experts for making investment decisions. IRR is still used to determine the exact rate of return for an investment, but NPV has none of the problems that IRR have with unusual investments (McAllister. E. W, 2005). 5. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY A research design provides a framework for the collection and analysis of data (Bryman and Bell, 2007). Data is divided into four types; secondary, primary, quantitative and qualitative. Selection of data type depends largely on the type of research (Buckley, 1995). The research objectives justify that descriptive research is the best method to achieve research objectives. The methods used in this research to collect primary data are as follows: Questionnaire It is a commonly used technique in quantitative research methods. The main benefit of using questionnaire to collect primary data is that it collects data in a format that is easy to analyze. The questions to be asked in the questionnaire are dictated by the research objectives. Questionnaire provides good sampling control and flexibility and control with regards to location and time. It is time consuming if several segments are involved. The research undertaken will use questionnaire to collect primary data. The mainrationale behind choosing questionnaire is that the research requires the controlled responses from the individuals. Time limitation for the dissertation also supports the selection of questionnaire for primary data collection as it is less time consuming to conduct. Personal interviews A Personal interview is defined as a purposeful discussion between two or more people (Kahn and Cannell, 1957). The data collected using personal interview is very reliable. Interviews can be un-structured or structured (Saunders et al, 2007). Structured interviews are a systematic goal oriented process. They force organized communication between the knowledge engineer and the expert. A structured interview is a question and answer session, which is recorded in some way. Personal interviews provide the visual verification of respondents characteristics and references to sources can be used to verify facts. However, personal interviews may be expensive and difficult to arrange. Also respondents may formulate the answers depending upon their profiles.

My Reasons for Joining the Marine Corps Essay -- Personal Essays

Most or all of my reasons for joining the Marines are as follows. Ideal- The Marines Embody more of my personal views and ideals then the other branches of the armed services. Loyalty, I respect and love the idea of loyalty to a person or persons...or a cause. To be totally loyal to something without question but to also love and honor that something, that idea is something I long for and adore. Which leads me to Honor as well. I have, since I discovered it in middle school I believe, always respected the idea of Honor. It means a lot to me. Its ideal a person can build and guide their beliefs on as well as their standards. Honor Goes hand and hand with Loyatly. To be loyal to a cause greater then my own is one reason that drove me to the Marines. Working to pay the next bill day in and day out is not what I want. My drive so far has been merely to survive and get the next fix(video games, sports, music, etc) HONOR: Taking a stand for something you believe in, fighting for those you love, so that they dont have to. Sacrificing many things so that your loved ones dont have to. Fighting till the end, when you think there is nothing left and then finding the courage to and inner strength to keep going. Making in impact no matter the odds against you. Faith in those around you and your beliefs. Mastering your fears, for fear is a weakness. Knowing your emotions, they can be a fond ally or black hole. Being prepared for a fight is one thing, looking for it is another. Self-awarness, not self-centered. Know yourself but do not become enthralled with it. Discipline. Self-control, physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional. Confidence, In yourself and to lead those that would follow. (this is what I believe Honor is) Honor, ... ...tiring out of there. I plan on getting officer training at some point. I will do college when I have at least put 2-3 years into the Infantry. Then I will also change my MOS to learn some Technical Skills, repairing vehicles, stuff like that, for a just in case scenario. Something I can fall back on in case my plans after The Marines doesn't fall through. I plan on joining the CIA or FBI.(if CIA doesn't fall through) Definatly Counter-Terrorist stuff. Active things, not a desk job. To do this I will need several years of College. Thats why I plan on being in the Marines a long time. Because I have a lot to prepare for. A lot of people have said I cannot that decision just yet, about being in there a long time and all. I say I can. I have made my decisions and plans. But I guess I'll see how everything works out. Until then that is where I will keep my believing.

If Seeing is Believing, Then Hearing is Connecting :: Psychology Hearing Seeing Essays

If Seeing is Believing, Then Hearing is Connecting When I was in sixth grade, our teacher, Mr. Kreinhop, presented us with an interesting and provocative dilemma: would we prefer to lose our hearing or our sight? During the discussion that followed, I was very surprised to learn that Mr. Kreinhop's answer was different from my own. As an eleven year old, I could not understand why anyone would choose to lose their vision (!) instead of their hearing. My reasons for needing to keep my sight seemed so obvious to me. Without it, one cannot browse at the library, hide away with a good book, see a friend approaching, or "watch" a movie. Most importantly to a soon-to-be-teenager, one could not drive ­surely a necessity for an American wanting to be truly independent. Without vision, how could one ever do all the things I thought I needed to do? Now, as an adult who has done some of those things and who will never do others of them, and as a wife and a mother and a teacher, I would give the same answer that Mr. Kreinhop did ­I would choose to lose my vision if it meant I could keep my hearing. I have two compelling reasons. First, my relationship with my children and my husband centers around the talking and listening that we do. Second, my vision of teaching has become one where teachers and students join as participants in discourse, which means they must actively communicate with each other, say what they are thinking and listen to each other to join in a conversation. The question and my answers to it interest me now in new and different ways. What are the differences between seeing and hearing that made/make these choices so simple and obvious for me? Here are two different sign systems. Well, actually more than two, but I am going to focus on the ones that are concerned with the communication of and between human beings, the systems upon which I based my choices. One is made up of visual signs, both verbal and nonverbal ­communication based upon writing, pictures and symbols. The other is also verbal and nonverbal, the spoken word and the sounds and intonations of the speech itself, as well as the silence that can be an invaluable component of listening and conversing. Visual sign systems are very important in our culture; so much of the communication in our society is based on visual signs, both verbal and nonverbal. If Seeing is Believing, Then Hearing is Connecting :: Psychology Hearing Seeing Essays If Seeing is Believing, Then Hearing is Connecting When I was in sixth grade, our teacher, Mr. Kreinhop, presented us with an interesting and provocative dilemma: would we prefer to lose our hearing or our sight? During the discussion that followed, I was very surprised to learn that Mr. Kreinhop's answer was different from my own. As an eleven year old, I could not understand why anyone would choose to lose their vision (!) instead of their hearing. My reasons for needing to keep my sight seemed so obvious to me. Without it, one cannot browse at the library, hide away with a good book, see a friend approaching, or "watch" a movie. Most importantly to a soon-to-be-teenager, one could not drive ­surely a necessity for an American wanting to be truly independent. Without vision, how could one ever do all the things I thought I needed to do? Now, as an adult who has done some of those things and who will never do others of them, and as a wife and a mother and a teacher, I would give the same answer that Mr. Kreinhop did ­I would choose to lose my vision if it meant I could keep my hearing. I have two compelling reasons. First, my relationship with my children and my husband centers around the talking and listening that we do. Second, my vision of teaching has become one where teachers and students join as participants in discourse, which means they must actively communicate with each other, say what they are thinking and listen to each other to join in a conversation. The question and my answers to it interest me now in new and different ways. What are the differences between seeing and hearing that made/make these choices so simple and obvious for me? Here are two different sign systems. Well, actually more than two, but I am going to focus on the ones that are concerned with the communication of and between human beings, the systems upon which I based my choices. One is made up of visual signs, both verbal and nonverbal ­communication based upon writing, pictures and symbols. The other is also verbal and nonverbal, the spoken word and the sounds and intonations of the speech itself, as well as the silence that can be an invaluable component of listening and conversing. Visual sign systems are very important in our culture; so much of the communication in our society is based on visual signs, both verbal and nonverbal.

Conformity Vs. Individuality Essay -- essays research papers

"People don't talk about anything...and nobody says anything different from anyone else" This quote, from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, demonstrates how this fictional society had no individuality, yet they expressed no disprovement of the conformity. To be so simple minded as this civilization was would have eventually lead to self-destruction. To support my theory, recall in the novel when the old lady chose to commit suicide because she did not have freedom. She felt that even though she was "free" she was "enslaved" by the enforcement of limited knowledge. Without individuality in today's society, the world would be filled with a population of large amounts of followers as opposed to leaders. Do you know where and what this society would be like if we didn't have leaders like Rosa Parks, Susan B. Anthony, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, etc.? I presume that we wouldn't be as strong of a nation as we are now. We wouldn't have any freedoms or rights that these leaders fought so hard to achieve. We wouldn't be able to experience historical periods such as the Industrial Revolution, the Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Movement, etc. for all of these eras express different ideas, inventions, and opinions and gradually erased some people's ignorance towards these changes. As an African-American, I take great pride in the Harlem Renaissance because this was a time when we got to prove the "ignorant" people wrong as we demonstrated our arti...

Americans Eat More Than Required

According to The Journal Of the American Medical Association JAM), † More than one-third of adults and 17% of youth in the United States are obese†¦ † (Ogden, Carroll, Kit, and Flea) So why do we as Americans eat more than the usual human being? From personal opinion I believe it is all the resources and opportunities we have to constantly eat. There are vending machines everywhere, food vendors every†here, restaurants everywhere, food trucks everywhere, it is almost if our world revolved around eating.On top of that we like to get out moneys worth, so it constantly pushes restaurants to serve more food. Know when eat I usually eat what is on my late whether its a lot or a little, tend to finish. Working in the restaurant industry I see the same. Our portions tend to be about 8 ounces of meat and another 10-12 ounces worth of sides. That is a lot of food to put down in one sitting. Most people do it though. Very few people ever ask for a take out box. This pape r is not about how all Americans are obese, but instead to inform the reader that we should not be eating as much.We should be eating smaller portions and more frequently. In today's industry all the restaurants are offering healthier alternatives. McDonald's is getting ready to rebind itself and lean more in a healthy way. That itself should show America that we need to observe what we eat. The JAM article states, â€Å"Overall, there have been no significant changes in obesity prevalence in youth or adults between 2003-2004 and 2011-2012. Obesity prevalence remains high and thus It is important to continue surveillance. (Ogden, Carroll, Kit, and Flea) It is something that if we instill in the children of America they will understand it at a young age and begin their habits right instead of overeating from a young age, † Obesity and childhood obesity, in particular, are the focus of many public health efforts in the United States. (Ogden, Carroll, Kit, and Gall) To conclude I would like to say that I am not the â€Å"ideal† in shape American, but I also do not fall into the 17% of the youth that is obese.

Meaningful Social Studies Essay

The democratic principles and ideals of citizenship reinforces effective social studies. By focusing on rights, responsibilities, and respect, a solid base of social studies knowledge and skills develops civic competence. The foundation of four core disciplines, or strands, from the social sciences are: geography, civics, economics, and history. They are the Louisiana framework for social studies. Each of these disciplines offers a distinct perspective for examining the world. Within these strands, other social sciences, such as anthropology and sociology, are incorporated.  §103. Louisiana Content Standards Foundation Skills The Louisiana Content Standards Task Force has developed the following foundational skills which should apply to all students in all disciplines: Communication, Problem Solving, Resource Access and Utilization, and Linking and Generating Knowledge. Through research, activities, discussions, and real-life experiences, children can and will learn that diversity can be positive and socially enriching. A pluralistic perspective involves students’ building unbiased, open-minded views towards diversity among their fellow human beings. Teachers of this generation have the combined blessing and challenge of helping students make the most of a world that is rapidly changing. Students must develop the perspective that cultural and philosophical differences are necessary and desirable qualities of a democratic community (NCSS, 1994). I chose the concept of â€Å"Problem Solving† for Grade 6-8th in which I will be teaching in the near future. Problem solving identify an obstacle or challenge and uses the application of knowledge and thinking processes which include reasoning, decision making, and inquiry in order to reach a solution using multiple pathways, even when no routine path is apparent. Bringing students into contact with other people’s various views and conflicting values is very important. In the school and local community, therefore, problem solving/inquiry problems are most often found. Questioning and cooperative learning are two strategies that are frequently used to support meaningful learning. Questioning. This is where all learning begins. The types of questions teachers use guide students’ engagement in the lesson (Harvey & Goudvis, 2000). The amount of time a teacher waits between asking questions and calling on students for responses, or responding to answers, affects student responses (Rowe, 1996). On average, teachers wait less than a second before calling on a student or responding to a student’s comment, this has been proven by classroom research. If the teacher wait 3 or more seconds before calling on a student or acknowledging a response, this can increase the length of student responses, the number of appropriate responses, and the cognitive level of the responses. Questions should be planned in advance, relate to the lesson activities, and are written into lesson plans. The Learning cycle lessons begin with questions that all students have a chance to answer. All answers are accepted by the teacher even though some answers may explain more than others. In the class such questions engaged by all of the students. In every learning cycle a central key question is planned for the exploratory phase. In a lesson focusing on the concept of presidential elections, for example, the teacher may ask the key question â€Å"What do you have to do to be elected president?† This is an open question that involves each student in thinking about the main idea of the lesson. Development phase, questions focusing student inquiry on the main concepts, skills, and attitudes of the lesson is done during the lesson. During the lesson development, many questions are narrow or closed. Questions are used to help students apply the concept in a new context, during the expansion phase of the lesson. On open questions, the emphasis is greater although some closed questions may be used. Effects of Emphasizing Student Control What students learn is influenced by how they are taught, the quality of individual and social processes occurring in the classroom, and the perceptions and understanding of social studies as a subject to be taught and learned (NCSS, 1994b). Matching Instructional Strategies to Student Needs One aim of education is to help students be self-directing (NCSS, 1994a, pp. 11–12). The amount of student control during the learning process, is a key factor. The categories, in order from least to greatest student control, are expository, guided discovery, and inquiry and problem solving/decision making. An appropriate instructional strategy is chosen by the teacher that matches the student’s level of social studies content, skill, attitudinal objectives, and developmental needs. These instructional methods are very effective and appropriate in helping students attain a particular level of learning objective. Expository, or Direct, Instructional Methods: Lower Student Control Students are provided with little control over the direction or extent of the learning process using the Expository instructional methods, or direct instruction method. Activity lessons using expository methods include the following characteristics: * The teacher controls the situation, providing adequate directions and motivation. The teacher provides ample opportunities to practice the skill in a wide variety of situations. * The teacher supplies immediate and continuous feedback focusing on correct answers. * The teacher uses lecture and closed, narrow questions to control the learning situation but must provide extensive and adequate directions for the student. Expository Guided Inquiry/Problem Solving Discovery and Decision Making Expository methods require external motivation and careful classroom management. Only lower levels of learning: recall and memorization are produced by these methods. Development of the affective areas of attending and willingness to receive information is facilitated by Expository methods. These methods are occasionally useful in the lesson development phase of the learning cycle in which the teacher explains the key idea of the lesson and the lesson focus involves the need for recall (Rosenshine, 1986). Guided Discovery Instructional Methods: Mixed Teacher and Student Control Students are involved in activities related to a concept and form an understanding of them when using guided discovery instructional methods before they are offered or explained by the teacher. A problem to investigate is created by the teacher and he/or she determines procedures and materials needed, but students collect and analyze data and evaluate the results as they relate to the problem. Guided discovery has four characteristics. 1. Students are provided with the time and opportunity to study relationships in data and form a new idea. 2. Students use several activities focusing on one concept, generalization, value, or skill. 3. Students’ main role is to investigate and discover answers to the questions posed, discussing and displaying data to do so. 4. The teacher provides directions and asks questions that help students begin activities with the learned resources selected. From data students can learn inquiry skills such as inferring, predicting, organizing, interpreting, and draw conclusions. Inquiry and Problem-Solving/Decision-Making Instructional Methods: Greater Student Control Inquiry involving significant student control over the direction the lesson takes, is the third social studies instructional method. The Students create a problem to investigate, determine procedures and materials needed, collect and analyze data, and evaluate results. These lessons have five characteristics: 1. Students are competent in basic social studies inquiry skills. 2. Students select problem areas to investigate. 3. Students work in groups, orally reporting the results of investigations. 4. The teacher guides students in defining the problem to investigate and in helping to identify resources. 5. A safe and supportive classroom environment is maintained. Activities using the Inquiry method are intrinsically motivating because students direct their own learning. A first-grader even is likely to use higher thought processes during an inquiry. For example, a young student’s social studies project could involve making a drawing showing where items in her personal materials basket (scissors, glue stick, crayons, etc.) should be placed. After the student lists three or more problems with the basket, such as the glue stick always falling over, the drawing is made. This allows the student to ask questions, communicate information, make inferences, and build prediction. Facts may form the basic content of the narrative, when writing stories about the experience, but students also often make inferences and construct generalizations. In inquiry and problem-solving/decision-making method activities, students are involved in practicing the full range of inquiry skills. Key social studies ideas and skills are carefully selected and is needed because inquiry methods reduce the amount of material covered to a greater extent than other instructional methods. Meaningful learning of generalizations and higher-order inquiry skills, as well as improved long-term memory and transfer of learning, occurs. Problem solving and decision making is what inquiry focuses on mainly. Students plan how they can participate and work together (Dunfee & Sagl, 1967; Meyerson & Secules, 2001). Conclusion By building on a core of effective practices in teaching and by designing activities and lessons with learning objectives in place, teachers encourage students to use their strengths and to respond successfully to challenges. They support students as active learners in meaningful activities. Focusing on helping young students identify multiple perspectives on issues and problems is a major learning outcome related to global issues. So also is discussing what are good and positive actions, moral positions, and appropriate behaviors. References Research & Evaluation Strategies for Early Childhood Education. Research In Early Childhood Education in Handbook Research on the Education of Younger Children. Springer (2007). Retrieved from http://ww.library.gcu.edu.2048/login?qurl.http$3A2F%2F% www.credoreference.com/entry/sprihsei/table_of_contents. Social Studies Content Standards – Division of Adminstration www.doc.louisiana.gov/osr/28v121/28v121.pdf Sunal-Szymanski, C. & Haas, M.E. Social Studies for the Elementary & Middle Grades: A Constructive Approach, (4th Ed.). Published by Allyn & Bacon copyright (2011) by Pearson Education, Inc. The Evolving Role of Teachers In Effective Schools in Springer International Handbooks of Education: International Handbooks of School Effectiveness and Improvement.