Db1 employee compensation and benefit Research Paper

Db1 employee compensation and benefit - Research Paper Example This was after concerns by labour groups and associations on the poor payments, working conditions, lack of adequate overtime payments and misuse of child labour. In addition, in 1994 the school to work opportunities act was introduced to the Fair Labour Standards Act. This act had more impact on those businesses that provided on the job training. The main rationale for this act was to provide on the site training and internship based on an agreement between the employer and the student. If any exemption was to be made from the Fair Labour Standards Act, the guidelines had to be followed. This guideline was to ensure the individual role was clearly defined as an intern and not an employee, hence was not entitled to the benefits that would have been in place if he or she was a permanent employee of the company or organization. The only expenses the employer incurred in this case were only those associated with the training. Moreover, the individual was not guaranteed a position after completion of the training. Through this, both parties benefited in that the student got the training and the employer benefited from work the student produced. The 1994 amendment also had in place guidelines whereby owners of small businesses whose annual revenue was below $500,000 were exempted from the FLSA, but did not for those who used interstate business calls or postal mails (Willis, 1997) In addition, it also stipulated that those employers covered by the act must pay a minimum wage rate of $4.25 per hour for the first 90 days of employment and the current wage thereafter to all the youth workers under the age of 20 years. The implication of the act was that every employer must meet all the criteria for exemption from the act guidelines without which he or she should comply with the acts working hour and wage guidelines (William,

Impact of Technology on Individuals and Society Essay

Impact of Technology on Individuals and Society - Essay Example Since human beings apply technology in everyday life, it has led to the emergence of impacts to individuals as well as society. Such impacts have been either positive or negative and have had a significant influence in human life. Therefore, the paper discusses such impacts in detail and thus enlightening society and individuals. With the inventions and innovations of social sites, individuals learn more about different people with relation to culture, practices, and religion of individuals in the environment. For instance, individuals can learn about Chinese culture, Indian culture, or even Japanese cultural practices without having to visit such geographical regions or have face-to-face communication with people from those cultures (Benchmann, Decker, Fiedeler & Krings 2). This knowledge enhances understanding and peaceful coexistence among individuals. The introduction of new and advanced technologies such as telephones, internet, TVs, Radios have ease communication and made it effective irrespective of distance or time barriers. Individuals now efficiently communicate with one another through emails, Facebook, Google+, phone calls, as well as short message services (Hollon 1). Moreover, technology has enabled individuals to share ideas, information, and news very quickly with little effort as compared to the older times. This has made life simple, easier, and enjoyable due to lack of communication stresses. The invention and adoption of technological tools, software and machines such as computers, the internet and search engines like Yahoo and Google have created opportunities for learning (Hollon 1). As compared to the olden days, an individual in the contemporary world finds learning easier and simpler due to the presence of internet search engines. For example, students can now conduct research on any topic by searching for information pertaining to the

Effect of Temperature on Membrane Permeability Beetroot

Effect of Temperature on Membrane Permeability Beetroot In this investigation I shall find out the relationship between the amounts of leakage of beetroot pigment into water under various range of temperatures. Furthermore, I will also investigate if there is a correlation between absorbency and temperature. Hypothesis Since the temperatures are high, it is possible that the phospholipids in the cell membrane will move faster. This will inevitably result in the membrane becoming for permeable. Therefore, I predict that, there will be a positive relationship between permeability and temperature. I also predict that there will be a positive correlation between the two variables, which means as the temperature increases the absorbency will inevitably increase. Null Hypothesis There will be no relationship between the rise in temperature and the amount of beetroot pigment leaking into the water. To give me a visual perception of my obtained results compared to that of the two other groups, I will represent the results in a form of a scatter diagram/graph. I will use the Spearman Rank Statistical test to carry out a statistical analysis of my results. This will allow me to establish a significant relationship between the two sets of data, which are the temperature and the absorbency. To work out the significant relationship I will be using the following formula: Rц¢ = 1 6 ∑D ² N = no. of pairs of measurements that I have, which is 7. n (n ² 1) Rц¢ = 1 6 x 2 n (n ² 1) Rц¢ = 1 6 x 2 7 (7 ² 1) Rц¢ = 1 12 336 Rц¢ = 0.96 I have been provided with a table, which indicates that for every n value there is a critical value. For 7 pairs of measurements the critical value is 0.79. If Rц¢ is greater than or equal to the critical value indicated in the table, than there is a significant relationship between my sets of data. Rs = 0.96 > 0.79. This indicates that there is a correlation between temperature and the absorbency. I also know that I have a positive correlation, as 0.96 is a positive value. I also need to work carry out a Spearmans rank test using my average value of absorbency, which includes my own set of results as well as the two other pooled results. Rs from my average value of absorbency is identical to the previous Rs. This clearly means that I have successfully managed to support the fact that there is a positive correlation between absorbency and temperature. Therefore, I can discard my Null Hypothesis, which states otherwise. The first graph, which is a scatter diagram of pool results, displays my results alongside with two other students. By carefully comparing the graph I have noticed that all the results indicate the same pattern of a positive correlation. However, I have noticed that one set of results had produced an anomalies result. Therefore, I intend to discuss possible limitation and problems, which may have caused this. The graph as well as the statistical analysis both indicates that my prediction was correct, and as a result of this I can discard my null hypothesis. Scientific Knowledge In the cells of a beetroot plant, substances called anthocyanin, which are common plant pigments, is contained within the plasma membrane. This substance is a glycosides that is water-soluble with some of the sugar groups removed. The red/purple color of the organism is produced from the anthocyanin, which in turn contains a positive charge distributed over the chemical ring system. A damaged beetroot cell with a broken membrane would initiate the anthocyanin bleeding out of the cell like a dye. This aspect could be used to test the conditions that affect the integrity of the cell membrane. The cell membrane in a beetroot plant is made up of a phospholipids bi-layer, which forms a fluid mosaic structure. If the temperature were increased the cell membrane would gain high kinetic energy and vibrate vigorously, causing the phospholipids bi-layer to break, which in turn would increase the size of the pores. As a result, when the temperature continues to raise the plasma membrane of the beetroot cell will rupture. This due to the fact that the phospholipids bi-layer, which forms the cell membrane, is made of proteins, and as the kinetic theory states; with increased temperature molecules in the protein will receive high energy and vibrate vigorously. For that reason, above the optimum temperature, the bonds holding the protein structure together will be broken, thus the proteins are denatured. This means at higher temperatures more of the pigment or anthocyanin would leak out, in turn increasing the rate of diffusion. As a result I have decided to find out the temperature v ariable and use the colour change, caused by the anthocyanin as the independent variable. The results, which I received, seem to support this fact, in that as the temperature increased the percentage transmission of light read by the colorimeter decreased. Evaluation of Evidence The graph produced from my results seem to illustrate the same trend as the two pooled results, which is that there is a direct proportionality between the increase in temperature and the absorbance. This indicates that my results were somewhat reliable. Throughout the experiment I used a syringe for measuring volume, which consequently would have increased precision, as this assured the measurements used were to the nearest millimetre. Moreover, I also used a stopwatch, which ensured that the time in which I allowed each set of beetroot discs to be heated in water was kept constant. I also used the same cork borer to cut out each beetroot cylinder, which indicates that all the beetroot cylinder should have been more or less identical to each other.

Analysis of The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe :: essays research papers

?The Raven? by Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe?s ?The Raven? is a dark reflection on lost love, death, and loss of hope. The poem examines the emotions of a young man who has lost his lover to death and who tries unsuccessfully to distract himself from his sadness through books. Books, however, prove to be of little help, as his night becomes a nightmare and his solitude is shattered by a single visitor, the raven. Through this poem, Poe uses symbolism, imagery and tone, as well as a variety of poetic elements to enforce his theme of sadness and death of the one he loves. Within the poem Poe divides the characters and imagery into two conflicting aspects of light and dark. Almost everything in the poem reflects one world or the other. For example, Lenore, who is repeatedly described as ?radiant? epitomizes the world of light along with the angels she has joined. Another image of light would be the lamplight the character uses to light his chamber, his refuge from the darkness of the outside. However, The Raven, as well as the dreary December night shows signs of darkness. These images of light and darkness go even further to represent life and death, the man?s hope of an afterlife with Lenore and his fear of everlasting loneliness. The poem consists of an undeniable narrative structure. Told from the third person, Poe also uses symbolism to create a strong melancholy tone. For instance, both midnight and December symbolize an end of something and the hope of something new to happen. Another example is the chamber in which the narrator is placed, this is used to show the loneliness of the man. Along with imagery and symbolism, Poe incorporates many poetic elements to express his feeling. These include assonance, alliteration, and rhyme. Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds. For example ?For the race and radiant maiden, whom the angels name Lenore.? This repeats the vowel sound of ?a?. Poe also used a lot of alliteration. For example, ?Doubting dreaming dreams no mortal level, dared to dream before?. Notice the repetition of the ?d? sound. One last element used in ?The Raven? is rhyme.

Nike Company Analysis

Nike Inc. International Strategic Marketing 8 Prepared for: 22-03-2009 Prepared by: Table of contents Case summary3 Analysis Growth strategy4 Competitor Analysis6 SWOT analysis8 Five forces model9 Nike Case Summary Nike is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. It is the world's leading supplier of athletic shoes and apparel, and a major manufacturer of sports equipment. They have a market share in the United States exceeding 40%. Nike also distributes its products outside the US. In 140 countries, Nike sells products through independent retailers , distributors etc. In the ever changing markets, Nike is facing multiple challenges to remain market leader. Foot Locker was always a great partner for Nike. Foot Locker, as the world’s largest footwear retailer, was an perfect way for Nike to distribute and introduce their new products. But Foot Locker wants to meet consumer demands. So Foot Locker said that they would reduce the more expensive Nike shoes, and focus on more midpriced shoes. This caused a break in the close relationship between Nike and Foot Locker. Nike is basically a distributor. They do not produce their products by themselves. Nike’s products are manufactured by third parties. So the main focus at Nike is on R and marketing. Innovation, and making the consumer actually want the product is key for Nike. Nike products are manufactured in Southeast Asia. The producer of Nike products are independent contractors where Nike does not own any of. The main reason why Nike products are manufactured in these countries is because of the low wages. Low cost labor significantly increases the gross margin on their products. These low wage countries had some significant downsides, thought . When the working conditions, as well as allegations of abuse and harassment became public (done by activists) Nike suffered serious bad publicity. For a company that heavily relies on marketing and PR, this is a serious problem. While Nike tried to neglect these allegations, activist continued to blame Nike. Because the focus at Nike is heavily at marketing and R, Nike always tries to create the right image for the consumer. They do this by constantly innovating (such as the Nike+ series), and attaching famous sports players to the brand. Players such as Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Wayne Rooney. The last years Nike sees that competitions is catching up and in several segments demand is decreasing. While these are all external factors that influence the company, Nike remains stable in terms of sales, gross margin and operating profit (increased to 10,2 percent in 2002, from 9,3 percent in 2001). While Nike remains to have positive numbers, the industry growth is hard to predict. While, for example, women casual tennis footwear sees an explosive growth, premium priced athletic shoes is clearly declining. Also competition is not standing still. The main competitors of Nike are New Balance, Adidas, and Reebok. New Balance is a company focused on athletic sports. They operate in the market segments of running, walking , tennis basketball etc. Along with this, New Balance expanded their target market by acquiring Dunham Bootmakers. With this they were now also on the market of outdoors such as hiking, boat shoes and sandals. Another acquisition of New Balance took place in 2001 with PF Flyers which gave them acces to the casual market. Another competitor, Adidas, is the world’s number two on footwear and apparel worldwide. Adidas is very much comparable to Nike. With high end technology, and important sponsors. The last of the very important competitors is Reebok. Reebok is the largest growing company. The company changed of strategy when they got the exclusive NFL deal and stated sponsoring the in-field gear of NBA teams. The challenge for Nike is to remain ahead of the competition, continue to be innovative and make sure their image stays on top. Analysis Nike and its subsidiaries are selling an extensive line of sports products throughout the world. Nike is competing in the market with Adidas, Reebok, New Balance and many other brands. [pic] Growth Strategy Nike operates in several market segments. Within these segments Nike is always looking for ways to grow. Nike is an international company that makes sure they can sell their products in the best possible way. That is why Nike today has several different retail possibilities such as Nike factory outlets, Nike stores and others. In April 2002 Nike acquired the Hurley International and gained access to the market segment for surfing, skateboarding and other youth lifestyle extreme sports. Nike was already selling different products under brand names such as Bauer. But still Nike’s core business was athletic running shoes. But growth in sales in 2003 was not very large. Only the women tennis casual footwear was experiencing significant growth. But this was due to the fact that the casual lifestyle segment was gaining popularity at that moment. So Nike decided to shift some of its main focus to other markets in the casual market. The casual market is the market with the most potential growth according to analysts, but weak growth in equipment (basketball , running etc). The growth in the casual market takes place in the non-performance segment. Thus Nike has to adapt to the fact that Nike can also be seen as a fashion object. Nowadays Nike is still the company with the most market share not only in the US, but also globally. And with making innovations in the consumer market, Nike was able to increase the market share. An example is the ‘Air-Jordan shoe line ’ which became extremely popular. Nike should stay focused in analyzing the changing demands of consumers in order to maintain the market share. The Air Jordan shoe line were very popular, but when Jordan retired Nike should be ready to come up with a successor. Also, the company should not be afraid to shift to other markets. The casual non-performance market is clearly growing, and in the athletic market (Nike’s core business) growth is clearly declining. Internally, Nike should keep their focus on marketing and R, which is their strength. Nike does not produce its own products. Nike clearly made some mistakes in the past by hiring independent contractors they have no influence over. [pic] Nike has clearly suffered with the image of sweatshops in Southeast Asian countries. Because Nike does not produce the products by their own factories, they heavily rely on the image consumer has of the company. R is also a heavy factor for Nike. Nike is the global leader on the market, but they have to come up with constant new ideas product development and maintaining a high level of research in the desires of the consumer, Heinz will maintain successful. Competitor Analysis The market where Nike in is operating is high competitive. The athletic footwear, apparel and equipment segments are intensely competitive all around the world. Main competitors are the German-based Adidas, New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc and REEBOK. Adidas-Salamon AG The well known ‘three stripes’ Adidas is popular all around the world. Just like Nike, is Adidas producing all kind of products, most of them related to sports. Adidas is one of the largest competitors in the industry. One of the flagships of Adidas is still the ‘old-style’ sneakers (See picture). Also Adidas is working with sport stars in their marketing campaigns, in order to increase brand awareness and revenues. In 2002, this lead to an overall market share of 11% and global sales with a revenue of almost $7 billion. REEBOK In comparison with Nike and Adidas is REEBOK also producing casual clothes. With the brands Greg Norman, Rockport and Ralph Lauren, the company is selling casual clothes. Since 2000, the company is competing again with Nike. With the return of Paul Fireman, operating activities increased and Reebok was able to compete again. The company’s marketing budget for 2003 was reported to be $40 million. A high percentage of this amount is going to the basketball world. Reebok is sponsoring a lot of teams in the NBA in order to create brand awareness. Since 2005, Reebok is part of Adidas. New Balance Athletic Shoes For many years this company was working with the same shoe outlets. The shoe outlets were successful, but New Balance wanted more. Therefore the company decided in 2000 to include independently owned retail stores. In this stores, more products could be sold. By the end of 2002, New Balance was distributing their products to over 90 independent retail stores. With this new corporate strategy, the company was able to increase sales with 25% in 2001 and 2002. SWOT Analysis Nike Strenghts Brand awareness Nike is the most well known sports brand in the world. Everyone knows the Nike logo (the ‘Swoosh’) and the brand is popular because of its premium quality, design and image. Product range The company is offering many products on the market and therefore can compete in many segments. Because of the global market, Nike can produce on economies of scale. Nike does not own any factories, but chooses the cheapest location to produce (almost always Asia). When a cheaper location is found, Nike can easily switch because it does not own the factory. Research & development Nike is famous because of the nice design, and innovative products. Because the company is producing many products, a high amount of R is invested. But this money is worth it. Nike is always able to come up with innovative designs of clothes and products. Weaknesses Production circumstances Because of negative publicity, a lot of people nowadays associate Nike with bad working conditions for the people who manufacture the products. Child labor, unhealthy factories and dangerous work, all contributed to this image what some people have from Nike. The ethical responsibilities from Nike are important in order to create brand loyalty. Opportunities Product development Coming up with innovative products can be really profitable. Or producing so called ‘high profit’ margin products like watches and sunglasses. Threats Competition The market where Nike is in operating is very competitive. Especially the shoe market, has a lot of competition. Therefore Nike should stay focused on innovation, price/value ratio, marketing and customer service. Economic situation Most of Nike’s products are higher priced then comparable products. This mainly because of the brand image. When there is a recession, consumers are more persuaded to buy cheaper, comparable products from a different producer. 5-Forces Model [pic] The power of suppliers is low. For most products, Nike is using simple raw materials. These materials are available with many suppliers. Also Nike is famous for replacing its production many times. Nike produces the products, where it is the cheapest. [pic] The power of customers is also low. Because most of the sales are B2C, the buyers cannot concentrate and have low power. Only threat is that customers, can easily switch to other (comparable) products. pic] The threat of new entrants is low to moderate. The market is high competitive and dominated by a few large players. First of all, a high amount of investment is required. It is not cheap to produce such a high quantity of shoes, like Nike is doing. Next to this, the costs for R and marketing are extremely high. Therefore we can conclude, that a possible new entrant must possess over a lot o f capital, patience and qualities. [pic] The threat of substitutes is medium. Although the ‘switching costs’ for consumers are not there, Nike is noticing high brand loyalty. This is mainly because of the brand image, quality and with the shoes, the level of comfort. But consumers are price sensitive and are seeking for high value with their sports clothes and related products. In times of economic recession, consumers are seeking for ways in order to save money. This can be, searching for alternative brands. Therefore Nike must closely the monitor the consumer market and the domestic economy. [pic] The rivalry in the industry is high. Exit barriers are quite high, therefore the same players are already for a long time competing in the market. ———————– Market Share 2008

Macbeth and Jane Eyre Essay

Macbeth by Shakespeare and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte have a similar theme. In both the novel and play, there is a contender edging somebody else on. In Macbeth, Lady Macbeth edges Macbeth on to first killing King Duncan and other people. In Jane Eyre, Jane pushes Rochester not to be scared and to let go of the safety nets and trust in others. In Macbeth, Macbeth turns from having a pure heart to a black and evil heart, while Rochester changes from having a closed heart to an open and trusting heart. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is seen as a courageous soldier who is loyal to the King but is corrupted from the witches’ prophecies and by his and Lady Macbeth’s ambition. This is because of the weakness of Macbeth’s character and the strong power of Lady Macbeth and how she is easily able to influence him. Her strength motivates him at the start but after, he realizes what he has done, but still decides to continue to go down his murderous, bloody path. At the beginning of the play Lady Macbeth appears as a kind wife of Macbeth’s but underneath lays a scheming and treacherous woman. She watered his seed and started the never-ending growth of the beanstalk from Jack and the Bean Stalk. Macbeth however was his own sunlight and let the plant just keep on growing higher with more and more thorns. The first time she waters the seed is when they first hear that King Duncan is sleeping over their house that night. Lady Macbeth asks her husband when the King would leave. Macbeth answers that the king would leave the following day. Lady Macbeth tells him otherwise however. â€Å"O, never shall sun that morrow see†¦ Your hand, your tongue: look like th’ innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t.† She tells him that she has to kill the king and nobody would expect it because he is being hospitable and letting the king stay at his house. To the King Duncan and the rest of the people, Lady Macbeth seems to be a nice sweet lady. However, she is really tricky and conniving. At First, Macbeth tries to back out last minute. He says, â€Å"We will proceed no further in this business: he hath honored me of late, and I have bought golden opinions from all sorts of people, which would be worn now in their newest gloss, not cast aside so soon.† He says that the king has only been nice to him and is a wise man and does not want to get rid of him so soon. Lady Macbeth shrewdly answers that he is a coward for not  wanting to go through with it and that he is not a man unless he does. Macbeth is convinced by her argument and decides to go through with it. Later that night while the king was fast asleep, Macbeth killed him. After the murder, Macbeth got paranoid and started to kill people left and right in order to make sure nobody would find out about the assassination he commit against King Duncan. That is an example of how Lady Macbeth stated the seed to sprout, but once it would come out of its shell, Macbeth could not put it back and instead would make it keep on growing until it would kill him. Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester are soul mates. When two people are meant for each other, they feed off of each other. In this particular case, Mr. Rochester feeds off of Jane more then the other way around. When they first meet at Thornfield, Rochester is cold and bitter while Jane is trying to be as nice and warm as she can be. When he falls off of his horse, he sprained his ankle. When she sees him fall, she runs to him and asks, â€Å"Are you injured, sir?† before even finding who he is or where he comes from. Her primary focus is to make sure that he is all right. He keeps telling her to go home but she insists on helping him. Later in the conversation, he realizes who she is but still has no idea who he is. Only later she learns who is the man she helped. That is the first time he meets someone who is nice to him without having secret intentions behind it to get a reward or just to get on his good side. From that moment on Jane and Rochester feed off each other to grow to become happy people. A few weeks after Rochester fell off his horse, somebody tried to kill Rochester by putting his room on fire during his sleep. It is suspected to be Bertha, his crazy wife. Jane sees smoke come out of Rochester’s room. She runs to his room and puts out the fire and saves his life. He feels indebted to her and invites Jane to have dinner with him. They both think the other one is not so physically attracted. After speaking during dinner however, they start to like each other’s personalities. He later throws a party where a beautiful lady by the name of Blanche Ingram attends. Rochester and her are suppose to get married but Jane gets in the way. Rochester realized that he could not marry Ingram because he realizes that he is in love with Jane. After many incidents and complications to get married, Jane runs away. While she is away, Bertha  Mason, a crazy woman who is Rochester’s first wife, burns down the house and kills herself and at the same time blinding Rochester. Jane hears Rochester screams her name about a year after she leaves. She magically hears it somehow and is able to tell that the person shouting is Rochester. She goes back to Thornfield and they marry. While he is blinded, he trusts her with his life and lets her guide him everywhere without being scared. A few months after they get married, thanks to her love for him and his love for her, he is able to see again. Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre are two great stories that share a theme. Although the outcomes are complete opposite, they both have someone affecting the other person in a positive or negative way. In Macbeth, unfortunately, the evil seed grew inside Macbeth’s body and caused him to go on a murder rampage. In Jane Eyre, fortunately, Jane is there to kill the sprout of the bad plant and implant a kind-hearted, lively, and firm maple tree.