DQ 10 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DQ 10 - Essay Example The woman was jealously, controlling and cruel. The stepmother treated her stepdaughter in a cruel manner when compared to her own daughter. This can be seen from the paper clothing that she gave to the stepdaughter compared to the wool clothing that she gave to her own daughter when they went to harvest strawberries. In society, numerous issues and cases have been reported on the misunderstanding and attitudes between stepdaughters and stepmothers towards other members of the family. Even though the attributed is limited, it actual occurs with the society. The three dwarfs are the main male characters. The male characters read and understood the personality of the two daughters resulting in rewarding the good one while punishing the evil one. The male characters illustrate the importance of differentiating, understanding what is wrong from what is good, and proposing the appropriate strategy to acknowledged the virtues. From the story, it is evident good deeds are rewarded while the evil deeds are punished. The stepdaughter was rewarded since she had positive attributes while the stepmother was punished because she had negative attributes. Through life, the interpretation has not changed since it is a common approach that is employed in appreciating and punishing

Business Ethics Mid-Term Examination Assignment

Business Ethics Mid-Term Examination - Assignment Example The ethical philosophies of an individual are characterized by ethical principles and norms that they possess as their ethical frames for reference. Every individual faces to take moral decisions on daily basis. These decisions revolve around the questions related to correct or false. Therefore, the bases in accordance with which these decisions are produced are shown several researchers (Stead, Worrel, & Stead, 1994). Purtilo (2005) showed that the three steps in the Individual Ethical Decision-Making Process are recognizing and defining the issues that are ethical, reflecting upon and interpreting the information gathered in recognition of the issues, implementing and evaluating the decision taken. Define business ethics and explain the value of focusing on conduct rather than characteristics. Business ethics is the appliance of our perceptive of good and right to the collection of technologies, institutions, transactions, pursuits and activities. According to Rossouw et al. (2007) business ethics has been referred to those ethics that focuses on what is good and right especially in economical activities. Hence business ethics is more focused upon morally evaluating economic activities and practices. For the long term survival of any business and its profitability the ethics involved in the business are very essential to be followed. The failure of many companies is due to unethical behaviors. The companies with sound principles of business ethics are likely to benefit more and have a lesser risk of developing a bad reputation that can be harmful for the company in terms of future perspective. The board has the responsibility to actively manage the ethics performance of the company. Virtues have been defined as the main features that are valued by moral philosophers and religious thinkers. Identify and define the six high virtues presented by Peterson and Seligman. Select a virtue you believe is inherently important to the study of business ethics, identify i ts corresponding character strengths and explain why it is important. The six high virtues presented by, Peterson & Seligman (2004) are intelligence and awareness, bravery, humanity, fairness, self-control and transcendence. Wisdom and knowledge involves the cognitive strengths which engage the acquisition and use of knowledge the creativity thinking, curiosity, open-mindedness and things like love for mastering new skills etc. Courage involves the emotional strengths, the implementation of will to achieve goals, always speaking and supporting truth and being pure and genuine. Humanity relates to interpersonal strengths like kindness, doing good deeds for other, social intelligence and being aware of the feelings of others. Justice involves fairness in treating all people similarly and working well in teams. Temperance refers to the strengths that protect against excess, forgiveness, modesty, and prudence etc. Transcendence relates to appreciation of excellence and being aware of an d thankful for the good things happening. Although all the virtues are important but justice, honesty, fairness happen to be the most important of all as all the other virtues revolve around it. If a person is not capable of doing justice and being honest then none of the other virtues apply

Small And Medium Enterprises In Mauritius

Small And Medium Enterprises In Mauritius SMEs are considered as one of the driving forces of modern economies. SMEs contributions in an economy are in terms of technological upgrading, product and process innovations, employment generation or export promotion. Therefore, helping SMEs to innovate is important not only because it improves their own competitiveness, but also through linkages and knowledge spill-overs with other firms, the entire industry and macro economy. SMEs are a key vehicle for development and growth in any economy, as they constitute the majority of enterprises found even in the most industrialised countries (Masatak 1998 and Storey 1994). SMEs create employment, a source of innovation, generating export opportunities among other (Hall 1995). In Mauritius, the contribution of the small scale sector in accelerating the economic development process and the democratisation of the economy is widely recognised. SMEs in Mauritius have experienced a rapid increase, especially with the government encouraging people to set up their own business by providing them with incentives, guidance and financial aid in their projects. The Government is committed to providing the conducive environment for the sustainable development of the sector and to respond to the changing needs of enterprises in a proactive manner. Over the years a number of incentives have been introduced to foster the development of the sector. SME Definition The term SME covers a wide range of definitions and measures, varying from country to country and varying between the sources reporting SME statistics (Gilaninia, Amiri et al. 2011). Thus there is no universally accepted definition of a small and medium business. The definition of what constitutes a SME varies (Taylor and Adair 1994; Reed, 1998); it is generally based on the number of employees and financial turnover. According to SMEDA Act 2009 in Mauritius, an enterprise means any form of trade or manufacture, craft by hand or foot, cultivation of fruits, vegetables or flowers, livestock breeding, or activity approved as such by the Authority. A small enterprise is an enterprise having an annual turnover of not more than Rs 10 million while a medium enterprise is an enterprise having an annual turnover of more than Rs 10 million but not more than Rs 50 million. In Mauritius SME has been redefined, where previously the volume of investment in equipment which was one million up to Rs 10 million which was taken into account, is now classified as a small enterprises and with less than 50 and 200 employees for small and medium scale respectively. SME Evolution in Mauritius Since independence, Mauritius has practised a consistent policy to encourage the creation and promotion of SMEs. SMEs in Mauritius can trace their history back to the 1960s when Mauritius was in the wake of a timid industrialisation process with an import-substitution strategy. The country has moved away from a mono-crop economy with fast population growth and high unemployment to one that is more dynamic and diversified. The sources of diversification have been agriculture, textile, tourism and more recently international services with Offshore and Freeport activities. The sugar sector provided the start-up capital for the Export Processing Zones (EPZ). The rapid rate of growth of investment in the manufacturing sector led to the success of the EPZ and the Mauritian economy as a whole. This was made possible by the confidence of entrepreneurs and foreign investors prevailing in the country at that particular time. The government recommended the diversification of the economy with the creation of Export Processing Zones in the early 1980s. The EPZ sector took advantage of duty-free and quota free access into European Union markets as well as tariff preferences granted by countries such as North America and Japan. The mid 1980s witnessed a textile boom, raising per capita incomes and living standards. The creation of EPZ enterprises has been prominent in absorbing large numbers of unemployed persons who otherwise would never have been gainfully employed. In 1976 the Small Scale Industry Unit (SSIU) was established under the aegis of the then Ministry of Commerce and Industry. It also became the central point in the ministry to provide general advice and guidance to small entrepreneurs. The SSIU became the Small Industry Development Organisation (SIDO) in 1983 as it was increasingly being advocated that an apex organisation with a legal framework for the SSI sector and an integrated policy approach were required. The Industrial Expansion Act of 1993 was enacted in the spirit of consolidation and strengthening of the existing institutional framework and support to industrial development in the country. The Small and Medium Industries Development Organization (SMIDO) Act was adopted which was itself part of the Industrial Expansion Act was established as a parastatal body. It was the next most important landmark in the promotion of SMEs. Its vision was a strong and modern SME sector that was efficient, competitive and export-oriented. In 2005, following the merger of the Small Medium Industries Development Organisation (SMIDO) and the National Handicraft Promotion Agency (NHPA), the Small Enterprises Handicraft Development Authority (SEHDA) was created. The aim of the merger was to rationalise and optimise the use of resources dedicated to the small business sector in Mauritius. The introduction of a new act, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development (SMEDA) Act 2009 is the latest development with regards to SME policy framework in Mauritius. The SMEDA promotes the development and growth of the SMEs in Mauritius. SMEDA provides support to potential and existing small and medium enterprises with a view to enabling them to start new enterprises. Over time, the pattern of economic competition has changed. With the liberalization of trade and commerce it is clear that as the global economy continues to move towards increased integration. With the onslaught of globalisation and the accompanying dismantling of trade preferences, the challenges facing the SME sector are ever-growing and getting more and more complicated. SMEs are increasingly subject to severe competition from low-cost producing countries. However, as a result of advances in information and communications technology (ICT) and the reduction in trade barriers, some of the greatest opportunities for SMEs will derive from their ability to participate in the regional and international markets. SMEs flexibility and adaptability are key determinants to take advantage of the promises of globalisation. New technology, new products, new markets and new management concepts are constantly emerging to change industrial competitive advantage (Ling X, Li, 2000). Similarly, the World Bank (1999) suggests that enterprises in developing countries including Mauritius are facing far more competitive environments in this fast-moving technological world. Hence, the Mauritian government believes that the real engine of sustainable and equitable growth is in the SME sectors. SMEs in Mauritius have obtained the help and support of the government to facilitate the promotion of their business. Many of them export their products to countries abroad and this contributes significantly to the economic growth of the country. However, in the era of globalisation, the environment in which these SMEs operate is becoming more and more challenging, and, in turn, they need to operate efficiently within tight deadlines to be able to survive. To respond to the growing competition faced by organisations, banks have introduced the Internet Banking service to allow their customers undertake their banking transactions online, anytime and anywhere. Internet Banking enables firms in Mauritius to deal with both their local and international clients by allowing them to carry out their banking transactions even outside normal bank opening hours.

Oedipus Trilogy Analysis Essay -- essays research papers

Novel Analysis of The Oedipus Trilogy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Oedipus Rex, or Oedipus Tyrannus as it is in Latin, could be what we call today a Freudian work of literature. The Oedipus Trilogy was originally written by Sophocles and is meant to be told in a story-telling fashion. But this Grecian tragedy was revised and translated into English by Paul Roche and put into a novel form. The Oedipus Trilogy is a novel that deals with destiny and fate. The reader is shown a series of events plotted out from which Oedipus cannot escape. When we begin to read this story, we must remember that Greek society was based around myths and legends. They, much like today’s society, had the need to explain everything. Their myths were a way of explaining such things. They had a series of gods and muses and fates to explain why things happened the way it happened. They believed in a force greater than their own controlling their every move. Sophocles took their beliefs and used the Oedipus Trilogy to explore the irony of how the Fates work more closely. The Oedipus plays are separated into three main plays: Oedipus Rex (The King), Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone. The story starts in Oedipus Rex, and the city of Thebes in which he is ruler is in plague. The city calls upon the ruler Oedipus to find a way to stop the plague. At this point in time, it is 15 years after the prophecy given to him by the Oracle of Delphi of his father dying and him marrying his mother. When he hears of this he promises never to return so he may outsmart the fates. He eventually ends up in Thebes through his travels and gets into an argument with an old man. He ends up killing the old man in a brawl. Little does he know that this old man is King Laius, his father. He goes to Thebes where a Sphynx is harassing it’s people for an answer to it’s riddle. Oedipus solves the riddle and the Sphynx throws itself from its perch upon a rock outside the city. Its people make Oedipus the new King. Now he is faced with another challenge, to find the killer and banish him from the city to rid them of the plague. We are faced with an interesting plot indeed. When Oedipus pledges to find the murderers, he puts himself in the ironic position of having to hunt himself down. The story shows Oedipus following his own tracks until he finds the shepherd who gave the infant Oedipu... ... this thronging round my feet- this holding out of olive branches wreathed in woe?'; (Roche 23). By this sentence Sophocles is showing that his people are crying at his feet for an answer to their sickness. Little did Oedipus know that he had his own much larger problem on his hands. The plays of Oedipus have long been some of the most enlightening and teaching of stories. This story sparked the study of much psychological debate and theories pertaining to the love of ones mother and ones own sanity. It was used in Ancient Greece to tell of the twisted ways that Fate worked and how you can do something you may not want to out of pure ignorance. This story is a truly remarkable one for those who would read it for pleasure, and yet it is a plague of its own for many a student. And it is still used today so that we may study how an ancient culture thought. Much of Greco-Roman myths are centered on the subject of Fate. Homers epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey are two such examples. We can see that their societies were greatly concerned with Fate, as much of their writing reflects that. Every society has its own needs and concerns, and literature is always the best way to reflect them.

Mcdonald Case Study

McDonald’s: On a Customer-Focused Mission More than half a century ago, Ray Kroc, a 52-year-old salesman of milk-shake-mixing machines, set out on a mission to transform the way Americans eat. Kroc bought a chain of seven stores already existing for $2. 7 million. From the start, Kroc preached a motto of QSCV—quality, service, cleanliness, and value. These goals became mainstays in McDonald’s customer-focused mission statement.Applying these values, the company perfected the fast-food concept—delivering convenient, good-quality food at affordable prices. McDonald’s grew quickly to become the world’s largest fast-feeder. The fast-food giant’s more than 32,000 restaurants worldwide now serve 60 million customers each day, racking up system-wide sales of more than $79 billion annually. In the mid-1990s, however, McDonald’s fortunes began to turn. The company appeared to fall out of touch with both its mission and its customers.Amer icans were looking for fresher, better-tasting food and more contemporary atmospheres. They were also seeking healthier eating options. In a new age of health-conscious consumers and $3 muffin and coffee at Starbucks, McDonald’s seemed a bit out of step with the times. McDonald’s was struggling to find its identity among its competitors and changing consumer tastes. The company careened from one failed idea to another. It tried to keep pace. None of these things worked.However, McDonald’s continued opening new restaurants at a ferocious pace, as many as 2,000per year. The new stores helped sales, but customer service and cleanliness declined because the company couldn’t hire and train good workers fast enough. Meanwhile, McDonald’s increasingly became a target for animal-rights activists, environmentalists, and nutritionists, who accused the chain of contributing to the nation’s obesity epidemic with â€Å"super size† French fries and sodas as well as Happy Meals that lure kids with the reward of free toys.Although McDonald’s remained the world’s most visited fast-food chain, sales growth slumped, and its market share fell by more than 3 percent between 1997 and 2003. In 2002, the company posted its first-ever quarterly loss. In early 2003, a troubled McDonald’s announced a turnaround plan—what it now calls its â€Å"Plan to Win. † At the heart of this plan was a new mission statement that refocused the company on its customers. The company’s mission was changed from â€Å"being the world’s best quick-service restaurant† to â€Å"being our customers’ favorite place and way to eat.The new plan centered on five basics of an exceptional customer experience: people, products, place, price, and promotion. Under the Plan to Win, the goal was to get â€Å"better, not just bigger. † The company invested in improving the food, the service, the atmosph ere, and marketing at existing outlets. McDonald’s redecorated its restaurants with clean, simple, more-modern interiors and amenities such as live plants, wireless Internet access, and flat-screen TVs showing cable news.Play areas in some new restaurants now feature video games and even stationary bicycles with video screens. To make the customer experience more convenient, McDonald’s stores now open earlier to extend breakfast hours and stay open longer to serve late-night diners—more than one-third of McDonald’s restaurants are now open 24 hours a day. Moreover, MacDonald added healthier options, such as Chicken McNuggets made with white meat, a line of Snack Wraps, low-fat â€Å"milk jugs,† apple slices, Premium Salads.In 2008, when the stock market lost one-third of its value—the worst loss since the Great Depression— McDonald’s stock gained nearly 6 percent. Through 2010, as the economy and the restaurant industry as a wh ole continued to struggle, McDonald’s outperformed its competitors by a notable margin. QUESTIONS 1. What are the main environmental factors that affected MacDonald marketing strategy and way of doing business? 2. How MacDonald responded to the changing environment? (How these changes affected its marketing mix? )

NYSE:KKD, A Case Study of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. Financial Statements

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts was formed in 1933 when Vernon Carver Rudolph bought a doughnut shop in Kentucky. By 1937 the business had branched into a wholesale operation, supplying local grocery stores. Today, the business is owned by Krispy Kreme franchises and there are approximately 449 factory stores throughout the world.Krispy Kreme first floated on the NASDAQ in 2000 and, with a share price of $40.64, immediately gained a market capitalization of $500 million.   A year later they switched to the NYSE where they now trade under the ticker symbol KKD.In order to perform a financial analysis of Krispy Kreme we will utilize three main financial statements; the income statement, the statement of cash flow and the balance statement.The Income Statement, or profit and loss statement, will allow us to observe how much profit has been generated by KKD and will allow us to observe how profitable the business is.   Whereas the income statement reports the results from operating the busine ss over a given period of time, the balance sheet provides a picture of the firm’s value at a snapshot period in time by presenting details of its assets, liability and owner equity.Whilst an income statement reports a company’s profits this is not actually the same as their cash flows.   It is therefore important that we also look at this when analyzing the financial health and wellbeing of a company.   By looking at the free cash flows we are able to observe how much cash is available to the company after they have paid for their investments in operating capital and fixed assets.   The free cash will be the amount that is available to redistribute to the owners and creditors.The financial reports for Krispy Kreme between the years 2005 and 2007 can be found in Appendix A.   At first glance it is evident that a has been made over the last three years since their 2005 filing.   This could be potentially attributed to their rapid growth and extension that has necessitated large investments in property, plant, equipment and investments in equity method franchises.   The losses, however, have reduced from $7.2 million in 3rd quarter 2006 to $798 in the 3rd quarter of 2007 that could indicate an improvement.The operating income, excluding the $21.05 million in depreciation, of Krispy Kreme at the end of the 3rd quarter 2007 was $22.11. The company has reported an investment of 12.63 that their annual report (www.krisykreme.com) attributed to the sale of property and the reacquisition of some of the franchises.   In addition to this KKD retired some of their long debt leading to a net loss of $15.48 in financing activities.The statement of cash flows reveal a net credit to impairment and lease termination of $268,000 in the 3rd quarter of 2007, a huge shift from the charge of $5.4million of 3rd quarter 2006.   Clearly in the latter stages of 2006 a number of stores were closed or the franchises were terminated.   The third quarter 20 07 balance sheet shows that KKD had cash of $23 million and a debt of $88 million.In order to fully understand KKD’s position in the market we need to understand the data in relative terms, i.e. how is KKD performing in comparison to their competitors or similar companies. An analysis of KKD’s financial rations provides us with further insight into their operations and can allow us to better highlight their strengths and weaknesses.   The debt ratio indicates how much debt KKD are using to finance their assets.   KKD’s debt ratio discloses that the company has a debt level that matches their level of assets.   This is clearly bad news.Furthermore they have negative earnings per share ratio of -5.45.   This EPS ratio is significantly below the industry average of -2.75 will entail that it will be extremely difficult to attract new investors as they are unable to offer earnings on the investment, at the moment they are offering a loss.   In addition to t his, if the company financials do not pick up and they are forced to default there will be no return for the investors at all.The Return on Sales ratio is currently at .39.   This is also below the industry average.   Such a low ratio indicates that the sales are not equivalent to the company’s current operating expenses.However, on a positive note, the Current Ratio (an indication of the firm’s liquidity as measured by its liquid assets) of 1.71 shows some recovery and demonstrated that KKD have the resources to meet short-term obligations.One potential source of this could be cash generated by financing activities that can help to offset the unrewarded investments in finance acquisitions.   However, this is a short-term option and will not significantly offset investors concerns.KKD currently has a quick inventory turnover and averages 20 days.   This indicates that the company is managing their inventory well and is running an efficient operation with minima l waste.   In addition to this the turnover in receivable is 8 – 11 days which is much lower than one of their major competitors; Starbucks.   Their accounts payable turnover is also high relative to Satrbucks but this is probably a direct outcome of their franchise model.KKD as an investment has received a great deal of negative publicity recently and this will undoubtedly have impacted their share price.   Accusations relating to their accounting practices and the potential over inflation of profit levels will undoubtedly have lowered investor’s confidence in the company and has also triggered a number of lawsuits.Through analyzing their current financial status and taking into consideration their ongoing issues with the SEC, I would not invest in this company.Reference PageKrispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc KKD (NYSE) Full Description. Retrieved April 3, 2008, from Reuters FundamentalsWeb site: http://stocks.us.reuters.com/stocks/fullDescription.asp?symbol=KKDKrispy K reme History. Retrieved April 3, 2008, from Krispy KremeWeb site: http://www.krispykreme.com/history.htmlKrispy Kreme Quarterly Financial Report. (2007). Retrieved March 3, 2008, from Krispy KremeWeb site: http://www.krispykreme.com/investorrelations.html   

Free Essays on Guerilla Marketing

Guerilla Marketing According to Jay Conrad Levinson, writer of Guerrilla Marketing for The 21st Century, â€Å"Guerrilla marketing is needed because it gives small businesses a delightfully unfair advantage: certainty in an uncertain world, economy in a high-priced world, and simplicity in a complicated world, marketing awareness in a clueless world† Therefore, a small business must be concerned with all the factors of Guerilla Marketing. Our service is a day care center at Ave Maria College. We must consider all the ten P’s in Guerilla Marketing in order to achieve success. Guerilla Marketing is defined as unconventional marketing intended to maximize results form minimal resources. Thus, a small business must use original, and unusual marketing sequentially to attract their customers. First of all we must conduct a survey in order to segment our target market. Better yet, to find out if there is a demand for a day care center at Ave Maria. We must seek an opportunity in an untouched market, in order to attack potential customers. Next, we have to find out if there is a need for a day care center at Ave Maria College, in order to segment our market. Who are our potential customers? Single parents? Students or faculty with younger brothers or sisters? People who have no one to take care of their children while they’re at work? By carrying out a survey we then must divide the market, and then create a plan for the introduction of the day care center. In the plan we must consider the positioning of the product in the customers minds. We must find a niche in the market where we can enter, and create a need for the day care center. We must teach our customers that they day care center will make their lives easier, and it will be a solution rather than a problem. The price of our service has to include discounts; such as if a person is inscribing more than two kids in the day care center, they may get a lower price... Free Essays on Guerilla Marketing Free Essays on Guerilla Marketing Guerilla Marketing According to Jay Conrad Levinson, writer of Guerrilla Marketing for The 21st Century, â€Å"Guerrilla marketing is needed because it gives small businesses a delightfully unfair advantage: certainty in an uncertain world, economy in a high-priced world, and simplicity in a complicated world, marketing awareness in a clueless world† Therefore, a small business must be concerned with all the factors of Guerilla Marketing. Our service is a day care center at Ave Maria College. We must consider all the ten P’s in Guerilla Marketing in order to achieve success. Guerilla Marketing is defined as unconventional marketing intended to maximize results form minimal resources. Thus, a small business must use original, and unusual marketing sequentially to attract their customers. First of all we must conduct a survey in order to segment our target market. Better yet, to find out if there is a demand for a day care center at Ave Maria. We must seek an opportunity in an untouched market, in order to attack potential customers. Next, we have to find out if there is a need for a day care center at Ave Maria College, in order to segment our market. Who are our potential customers? Single parents? Students or faculty with younger brothers or sisters? People who have no one to take care of their children while they’re at work? By carrying out a survey we then must divide the market, and then create a plan for the introduction of the day care center. In the plan we must consider the positioning of the product in the customers minds. We must find a niche in the market where we can enter, and create a need for the day care center. We must teach our customers that they day care center will make their lives easier, and it will be a solution rather than a problem. The price of our service has to include discounts; such as if a person is inscribing more than two kids in the day care center, they may get a lower price...