Global supply chain management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Global supply chain management - Essay Example The presence of this ingredient in the beef burgers of Tesco revealed a weak supply chain with missing standards for quality control and lack of proper accountability measures. Moreover, it was found that the supplier was the main person responsible for this major fraud and he deceived his customers. Although the fraud was committed but the customers’ trust was lost in the big brands and it impacted the reputation of Tesco to a great extent. It showed that the global supply chains are ineffective as they are unable to check the quality of the supplies and outsourcing the value chains has not been such an effective decision in the long-run for the organisations. In order to make sure that the logistics framework is collaborative and integrated, it is mandatory for Tesco to maintain a balance between the contemporary supply chain demands and sustainable elements of the logistics framework. Every organisation has to make sure that it successfully meets all the three obligations o f the sustainable supply chain structure i.e. economic, social and environmental. Since a firm exists to make profit and give customers value proposition offerings, Tesco makes sure that it meets the customers’ needs but it has to keep a strict control on the upstream and downstream activities of its value chain so that any errors are avoided. In order to make sure that the logistics framework is collaborative and integrated, it is mandatory for Tesco to maintain a balance between the contemporary supply chain demands.

THE CORRELATION BETWEEN ACADEMIC PERSISTENCE AND DEMOGRAPHICAL Dissertation

THE CORRELATION BETWEEN ACADEMIC PERSISTENCE AND DEMOGRAPHICAL OUTCOMES IN POST SECONDARY ACCELERATED ADULT EDUCATION STUDIES - Dissertation Example The presence of high attrition within these institutions that offer adult education along with the pressures of accountability are also very high (Hubble, 2000). Previous research shows that most of the adults who withdraw usually do so when they have accomplished their goals or when they want to join other programs that would suit them more. They also indicate that most of the adults who drop out of school usually return when their situations are altered creating a cycle where they drop out and return severally (Skilton-Sylvester, 2002). The process of utilizing class or lecture attendances as the major measurement of persistence actually undervalues other effective activities in learning that should otherwise be encouraged. This includes learning activities like personal studies along with distance learning (Ziegler, Bain, Bell & Brian, 2003). According to Comings (2008), persistence is the period that adults stay in education programs while engaging in personalized studies when fo rced by circumstances to withdraw from attending classes or lecture lessons. He additionally stated that the adult students should return to attending the lectures when their lives demand so. Previous surveys carried out on adult students in the United States indicate that, the adults who have previously been involved in vocational trainings, self-studies and other forms of education were more likely to have academic persistence than those who had not (Rudy, 2003). They also indicate that adult students who have specific needs are more likely to persist than adults attending these institutions but with no specific goals. The institutions proving adult education programs should provide more learning options such as distance learning to those adult students who are no longer willing to join classes or attend lectures (Hubble, 2000). Adults can be engaged in better understanding while managing the forces that advance or affect their learning activities through perspective that is learn er centered so as to effectively support their persistence (Ziegler & Durant, 2007). There are several factors that have been identified as affecting the adult students’ academic persistence. These factors have been identified as ranging from different situations, institutions, dispositions, demographic factors along with emotional or relational forces (Ziegler, Bain, Bell & Brian, 2003). The situational problems that affect an adults persistence in education include problems associated with their employments, finances, the support of their children, families, transport and health issues along with abuses from their fellow learning mates (Reder & Strawn, 2001). The institutional forces that hinder the adults from persisting in education programs include the level or contents of the program, its location and attendance or reentry guidelines that are utilized in the institution (Hubble, 2000). On the other hand, the adult students may be prevented from excelling in their chosen fields by the attitudes they have developed towards the studies, their self-efficacies, resilience’s along with failure attributions (Long, 2001). Finally, the adult student’s academic persistence may be affected by demographic and emotionally related forces. The demographic forces include age, sex and their diverse cultures whereas the emotional forces include the community support they are accorded, encouragements along with the care

Questions Regarding Balance Sheets And Assets Finance Essay

Questions Regarding Balance Sheets And Assets Finance Essay The first type of financial asset is in the form of a claim that is kept against the earnings or the money of a firm or even a household or the Government for that matter. It is also of the form of a certification, or a receipt, a legal file or one that it maintained as a database in the computer. A financial asset is now used in accordance with the technology that has developed of late. In many cases where the traditional approach is still being used, it is also of the form of currency. The relative importance of the financial assets has changed over the past five years with the use of improved technology that the world has. There are easier sources of transportation as compared to what used to be in initial times. The financial assets can be increased in diversities because their physical form is not all that important. They do not depreciate as it used to be one of the restrictions about five decades ago. Now that the amount of securities have changed over the past many years, it is sensible to include more number of financial assets. This is because there never used to be market forces like equity, debt and derivatives in the initial days. As the options of making money through financial assets have increased so much over the past five decades, there is more number of people interested in the same. The primary risk associated with different forms of securities as a representation of financial asset is different. For examples, the debts are of high risk for the company as they have to be paid at the earliest and the equity is of highest risk for the investors as they would be paid last. (Types of financial assets, 2010) Question 10. What is meant by a off- balance sheet activity? What are some of the forces responsible for them? Off-balance sheet activities are those activities that are associated with the savings of a business which are not inclusive of loans or deposits. These activities are known to generate a good level of fees but at the same time, the liabilities or the assets that they produce or generally contingent in nature and they do not appear in the balance sheets without having the distinction of an actual asset or a liability which has a value or a cost associated with it. There are many examples of the same. Some of them include interest rate swaps, commitments in loans, resources that are associated with the selling of assets etc. The forces behind the off sheet activities are as follows: Improvement in Security Increment in Globalization Advancement in technology Innovation in the field of finance Deregulation Question 11. How does one distinguish between an off- balance sheet asset and an off balance sheet activities liability? All those entities of businesses, households and even Governments that are representation of resources which would be of a future benefit are included amongst the off-balance financial assets. It indicates a positive signal even though it is not included in the balance sheet. The benefit with the off-balance asset lies in the fact that it is not included in calculating the taxes of the firm. These are some of the items that are not mentioned in the balance sheet but would certainly require a future payment to be made. There are many examples of the same. They are litigation; guarantees issued by firms for a better performance in the future, renegotiation especially that done with the Government. The above mentioned off-balance sheet assets and liabilities can be differentiated on the basis of the positive and the negative returns that they are bound to give in the future. Even though they are not mentioned in the balance sheet, an experienced personality in finance can make a distinction based on the future prospects. (Off-Balance Sheet Liability, 2010) Question 12. What are the main off balance sheet activities undertaken by commercial banks? Due to the level of risk involved in the current financial markets, major commercial banks and even non-banking institutions, foreign institutions, and also many commercial banks have now started to use a number of ways of making non-traditional earnings as a source of income. So, there are many loan commitments and others as mentioned that are being used so as to make incomes. Amongst the mentioned activities, the major ones that are now being used predominantly by the commercial banks are as follows: Interest Rate Swaps (SWAP) This is a particular type of contract that is used to swap the rate of payment of interest from fixed to variable or even vice-versa. So, whenever there is a requirement to change a fixed rate of interest stream to that including a variable rate of interest stream, this commercial activity is adopted. The risks that are associated with the swaps is measured in terms of the swap in the rate of interest to the total assets of the company. One would generally consider a negative relationship between the measurement of swap and the rate of interest. Question 14. What is the difference between economies of scale and economies of scope? Economies of scale deals with the change in the output as compared to the cost incurred. It must be acknowledged here that the economies of scale estimates the fact that the output can be more than doubled for having lesser than double cost incurred by the firm. There is also a contradiction which is mentioned as the fact that diseconomies of scale mean to double the output would require more than doubling in the cost. Hence, economy of scale is basically a function of the production as a measurement of the cost incurred in the same. As far as economies of scope is concerned, it deals with the fact that of two firms work in a joint manner, then the concerned output would be more than the sum of the output when two forms work individually. This takes into count the fact that a joint production would require only the work of a few laborers which when working in individual forms would only interfere with the jobs of the others. So, in other words the economies of scope notifies the total amount of resources for a particular joint firm is lesser than the individual firms which are only associated with spoiling the job. The terms say that it is always better to work as joint firms rather than individual firms so as to make maximum profits. The only fault that comes along is the risk that follows. So, the cost of economies of scope just involves the risk of working together. If this can be minimized, firms should work together. Question 19. How do small bank activities differ from large bank activities? Small banks are basically involved in raising funds for businesses of a smaller level. These banks are mainly concerned with the investment of the form of foreign corporate investment, trade finance, facility of transactions internationally, and also foreign real estate. As far as the larger banks are concerned, they are basically involved in raising funds for businesses and also for registration with the Government authority of that country. Equities and debts and issues and then making sales of the same in the market are all done by the larger banks. Initially, the investment banks were indulged in more or less selling of securities but now they are also concerned with mergers and acquisitions. These banks did not deal with the general public in the past but now they have been doing that ever since the point of equality developed with the development of technology. Question 20. How has the performance of the commercial banking industry changed in the last decade? The performance of commercial banks has changed drastically over the last many years. Initially, the commercial banks would simply be engaged in investment banking. But the conditions have changed drastically ever since. The reason for the same is that it also includes the functioning of underwriting, being an intermediary between investment in public and an issue of securities amongst them. They have also started to be engaged in mergers and acquisitions even with the corporate organizations, they have also started to act like brokers for the clients in other financial institutions and banks. The commercial banks have therefore started to use the change in technology much to their benefits and also of those of the clients. So, they have made it extremely easier for the general public with the introduction of the facilities as has been mentioned.

fidel castro :: essays research papers

Fidel Castro was born on August 13, 1926. He attended Catholic schools before graduating from the University of Havana with a degree in law. Castro was a member of the Ortodoxo Party, a social-democrat party, and strongly criticized the government of Fulgencio Batista. On the 26th of July in 1953, Fidel Castro launched an attack on the Moncada army barracks. It failed, and most involved were killed or captured. Fidel was captured and given a trial, which he used to make his famous speech, "History Will Absolve Me". Sentenced to 15 years, he was pardoned after just two. He then went into exile in Mexico, where he trained and assembled the 26th of July Movement. He gained support from Che Guevara and others before leaving aboard the Granma to invade Cuba in 1956. Returning to Cuba, the revolutionaries hid in the Sierra Maestra mountains, gaining support among the peasants. Eventually, Batista was forced to flee in 1959 and Castro took over. Many Cubans left when it became clear that the Revolution was a Marxist one. Economic antagonism from the United States caused Castro to nationalize all American property. The United States Government tried various schemes to assassinate Fidel Castro and continues to economically isolate Cuba. The CIA even tried to invade Cuba at the Bay of Pigs to remove Fidel Castro from power, but the Cubans successfully fought it off. As a result, Castro became closely aligned with the Soviet Union. The Soviets bought large amounts of sugar and supplied Cuba with economic and military assistance. This money fueled many of Castro's social programs, such as his war on illiteracy and free universal health care. Unfortunately, aligning Cuba with the USSR only led to more friction between Cuba and the United States.

Examine how the C.B.D (Central Business District) of Belfast changed along chosen transects

Aim: The aim of this investigation is designed to examine how the C.B.D (Central Business District) of Belfast changed along chosen transects, from one side of the city centre to the other. The study should also mark out the limits of the Belfast C.B.D. and to examine the character of the Belfast C.B.D For my investigation, I am studying these following areas; 1. High street 2. Donegal Place 3. Castle Street 4. Royal Avenue 5. Castle Lane 6. Ann Street 7. North Street 8. Bedford Street/ Dublin Road 9. Chichester Street 10. May Street 11. Howard Street Data Collection Procedure The three class groups studying Geography in Year 11 will be required to carry out measurements and observations along various stopping points on a transect, starting from the middle of the C.B.D (McDonalds) and following a road outwards towards the edge of the C.B.D. Each transect will be a distance of no more than 1 Km. Each class will be divided into three smaller groups and with a supervising teacher, will take the measurements shown in the Hypothesis below at regular intervals of 100 metres. Our class was divided into one group of 10, two groups of 9 and each of them will be given certain transects. Each class will choose a different transect and at the end, we will pool our results to get an overall impression of how the C.B.D. changes from one side to the other. Hypothesis I will be investigating the following 10 hypothesis; Hypothesis One: Belfast's CBD has one street / avenue which has the greatest land value, from which other street's land value drop. To measure this, I will be recording the addresses of the shops and I will make an inquiry to the land registry to find out the price of the land. Hypothesis Two: Pedestrian flow increases with increasing land value To measure this, I will be recording the amount of pedestrians in that transect, so I will need to count and record the numbers on a tally sheet. Also, I will use the information given by the land registrar. Hypothesis Three: Shop frontage increases with increasing land value. To measure this, I will need to measure the length of shop frontage; I will be measuring using a trundle wheel. Also, I will use the information given by the land registrar. Hypothesis Four: Building height increases with increasing land value. To measure this, I will be measuring the height of buildings along chosen transects, measuring in storeys and land use classification. Also, I will use the information given by the land registrar. Hypothesis Five: Vehicle traffic flow decreases with increasing land value. To measure this, I will be measuring the type of vehicles moving through transects both sides of the road. To measure, I will count and record the numbers on a tally sheet. Also, I will use the information given by the land registrar. Hypothesis Six: Street quality improves with increasing land value. To measure this, I will be measuring shopping and street quality by using the shopping/street survey index and measure the attractiveness for shoppers in an area of a C.B.D. Also, I will use the information given by the land registrar. Hypothesis Seven: Shop frontage decreases with increasing distance from the centre of the C.B.D* To measure this, I will need to measure the length of shop frontage; I will be measuring using a trundle wheel. Hypothesis Eight: Land value drops with increasing distance from the centre of the C.B.D* To measure this, I will be recording the addresses of the shops and I will make an inquiry to the land registry to find out the price of the land. Hypothesis Nine: Street quality deteriorates with increasing distance from the centre of the C.B.D* To measure this, I will be measuring shopping and street quality by using the shopping/street survey index and measure the attractiveness for shoppers in an area of a C.B.D. Hypothesis Ten: Vehicle traffic flow increases with increasing distance from the centre of C.B.D* To measure this, I will be measuring the type of vehicles moving through transects both sides of the road. To measure, I will count and record the numbers on a tally sheet. * Centre of C.B.D. means crossroads at Primark (Castle Street/ Donegal Place) Map of study Area For my investigation, I am studying these following areas; 1. High Street 7. North Street 2. Donegal Place 8. Bedford Street/ Dublin Road 3. Castle Street 9. Chichester Street 4. Royal Avenue 10. May Street 5. Castle Lane 11. Howard Street 6. Ann Street What is a C.B.D? The Central Business District (CBD) is at the heart of any city. It is the part of the city where most business is conducted. The Central Business District (CBD) is generally located in the centre of a town or city with all routeways leading to it, making it the most accessible place in the city. Consequently, it is the most intensively used part of the city and as a result competition for space to conduct business is great; therefore land values are high and only large businesses can locate there. That is why no houses can locate there. A History of Belfast Belfast lies in a geographical basin; it grew at the lowest convenient crossing point of the River Lagan, where the river Farset joined the main river. Rolling hills that are broken only by Belfast Lough, into which the River Lagan flows, surrounds Belfast. North of the Lough you'll see Cave Hill. Belfast is a new City. Three hundred years ago, it hardly existed, yet it has grown since, more quickly than any other city in the British Isles. In the 1500's Arthur Chichester established a Garrison site. Although not especially defensive in character, the presence of Belfast Castle indicates that there was a need for defense. It can also be described as a Wet Point Site, beside the River Lagan where there was an available water supply. It was a site rich in resources. E.g. stone and wood (needed for settlement). In prehistoric times the Lagan Valley was full of forest and swamps. There was also plenty of flat land for building and the area was also sheltered from strong northerly winds. Belfast grew at the lowest convenient crossing point of the river Lagan, where the river Farset joined the main river. A sand spit formed making fording easy. Belfast can also be described as a wet point site, beside the river Lagan where there was an available water supply it was a rich site in resources. Belfast is built on a good site because there were fertile soils, flat land and good reliable water supply. The bridging point meant that the area was passed on a regular basis making the area have good trade links- This was as well as the ports. It was near to many other big towns and cities via roads and port. In 1613, James 1st erected Belfast as a corporate borough. There was a castle and a few cabins, it was a garrison town. Belfast grew fast and in 1685, the population was 600. Belfast looked like this: This is the 17th Century Garrison Town. English and Scots were inside walls and the Irish were outside. Belfast grew to port and market with some administrative functions. Population by 1718 was 18,300. Belfast grew quite large and by the 19th Century it grew and looked like this: In 1785, Linen hall opened. 19th Century Belfast was a period of industrialisation (which meant rapid growth) Port facilities were strained and water supply was inadequate. Cotton industry created capital to improve resources In 1800, the first dock was constructed, in 1819; the first stream boat came from Liverpool. In 1823, there was gas lighting, 1830, machines spinning of linen yarn. 1836 saw the birth of Ulster Railway. From 1840's attempts were made to plan part of cities growth. 1851-population was 100,300. . Belfast Today in the 21st Century. Belfast City Centre is Northern Ireland's premier commercial, retail and administrative centre and its future well-being and prosperity are important, not only for the economy of the Belfast Urban Area, but for Northern Ireland as a whole. The C.B.D. plays a vital role as a focus for government, business, shopping, leisure, cultural and social activities, also at the hub of the transportation network. The City Centre has a significant number of assets which provide a solid foundation on which a build a new image for Belfast. The individual and beautiful setting created by the surrounding hills, the Lough and the River Lagan provides a unique context in which the other positive features of the C.B.D. can be appreciated. These include; 1. A compact shopping centre 2. A substantial office district 3. Good cultural and entertainment facilities 4. A good transportation infrastructure 5. A historic street pattern and a legacy of fine buildings and townscape 6. A significant waterfront resource

Roosevelt – The Great Depression

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a Democrat, came from a wealthy New York family and was educated at Harvard University. He entered politics in 1910 and elected Governor of New York State in 1928 after surviving a bout of polio. The Democrats choose Roosevelt as their candidate to oppose Hoover in the 1932 Presidential Election. During the campaign he said, â€Å"I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a New Deal for the American people†. He promised to use government money and power to rebuild the economy. Roosevelt won with a landslide victory. One of the main reasons for this was that the previous President, Hoover, had not controlled, or attempts to help the economic downfall of the United States. Hoover thought matters would right themselves and therefore took little action. In 1932 Hoover did eventually find some money to help a number of struggling banks and businesses, but he refused to set up federal relief programmes to aid the unemployed. As the Depression dragged on, a protest movement developed among the hungry and the unemployed. Many Americans had lost confidence in President Hoover and were looking for new leadership that arrived in the form of Roosevelt. Once elected, Roosevelt had many problems facing him and his party that the American people expected him to solve. * Most of the populace was unemployed. Over 12 million Americans did not have a job, and this figure was increasing by 12,000 every day. Families relied on charity to stay alive and breadlines were common in every city. * Over 1 million people were homeless. In 1932, 250,000 Americans stopped paying their mortgages and were evicted from their homes. Because of this, many became ‘hobos' or tramps while others moved to waste ground to build huts from scraps of wood and metal, these unhealthy camps were known as ‘Hoovervilles' after Herbert Hoover. * Total economic collapse followed – With so many people out of work the cities could not afford to buy all the food the farmers produced; and by 1932 – 1 in 2 farm owners had been evicted. * Many veterans living in poverty demanded bonuses immediately. Their annoyance at not receiving their money came to a head when, during summer 1932, veterans from all over the country went to Washington capital to protest. Many hijacked trains to get there and fought with police who tried to stop them. In June of the same year, more than 20,000 veterans had arrived in Washington and set up a Hooverville opposite the White House. Congress voted against paying the veterans their bonuses and Hoover ordered the army to evict the veterans from their Hooverville. The army thought it was necessary to bring in 4 companies of infantry, 4 troops of cavalry, a machine gun squadron and 6 tanks to disperse the veterans. In the ensuing chaos 2 veterans died and 1000 were injured. * Bank failures were another large problem. During the depression, many people with savings in the bank took the money out to stay alive. This led to new problems; small banks did not have enough money to pay their savers and went bankrupt. After a bank failed, savers with deposits in other banks rushed to take out their savings from other banks, leading to more banks going bankrupt- A total of 1616 banks in 1932. * Many people affected by the depression organised protests in hope to improve conditions. In Iowa, the farmers union organised strikes to stop food reaching markets. This aimed to create food shortage and increase food prices. Roosevelt took a tough stance towards these areas of difficulty, and in his inauguration speech he stated that â€Å"the only thing we have to fear is fear itself†. To affect change in America, Roosevelt need more power than he already had. In 1917 congress had allowed President Wilson to change laws without asking and this ‘trading with the enemy† act was still effective when Roosevelt came into power. Roosevelt realised he could use this act to speed the healing process for America's economy. Roosevelt proposed, and Congress passed, a series of measures designed to provide relief for the unemployed and promote economic recovery. Roosevelt also hoped that the New Deal would help America's problems by bringing about a number of long-term reforms. Two days after his inauguration on the 6th of March, Roosevelt ordered all banks to close for a long bank holiday while he and a cabinet worked out a way to solve the problem. Most Americans were glad to see Roosevelt dealing with the problem although some though he was becoming a dictator and leading America down the road to socialism. By 1933, the number of people unemployed was about 13 million. To get America moving again, these people had to have work and be earning money, allowing them buy products from others. Roosevelt decided that a program of temporary jobs should be put in place, as well as food distribution to the hungry and low-interest loans given to home-owners. Roosevelt's most famous actions against the depression were the Alphabet Agencies; so called because all were condensed into a set of initials for ease of use. * The Civilian Conservation Corps (C.C.C.) was set up in 1933 and was a popular Roosevelt idea. Unemployed young men were given six-month jobs in the countryside working on projects concerned with forestry, flood control and soil conservation. By doing this, they received a small wage, food, clothing, and shelter. By the end of the 1930's, two and a half million men had been in the C.C.C. * Another popular program of reform for that year was the Agricultural Adjustment Act (A.A.A.). It was designed to help farmers who were suffering from low incomes, with many being forced off their land. The government paid the farmers to grow less, which forced prices of food up. Crop prices gradually recovered, and within four years the average farm income had almost doubled. * One of the most important New Deal measures was the National Industrial Recovery Act (N.I.R.A.). This comprised of two sections; the first being the Public Works Administration (P.W.A.), which organised and provided money for the building of useful projects: schools, hospitals, roads, bridges etc. The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) was another successful New Deal agency that funded a number of projects to create employment, although these were on a smaller scale than the P.W.A. The other section on the N.I.R.A was the National Recovery Administration (N.R.A.) which recommended an eight-hour day, together with a minimum wage, to help create jobs. Employers who accepted these recommendations were allowed to display a ‘Blue Eagle' sign on their goods. Over 2 million people embraced the new standards and benefited because of it; the public was encouraged to buy only from businesses that had joined the scheme. * Roosevelt's many plans were new, and his kinds of tactics for dealing with depression was regarded as blunt by many people. His other plans however were over-shadowed when he decided to set up the Tennessee Valley Authority (T.V.A.) in order to help a poor, badly eroded region which was also prone to flooding. The T.V.A built a network of dams to control the floods and give the area a supply of cheap electricity. This attracted industry and gradually the whole region began to prosper. * Finally, in 1935, the Social Security Act provided pensions for the elderly and benefits for the unemployed, as well as providing help for dependant mothers and children and the handicapped. Roosevelt brought about partial recovery to the United States with the New Deal and ‘Pump priming' strategy. It was not until the Second World War and the demand for American goods however, that the American economy returned to its former prosperity.