Inventory Control Essay

Read the case study below â€Å"Harvey Industries†. Provide reasoning for the current financial distress of the company and make recommendations for improvements to the new company president. Include at least one specific recommendation for both Supply Chain Management (chapter 15) and Inventory Management (chapter 13), as well as any other recommendations you deem necessary from your reading. Provide your recommendations in a 2-4 page APA style paper. Harvey Industries Background Harvey Industries, a Wisconsin company, specializes in the assembly of high-pressure washer systems and in the sale of repair parts for these systems. The products range from small portable high-pressure washers to large industrial installations for snow removal from vehicles stored outdoors during the winter months. Typical uses for high-pressure water cleaning include: AutomobilesAirplanes Building maintenanceBarns EnginesIce cream plants Lift trucksMachinery Swimming pools Industrial customers include General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Delta Airlines, United Parcel Service, and Shell Oil Company. Although the industrial applications are a significant part of its sale, Harvey Industries is primarily an assembler of equipment for coin operated self-service car wash systems. The typical car wash is of concrete block construction with an equipment room in the center, flanked on either side by a number of bays. The cars are driven into the bays where the owner can wash and wax the car, utilizing high-pressure hot water and liquid wax. A dollar bill changer is available to provide change for the use of the equipment and the purchase of various products from dispensers. The products include towels, tire cleaner, and upholstery cleaner. In recent years Harvey Industries has been in financial difficulty. The company has lost money for three of the last four years, with the last year’s loss being $17,174 on sales of $1,238,674.  Inventory levels have been steadily increasing to their present levels of $124,324. The company employs 23 people with the management team consisting of the following key employees: president, sales manager, manufacturing manager, controller, and purchasing manager. The abbreviated organization chart reflects the reporting relationship of the key employees and the three individuals who report directly to the manufacturing manager. Current Inventory Control System The current inventory control â€Å"system† consists of orders for stock replenishment being made by the stockroom foreman, the purchasing manager, or the manufacturing manager whenever one of them notices that the inventory is low. An order for replenishment of inventory is also placed whenever someone (either a customer or an employee in the assembly area) wants an item and it is not in stock. Some inventory is needed for the assembly of the high-pressure equipment for the car wash and industrial applications. There are current and accurate bills of material for these assemblies. The material needs to support the assembly schedule are generally known well in advance of the build schedule. The majority of inventory transactions are for repair parts and for supplies used by the car washes, such as paper towels, detergent, and wax concentrate. Because of the constant and rugged use of the car wash equipment, there is a steady demand for the various repair parts. The stockroom is well organized, with parts stored in locations according to each vendor. The number of vendors is relatively limited, with each vendor generally supplying many different parts. For example, the repair parts from Allen Bradley, a manufacturer of electrical motors, are stocked in the same location. These repair parts will be used to provide service for the many electrical motors that are part of the high-pressure pump and motor assembly used by all of the car washes. Because of the heavy sales volume of repair parts, there are generally two employees working in the stockroom- a stockroom foreman who reports to the manufacturing manager and an assistant to the foreman. One of these two employees will handle customer orders. Many customers stop by and order the parts and supplies they need. Telephone orders are also received and are shipped by United Parcel Service the same day. The assembly area has some inventory stored on the shop floor. This inventory consists of low-value  items that are used every day, such as nuts, bolts, screws, and washers. These purchased items do not amount to very much dollar volume throughout the year. Unfortunately, oftentimes the assembly area is out of one of these basic items and this causes a significant amount of downtime for the assembly lines. Paperwork is kept to a minimum. A sales slip listing the part numbers and quantities sold to a customer is generally made out for each sale. If the assembly department needs items that are not stocked on the assembly floor, someone from that department will enter the stockroom and withdraw the necessary material. There is no paperwork made out for the items needed on the assembly floor. There were 973 different part numbers purchased for stock last year and those purchases amounted to $314,673. An analysis of inventory records shows that $220,684 was spent on just 179 of the part numbers. Fortunately for Harvey Industries, most of the items they purchase are stocked by either the manufacturer or by a wholesaler. When it is discovered that the company is out of stock on an item, it generally takes only two or three days to replenish the stock. Due to the company’s recent losses, its auditing firm became concerned about the company’s ability to continue in business. Recently the company sold off excess vacant land adjoining its manufacturing facility to generate cash to meet its financial obligations. New President Because of the recent death of the owner, the trust department of a Milwaukee Bank (as trustee for the estate) has taken over the company’s affairs and has appointed a new company president. The new president has identified many problem areas- one of which is improper inventory control. He has retained you as a consultant to make specific recommendations concerning a revised inventory control system. What are your recommendations and rationale? Harvey Industries is a Wisconsin company that specializes in the assembly of high-pressure washer systems and in the sale of repair parts for these systems. With the recent death of the owner, the trust department of a Milwaukee Bank, the trusty for the estate, has taken over the company’s affairs and has appointed a new company president who has identified many problem areas such as improper inventory control and has asked me as a consultant to make specific recommendations concerning a revised inventory  control system. After reviewing the company’s current inventory control I would recommend that it would be very important for them to establish good communication with the supply chain because they need to know what the demand would be for each of the parts so that they can forecast the needs so that they can plan ahead and order the necessary materials and supplies do that they do not have to wait three days for the messing parts. Currently the inventory control â€Å"system† consists of orders for stock replenishment being made by the stockroom foreman, the purchasing manager, or the manufacturing manager whenever one of them notices that the inventory is low. An order for replenishment of inventory is also placed whenever someone (either a customer or an employee in the assembly area) wants an item and it is not in stock. I would recommend changing this system, they need to establish the number of parts that would be needed in a weekly basis and replenish as the item is used so that they do not run out of the necessary parts and supplies. The company currently employs 23 people with the management team consisting of the following key employees: president, sales manager, manufacturing manager, controller, and purchasing manager. The abbreviated organization chart reflects the reporting relationship of the key employees and the three individuals who report directly to the manufacturing manager. I would recommend having different departments manufacturing, sales department for repair parts and sales department for supplies. All three departments need to be in communication with the purchasing manager that will need to be informed in order to make all the necessary purchases to maintain an appropriate inventory for all three departments. This will help save the company some money on payroll. I would also recommend that the inventory for the manufacturing department be kept in the warehouse as well as the other items that way there can be more control on the parts that go out so that they can be promptly replenish. Currently the stockroom is well organized, with parts stored in locations according to each vendor. The number of vendors is relatively limited, with each vendor generally supplying many different parts. However they could also separate the parts and supplies per department so that it would be easier to find and less man power would be needed creating a saving in payroll and payroll taxes. References Stevenson, W.J. (2011). Operations management (11th Ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill/Irwin

Midland Energy Resources, Cost of Capital

Midland Energy Resources, Cost of Capital The case is about how Janet Mortensen, senior vice president of project finance for Midland Energy Resources, prepare her annual cost of capital estimates for midland and each of its three divisions for her company. Midland was a global energy company with operations in oil and gas exploration and production (E&P), refining and marketing(R&M), and petrochemicals. Estimates of cost of capital prepared by Mortensen were used in many analyses within Midland, including asset appraisals for both capital budgeting and financial accounting, performance assessments.Since her calculations had been widely applied in various areas and became influential, she was considering appending a sort of user’s guide to the 2007 set of calculations for reference to different applications. Mortensen used WACC formula to estimate cost of capital, compute the cost of debt by adding a premium over US Treasury securities of a similar maturity, and calculate the cost of equity by using the CAPM formula. After reviewing the case and tables given, we calculated the company’s composite WACC and WACCs for each division respectively. The company’s composite WACC is 8. 19%. The inputs we used are spread to treasury of 1. 2%, debt ratio of 42. 2%, Treasury bond yields of 4. 98% at a 30-year maturity, the 2006 tax rate of 39%, beta of 1. 25, and EMRP of 5%. However, we do not think that EMRP given in the case is appropriate. Instead, we recommend 3. 3%, which is the most recent EMRP estimate according the survey results in the Exhibit 6. Midland cannot use the same WACC for all divisions. It has three different divisions with different risk or Beta, which is given in Exhibit 5. If midland uses same WACC for all division it can accept risky investment or some time it may mislead by giving up profitable investment.It should use corporate WACC only for corporate level decision. WACC for E&P and R&M is calculated by using cost of debt by adding risk free rate plus spread to TB. From the Exhibit 5, weights for debt and Equity are calculated. WACC of E&P is 8. 82 and R&F is 9. 83. Both WACC are different to each other because they have different risk level, leverage and credit rating. Calculation Part: WACC (E&P):=rd(D/V)(1-t)+re(E/V)=6. 58*0. 2847(1-0. 39)+10. 73*0. 7153=8. 8178 rd=rf+spread =4. 98+1. 6=6. 58, re=rf+B(EMRP)=4. 98+1. 15*5=10. 73 D/E=0. 398 or V-E/E=0. 398 or E/V=0. 7153D/V=1-E/V=1-0. 7153=0. 2847 WACC (R&M)=rd(D/V)(1-t)+re(E/V)=6. 78*0. 1687(1-0. 39)+10. 98*0. 8313=9. 8253 rd= rf+spread =4. 98+1. 8=6. 78re= rf+B(EMRP)=4. 98+1. 2*5=10. 98 D/E=0. 203orV-E/E=0. 203orE/V=0. 8313, D/V=1-E/V=1-0. 8313=0. 1687 For Petrochemical division, since we don’t have sufficient information of that division. We cannot compute our Beta so that we cannot get an exact number of WACC for the division. If the managers want to have a rough estimate, they can use the overall Beta as an average for three divisions and c alculate the Beta for Petrochemical division. Then they can get the WACC.

For my GCSE Geography research project I have been asked to look at the impacts of Tourism in Kenya

For my GCSE Geography research project I have been asked to look at the impacts of Tourism in Kenya. I am going to be covering background information, which includes; the physical features and tourist attractions, climate features, people of Kenya and cultural features, vegetation and wildlife. I am also going to be looking at the factors that have led to the growth of tourism in Kenya and the benefits and problems tourism has caused. Background information Kenya is a less economically developed country (LEDC) in east Africa. Kenya covers an area of 582,646 square kilometres – the United Kingdom is 244,100 square kilometres in area. Kenya has a population of around 30 million, compared with the UK's 60 million. Kenya is situated astride the equator and has a hot, tropical climate. The country is bordered by Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia and to Kenya's east is the Indian Ocean. Figure 1 shows the map of Africa and an arrow showing where Kenya is located. Physical features and tourist attractions In Kenya there are two basic areas, plains (low grassy areas) and Highlands (high, mountain areas). The plains are very active areas. The Natives go about their daily business of farming and doing chores all day. While animals like elephants and giraffes roam around freely. Some houses are built high up on poles so that the animals can't get at them. The flat coastal plain along the Indian Ocean varies in width from 15-70km, and the land then gradually rises up to the highlands. The Highlands are much more deserted. Kenya's highest mountain is named Mount Kenya. It towers over everything else in the country. The only areas left to name are the rural towns (the cities). There is really not much you can say about them, as they are most like what we live in. Buildings, roads, people wearing normal clothing, etc. That is the one odd thing about Kenya. It has both areas of traditional living (the way they've been doing it for hundreds of years) and rural living (modern things like the ones I just mentioned) One more thing about Kenya's physical features, they only have summertime. You may not think that affects the way the country looks, but think about it. Weather affects the animals, people, and buildings, pretty much everything. Kenya's tourist attractions range from safaris through game parks to beautiful beaches on the coast. Until 1969, tourism development had focused on Nairobi's hotels and on its game parks. Subsequently, coastal tourism received increasing attention, and tie-ins between game park and beach stays became more common, attracting visitors from East Africa and from overseas. Kenya's coasts offer intriguing cultural and historical surroundings including picturesque old Arab towns and the ruins of sixteenth-century Portuguese settlements. There are ideal conditions for SCUBA diving and game fishing together with 150 miles of unspoiled beaches protected from sharks by the great coral barrier reef. New cottage-style hotels draw on local architectural styles and decor and offer an international standard of luxury. Most visitors to Kenya, however, continue to come primarily to see its varied wildlife, in particular, the world's largest concentrations of elephant, giraffe, antelope, and zebra. Though hunting safaris have declined since their colonial heyday, restricted game hunting continues to draw enthusiasts. Kenya has an outstanding record among African countries in the protection and development of game parks and lodges. Climate features Kenya is divided by the equator into two almost equal parts. The region north of the equator is hot and receives comparatively little rain. The southern region falls into three zones. Kenya has a great climatic diversity that goes in parallel with the different geographic regions described elsewhere. As an Equatorial country, there is little variation in temperatures throughout the year. However, among regions there are great differences in average temperatures and rainfall. This climatologic diversity is mainly due to the winds and the altitude differences. The rainfall pattern is important because of its influence on wildlife and the road conditions. Upon the rains, many roads become flooded or muddy and are impassable. The rainy season is divided in two periods: the long rains fall between March and June, whereas the short rains take place between October and November. In general, temperatures are higher during the months corresponding to the boreal winter, i.e., January, February and March. Below is a graph showing the temperature and rainfall in Nairobi, Kenya. People of Kenya and cultural features Kenya has a very diverse population that includes most major language groups of Africa. Traditional pastoralists, rural farmers, Muslims, and urban residents of Nairobi and other cities contribute to the cosmopolitan culture. The standard of living in major cities, once relatively high compared to much of Sub-Saharan Africa, has been declining in recent years. Most city workers retain links with their rural, extended families and leave the city periodically to help work on the family farm. About 75% of the work force is engaged in agriculture, mainly as subsistence farmers. The urban sector employs 0.9 million people. The national motto of Kenya is harambee, meaning â€Å"pull together.† In that spirit, volunteers in hundreds of communities build schools, clinics, and other facilities each year and collect funds to send students abroad. The five state universities enroll about 38,000 students, representing some 25% of the Kenyan students who qualify for admission. Kenya is grouped into more than 70 ethnic groups, Some of the ethnic tribes are large e.g. the Agikuyu who form a majority of the population within their homeland in the central province and can also be seen to be in large numbers in the other districts in Kenya. The other large ethnic groups include the Luo, Luhya, Kamba and Kalenjin. There are also some groups of people who form a very small population. This includes the tribe of El Molo. Kenya's ethnic groups are divided into three linguistic groups namely; Bantu, Bukusu, Nilotes, Cushites and there are others. Many of Kenya's foremost cultural institutions are in either Nairobi or Mombassa. In Nairobi are the National Museums of Kenya, which include exhibits on natural history and geology; the Kenya National Archives; and the McMillan Memorial Library, with a special collection of Africana. In Mombassa is the Fort Jesus Museum, a history museum housed in a 16th-century Portuguese fort. The Kitale Museum features displays on scientific and historical topics. Vegetation and wildlife Vegetation in the north and northeast is sparse, primarily consisting of thorn bush. In the south area there are acacias and tree cacti of the Euphorbia genus. The giant Baobab (Adansonia digitata), of the Bombacacea family, outstands for its spectacularity, sometimes growing to 18m high and with the trunks reaching 9m in diameter. Its long and pulpy fruit is good for eating, and the bark is used for manufacturing ropes and cloth. Vegetation is more diverse and abundant only at the oasis in the north and northeast, in the river valleys and in areas such as Taà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ta Hills, with an alpine-like landscape. Given the extension of the arid regions, the biggest part of Kenya's land consists of deserts or semi-deserted steppes. Most visitors to Kenya want to experience the country's world famous wildlife. But there are many different ways to experience the Kenyan wilderness. Whether you want to drive by a pride of lions in a four wheel drive, walk through herds of plains game, watch a herd of elephants from the comfortable veranda of a safari lodge, track game on horseback or search for rare birds in a thick rainforest, the possibilities are endless. Kenya's wilderness areas are famous worldwide. The name Kenya has become synonymous with the great wilds of Africa. But they represent far more than you would ever expect, protecting and showcasing a broad range of habitats and species. They are complex ecologies that depend on the conservation of diverse natural resources and systems. The Parks, Sanctuaries and Conservation areas co-exist with and depend on the communities that surround them, and work together to protect the future. From the depths of a coral reef to alpine mountains, from one of the worlds most endangered owls to a herd of wildebeest more than a million strong, the wilderness of Kenya is a wonder to behold. Factors that have led to growth of tourism Tourists are people who travel for pleasure. The tourist industry looks after the needs of tourists and provides the things that help them get to places to help them relax and enjoy themselves. Tourism is a big industry. It is one of the worlds fastest growing industries and in the near future it is expected to employ more people worldwide than any other industry. The growth of tourism in Kenya is due to the tourists being attracted to areas of great scenic beauty or where there is abundant wildlife. Kenya is a land of contrasts, and nowhere is this more apparent than in its range of altitudes. The hills and mountains of Kenya are a world apart from the lowland valleys and plains. High altitude Kenya offers something for everyone. There are refreshing hill walks through bird rich areas or more active hikes into montane forests. Above all there is mighty Mt Kenya, whose slopes are the perfect trekking destination. Kenya is the home of the safari. The boundless wilderness and big game of this region has long attracted adventure seekers from all over the globe. No other African country can boast such an incredible range of landscapes, unique geographical features and species. Kenya offers the visitor a chance to experience a natural world unchanged by the passage of time. The Kenyan wilderness is home to an endless array of ecosystems, the staging ground for natural cycles of life, death and regeneration as old as the planet itself. This great range of natural habitats means that there is plenty to explore, and plenty of species to encounter. The Massai Mara Game Reserve is widely considered to be Africa's greatest wildlife reserve. The Mara comprises 200 sq miles of open plains, woodlands and riverine forest. Contiguous with the plains of the Serengeti, the Mara is home to a breathtaking array of life. The vast grassland plains are scattered with herds of Zebra, Giraffe, Gazelle, and Topi. The Acacia forests abound with Birdlife and Monkeys. Elephants and Buffalo wallow in the wide Musiara Swamp. The Mara and Talek rivers are brimming with Hippos and Crocodiles. Other indicators of the growth in tourism are the increase in the number of tour operators and vehicle hire enterprises. Tourism is also a major source of employment for farmers and grocers, to construction, transport and financial services and to the purveyors of curios and souvenirs. The industry is labour intensive and hence its expansion generates more job opportunities than an equivalent expansion in other sectors of the economy. Besides, allied improvements in tourism infrastructure also catalyses other economic activities. It is estimated that well over 219,000 people are currently deriving their livelihood from tourism. In some streets in Central Nairobi and Mombassa half the shops are tourist-oriented. Benefits and Problems of Tourism The development of the tourist industry can bring many benefits and problems. Tourism in many parts on Kenya is a ‘double edged shroud' meaning blight as well as blessing but in my opinion I think that there is more problems than benefits. The development in the tourist industry can improve the chances of having a good holiday for tourists. Countries like Spain, Italy and Greece were once very poor and now have much higher standards of living due to increased tourism. The poorer developing countries have also followed their lead. Kenya, for example has used money from tourism to improve their schools, hospitals, roads and factories. Some of the money has also been spent on developing the tourist industry. There would also be a demand for locally produced food and souvenirs, jobs in hotels and restaurants, new amenities that locals could use. Coffee and tea production brought in more foreign exchange and income from tourism first exceeded that from coffee. In the Massai Mara the ultimate way of travel is in a hot air balloon. Hot air balloons are another source of income but it disturbs animals and they have driven some out. The rapid increase in tourism is overcrowding parts of Kenya and the increasing population growth in the drier areas of Kenya has led to pressure exceeding the carrying capacity of the land in relation to park management, which in turn has led to lower income. The problem of increasing visitors has led to an increase in the number of vehicle entries in the park. This tourist entry is suspected to disturb wild animals and damage natural vegetation by off road driving. The noise by the vehicle may also be disturbing to some wildlife. Its negative impact might be higher in long term. Increased tourist facilities have caused the loss of habitat and naturalness of the area. Lodges and attractive places have been spoilt by garbage and sewage disposal problems. Garbage attracts carrion-eaters such as hyenas, baboons, velvet monkeys and marabou storks. These problems are of concern to the reserve's management because animals can be obvious threats to people, including tourists. Another impact of garbage is that some scavengers, such as hyenas, may change their natural feeding habits and became permanent garbage feeders. In the Coast, the local residents are Muslims. The Islamic females have to dress their whole body to avoid attracting men but as tourists go by they show parts of their body that is forbidden for Muslims. The darker side about tourism is that the local people then go into drugs n drinking and prostitution. Ladies look for boys for sex, so instead of boys going to the church, they have sex with ladies for money and this is affecting society. Tourists diving and standing on the coral kill the living organisms, as they are extremely delicate and tender. Anchors being dropped of boats constantly batter the coral and it is illegal to harm the coral. Tourists take shells and starfish that are a vital link to the ecosystem. 140 tones of shells and coral are removed out every year for selling.

Brave New World: Correlation between the Dangers of a World State Society

Written in 1931 by English author Aldous Huxley, Brave New World is a novel still highly revered in today’s literary world. The novel sets itself in London, England, in the year 632 AF (After Ford). The world is a strikingly different place in Huxley’s futuristic World State than it is today – society’s technological advancements have come nowhere near the incredible developments in fertilization and population and control that the World State has. Yet despite this, the novel is still heavily referred to, both in instances within the literary world and outside.Thought written decades ago, Brave New World does not appear outdated in any way. The revelations and realizations of the characters within the novel could very well be the realizations of any 21st century man or woman. The novel Brave New World is still relevant in today’s modern world because its themes of government control, happiness conflicting with reality, and consumerism, are all prese nt in today’s society. Government control is a very large part of the society that Aldous Huxley has created in his novel. In the World State, not many people have the ability to achieve unbiased or preconditioned thought.The book starts at the Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre, where the Director of the Hatchery is giving a number of students a tour around. He is explaining their methods of population control and fertilization, known as the Bokanovskification Process (pg. 6, Huxley). The process in which a Bokanovskified egg will divide into 96 buds that grow into full embryos is the first step in the process of conditioning. The Bokanovskified eggs are conditioned with hormones and chemicals as needed to get them into the state that the Director wants them in.Huxley hints at the objective of this conditioning when a young worker at the Hatchery, Mr. Foster, says, â€Å" â€Å"We decant our babies as socialized human beings, as Alphas or Epsilons, as future s ewage workers or future†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ He was going to say ‘future World Controllers,’ but correcting himself, said ‘future Directors of Hatcheries’ instead† (pg. 13, Huxley). This shows that government figures in the book are responsible for the achievements and successes of all the humans they hatch, because they are the ones who essentially craft their personalities and character traits.When they are conditioning the eggs by rejecting defects and enhancing positive features such as physical perfection, they inherently choose the path in life that the embryo will follow. This is much like the new ability that expecting parents have today to choose certain genetic aspects of their future child’s body. Parents have the ability to choose hair colour, eye colour, skin colour, and with our expanding technology, more child customization seems possible.Another method of government control is sleep conditioning, more formally known as hypnopaedic con ditioning. The sleeping newborns and fertilized embryos all go through a process in which workers at the Hatchery put bits of information through a loudspeaker on repeat while they sleep. This brainwashing of the fertilized eggs is similar to the programming and propaganda that many oppressive governments have tried to use on their people to prevent free thought, such as Hitler’s intense use of propaganda speeches and posters to fuel Anti-Semitic thought.Lastly, the advancements in World State technology have allowed for the drug soma to be created. Its self-induced feelings of happiness and contentment to distract from society’s flaws are in a way very similar to North America’s prescription drug addiction. Anti-depressant pills to distract from life’s hardships are used both within the novel and society today. The controlling government in Brave New World can be seen as a metaphor for modern society and the dangers that technology and too much governmen t create.Happiness and a grasp on reality are two ideals that do not coincide within the novel. John, the son of the Director and his wife Linda, is the Savage within the novel. He is an outcast amongst the members of his father’s society. John was an intelligent boy who was taught to read by his mother at an early age, demonstrated by a passage in the novel that says, â€Å"Soon he could read all the words quite well. Even the longest. But what did they mean? He asked Linda; but even when she could answer it didn’t seem to make it very clear† (pg. 130, Huxley).This is a reflection on the fact that his society is constantly trying to prevent him from learning – when John is taken back to the civilized world, he realizes that in order to be accepted into the World State and finally achieve happiness, he must give up learning and reading about the true nature of the world. He cannot make this sacrifice, which leads to his eventual suicide. This is similar t o free thinkers in the past and present that have gone against the norms of society, who have either stopped rebelling against society and decided to conform, or continue their research for truth at their own expense.Many early scientists were forced to conform to outdated forms of research due to religious or cultural beliefs within their society. Another example of how happiness and reality are incompatible is the use of the drug soma within society. The character of Lenina, a vaccination nurse at the Hatchery, is a heavy soma user. Every occasion that she finds strange or unusual is another opportunity for her friends and colleagues to encourage her use of soma, which makes her feel relaxed and without worry. An example of this is after she felt quite rejected by John after their date:Drying her eyes, Lenina walked across the roof to the lift. On her way down to the twenty seventh floor, she pulled out her soma bottle. One gram would not be enough, but two would make her late for work the next morning†¦She compromised and, into her cupped left palm, she took out three half-gram tablets. (pg. 171, Huxley) Her dependence on mind and mood altering drugs is similar to anti-depressants and their role in modern civilization. When somebody has a different mental process than the norm, they are encouraged to take medication even if their mental state is not harming anyone, thus repressing these thoughts from occurring.Lastly, Brave New World shows another representation of choosing between happiness and reality with society’s promiscuous nature. People are highly discouraged to develop feelings for a single human, and encouraged to take on multiple sexual partners. When Lenina starts to develop feelings for a man, her colleagues are quick to dissuade her from pursuing those feelings any further, all to conform to the harsh reality of the World State’s lack of personal relationships. This is an example of characters being forced to choose truth in stead of happiness.Drug dependence, persecution of creative minds, and oppression of the family are all ways that Brave New World demonstrates that happiness and truth cannot coincide. The theme of consumerism is very important to the understanding of how society works in the World State. Consumerism is a major aspect of their society because it is the driving force that allows the government to control the people of the World State without resorting to tyrannical or violent rule. During hypnopaedic conditioning sessions, the embryos will be taught that â€Å"Ending is better than mending† (pg. 23, Huxley).This is meant to show their society’s encouragement when it comes to buying new things. The quote is in reference to purchasing new clothes, and how it is favored to attempting to fix old clothes. They are taught at a young age that this is the best option, which reflects on the world’s current driven consumer society. All over the globe today, it can be seen that what truly makes a country successful is not its politics, but rather its economy. Commercials, politicians, and public messages of any kind are constantly trying to insert their message into society’s mind – purchasing new items will help society and the economy.Buying things will somehow add to personal happiness. Even fixing broken or lower class products by oneself is discouraged as there exist paid services that allow others to do the fixing instead. A second important point worth nothing in Brave New World is the attitude towards things as simple as children’s toys. When a product breaks (for example, a child’s toy), instead of the same toy being bought once more, increasingly complicated toys are created instead. This is similar to today’s consumerist society where advertisers and consumers are always searching for something â€Å"better†.Though the search for better products may improve technology, it also puts emphasis on unnec essary materialistic items. The last and most important aspect of consumerism is its religious like status. The founder of the World State, a man called Ford, is named in reference to Henry Ford, the famous automobile maker. When talking to one another, members of the World State often make a capital-T with their hands. This is a reference to Ford’s famous T-model car, as well as the Christian symbol of the cross.These gestures heavily imply that Ford, a famous capitalist, is seen as a Christ-like figure, and consumerism has replaces religious belief. The manipulation of World State Citizens into thinking that they must spend money at a constant rate, idea that something â€Å"better† must all exist, and the religious-type undertones of society all show how consumerism is a major aspect of the novel. Brave New World is a novel that directly reflects modern society through its depictions of government, truth’s incompatibility with happiness, and consumerism. Unli ke many dystopian novels that depict futuristic governments s oppressive and dictatorial beings, Brave New World is a story that does not portray the people in command as a repressive, brutish force. Just as in our society today, the community within the World State are each given choices – there are no sections of the government that require people to take soma, yet they do. There are no sections of the government that require people to partake in sexual activities, yet they do. Aldous Huxley’s depiction of the World State is relevant to ours because it is a direct reflection upon what humans today have done to society.People are given an endless amount of choices as to whether or not they want to conform, but as presented through the characters in the novel and people in the 21st century, the society that people live in will inevitably modify those choices. Brave New World is a story that masterfully shows the correlation between the dangers of a World State society and the dangers of the modern world. Works Cited Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. 1931

Leadership Development Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership Development Plan - Essay Example The students have an obligation to be faithful, being steadfastly loyal and adhering to duty and true to one's word. Development of self-control to enable the student and the community to grow using self-restraint and good judgment skills in thought, words, and action. Promotion of humility accurately develops good qualities free from pride and arrogance. The state should encourage the value of being kind and appreciative of others placing their priority first. The organization of military and leadership clubs, which provide the integration of faith, based living and military mindset training the students of good leadership skills in the military environment (Akers 61).Indiana State should encourage creation of recognized university student organizations to instill perfect leadership qualities among the college students preparing them for future leadership. The State’s education system considers students first by focusing on the individuals who promote real learning of student s every day. The devotion and hard work of teachers lead to the success of the students in treating them as professionals with the prospect of making great leaders in the future. The Indiana state government should improve the health care system to ensure that all the students are medically sound to access their education without much complication.The Medicare advancements would guarantee the physical health of many students in schools and college while increasing the number of intellectuals in the society.

Product Classifications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Product Classifications - Essay Example Organizational goods are those goods that firms purchase and use them to develop a final product. It includes office products, tools, equipment or parts that go into the final product. Raw materials and agricultural products are those goods that come directly into the earth not having gone through any human modification. Consumer goods are those goods that consumers are able to purchase and utilize them. The three main product classifications are further sub-divided into smaller categories for purposes of developing good market mixes. For instance, consumer goods are subdivided into specialty goods, shopping goods and convenience goods. According to Peter and Donnelly (2011), a marketing manager can utilize a product classification scheme as an important analytical device to assist them in planning marketing programs and strategies. As noted above, product classifications are developed basing on the assumption that such products can be marketed similarly. From the developed product classifications, a marketing manager will be able to strategize on their marketing strategies to ensure that a marketing program covers products that require the same type of promotion and marketing channels. This is to say that a product classification enables a marketing manager to device a marketing mix strategy. Goods under the same classification have similar attributes that make it possible to market them using a single marketing program or strategy. This is because such goods could either be destined for the same market or undergone the same degree of processing or transformation. These classifications are therefore important in enabling a marketing manager to place products appropriately when developing marketing strategies and marketing mixes.

History and Evolution of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corp Research Paper

History and Evolution of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corp - Research Paper Example Nevertheless, they worked so hard that they were seen to be more hardworking and determined than men and had proved to be more organized than them as well. Following is the account of how their journey began and came to an end. History and Evolution of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corp In the year 1942, around 800 females had joined the WAAC ad began their elementary training in Iowa where they were properly equipped with arms and ammunition, given uniforms to wear and were assigned proper duties to be performed during the war. For the purpose of defining their goals and objectives, a manual was established which identified what they were supposed to achieve in clear words (Permeswaran & Yashila, 2008). The manual said that they had to replace men and be with them on equal terms. In those times however, it was a very critical move because women were not encouraged to come to terms with men on an equality basis, and men felt devalued seeing females standing with them involved in a furio us physical activity like war. Moreover, women had not participated in war previously on ground level. The only females to participate in war before this were nurses. Even though there was a lot of criticism on the women for being part of WAAC, there was a necessity arising in this regard due to the number of men decreasing because of the War. There were around 150,000 women who took part in the world war. They were also believed to be better than men in terms of being more organized, well-disciplined and hardworking. Even in an appalling situation where women were not given overseas pay or any other benefits like life insurance or medical coverage, their passion was enough of an evidence to prove their worth which they successfully did even after facing difficulties of initially getting the bill passed for females to participate in the World War as part of WAAC. It had become very difficult for people to accept women in this new role because most people believed that it was not the kind of job women were supposed to do. Opposing parties questioned that if women started to serve in the army then who would be responsible for the house work and that females were not smart enough to be part of the army, they were likely to make mistakes and have the tendency to act carelessly. The day the bill was passed officially, Oveta Culp Hobby was chosen as the Director of WAAC.She proved to be a very determined and hardworking lady and had proved all assumptions about WAAC wrong. According to her, women were there in the army to assist them in winning war and their roles would not exactly switch or become different from what they are in civilian life. She just believed it would help men in achieving success. In the year 1917, it was decided that women will play a role in the British Army as for being sent to France and Haig who was the then commander in chief wrote to the war office that women will be permitted to fight in the war in France and their services will be utili zed wherever appropriate. However, the kind of work they were supposed to do at that time was much more related to household than to anything else because physical labor was not what they ought to do after all. Selection in WAAC required two references and interview