United Utilities Competitor Analysis Essay Example

United Utilities Competitor Analysis Paper Competitor Analysis United Utilities is a British Utility company which owns and operates the water network mainly in the North West of England. It serves around seven million people in England and is considered to be the largest water listed company in the UK. The reason our group considers United Utilities as a major competitor to Severn Trent PLC is the competitiveness of the utility companies in the UK. Although United Utilities does not compete with Severn Trent PLC directly as Severn Trent PLC mainly serves areas around the Midlands of England and also certain regions of Wales. They remain close competitors as both companies strive to expand their market shares in their individual area where they mainly provide water. Both company also remain competitive in other non regulated services in different utility sectors such as waste water management, gas network and electricity sector. By assessing the share price movements between Severn Trent Plc and United Utilities which is shown in the plotted diagram, the movements shows the similarities of both companies throughout the study period. The first clear example would be the sudden increment of share price in between the November and December 2009 period. In this period, both companies share price increased almost at the same date and by the same amount. This is due to the released of sound set of interim financial results by both companies. Both companies recorded an increase of profit before tax which increased by 6% and 9. 8% for United Utilities and Severn Trent Plc respectively. After this period both companies did not show any significant changes in share prices and both companies share price movement remain closely similar till the starting period of February 2010 when both share a similar drop in share prices. We will write a custom essay sample on United Utilities Competitor Analysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on United Utilities Competitor Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on United Utilities Competitor Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This drop was not a result of any economic event but was due to the adverse weather occurring around UK which caused an increased in leakages and damages to both companies which in turn raises huge financial cost for the Utility industry. Other than these couple of events, both companies share price movement is almost identical. Reference Wikipedia the free Encyclopedia- Severn Trent http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Severn_Trent [Assessed 20/02/10] Wikipedia the free Encyclopedia- United Utilities http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/United_Utilities Assessed 20/02/10] United Utilities- About United Utilities-Where we operate-UK http://www. unitedutilities. com/UK. htm [Assessed 20/02/10] United Utilities- Investors Relations- Financial News- 2009 http://www. unitedutilities. com/financialnews-2009. htm [Assessed 20/02/10] Severn Trent- Investor Centre- Investor tools- Share Price Chart http://www. severn-trent. com/server. php? show=nav. 54 [Assessed 20/02/10] Severn Trent- Investor Centre- Announcements- 2009/2010 http://www. severn-trent. com/server. php? show=nav. 38 [Assessed 20/02/10]

The Crucible; Fear and Suspicion essays

The Crucible; Fear and Suspicion essays In the story of the Crucible, by Arthur Miller, he tells of Colonial times and some of the issues the colonists faced. His main focus, however, dealt with the mental and emotional flaws of the early American people. Throughout the story we see how fear and suspicion can take over a person, and cause them to act unusually and rashly. It is this concept that the author focused on when righting the play, the frailty and instability of the human mind. In the beginning of the play, we are quickly shown the issue at hand. The young girls and Tituba have been seen performing some sort of ritual. Reverend Parris catches them in the act, and immediately his mind is full of fear. Fear that if the people knew his daughter, one of the young girls, was part of this sinful act, he might be punished as well. The girls are also afraid, because if they are found out they too might face harsh punishment. It is this fear that causes Abigail to threaten Betty to stay quiet, saying I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you . . .. I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down! She is the first to show the evil effect fear can have on a person. The others began to show these signs as well, as they began there false accusations and cause even more chaos among the people. Suspicion then sets in and takes control of the citizens, which is what caused the many deaths and hangings of the Salem Witch Trails. Suspicion blocks all trust among the citizens, and they act irrationally, beginning the large amount of accusations made and deaths that occurred. The entire colony then falls into a state of chaos, everyone afraid of one another, each person suspecting the other of working for the Devil. The chaos continues, and it isnt until the end when Reverend Hale states, It is mistaken law that leads you to sacrifice. Life, woman, life is God's most precious gift...

Area of Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Area of Finance - Essay Example It encloses within itself a host of other sub entities which take care of the money markets, the investors, shareholders, bonds, capital markets, venture investments, stakeholders, financial regulations, credit ratings and debts, bullish and bearish trends, etc. Now what a financial manager could do is to understand the basics related with all these sub entities and then choose a particular area where he thinks he would be best suited to have an understanding of that very sub entity. At the same time, he must make an endeavor to learn about the other entities so that he comes to terms with the whole financial ball game and does not feel left behind whilst the comparison is raised of him with his financial fellows. In the end, it is important to state here that a person belonging to the finance fraternity must try his hand at anything which is financially related and try his best to gain an understanding of the different financial terms before proceeding any further. Finance is a vast sea of information and knowledge, which needs a lot of research and patience to have sheer understanding

Logistics and supply chain mgnt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Logistics and supply chain mgnt - Essay Example extraction of raw material to the sale of the finished product to the ultimate customer, whilst taking into account organizational, technological and human factors in a integrated supply chain. The customer most times keeps limited inventory of the products he/she uses, as many of these products are perishable and prefers to purchase them frequently as and when required. As most of their demands are due to requirement at their end, purchase decisions may be influenced by the availability of product in the racks and this were the supply chain management comes into the picture. So, the vitality of the supply chain management for the running of the organization cannot be whisked away. The potential of integrated supply chain is considerable. For example, a global study conducted by the supply chain council demonstrated the potential for cost reduction between 3 and 6 percent of turnover (supply chain council). From the earlier centuries itself, production of goods useful for the humans is an ongoing process and organizations are organized to continue the ongoing process into complete and successful process. And, for the process to be a complete and successful one, the important link in the chain of the organization, which ‘joined’ all the process, is Supply Chain Management. And there are reasons why its utility is of recent origin and why is it important to the 21st Century philosophy of Logistics. SCM (Supply Chain Management) is considered a recent concept because in 1982 only, Keith Oliver of the strategy-consulting firm, Booz Allen Hamilton, first coined it. Keith Oliver through the course of an argument with the manager named Mr. Van t’Hoff coined the word â€Å"supply chain management†. And while coauthoring an article for financial times, he introduced the term to the world. The term ‘supply chain management† (SCM) could have easily disappeared into the history of business jargon. Instead, SCM rapidly passed into the public domain — a sure

The Role of America and the Great War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Role of America and the Great War - Essay Example The additional territories would provide the nations with additional raw materials thereby contribute to their wealth. However, the scramble for colonization led to conflicts among the nations as was evident between the Germans and the Britons in East Africa and the French and the Britons in West Africa among others. The growing conflicts enhanced the growing suspicion that the European nations had about each other thereby leading to the war. Militarism was yet another significant factor that led to the outbreak of the war. Militarism referred to the desire for the various European countries to arm themselves with lethal weapons of mass destruction. The European countries led by Germany entered an arms’ race at the beginning of the 20th century. Germany increased its funding for arms, and the country experienced the greatest increase in the soldierly build up. The same was the case in Britain, France and Russia. In both Russia and Germany, the military began to enjoy the great influence of the prevailing public opinion thanks to the rise of authoritarian leaders who were eager for war. With the rapid growth of the military in numerous countries, the countries began agitating for war with the view to testing their military might a feature that led to war since the countries were aggressive and domineered towards each other. The rise of nationalism further enhanced the agitation and aggressive interaction among countries at the beginning of the 20th century thereby contributing to the breakout of the First World War. Nationalism just as the name suggests refers to a political ideology that enhances people to develop a strong attachment to their nations. As the countries militarized and developed their economies, so did patriotism and a sense of belonging developed in citizens of various European countries. The rise of nationalism led to the rise of a number of young people who were willing to join their domestic armies to fight for their countries. The culmination of nationalism that led to the war was the push by the Slavic people living in Herzegovina and Bosnia to quit Austria-Hungary and join Serbia.  Ã‚  

Objective Of Kentucky Fried Chicken Engineering Essay

Objective Of Kentucky Fried Chicken Engineering Essay Objective of the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) have two objectives are stated objective and implied objective. First objectives in the stated objective are product development. In this objective the KFC do the increase variety on menu, introduce desert menu and introduce buffet to restaurants. Second objectives from the stated objective is introduction on the Neighborhood Program with menu items target African Americans in major cities with the items of greens, macaroni and cheese, peach cobbler and red beans and rise. Besides that, menu items targeting Hispanics in major cities with the items of fried plantains, flan and tress leeches. Others objectives is implementation on non-traditional units including the shopping mall food courts, universities, hospitals, airports, stadiums, amusement parks, office building and mobile units. After that, in this objectives want to increase profitability of KFC through the reduced overhead costs, increased efficiencies, improved customer service, cleaner restaurants, faster and friendlier service and continued high quality products. Also have to resolve franchise problems in the United States. In implied objectives have four objectives. First objective is expansion of international operations to provide the increased percentage of overall sales growth and increased percentages of profit growth. Also want to increased expansion of franchises into Mexico. The next objective is expansion of franchise operation beyond Central America, continued promotion of healthier image through removal of the world fried from the name and to improve menu selection of rotisserie. Industry analysis is important to unusual for a firm in a troubled industry to perform well. The economic structure of an industry is not an accident. It is complexities are the result of long term social trends and economic forces. But its effects to the business manager are immediate because it determines the competitive rules and strategies to use. Five forces that are widely use to assess the structure of any industry. The five forces are the bargaining power of supplier, bargaining power of the buyers, threat of new entrants, threat of substitute and rivalry among competitors. The strength of the five forces determines the profit potential in an industry by influencing the price, costs and required investment of business it is the element of return on investment. Stronger forces are associated with a more challenging business environment. In the first forces is bargaining power of suppliers thats means any business requires inputs such as labor, parts, raw, materials and services. The cost of inputs can have a significant effect to companys profitability. Whether the strength of suppliers represent a weak or string force thing on the amount or bargaining can exert and ultimately on how can influence the terms and conditions of transaction in their favor. Besides thats, to reducing the bargaining power of suppliers are reduce inventory costs by providing just in time delivers, enhance the value of goods and services supplied use of information about customer needs and preferences and speed the adoption of new technologies. Second forces is bargaining power of buyers thats the power of buyers describe the effect that the customers have on the profitability of the business. The transaction between the seller and the buyer creates value for both parties. Buyers have more power when the industry has many small companies supplying the product and buyers are few and large. After that the customers have access to and are able to evaluate market information. To reducing the bargaining power of buyers are increasing their loyalty to the business through partnerships or loyalty programs, selling directly to customers, or increasing the inherent or perceived value of a product by adding features or banding. The next forces of the industry are threat of new entrants thats means the new entrants is the possibility that new firms will enter the industry. New entrants bring a desire to gain market share and often have significant resources. Analyzing the threat of new entrants involves examining the barriers to entry and the expected reactions of existing firms to new competitors. These barriers protect the companies already in business by being a hurdle to those trying to enter the market. Entry barriers are unique for each industry and situation, and a change over time. The threat of new entrants is greatest when the processes are not protected by regulations or patents and competitors may be scared away when the learning curve is steep, competitors will be attracted to an industry where the production process is easily learned. The threat of substitutes is forces of industry. Be aware that substitute products can come in many shape and size, and do not always come from traditional competitors. Products from one business can be replaced by products from another. Substitute products are those that can fulfill a similar need to the one product fills. Substitutes are a greater threat when the products does not offer any real benefit compared to other products. After that, it is easy for customers to switch. Means thats a grocer can easily switch from paper to plastic bags for its customers, but bottler may have to reconfigure its equipment and retains its workers if it switches from aluminum cans to plastic bottles. To reducing the threat of substitutes is using tactics such as staying closely in tune with customer preference and differentiating the product by branding. The last forces are rivalry among competitors. Competition is the foundation of the free enterprise system yet with small business even a little competition goes a long way. Because company in an industry is mutually dependent, actions by one company usually invite competitive retaliation. Rivalry among competitors is often the strongest of the five competitive forces, but can vary widely among industries. If the competitive force is weak, companies may be able to raise prices, provide fewer products for the price, and earn more profits. The most intense rivalries occur when one firm or a small number of firms have incentive to try and become the market leader or when the market is growing slowly or shrinking. To reducing the threat of rivals is employing a variety of tactics. To minimize price competition, distinguish the products from the competitors by innovating or improving features. WHAT IS KFC KFC Corporation founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, called a concept, of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global Restaurants Inc. The company was founded as Kentucky Fried Chicken by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1952, through the idea of KFCs fried chicken actually goes back to 1930. The company adopted the abbreviated form of its name in 1991. Starting in April 2007, the company began using its original name, Kentucky Fried Chicken, fir its signage, packaging and advertisement in the United State as part of a new corporate rebranding program, newer and remodeled restaurants will have the new logo and name while older stores will continue to use the 1980s signage. Since its inception, KFC has evolved through several different organizational changes. These changes were brought about due to the changes of ownership that followed since Colonel Sanders first sold KFC in 1964. In 1964, KFC was sold a small group of inventors that eventually took it public. Heublein, Inc, purchased KFC in 1971 and was highly involved in the day to day operations. R.J. Reynolds then acquired Heublein in 1982. R.J. took a more laid back approach and allowed business as usual at KFC. Finally, in 1986, KFC was acquired by PepsiCo, which was trying to grow is quick serve restaurant segment. PepsiCo presently runs Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC. The PepsiCo management style and corporate culture was significantly different from that of KFC. By the end of 1994, KFC was operating 4 258 restaurants in 68 foreign countries. KFC is the largest chicken restaurant and the third largest quick service chain in the world. Due to market saturation in the United States, international expansion will be critical to increased profitability and growth. The companies of KFC have more than 36 000 locations around the world. The company is ranked number 239 on the Fortune 500 list, with revenues in excess on $11 billion in 2008. Every day, more than 12 million customers are served at KFC restaurants in 109 countries and territories around the world. The companies of KFC more than 15 000 units around the world. SWOT ANALYSIS SWOT analysis is a strategic planning method used to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats involved in a project or in a business venture. It involves specifying the objective of the business venture or project and identifying the internal and external factors that are favorable and unfavorable to achieving that objective. A SWOT analysis must first with defining a desired end state or objective. A SWOT analysis may be incorporated into the strategic planning model. Strategic Planning, including SWOT and SCAN analysis, has been the subject of much research. After that, in SWOT analysis have the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The strengths are attributes of the person or company that are helpful to achieving the objectives. The weaknesses are attributes of the person or company that are harmful to achieving the objectives. After that, the opportunities means external conditions that are helpful to achieving the objectives and the last is threats means that external conditions which could do damage to the objectives. In the strength have the lack of secondary trading such as sukuk flexibility of the Syariah, Syariah Supervision, advantages of religious preposition, less use of money for speculative purpose, divine sources, Islamic rating agencies, morale and commitment to serve, huge amount of saving, innovative aspect, location wise and geographically, transparency, justice and fairness, according standards, quality of service, legal and regulatory framework and information system. After that, the weaknesses have are lack of standardization, reverse engineering of conventional product, there are differences in theory and practice, lack of Islamic gedging mechanism, no fixed obligations, unresolved fiqh issue, small percentage of profit loss sharing product, lack of qualified personnel, time or season factors, disadvantages of proposition, divergence of Shariah opinion and lack of Shariah compliant investment avenue. The opportunities have the technological advances, Islamic is a complete solution, the growth of socially responsible investing, faith based customer, large potential ahead in retail, corporate and investment banking, potential relating to sukuk, better customer relations, serving for all potential specific sectors, potential in fund management and provide innovative product. The last is threats have the global financial crisis, economic uncertainty in global market, market demand, shortage of recourses, lack of sustainable financial backing, intense competition from the conventional institutions, paucity of 100% Syariah compliant solution, liquidity and monetary management, a lot legislation is required, lack of awareness and understanding of Islamic financial product and sophisticated conventional financial system. CALCULATION KFC NAB ALL ORDINARIES DATE ADJ CLOSE RETURN ks-k bars (ks-k bars)2 1 1/6/2003 3.5 2 1/13/2003 3.6 -0.012234456 -0.011218519 0.0001258552 3 1/20/2003 3.78 -0.021189299 -0.020173361 0.0004069645 4 1/27/2003 3.62 0.018783229 0.019799167 0.0003920070 5 2/5/2003 3.52 0.012165907 0.013181845 0.0001737610 6 2/10/2003 3.46 0.007466565 0.008482502 0.0000719528 7 2/17/2003 3.12 0.044921505 0.045937442 0.0021102486 8 2/24/2003 3.5 -0.04991345 -0.048897513 0.0023909667 9 3/3/2003 3.5 0 0.001015938 0.0000010321 10 3/10/2003 3.46 0.004991946 0.006007883 0.0000360947 11 3/17/2003 3.4 0.007597182 0.008613119 0.0000741858 12 3/24/2003 3.46 -0.007597182 -0.006581244 0.0000433128 13 3/31/2003 3.42 0.005049993 0.00606593 0.0000367955 14 4/7/2003 3.46 -0.005049993 -0.004034055 0.0000162736 15 4/14/2003 3.42 0.005049993 0.00606593 0.0000367955 16 4/21/2003 3.5 -0.010041938 -0.009026001 0.0000814687 17 4/28/2003 3.5 0 0.001015938 0.0000010321 18 5/5/2003 3.5 0 0.001015938 0.0000010321 19 5/12/2003 3.48 0.0024888 0.003504738 0.0000122832 20 5/19/2003 3.48 0 0.001015938 0.0000010321 21 5/26/2003 3.48 0 0.001015938 0.0000010321 22 6/2/2003 3.5 -0.0024888 -0.001472863 0.0000021693 23 6/9/2003 3.66 -0.019413041 -0.018397103 0.0003384534 24 6/16/2003 3.66 0 0.001015938 0.0000010321 25 6/23/2003 3.6 0.007178585 0.008194522 0.0000671502 26 6/30/2003 3.56 0.004852503 0.005868441 0.0000344386 27 7/7/2003 3.8 -0.028333599 -0.027317661 0.0007462546 28 7/14/2003 3.76 0.004595752 0.005611689 0.0000314911 29 7/21/2003 3.86 -0.01139946 -0.010383522 0.0001078175 30 7/28/2003 3.94 -0.008908917 -0.007892979 0.0000622991 31 8/4/2003 4 -0.00656377 -0.005547832 0.0000307784 32 8/11/2003 3.98 0.002176919 0.003192857 0.0000101943 33 8/18/2003 4.38 -0.041591038 -0.040575101 0.0016463388 34 8/25/2003 4.48 -0.009803903 -0.008787966 0.0000772283 35 9/1/2003 4.44 0.003895044 0.004910982 0.0000241177 36 9/8/2003 4.46 -0.001951889 -0.000935951 0.0000008760 37 9/15/2003 4.2 0.026085568 0.027101506 0.0007344916 38 9/22/2003 4.28 -0.008194479 -0.007178541 0.0000515314 39 9/29/2003 4.22 0.006131318 0.007147256 0.0000510833 40 10/6/2003 4.26 -0.004097148 -0.00308121 0.0000094939 41 10/13/2003 4.46 -0.01992526 -0.018909322 0.0003575625 42 10/20/2003 4.64 -0.017183122 -0.016167184 0.0002613778 43 10/27/2003 4.84 -0.018327381 -0.017311443 0.0002996861 44 11/3/2003 4.8 0.003604124 0.004620062 0.0000213450 45 11/10/2003 4.5 0.028028724 0.029044661 0.0008435924 46 11/17/2003 4.44 0.005829544 0.006845481 0.0000468606 47 11/24/2003 4.36 0.007896481 0.008912419 0.0000794312 48 12/1/2003 4.3 0.006018034 0.007033971 0.0000494768 49 12/8/2003 4.26 0.004058856 0.005074794 0.0000257535 50 12/15/2003 4.28 -0.00203417 -0.001018232 0.0000010368 51 12/22/2003 4.26 0.00203417 0.003050108 0.0000093032 52 12/29/2003 4.24 0.002043743 0.00305968 0.0000093616 53 1/5/2004 4.3 -0.006102599 -0.005086661 0.0000258741 54 1/12/2004 4.62 -0.03117352 -0.030157582 0.0009094798 55 1/19/2004 4.66 -0.003743941 -0.002728003 0.0000074420 56 1/26/2004 4.6 0.005628085 0.006644023 0.0000441430 57 2/4/2004 4.62 -0.001884144 -0.000868206 0.0000007538 58 2/9/2004 4.38 0.023167865 0.024183803 0.0005848563 59 2/16/2004 4.36 0.001987621 0.003003559 0.0000090214 60 2/24/2004 4.48 -0.011791525 -0.010775587 0.0001161133 61 3/1/2004 4.42 0.005855745 0.006871682 0.0000472200 62 3/8/2004 4.44 -0.001960701 -0.000944763 0.0000008926 63 3/15/2004 4.3 0.013914515 0.014930452 0.0002229184 64 3/22/2004 4.3 0 0.001015938 0.0000010321 65 3/29/2004 4.3 0 0.001015938 0.0000010321 66 4/5/2004 4.5 -0.019744058 -0.01872812 0.0003507425 67 4/12/2004 4.68 -0.017033339 -0.016017402 0.0002565572 68 4/19/2004 4.6 0.007488021 0.008503959 0.0000723173 69 4/26/2004 3.78 0.085266032 0.08628197 0.0074445783 70 5/3/2004 3.74 0.004620198 0.005636135 0.0000317660 71 5/10/2004 3.72 0.002328662 0.0033446 0.0000111863 72 5/17/2004 3.56 0.019092942 0.02010888 0.0004043670 73 5/24/2004 3.74 -0.021421604 -0.020405667 0.0004163912 74 5/31/2004 3.7 0.004669878 0.005685816 0.0000323285 75 6/7/2004 3.68 0.002353905 0.003369843 0.0000113558 76 6/14/2004 3.58 0.011964792 0.01298073 0.0001684993 77 6/21/2004 3.44 0.017324584 0.018340522 0.0003363747 78 6/28/2004 3.24 0.026013432 0.02702937 0.0007305868 79 7/5/2004 3.18 0.00811789 0.009133828 0.0000834268 80 7/12/2004 3.32 -0.018710964 -0.017695026 0.0003131139 81 7/19/2004 3.3 0.002624144 0.003640082 0.0000132502 82 7/26/2004 3.2 0.013363962 0.014379899 0.0002067815 83 8/2/2004 3.22 -0.002705893 -0.001689956 0.0000028560 84 8/9/2004 3.2 0.002705893 0.003721831 0.0000138520 85 8/16/2004 3.12 0.010995384 0.012011322 0.0001442719 86 8/23/2004 3 0.017033339 0.018049277 0.0003257764 87 8/30/2004 3.14 -0.019808393 -0.018792456 0.0003531564 88 9/6/2004 3.14 0 0.001015938 0.0000010321 89 9/13/2004 3.16 -0.002757435 -0.001741497 0.0000030328 90 9/20/2004 3.34 -0.024059384 -0.023043446 0.0005310004 91 9/27/2004 3.3 0.005232527 0.006248465 0.0000390433 92 10/4/2004 3.34 -0.005232527 -0.004216589 0.0000177796 93 10/11/2004 3.42 -0.010279639 -0.009263702 0.0000858162 94 10/18/2004 3.36 0.007686829 0.008702766 0.0000757381 95 10/25/2004 3.4 -0.00513964 -0.004123702 0.0000170049 96 11/1/2004 3.48 -0.010100327 -0.009084389 0.0000825261 97 11/8/2004 3.48 0 0.001015938 0.0000010321 98 11/15/2004 3.54 -0.007424018 -0.00640808 0.0000410635 99 11/22/2004 3.5 0.004935218 0.005951155 0.0000354163 100 12/6/2004 3.5 0 0.001015938 0.0000010321 101 12/13/2004 3.44 0.007509602 0.008525539 0.0000726848 102 12/20/2004 3.5 -0.007509602 -0.006493664 0.0000421677 103 12/27/2004 3.52 -0.002474619 -0.001458681 0.0000021278 104 1/3/2005 3.58 -0.007340363 -0.006324425 0.0000399984 105 1/10/2005 3.8 -0.02590057 -0.024884632 0.0006192449 106 1/17/2005 3.9 -0.01128101 -0.010265073 0.0001053717 107 1/24/2005 3.8 0.01128101 0.012296948 0.0001512149 108 1/31/2005 3.82 -0.002279766 -0.001263829 0.0000015973 109 2/7/2005 3.8 0.002279766 0.003295704 0.0000108617 110 2/14/2005 3.8 0 0.001015938 0.0000010321 111 2/21/2005 3.84 -0.004547628 -0.00353169 0.0000124728 112 2/28/2005 3.88 -0.004500501 -0.003484564 0.0000121422 113 3/7/2005 3.86 0.002244421 0.003260359 0.0000106299 114 3/14/2005 3.82 0.004523942 0.005539879 0.0000306903 115 3/21/2005 3.8 0.002279766 0.003295704 0.0000108617 116 3/28/2005 3.8 0 0.001015938 0.0000010321 117 4/4/2005 3.74 0.006911994 0.007927932 0.0000628521 118 4/11/2005 3.7 0.004669878 0.005685816 0.0000323285 119 4/18/2005 3.74 -0.004669878 -0.00365394 0.0000133513 120 4/25/2005 3.76 -0.002316243 -0.001300305 0.0000016908 121 5/3/2005 3.68 0.009340026 0.010355964 0.0001072460 122 5/9/2005 3.7 -0.002353905 -0.001337968 0.0000017902 123 5/16/2005 3.68 0.002353905 0.003369843 0.0000113558 124 5/24/2005 3.58 0.011964792 0.01298073 0.0001684993 125 5/30/2005 3.52 0.007340363 0.008356301 0.0000698278 126 6/6/2005 3.32 0.02540458 0.026420517 0.0006980437 127 6/13/2005 3.22 0.013282212 0.01429815 0.0002044371 128 6/20/2005 3.32 -0.013282212 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Free Epic of Gilgamesh Essays: Themes of Gilgamesh :: Epic Gilgamesh essays

Themes of the Epic of Gilgamesh  Ã‚   Many themes are incorporated into the story line of Gilgamesh. These include three very important concepts: death is inevitable, immortality is unachievable, and friendship is a necessity. One of the main themes in the epic is that death is inevitable, which is shown through Enkidu's death. When Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh becomes very worried, because he realizes for the first time that everyone is going to die at some point in time. The fact that Enkidu is a close friend makes it even more visible to Gilgamesh that everyone is mortal. Then, along with this realization, comes the theme of denial. Gilgamesh does not want to accept the fact that he will die.   He denies the truth, because he does not want to think about the truth or cope with the tragedy that has struck him. "And he-he does not lift his head. 'I touched his heart, it does not beat'" (Tablet VIII, Column II, 15-16). "'Me! Will I too not die like Enkidu? Sorrow was come into my belly. I fear death; I roam over the hills. I will seize the road; quickly I will go to the house of Utnapishtim, offspring of Ubaratutu. I approach the entrance of the mountain at night. Lions I see, and I am terrified. I lift my head to pray to the mood god Sin: For...a dream I go to the gods in prayer: ...preserve me!'" (Tablet IX, Column I, 3-12). The theme of death being inevitable leads to another theme, similar to the first. This is that immortality is unachievable, shown through similar examples as the first theme. Gilgamesh realizes that immortality is not obtainable after his quest for it. He discovers that the quest was pointless, because he will die regardless of the steps to prevent his death in the future. "'Never has a mortal man done that, Gilgamesh'"   (Tablet IX, Column III, 8). "'The fate of mankind overtook him... In fear of death I roam the wilderness...Me, shall I not lie down like him, never again to move?'" (Tablet X, Column II, 3, 8, 13-14). "'From the beginning, there is no permanence'"   (Tablet X, Column VI, 32).

Culture and Culturally Competent Counselors Essay

Being Culturally Competent Letitia Batton Walden University Being Culturally Competent Counselors should have a sense of compassion and respect for people who are culturally different. As a social worker, it is easy to make diagnosis based on verbal and non-verbal presentation of our clients. Hays (2008) stated there are many factors to assess which include race, class, family structure, culture, relationships, religion, and generational/cultural influences. Based on the case study of Mrs. Hudson her externalizing behaviors may stem from an underlying anxiety disorder. It seems that her attacks are not medical in nature that is why she was referred by her primary doctor. She just recently started having these attacks and they happen out of the home and when she has to interact with others. Her assessment reveals that she is presently considered middle class, attended church prior to attacks, family oriented, and educated. Some potential concerns could be her daughter’s illness and past issues with her father that never got closure. Haitian culture relies on spiritual healing more so than Americanized tradition and this may be a big step for Mrs. Hudson (Pierce & Elisme, 2001). Counselors must be trained and competent when implementing diagnosis with culturally diverse clients. (Sue, 2008). DSM-IV provides counselors a tool to evaluate client’s cultural context (Hays, 2008). This process helps counselor’s assess their client’s background, cultural explanation of their issues, client’s environment, relationships, and overall cultural assessment to diagnosis and treatment (APA, 2002). Researchers have argued that the DSM-IV does not accurately represent all minorities (APA, 2002). It is important that counselors understand the family structure in order to provide the most accurate assessment information possible. Unfortunately, counselors are not immune to stereotypes. Beliefs in stereotypes, whether conscious or not, may lead to incorrect diagnosis and misunderstandings between the clinician and the client (Hays, 2008). These beliefs may stem from television or news reports. If believed, they may cause counselor to incorrectly interpret the diagnosis. When this happens the client may become offended and end counseling. Counselors should have knowledge of their own general views, as well as specific knowledge about diverse client’s issues (Sue, 2008). Diversity in family structure should also be taken into consideration when formulating goals and assessing treatment success or failure (APA, 2002). Counselors also attempt to understand the cultural values of each client to gain feelings of trust. Some issues with culturally competent assessments is that it is not race specific and whether existing instruments measure the correct attributes, based on different cultures (Hays, 2008). Diversity plays a role in many aspects of assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. Clarity in these three characteristics may allow counselors to better assist families from diverse backgrounds and that will bring about better treatment outcomes (APA, 2002). Counselors should have an attitude of cultural humility in knowing their limits of knowledge and skills in rendering diagnosis with certainty than reinforcing stereotypes and generalizations (Sue, 2008). While guidelines exist for conducting a culturally competent assessment, few of these guidelines provide the link between the information gathered, the initial decision making, and the development of the treatment plan (APA, 2008).

Removal of Indians essays

Removal of Indians essays In the early 1800's, the colonists in the United States were on the move, and the country was expanding westward. This left little land for the Native Americans to live on. By 1839, thirteen thousand Cherokees were driven into Indian Territory (later Oklahoma), in what became known as the Trail of Tears. There were principal arguments made for the removal of the Cherokee Indians. According to Discovering the American Past, I can see one man that delivered these principal arguments: Andrew Jackson. In this paper, I will discuss the principal arguments given by Jackson, for the removal of the Cherokee. Andrew Jackson once wrote that Cherokees have neither the intelligence, the industry, the moral habits, nor the desire of improvement... in their condition. This quote automatically led me to believe that Jackson was totally for the removal of the Indians. Jackson was the president during the time of the removal of the Cherokee. He made his first annual message to Congress on December 8, 1829. In this address, he gave some reasons for the Indian removal. According to Jackson, the whites had been trying to convert the Indians from their savage ways. Some of the Southern Indian tribes were trying to create an independent government, inside Georgia and Alabama. These states extended their laws over the Indians, which caused the latter to call upon the United States for protection. The Constitution states that no new State shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any other State, without the consent of its legislature. Jackson said that if this holds to be true, then a foreign, independent government could definitely not establish itself there. Jackson believed that in moving the Indians, it would be beneficial for them to move to the Indian Territory. He stated that each tribe would have distinct control over the portion designated for their use. They could have their own...

The Most Current Changes in GCSE English Syllabus to Keep in Mind

The Most Current Changes in GCSE English Syllabus to Keep in Mind The Most Current Changes in GCSE English Syllabus to Keep in Mind Wondering what the fuss around GCSE 2015 changes is all about? Sit comfortably and prepare to read an article as we’re going to explain all the new features for you. Why do you need to take the trouble at all? Well, if you are a student planning to pass GCSE English, pay attention because these changes will have a great effect on both exam process and grading (in case you worry about your results). 1.   New Grading System The most notable change is transfer from A-C marks to 1-9 points with 1 being the lowest, and 9 – the highest. Moreover, the Department of Education limited the number of people who can get the best card to 20% of those who receive 7 and higher. So, if you counted on the top score, you’ll have to press harder. What does it mean for you? Nobody can predict the exact results, but the teachers are worried that the students will get worse grades because of the variation (for example, you could do fine and receive a C while, right now, your â€Å"fine† will be also graded as â€Å"worse fine† (4) or â€Å"better fine† (5). 2.   Only New Texts for Reading Comprehension The easy life has ended. Now during the examination you will get only texts that you haven’t seen before because the purpose of the test is to evaluate you reading comprehension skills, not a good memory of info your teacher told you about the excerpt you previously had analysed. 3.   More and Longer Exams Enjoyed a one-time, two-hour test? Prepare to miss it as according to the new implementations there will be 2 exams, two-hour long each. But the silver lining is that you will get more time on reading and writing tasks ☠º 4.   No Counting of Speaking and Listening Speaking and listening were counted before into the overall grade. But after the changes they will be assessed separately without having any impact on the final result. Generally, students do better at speaking and listening than at other tests, thus, improving the grade. But now, in GCSE near the main score, there will be just â€Å"Pass†, â€Å"Merit† or â€Å"Distinction† (evaluation markers for speaking and listening) that won’t be taken into account. 5.   Taking Exams Only Once There won’t be any controlled assessments or courseworks during the preparation course. There will be only one evaluation session at the end that will fully rely on the exam results. Yeah, it implies that you will have to go above and beyond to do your best because you have only one chance (in an epic case scenario, in real life you can just start all over again and take another exam). See? These are major changes that have been totally worth your 5 minutes to read this article. In case you’re asking yourself why all this is happening, we have a theory that the Department of Education wants to raise the standards in order to make students more competitive on the internal as well as international job market. But we’ll see what comes out of it. Good luck!

Business report of Barclays in India Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business report of Barclays in India - Essay Example Barclays Bank became a major player in the retail banking industry in India shortly before the economic crisis wherein credit policy was loose and tempting for consumers. This study details the strategies used by Barclays Bank with the purpose of investigating whether these strategies are sustainable or whether they need further enhancement or policy decisions for improvement. Methods used for analysis are evaluation of environmental analysis of factors affecting Barclays’ operation in India. Using the PEST and Porters 5 forces of competitive analysis, study is able to view external factors that act as barriers for the operation of the bank. Likewise, the study looked at the sustainability factors that are internal to the operations of the bank and is able to infer the strengths and weakness in its operations. Result of analysis could be used as benchmark information for future plans of the bank. Introduction Barclays bank targeted the under-served population of India in its e ntry to the retail banking system of the country. Barclays believe that the â€Å"unbanked† sector is a great potential for marketing its innovative banking products. Since this is a great challenge for Barclays Bank, it is worth investigating if this strategy has been sustainable. In this report, the strategic approaches taken by Barclays Bank to enter the retail banking system of India will be analyzed and criticized. The industry life cycle and the theory of Porters five forces will be used to better understand the industry context in which the bank operates. The value chain and the competitive position of the bank will also be examined in order to arrive at a decision on whether to carry on with the operations or what needs to be developed some more. 1. Analysis of the environment 1.1. Life cycle of the banking industry in India An industry life cycle has been defined as a period of time from the introduction of an industry to its decline and stagnation. Typically, an ind ustry life cycle is described in the illustration below: The industry life cycle is depicted as a period where the industry has a beginning, followed by the growth, maturity and final phase of decline. (Financial Dictionary) Relating this to the industry life cycle of the Indian banking industry, records show that the banking industry in India is already in existence for about 200 years, but it has been subjected to various reforms. Before the nationalization of its banks took place in July 1955, banks in India were held by the private sector that was characterized by weaknesses, lack of capitalization and systemic deficiencies. Banking system at that time ignored the credit requirements of the agricultural and other needy sectors. Growth in the Indian banking system started when the government nationalized the State Bank of India, followed by nationalization of SBI subsidiaries in 1955, 14 major banks in 1969 and nationalization of 7 other banks with deposits over 500 crores in 198 0 (India, Finance & Investment Guide). The third wave of changes in India occurred in 1991 when the government allowed entry of new foreign entities to join the banking industry. 1.2 PEST Analysis Political. The bank sector of India is governed by the Reserve Bank of India. It is the sole agency that issues banking licenses, devising guidelines and regulations, specifies lending rates, reserve and liquidity ratios to commercial banks (Banks in India) The

Thoreau Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Thoreau - Essay Example mountain the value of thoughtfulness and the capacity to see, feel, and listen to every other species under the intrinsic occurrences of trouble and living. Based on this, eventually, thinking like a mountain is acknowledging the fact that nature possesses its own approach of finding a way to live and coexist with other creatures. To think like a mountain is to recognize the necessity for equilibrium in the sense that even if predation takes place in the wild, the accumulated chances of having escaped a predator cancel out with the odds of falling prey or not yielding sufficient natural resources which may lead to starvation or death. So, no matter for instance how brutish wolves could become according to the number of animal or human lives claimed from the population of the living, still the function or role of these beasts serves an indispensable contributing factor able to maintain ecological balance despite bearing potential risks at anytime. Certainly, every sincere environmentalist would be more than willing to behave in thought as such mountain does for the desired goal of conserving mother nature. Thus, an environment lover who acquires inclination to adapt to the insight of sustaining equilibrium for the advantage of the greater majority, regardless of considering which organisms may generate hazards, ascertains the core of nature and the kind of supplication that would rightfully fill in the needs thereof being perceived as a whole in a system of life whose parts complement and satisfy each other. Personally, I agree to thinking about life and nature in a similar manner. Knowing what a mountain is like, I could imagine myself in the position of a stationary witness to the flesh of evolution and each breathtaking event from which to comprehend how one form of life manages with a mode of survival or ability to communicate or interrelate with the rest of creation. Likewise, Henry David Thoreau would not in any way dispute such notion of ‘thinking like a