Michael Jordan Research Essay

If you are a true fan ever and you’re assigned with the task to create a solid research essay on the person you admire, Michael Jordan will be the perfect individual to perform a research on. The research essay includes all the basic sections that any other essay is supposed to have. An introduction, the body and the paragraph with your conclusions should be provided within the essay. College and university students face research essay writing tasks very often, so it will be of no surprise to you when we say that the best way to start your essay is to provide a particular hooking fact about the topic. As for Michael Jordan, it is recommended to start the essay with an interesting fact from the basketball player’s life. Why not mention that Michael Jordan was once mentioned in the film â€Å"Like Mike†? The plot of the movie is based on the life of a boy who gets a pair of old basketball shoes that belonged to Michael, and of course (as it usually happens in the Hollywood masterpieces) in some magical   way the boy starts playing the game just the way Jordan does! When writing the body of the essay, it is recommended to focus on some unknown details taken from the Michael Jordan’s life. Make sure to tell your reader how such a fearless and talented man had to struggle with his own fears from his early childhood years. The point is that one of the things Michael Jordan has taken from the past is his fear of water. As a little kid, Michael had his close friend drown and die right in Jordan’s presence, and, what is more, the famous sportsman almost drowned himself when he was eleven years old, at a baseball camp. As a result, nowadays Michael Jordan remembers all his childhood experiences and is not too keen on swimming. Depending on the topic you will choose for the essay, provide interesting facts about the early years of Jordan’s career, his family and hobbies. Talking about the favorite leisure the basketball player gives prefers, the author of the essay should mention that MJ is a great mellow music and jazz fan. He used to spend his free hours listening to his favorite Anita Baker, Rachelle Ferrell, and Erykah Badu. Conduct a little research on how Michael took the path of a talented sportsman. Create a list of the points that, in your opinion, were essential for Jordan’s success.

The Problems With Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Essay

Although most senators, representatives and school officials support common core state standards (CCSS), they have not received or researched the history of how CCSS introduced itself. Furthermore, they do not understand that local control is being taken away, which results in the eventual destruction of excellent, local schools, students, and future generations. Two private trade organizations located in Washington, D.C, wrote the CCSS at the request of Achieve, a company created by Bill and Melinda Gates. Thus, CCSS did not arise from the state level but of an interested organization associated with education. Most Americans do not want their local school district sharing their kids’ personal, identifiable data with the federal†¦show more content†¦This amendment pushed Ohio into the wrong direction especially in regards to protecting a student’s privacy. Although Ohio’s governor, Ted Strickland, signed and agreed to adopt a set of national standards in June 2009 to obtain 400 million dollars in Race To The Top (RTTT) money, he had not read or reviewed these standards as the completed CCSS were not published until July 2009. The Standards simply passed through the Ohio Congress without knowing the dangers. According to the article â€Å"Myths versus Facts† written by an anti-CCSS group called Truth in American Education, most states implemented Common Core to â€Å" be eligible to compete [in] the federal Race to Top Funding.† At the request of Achieve Inc., the National Governor’s Association (NGA) and the Chief Counsel of State School Officers (CCSSO) wrote national standards called CCSS. David Coleman, the new president of the State College Boards, admits that he had to sell these national standards to the governors. Although Coleman does not have any background in education, he received instruction to rewrite the SAT and ACT to align these national tests to the Common Core State Standards. The question remains as to whether CCSS began as a state-led initiative or were established unconstitutionally? Did the 200 million dollars that Ohio received upon signing and the promise of an additional 200 million dollar at the full implementation of Common Core influence theShow MoreRelatedAmerican Federation Of Teacher s President s Randi Weingarten969 Words   |  4 PagesThe article started by mentioning that the common core have come under severe criticism by early childhood education experts. Those experts say that the common cores are not developmentally appropriate for students; and so as the American federation of teacher’s president’s Randi Weingarten, which also called for revamping of these early education standards. Weingarten called the early childhood expert Nancy Carlsson for the Defending the Early Years. Defending the Early Years, a non-prof it projectRead MoreSpecial Needs Students Are Struggling With The Common Core Writing Standards1631 Words   |  7 PagesSpecial Needs Students are Struggling with the Common Core Writing Standards â€Å"The Kentucky Department of Education argues that the Common Core standards ensure students have the ‘opportunity to learn the skills that are deemed most important and relevant to the world today,’† (Burks, et al., 2015). Every child deserves to have a quality education, no matter their circumstances. Whether it is their mental health, where they live, or economic background, every student should have the opportunityRead MoreThe Common Core State Standards896 Words   |  4 Pages CCSS Differentiated Classrooms Blog Kishore Boone EDU673: Instrucional Strategies For Differentiated Teaching Learning Instructor: Sara Mattson Date: August, 25, 2014 The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are a set of academic standards created to establish clear and defined objectives for elementary and secondary students across the United States. These guidelines consist of what every student from kindergarten to the 12th grade should know and be able to master inRead MoreCommon Core Stat Standards ( Ccss )1564 Words   |  7 PagesAn Introduction of the Topic Common Core Stat Standards (CCSS) is an interesting topic of discussion and debate because it is such a charged topic. CCSS are a set of standards that are set equally amongst all states, as opposed to states creating their own standards, with significant monetary benefits for states that accept and exceed standards set by CCSS. This topic in particular is interesting because of how politically charged it is. Some individuals think of it as a big-government takeover ofRead MoreEssay on Common Core State Standards and Its Impact on Curriculum 1641 Words   |  7 PagesCommon Core State Standards and Its Impact on Curriculum Introduction Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is a voluntary state led initiative that looks to establish clear expectations for learning in grades kindergarten through twelfth that are standard from state to state. The purpose of the standards is to make certain that there is uniformity in student proficiency and high school graduates have the know-how and ability needed for college and a competitive workforce in the twenty-first centuryRead MoreThe Common Core State Standards Essay1433 Words   |  6 Pageslife? The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) not only standardizes education, but it makes comprehension and intricate tool of the learning process. When it comes to American public education, the diagnosis has been offered that our schools suffer from a lack of consistent standards from coast to coast about what our kids should leave school knowing. The fix that has been adopted in a number of states in the last few years is a set of standards called the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) , which haveRead MoreThe Common Core : A Disaster For American Education1006 Words   |  5 PagesThe Common Core â€Å"The Common Core: A Disaster for Libraries, A Disaster for Language Arts, A Disaster for American Education,† was written by Stephen Krashen and taken from Knowledge Quest January/February 2014 issue. Stephen Krashen is professor emeritus, University of Southern California. Krashen points out that the Common Core State Standards, or CCSS, is not relevant for students. He states there are other issues that should be addressed, such as food insecurity or lack of healthRead MoreA Brief Note On Common Core State Standards1277 Words   |  6 PagesHonors English 9 30 October 2014 Not Quite a Bullseye Common Core State Standards are no stranger to American households. It has caused both great worry, confusion, and stress to parents and teachers alike. Not to mention all the pressure it puts on students—the ones whose future depends on it. Created by major international corporations in America, Common Core State Standards (Engel) are anything but individualized to each state. These standards were designed, in part, to circumvent federal restrictionsRead MoreThe Common Core : A Disaster For American Education1020 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The Common Core: A Disaster for Libraries, A Disaster for Language Arts, A Disaster for American Education,† was written by Stephen Krashen and taken from Knowledge Quest January/February 2014 issue. Stephen Krashen is professor emeritus, University of Southern California. Krashen points out that the Common Core State Standards, or CCSS, is not relevant for students. He states there are other issues that should be addressed, such a s food insecurity or lack of health care, before we put more financesRead MoreThe Importance Of The No Child Left Behind Act719 Words   |  3 PagesCCSS became active in 2009 to improve the No Child Left Behind Act: A law signed by President George W. Bush in 2001 to provide federal money to less privileged schools. Money given was for extra educational assistance to improve academic test scores to reach proficiency or above. â€Å"The goal of the law is that all students will score at the proficient level in reading and math by 2014† (Fairtest, 2008). It was mandatory to take a standardized test for the school to report the percentages of proficiency

Gender in West Africa Free Essays

In the West African community, the concept of power among women lies within the vibrant differences between the roles of each gender. Women were and still are the foundation of the African community as they exercise the power to protect life and educate children. Despite this prominent position, they are not in any way seen as equal to men. We will write a custom essay sample on Gender in West Africa or any similar topic only for you Order Now This conventional perception changed temporarily, or perhaps was slightly regarded differently, when in 19th Century, Behanzin, one of the most renowned kings of Dahomey, a country now known as Benin, used his army of women to fight the French army because of the invasion of the French settlers in the Dahomey territory, which brought resistance. These women, called â€Å"Amazons,† fought with exceptional courage and were often considered invincible by their opponents. With the use of Amazons in the kingdom of Benin, a significant alteration in the gender roles occurred in the African community. This alteration, giving female soldier’s roles almost exclusively reserved for males, reflects what Butler and Kimmel discuss in their books—gender as social construct and performativity. It could be conceded that gender lines were crossed with this new position of women, but a closer look at the situation will prove the opposite to be. At first glance the physical and mental transformations of Amazons into men would make it seem that the women were able to achieve power that had been formerly reserved for men; however, on closer inspection, there is significant evidence that many features of the traditional gender norms were unchanged in the long-run, despite appearances to the contrary. How to cite Gender in West Africa, Essay examples

Export Case Study free essay sample

Company was founded in 1970 in Moscow, and executes government’s assignments on export of precious stones and metals such as platinum group metals, emeralds, amber, diamonds (rough and polished), silverware, nuggets and jewelry. Company imports consist of primary of pearls and special equipment. According to Russia National Classification of Economic Activities (RNCEA), company is registered under following activities: 1. Wholesale trade and commission trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles 2. Wholesale trade through agents (for a fee or contract basis) 3. Agents involved in the sale of fuels, ores, metals and industrial chemicals 4. Agents involved in the sale of ores and metals 5. Agents involved in the sale of precious metals â€Å"Almazjuvelirexport is a shareholder of precious stones cutting factories and trading companies in Russia, Western Europe and the U. S. , controlling 80% of â€Å"RussAlmaz† in Antwerp as well as participates at major jewelry exhibitions across Russia and abroad. â€Å"The markets of these goods are extremely complicated and strongly monopolized, thats why highly rofessional specialists are needed to work on them as well as reliable, long-standing contacts with foreign partners and a good knowledge of the market situation, and all these qualities characterize experts of Almazjuvelirexport. Company has a strong reputation of a reliable partner† Russia is full participant in the global diamond and jewellery industry. Country is the worlds first largest producer of diamonds by weight, and the second in the world by cost. Russia is on the third place by polished diamonds cost and quality of polishing has been a leader for decades. Traditionally, significant jewelry manufacturing in recent years feels unprecedented growth, driven by consumer boom. Russias position is unique in the sense that all other countries are part of a single diamond pipeline, and involved either in diamond mining, or diamond polishing, or in the production or the consumption of finished jewelry. Russia is not just characterized by commodity orientation; it has all the elements of the diamond pipeline, from the richest diamond reserves in the ground and to a multitude of existing and potential customers. To sum up, in 2010 the Russian market is estimated as $ 3 billion on raw materials, $ 1. 2 billion on diamonds and $3 billion on ready precious jewelry. SITUATION ANALYSIS STREIGHTS| * VTB Bank and Almazjuvelirexport are connected by long history of cooperation, due to the mutual interest of the parties in comprehensive future development; strategic partnership agreement between bank and company took place. Implementation of the agreement requires the involvement of VTB as one of the main credit agencies for an integrated banking group and its subsidiaries. VTB is one of the major and most trustfully banks. * In 2011. Russia’s Gokhram foreign association has allocated to Almazyuvelirexport about 24 tons of metal palladium for export sales. * Official income statement is under secret and forbidden for public use. However, the worse sales established as $10,7millions in 2008. Company exports 6% of Russia’s precious items. * 3. Convenient European location, developed infrastructure, distribution. | WEAKNESES| The major weakness of the company is the lack of equipment, there is no national producer of enquired machines. Technological aspect overall is slightly weaker comparing to worlds standards. | OPPORTUNITIES| * EXTERNAL MARKET1. Liberalization of the markets for platinum group metals. Integrate an action plan for the gradual liberalizationof the PGM market by establishing alliance international trading company with major producer such as† Norilsk Nickel† ( world’s largest producer of nickel and palladium ) or â€Å"Polyus Gold† ( Greatest national gold producer). Such actions might do dramaticallychange not only for Russian market, as well as increase in price for exports. * INTERNAL MARKET2. Cooperation with more national banks. Capital increase, strategic agreements. | THREATSTHREATS| * EXTERNAL MARKET:1. Decline in production and distribution of rough diamonds. Due to depletion of the mineral resources for rough diamonds. However, company engages in the field operations with lower quantity of diamonds and is building four underground mines to offset dwindling production levels. Accordingly, in the medium term is not expected to reduce the volume of production achieved today in natural rough diamonds (by weight) and in value terms, as evidenced by The main directions of the ALROSA Group by 2018. 2. Market growth of substitute natural diamonds (synthetic diamonds)Production of synthetic diamonds and gems is highly valued but the volume is still relatively small. Natural diamonds retain their high symbolic value, as well as an aura of authenticity and rarity in the eyes of consumers. Therefore, risk of being eliminated from the market by synthetic diamond producer is estimated to be insignificant. * INTERNAL MARKET3. High import tax for special equipment. Due to most of special equipment imported from foreign producers, constant changes in custom regulations and duties among with weakling position of Russian Ruble , may carry a certain risk associated with increase in price for acquired assets. However, from other side recent involvement in WTO might low import tax. | Bibliography 1. The Golden Book of Moscow Businesses, part 1. 2. Www. Almaz. ru GENERAL INFORMATION 3. http://www. diamanters. ru/about_RAiB. htm INFORMATION ABOUT RUSSIAN DIAMOND MARKET 4. http://kommersant. ru/doc/272410 COMMERSANT MAGAZINE, COMPANY NEWS 5. http://www. vtb. com/group/press/news/releases/84805/ VTB BANK AGREEMENT INFORMATION 6. http://www. jewellerynews. ru/process/news. html? action=keywordamp;keyword=%C0%EB%EC%E0%E7%FE%E2%E5%EB%E8%F0%FD%EA%F1%EF%EE%F0%F2 NUMBERS 7. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/ALROSA RESEARCH -THANK YOU- [ 2 ]. The Golden Book of Moscow Businesses, part 1.

Verbal Learning Research Paper Essay Research Paper free essay sample

Verbal Learning Research Paper Essay, Research Paper Verbal Learning 1 Runing caput: Comparison of High and Low Similarity Verbal Comparison of High and Low Similarity Verbal Learning Retention in College Students Jenny A. Rosario Hunter College in City University of New York Verbal Learning 2 Method Participants The participants were 1 white male and 1 black female ages 21 and 26, severally. The male participant, who was tested with the High Similarity ( HS ) status, knew four linguistic communications ( Russian, Polish, Gallic and English ) . The female participant, tested with the Low Similarity ( LS ) status, knew two linguistic communications ( English and Gallic ) . Although both participants were college pupils, they varied in the figure of old ages they had been in school, the male was an undergraduate junior and the female was working on her 2nd unmarried mans. Both participants were honor pupils. The concluding consequences for this experiment were all of the informations pooled from the pupils in my experimental category. We will write a custom essay sample on Verbal Learning Research Paper Essay Research Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Each pupil contributed two extra participants to the experiment. These participants were 13 males and 13 females runing in ages from 15 to 44 old ages olds ( M = 25 ) . Education ranged from 12 old ages to 23 old ages of school ( M = 15.2 ) . One-half of these participants were given the HS undertaking and the other half were given the LS undertaking. As it turns out, the group given the HS undertaking were older ( M =27 ) and more educated ( M =16.28 ) than the group that was given the LS undertaking ( M =23 old ages old and M =14.14 old ages of instruction ) . Apparatus Before the experiment, I prepared 11stimuli cards with one of the undermentioned bunk syllable in each: FAP, ZET, KIB, XEL, ROF, GEV, LOZ, BEX, NAJ, WEM and PIV in that order. I prepared a 2nd set of 11 cards I would subsequently utilize merely with the Verbal Learning 3 participant making the HS status. These were paired words where on one side I wrote the brace of words and on the other side I merely wrote the first stimulation word. The words were paired in the undermentioned mode: DOG-GAK, TAN-XOM, CAR-VUR, BAT-SEJ, WAR-DEH, BUN-KAL, NET-TEG, HOG-XEN, FIN-YEC, GUN-LOF, and PAD-BIW. All syllable words were manus printed on 3 # 215 ; 5in index cards, 22 cards in all were used. I besides prepared, on regular lined paper, instructions and topographic points where each participant could compose down any necessary replies, or usage as scrap paper for the LS status. Aside from that, the merely other point used was a ticker with a 2nd manus to maintain path of clip. Procedure To get down the experiment, I met with each participant ( at separate times ) in a quiet room where the participant could sit comfortably and concentrate for the experiment. Before we began, I asked each topic to subscribe an informed consent. Both topics agreed to the conditions and signed the signifier. I so sat across from the participant at a tabular array ( about 3ft off ) , asked the topic if they were ready, and began demoing them the first list of words. In my HS and LS status, I displayed each card for 4 sec one time and asked the participant to expect what the following card would be before I presented it. I manually recorded each of the responses the participant gave me. I continued to reiterate the list until the participant successfully predicted the list one time. To my HS participant, I proceeded to demo the 2nd list with the mated word-nonsense word. After showing the list one time, I turned the cards over, showed the participant the stimulation word and asked the participant to state me what the mated word was. In this portion Verbal Learning 4 of the experiment, nevertheless, there was a 15min clip bound, irrespective of whether the participant could memorise the list. Once the 15mins were up, I gave my participant a sheet and asked him to name all the words that he could retrieve from the original list. As it happened, my participant was able to correctly remember all 11 words, had he been unsuccessful, I would hold had to re-teach him the list and enter how many tests it took him to relearn it. To my LS participant, I asked her to name all premier figure from 1-100. Because she finished this exercising before the 15min were up, I had her do assorted add-on and division jobs utilizing the premier Numberss. When the clip was up, I handed her a piece of paper and asked her to compose down every bit many words as she could remember from the list she had memorized. Once that was done, and because she successfully recalled all 11 words, I thanked her and informed her that the experiment was over. Consequences The consequences that follow are based on the informat ion gathered from the whole category. An alpha degree of.05 was used for all statistical trials. With that in head, I found there was no important difference in the figure of tests it took for the HS ( M=9.71, SD=4.2 ) and LS ( M=10.43, SD=3.75 ) groups to larn the words, T ( 26 ) = -0.456, P = 0.651, two-tail. Besides, there wasn’t any important difference in the figure of points recalled after the distraction period for the HS ( M= 9.36, SD=1.67 ) and LS ( M= 9.71, SD=1.28 ) ; T ( 26 ) = -0.61, P = 0.546, two-tailed. In add-on, there besides was no important difference between the HS ( M=2.21, SD=1.03 ) and LS ( M=1.93, SD=1.61 ) in the figure of tests it took for them to Verbal Learning 5 re-learn the original list: T ( 26 ) = 0.538, P = 0.595, two-tailed. However, there was a important difference in instruction where T = 2.325, P = 0.028, but there was no important difference for age, T ( 26 ) = 1.858, P = 0.075. Both my participants showed no important difference in nest eggs ( both at 100 % nest eggs ) . For the whole group, although the LS ( M=78.26 ) had a higher nest eggs than HS ( M=69.92 ) , there was no significance at that place either with T ( 26 ) = -1.002, P = 0.326. Discussion Although old informations suggest that important difference should hold been found between both groups ( Walker, 1996 ) , I was unable to demo that in this experiment. In fact the lone topographic point where I did happen important difference was in seeing if my groups matched to get down with. Unfortunately that information did non assist. I found that although participants of the HS were more educated so the LS group, they did non performed better at the undertaking in acquisition, callback or relearning. In the country of nest eggs, I did happen that the LS group had a somewhat higher economy, nevertheless, non plenty for significance and neither were there any difference in age for the two groups. Interestingly, both my participants commented now how they each had awful memories, yet both showed 100 % nest eggs in the callback undertaking. I decided to split the participants harmonizing to types of occupations, as seen in figure 5 and found that a greater figure of participants with # 8216 ; trade type # 8217 ; occupations were in the LS group, but this did non look to take down their tonss as an norm. In figure 1, we see that that form of the curve is similar to the one shown by Walker ( 1996 ) . In other words, the mean figure of mistakes were low at the beginning Verbal Learning 6 and at the terminal of the list but high in-between. My 2nd participant was able to acquire a low figure of mistakes on certain words mediate due to the types of words they were. For illustration I noticed that for the 5th word, ROF, she merely miss twice. I believe that was due to the fact that it came after XEL which sounds really much like a plan which she uses a batch as a secretary. This is an illustration of the Von Restorff consequence. It is extremely plausible that # 8216 ; XEL # 8217 ; was non significantly noticeable to the remainder of the participants, hence, they didn # 8217 ; t see the same consequence. Another interesting note, I think, is that although my 1st participant took 15 tests to larn the original set of syllables, he was able to memorise the 2nd set in merely 4 tests taking me to believe that possibly some pupils would execute better in a paired-association undertaking. Finally, in comparing figures 2, 3, and 4, we can see a tendency in the way of the graphs, although non tantamount in form. Figures two and three are from my two participants and figure 4 is an estimated mean larning curve for all the information gathered. Participant # 1 closely follows figure 2, nevertheless participant # 2 # 8217 ; s curve was less predictable ( she besides admitted after the trial that she wasn # 8217 ; t experiencing good and that she had a concern ) . As a concluding note I must state that I would non swear some of the analysis done on these informations collected since 6 participants were declared to hold successfully completed 11 points recalled and so listed as holding an # 8216 ; x figure # 8217 ; of tests to relearn the undertaking. Obviously there is an mistake someplace on the portion of the experimenter, unluckily that most likely had an consequence on my consequences. Verbal Learning 7 Verbal Learning 8 Figure Caption Figure 1. Group information of mistake vs. point positioning Figure 2. Learning curve for participant # 1 Figure 3. Learning curve for participant # 2 Figure 4. Learning curve for all 28 participants. Figure 5. Frequency of participants in different types of businesss. Bibliography Mentions Walker, JT. ( 1996 ) . Verbal acquisition. The psychological science of larning ( pp212-231 ) . Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Business Environment McDonalds

Business Environment McDonalds Introduction The McDonalds is a public corporation operating in the restaurant industry. The company is the largest chain of fast food and hamburger outlets (McDonalds 2013a). The company serves about sixty-eight million consumers on a daily basis, at the 119 countries covered by its business outlets.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Business Environment: McDonalds specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The headquarters of the company is located in the US (Pederson, 2008). The McDonalds Company is a public company traded on the New York stock exchange. The company has adopted the legal structure of a franchising company, structured along functional contours, where the CEO oversees five major activity areas. These areas include operations, which covers franchising and equipment; development, which covers construction and property finance, which entails new product development and supply chain management (McDonalds 2013b ). The other areas are marketing, which entails the marketing and sales and human resources, which entails safety, personnel, customer service and hygiene. The business profile of the company covers property investing, restaurant franchising and operating company restaurants. The products of McDonalds include fast foods like hamburgers and chicken; vegetarian foods like salads and other food items like rice and soup (McDonalds 2013b). The company offers franchising services, marketing, and property management and investment, where it collects rents (Pederson, 2008). The Organizational Purposes Of Businesses The three major objectives of the McDonalds include quality management, where the company ensures that all its outlets offer services in the quickest manner possible. The company expressly requires all its outlets to offer high quality products at the reasonable prices offered by the different outlets; the prices of products at the different outlets vary, depending on market dyna mics and the country of location.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As an aspect of quality management, the McDonalds Company pursues to expand the customer awareness of the nutritious menu items offered at the different outlets. For example, the company has expanded its menu, to include foods and beverages containing vegetables and fruits in its menu. Towards getting the information to the customer, the company has worked hard to increase the awareness of its customers, about the vegetable, fruit and dairy options available at its outlets, for children and other consumer groups (Rungfapaisarn 2011; Gasparro and Jargon 2012). The company strives to offer the highest quality of food products, including the vegetarian fast foods offered at its vegetarian outlets and its organic milk, which were introduced in response to increasing global obesity levels (Ashbridge 2007). Quality management is monitored through evaluating the performance of the employees of the company, against the standards communicated through the training process and the training manual of the company (GAPbuster 2009). The quality of products is maintained through the standardization of the infrastructure and the processes employed at the different outlets (GAPbuster 2009). The second major objective of the company is increasing customer satisfaction, which is an important aspect of the company’s business. The company believes that without increasing their customer loyalty, the result will be a decrease in the meaning of the company developed in the customer’s mind (Mourdoukoutas 2012). It also believes that low customer loyalty results in a decrease in the positive words of mouth expressed to family and friends, which will reduce its association to excellent service delivery. The company pursues customer satisfaction through the identification of the needs of consumers better than its competitors.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Business Environment: McDonalds specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For instance, many of the company’s customers associate McDonalds to the inviting, friendly atmosphere they experience (Mourdoukoutas 2012). The restaurants, also offer comfortable seats, a playground for children and television at its outlets. They also strive to serve customers conveniently, offering their orders in a fast and efficient way. Customer satisfaction is monitored through the feedbacks given by customers, by the word of mouth responses collected by the company from its customers, as well as through company surveys done among the customer population (McDonalds 2013b). The company evaluates the customers regarding the levels of customers through a number of channels including observation and direct interviewing, which complements the information collected fr om the feedbacks collected. The third major objective of the company is upholding the company’s reputable image. The McDonalds Company started its first outlet in 1954, and by 2011, the company had approximately 32,000 operational outlets, which served a customer population of more than 60 million people on a daily basis, across the more than 100 countries covered by its chain of restaurants (Mourdoukoutas 2012). The McDonalds Company maintains its reputable image by ensuring that the service outlook and the products offered at their different outlets are uniform. For instance, for a consumer at Paris, they will find many of the menu products at the outlets in a New York City outlet. The company also pursues improving its status as a player that develops careers, rather than a company that offers, dead-end, minimum-wage scales for its employees (Mourdoukoutas 2012). The achievement of maintaining the company’s reputation is maintained through the standardization of the services as well as the menu items offered across the different outlets, as well as the training of staffs on service delivery (GAPbuster 2009).Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The main stakeholders of McDonalds include the shareholders of the company. The company can improve the effectiveness of shareholder investing in the company, through increasing the revenues created by the company, so that the returns realized by the shareholders increase. Through that approach, the company will encourage more investment among current investors, and new investing among potential investors. The second main stakeholder groups are the customers of the company, who are the different groups and entities served at the many outlets. Towards increasing the engagement of its customers, the company should ensure that they respond to the changing customer needs, as well as forecast demand according to the target market. An example is India, where their entry as a vegetarian restaurant was very successful (Gasparro and Jargon 2012). Towards increasing the engagement of customers, the company should also ensure that they increase their customer service and the quality of the pro ducts offered. The third main stakeholder is the workforce, which includes the management and the employees of the company. Towards increasing the engagement of its work force, the company should improve employee development, which will increase the capacity of the employees to deliver. The company should also adopt effective motivation strategies, for example, the recognition of excellent performance, so as to encourage better service delivery from its workforce. The McDonalds company strives to engage in environmentally responsible business and process. These include the consumption of less energy, releasing fewer emissions into the atmosphere and reducing the wastes injected into their surroundings (McDonalds 2013b). The ways of achieving the three major areas of green responsibility include the use of sustainable packaging and ensuring proper waste management at its varied operational centers. In the area of energy conservation, the company is pursuing alternative sources of ene rgy, intended at increasing their energy consumption efficiency, which will save money and lower their environmental impact (McDonalds 2013c). The company has also invested in the green restaurant design, by ensuring that building standards ensure the protection the environment. The company also engages organizations and experts, including Conservation International, Wildlife Fund, The US Green Building Council, and Environmental Defense Fund, among others. The strategic alliances are expected to increase the participation of the company in environmental protection (McDonalds 2013b). Nature Of The National Environment Of Mcdonalds An emerging economy is one which is moving from the status of a developing to an industrialized or developed status, while a transitional market is one which is shifting from a centrally administrated economy (where government control is high) to a free market economy. Examples of a government controlled economy include the Soviet block nations, while free market economies include European and North American nations (Myant and Drahokoupil 2010). The differences include that in a transition economy, more people are likely to enter the middle of the lower class, as the transition brings about many business opportunities into the economy. Also, the transitional economy differs from the emerging economy, as the very poor are likely to fall into extreme poverty, as they will have limited or no access to the factors of production or opportunities (Myant and Drahokoupil 2010). An emerging economy, on the other hand, is one characterized by a low or medium level per capita, while a transitional economy is most times characterized by a low level of per capita. Both a transition and emerging economies undergoing economic reforms, which are expected to raise the economies to better economic performance (Mundell N.D). Among the two types of economies, there is a constant pursuit to realize efficiency and more transparency in the capital markets. Both a transitional and an emerging economy are characterized by liberalization, where the forces of demand and supply determine the prices of products, compared to where prices are set by a planning organization (Myant and Drahokoupil 2010). Different from a transitional economy, an emerging economy is characterized by a young and growing workforce and an underdeveloped infrastructure, in the areas of housing and roads. Among the two types of economies, there is a characteristic, rapid increase of foreign investment levels. Some examples of transitional economies include Brazil, Russia, and Ukraine. Examples of emerging economies, as of May 2011 included Chile, Colombia, China, Egypt and India (Myant and Drahokoupil 2010). The case of china is clearly an emerging economy, as the Chinese economy is characterized by an increasing transition from a closed to an open market economy (Jbili, Kramarenko and Bailà ©n, 2007). The Chinese economy is also characterized by a high, young popu lation of the workforce, which is replacing the aging workforce, and a ready market for the products from the increasing production. The Chinese is also characterized by a rapidly increasing level of foreign investing, which identifies it an emerging economy (Mundell N.D). Among transition economies is Hungary, as its economy is characterized by increasing unemployment, as a result of the privatization of companies. Hungary is also experiencing a rising inflation level, which is caused by the removal of price control. The economy is also characterized by a lack of reliable infrastructure, low levels of entrepreneurship and skills, high inequality levels (Economic online N.D). From the different characteristics of emerging and transitional economies, a conclusion can be drawn, that the characteristics of an emerging economy are evident from transitional economies. The characteristics include that there is a shift from a government controlled economy to a liberalized economy (Economic online N.D). This leads to the conclusion that an economy can fall under the classes of emerging and transitional economy classifications. The two economies are characterized by a rapid shift from low to middle class levels, as more opportunities are availed (Mundell N.D). The recovery phase of the business cycle is characterized by a rapid increase in the confidence of customers, about the economy’s market. The recovery phase is characterized by reduced bank lending rates, particularly interest rates, which increase the capacity of investors and companies to finance investment projects. The phase is also characterized by a rapid increase in production levels, which is adjusted in response to the overall demand in the particular economy. The increase in production levels enhances the capacity of entrepreneurs to offer more employment opportunities, which results in an increase in the incomes of consumers (Neumeyer and Perri 2004). As a result, the consumers’ ability t o purchase capital goods increases. The phase is characterized by an increase in the profit margins of corporations, and the GDP of the economy rises in response. Governments can increase the opportunities available to businesses at the recovery stage, by requiring banks to offer credit at lower interest rates, which will encourage the funding of more investments (Neumeyer and Perri 2004). The government can also encourage more foreign investment, which will enhance the creation of more employment, so that more money gets into circulation. The government can also increase government spending, which directs more money into circulation, allowing more customers to purchase the increased produce by businesses. The government can also reduce taxation, locally and when exporting, so as to enhance more business locally and internationally (Neumeyer and Perri 2004). According to a report by AlixPartners (2013), as of Feb 2013, the US and the global restaurant are anticipating a forthcoming year of disappointing growth. The anticipated reduction in sales is the result of a reduction in dining frequency, in the next 12 months. These findings were drawn from a survey of 1000 adult consumers by AlixPartners. As a result of the anticipated changes, restaurants will not be able to increase revenues through the opening of new outlets, but will also require engaging innovative strategies. Among these strategies are strategic differentiation, increasing cost management levels and through employing innovation in marketing. Among the industry players that will realize growth, there are expected to engage in a fierce competition for a substantial market share. The major determinant of competitive advantage will be the response to the major influences and drivers of consumer choices, which will be followed by targeted-oriented programs, to drive growth under the uncertain conditions. The major influence of customer dinning choices include convenience, speed of service, and the cus tomer experience of consumers after service delivery. McDonalds, a major industry player in the restaurant industry is responding well towards adjusting to the uncertainty of demand. For instance, the company is investing in healthy foods and in markets, where differentiated diets are the major demand characteristic (Gasparro and Jargon 2012). An example is entry into the Indian market as a vegetarian restaurant and its inclusion of organic diets (Ashbridge 2007). The Behavior Of Organizations In Their Market Environment The characteristics of a perfect competition include that the market should not be characterized by rivalry, where there is a large number of buyers and sellers and the commodities on sale are similar in many all aspects. The features, also include that the products offered by the different sellers should be similar in all aspects, implying that a customer can substitute those of one industry player with those of another. The market should not impose restrictions on the entry and the exit of buyers or sellers (Petri 2004). This implies that in the case the available players increase prices, so they can make abnormal profits – then new entrants should come into the industry, so they can level out the profits realized from sales. A perfect market is characterized by a perfect knowledge of prices and the commodities in the market, among the consumers. The consumers should also be perfectly informed about the prevailing market conditions, therefore will not be willing to offer any price above the prevailing price. A market with perfect competition should be characterized by a perfect mobility of the different resources and factors of production, from one usage to another. This characteristic ensures that all industry players and firms are able to control an equal share of the services of the available factors of production, including labor. Such a market should also be characterized by the absence of transportation costs, as commodities wil l be offered at the same cost, at the different locations; there will be a single market price. In a perfect competition, there is no development of attachment with the customer, as the products of the different sellers are the same; therefore buyers are free to change from one to another seller (Petri 2004). The US and global restaurant industry, in which McDonalds is a major actor, does not fit into the definition of a perfect completion market, as most of the characteristics cannot be seen it the industry. The characteristics that are absent in the restaurant industry include that the industry is dominated by a few large scale sellers, who sideline smaller players. The industry is characterized by a high degree of product differentiation, which shows that the products offered are not homogenous, marking the industry as one that cannot qualify as a perfect competition (Petri 2004). In the industry, entry and the exit of sellers is not free, as evident from the price differentiatio n of McDonalds, which shows that there is no normal price balancing. Other characteristics that cannot be identified in the restaurant industry include the perfect mobility of production resources, the lack of perfect knowledge among consumers, and there is also no absence of transportation costs. Contrary to a perfect competition, McDonalds capitalizes on the building of customer attachment, which shows that the industry does not have perfect competition (Petri 2004). In the US and the global restaurant industry, a number of barriers to new entrants can be identified. Those that can be identified from the case study of McDonalds include the purchase of patents and licenses for the trademarks of market players (AlixPartners 2013). This barrier has been effective, as new entrants cannot use the name, the packaging, or the logo of the McDonalds, without going through franchising and contracting as an agency outlet. Differentiated pricing in the different markets has been effective in the industry, as players like McDonalds offer their prices at a differentiated price at its different areas of operation, showing that it has maintained a market reputation in the different areas (Mourdoukoutas 2012). The developmental nature of the brands of different players is another barrier to new entrants, as companies like McDonalds are known globally, which offers them a competitive advantage above their competitors, especially new entrants. The company has maintained the strength of its name across the globe, which draws from the effective market entry strategies employed at different markets. These include its entry into vegetarian markets like India, as a vegetarian chain of restaurants (Gasparro and Jargon 2012). Major players have prevented the entry of new players, through taking advantage of the customer loyalty developed among consumers, locally and internationally. The marketing strategy of major players like the McDonalds is a barrier to new entrants, as the compan y changes according to the changing needs of its customers and responds to the unique needs of its different customer groupings (Mourdoukoutas 2012). Major industry players are also increasing entry barriers through the retention of the highly experienced members of the labor force, and the expansion of its outlets also acts like a barrier to new entrants. The standardized service delivery of players like McDonalds is another barrier used by the company to control the threat of new entrants. This is evident from the company’s offering of a similar menu at its different operational areas (AlixPartners 2013). The cultural environment of the McDonalds includes the social and the cultural aspects of target markets, including the differentiated dining preferences and the constant calls to eat healthy, which is increasing, in response to increasing obesity levels in the world (Franke, Hofstede and Bond 1991). Some of the ways, through which the McDonalds demonstrates its adaptation to the cultural environments of target markets, include the shift to offering vegetarian-only outlets in India (BBC 2012). This change was employed, in response to the market profile of the Indian market, which is characterized by the non-consumption of meat products, particularly cow meat, as the Hindu regard the cow as a divine creature (Gasparro and Jargon 2012). Another case of adapting to the cultural environment is the inclusion of varied menu items, including organic products like milk, fruit salads, and vegetarian items, in response to the constant calls over global obesity levels (Ashbridge 2007). From the case of the McDonalds, BBC (2012) discussed the strategic shift of the company, towards offering innovative menu listing, so as to take advantage of the emerging markets that are characterized by varied customer prefers and product preferences. One such example is the case of its entry into the Middle East, where they are offering meat-free dishes, particularly pork-free menu items, as the culture of the Muslims regards pork as a religious-banned food (BBC 2012). Significance Of The Global Factors That Shape National Business Activities The international market is paramount to the entry of McDonalds into the international market, as it determines the alternatives available to it, in pursuing its entry into developed and emerging markets, where customers’ needs are differentiated. Some of the entry strategies available to McDonalds include the creation of international agencies, strategic alliances, and international outlets (Franke, Hofstede and Bond 1991). However, the entry of McDonalds into the international market is staged in a manner that allows it to cater for the needs of the target market, as opposed to imposing strategies that have worked elsewhere. As a result, the products of the company are localized according to the customers’ needs, offering products that are preferred at the target markets. An example is the product lo calization of the company’s products in India and the Middle East, where the larger populations prefer meat-free dishes (Gasparro and Jargon 2012; BBC 2012). The challenges facing UK businesses in emerging markets like the UAE include competing in new competitive environments, creating a new customer base, countering new competitors, and countering the increasing expectations of market regulators (ERNST YOUNG 2011). Some of the risks that present a challenge for the businesses include intellectual theft; there is an increasing level of regulatory pressure, dealing with the varied cultural preferences of customers. Other challenges include sourcing of qualified, skilled labor, developing strategic partnerships with local players, and reviewing risks and control levels in the new markets (ERNST YOUNG 2011). This leads to the conclusion that UK companies venturing in emerging markets should not anticipate profitability in the short run, as they have to master the market profil e of the markets, before they can exploit their potential. However, effective research prior to investing can help the entrants in staging more effective entry models, thus increase immediate profitability. The debt crisis in Ireland and Greece is likely to affect UK businesses, as evidenced by the recent banking sector scandals, due to the impact of the debt crisis on the global economy. The effects include that interest rates will rise, so that governments can raise the money to settle the debt. As a result, the borrowing capacity of UK businesses will reduce, which will result in reduced investing in new markets and opportunities (PricewaterhouseCoopers 2013). Reference List AlixPartners, 2013, Press Releases. Alixpartners.com, . alixpartners.com/en/MediaCenter/PressReleaseArchive/tabid/821/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/202/Restaurants-Traffic-to-Remain-Flat-in-2012-Competition-and-Battle-for-Stomach-Share-to-Heat-Up-According-to-AlixPartners-Study.aspx Ashbridge, I 2007, McD onalds milk goes organic. Farmers Weekly, . fwi.co.uk/articles/03/07/2007/104864/mcdonalds39-milk-goes organic.htm BBC., 2012, McDonalds opens vegetarian-only restaurant. BBC Business News, . bbc.co.uk/news/business-19479013 Economic online, N.D, Transition economies. Economicsonline.co.uk. economicsonline.co.uk/Competitive_markets/Transition_economies.html ERNST YOUNG, 2011, Risk Oversight in emerging Markets: InSights for North American Audit Committee Members, Sep 2011, . ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/Insights:_Risk_oversight_in_emerging_markets_September_2011/$FILE/InSights_Risks_oversight_in_emerging_markets_Sept2011%20CJ0186.pdf Franke, R, Hofstede, G Bond, M 1991, Cultural Roots of Economic Performance: A research note, Strategic Management Journal, 12, 165-173. GAPbuster 2009, Mcdonald’s Training Manual 2010, . xec.gapbuster.com/OnlineTraining/Manual/en-US/668Shopping.pdf Gasparro, A, and Jargon, J 2012, McDonalds to Go Vegetarian in India. The Wall Street Journal: p. B7. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444301704577631551022511054.html Jbili, A, Kramarenko, V and Bailà ©n, J 2007, Islamic Republic of Iran: Managing the Transition to a Market Economy. imf.org/External/Pubs/NFT/2007/iran/market/market.pdf McDonalds 2013a, McDonalds: Frequently Asked Questions. aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/our_company/faqs.html McDonalds 2013b, McDonalds History: Travel Through Time With Us! McDonalds, . aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/our_company/mcdonalds_history_timeline.html McDonalds 2013c, Getting to Know Us. aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/our_company.html McDonalds, 2013b. McDonalds: Environmental Responsibility: Doing More with Less. aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/sustainability/our_focus_areas/environmental_responsibility.html Mourdoukoutas, P 2012, McDonalds Winning Strategy, At Home And Abroad, . forbes.com/sites/panosmourdoukoutas/strategy-at-home-and-abroad/ Mundell, R N.D., The Works of Robert Mundell: Emerging Markets and Transition Economies. http://robertmundel l.net/economic-policies/emerging-markets-and-transition-economies/ Myant, M and Drahokoupil, J 2010, Transition Economies: Political Economy in Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, Wiley-Blackwell, Hoboken, New Jersey. Neumeyer, P and Perri, F 2004, Business Cycles in Emerging Economies: The Role of Interest Rates, NBER Working Paper, No. 10387, National Bureau of Economic Research. Pederson, JP 2008, International directory of company histories. Gale, London. Petri, F 2004, General Equilibrium, Capital and Macroeconomics, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham. PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2013, Business impacts of the Euro debt crisis, . pwc.com/jg/en/media-article/business-impacts-of-the-euro-debt-crisis-article adrian-peacegood.jhtml Rungfapaisarn, K 2011, McDonalds introduces new inventory/menu management. nationmultimedia.com/business/McDonalds-introduces-new-inventorymenu-management-30168934.html

How did American jazz influence Brazilian guitar music Essay

How did American jazz influence Brazilian guitar music - Essay Example The earliest effect of jazz on Brazilian music may be traced back to Choro music which is considered the precursor of Brazilian jazz and bossa nova. Choro bands appeared as early as 1870 and by 1920s this music was made popular by prominent national composer Heitor Villa-Lobos. This music resembled New Orleans Jazz known as ragtime (Candelaria and Garcia 93). Livingston-Isenhour et al (104) trace the influence of American jazz on Brazilian guitar music. According to them, in the beginning, it was actually American audience mesmerized by exotic freshness of the Brazilian music sung by Carmen Miranda in 1940-1950. However, they posit that American music influenced Brazilian culture much more, thereafter. American music being sophisticated and cosmopolitan was also considered a threat to Brazilian culture by some. During World War II Roosevelt began a good neighbor policy to keep Brazil on its side. As a result of this policy American creative artists such as filmmakers and musicians al so traveled to Brazil. Though the cultural exchange did flourish American music in Brazil but American Jazz had become popular in Brazil much before the good Neighbor policy of Roosevelt. As early as in 1920s American jazz music was available in Brazilian market. By 1940s American music overtook Brazilian music in record sales and frequency of transmission on radio.