Meet Our Latest OppU Achiever!

Meet Our Latest OppU Achiever! Meet Our Latest OppU Achiever! Meet Our Latest OppU Achiever!Name:  Laura BrasseauxSchool:  South Louisiana Community CollegeConcentration:  Clinical Laboratory TechnicianDegree:  Associate of Applied ScienceExpected Graduation Date:  Spring 2019Cue the drumroll, because we’re thrilled to announce the latest recipient of the OppU Achievers Scholarship: Laura Brasseaux! Laura attends South Louisiana Community College (@southlacc) and is studying to become a clinical lab technician. When she graduates in 2019, she’ll be the first in her family to receive an undergraduate degree.The OppU Achievers Scholarship recognizes hard work and demonstrated achievement, two things that Laura knows a lot about. To put herself through school, she wakes up at 3:30 in the morning to get to her job at 4:00. After that, she heads to class so she can be in her seat by 9:00.OppLoans believes in the power of individuals to create opportunity for themselves and others. We award the OppU Achievers Scholarship four times a year, provid ing a total of $10,000 for education expenses. (Interested in applying? Submit an essay here!) We also know that financial literacy is critical to success, so we built OppU, which offers free, standards-aligned courses that cover topics such as spending, budgeting, credit, and debt.Want to know what makes Laura an Achiever? Here’s what she had to say.OppLoans: What challenges have you faced as a first-generation college student?Laura: The most difficult aspect of being a first-generation college student for me has mainly been a knowledge gap. I do not have the advantage of having someone to guide me through effective time management or study practices, or someone to inform me about what to expect in regards to socializing on campus or how to make connections that can be utilized later on in my professional career.OppLoans: How have you overcome these challenges?Laura: Being required to take a first-semester experience course (and taking the assignments seriously) helped me become aware of the many resources available to me on campus. (In fact, it is how I found and applied for this scholarship!) I have decided that I have to be willing to step outside of my comfort zone and reach out to faculty and other students on campus. I took part in a student leadership conference this April that South Louisiana Community College hosted. Through the course of the day, I attended workshops, some of  which included presentations about networking, and how to plan for my academic and professional careers in the long term. Through my refusal to sit on the sidelines for my college experience, I have already opened up avenues to participate in campus organizations next semester. In the process, I realized that the faculty truly wants me to succeed, but ultimately, it is up to me to seek out the resources they have made available.OppLoans: How did you learn to be financially responsible?Laura:  Growing up and living  below the poverty line made it easier in one sense, since I never felt the need to compete with anyone materialistically. This means that most of the debt that I carry is due to school and credit cards that were used during a short period of unemployment last year. At the same time, this has fueled me to escape the cycle of poverty that my family has been trapped in for multiple generations. Any financial literacy that I have gained, I picked up through online research and from bits and pieces of advice from friends concerning building and maintaining good credit. I decided to enroll  in a “Fundamentals of Finance” course next semester just to expand my knowledge so that when I have earned my degree, I will be more financially literate and better able to manage the greater income that will come with having a degree.OppLoans:  In what ways have you been financially responsible in school?Laura: First and foremost, attending a community college will greatly minimize the amount of debt I will be taking on while I earn my degree. I am fortun ate that I qualify for the Pell Grant and federal loans. I have been able to avoid taking out any private loans that require me to begin paying them back immediately, but I do make it a point to put a small amount of money towards my federal loans every month in order to minimize the amount of interest that I will be required to pay on them once I graduate. I also applied for multiple scholarships and I have roommates in order to relieve the burden of living expenses.  I avoid using my credit cards unless it is necessary, and I am sure to make at least the minimum payment each month so as not to incur additional charges. At the beginning of the semester, I split up the total amount of money I receive  from loans and grants into a monthly sum, and then I dedicate an amount to each expense that I am responsible for; any extra money I have gets tucked away for time in between semesters, and I pick up seasonal jobs to have extra income. I am also using the skills I acquired from an Exce l spreadsheets course I took during the spring semester to plot out a budget using the tools and templates available in the program. This helps me visualize my budget and I can actually see where my money is going; from there, I can tweak my budget.OppLoans: How do you plan to use your degree after you graduate?Laura: After earning my Associate of Applied Science degree, I hope to attend Louisiana State University  to pursue a bachelors degree in clinical laboratory sciences with a focus in oncology. I have lost multiple family members to various forms of cancer, and I  would love to work as a research scientist studying cancer and how it affects our bodies.Congratulations, Laura! OppLoans wishes you continued success at South Louisiana Community College!Visit OppLoans on YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIN

Essay on Western Influence on Chinese Music - 1222 Words

Western Influence on Chinese Music China has long been the cultural hub of Asia, and has had the longest amount of contact of any Asian country with other Western countries. Ever since the Silk Road was established, China has been trading with other Western countries and exchanging aspects of their cultures with one another. One of these aspects is music. But how exactly has Western music influenced Chinese music? In order to understand this, we must look at the history of Western encounters with China in terms of music. European music was first introduced into China during the thirteenth century, which was part of the Yuan dynasty of China. Catholic missionaries introduced Western music to the Chinese imperial court. Soon, the†¦show more content†¦She and the Chinese pop music industry flourished in China until the 1950s, when the Communist regime led by Mao took over. Pop music was replaced with revolutionary music with government propaganda, which caused the pop industry to move to Taiwan and Hong Kong. This new musical presence in Hong Kong indirectly led to the creation of Cantonese popular music, also known as Cantopop. Cantopop is a style of popular music that emerged during the 1970s. It was influenced by Western folk rock music of the 1970s, and is set up in a rock band layout with heavy use of electronic instruments, such as the electric guitar and synthesizer. Perhaps the most famous Cantopop singer of all time, Teresa Tang, emerged during the 1980s. Her music touched the hearts of people all over the world, and caused the Communist regime in China to shift their policy of music from just supporting government propaganda to include expressing individual emotions. Since then, many Cantonese pop singers have emerged and this genre remains famous even today. While some musicians used Western genres, such as Western pop music and jazz, as the basis of their music, other musicians stuck with the traditional Chinese music style while adding Western elements to it. Due to the popularity of Western music in China, the popularity of traditional Chinese music diminished, and many traditional Chinese musicians were afraid that traditional music would eventually fade away. Their solution to this problemShow MoreRelatedJay Chou and his Chinese Pop Style Essay1082 Words   |  5 PagesJay Chou and his Chinese Pop Style Stepping into the new century, a name came into people’s ears in mainland China, Jay Chou. Jay is a famous Taiwan musician, whose songs impact the new generation in the recent twelve years all over the world significantly. From young to old, a lot of people can sing his popular songs, or they can hum, whistle some parts of Jay’s songs at least. According to the official statistics, Jay produced his eleven albums that sold an amazing record of 28746167 copies inRead MoreEssay on Chinese Music631 Words   |  3 PagesChinese music is described as a unique form of art. Even today, the Modern Chinese music has a Western Modern Music style. The music has its own characteristics and is very much distinct. History Chinese music dates back to 1000 BC. A man named Ling Lun created the first of the musical instruments in China. Ling Lun developed a set of 60 bells. From these bells, he created a mathematical method for creating pitch pipes to tune the bells. One of the first instruments created was a bamboo pipeRead MoreThe Development Of Chinese Popular Music And The Legend Pop Star Jay Chou1627 Words   |  7 PagesDevelopment of Chinese Popular Music and the Legend Pop Star-Jay Chou Name: Zichao Lan Instructor: Erica Jones Teaching Assistant: Dhiren Panikker Course Title: Popular Music of the World Date: 7/24 /2015 Introduction When talking about China, people from other countries associate China with the Great Wall, the Terracotta Warriors, the Summer Palace, other landmarks. Chinese music is as an important part of Chinese historyRead MoreMusic Integration : Balance Between Western Music Culture And Other Music Cultures Essay1496 Words   |  6 PagesMusic Integration: Balance between western music culture and other music cultures Introduction Nowadays, with the development of the transportation and network, people can be easily exposed to different cultures from all over the world. It leads to a problem that how to set some criterions when different cultures has their own ways to measure. The culture also includes music culture. Michael B. Bakan states in his book that the term music is inescapably tied to Western culture and its assumptionsRead MoreThe Japanese Culture Of Japan1532 Words   |  7 Pagesconnected to their past. They retain strong ties to their early legends, religions, and traditions while continuing to progress with the rest of the world. With these ideas that have been passed down and preserved, there have also been forms of dance and music that have been influenced by other countries, made uniquely Japanese, and continued through today. The Japanese people as we know them today were not the original inhabitants of the land. The native people, the Ainu, were hunters and fishermen closerRead MoreChina s Culture During The 20th Century1364 Words   |  6 PagesChina’s culture saw some drastic changes during the 19th and 20th centuries, from the influx of new influences from the West to the more culturally sterile regime of Mao Zedong. In the early 20th century, Shanghai was a top cultural center in the East, and its achievements, although almost lost due to decades of conflict and political struggle, were preserved and built upon in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Following the social reforms, post-Mao China was ripe for reintroduction of culture, and Taiwan’s closeRead MoreHistorical Aspects Of Ancient China1685 Words   |  7 Pages As with all oracular processes, chance remains a pivotal aspect of divining the future. The use of divination in the context of Ancient China is a way of explaining the unknown. Known in the Western sphere as The Book of Changes, the Yijing/I Ching–conversely known as Zhouyi–is a document that was incepted during the Bronze Age for the purposes of divination. The contents of the Yijing holds â€Å"sixty-four short chapters, each consisting of three elements: a hexagram, a hexagram statement, and sixRead MoreShould Television Programs Be Banned?1743 Words   |  7 PagesTV programs broadcasted in Malaysia are mainly imported from the USA and other Western countries, and the values are different from the values in Malaysian communities. The government argued that the media had negative influences on the education, attitude, and morality amongst Malaysian youth. With TV programs such as Baywatch, Friends, and several reality shows being popular amongst the youth, a lack of Malaysian values are being expressed. Malaysian TV stations even adopted some of the conceptsRead MoreThe Superior Parenting Style Of Parenting1578 Words   |  7 Pagesthe differences between opposite techniques utilized by Chinese and Western parents. However, neither the Chinese nor the Western style of parenting provides the maximum amount of happiness and structure in a child’s life. Rather a fusion of the two parenting styles designs an environment where the child has freedom while still maintaining a level of discipline. One common question that occurs in the world with parenting, is how do Chinese children almost always succeed. Well the answer definitelyRead MoreChinese Literature And Culture Of China1497 Words   |  6 Pages Chinese Literature and Culture Literature has a very important role to play in society and in the lives of all the people. It is an immeasurable realm and its influence is far beyond the reaches of people and one’s own comprehension of mind. It is such an enormous expanse that one would begin to articulate some form of response. Chinese literature, to many westerners, has not been easily accessible as it had remained hidden in the higher strata of the society â€Å"shi da fu (Ã¥ £ «Ã¥ ¤ §Ã¥ ¤ «)† in Chinese culture

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd ) - 928 Words

PHM302: Neuropsychiatry Evidence-Based Clinical Question Report Submitted by: Ryan Co Student #: 999388522 CASE JD is a 30-year-old male diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He was involved in active combat during his 10 year career with the military and he is haunted by incidents that replay in his mind. He finds that scenes from battle run through his mind and disrupt his day-to-day functioning. He finds himself avoiding socializing with his military buddies, as this frequently triggers his PTSD. JD has been on several antidepressants with limited success and is not currently taking any medications. He is feeling hopeless and he has gone to see his psychiatrist for help. His†¦show more content†¦SEARCH METHOD A PubMed search was used with the terms â€Å"ketamine† and â€Å"chronic PTSD† in order to find studies relating to the topic. SELECTION OF LITERATURE The article â€Å"Efficacy of Intravenous Ketamine for Treatment of Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder† was selected out of all the papers found. The patient fits the inclusion criteria for the trial and the purpose of the trial answers the clinician’s question. ANALYSIS OF LITERATURE The trial was performed to compare the efficacy of ketamine against anxiolytic medications in patients with chronic PTSD. The study was a randomized, double-blind crossover trial – patients were around 25-45 years of age and suffer from chronic PTSD for years with moderate to severe symptoms. Some participants also previously received antidepressants with partial or no response. Trial results showed that 24 hours after the ketamine infusion, the patient’s IES-R (impact of event scale – revised) score was significantly improved compared to when patients were on midazolam. (mean difference = 12.7, P = 0.02) In addition, patients who were on ketamine first retained symptom reduction when switched over to midazolam. Secondary outcomes studied looked at the effects of the medications on the patient’s CAPS and QIDS-SR scores, but these did not differ significantly. The study also looked at the effects of ketamine on depression in this population and showed that it was

The Crucible By Arthur Miller - 1474 Words

Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible in 1953. He wrote this because he wanted to give out a central message to people all around the world. In the play, Miller presented many issues like how individual freedom was being taken away because of how society sets their laws and standards for what they believe was right or wrong. Also, he shows that there many people who do not believe in the same ideas or practices as anyone else and are forced to deal with the external pressures from society. Around the time Miller wrote the play, a lot of people in America were being accused of anything that society believed was wrong. Most people were being accused by Senator Joseph McCarthy, of being a communist and Miller was one of them. McCarthy was a man who led investigations to find unwanted communists. He accused Miller because of the political atmosphere in the 1950’s and the witchcraft that was going on in Salem. Eventually, Miller had to go to the House Committee on Un-American Activities and was forced to give up the names of the other communists. In The Crucible, there are two symbolic terms; crucible and witchcraft. A crucible is a receptacle that is used to melt down metals with the heat and separate them from whether it’s valuable or less valuable. Whereas, witchcraft is when people cast spells to conjure up spirits so that it can make bad things happen. The title of Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible is symbolic of both of these terms. In act 1 of The Crucible, Abigail was theShow MoreRelatedThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1269 Words   |  6 PagesAt first glance, the playwright Arthur Miller in The Crucible highlights the historical significance of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, but in fact it is an allegorical expression of his perception of McCarthyism. If the reader has some background information on Arthur Miller’s victimization as a communist, it is evident that the play is a didactic vessel illustrating the flaws of the court system in the 1950’s. The communist allegations were launched at government employees, entertainers and writersRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1681 Words   |  7 Pagesof their way to the last dying breath to make sure they leave with a good or bad reputation. In one of the recent literature study in class â€Å"The Crucible† by Arthur Miller, Miller uses characterization to illustrate reputation throughout the play. â€Å"The Crucible† takes place in Salem, Massachusetts. It is based upon the Salem witch trails. In â€Å"The Crucible†, we journey through the life of three characters who reputations plays a major role in the play. The three characters are John Proctor, AbigailRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1333 Words   |  6 PagesAs the various characters in The Crucible by Arthur Miller interact, the dominant theme of the consequences of women’s nonconformity begins to slide out from behind the curtains of the play. Such a theme reveal s the gripping fear that inundated the Puritans during the seventeenth century. This fear led to the famous witch-hunts that primarily terrorized women who deviated from the Puritan vision of absolute obedience and orthodoxy. Arthur Miller presents his interpretation of the suffering by subtlyRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller998 Words   |  4 Pagesmotivated by jealousy and spite. The Crucible is a four-act dramatic play production that was first performed on January 22, 1953. Arthur Miller used dialogue within the characters to cover the multiple themes; conflicts and resolutions, plus the few directions for the different actions of the play. The Salem Witch Trials were intended to be performed as the play however, when read, it can be more carefully examined and broken down to analyze the techniques. Miller, the playwright, uses literaryRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1145 Words   |  5 PagesUnbalance Through The Centuries In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, the author reflects the persecution of communists in America in the 1950’s through a recount of the Salem witch trials. It is often presumed that Miller based his drama directly off of events that were particularly prevalent in the years surrounding the publication of The Crucible- which was released in the year 1953, towards the conclusion of the Korean War. Although there was not a literal witch hunt occurring during this timeRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1063 Words   |  5 PagesIn the English dictionary, there are three definitions of the word crucible. One is a metal container in which metals are mixed and melted. Another is a severe test. But the third definition, and the one that I think fits the best for this book, is a place or situation in which different elements interact to create something new. In my mind, this fits because all of the characters had their little grudges and dirty secrets. But when all th ose seemingly little things interact, they formed somethingRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1285 Words   |  6 Pages Rationale, Morality, Stereotypes, Pressure, Self-Censorship, Unanimity, and Mindguards. Groupthink has also taken place in our history a a country. The play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller is about a the real-life Salem Witch Trials that happened in 1692 - 1693, in Salem, Massachusetts. Some symptoms of Groupthink found in the Crucible are Rationale, Pressure, and Self-Censorship. The Groupthink symptom, Rationale, is described as when victims of Groupthink ignore warnings: they also collectivelyRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller811 Words   |  4 Pages While The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is only a four act play, it still resembles the format of a five act play. The five-act structure evolved from a three-act structure, which was made famous by Roman Aelius Donatus. Donatus came up with three types of plays: Protasis, Epitasis, and Catastrophe. The five-act structure helped to expand the three act structure, mainly made famous by Shakespeare through his many tragedies. Even though The Crucible contains only four acts, it still has the commonRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1052 Words   |  5 PagesBuddy Al-Aydi Ms.Healy English 9 CP 14th October 2014 The Crucible Essay The Crucible was a novel written by Arthur Miller in the 1950’s. It was written in a format of the play, portraying an allegory of the Salem Witch-Hunts led by Senator Joseph McCarthy. The book is known to have a inexplicable plot. This plot is advanced by multiple characters in the book in order to ensure that the reader maintains interest with the material that is being read. The farmer, John Proctor, would be theRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller841 Words   |  4 PagesThe Crucible is a chaotic play, throughout this American classic Arthur Miller takes the reader through multiple events of terror and insanity. While creating a great on-stage play, Arthur Miller portrays his life through the events, the characters, and plot of The Crucible. Using vivid imagery and comprehensible symbolism, Miller manipulates the real personalities of the characters and events in 1600 Salem, Massachusetts to create a symbolic autobiography. Throughout this play, the reader experie nces

J.C. Penney Gift Certificate Concerns Essay Example For Students

J.C. Penney Gift Certificate Concerns Essay J.C. Penney Gift Certificate ConcernsJ.C. Penney Company, Inc. has recently introduced a new point of sale (POS) system developed by NCR Corporation into their stores. In the first six months of operation, it has become apparent that there are unanticipated problems with the accounting and control functions pertaining to gift certificates. The new POS system does not provide for adequate tracking or control of the certificates on the sales floor, store level sales audit has inadequate procedures or data capture capabilities in place to track sales accurately and assign responsibility for missing certificates, and corporate accounting has no control over the gift certificate accounting on the store level and are constantly struggling to reconcile gift certificate information. Problems on the Sales FloorAt the POS terminals on the sales floor, gift certificates are being stored underneath the cash register in a drawer with no security or control. The security and control of gift certificates has been overlooked during the drafting of the procedures for the new POS system. As a result, the security and control on gift certificates on the sales floor that had been in place with the old system has simply stopped. Employees are purely on the â€Å"honor† system. When sales associates ring up a gift certificate sale they have to key 1) the appropriate twelve-digit SKU from a list of 3 choices, and 2) a dollar value for the gift certificate shown on the face. For example, SKU #1 represented the $25 gift certificate, SKU#2 represented the $50 gift certificate, and SKU #3 represented the $100 gift certificate. After the sales transaction is complete, the sales associate must manually record the dollar value of the gift certificate on their cash audit report. During times of high volume, sometimes this final step is overlooked. Typically, the cashiers are just keying SKU #1 for any gift certificate sale and keying in the appropriate dollar value from the face of the gift certificate. The SKU’s are not electronically tied to a dollar value. This is a limitation of the previous POS system that was not addressed during the testing stage of the new system. Therefore, the error rate is very high and discrepancies in gift certificate sales are common. At the close of the shift, an electronic cashier report is generated on the register that just shows a total dollar amount tied to a SKU. This electronic cashier report is returned to the cash room along with the receipts and the hand-written cash audit report. Problems in Store Level Sales AuditWhen the cash audit report comes back to the office with the bag of receipts and the electronic cashier report, calculations are performed on the manual cash audit report to identify the amount of gift certificates sold. This is compared to the electronic cashier report. If there are discrepancies, sales audit clerks are required to use the electronic cashier report as the â€Å"correct† report for auditing purposes. The dollar amount of the gift certificates sold is recorded on a monthly gift certificate log and a new running monthly balance is calculated. Any new gift certificates received from the corporate office are recorded on another log and the acknowledgement of receipt (from inside the book) is signed by a member of management and returned to corporate accounting. At the end of the month, records of gift certificate receipts (disbursements from corporate), records of gift certificate sales, and other accounting records are forwarded to corporate accounting for verification after an attempt on the store level for reconciliation. Problems in Corporate AccountingStore managers are responsible for calling and authorizing a book of gift certificates to be dispersed for their store. When this occurs, the gift certificates are retrieved from the vault, the book number is logged, and the dollar value of the book is tentatively charged to the store. When the acknowledgement of receipt from the store is received, it is compared against the store’s records, the charge for the gift certificates is confirmed, and then the acknowledgement is filed away. Once a month, corporate accounting receive sales audit information from the stores and attempts to reconcile, but typically have no better luck than the store level audit clerks. .u2ad8daf666c266f06b2184b32955d711 , .u2ad8daf666c266f06b2184b32955d711 .postImageUrl , .u2ad8daf666c266f06b2184b32955d711 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u2ad8daf666c266f06b2184b32955d711 , .u2ad8daf666c266f06b2184b32955d711:hover , .u2ad8daf666c266f06b2184b32955d711:visited , .u2ad8daf666c266f06b2184b32955d711:active { border:0!important; } .u2ad8daf666c266f06b2184b32955d711 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u2ad8daf666c266f06b2184b32955d711 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u2ad8daf666c266f06b2184b32955d711:active , .u2ad8daf666c266f06b2184b32955d711:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u2ad8daf666c266f06b2184b32955d711 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u2ad8daf666c266f06b2184b32955d711 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u2ad8daf666c266f06b2184b32955d711 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u2ad8daf666c266f06b2184b32955d711 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u2ad8daf666c266f06b2184b32955d711:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u2ad8daf666c266f06b2184b32955d711 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u2ad8daf666c266f06b2184b32955d711 .u2ad8daf666c266f06b2184b32955d711-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u2ad8daf666c266f06b2184b32955d711:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: PCs are Better than Macs for Home Users EssayAnalysis of ProblemIt is very evident that there needs to be a drastic change in the J.C. Penney gift certificate tracking procedure from corporate accounting all the way down to the sales floor. Lax security and control, poor procedures, and inadequate testing of the hardware and software involved has created a very unstable situation with potentially large ramifications. Without quick remedy, potential financial losses could be staggering. In looking at this project, it is important to prioritize the underlying problems that are creating the unstable environment. The areas that need to be addressed are point of sale, sales aud it, and corporate accounting respectively. First, and perhaps the most important, is to look at your sales floor and gain control of your gift certificates. These items are the same as cash and should be treated as such. Gain immediate control of your POS to track sales and establish accountability. Modify your POS, Sales Audit, and Corporate Accounting Procedures to implement tightly coordinated controls over the sale, sales audit, and accounting functions. Second, the inadequacies in the hardware and software need to be addressed. Can minor changes in the configuration of the hardware or minor changes in your software code eliminate potential methods of shrinkage? If not, can there be changes made to the gift certificate design to help eliminate shrinkage? Maybe it would take a combination of both. A definite audit trail of every transaction is a necessity. Give yourself the ability to audit each register transaction by transaction. Once control is achieved on the sales floor, the majority of problems in the back office sales audit area will take care of themselves. It is imperative, however, that a tight control on cash, as well as, gift certificates be maintained. When looking at possible hardware and/or software modifications on the sales floor, be sure to keep in mind that the back office sales audit area might benefit from having the ability to look at information in real time. After attacking the back office sales audit area and getting them lined out procedurally, things should also begin to shape up in the corporate accounting area. If the procedures pertaining to gift certificates on all three levels have been coordinated, cooperation between the different levels will be easier to foster. The gift certificate area of corporate accounting should only be in the business of procuring and dispersing gift certificates to retail stores, verifying sales audit information pertaining to the certificates, and reporting to upper management and other areas, information concerning gift certificate sales and redemption. After reasonable control over the immediate financial instability has been achieved, focus on each individual level that has been identified in the order of importance in more detail. Initially, the focus should have been on creating some security and control, clear lines of communication, consistent procedures and definite audit trails. Now the focal point should be on minute parts of each area of distress and priorities should be established to handle those items. Possible AlternativesIn the point of sale area, the general idea is â€Å"the simpler it is, the harder it is to make a mistake†. The entire POS process should be reviewed in its entirety to identify any areas that can be streamlined. After all, the shorter the line is, the happier the customer is. Can any changes be made in hardware or software configurations that would speed up the process? In this case, a change in software code coupled with a change in the design of the gift certificates to incorporate bar codes that tied a SKU number and a dollar value would certainly seem to make a huge difference on the error rate and make sales audit on the store level and the corporate level much easier. The number of keystrokes required per transaction on the sales floor could also be reduced with this change. The use of real-time POS information would also be beneficial to store management as well as management on the corporate level. .u8e1f45f368afa128821f0f8f5c1765b7 , .u8e1f45f368afa128821f0f8f5c1765b7 .postImageUrl , .u8e1f45f368afa128821f0f8f5c1765b7 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u8e1f45f368afa128821f0f8f5c1765b7 , .u8e1f45f368afa128821f0f8f5c1765b7:hover , .u8e1f45f368afa128821f0f8f5c1765b7:visited , .u8e1f45f368afa128821f0f8f5c1765b7:active { border:0!important; } .u8e1f45f368afa128821f0f8f5c1765b7 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u8e1f45f368afa128821f0f8f5c1765b7 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u8e1f45f368afa128821f0f8f5c1765b7:active , .u8e1f45f368afa128821f0f8f5c1765b7:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u8e1f45f368afa128821f0f8f5c1765b7 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u8e1f45f368afa128821f0f8f5c1765b7 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u8e1f45f368afa128821f0f8f5c1765b7 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u8e1f45f368afa128821f0f8f5c1765b7 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u8e1f45f368afa128821f0f8f5c1765b7:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u8e1f45f368afa128821f0f8f5c1765b7 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u8e1f45f368afa128821f0f8f5c1765b7 .u8e1f45f368afa128821f0f8f5c1765b7-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u8e1f45f368afa128821f0f8f5c1765b7:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Plastic surgery EssayFor the store level sales audit clerks, the sales audit process should be reviewed to see if software code changes (already suggested for POS) could be modified even further to automate the sales audit procedure where gift certificate information would simply be verified on the store level and passed on electronically to the corporate office eliminating the manual accounting. Receiving new gift certificates on the store level would be a simple matter of scanning the new book verifying receipt. No more manual logs. On the corporate accounting level, there would be very little paper generated during the sales audit process. Procurement of gift certificates could be enhanced reducing the on-hand inventory of gift certificates because management would be able to establish trends in gift certificate sales and order accordingly. Security and control would be significantly enhanced, and, theoretically, every gift certificate in circulation could be tracked individually allowing the company to know, at any moment in time, their gift certificate liability. The important thing to remember when you tackle a problem, regardless of the type, size, company, etc., is to involve the people directly affected by the problem in its resolution. Give them â€Å"ownership† of the problem and they will give you all the answers you need to make the most rational and logical decision. Business Essays

Hewlett-Packard Five Forces Analysis Essay Essay Example

Hewlett-Packard Five Forces Analysis Essay Paper Hewlett-Packard or HP as normally known is a taking planetary supplier of merchandises. engineerings. package. solutions. and services to single consumers. small-and-medium-sized concern and big endeavors. including clients in the authorities. wellness and instruction sectors as stated in their 2011 10-K Report. HP was founded in 1939 by William R. Hewlett and David Packard ; started its incorporation in California by 1947 and alter it to Delaware in May 1998. Their concern operations are organized in seven sections. but the undermentioned four are the 1s that generate HP’s greatest net incomes and have a considerable market portion: * The Personal System Group: concern and Consumer PCs. Mobile calculating devices and workstation * Servicess: consulting. outsourcing. and engineering services in substructure. applications. and concern procedure domains * The Imaging and Printing Group: inkjet. LaserJet and Commercial printing. printing providers * Enterprise Business: concern merchandises including storage and waiters. endeavor service. package and networking. The other three are besides HP’s concern sections. but they do non hold every bit much relevancy as the three mentioned above. These include: HP package. HP fiscal services. and Corporate Investments. We will write a custom essay sample on Hewlett-Packard Five Forces Analysis Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Hewlett-Packard Five Forces Analysis Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Hewlett-Packard Five Forces Analysis Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Porter’s Five-Forces Analysis for HP â€Å"To position alteration in the market as an chance to turn ; to utilize our net incomes and our ability to develop and bring forth advanced merchandises. services and solutions that satisfy emerging client demands. HP’s Vision Statement† HP understands that Products Life Cycles are short. and for that ground they must develop new merchandises and services. and heighten their bing 1s to stay efficaciously competitory. They besides realize that their strategic direction is a competitory advantage to future success of the company. Although on a gross footing. HP is the largest company and among the leader in the four concern sections. they acknowledge the competitory environment in each of these sections coming from major corporations that have long-established places. and besides from a big figure of new and quickly growing houses. In order to hold a better apprehension of the company we shall get down by making a thorough analysis of the industry construction that drives competition and profitableness at HP. For this. we will utilize Porter’s Five Competitive Forces Analysis model to find HP’s restraints. growing. and other profitableness drivers that would do us understand more about the engineering industry. 1. Menace of New Entrants Since the engineering industry provides higher net incomes and returns ; it will ensue in pulling many new entrants due to the being of moderate low barriers in the industry. Most companies in the industry have already achieved economic systems of graduated table as a competitory advantage. Some of the factors that new entrants might confront in the industry would be: 1. 1 High Capital Requirement. Technology companies need high capital demands to research and develop new merchandises due to rapid and uninterrupted technological alteration. but these do non forestall competition from come ining the industry. However. in order to bring forth cost efficiencies in order to bring forth net incomes. outsourced fabrication is used and in some instances. third-party OEM’s. Within the imagination and printing section of the concern. there will be much more capital demands since a batch of the parts are more specific to the industry based on their R A ; D degrees and merchandise design. 1. 2 Product Differentiation. The manner HP designed their personal systems and pressmans are geared to be consistent and alone. They have adopted Apples ergonomic keyboard design which some Personal computer makers have non yet done and supply fashionable. customizable forms and designs alone to HP. such as those seen on the dorsum of an HP laptop. This alone consistence helps to retain loyal HP clients and to maintain them on HP merchandise. whether it is a personal computing machine. a pressman. or a camera. New entrants have a changeless demand for engineering betterment to catch the customers’ attending. HP announced recently its desire to come in the package industry. The company realizes that is viing with two large participants who have most of the market portion in the United states: Prophet and Microsoft. this will do it hard for HP to entree this specific industry. These two companies have placed their merchandises and trade name consciousness in the market and they are recognized worldwide. For case the high barrier to entry the market would do HP costs higher to develop a new merchandise and riskier to come in the market in a timely mode. Although HP has customers’ trueness and trade name consciousness. a challenge for HP would be to do its trade name well-known in the really competitory and concentrated package industry. It would be hard for HP have clients dedicated to its trade name. There is presently a strong competition among the established companies that makes it more hard to new entrants to the market. 1. 3 Switch overing Costss. Within the endeavor concern section. there is a high degree of exchanging costs to the companies utilizing HP waiters and package. The decomposition and reintegration of new waiters and package will be expensive to the company utilizing it and puts a barrier on those trying to come in. Since most merchandises are standardize or compatible in the industry. if a new entrant decides to do peripherals entirely for its merchandise line. so consumers’ pockets will endure the downside of it. 1. 4 Supply-side economic systems of graduated table HP ships 48 million Personal computer units yearly and is able to be cost effectual in making custom Personal computer units to single clients every bit good as by supplying standard. low-price units in retail locations and by other distribution agencies. It would be hard for companies to be able to be as cost effectual as HP and still supply the same degree of assortment and customizability in the Personal Systems Group. Furthermore. one out of every three waiters shipped worldwide comes from HP. HP has a big economic system of scale built into endeavor concerns and they provide the substructure necessary for the concern to obtain and keep unafraid information via databases and cloud storage. In other words. they are integrated into other concerns and supply support for their systems including package and proficient support. doing it hard to acquire the endeavor concern to exchange information systems. 2. Menace of Substitute Merchandises The menace of replacement products/services is average. There is moderate low menace of replacement products/services in six out of seven concern sections. In the Personal Systems Group. the biggest menace to consumer Personal computers is the tablet and cell phones. More specifically. they are the biggest replacement for any portable electronic device. capable of making everything a notebook can make and more. The creative activity of the tablet and the usage of cell phones to look into electronic mail and entree the web are get downing to make state of affairss where notebooks are going less and less used since the information needed can be easy pulled up on a phone or tablet. HP has created tablets every bit good. but utilizing their ain package that is 5 or more old ages behind those who presently dominate the tablet market. What makes Apple and Google tablets more resourceful is that even after the fact the consumer will hold to pass clip acquiring used to a full touch screen show and other boring exchanging ordeals. is the simpleness behind the usage of applications by which the consumer can form specific tools of their day-to-day life behind a thin piece of glass and metal. Even though there are significantly low menaces in the other concern sections. the overall menace should be considered medium because the creative activity of the tablet being used on popular and specific package can drive the other sections down when concerns look to utilize package and potentially even hardware for their concern public-service corporations. 3. Dickering Power of Customers – Work In Progress Product Differentiation should be a competitory advantage for HP. since this will impact chiefly the bargaining power of purchasers. HP is one of a smattering of technological companies with an extended portfolio of concerns crossing Personal Computing to Imaging and Printing and Technology Solutions/Software which makes their client base. both current and future. really big. Unlike many of HP’s rivals. HP must apportion resources across their portfolio while viing with companies that specialize in one or more of the same merchandise lines ensuing in less investing in certain sections than rivals. The subsequent consequence of decreasing investings in certain sections is the lowering of monetary values of many merchandises and services to remain competitory particularly in the personal computer science section. Because there are so many participants in the personal computer science sphere whom are all competing for larger parts of market portion. they are willing to cut down their gross borders and cut costs which increase the competitory monetary value force per unit area. For many personal computer science companies. cutting cost is easy due to the fact that they chiefly are focused on cost effectivity. while HP focuses on invention. With a focal point on invention there comes research and development and its related costs. HP spends a proportionally greater sum on research and development ( $ 3. 2 billion in 2011 ) than some of its rivals. therefore increasing its cost construction. which consequences in unfavourable monetary value points for clients. The effect is a client base willing to buy from a rival. Because of the broad array of rivals using. more or less. the same package. it becomes a Numberss game and consumers tend to be highly monetary value medium. 4. Dickering Power of Suppliers- Work in Process HP depends on third-party providers for constituents. merchandises and services. The company’s ability to function its client at a competitory monetary value depends on its suppliers’ ability to present sufficient measures of quality constituents. merchandises and services at sensible monetary values in clip to run into agendas. The company’s broad assortment of systems. merchandises and services require it to beginning from the big figure of providers and contract makers that are dispersed across the Earth. and the long lead times that are required to fabricate. assemble and present certain constituents and merchandises. There could be other provider jobs that the company may confront including component deficits. extra supply. hazards related to the footings of contracts with providers. hazards associated with contingent workers. and hazards related to its relationships with individual beginning providers. An illustration of a provider with strong bargaining power would be Intel. HP would be in a really hard place since most PC’s proprietors prefer Intel trade name as their chief processor. This would set HP in a weak place and this is the chief ground why others in the concern have their ruin by non holding a weak power of bargaining among providers like Intel. For case. replacing a individual beginning provider may detain production of some merchandises as replacing providers ab initio may be capable to capacity restraints or other end product restrictions. For some constituents. such as customized constituents and some of the processors that HP obtains from Intel. alternate beginnings may non be or those alternate beginnings may be unable to bring forth the measures of those constituents necessary to fulfill the company’s production demands. In add-on. the company sometimes purchases constituents from individual beginning providers under short-run understandings that contain favourable pricing and other footings. but that may be one-sidedly modified or terminated by the provider with limited notice and with small or no punishment. Dependence on third-party providers exposes the company to put on the line associated with its ability to pull off providers decently. The company’s inability to pull off providers decently may impact its operating public presentation and trade name value. 5. Competitive Rivalry within an Industry The strength of competition in the engineering industry is great due to the great figure of participants in the market. HP competes on the footing of monetary value. quality. trade name. engineering. repute. distributions and scope of merchandise. HP challengers are well-known established companies that are really aggressive in all countries of their concern activities: * HP competes straight with Toshiba. Lenovo Group and Aver in the personal system group concern section. * In term of endeavor waiter and storage. IBM is the biggest rival. * Canon USA. Lexmark International. Xerox corporate. and Samsung are rivals in imaging and publishing countries. * In add-on. HP besides faced the competition from re-manufacturers such as Lexmark. HP merchandise life‘s rhythm are short. therefore it must stay competitory by developing new merchandises and services sporadically. HP‘s competitory advantages include its wide merchandise portfolio. its’ invention and research and de velopment capablenesss. its’ ability to cross-sell its’ portfolio of offerings and the handiness of broad-based distribution of merchandises from retail and commercial channels to direct gross revenues.

Free Essays on H. Rider Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines, As A Perspective On Late-Victorian Imperialism

The late nineteenth century in Europe is most familiarly characterized as an age of Victorianism. Queen Victoria, the source of the term, reigning and living from 1837 until 1901, had much influence on the people of the time, as well as their cultures and lifestyles. Victorianism is described as having a sense of duty and respectability. Along with Victorianism, neo-imperialism describes the reign of Queen Victoria throughout the late nineteenth century. Characteristics of neo-imperialism and Victorianism are reflected through H. Rider Haggard’s 1885 novel, King Solomon’s Mines. Written as an adventure story, this novel serves as a window to see through to late-Victorian imperialism that outlined British and European capitalism in 1870s and 1880s South Africa. With the first Industrial Revolution in Europe from 1750 to 1850, many jobs were becoming available all over Europe. With this Europeans began to expand their territories and settle as much of the land as possible. Consequentially these countries wanted more land and more power. This idea defines the term imperialism, the tendency of countries to expand their claims to more land, with was first apparent in North and South America. In the late nineteenth century and be describes as exploring neo-imperialism, in which countries began to explore the continents of Africa and parts of Asia. European interest in Africa arose with the British missionary, Dr. Livingston, born in 1813. As a missionary, Dr. Livingston went into Africa which at the time was called the â€Å"dark continent.† This term was giving to the inner plains of Africa because at the time people were only familiar with the coasts of Africa because of slave trades. Little was known about this mysterious contin ent at this point in history. His goal in Africa was to â€Å"Christianize† the Africans. As he did this while traveling he subconsciously taught the world about Africa. Also, Livingston was obsess... Free Essays on H. Rider Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines, As A Perspective On Late-Victorian Imperialism Free Essays on H. Rider Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines, As A Perspective On Late-Victorian Imperialism The late nineteenth century in Europe is most familiarly characterized as an age of Victorianism. Queen Victoria, the source of the term, reigning and living from 1837 until 1901, had much influence on the people of the time, as well as their cultures and lifestyles. Victorianism is described as having a sense of duty and respectability. Along with Victorianism, neo-imperialism describes the reign of Queen Victoria throughout the late nineteenth century. Characteristics of neo-imperialism and Victorianism are reflected through H. Rider Haggard’s 1885 novel, King Solomon’s Mines. Written as an adventure story, this novel serves as a window to see through to late-Victorian imperialism that outlined British and European capitalism in 1870s and 1880s South Africa. With the first Industrial Revolution in Europe from 1750 to 1850, many jobs were becoming available all over Europe. With this Europeans began to expand their territories and settle as much of the land as possible. Consequentially these countries wanted more land and more power. This idea defines the term imperialism, the tendency of countries to expand their claims to more land, with was first apparent in North and South America. In the late nineteenth century and be describes as exploring neo-imperialism, in which countries began to explore the continents of Africa and parts of Asia. European interest in Africa arose with the British missionary, Dr. Livingston, born in 1813. As a missionary, Dr. Livingston went into Africa which at the time was called the â€Å"dark continent.† This term was giving to the inner plains of Africa because at the time people were only familiar with the coasts of Africa because of slave trades. Little was known about this mysterious contin ent at this point in history. His goal in Africa was to â€Å"Christianize† the Africans. As he did this while traveling he subconsciously taught the world about Africa. Also, Livingston was obsess...