Investigating business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 4

Investigating business - Assignment Example Started by Jack Cohen as a sole proprietor business, the business attained developments after the entrepreneur built a warehouse and headquarter in north London. After being registered as a private company in 1932, new developments followed after floating the company’s stocks in the stock market in 1947 (Pinto, 2012, pg.13). The company continued with its expansionary zeal by buying competitors shops. By 1970, the company developed its operations and the chain supermarkets became a household name throughout the United Kingdom (U.K). The company’s reputation developed through provision of basic groceries at competitive prices. With time, the company introduced luxury goods as people earned better incomes. By 1980s, the company continued to the building new stores recording a hundred stores by 1985. The company’s vision of expansion on different consumer products continued through investing in different fields making it the largest independent retailer in the petro l industry by 1991 (Peterson, 2012, pg. 11). The company’s aims and objectives of reaching out to the wider customers ensure developing new customer-focused initiatives as well as other stores in different localities. Advancements in new customer-initiatives enhanced introduction of the customer loyalty card. Other developments ensure the company delivers the best customer products and the first company to introduce a healthy eating initiative. The healthy eating symbol branded the nutritional products thus making the company the first largest retailer to emphasize on nutritional value of the company’s brands to its customers. The company also maintains its expansion of retailing services through forming joint ventures and acquisitions. For example, the company joined with the Royal Bank in Scotland to enhance offering a variety of financial services. Consequently, the company introduced a visa card to enhance customer efficiency. The company currently offers a range o f financial

Relationship Between Cultural Consumption, Identity And Holidays Essay

Relationship Between Cultural Consumption, Identity And Holidays - Essay Example The research and subsequent analysis of data clearly indicated that choice of holiday destinations depended largely on the cultural trend of the society under consideration. Members of a society made choices in accordance with the human values that were attributed to various destinations and it was further confirmed that human values played a much more decisive role in collectivist societies than in individualistic societies. Thus this study also brings to light the most pertinent fact that a proper analysis of subjective trends in a culture is absolutely imperative if one were to form clear predictive perceptions about how people transfer value to their environment and how they make their consumption choices. The commercial lesson that can be obtained from this study is that these findings must be kept in mind when formulating campaigns to attract tourists from various societies having various biases and any product or service that can be placed favourably with respect to the percep tions of that particular society will quite obviously get a very positive reception from large sections of the society. This report makes the conclusions drawn above apply for a large majority of members in different societies, there will always be individual members in every society who would defy the norms and set out their own agenda. Thus never be surprised if you see a Brazilian skiing down an especially tricky mountain slope in the Alps or hitch hiking along country roads of Cambodia.

Credit Crunch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Credit Crunch - Essay Example This paper briefly analyses the major reasons for the credit crunch started in the last year. The major reason for the current financial crisis is the unwise lending habits of the financial institutions like banks. â€Å"Banks found ways to increase the number of mortgage loans through strategies such as interest only mortgages, 100% mortgages and lending to people with poor credit histories† (Who is to Blame for Credit Crunch?). American public have the habit of spending all the money they earned without saving anything for the future. When they are need of money they approached the banks and the banks were ready to give them loans as much as they required, without assessing their financial capabilities. Banks never calculated that an economic crisis like the current one may happen in near future. The banks thought that the global economy is a renewable source. They consider it as an ocean of wealth which will never be exhausted. The allocation of resources in the case of a bank is mainly the loans of different forms to the customers. This allocation has not been don e properly by the banks. They have allotted loans to all the people irrespective of the financial strengths of the customers. They have not conducted any reviews to assess the financial setups of the customer at present and also they failed to forecast the future. On the other hand, the greedy customers accepted all the offers from the banks with both hands. They have approached the banks for everything and the banks were ready to fulfill their dreams. The banks were too focused on selling their goods or services rather than buying the goods or services. They thought the success of banking business rest on selling rather than purchasing. They never bothered too much about the returns against the services they provided. In their opinion, American economy was capable of facing any challenges or threats from the

Scene analysis of the movie Making of an American Citizen Review

Scene analysis of the Making of an American Citizen - Movie Review Example It is important to understand and analyze one of the scenes that capture the feministic nature of Blache’s work. The scene that will be analyzed is titled, In The Land of Freedom, His First Lesson in Americanism. The Scene like the rest of the film is a silent film in black and white. The scene and the whole film is accompanied by instrumental music and the sound of the violin can be easily heard. This helps in creating a dramatic feel of the film. The first shot of the camera is a still shot on a busy street with people moving up and down. The Camera is very near to the people on focus that the ratio of the shot is nearly equal to the view. The objects of focus are captured in full view and they can be seen to be very near the camera. The camera pans and the shot focus on Ivan Orloff and his wife who is carrying a huge sack while Ivan walks admiring the new environment. The camera pans horizontally to show Ivan holding a stick while pushing his wife like a mule amidst the cro wd that stares at him. The next camera shot is a still shot which shows Orloff and his wife getting lost in the crowd behind the camera. The camera turns its focus to the other people who are better dressed with their wives while at the same time, their wives are shown to be happy and walking hand in hand with the husbands. The camera remains still as the people move across it with the aspect ratio of the shot being normal. There is a cut in the scene and the next shot shows Ivan Orloff with his wife on a dockyuard. The wife is shown to be tired as she drops the sack she had been carrying on the ground. Ivan is shown to abuse his wife as he raises the whip to beat her like a mule. In the background of the shot, a steam or ship passes across the focus of the shot. The distance between the camera and the objects of focus is a bit more compared to the previous shots. As he pokes the stick on his wife, the focus of the camera captures the moment while the steamboat passes in the backgro und. A well-clad gentleman walks and stops Ivan from tormenting his wife. The camera slightly pans from the right to the left to capture the whole scene. The gentleman is an American and he is wearing a suit which makes the distinction between Ivan’s ruffian look and behavior and that of an American citizen. The focus of the camera remains on the three objects with the background clear. The American gentleman is shown to be talking and convincing Ivan not to treat his wife like a mule. The shot concentrates on the three as the gentleman offers a helping hand to the Ivan’s wife. He then lifts the sack and gives it to Ivan to carry. Ivan is reluctant while he tries to imply that his wife should carry the load. After more convincing, the focus shows Ivan accepting to carry the load while his wife is given the stick, which Ivan had been using to treat her like a mule. The wife is also shown to be reluctant to take the stick but she is forced by the American gentleman to us e the stick to drive Ivan in front. The scene is cut with Ivan and his wife being pushed to walk away with the interchanged roles. The neighbors are shocked to see Ivan in the next shot carrying the sack while entering the building. Blache uses still and slightly panned shots in the scene to enable her create an effective and artistic production. The Scene helps to show how a ruffian is taught several lessons on adapting to

Journal of learning style Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Journal of learning style - Essay Example I decided to begin with a short ‘Study Skills Assessment’ questionnaire provided on-line by Columbia Basin University (Appendix 1), containing fifty-six questions; received feedback indicates that I could improve strategies used for reading as well as for concentration and memory. Thinking about this I wrote up a personal SWOT analysis in an attempt to find further evidence of my strengths and weaknesses. I found a downloadable example from Bristol Business School, belonging to the University of Western England (Appendix 2), which helped me with the questions I should ask myself. This exercise proved quite time consuming and needed much effort on my part to really think about and answer each question as fully and as honestly as I could; nevertheless I did persevere and ascertained my strengths as an outgoing, imaginative and very personable at a social level. My weaknesses include writing, especially long assignments or reports – this Journal assignment is not too difficult because it is broken into manageable sections, oral presentations and making decisions. The most useful aspect of this task was that it induced me to really think about my strengths and weaknesses, as well as any considered threats and how I intended to deal with them. Next I completed a learning approaches questionnaire (based on Approaches to Study Inventory (Tait & Entwistle 1996) and provided on-line by Bournemouth University (Appendix 3). Results indicate that I have a surface/passive approach to learning and that I tend to reproduce information and try to memorize subject matter rather than delving further or seeking to extend that information, that I keep closely to the syllabus provided by the lecturers and do not follow up interest of my own. At this point I wanted to know more, so because a discussion on learning styles is a component of this Learning Journal, I decided to spend time researching learning styles and

Zara Technoligy can Change Everything Term Paper

Zara Technoligy can Change Everything - Term Paper Example So he integrated forward, opening the first Zara store in La Coruna in 1975(Mcafee et al., 2007, p.3). The growth of Zara was phenomenal since its establishment in 1975. The success of first Zara store encouraged Ortega to open more clothing stores across Spain. It is often said that the innovation and ability to produce new products and services are decisive factors in boosting the growth of an organization. Zara did succeed in introducing new clothing products and trends in the market quite rapidly. Moreover, Ortega gave more emphasize to the production of new designs based on the rapidly changing industry trends, which helped him to compete effectively in the market. 1985 was a year which has huge importance in the history of Zara. Two major events occurred in this year that changed the entire face of the company. â€Å"First, Inditex (Industria de Diseno Textil) was formed as a holding company atop Zara, other retail chains and a network of internally owned suppliers. Second, Jo se Maria Castellano Rios joined the company† (Mcafee et al., 2007, p.3). Being an expert in IT, Castellano did everything possible to incorporate computer related technologies at every corners of the company. He had realized that without computers and internet, no industry can look forward and he changed the face of the company from a low end clothing company to a high end technology based clothing company. It should be noted that the net margin of Inditex increased from 7.21% to 11.2% during the period of 1996 to 2002 (Mcafee et al., 2007, p.16). The above statistics clearly suggest that the company is growing in the right direction since the introduction as a result of the innovative business strategies and the judicious use of technology in all the functional departments. â€Å"At the beginning of 2003, Inditex operated 1,558 stores in 45 countries, of which nearly 550 were part of the Zara chain. For its fiscal-year 2002, Inditex had posted a net income of A438 millionâ⠂¬  (Mcafee et al., 2007, p.5). The growth of Zara can be better understood with the help of Michael Porter’s five forces model. Zara and Porter’s five forces model Michael Porter’s famous five forces model is used extensively at present in business sectors to analyze the competitive power of an organization in the market. It helps business people to realize their strengths and weaknesses. Since market is changing rapidly because of the rapid technological growth, no organization can secure their top spot in the market, if they are reluctant in making periodical changes in their business strategies. For example, the rivalry between Apple and Microsoft is famous. Even though Microsoft concentrated only in the operating system market, Apple diversified its portfolios to many other fields and they became the most valuable technology company in the world at present, pushing Microsoft far behind. In other words, organizations should make changes in their business st rategies based on the changes in the market in order to keep their competitive power intact all the time. Porter’s five force model helps organizations to measure their competitive power at a given time period. Porter model can be used to foresee the future threats and opportunities and the organizations can plan well accordingly. According to Michael Porter, five competitive forces that may affect an organization are; Threat of substitute products, Threat of new entrants, Intense rivalry among existing players, Bargaining power of suppliers and Bargaining power of Buyers (Porter’s Five Forces Model, 2009). The following illustration makes these points clearer. (Porter’

How HIPAA Violations Affect the Medical Billing Process Essay Example for Free

How HIPAA Violations Affect the Medical Billing Process Essay When you hear HIV you always think of Aids are they the same or is there a difference. HIPAA Privacy Rule: HIPAA is a federal law that: †¢Protects the patients’ privacy with their medical records and other health information provided to health plans, hospital, doctors and all other health care providers. †¢Allows the patient access to their medical records. †¢It gives the patient rights to how their personal information is used and exposed. HIPAA has proven to be very successful in stopping discrimination against the people diagnosed with HIV and Aids by preventing anyone from knowing about their HIV and Aids status. In the year 2000 laboratories and doctors are required by law to report to their State Health Department all cases of HIV and Aids. They are reported to better measure the HIV and Aids epidemic, and how it is changing and to create programs for HIV and Aids prevention and offer medical which best serve affected people and their communities. All this information is protected by confidentiality laws. Under this law identifying information regarding who has HIV and Aids can only be used to help the State Health Department track the epidemic and for partner notification this information cannot be shared with immigration and naturalization Service (INS), police, welfare agencies, landlords, employers and insurance companies. The National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues guidelines influencing states to collect and report the data on HIV and Aids so they can track the epidemic on a national basis. The state health department will then remove all the personal information (name, address, etc.) from your test results and send the information to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Over the next several years HIV and Aids data will become the basis for funding formulas which will allocate federal money for care treatment under The Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act.  This is the largest federally funded program in the United States for people living with HIV and AIDS. This act reaches hundreds of thousands of people every year with medical care, drugs, and support services. The program requires that health departments receiving money from the Ryan White program show â€Å"good faith† efforts to notify the marriage partners of a patient with HIV and AIDS. (www.Aids.gov) HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus that attacks the T-cells in the immune system. This illness changes their immune system making people very vulnerable to diseases and infections. This condition worsens as it progresses corresponding to research the origins to this disease dates back to the late 19th or early 20th century in Western Central Africa. In 2008 worldwide there were †¢33.4 million People living with HIV and AIDS. †¢2.7 new HIV infections †¢2 million deaths from AIDS The disease was identified in the 1980s, and there is now known cure, but treatments and medicine can slow the course of the disease. The newest drug combination drug therapy can cost up to $20,000 in U.S. dollars a year. HIV is found in body fluids like semen and vaginal fluids, blood and breast mild. And can be passed through blood-to-blood and also sexual contact. Women can pass this to their babies through pregnancy, childbirth, and through breast milk. AIDS is (acquired immune deficiency syndrome or immunodeficiency syndrome). AIDS is the disease caused by the HIV virus AIDS is the syndrome that appear in the advance stages of HIV infection, AIDS is a medical condition derived from HIV. HIV and AIDS are the same AIDS is the outdated name and HIV is the correct name. There are three recognized ethical principles that apply to clinical and research ethics: †¢Respect refers to respecting the decisions of autonomous people and protecting the ones who lack decision making capacity and therefore are not autonomous and imposes a positive obligation to treat people with respect by keeping this information confident and keeping promises. †¢Beneficence imposes a positive obligation of the best interest of the patient. †¢Justice requires people to be treated fairly and often requires that benefits and burdens to be distributed fairly within society. Privacy is critical  when it comes to HIV and AIDS, because of the sensitivity of HIV related information most patients don’t want to share this private and personal aspect of their life because it involves their sexual behavior or substance abuse. This information can lead to stigmatization this can cause patients to worry about their privacy being protected, and they may be hesitant to see a doctor or remain in the care of a physician. It is vital to have health care providers express that they are committed to securing patient privacy. The law gives certain protection to or conditions. Electronic systems need to be able to identify and manage this data appropriately. HIV and AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases are a whole different category with special privacy concerns. When releasing HIV and AIDS records for other purposes it is necessary to identify testing and treatment for these conditions through the use of red flags or warning messages. The electronic system simplifies exclusion or segregation of HIV test results to protect against release without patients proper consent from the patient. Preferably a system will also flag treatment of HIV and Aids when producing copies of records. EHR systems must provide mechanisms that enable facilities that extra layer of protection for this information required under 42 CFR, Part 2 requires patient consent for disclosures of protected health information even for the purpose of treatment this consent must be in writing. When a health care provider providers care to an HIV and AIDS patient they seem to be walking and ethical tightrope even when they are aware of protocol about disclosing HIV status simple assumptions and carelessness can lead to devastating consequences for the patient and also legal ramifications. There are some things a health care worker can do on their own to protect private information while at work. †¢Turn off your computer when you walk away or not in use. †¢Set your computer with passwords to get access to confidential files. †¢Use a system that will trace who accesses confidential informatio n. †¢Become familiar with the law train employees in proper disclosure protocol. †¢Never discusses a patients HIV and AIDS status. Social ramifications exist if HIV and AIDS information is announced improperly. If a patients friends discover he or she has HIV and AIDS they won’t want to be around them due to the fear of catching the disease people  will start to gossip spreading this private information destructing the life of the infected person. They will undoubtedly be treated differently. He or she could have difficulty finding employment if the employer finds out about the disease because of inappropriate disclosure of medical information. If a person is living with HIV and Aids you are protected against discrimination under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). Under these laws, discrimination means that you are not allowed to participate in a service that is offered to others or you are denied a benefit, because of your HIV disease. ( http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/just-diagnosed-with-hiv-aids/your-legal-rights/civil-rights/index.html ) HIV and AIDS in the workplace gets larger each year, because it affects people between ages 25 – 44 and they make up 50% of our 121% million workers. There are laws to protect people with HIV and AIDS in the workplace. †¢Americans with Disabilities act of 1990 (ADA) does not allow employment discrimination because of disability and covers businesses with 15 or more employees. †¢Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Federal and state governments work with more than 100 million working men and women and 6.5 million employers. †¢The Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) this act to the private-sector of employers of 50 or more employees and within a 75 mile radius of their worksite. A person is entitled to a total of 12 weeks of job protected unpaid leave in a 12 month period. †¢The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Addresses obstacles to healthcare you can face if you are HIV and AIDs positive. Protecting you discriminatory treatment from your insurance company, and also protects your privacy rights. †¢The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation act of 1986 (COBRA). This law allows employees the option to keep their health insurance at their own expense after getting laid off, fired from a job. Allowing them to purchase health insurance for a period up to 36 months. HIV and AIDS not only hurt people with the disease but also their families and families. According to the International Labor Organization believes that by the year 2020 HIV and AIDS will lower the workforce by 24 million people. This will cost the workforce higher costs of medical insurance as well as work absences related to health, hiring and costs of retraining.