Tuesday, December 24, 2019

The Sleep Deprivation Epidemic Is Affecting Teenagers...

The purpose of this research is to explore the sleep deprivation epidemic currently affecting teenagers across the country. A study was conducted through the use of survey research on a group of students at Knightdale High School of Collaborative Design which asked questions regarding their current sleeping habits, and its affect on their academic performance. Questions considering other outside factors contributing to the lack of sleep of students were also included. 271 students participated in the survey spanning grade levels 9 to 12. The results of the study were that the majority of the students did not get the widely recommended 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night for teenagers, and the majority of those who did not also believed that†¦show more content†¦In addition, sleep is critical for decision making and critical thinking (Gilbert Weaver, 2010). Adolescents need to sleep the recommended amounts of time to be able to function at their optimum level. They are unable t o think as clearly or perform at the highest level in sports, school, or at work when they are tired (â€Å"Sleep and Teens†, n.d.). Sleep has been an important topic of research for many years. Early sleep literature only reported observations from sleep habits to compare and contrast with the data taken from the wake state. Before the majority of the science behind sleep was discovered, it was assumed that sleep was when the brain â€Å"turned off† and was in an entirely homogeneous state (Dement, 1998). Slowly, advancements were made in the study of sleep, including in 1729 when Jean Jacques d’Ortous deMairan demonstrated the persistence of circadian rhythms and in 1877 when narcolepsy was first described in medical literature (Dement, 1998; â€Å"Sleep Research Timeline†, 2017). Sleep research has since become much more advanced and is progressing quickly. One aspect of this research also included how sleep deprivation can affect academic performance. It is has been proven many times and with a variety of studies that sleep deprivation negatively impacts academic performance. The implication is that if these students are staying up later, their grades should be suffering. There are direct connections between rapid eyeShow MoreRelatedSummary : Investigative Journalism Essay952 Words   |  4 PagesSavannah Hamman Ms. Falbo Investigative Journalism 21 October 2016 Sleep and Students She woke up and stretched the stiffness from her limbs as she glanced at the clock, squinting through the blur of her tired eyes. 6:30 am, it read back to her, she sighed as she inched her way out of bed, not wanting to reach the edge and just stay in the warmth of her cozy sheets all day. When she finally stumbled into school, the students all around her were exactly the same. They walked the halls onlyRead MoreCauses Of Sleep Deprivation And Its Effects2487 Words   |  10 PagesMay, 2015 The Causes of Sleep Deprivation and Its Effects Do you know the importance of sleep? Do you know what sleep deprivation can do to you? Sleep deprivation is a terrible disorder that is caused by a lack of sleep. When you are up all night watching TV, or at work late and get home late but have to get up soon to start your day you are on the path of sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation is a consequence of not sleeping, which results in bad health. Sleep deprivation is a serious problem becauseRead MoreMarketing Mistakes and Successes175322 Words   |  702 Pagescreated a mystique for its heavy motorcycles and gained new customers. And its Rallies are something else again. The comeback of Continental Airlines from extreme adversity and devastated employee morale to become one of the best airlines in the country is an achievement of no small moment. New CEO Gordon Bethune brought marketing and human relations skills to one of the most rapid turnarounds ever, overcoming a decade of raucous adversarial labor relations and a reputation in the pits. Marketing

Monday, December 16, 2019

Best Buy Case Study Free Essays

ESLSCA: GROUP 39D | | | | |Best Buy Co. , Inc. pic] | |Strategic Audit | |August 2012 | | | | | Presented to Dr. We will write a custom essay sample on Best Buy Case Study or any similar topic only for you Order Now Sanya EL Galaly Table of Contents About Best Buy Co. , Inc4 Best Buy’s History4 1. Current Situation5 A. Current Performance5 B. Strategic Posture5 . Mission5 2. Objectives5 3. Strategies5 4. Policies6 II. Strategic Managers6 A. Board Members6 B. Top Management7 III. Market Overview7 IV. External Environment8 2. Natural Environment8 2. Social Environment8 2. 1. Economic8 2. 2. Technological8 2. 3. Political–Legal8 2. 4. Sociocultural8 3. Task Environment9 V. Internal Environment9 1. Corporate Structure9 2. Corporate Culture9 3. Corporate Resources9 3. 1. Marketing9 3. 2. Finance9 3. 3. RD10 3. 4. Operations10 3. 5. Human Resources10 3. 6. Information Systems10 VI. Analysis of Strategic Factors10 . Situational Analysis (SWOT) (SFAS Matrix; see Exhibit 3)11 1. 1. Situational Analysis11 1. 1. 1. Summary of Internal Factors11 1. 1. 2. Summary of External Factors11 1. 1. 3. Review of Mission and Objectives11 VII. Strategic Alternatives and Recommended Strategy12 1. Corporat e Strategy12 2. 1. Growth Strategy12 2. 2. Stability Strategy13 2. 3. Retrenchment Strategy13 3. Business Strategy13 3. 1. Cost Leadership Strategy13 3. 2. Differentiation Strategy14 4. Financial Positions14 4. 1. Best Buy Income Statement as of 2009-201214 4. 2. Best Buy Balance Sheet as of 2009-201211 4. 3. Cash Flow Statement for period ended in 2011-201212 B. Recommended Strategy14 VIII. Implementation14 IX. Evaluation and Control14 X. List of Tables15 Exhibit #1 Ratio Analysis Table15 Exhibit #2 IFAS16 Exhibit #3: EFAS17 Exhibit #4: SFAS18 Exhibit #5: TWOS Matrix19 Exhibit #6 IFinancial Position Documents20 About Best Buy Co. , Inc. Best Buy Co. , Inc. (NYSE:BBY) Headquartered IN Richfield, Minnesota, is a leading multi-channel global retailer and developer of technology products and services. 1,100 stores in U. S (21% Market Share), also operated over 2,800 stores global (Canada, Mexico, China and Turkey), 170,000 employees whom are committed to helping deliver the technology solutions that enable easy access to people, knowledge, ideas and fun. The company’s subsidiaries such Geek Squad, Magnolia Audio Video, and Pacific Sales, and operated under both name Best Buy Future Shop labels In CANADA People at BB are aware of their role and impact on the world, and are committed to developing and implementing business strategies that bring sustainable technology solutions to consumers and communities. For information about Best Buy, visit www. bby. com and to shop at Best Buy, visit www. bestbuy. com. Best Buy’s History: In 1966 Best Buy incorporated with original name as Sound of music, the company started as a retailer of audio components and expanded to retailing video products in the early 1980s with the introduction of the videocassette recorder to its product line. In 1983 Best Buy name has been changed to Best Buy Co. Inc. (Best Buy). Shortly thereafter, Best Buy began operating its existing stores under a â€Å"superstore† concept by expanding product offerings and using mass marketing techniques to promote those products. Since 1989 the company altered the function of sales staff structure (policy) dramatically to be transformed from commission basis oriented to be educators and customer assist oriented. Simply sales mission was to generate sales but now changed to answer customer’s question to help for decide which product fit for their needs. In 2000 the company step up to Market space by launched: BestBuy. com (online retail store), which is very important for BB’s customers thus expanding among them to access to store easily without physical visit. I. Current Situation: A. Current performance Volatility of financial position, declining in company’s income compared with last fiscal year, increasing debts as well as operating costs ? Facing increased fears competition ? Raising in operational costs and increasing in debt reducing liquidity of cash. ? Adverse economic climate and financial stress (declining in net income) B. Strategic Posture Mission ? To make technology deliver on its promises to customer ? Keeping customers centered in technological changes â€Å"To make life fun and easy†. To improve customer’s awareness of their needs. Objective ? The top objective of company were sustained growth and earnings (growth oriented) ? Differentiation in retail industry by present unique product service that customer never get before. ? Keeping cost down without sacrificing customer experience given by Best Buy. Strategies ? Developed in 1966 as (a low price strategy) and moved to be service-oriented firm (differ entiation strategy) in 1989. ? Global national growth through acquisition and alliance with Car phone Warehouse Group, UK. Use its economies scale with over 1,000 locations to obtain cost advantage from suppliers due to high quantity of orders, also increase its Advertising budget for massive campaigns In order to cove over entry market barriers. ? Having multiple brands for different customer lifestyles through MA merge and Acquisition. ? Providing customers with highly trained sales associates who available to educate customers regarding product features. ? Construct a diversified portfolio of product offerings by building a significant customer data-base (Customer centricity model) Policies Growth oriented by expansion vertically horizontally. ? Cost reduction is very important (restructure commission sales scheme, shipping the correct inventory to the correct locations). ? Training educate employees regularly, promotion from within at all levels. ? Rapidly response to externa l change. II. Strategic Mangers A. Board Of Directors ? Sixteen members –three are outsider. ? Chairman and founder (Richard M. Schulze), his beneficial ownership of 17. 1 % ? Brian Dunn as Previous CEO, Currently (Mike Mikan) as Interim CEO of Best Buy, who has been Director since 2008. All directors and executive officers as a group, and each person we know who beneficially owns more than 5% of the outstanding shares of Best Buy common stock. [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] Richard Shultze Mike Mikan Shari Ballard Jim Muehlbauer Carol Surface Founder, Chairman Interim CEO President International CFO VP, Chief HR Enterprise EVP B. Top Management The two former CEO’s was Richar Shultze and Brad Anderson, but recently Brad stepping down, Brian Dunn replaced, and now replaced with Interim CEO. ? June 7, 2012  Ã¢â‚¬â€ The board of directors of Best Buy Co. , Inc. (NYSE:BBY) today announced the appointment of Hatim A. Tyabji as chairman of the Company, effective immediat ely. Mr. Tyabji, currently Chairman of the Audit Committee, has served as a director since 1998. ? Top managers are recently promoted internally and externally hired ? Top Mangers whom : Richard Shultze: Founder Chairman. G. Mike Mikan : Interim CEO Shari Ballard : President, International and Enterprise EVP. Jim Muehlbauer: Executive VP. And CFO. ? Top management members are very experienced in Industry III. Market Overview The Best Buy family of brands and partnerships collectively generates more than $49 billion in annual revenue and includes brands such as †¢ Best Buy; †¢ Best Buy Mobile; †¢ Audio visions; †¢ The Carphone Warehouse; †¢ Future Shop; †¢ Geek Squad; †¢ Jiangsu Five Star; †¢ Magnolia Audio Video; †¢ Napster; †¢ Pacific Sales; and The Phone House. Community partnership is central to the way Best Buy does business. In fiscal 2010, the company donated a combined $25. 2 million to improve the vitality of the communities where best Buy employees and customers live and work. Strategic priorities focus on growth opportunities, operations, and improved international returns. IV. External Environment (EFAS TABLE; see Exhibit 1) Natural Environment 1. Global warming that increasing by emissions of technology usage. (T) 2. Energy availability a growing problem. (T) Societal Environment 1. Economic a. Unstable economy (stumble) along with eliminate of consumer expends. (T) b. Individual economies becoming interconnected into a world economy. (O) c. Financial crisis that hit EU, might be essential reason to eliminate the Investment in Euro zone. (T) 2. Technological a. IT communication revolution. (O) b. Entering computerization at all fields such â€Å"Manufacturing, business, Agriculture,†¦etc. † (O) c. Trend of social media online digital marketing. (O) 3. Political-Legal a. NAFTA, EFTA, and other agreements between countries to free trading cycle are opening doors to penetrate markets in Latin America and other emerging markets. (O) b. Regulations of Federal Reserve Bank that effect on retail sector’s credit systems. (T) c. Environmentalism being reflected in Laws on pollution and energy usage. (T) 4. Socio Cultural a. Decreasing of unemployment rate which is indicator of increasing of families income then Expands rate. (O) b. Transforming in purchasing behavior from market place to market space. (T) c. Trend of using digital devises rather than paper blocks for daily functions such â€Å"news, reading books, schedule organizer,†¦etc†. (O) d. Trend to value for money as a concept of consumers behavior. (T) Task Environment 1. North American market mature and extremely competitive—vigilant consumers demand high quality with low price in safe, environmentally sound products. (T) 2. Industry going global as North American and European firms expands internationally. (T) 3. Rivalry High. GameStop Corp, Amazon. com, Wal-Mart expanding into consumer electronics and stepping price competition†¦ (T) 4. Buyers’ Power Law. Technology and materials can be sourced worldwide. (O) 5. Power of Other Stakeholders Medium. Quality, safety, environmental regulations increasing. (T) 6. Entry Barriers High. New entrants unlikely except for large international firms. T) V. Internal Environment (IFAS Table; See Exhibit 2) (IFAS Table; See Exhibit 2) A. Corporate Structure 1. Good Domestic Management through separating the Market into Eight territories each is Divided into Districts (S) 2. Best Buy had an international operation Segment (S) B. Corporate Culture 1. Every employee must have the company’s v ision embedded in their service and attitude (S) 2. Best Buy had a reputation for retaining talent and was widely recognized for its superior service (S) C. Corporate Resources 1. Marketing a. Using Customer Centricity Model to market various products (S) b. Supply products that address the needs of Customer (S) c. Meet Customer Needs through End to end Solutions (S) d. More training to BestBuy Employees help it supply customer with Knowledge service which is A Value added Service (S) 2. Finance (See Exhibits 4 and 5 â€Å"Ratios cash flows† ) a. Increase in Long Term Debt from fiscal 2008 to 2009 (W) b. After the Acquisition of Napster and BestBuy Europe Decrease in Available Cash in 2009 (W) c. Increase in Company Total Assets and Revenues due to Successful Acquisitions (S) d. Declining in the Net Income and operating Margin (W) e. The Risk of Having Bad Debts Due to increase in inventory and increase of Revenues However it’s not matching the Big increase in Account receivable (W) 3. R a. Best Buy is Willing to participate in tests of New products (with limited cost to company) (W) 4. Operations a. Increasing Revenues By growing its Customer Base and Increasing its market share Internationally (S) b. Good Domestic Management through separating the Market into Eight territories each is Divided into Districts (S) c. Best Buy had an international operation Segment (S) 5. Human Resources a. Main Objective is supplying the customer with the right knowledge of products and services (S) b. Changing the compensation structure into non-commissioned-based (S) c. Claims that Best Buy employees misrepresented the Manufacture warranty in order to sell its own product service and replacement plan (W) d. Best Buy had undisclosed â€Å"Anti-price matching policy† (W) 6. Information Systems a. Consolidate Data from Retialers , Act as a clearing house for info and results. Communicate the common needs and encourage innovation (S) VI. Analysis of Strategic Factors Situational Analysis (SWOT) (SFAS Matrix; see Exhibit 3) 1. Strengths. †¢ Company Image and Profile †¢ Sales Stuff Policy †¢ Strong financial Position †¢ Customer Centricity Model †¢ Diversified portfolio in Global Markets †¢ Good Horizontal Integration †¢ Talent management †¢ Good Domestic management †¢ Successful Acquisitions †¢ Credit payment policy †¢ Value Added Services 2. Weaknesses †¢ Market Space Sales †¢ Pricing Policy †¢ Assets Management †¢ Operational Cost †¢ Increase in LTD and Debt Management Fluctuating Leadership 3. Opportunities †¢ Potential market of Medical Portable Devices †¢ Gaming Segment growth and Smart Phones †¢ Technology Revolution †¢ Bankruptcy of Circuit City †¢ Expansion of Global Market place 4. Threats †¢ Regulations of Federal Reserve Bank †¢ Econ omic Down turn †¢ Decreasing the entry barrier †¢ Online Competitor †¢ Price War with Wal-Mart †¢ Wal-Mart Deal with Nintendo and Apple †¢ Strong penetration Of Competitor Review of Current Mission and Objectives 1. Bad financial position according to last 2 years. 2. Facing a fierce competition and new challenge expected. VI. Strategic Alternatives and Recommended Strategy: Strategic Alternatives. Corporate Strategy 1. Growth Strategy †¢ Growth vertically through open new stores across U. S to fill gap in fierce competition. Pros: come over competitors expansion’s strategy Cons: Cash Liquidity Issues. †¢ Continuing of global expansions, and focus on emerged untapped markets. Pros: supporting of Best Buy’s overseas position to be Leader in this Marekts. Cons: domestic regulations in foreign countries and security. †¢ Horizontal integration by joint venture with new suppliers. Pros: more control on operational cost Cons: Management issue, and conflictions. 2. Stability Strategy †¢ Hold acquisitions in Euro zone according to economic crisis, and in Canada as well. Pros: saving more capital cost to be invested in North America and other virgin markets. Cons: allow to competitors to raising their market share in such left market. 3. Retrenchment Strategy †¢ Develop downsizing policy in costly labor markets such (Europe). Pros: Divesting BBY improves bottom line and focus ME Asia Markets. Cons: loosing Europe’s market share. †¢ Decreasing some of discretionary expenses in such (Advertising ) in one or two of states that saturated. Pros: saving a lot of regular cost to be invested in domestic expansion. Cons: risk of loose customer’s positioning by time. Business Strategy 1. Differentiation Strategy †¢ Develop trade-off strategy that allow Best Buy’s customers to replace their own devices by new technology devices in justified prices. Pros: another source of money that generate liquidity for company Cons: adding operational cost line 2. Alliance strategy Build a solid strategic Alliance with a reliable brand in market space that has urgently need to access to retail market. (Win/Win) Pros: Access to know-how of online market. Cons: reveal of operations and management techniques. RECOMMENDED STRATGIES 1. Growth Strategy †¢ Growth vertically through open new stores across U. S to fill gap in fierce competition. Pros: come over competitors expansion’s strategy Cons: Cash Liquidity Issues. †¢ Continuing of global expansions, and focus on emerged untapped markets. Pros: supporting of Best Buy’s overseas position to be Leader in this Marekts. Cons: domestic regulations in foreign countries and security. †¢ Horizontal integration by joint venture with new suppliers. Pros: more control on operational cost Cons: Management issue, and conflictions. . Differentiation Strategy †¢ Develop trade-off strategy that allow Best Buy’s customers to replace their own devices by new technology devices in justified prices. Pros: another source of money that generate liquidity for company Cons: adding operational cost line. VII. Implementation: †¢ As the recommended strategies is gr owth strategy so business development dept. should select strategic locations across U. S that include high traffic . †¢ The operations and mainly the supply chain department must do their best for getting best prices and cutting operations cost. Maintain the current global expansion plan and build solid studies for emerging markets and developing countries customer’s culture there. †¢ Developing more powerful CRM application and POS systems to recognize customers data. XI. Evaluation and Control: †¢ involving the top managers, key persons and employees in operations efficiency programs †¢ Monitoring the performance regularly especially after new application applied. †¢ Follow up the plan of domestic operations that related to supplier. Exhibit 1 E F A S Exhibit 2 I F A S Exhibit 3 S F A S Exhibit 4 | |BEST BUY CO. , INC. | |CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET | |($ in millions, except per share amounts) | | | | | | | | | | | |  |February  28, |   |  | | | |2009 | | | |  | Assets |  |   |   |  |  | |Current Assets |  |   |   |  |  | |   |C|   |$|4| | |a| | |9| | |s| | |8| | |h| | | | | |a| | | | | |n| | | | | |d| | | | | |c| | | | | |a| | | | | |s| | | | | |h| | | | | |e| | | | | |q| | | | | |u| | | | | |i| | | | | |v| | | | | |a| | | | | |l| | | | | |e| | | | | n| | | | | |t| | | | | |s| | | | |   |  |To|   |  |8| | | |ta| | |,| | | |l | | |1| | | |cu| | |9| | | |rr| | |2| | | |en| | | | | | |t | | | | | | |as| | | | | | |se| | | | | | |ts| | | | |   |L|   |  |7| | |a| | |5| | |n| | |5| | |d| | | | | |a| | | | | |n| | | | | |d| | | | | |b| | | | | |u| | | | | |i| | | | | |l| | | | | |d| | | | | i| | | | | |n| | | | | |g| | | | | |s| | | | | |  |   |6,940 |  |  | |   |L|   |  |2| | |e| | |,| | |s| | |7| | |s| | |6| | |a| | |6| | |c| | | | | |c| | | | | |u| | | | | |m| | | | | |u| | | | | |l| | | | | |a| | | | | |t| | | | | |e| | | | | |d| | | | | |d| | | | | |e| | | | | |p| | | | | |r| | | | | e| | | | | |c| | | | | |i| | | | | |a| | | | | |t| | | | | |i| | | | | |o| | | | | |n| | | | |   |  |Ne|   |  |4| | | |t | | |,| | | |pr| | |1| | | |op| | |7| | | |er| | |4| | | |ty| | | | | | |an| | | | | | |d | | | | | | |eq| | | | | | |ui| | | | | | |pm| | | | | | |en| | | | | | |t | | | | |Tradenames |  |   |173 |  |  | |Customer Relationships |  |   |322 |  |  | |Equity and Other Investments |  |   |395 |  |  | |Other Assets   |   |367 |  |  | |   |  |   |  |  | |Total Assets |  |$ |15,826 |  |  | |   |  |   |  |  | |Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity |  |   |   |  |  | |Current Liabilities |  |   |   |  |  | |   |A|   |$|4| | |c| | |,| | |c| | |9| | |o| | |9| | |u| | |7| | |n| | | | | |t| | | | | |s| | | | | |p| | | | | |a| | | | | |y| | | | | |a| | | | | |b| | | | | |l| | | | | |e| | | | |   |  |To|   |  |8| | | |ta| | |,| | | |l | | |4| | | |cu| |3| | | |rr| | |5| | | |en| | | | | | |t | | | | | | |li| | | | | | |ab| | | | | | |il| | | | | | |it| | | | | | |ie| | | | | | |s | | | | |Long-Term Debt |  |   |1,126 |  |  | |Minority Interests |  |   |513 |  |  | |Shareholders’ Equity |  |   |   |  |  | |   |P|   |  |—| | |r| | | | | |e| | | | | |f| | | | | |e| | | | | |r| | | | | |r| | | | | |e| | | | | |d| | | | | |s| | | | | |t| | | | | |o| | | | | |c| | | | | |k| | | | | |,| | | | | |$| | | | | |1| | | | | |. | | | | |0| | | | | |0| | | | | |p| | | | | |a| | | | | |r| | | | | |v| | | | | |a| | | | | |l| | | | | |u| | | | | |e| | | | | |:| | | | | |A| | | | | |u| | | | | |t| | | | | |h| | | | | |o| | | | | |r| | | | | |i| | | | | |z| | | | |e| | | | | |d| | | | | |  | | | | | |—| | | | | |4| | | | | |0| | | | | |0| | | | | |,| | | | | |0| | | | | |0 | | | | | |0| | | | | |s| | | | | |h| | | | | |a| | | | | |r| | | | | |e| | | | | |s| | | | | |;| | | | | |I| | | | | |s| | | | | |s| | | | | |u| | | | | |e| | | | | |d| | | | | a| | | | | |n| | | | | |d| | | | | |o| | | | | |u| | | | | |t| | | | | |s| | | | | |t| | | | | |a| | | | | |n| | | | | |d| | | | | |i| | | | | |n| | | | | |g| | | | | |  | | | | | |—| | | | | |n| | | | | |o| | | | | |n| | | | | |e| | | | |   |  |Total shareholders’ |  |  | | | |equity | | | |Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity |  |$ |15,826 |  |  | |   |  |   |  |  | BEST BUY CO. ,  INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS ($  in millions) (Unaudited and subject to reclassification)    | |CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS | |($ in millions) | |(Unaudited and subject to reclassification) | | | | | | | | | | |Mar. 3, 2012 | |Feb. 6, 2011 | |ASSETS | | | | |Current assets | | | | |Cash and cash equivalents |  $            1,199 | |  $            1,103 | |Short-term investments |                           -| |                          22 | | |   | | | |Receivables |                 2,359 | |                 2,348 | |Merchandise inventories |                 5,731 | |                 5,897 | |Other current assets |                 1,079 | |                 1,103 | |Total current assets |              10,368 | |              10,473 | |Net property equipment |                 3,471 | |                 3,823 | |Goodwill |                 1,335 | |                 2,454 | |Tradenames |                       130 | |                       133 | |Customer relationships | 29 | |                       203 | |Equity and other investments |               à ‚        140 | |                       328 | |Other assets |                       403 | |                       435 | |TOTAL ASSETS |  $         16,076 | |  $         17,849 | | | | | | |LIABILITIES EQUITY | | | | |Current liabilities | | | | |Accounts payable |  $            5,435 | |  $            4,894 | |Accrued liabilities |                 2,968 | |                 2,771 | |Short-term debt |                       480 | |                       557 | |Current portion of long-term debt |                          43| |                       441 | |Total current liabilities |                 8,926 | |                 8,663 | |Long-term liabilities |                 1,099 | |                 1,183 | |Long-term debt |                 1,685 | |                       711 | |Equity |                 4,366 | |                 7,292 | |TOTAL LIABILITIES EQUITY |  $         16,076 | |  $         17,849 | | | |BEST BUY CO. , INC. | |CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS | |($ in millions, except per share amounts) | |   |  | | | | | |Feb. 8, | | | | | |2009 | | |Revenue | | |$ |45,015 | | |Cost of goods sold | | |34,017 | | |Gross profit | | |10,998 | | |Gross profit % | | |24. 4% | | |Selling, general and administrative expenses | | |8,984 | | |SG % | | |20. 0% | | |Restructuring charges | | |78 | | |Goodwill and tradename impairment | | |66 | | |Operating income | | |1,870 | | |Operating income % | | |4. % | | |Other income (expense) | | | | | |Investment income and other | | |35 | | |Investment impairment | | |(111 |)| |Interest expense | |)|(94 |)| |Earnings before income tax expense and minority interests | | |1,700 | | |Income tax expense | | |674 | | | Effective tax rate | | |39. % | | |Minority interests | | |(30 |)| |Equity in earnings (loss) of affiliates | | |7 | | |Net earnings | | |$ |1,003 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Earnings per share | | | | | |Basic | | |$ |2. 43 | | |Diluted(1) | | |$ |2. 39 | | | | | | | | |Dividends declared per common share | | |$ |0. 4 | | | | | | | | |Weighted average common shares outstanding (in millions) | | | | | |   | | | | | |Basic | | |412. 5 | | |Diluted(1) | | |422. 9 | | |BEST BUY CO. , INC. | |CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS | |($ in millions, except per share amounts) | | | | | | | |Feb. 7, | | | | |2010 | |Revenue | | |$ |49,694 | | |Cost of goods sold: | | | | |Cost of goods sold | | |37,534 | | |Restructuring charges – cost of goods sold | | |— | | |Total cost of goods sold | | |37,534 | | |Gross profit | | |12,160 | | |Gross profit % | | | 24. 5 |% | |Selling, general and administrative expenses | | |9,873 | | |SGA % | | |19. 9 |% | |Res tructuring charges | | |52 | | |Operating income | | |2,235 | | |Operating income % | | |4. |% | |Other income (expense) | | | | |Investment income and other | | |54 | | |Interest expense | | |(94 |) | |Earnings before income taxes and equity in earnings of affiliates | | |2,195 | | |Income tax expense | | |802 | | |Effective tax rate | | |36. 5 |% | |Equity in earnings of affiliates | | |1 | | |Net earnings including noncontrolling interests | | |1,394 | | |Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests | | |(77 |) | |Net earnings attributable to Best Buy Co. , Inc. | |$ |1,317 | | | | | | | | | | | | |Earnings per share attributable to Best Buy Co. , Inc. | | | | |Basic | | |$ |3. 16 | | |Diluted(1) | | |$ |3. 10 | | | | | | | |BEST BUY CO. , INC. | |CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS |($ in millions, except per share amounts) | |(Unaudited and subject to reclassification) | | | | | | | | | | | | |Twelve Months Ended | | | | |Mar. 3, | |Feb. 26, | | | | |2012 | | 2011 | | |Revenue | |  $ 50,705 | |$49,747 | | |Cost of goods sold | |38,113 | |37,197 | | |Restructuring charges – cost of goods sold | |                 19 | |                 9 | | |Gross profit (24. 8%, 25. 25. %) | |     12,573 | |  12,541 | | |Selling, GA expenses | |  Ã‚  10,242 | |10,029 | | |Goodwill impairment | |1,207 | |  Ã¢â‚¬â€ | | |Restructuring charges | |                 39 | |           138 | | |Operating income | |        1,085 | |      2,374 | | |Other income (expense): | | | | | | |Gain on sale of investments | |                 55 | |  Ã¢â‚¬â€ | | |Investment income and other | |                 37 | |              43 | | |Interest expense | |         (134) | |           (86) | | |Earnings from continuing operations before income tax    | |        1,043 | |      2,331 | | |expense and equity in (loss) earnings of affiliates | | | | | | |Income tax expense | |            709 | |           779 | | |Effective tax rate | |68. 0% | |33. 4% | | |Equity in (loss) earnings of affiliates | |               (4) |                 2 | | |Net (loss) earnings from continuing operations | |            330 | |      1,554 | | |Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax | |         (308) | |        (188) | | |Net (loss) earnings including noncontrolling interest | |               22 | |      1,366 | | |Net earnings from continuing operations attributable to | |     (1,387) | |        (127) | | |noncontrolling interests | | | | | | |Net loss from discontinued operations attributable to | |            134 | |              38 | | |noncontrolling interests | | | | | | |Net (loss) earnings attributable to Best Buy Co. , Inc. | |  $(1,231) | |  $ 1,277 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Continuing operations | |  $    (2. 89) | |  $    3. 51 | | |Discontinued operations | |  $   (0. 47) | |  $ (0. 37) | | |Basic (loss) earnings per share | |  $   (3. 36) | |  $    3. 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Continuing operations | |  $   (2. 89) | |  $    3. 44 | | |Discontinued operations | |  $   (0. 47) | |  $ (0. 36) | | |Diluted (loss) earnings per share | |  $   (3. 36) | |  $    3. 08 | | | | | | | | | |Dividends declared per Best Buy Co. , Inc. common share | |  $       0. 2 | |  $    0. 58 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Basic | |        366. 3 | |      406. 1 | | |Diluted | |        366. 3 | |      416. 5 | | |F|   | |e| | |b| | |r| | |u| | |Febru |   | |BEST BUY CO. INC | |CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS | |($ in millions) | |(Unaudited and subject to reclassification) | | | | | | | | | |Twelve Months Ended | | | |Mar. 3,   | |Feb. 6,   | | | |2012 | |2011 | |OPERATING ACTIVITIES | | | | | |Net earnings including noncontrolling interests | |  $                  22 | |  $             1,366 | |Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to total cash provided by| | | | | |operating activities: | | | | | |Depreciation and amortization of definite-lived intangible | | 45 | |                     978 | |assets    | | | | | |Goodwill impairment | |               1,207 | |  Ã¢â‚¬â€ | |Realized gain on sale of investments | |                    (55) | |  Ã¢â‚¬â€ | |Other, net    | |                    462 | |                     209 | |Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquired | | | | | |assets and liabilities: | | | | | |Receivables | |                    (28) | |                    (371) | |Merchandise inventories | |                    120 | |                    (400) | |Accounts payable | |      à ‚              643 | |                    (443) | |Other assets and liabilities    | |                    (23) | |                    (149) | |Total cash provided by operating activities | |               3,293 | |                  1,190 | | | | | | | |INVESTING ACTIVITIES | | | | | |Additions to property and equipment | |                  (766) | |                    (744) | |Other, net    | |                     42 | |                     175 | |Total cash used in investing activities | |                  (724) | |                    (569) | | | | | | |FINANCING ACTIVITIES | | | | | |Repurchase of common stock | |              (1,500) | |                 (1,193) | |Borrowings (repayments) of debt, net    | |   How to cite Best Buy Case Study, Free Case study samples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

EMotional Intelligence It Affects Learning - MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Given the difficulty of communicating emotional nuance in lean media such as IM and email, are emotions really that bad? Answer: Communicating emotional nuance in email and instant messaging to weary teammates is difficult for a manager. Emotions are natural and can adversely or positively affect communication. To the negative side, emotions affect communication within project management in the following ways: Inappropriate emotional expressions in IM and email create havoc and damage to employees' relationships. Human emotions traumatize the project workforce, and this affects their productivity. Personal differences emotions disguise and kill employees' morale. When personnel is demotivated, they transfer this negative ego to the overall project and cause failure. Also, when such information is shared via email, the disguised employee can transfer to his/her colleagues hence creating wreak havoc (Zeidner, Matthews, Roberts, 2012). Hostile emotions by the manager to employees such as anger, envy, and disgust create unpleasant facial expressions in IM and email. Contempt, disgust, and envy wounds employees are hence affecting project success. On the other end, emotions positively affect communication through IM and email in the following ways: Appropriate facial expressions motivate employees: Like in this case, the manager employs the right use of emotions in the manner he frames the instant message. He, by all means, avoids applying personal perspectives, opinions, and differences in the message and this calms employees' tempers. Emotions portray a sense of confidence: When a manager acts in a manner that defends the employees, they feel valued and form a high sense of confidence with the leader. With team confidence, project success is guaranteed, and this creates a rapport that is easy for employees to forget the damage they were caused by the management. As a manager, what reaction would you have to job applicants where emotions are used in the email message accompanying the job application? As a manager, one should be wise by always employing the right knowledge and skills when dealing with job applications whose message have used emotions. The following are the correct reactions that a manager should consider in such a case: Dismiss and chock off the applications: Since job applications should be impersonal, the employment of emotional feelings by applicants calls for dismissal by a manager and always respond to those emails that have not used emotions. Take time before concluding on whether to respond or not: A manager needs to be honest when dealing with emotional emails since they are not considered professional at all. This calls for him/her to take adequate time before responding to give a response that does not portray emotional feelings as well. Give a straightforward response: Under this strategy, a manager should avoid the use of irony and sarcasm especially when the job applications seem personal. Advise the job applicant on the right language to use for their emails to get a response. Seek team approval in case the manager comes across a qualified candidate: It is essential for the manager to consult team leaders and other key people within an organization in case he/she comes across a qualified candidate (Bradberry Greaves, 2006). They may recommend he responds positively and hires such a candidate. References Bradberry, T., Greaves, J. (2006).The emotional intelligence quick book: Everything you need to know to put your EQ to work. Simon and Schuster. Zeidner, M., Matthews, G., Roberts, R. D. (2012).What we know about emotional intelligence: How it affects learning, work, relationships, and our mental health. MIT press.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Reversals Essays - Startup Cult, Chitto Harjo, Job Options

Reversals annon Youth is wasted on the young. And if I only knew then what I know now! In my teen years I couldn't be bothered with trying to understand those cryptic phrases; didn't I already know everything I needed to know? I never dreamed that the decisions I made in my relatively youthful years would have such an impact on my future. I always felt that I would never look back upon my life and say I wish I had taken more time in considering my choices. But I have found myself doing just that. If I were able to rewrite history, I would pick a different career when I reenlisted in the Army, I would seek out opportunities to enhance my future job options, and finally, I would have done better while in high school. To begin with, it's understandable that I wouldn't know what I was getting into when I first enlisted into the Army. But when the time came for me to reenlist, I knew to research my options better than what I really did. Instead of choosing a new career in the Medic Corps like I knew I should, I elected to keep the same job. Given a second chance, I would choose to be an X-ray Specialist. After I graduated my class, I would take the Florida State certification exam so I could become licensed to work in Florida; by the time I completed my second enlistment, I would have developed very marketable job experience. Secondly, I would have gone to college more while I was in the service. As I've just begun the long walk toward my goal of a Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice, I can't help but kick myself for not starting sooner. The military pays for seventy-five percent of a college course; after paying my tuition last term, I realized just what a great deal that really was. I also would have taken all the medical correspondence courses that the Army offers. While the courses aren't of much practical use, the points earned for the completion of each course helps greatly when trying to get promoted to Sargent. Instead of just coasting, waiting for opportunity to come knocking, I would go out and tackle that elusive rascal by the ankles. Finally, if I could do it again, I would do better in high school. As a teenager, I was tired of school; I felt I already knew everything I needed to know to carry with my life. Who cared about English, geometry, or foreign languages? Given the chance, I know that I would perform to the best of my ability. High school is simply a proving ground, those that can attain the goals set for them, move onto college AND BRIGHTER FUTURES. tHOSE THAt can't make it, move onto six dollars an hour at Winn-Dixie. After working for a year in the air-conditioning business, I now appreciate the importance of getting the best education possible. Life goes in one direction only, but I don't have to live in the past. I can't undo any of my history; however, I can keep from making the same mistakes over again. The things said and done are gone and past. I can't get on the Way-Back Machine and change what's happened. I have learned that if I don't leave the past behind, I can never move on with my life. Learn from the past, but CARPE DIEM!

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Free Essays on Edgar Allan Poe

Essay on Edgar Allan Poe’s Life and the poem â€Å"Annabel Lee† Edgar Allan Poe was a writer who left subtle and hidden clues to the meaning of his works. Most of his writings have been influenced by his life. The poem â€Å"Annabel Lee† is definitely about a personal experience of his. â€Å"Annabel Lee† is most likely about his wife Virginia Clemm. In one of the stanzas Poe writes, â€Å"But our love it was stronger by far the love of those who were older then we of many far wiser then we† In this passage Poe means that when the older people found out that Poe was marrying his cousin that must of found that obscene. Poe believed that the love between Virginia and him was stronger to overcome the things that the people were saying. He didn’t listen to the wiser people above him, he just followed what he loved. In the third stanza Poe writes, â€Å"A wind blew out of a cloud by night chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.† In this stanza what Poe means is that when Virginia became sick Poe began to sell many copies of â€Å"The Raven† The money he would make from his most famous poem he would use that to help his ill wife Virginia. When Poe was at the height of his career Virginia became more and more sick. Poe believes that a chilling cloud must have come over Virginia. That wind was the illness that Virginia had taken and she dies in 1845. In the last stanza Poe writes, â€Å"Of my darling, my darling, my life and my bride, in her sepulcher there by the sea – In her tomb by the side of the sea.† In this passage Poe is telling about life after Virginia died. During this time Poe became depressed and went onto opium, a very powerful drug. Poe attempted suicide many times. This passage describes about how Virginia was everything to him. He describes how Virginia was his life and his darling. That’s what he attempted suicide so many times. In conclusion as you can see this poem had hidden clues to describe how Poe felt about... Free Essays on Edgar Allan Poe Free Essays on Edgar Allan Poe On January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts one of the world’s most distinguished writers was born. His name was Edgar Poe. He was born to Elizabeth Arnold Poe, an English born actress, and David Poe, Jr., an actor from Baltimore, Maryland. Young Poe’s life was that of most children, until his mother tragically died December 8, 1811, at the age of twenty-four. Within a few days of her death, Poe’s father dies. Poe then went to live with his godfather, John Allan, a successful tobacco merchant in Richmond, and his wife Frances, who had no children of their own. His foster parents John and Frances added Poe’s middle name of â€Å"Allan†. Although Poe was never legally adopted, he became known as â€Å"Edgar Allan Poe† at his Christening on January 7, 1812. And throughout his life, Poe typically signed his name â€Å"Edgar A. Poe†, with the initial rather than the full name. In 1815, his godfather, John Allan sent Poe to England and Scotland to begin his classical education for five years. When he returned to Richmond, Virginia, Poe studied Greek, Latin, French, Spanish, and Italian. Poe was well educated in private academies. In 1826, Poe entered the University of Virginia, where he distinguished himself as a student. Although this is where Poe began to run into trouble with drinking, gambling, and quarrels. This displeased John Allan which caused an argument between the two causing Poe to leave Richmond and sail to Boston. Then on May 26,1827, Poe enlisted in the United States Army under the name of Edgar A. Perry and claiming to be four years older than his actual age. Here is where Poe published his pamphlet called the Tamerlane and Other Poems. This book did not sell at all but today the remaining copies are among the most highly prized items in the rare-book market, valued at $150,000. Poe’s military went more successfully then the rest of his life. After two years, Poe was promoted to Sergeant Major, the highest nonco... Free Essays on Edgar Allan Poe Essay on Edgar Allan Poe’s Life and the poem â€Å"Annabel Lee† Edgar Allan Poe was a writer who left subtle and hidden clues to the meaning of his works. Most of his writings have been influenced by his life. The poem â€Å"Annabel Lee† is definitely about a personal experience of his. â€Å"Annabel Lee† is most likely about his wife Virginia Clemm. In one of the stanzas Poe writes, â€Å"But our love it was stronger by far the love of those who were older then we of many far wiser then we† In this passage Poe means that when the older people found out that Poe was marrying his cousin that must of found that obscene. Poe believed that the love between Virginia and him was stronger to overcome the things that the people were saying. He didn’t listen to the wiser people above him, he just followed what he loved. In the third stanza Poe writes, â€Å"A wind blew out of a cloud by night chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.† In this stanza what Poe means is that when Virginia became sick Poe began to sell many copies of â€Å"The Raven† The money he would make from his most famous poem he would use that to help his ill wife Virginia. When Poe was at the height of his career Virginia became more and more sick. Poe believes that a chilling cloud must have come over Virginia. That wind was the illness that Virginia had taken and she dies in 1845. In the last stanza Poe writes, â€Å"Of my darling, my darling, my life and my bride, in her sepulcher there by the sea – In her tomb by the side of the sea.† In this passage Poe is telling about life after Virginia died. During this time Poe became depressed and went onto opium, a very powerful drug. Poe attempted suicide many times. This passage describes about how Virginia was everything to him. He describes how Virginia was his life and his darling. That’s what he attempted suicide so many times. In conclusion as you can see this poem had hidden clues to describe how Poe felt about... Free Essays on Edgar Allan Poe Every story that was conceived from the mind of Edgar Allan Poe contained a part of himself on each page. This left the reader with a better understanding of Poe’s life. Through his stories and pomes Poe displayed his greatest achievements and his worst disappointments. In this research paper I will reveal facts about Poe’s life and define hidden meanings throughout his works. Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19th, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. Poe’s parents were David Poe and Elizabeth Arnold Poe, an actor and actress that worked in the city of Baltimore (Britannica). Shortly after Poe’s birth, his father abandoned the family and left Poe and his mother to fend for themselves. In 1811 when Poe was two his mother died. That left him with his second depressing loss in only his first two years of life (540). After his father ran off and his mother’s sudden death, Poe was left with his godfather, John Allan. John Allan was a wealthy merchant based in Richmond, Virginia with the means, knowledge, and affluence to provide a good life for Poe. Poe enrolled at the University of Virginia in 1826 (Britannica). For the first time in his life things were starting to go well. Upon entering college it took Poe no more time to unpack his bag then it did for him to become involved in, immoral acts of gambling and drunkenness. He developed gamb ling debts from 2,000 to 2,500 dollars, which caused some friction between John Allan and himself (Quinn 130). After eleven months in college Poe dropped out, due to his debts (Britannica). Upon arriving at home Poe was invited to a party hosted by Sarah Elmira Royster, his sweetheart before going away to college. When he arrived at the party, he learned that it was Elmira’s engagement party. This was heart braking to Poe (540). After John Allan and Poe had a huge fight over Poe’s gambling addiction, Poe joined the army under the alias of â€Å"Edgar Allan Perry† (Britannica). It was not t... Free Essays on Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allen Poe has been known for his themes of revenge and perversity. Two short stories that illustrate these themes are â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† and â€Å"The Black Cat†. Many critics have argued that these stories were not about revenge, but more about perversity and the cruelty of the human mind. Believe it or not, every human being is capable of murder, many do it out of revenge but there are still those who do it for no apparent reason. Poe portrays in each of the characters, the darker side of the human soul. In the short story â€Å"The Black Cat† the narrator of the story undergoes a significant change in his character. At first both husband and wife adores their cat very much. He soon became addicted to drinking making him more and more crazy by the day, which led to the dislike of his cat. Because of this, he decides to cut one of its eyes with a penknife. Later on as his drinking led him to reach insanity to its full extent, the narrator hangs the cat and explains his reason for hanging it by saying â€Å"I knew that it loved me, and because I felt it had given me no reason of offense... and I knew that in so doing I was committing a sin-a deadly sin.† (245). By saying that, the narrator shows no reason for committing the murder. After the murder of the cat has been committed, the character shows no remorse towards his actions. He acts as if no wrong has been done. As the story progresses the narrator describes how his drinking habits cause him to neglect his beloved cat and wife. After his house burns down and he loses all he owns, he finds a new cat on the street, witched resembled the first. This cat also had a patch over one eye. He decided to bring the cat home to his wife. One day while working with his wife in the cellar he nearly trips down the stairs by the cat. He picks up an axe and tries to kill it but his wife gets hit with the axe instead. He then buries her inside the wall so the police woul... Free Essays on Edgar Allan Poe Biography of Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe was a great man who’s goal in writing was to send chills down the spines of his readers which he successfully achieved through his eerie stories and poems. But what made him this way? In order to understand the reasons for Edgar Allan Poe’s writings, we must look back to the very beginning of his life and follow it to the very end. Eliza Arnold came to America from England in 1795. She was just Eight years old. In April, 1796, almost as soon as she arrived, she began her acting career in Boston, Massachusetts. She quickly became very popular, because she could sing and dance as well as memorize long speaking parts. In all the cities she played in, she received praise from the critics. After Eliza’s first marriage, she met a man named David Poe. Shortly after, David left a promising career in law to become an actor and be with Eliza. David was not very good though. His unusual speaking styles often got him booed and berated by critics. In the first week of April, 1806, Eliza married David. The Poes were very poor at the time and money was tight. Their acting company had performances as benefits, and used the money to try and help the Poes stay healthy and save them from starvation. Even though they were poor, they still started a family. On January 30, 1807, Eliza gave birth to William Henry. Being as they were, they didn’t have any other choice than to give custody to David’s parents, who were better off. On January 19, 1809, Edgar Poe was born. The Poes were desperately poor, so David went begging for a few dollars from his cousin. His cousin thought he was a terrible man, though, and told him that he never wanted to speak to him again. After this terrible tragedy and numerous arguments with Eliza, David Poe disappeared. Sympathetic friends and audiences gave Eliza charity, offering some comfort from her ongoing poverty and recent abandonment. In the... Free Essays on Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, grew up in Richmond, Virginia, and lived in six Eastern cities. His father was David Poe, a Baltimore actor. His actress mother, Elizabeth came to the United States as a kid. The parents were not that talented; they played small roles in rather third-rate theatrical companies. Because they both had small parts they barely managed to make a living. Edgar was the second of their three children. When the third child was born, the father died, or disappeared, and Mrs. Poe went to Richmond with the two youngest children. The oldest boy, William Henry, had already been left with relatives in Baltimore. Mrs. Poe was in the last stages of tuberculosis. Weakened by the disease and worn out with the struggle to support her children, she died. Edgar, two years old, and the infant, Rosalie, were left as orphans. It was pure luck that Mrs. Frances Allan, the wife of a merchant in Richmond learned about the Poe babies. She had no children of her own and liked ha ndsome little Edgar a lot more than his sister. She took him home with her, and another family took his little sister Rosalie. Mrs. Allan would have liked to adopt Edgar, but her husband was unwilling to commit himself. At that time people thought acting was immoral. John Allan could not help regarding the little son of actor parents as a questionable person to inherit his name and the fortune he was busy accumulating. He was willing however, to support the child, and in time came to be proud of Edgar's good looks and intelligence. When Edgar was six years old, Mr. Allen's business took him to Scotland, the country from which he had come originally. The family stayed in Scotland and England for five years. Edgar was eleven when the Allans returned to Richmond. Richmond in back then in the 1820's was a good place for a boy to live. It was still a small enough town for the fields, swamps, and woods to be close by. Boys swam in the river and in the little creek... Free Essays on Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809 as Edgar Poe. He was the second son to Elizabeth Arnold Poe and David Poe. Both parents were actors, and shortly after Poe’s birth, his father deserted his family around 1810. Edgar became an orphan before the age of three years, when his mother died on December 8, 1811 in Richmond, Virginia at the age of twenty-four years. His father died at the age of twenty-seven years old. After his mother’s death, the childless couple, John and Frances Allan, took in Poe; his paternal grandparents took in brother William Henry; and foster parents cared for sister Rosalie. Allan was a strict and unemotional tobacco merchant and his wife was overindulgent. Poe was educated by the Allan’s aid, in private academies, excelling in Latin, in writing verse and declamation. However, regardless of his education, he was looked down upon by the upper class of society, perhaps because Poe was never legally adopted by the Allan’s, nonetheless he was regarded as an outsider by the Richmond elite. However, being the child of former actor’s could have also added to his reputation of not fitting in with Richmond’s culture at that time. The loss of his mother at an early age definitely affected Poe, â€Å"The angels, whispering to one another, Can find, among their burning terms of love, None so devotional as that of ‘Mother’† (To My Mother). In Tamerlane, he not only wrote about his father, but he wrote about his mother too. He had more respect for his mother than he did for his father. In Tamerlane he speaks much nicer of his mother. â€Å"O, she was worthy of all love! Love – as in infancy was mine – ‘Twas such as angel minds above Might envy; her young heart the shrine on which my every hope and thought†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Tamerlane). He thought of life with his mother and how it might have been. In 1831 Poe moved to Baltimore to live with his aunt, Maria Clemm. There he fell in love and married ...

Friday, November 22, 2019

Role of the White House Press Corps in American Democracy

Role of the White House Press Corps in American Democracy The White House press corps is a group of about 250 journalists whose job is to write about, broadcast and photograph the activities and policy decisions made by the  president of the United States and his administration. The White House press corps is comprised of  print and digital reporters, radio and television journalists, and photographers and videographers employed by competing  news organizations.   What makes the journalists  in the White House press corps unique among political beat reporters is their physical proximity to the president of the United States, the most powerful elected official in the free world, and his administration. Members of the White House press corps travel with the president and are hired to follow his every move.   The job of White House correspondent is considered to be among the most prestigious positions in political journalism because, as one writer put it, they work in a town where proximity to power is everything, where grown men and women would forsake a football field size suite of offices in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building for a shared cubicle in a bullpen in the West Wing. The First White House Correspondents The first journalist considered to be a White House correspondent was William â€Å"Fatty† Price, who was trying out for a job at the Washington Evening Star. Price, whose 300-pound frame earned him the nickname, was directed to go to the White House to find a story in President Grover Cleveland’s administration in 1896. Price made a habit of stationing himself outside the North Portico, where White House visitors couldn’t escape his questions. Price got the job and used the material he gathered to write a column called â€Å"At the White House.† Other newspapers took notice, according to W. Dale Nelson, a former Associated Press reporter and author of â€Å"Who Speaks For the President?: The White House Press Secretary from Cleveland to Clinton.† Wrote Nelson: â€Å"Competitors quickly caught on, and the White House became a news beat.† The first reporters in the White House press corps worked sources from the outside in, loitering on the White House grounds.  But they insinuated themselves into the presidents residence in the early 1900s, working over a single table in President Theodore Roosevelts White House. In a 1996 report,  The White House Beat at the Century Mark, Martha Joynt Kumar wrote for Towson State University and The Center for Political Leadership and Participation at the University of Maryland: The table was perched outside of the office of the Presidents secretary, who briefed reporters on a daily basis. With their own observed territory, reporters established a property claim in the White House. From that point forward, reporters had space they could call their own. The value of their space is found in its propinquity to the President and to his Private Secretary. They were outside the Private Secretarys office and a short walk down the hall from where the President had his office. Members of the White House press corps eventually won their own press room in the White House. They occupy a space in the West Wing to this day and are organized in the White House Correspondents Association.   Why Correspondents Get to Work in the White House There are three key developments that made journalists a permanent presence in the White House, according to Kumar. They are: The precedents set in coverage of specific events including the death of President James Garfield  and as the constant presence of reporters on presidential trips. Presidents and their White House staffs got used to having reporters hanging around and, finally, let them have some inside work space, she wrote.Developments in the news business. News organizations gradually came to view the President and his White House as subjects of continuing interest to their readers, Kumar wrote.Heightened public awareness of presidential power as a force in our national political system. The public developed an interest in presidents at a time when the chief executive was called upon to provide direction in domestic and foreign policy on a more routine basis than had previously been the case, Kumar wrote.   The journalists assigned to cover the president are stationed in a dedicated â€Å"press room† located in the West Wing of the president’s residence. The journalists meet almost daily with the president’s press secretary in the James S. Brady Briefing Room, which is named for the press secretary to President Ronald Reagan. Role in Democracy The journalists who made up the White House press corps in its early years had far more access to the president than the reporters of today. In the early 1900s, it was not uncommon for news reporters to gather around the desk of the president and ask questions in rapid-fire succession. The sessions were unscripted and unrehearsed, and therefore often yielded actual news. Those journalists provided an objective, unvarnished first draft of history and an up-close account of the presidents every move. Reporters working in the White House today have far less access to the president and his administration and are presented with little information by the presidents press secretary. Daily exchanges between the president and reporters - once a staple of the beat - have almost been eliminated, the Columbia Journalism Review reported in 2016. Veteran investigative reporter Seymour Hersh told the publication: â€Å"I’ve never seen the White House press corps so weak. It looks like they are all angling for invitations to a White House dinner.† Indeed, the prestige of the White House press corps has been diminished over the decades, its reporters seen as accepting spoonfed information. This is an unfair assessment; modern presidents have worked to obstruct journalists from gathering information. Relationship With the President The criticism that members of the White House press corps are too cozy with the president is not a new one; it most surfaces under Democratic administrations because members of the media are often seen as being liberal. That the White House Correspondents Association holds an annual dinner attended by U.S. presidents does not help matters.   Still, the relationship between almost every modern president and the White House press corps has been rocky. The stories of intimidation perpetrated by presidential administrations on journalists are legendary - from Richard Nixons ban on reporters who wrote unflattering stories about him, to Barack Obamas crackdown on leaks and threats on reporters who didnt cooperate, to George W. Bushs statement that the media claim they didnt represent America and his use of executive privilege to hide information from the press.   Even Donald Trump has threatened to kick reporters out of the press room, at the beginning of his term. His administration considered the media â€Å"the opposition party. To date, no president has tossed the press out of the White House, perhaps out of deference to the age-old strategy of keeping friends close - and perceived enemies closer. More Reading The Fascinating History of the White House Press Room: Town CountryThe President, the Press and Proximity: White House Historical AssociationThe Press Has Always Been a Guest in the President’s Home: LongreadsHistory of the White House Correspondents’ Association: White House Correspondents’ AssociationThe White House Beat at the Century Mark:  Martha Joynt KumarDo We Need a White House Press Corps?: Columbia Journalism Review

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Organisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organisation - Essay Example Thus, with the dynamics that the human beings portray, consistency is not only incompatible, but impossible. Still, there is a need for statutes to be there. Only in regular amendments, adjustments and constant evolution is the key to the supremacy and existence of human beings, which will allow a person to better understand what the environment is all about. Accounting and governing require a certain amount of skill, just like any other profession in the world. This skill needs to be learnt, acquired and sought, through a gradual process of grooming and training. Anybody who lacks this skill is henceforth deemed unsuitable for the task. Thus, he deduces that since people make the decision in management, they at large are not skilled in the profession of accounting within a statutory environment. The lack of skill in the people who ascertain the course of governance hence renders management as an irrational choice for accounting. It might be argued that experience, might and organizational skills are essential for the accounting class. For if one lacks these traits, then controlling the population of an organization would be a sore-some task, let alone managing the budget and rations. Skill is not as important as is getting the trust of the employees. It is ironic, that if one goes for a part-time job in a grocery store, they ask for experience and expertise, but nobody asks for the same when a ruler is to be elected! The concept of majority is a more generalized concept, and cannot be left at the whims of individuals. Universal good, though is not clearly defined, yet it exists as unison. It is only for a person to explore the same in appropriate conditions and circumstances, whereby the true inner persona of the individual will come out. In the context of helping others, this is a very important stance, the fact remains,