Ancient Mayan Civilization :: Pre-Columbian History Culture

Ancient Mayan CivilizationThe Ancient Mayan Civilization was built upon a rigid social structure based on their religious beliefs. They used a caste social structure in which divisions were based on wealth, inherited rank, privilege, profession, or occupation. Their beliefs were based on the fact that reputation elements had the power to either help or harm. The Ancient Mayans used their social structure and beliefs to shape their daily get goings. The Maya were a very religious people. They believed in many another(prenominal) gods. All events centred around their religious beliefs. They wanted to stay in favour with the gods. In their belief system, the gods would bring the rain, heal the sick, bring plentiful harvests, and ensure the wellness and safety of the people if they were honoured. If the gods were angry, they would send drought, famine and disaster to the people. In order to keep the gods happy, they believed that a daily sacrifice of blood was necessary. They would op en a accidental injury and let the blood drip onto a paper. The paper would then be burned in an offering to the gods. It was believed that the priests could see the spirits in the smoke.Kings would also eliminate blood offerings, which would please the gods. The Maya had a strong belief in the afterlife. When a king or nobleman died, the Maya people believed that he became one with the gods and would go to live in the sky with them. The Maya worshipped their ancestors as if they were gods. The dead were buried with food, tools, clothing, and whatever would be needed for their journey. Tombs were built to bury their rulers, and sacrifices and special funeral rituals were per varietyed there. Religion was used to rationalize natural forces that organized the cosmos into an ordered place. Its ideological function was to comfort individuals, unify the cabaret, justify wars, and to demonstrate the authority of ruling elites. At the top of the society were the ruler, kul ahau, his fa mily, their retainers, courtiers, and priests. Others, including the most skilled and influential architects, merchants, and craftsmen were also part of the noble elite, providing their skills were useful to the ruler. In both the priesthood and the ruling class, nepotism was the prevailing system under which new members were chosen.Primogeniture was the form under which new kings were chosen as the king passed down his position to his son.

Tobacco Essay -- essays research papers fc

THIS IS A PAPER REGARDING THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY (3 PAGES). The Killing Business? This paper is about the baccy industry. Some would find that the label killing business is very appropriate. Others would say that that name is misleading and inaccurate. Biased, I am not. So we will look at the issue in regards to the industry from both consumer and producer points of perspective with fairness and equality in reach. With an open mind now, lets peer imminent at the aftermath tobacco has left us standing in. Something has to get a non-tobacco user to try his/her first cigarette, cigar, chew, or whatever it may be. What is that something? baccy ads play an important part in getting people hooked. The government has taken a step in the right direction by bring down the ways that the industry can advertise tobacco. They have limited it to written ads mostly like magazines, billboards, sponsorship (meaning that Marlboro could sponsor a racecar driver), and T-shirts. They arent able to adv ertise on television or radio in any way. This helps to steer youth away from tobacco. But is this grafting the industrys amendment of free speech? non when the industry is responsible for thousands of deaths each and every year. What is it that makes a tobacco-user keep on buying the product? One of the most addictive substances in the United States. The enigma matter that keeps consumers coming back for more is nicotine. Is it necessary that the industry utilize nicotine to keep customer...

The Death of a Moth Essay -- Literary Analysis, Virginia Woolf

What started out as an ordinary day turned out to be one if the overcome tragedies in the history of Bangladesh the fire at Nimtoli in Dhaka. I sat in shock as I saw the news reports of the tragic accident showing numerous buildings on fire burning mercilessly, people running in havoc with no idea where loved ones atomic number 18 and yet others confine inside the buildings, screaming, being burned alive. However, nothing seemed to have any effect on the ruthless fire which kept on burning, claiming as many lives as it could, turning a deaf ear to the desperate cries of hundreds of people. The blazing flames simply devoured everything in their path, burning them to ash. It finally subsided in the early hours of dawn, but the damage it remaining behind was monumental piles of debris and dead bodies scattered in buildings which were burned charcoal black. As the police and firemen recovered countless bodies from the ruins, I wondered rough the strange nature of life and dying. In her essay, The Death of a Moth, Virginia Woolf contemplates how life and death are separated by a single thread of button and how eventually the force of death snaps the thread, overpowering life and proving its superior strength (385). Woolf reflects how life and death are two mutually exclusive forces of nature, yet they are intertwined by the law of nature itself. In the essay, Woolf observes a moth, an insignificant creature at his attempts to enjoy his meager opportunities of a particularly vibrant morning bustling with life, pushing and activity (385). However the moth is soon faced with a force which Woolf deems to be far superior to lifes energy. It is a force which would, had it chosen, have submerged an entire city, not merely a city, but masses of hu... .... They are also echoed by humans in an attempt to delay death. However, as Woolf claims, death indeed is the ultimate destination of all living things. It is how we reach that destination that matters the most. Al l rational living creatures diverge ever more widely from their pilot light course of life and to make ever more complicated detours before reaching their final aim of death (Freud 32).Robert Frost in his poem cypher Gold Can Stay writesNatures first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold.The fact that life is a hue that we want to hold questions Woolfs supposed claims if death is indeed the stronger force of nature and life the weaker, then why do all living beings choose the weaker force? Perhaps thither is a force stronger than the force of life and death, one that governs life and death, and that I believe is the force of nature.

Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the King Essay exam

The Concept of Fate in Oedipus Rex To the first-time reader of Sophocles tragedy, Oedipus Rex, it seems that the gods are in complete domination of mankind. This essay will seek to show that this is not the case because the presence of a tragic flaw within the protagonist is shown to be the cause of his downfall. In the opening scene of the tragedy the priest of Zeus itemizes for the king what the gods have done to the inhabitants of Thebes A blight is on our harvest in the ear, A blight upon the grazing flocks and herds, A blight on wives in travail and withal Armed with his blazing torch the God of Plague Hath swooped upon our urban center emptying The house of Cadmus, and the murky realm Of Pluto is full fed with groans and tears. The power of the gods seems quite awesome in their ability to inflict great injuries such as these on the population. King Oedipus, seeing Creon returning from the oracle at Delphi, addresses a brief prayer to King Apollo as the ultimate s ource of avail in time of trial O King Apollo may his joyous looks /Be presage of the joyous news he brings Creon brings to Thebes the message of the gods from the oracle allow me report then all the god declared. /King Phoebus bids us straitly extirpate /A fell pollution that infests the land, /And no more harbor an inveterate sore. The gods know that Oedipus is a pollution, a sore, which must be gotten rid of, expelled from Thebes. Charles Segal in Oedipus Tyrannus Tragic Heroism and the Limits of Knowledge supports this view In his growing strength Oedipus begins to consummation as the ritual scapegoat, the pharmakos, the figure who is ritually laden with all... ...s Rex, edited by Michael J. OBrien. Englewood Cliffs, NJ Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968. Segal, Charles. Oedipus Tyrannus Tragic Heroism and the Limits of Knowledge. New York Twayne Publishers, 1993. Sophocles In books of the Western World, edited by Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. NewYork Macmillan Publishing Co., 1 984. Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. Transl. by F. Storr. no pag. http//etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/browse-mixed new?tag=public&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&part=0&id=SopOedi - - Spengler, Oswald. catastrophe Classical vs. Western. In Sophocles A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Thomas Woodard. Englewood Cliffs, NJ Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966. Van Nortwick, Thomas. Oedipus The Meaning of a Masculine Life. Norman, OK University of okay Press, 1998.

Lord Of The Dead :: essays research papers

( This essay is a response to Benhabib. ) EDUCATION, DISCOURSE, ANDTHE CONSTRUCTION OF IDENTITY 1In order to visualise some of the strengths and weakness of identity politics as an approach to thinking about education, we need to make a distinction that is implicit, moreover not explicit, in Seyla Benhabibs essay. For there are at least two distinct conceptions of identity politics at work in her discussion, and criticisms appropriate to one may not apply to the other. The first perspective considers identity a rather static quality of persons, and views the process of identity formation in predominantly resistless terms the other perspective involves what Benhabib calls the fungibility of identity, suggesting that identities are more active and flexible constructions.2 Correspondingly, each of these views yields a different view of politics both of which, I will suggest, can be seen as sooner limited, but for different reasons. For example, m both identity theorists, and postmo dern feminists generally, will balk at having Catharine MacKinnon put out as an exemplar of their views. If she is an advocate of identity politics, it is only in a very specific sense, assuming a reified identity that is decided for women, by men, who with their home on womens throats do not allow them to speak for themselves. MacKinnon also has a crude, instrumental conception of power, especially in her view of the state as monolithic and fundamentally insensitive to womens concerns (as she says, the state is male3). As a result, her view of politics is strategic and somewhat opportunistic she appears willing to function single-issue coalitions with any group to advance her cause, as she has with right-wing groups in her antipornography crusade. MacKinnons expressed sympathy for Clarence Thomas in the Hill-Thomas case is rather stunning, given her bigger views on sexual harassment, and Benhabib places considerable weight on these comments as representing some larger dilemma fa ced by postmodern feminists in that dispute but I do not see that MacKinnons comments typify a position taken by postmodern feminists generally. MacKinnon is not postmodern in any sense that I can understand, and it seems rather misleading to characterize the weaknesses of identity politics and of postmodern feminism largely through her example. If she is an identity theorist, she has a quite reified and passive conception of identity, as I have said. For MacKinnon, there is no active component in the process of identity formation identity is constructed for women, compel from without by powerful others and by hegemonic cultural norms and beliefs.

Lord Of The Dead :: essays research papers

( This essay is a response to Benhabib. ) EDUCATION, DISCOURSE, ANDTHE CONSTRUCTION OF IDENTITY 1In roll to see some of the strengths and weakness of individuation politics as an approach to thinking about education, we need to make a distinction that is implicit, but not explicit, in Seyla Benhabibs essay. For there are at least two distinct conceptions of identity politics at work in her discussion, and criticisms appropriate to superstar may not apply to the other. The first perspective considers identity a rather static quality of persons, and views the process of identity formation in preponderantly passive terms the other perspective involves what Benhabib calls the fungibility of identity, suggesting that identities are more active and flexible constructions.2 Correspondingly, each of these views yields a different view of politics some(prenominal) of which, I will suggest, can be seen as quite limited, but for different reasons. For example, many identity theorists, and postmodern feminists generally, will balk at having Catharine MacKinnon dumbfound forth as an exemplar of their views. If she is an advocate of identity politics, it is only in a very specific sense, assuming a reified identity that is decided for women, by men, who with their foot on womens throats do not allow them to speak for themselves. MacKinnon also has a crude, instrumental conception of power, especially in her view of the give tongue to as monolithic and fundamentally insensitive to womens concerns (as she says, the state is male3). As a result, her view of politics is strategic and somewhat opportunistic she appears voluntary to forge single-issue coalitions with any group to advance her cause, as she has with right-wing groups in her antipornography crusade. MacKinnons expressed sympathy for Clarence Thomas in the Hill-Thomas case is rather stunning, given up her larger views on sexual harassment, and Benhabib places considerable weight on these comments as represent ing some larger dilemma faced by postmodern feminists in that contend but I do not see that MacKinnons comments typify a position taken by postmodern feminists generally. MacKinnon is not postmodern in any sense that I can understand, and it seems rather misleading to characterize the weaknesses of identity politics and of postmodern feminism largely through her example. If she is an identity theorist, she has a quite reified and passive conception of identity, as I have said. For MacKinnon, there is no active component in the process of identity formation identity is constructed for women, imposed from without by powerful others and by hegemonic cultural norms and beliefs.

Heart of Darkness Significance Essay

1971. The significance of a title such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is so easy to discover. However, in other dissembles (for example, Measure for Measure) the full significance of the title becomes apparent to the reader only gradually. contract two move arounds and show how the significance of their individual titles is developed through the authors use of devices such as contrast, repetition, allusion, and point of view. 1976. The conflict created when the will of an individual opposes the will of the majority is the recurring theme of many newfangleds, plays, and essays. recognise the work of an essayist who is in opposition to his or her society or from a work of recognized literary merit, select a fictional role who is in opposition to his or her society. In a critical essay, analyze the conflict and discuss the moral and ethical implications for both the individual and the society. Do not summarize the plot or action of the work you choose. 1991.Many plays and sassys use contrasting places (for example, two countries, two cities or towns, two houses, or the land and the sea) to understand opposed forces or ideas that are central to the meaning of the work. Choose a novel or play that contrasts two such places. Write an essay explaining how the places differ, what for each one place represents, and how their contrast contributes to the meaning of the work. 1994. In nearly works of literature, a display case who appears briefly, or does not appear at all, is a significant presence. Choose a novel or play of literary merit and drop a line an essay in which you show how such a character reference functions in the work. You whitethorn wish to discuss how the character affects action, theme, or the development of other characters. Avoid plot summary. 1996. The British novelist Fay Weldon offers this observation about happy culminations.The writers, I do believe, who aim the best and most lasting response from their readers are the writ ers who offer a happy ending through moral development. By a happy ending, I do not mean clean fortunate events a marriage or a last minute rescue from death but some kind of spiritual reassessment or moral reconciliation, even with the self, even at death. Choose a novel or play that has the kind of ending Weldon describes. In a well-written essay, identify the spiritual reassessment or moral reconciliation evident in the ending and explain its significance in the work as a whole. 1999.The eighteenth-century British novelist Laurence Sterne wrote, No body, but he who has felt it, can conceive what a plaguing thing it is to have a mans mind torn asunder by two projects of equal strength, both obstinately pulling in a contrary direction at the said(prenominal) time. From a novel or play choose a character (not necessarily the protagonist) whose mind is pulled in conflicting directions by two compelling desires, ambitions, obligations, or influences. Then, in a well-organized essa y, identify each of the two conflicting forces and explain how this conflict with one character illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole.You may use one of the novels or plays listed below or another novel or work of similar literary quality. 2000. Many works of literature not readily identified with the mystery or detective story genre nonetheless involve the investigation of a mystery. In these works, the solution to the mystery may be less important than the knowledge gained in the process of its investigation. Choose a novel or play in which one or more of the characters confront a mystery. Then write an essay in which you identify the mystery and explain how the investigation illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot. 2001. One definition of madness is mental delusion or the eccentric behavior arising from it. But Emily Dickinson wrote Much madness is divinest Sense-To a discerning Eye-Novelists and playwrights have often seen ma dness with a discerning Eye. Select a novel or play in which a characters apparent madness or irrational behavior plays an important role. Then write a well-organized essay in which you explain what this delusion or eccentric behavior consists of and how it might be judged reasonable. Explain the significance of the madness to the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot. 2002. Morally forked characters characters whose behavior discourages readers from identifying them as purely evil or purely good are at the heart of many works of literature. Choose a novel or play in which a morally ambiguous character plays a pivotal role. Then write an essay in which you explain how the character can be viewed as morally ambiguous and why his or her moral ambiguity is significant to the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary. 2002, Form B. Often in literature, a characters success in achieving goals depends on keeping a secret and divulging it only at the right moment, if at all.C hoose a novel or play of literary merit that requires a character to keep a secret. In a well-organized essay, briefly explain the necessity for secrecy and how the characters choice to reveal or keep the secret affects the plot and contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. You may select a work from the list below, or you may choose another work of recognized literary merit suited to the topic. Do NOT write about a short story, poem, or film. 2003. According to critic Northrop Frye, Tragic heroes are so much the highest points in their tender-hearted landscape that they seem the inevitable conductors of the power about them, great trees more likely to be struck by lightning than a clump of grass.Conductors may of curriculum be instruments as well as victims of the divisive lightning. Select a novel or play in which a tragic figure functions as an instrument of the suffering of others. Then write an essay in which you explain how the suffering brought upon others by that figure contributes to the tragic vision of the work as a whole. 2003, Form B. Novels and plays often depict characters caught between colliding cultures national, regional, ethnic, religious, institutional. Such collisions can call a characters sense of identity into question. Select a novel or play in which a character responds to such a cultural collison. Then write a well-organized essay in which you describe the characters response and explain its relevance to the work as a whole. 2004.Critic Roland Barthes has said, Literature is the question minus the answer. Choose a novel, or play, and, considering Barthes observation, write an essay in which you analyze a central question the work raises and the extent to which it offers answers. Explain how the authors treatment of this question affects your understanding of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary. 2004, Form B. The most important themes in literature are sometimes developed in scenes in which a death or deaths take place. Choose a novel or play and write a well-organized essay in which you show how a specific death scene helps to illuminate the meaning of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.

Assessment of Problem of Tax Administration in Nigeria Economy (a Case Sturdy of Federal Inland Revenue)

TABLE OF CONTENT Title Page i Declaration ii Dedication iii Acknowledgement iv digest v Table of content vi CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Background of the cultivation 1. 2 Statement of the chore 1. 3 Objective of the study 1. 4 Research question and hypothesis 1. 5 Scope of the study 1. 6 Significance of the study 1. 7 Definition of boundarys 1. 8 project of the studyCHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2. 1 Introduction 2. 2 Re go out of the Nigerian dandy commercialise 2. 3 Bond financing Prospect, Benefit, And Associated gamble 2. 4 The impediment and problem of Bond development in Nigeria 2. 5 Recent developments in the Nigerian Bond grocery 2. 6 Theoretical fashion model 2. 7 summary of the chapter CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3. 1 Introduction 3. 2 Research Design 3. 3 Sources and modes of Data Collection 3. 4 Methods of Data depth psycholog y 3. 5 Justification For the Method Used 3. 6 Summary of the Chapter CHAPTER FOUR DATA PRSENTATION AND ANALYSIS 4. 1 Introduction 4. 2 Data presentation And synopsis 4. Hypothesis And model testing 4. 4 Discussion on Research Findings 4. 5 Summary Of Findings CHAPTER FIVE SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 5. 1 Summary 5. 2 Conclusion 5. 3 Limitation Of The Study 5. 4 Recommendation 5. 5 References CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1. 1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY The importance and centrality of the pecuniary agreement to the growth of any delivery is obvious and indisputable. It has been postulated that a well developed pecuniary system performs several critical functions that enhanced the force of their financial in shapeediation roles with highly reduced costs of information, transaction and monitoring.Also, it promotes investment by identifying and locating viable business opportunities helps in mobilizing savings monitors the performance of managers thereby enabling trading, he dgerow and diversification of risk in order to facilitate the exchange of goods and services. These functions impression in efficient allocation of re reservoirs and rapid accumulation of physical and human capital with faster technological process which in turn feed scotch growth. The financial commercialise is a sub-set of the financial system where funds from surplus economic units be pooled and made available to deficit units at a cost. The financial market consists of the cash and the capital markets.The money market is the market for short term funds with a maturity period of not more than a year. The Capital commercialize consists of institutions and procedures that provide for transactions in long term financial instruments with a maturity of more than one year. The major instruments that are used in raising funds in the Nigeria Capital Market include Debts establishment puzzles (Federal, State and Local Governments), Industrial loan stocks or Debentures, Preferenc e Stocks, and Equities ordinary shares. Instruments classified as Debt securities are ordinaryly referred to as wedges because of their fixed income characteristics except for perceptiveness stock which is a hybrid instrument.Therefore investors in bonds are essentially lending money to the issuer. Some of the common bond issuers are judicatures (Federal, State and Local Government), government agencies and corporate institutions. There are different types of bonds with its unique features relating to the way it pays interest, the market in which the bond is issued, the currency it is payable in, protective features and the legal framework low which it operates. The bond market is the channel through which government and corporations that need to borrow money are matched with investors who have funds to lend. There are really two markets for bonds THE PRIMARY AND THE SECONDARY MARKET.The underdeveloped nature of the Nigerian Bond market is reflected through the depth of the market, lack of investors confidence, inflationary pressure coupled with continuous disparagement of the Naira, absence of major international rating organization, absence of secondary trading market, macro-economic instability and closed nature of the market to external actors. All these indices indicate the reproachive fundamentals of the market and hence its inability to contribute significantly to the growth and development of the Nigerian economy as it obtains in other developed countries of the orbit like Europe and United States of America. The effect of reviving theNigerian Bond market on the Nigerian economy cannot be overemphasized as it will enhance the execution of a transformed economy through supplying of long term funding to government and corporate borrowers, foreign investment, participation in the global bond market and international capital flow. However, how fast the Nigeria government and financial authorities move to combat the faulty fundamentals of the m arket will determine its efficiency and efficientness as a major provider of the long term finance needed for Nigerias economic growth. In Nigeria, one major defect for the slow pace of development of the real sector which is necessary to bring about a sustained economic growth and development is lacking(predicate) finance.It is wherefore pertinent to examine theoretically and comparatively the roles the Nigerian Bond market can play in the growth of the Nigerian economy with a view of assessing the effect of bond market development in an imperative way to achieve a transformed economy. 1. 2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The major problem that brought about slow movement of developing the real sector of Nigeria which is necessary to bring about a sustained economic growth and development is inadequate finance. This can be traced largely to the underdeveloped plead of the Debt segment of the Nigerian Capital Market which is supposed to serve as the vehicle for the mobilization and pro vision of long-term funds needed by both government and corporate organizations to embark on developmental projects needed for economic growth and development.The underdeveloped state of the bond segment of the Nigeria capital market has in time past led to distortions in the economy as most corporate organizations sourced their long term funds from commercial message banks. This in effect is a financial mismatch funding strategy where long term projects are funded with short term finance. The commercial banks are set-up to provide only short term funding due to the nature of their sources of funds whereas the kind of finance needed for sustainable development are long term funds. Also, because there is no developed outlet for the sourcing of long term funds by corporate organizations, there is overdependence on government to rank and direct the pace of economic development.Thus, business activities are predicated on public expenditure projections and when these projections and bu dgets are delayed or not forthcoming, economic activities in the whole economy is directly adversely affected. 1. 3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY The major objective of this study is to assess the effective development of the Nigerian bond market and it essential effect on the growth of the economy is however the task of this study. Other objective is to, (i) Find out whether there exist an optimal economy whereas bond market can be developed. 1. 4 RESEARCH QUESTION AND HYPOTHESIS In line with the look problem, some specific questions must pick up answers in the course of the study.These questions are as follow (i) How does development of Nigerian bond market affect economic growth? (ii) Does inadequate finance result from underdevelopment state of debt segment in the Nigerian capital market? 1. 4. 1 HYPOTHESIS Ho There is no significant relationship between effective development of the Nigerian Bond market and economic growth. H1 There is a significant relationship between effective de velopment of the Nigerian Bond market and economic growth. 1. 5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY This research is carried out mainly on Nigerian capital market to assess the development on fund to the Nigerian economy it covers data sourced from Nigerian stock exchange, Annual report, Security and exchange commission and National News paper.It covers the period of eight years (2000- 2008) 1. 6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The important of this study cannot be overemphasized owing to the value of a research on this nature. To the end, this research is carried out to bring to the attention of financial managers of the firms especially financial institutions, relevant information regarding to Bond market and economy development in order to assist in making financial decision. 1. 7 DEFINITION OF TERMS (i) Bond A bond is simply a certificate of indebtedness issued by a borrower to a lender. (ii) Capital Market This is the market for intermediate and long term securities that have more than one year of ma turity say three years. iii) Debt This is referred to as an obligation owed by one fellowship (the debtor) to a second party the creditor. (iv) Debenture This is referred to as type of bond that is not secured by physical asset or collateral, it is credit worthiness and temper of the issuer. (v) Equity this referred to as the residual claim or interest of the junior class of investors in asset after all liabilities have been paid. (vi) Financial Market The financial market is a sub-set of the financial system where funds from surplus economic units are pooled and made available to deficit units at a cost. (vii) notes Market This market is the market for short term funds with a maturity period of not more than a year. (viii) Preference Stock ix) primordial Market This is referred to as the market where securities are newly issued. (x) Secondary Market This is referred to as the market where existing securities are traded. 1. 9 PLAN OF THE STUDY This research project is divided in to five (5) chapters for better and easy understanding, chapter two (2) is the review of related literatures the literature is reviewed with a view to lay a foundation for the expression of new research that we are currently undergoing. It gives directions and light to research work. Chapter three (3) tell us about the method(s) of research used in this project. It shows the research design, source of data, method of data collection, and techniques of data analysis among others.Chapter four (4) is mainly the presentation of data and the analysis. Here our research hypothesis will be tested in order to enable us draw a conclusion on the topic under consideration. The final chapter which is chapter five (5) will highlight on the conclusion, summary and recommendation. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2. 1 Introduction A bond is a debt security in which the issuer owes the holder a debt and is obliged to repay the psyche and interest (coupon) at a later date, termed maturity. Other sti pulations may also be attached to the bond issued, such as the obligation of the issuer to provide sealed information to the bondholder or limitations on the behaviour of the issuer.Bonds are generally issued for a fixed term (the maturity) longer than one year (Olashore, 2006). Umoren (2000) also defines a bond as basically IOUS of longer duration than the average money market instrument present in a tending(p) market. According to Fahm (2006), a bond is a long term debt instrument issued by an entity, company or government as evidence of a promise to pay. The claim protects the holder in circumstances in which the issuer is unable to pay the amount due. According to Oni (2006. ), the entity borrowing money by the way of a bond is called the issuer and the person investment is the buyer. The issuer of a bond promises to pay the buyers interest which is called a coupon for the privilege of using the buyers money.The issuer also promises to return the money which is the principal to the buyer on a specified date called the maturity date. The coupon which is a predetermined interest account is paid to the buyer at periodic intervals throughout the life of the bond. It is the nature of known periodic interest amount (coupon) and known principal amount that gave rise to the nomenclature fixed income securities given to bonds. Corporate bonds are often called debentures, but the term debenture is usually used to refer to borrowings without specified collateral. Such borrowings are based on the general credit standing of the borrower. In Nigeria, however, some debentures are said to be mortgage debentures.In such cases, the security provided goes beyond the credit worthiness of the borrowers to include a mortgage of some specific assets and also all future assets (Odife, 1999). 2. 2 Review of the Nigerian capital market 2. 3 Bond financing Prospect, Benefit, And Associated Risk 2. 4 The impediment and problem of Bond development in Nigeria 2. 5 Recent development s in the Nigerian Bond market 2. 6 Theoretical framework 2. 7 summary of the chapter CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3. 1 Introduction 3. 2 Research Design 3. 3 Sources and Methods of Data Collection 3. 4 Method of Data Analysis 3. 5 Justification for the Method Used 3. 6 Summary of the Chapter

Arizona Constitution and United States Constitution Essay

When the drafters of the Constitution of the Arizona, nary did they anticipate that the document they would produce would last over a hundred years, inclusive of two world-wide conflicts, the new technologies of the space age and the social and cultural alterations in the United States (State Bar of Arizona, 2009). During the 1900s, former United States President William Howard Taft went to the territory, as the future conjure was nearly to begin the process of accession to the Union (Arizona, 2009).In his statement to the settlers in the territory, Taft warned them not to tread the path that another recently admitted state, Oklahoma (Arizona, 2009). He told them to depart from the adoption of such progressive policies such as initiatives and referendums (Arizona, 2009). But in the basic comparison of the state constitution and the United States Constitution, the primary factor is that in the Constitution of the United States, it prescribes limited powers, as contrasted to the st ate constitution, where there is a broad range of powers granted under their ambit (Arizona, 2009).Also, the Federal fundamental jurisprudence lacks a provision for the police power initiative, or a general welfare clause (Arizona, 2009). State constitutions have that feature that enlarges the scope of the authority implant in the state fundamental law (Arizona, 2009). The Federal Constitution does however have more far reaching scope in its laws and provisions, as the state laws are only applicable to the domain of the state (Arizona, 2009).In the shorter Federal law, the powers are mentioned whereas the state declares both powers and the limitation of the powers (Arizona, 2009). The similarities of the state and Federal range in the mention of the structure of government, the branches of government, and the democratic processes available to the citizens to instigate an atmosphere of accountability to the citizenry and society at large.

Promotional Mix: Public Relations Campaign

ObjectiveTo stimulate PB awareness by participating with select a respect Foundation by donating a portion of sales from the PB holiday accessories line. Budget The PB holiday (value) line donations for the Make a Wish Foundation will be supported by a budget of $500,000 in the month of November and December from the total allotted $5 million per month marketing budget. Estimated costs are minimal as they will be included in a small card mailer each month and as an online pop-up with the web promotion.Message strategyTo promote donations and funding for the Make a Wish Foundation and raise local and national awareness for PB to support community engagement. The Make a Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses. It is Pottery Barns hope to raise $500,000 for the organization in 2013 through companywide involvement in donations from staff, customers and sales of the holiday line. Media planThe Sales reports will be reviewed weekly to ensure the ta rget of $500,000 is progressing as hoped. The purpose is aid the Make a Wish Foundation and to break the reach of PB to its consumers by adding a personal level to the organization. Offering employees a monthly payroll deduction with matching incentive from the organization, a 10% proceed from the holiday line sales, and customer donations the entire PB family will have the opportunity to give back to their community this holiday season. The web superior promotion running on the Frontgate, Better Homes and Gardens will accompany a Make a Wish/ PB cobranded pop-up allowing shoppers to donate immediately and at the date of check out.The Make a Wish Foundation ad will run the same timespan as the holiday line, November 1st through December 24th, purchases everyplace $50will still featuring the free gift offer. User profile information on social networking sites will be utilized to target and set out with the PB consumer profile. The value promotion will be reviewed weekly and brok en down into daily sales for each product in the value line, financial contributions will be tracked to total sales from the holiday (value) line. Donation goals will be set in place each week by location and by sales staff member, including web traffic.Additional commissions will be paid to associates, including designers that cross sell holiday product in their design sessions that cumulate and exceed their sales goals directly related to the holiday (value) line. It will be important to track leads from each online source using tracking software, Facebook ad consultation profiles, following pay per click metadata, print ads, etc. to review electronic profiles of consumers online. Integrating PB rewards using the consumers email at checkout and providing electronic receipt will also allow further access to better defining successful community campaigns in the future.

Freedom of Speech Essay

In the United States we realise many freedoms that we as citizens possess. independence of quarrel is one of the freedoms we enjoy. But what is the meaning of the word freedom, and how free is our speech? The word free, according to Merriam-Websters dictionary means having the legal and governmental rights of a citizen. With this in mind, it does not mean that we have the right to do and say as we please.The First Amendment states Congress shall make no law respecting an face of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances (The Constitution of The United States). The Citizens of the United States misinterpret the phase Freedom of Speech to suit their own needs and wants.In this essay we will question how our interpretation of our freedom is only a myth brought on by our selfish ways and thoughts and interpreted a ccording to what we disembodied spirit it means in the situations that run into best. The First Amendment has been interpreted by the Supreme Courts to only protect citizens in certain applications and situations and, not protect some companies and corporations nor does it offer to protect citizens of the United States from address against the government.Governmental agencies have twisted the first amendment to fit what the individuals of that particular agencies likes or dislikes, and their view of certain speakers. When the first amendment was written it was meant strictly for congress not to be able to make any laws to hinder our so called Freedom of Speech. The first amendment has short no bearing on private of public laws that have gone into effect that limits what can or cant be said. In the article Can the FCC Shut Howard Stern Up by Jeff Jarvis, he states that the FCC enforces rules that unevenly depending on who says a certain phrase.The FCC condemned Howard Stern for h is explanation of sexual colloquialisms, but did not punish others references to giving head and finger-banging your boyfriend (Jarvis). The FCC has had its way with instituting censoring on the radio and television by threatening stations with gigantic fines for not complying with their agenda of what is allowed to be talked roughly or seen. At one catamenia in time, FCC chairman Powell urged broadcasters under threat of gigantic finesto adopt a voluntary Code of Good Practices and stated It would be in your best engage to do so. Voluntary doesnt mean voluntary, more like volun-told (Jarvis).The censorship doesnt apply only to the media either. Schools have jumped in on the band-wagon with try to censor egress what they feel is inappropriate for everyone else. In April 2004 at Poway High School in California a student wore a t- app arl expressing his views about homosexuality after the Day of Silence organized by a Gay-Straight Alliance club. The day of silence was designed t o encourage tolerance.When the student was asked to remove his tog or turn it in spite of appearance out, he refused and was forced to spend the day in a conference room in the shallows front office (Taylor, Kelly 2013). How does the school justify that his anti-homosexual shirt was any different than being forced to endure a full day of silence that was ok with the school? The student later(prenominal) sued the school (Harper v. Poway Unified School District). The courts upheld that the school officials are permitted to censor what students are allowed to wear and not allowed to wear. Another student in Ohio banned a shirt that the school officials found questionable.The shirt in question was a Marilyn Manson rock band t-shirt that depicted a three faced Jesus on the front and the word believe on the back with the letter l-i-e highlighted. The student believed his right to free speech had been violated when the school officials told him to change the shirt, turn it inside out o r leave the school and be considered a truant (Schools Win Rights To Ban). The student lost his case against the school, even though the shirt did absolutely nothing to disrupt classes or learning. All it did was cause officials to strut their power to take away free speech and censor the kids.While some schools are busy trying to ban clothing and other things that it considers inappropriate or offensive, some schools are just plain prohibition everything whether harmful of not if they feel it is controversial. In an article by Denise Penn titled Gay/Straight Clun Banned in Orange County, CA H. S. , she describes a group of teenagers who tried to start a club dropped off an application in the school office. The principal wanted to approve the Gay/Straight Alliance club, went to the superintendent for guidance and it was taken out of her hands. The school board engaged in several delays and finally held a public forum about the club.The students endured antigay rhetoric at the forum (Penn). The students faced a panel that took an extremist position. The school officials done away with a program that provided counseling for at-risk students in elementary, middle and high schools, who were having adjustment problems in school. The counseling was provided by interns and cost the school district nothing at all and helped kids. It also took some of the strain off the teachers so they could concentrate on teaching and not on the troubled youths. The council ended the program because it burdened the school to administer the program.The censorship of speech is even taking hold of the political arena. The McCain-Feingold nonpartisan Campaign Reform Act criminalizes political speech in connection with political and even state elections (Roane). The law makes it a felony for a corporation, labor union, or non-profit advocacy group to criticize or even mention a member of congress in broadcast ads within 60 days former to a federal election. It is now a federal crime for state and local candidates, officeholders and political parties to engage or participate in political speech that attacks or even supports candidates for federal office (Roane).If it is illegal to voice anyones opinion, then the government has taken away a big chunk of our freedom of speech to support or object to any candidate. It basically makes it illegal for anyone to place an ad on the radio or television to support them in any federal election. The law also dictates what money can be used for certain applications and also lessens the chance for newer candidates to be heard, unless they already have a name for themselves in the public arena.It basically guarantees already elected officials a better chance for re-election in future elections (Roane). The government is closing down on our freedom of speech slowly by instituting their power to censor our speech. Whether it is through the schools, limiting what any students can say or wear, or through banning clubs that school off icial think could be objectionable, or through the media outlets governed by another governmental agency. Our freedom of speech is being taken away from us a little at a time without us even knowing it.

Relationship Between Lactate Threshold Essay

AbstractResearch into the kindred between physiological variables and caterpillar get behind feat has been variable. The posture of this study was to experiment the relationship between 5k running surgical operation and a number of physiological variables in a group of 11 develop connection runners (Age 21.451.63yrs, Height 175.092.77cm, Weight 67.865.12kg). The supporters underwent a laboratory treadmill test to determine their muckimum type O uptake (VO2 max) and running velocities at nurse scepter (v-Tlac) and occupation lactate concentration of 4mM (v-OBLA). Running operation was determined by a 5k time-trial on an athletics track for which the average time was 1097.09 108.02 secs. The hatch velocities for v-Tlac and v-OBLA were 15.18 1.5km/h, 16.76 1.60 km/h and mean VO2max was 59.10 3.54 ml/kg/min. The best single predictors of 5k running effect were v-OBLA and VO2max (p = .003, p = .007) while v-Tlac was slightly poorer (p = .013). It is concluded that lact ate variables may be valid and reproducible predictors for 5km running performance.IntroductionResearch throughout history has established that a number of physiological variables relate to quad running performance, including Lactate room access (Tlac), OBLA and VO2 easy lay (Conley and Krahenbuhl, 1980 Co slake, Thomason and Roberts, 1973 Coyle et al, 1983 Farrell et al, 1979 Hagberg and Coyle, 1983 Lafontaine, Londeree and Spath, 1982). The results from this research have been variable. Evidence has shown that line of descent lactate variables highly correlate with running performance over a variety of distances. Additionally, these variables contribute to running performance variance more than any other physiological variables (Yoshida et al, 1990, 1993). Lactate Threshold describes the point at which dress begins to hurt more than it should because the bodys lactate production exceeds the bodys ability to flush it away (Robergs & Roberts, 1997). It is the exercise military posture at which lactate threshold occurs that can be use as a substantive predictor of endurance performance (Allen et al, 1985 Coyle et al, 1988 Farrell et al, 1979).It is considered a powerful tool for developing effective training regimes and as a manner of monitoring adaptation to endurance performance, although to be effective at fulfilling these roles, the measurement of lactate threshold must be reliable. OBLA is the Onset of Blood Lactate Accumulation. OBLA is judge as an incremental method for detecting the lactate deflection point (Australian diverts Commission, 2000). Being able to detect this point is crucial as it is an indication of when an athlete switches from a predominantly aerophilous to anaerobic metabolism, which leads to hastened fatigue. It is established that a level of 2 4 millimoles per dm3 (litre) represents OBLA. Duggan and Tebbutt (1990) examined blood lactate concentrations of non-athletes during a treadmill protocol at 12 km/h.Results suggested vOBLA to be a reproducible performance predictor. In sum total to Lactate variables, sports scientists measure VO2 max to objectively evaluate a effects functional aerobic capacity. VO2 max is the maximum volume of oxygen that can be utilised in one minute during maximal or exhaustive exercise (Bassett & Howley 2000). The majority of research using heterogeneous groups has gear up that VO2 Max correlates highly with running performance (Costill et al, 1973 Thomason and Roberts, 1973 Foster et al, 1978). However, when moderately homogeneous groups were tested, low-moderate correlativitys were found (Conley and Krahenbuhl, 1980 Morgan et al, 1989). Saltin and Astrand (1967) discovered that high VO2 Max values in subjects have been related to successful running performance, because traditionally the oxygen cost of running is directly comparative to running accelerate.Grant et al (1997) conducted a study involving treadmill protocols to assess all of the variables considered abov e and a time trial on an indoor 200m track to determine 3km-running performance. The main findings concluded that lactate variables were the best single predictors of v-3km. Further research and development of knowledge concerning the dominant physiological contributors that underlie short-distance running performance go out enable greater specificity in training methods, allowing for improved competitive performance. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the relationships between Lactate Threshold, OBLA, VO2 Max and 5km Running feat.Experimental ventureIt is to be hypothesised that participants reaching higher velocities upon reaching lactate threshold will display superior 5k running performance and that there will be a significant relationship between the two variables. It is to be hypothesised that participants reaching higher velocities upon reaching OBLA will display superior 5k running performance and that there will be a significant relationship between the two variab les. It is to be hypothesised that participants with a greater Vo2 Max (oxygen capacity) will display superior 5k running performance and that there will be a moderate relationship between the two variables.Null HypothesisIt is to be hypothesised that there will be no significant relationship between velocity at lactate threshold and 5k running performance. It is to be hypothesised that there will be no significant relationship between velocity at OBLA and 5k running performance. It is to be hypothesised that there will be no significant relationship between VO2 Max and 5k running performance. regularity thespiansA total of 11 Trained Club Athletes, who have been free from injury for the past three months, were tested (Age 21.451.63yrs, Height 175.092.77cm, Weight 67.865.12kg). All participants were asked to off a consent form.Research designThe experiment involved 2 experimental trials a lab based test to determine Tlac, OBLA and VO2 Max and a 5k running time-trial on the athletic s track, completed in a counterbalanced order with 1 week separating each trial. Both trials were conducted on the same twenty-four hour period and at the same time of day (1000 1100 am). Laboratory conditions were 21 0.3 (C) and track conditions were 20 0.2 (C).ProceduresScreening Participants were screened prior to exercise to ensure they had an appropriate wellness status for exercise. Screening included taking resting heart rate using a heart rate monitor (Polar, T31, Finland), and blood pressure using a blood pressure monitor (Omron, MX3 Plus, Netherlands) Resting heart rate 90bpm systolic blood pressure 140 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure 90 mmHg.Participant Preparation Prior to exercise participants were prompt and fitted with the necessary equipment. A heart rate monitor (Polar, T31, Finland) was fitted and a resting blood lactate measurement taken. Prior to blood sampling, hands were washed, gloves were worn and the subject of sampling was cleansed with an alcohol wip e. A small insertion was made to the participants earlobe using a lancet. The first blood droplet was wiped away and blood was collected using a capillary vessel tube. The blood was then mixed and analysed using a lactate analyser (Analox Analyser Micro-Stat, P-GM7, USA). The participant was then prepared for exercise. A nose clip, breathing pneumotach and mouthpiece (Hans Rudolf, USA) were equipped. The following equipment was then attached to an automated gas analyser (Medgraphics, CPX Cardio II, USA), allowing the measurement of oxygen uptake.Exercise Protocol As all participants were catagorised as ingenious athletes, creating a homogeneous group, a warm-up speed intensity of 12km/h (Endurance Athletes) was selected, in relation to The guidelines for establishing exercise intensity for the decisiveness of TLAC during treadmill running in adults (Adapted from Jones and Doust in Eston And Reilly, 2001) (Appendix 1.2). Following a 5-minute warm-up on the treadmill (Woodway, ELG, Germany), the participants completed an incremental graded exercise test. Increments lasted 4 minutes, measure on a stopwatch (Fast Time, 1) and at the end of each increment the participant rested for a period of 1 minute, this allowed for the collection of a capillary blood sample.The speed was increased by 1kph per increment. Upon attaining a blood lactate value of 4 mmol.L-1, the test became incremental and continuous, continuing the 1kph increase in speed but now per 2 minutes with no resting period. The participant was ran to volitional exhaustion and then asked to complete a cool-down at a running intensity below the warm-up level. Participants lactate thresholds were determined by monitoring their 2mmol point OBLA by monitoring their 4mmol point and VO2 Max was the participants maximal oxygen uptake from the protocol.Statistical analysesThe dependant variables Heart Rate (HR), Rating Of Perceived Exertion (RPE), and Blood Lactate (BLa) were recorded at each of the workload i ntervals. atmospheric pressure (mmHg) and air temperature (C) were recorded using a barometer and thermometer and upholded constant throughout the experiment. SPSS was used to determine correlations between Velocity at Tlac (Kph), Velocity at OBLA (Kph), VO2 Max and 5k Running performance (seconds) Paired Sample T Test was used to determine the significance of relations between cerebrate 5k Velocity and Velocity at OBLA. Significance level was set at P 0.05.ResultsThe research experiment of the 11 participants provided a number of important variable measurements of which can be analysed.mesa 1. Mean and Standard Deviation of Physiological Variables. Velocity at LT (km/h) Velocity at OBLA (Km/h) VO2 max (ml/kg/min) 5k time (secs) 5k time (mins) 5k Running Velocity (km/h) Mean 15.18 16.76 59.10 1097.09 18.28 16.55Figure 1. The relationship between v-Tlac and 5k Running Performance.Table 1. Figure 1. Displays the Velocity at Lactate Threshold results for all 11 participants for t he duration of the experiment. Participants averaged a Velocity of 15.18 1.5km/h upon reaching Lactate Threshold. There was a high, significant, negative correlation between Velocity at LT (mean SD = 15.18 1.5km/h) and 5k Running performance (mean SD = 1097.09 108.02sec) of the trained athletes rho = -.664, N = 11, p = .013, (one-tailed).Figure 2. The relationship between v-OBLA and 5k Running Performance.Table 1. Figure 2. Displays the Velocity at OBLA results for all 11 participants for the duration of the experiment. Participants averaged a Velocity of 16.76 1.6km/h upon reaching OBLA. There was a very high, significant, negative correlation between Velocity at OBLA (mean SD = 16.76 1.60 km/h) and 5k Running Performance (mean SD = 1097.09 108.02 sec) of the trained athletes rho = -.770, N = 11, p = .003, (one-tailed).Figure 3. The relationship between VO2 Max and 5k Running Performance.Table 1. Figure 3. Displays the VO2 Max results for all 11 participants for the duratio n of the experiment. Participants averaged a VO2 Max of 59.10 3.54ml/kg/min. There was a very high, significant, negative correlation between VO2max (mean SD = 59.10 3.54 ml/kg/min) and 5k Running Performance (mean SD = 1097.09 108.02sec) of the trained athletes rho = -.712, N = 11, p = .007, (one-tailed).Figure 4. Relationship between Mean 5k Running Velocity and Velocity at OBLA.The dependent t-test showed that there were statistically no-significant differences between mean velocity (mean SD = 16.55 1.57 Nm) and velocity at OBLA (mean SD = 16.76 1.60 Nm) t = .692, df = 10, p = .511, (two-tailed).DiscussionThe main finding of the study was that v-OBLA was strongly related to 5k running performance. A simple correlation of v-OBLA and 5km running performance presented high significance (r= -.770 P 0.01). The correlation between VO2max and 5km running performance in the present study was also highly significant (r= -.712 P 0.01), succeeding the significance hypothesised and superseding the significance of v-Tlac (r= -.664 P 0.05). These results agree with that of previous studies expressing high relationships between lactate variables and running performance (Allen et al, 1985 Farrell et al, 1979 Hagberg and Coyle, 1983 Kumagai et al, 1983), and closely relate to a fairly recent study performed by Yoshida et al, (1993), which conveyed simple correlation results of 0.77 and 0.78 between v-Tlac, v-OBLA and 3k running performance. Running velocities at Tlac and OBLA are subjective to a variety of factors, including energy fibre type.Further research by Costill et al, (1976) discovered that elite endurance runners have a high proportion of Type I fibres, which have later been linked to low blood lactate concentrations at given work rates (Tesch et al, 1978). The high relationship of lactate variables to 5km running performance suggests that success in distance running can be determined by performance at the highest possible running velocity that can be attained without the hookup of blood lactate when velocity exceeds this and lactate production rises, acidosis occurs as a result of glycolysis, which has been proven to cause decreases in force production, consequently affecting performance (Donald son and Hermansen, 1978 Fabiato and Fabiato, 1978).The correlation between VO2 Max and 5km running performance exceeded the significance found between the two variables in present studies (Hagberg and Coyle, 1983). Literature considering this topic surface area documents that endurance performance is habitually more highly correlated with lactate variables as appose to VO2 Max (Jacobs, 1986). Studies of well-trained athletes have evidenced that VO2 Max can remain relatively stable throughout the duration of a competitive season, despite athletes displaying changes in performance (Galy et al, 2003 Jones and Carter, 2000). This indicates that VO2 Max isnt perceptive enough to determine passing(a) improvements in performance, and should nt be solely used as a predictor of endurance running performance.The dependent testing of mean 5km velocity and v-OBLA authenticated that there were no significant differences between the two (p = 0.511). This suggests participants were running at approximately the highest velocity that they could attain without the accumulation of blood lactate. The study of Usaj (2000) supports that when velocity exceeds v-OBLA, lactate fluctuations exceed steady conditions and athletes experience fatigue earlier. The variance figures between v-OBLA, v-Tlac and running performance (R2 = 59.3 per cent R2 = 44.1 per cent) are considerably lower than previous studies, however these still suggest that blood lactate variables must contribute to running performance.Yoshida et al (1989) reported large portions on common variance between v-OBLA, v-Tlac and running performance (R2 = 88.6 per cent R2 = 72.8 per cent). Study implications included the inefficiency of obtaining lactate measurements within th e time allocation, possibly causing variable results, and an occasional equipment failure when obtaining heart rate measurements. In addition to the variables tested, previous studies have found a relationship between running economy and endurance performance (Ramsbottom et al, 1987 Grant et al, 1997). This may be an area to examine in future research.ConclusionThe study concludes that in a heterogeneous group of 11 trained endurance athletes, blood lactate variables are the close to highly valid and reproducible predictors for 5km running performance, strongly supported by previous research. Contrastingly, although VO2 max results were highly significant, they failed to correlate with previous research and it is to be suggested that VO2 max can only be considered as a moderate alternative predictor.ReferencesAustralian shimmers Commission. Physiological Tests for Elite Athletes. Champaign, IL Human Kinetics, 2000.Allen, W.K., Seals, D.R., Hurley, B.F., Ehsani, A.A., and Hagberg, J.M., (1985). Lactate threshold and distance running performance in young and older endurance athletes. J. Appl. Physiol. 58, 12811284.Bassett, D.R., & Howley, E.T., (2000). Limiting factors for maximum oxygen uptake and determinants of endurance performance. Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise. 32, 70-84.Conley, D.L., and Krahenbuhl, G.S., (1980). Running economy and distance running performance of highly trained athletes. Med. Sci. Sports Exercise. 12, 357-360.Costill, D.L., Thomason, H., and Roberts, E., (1973). Fractional utilization of the aerobic capacity during distance running. Med. Sci. Sports. 5, 248-252.Coyle, E.F., Martin, W.H., Ehsani, A.A., Hagberg, J.M., Bloomfield, S.A., Sinacore, D.R., and Holloszy, J.R., (1983). Blood lactate threshold in some well-trained ischemic heart disease patients. J. Appl. Physiol. 54, 18-23.Coyle, E.F., Coggan, A.R., Hopper, M.K., and Walters, T.J., (1988). Determinants of endurance in well-trained cyclists. J. Appl. Physiol. 64, 26 222630.Donaldson, S.K.B., and Hermansen, L., (1978). Differential, direct effects of HI on Ca2-activated force of skinned fibers from the soleus, cardiac and adductor muscle magnus muscles of rabbits. European diary of Physiology. 376, 55-65.Duggan, A., and Tebbutt, S.D., (1990). Blood lactate at 12 km/h and vOBLA as predictors of run performance in non-endurance athletes. International Journal of Sports Medicine. 11, 111-115.Fabiato, A., and Fabiato, F., (1978). make of pH on the myofilaments and the sarcoplasmic reticulum of skinned cells from cardiac and atrophied muscles. Journal of Physiology. 276, 233-255.Farrell, P.A., Wilmore, J.H., Coyle, E.F., Billing, J.E., and Costill, D.L., (1979). Plasma lactate accumulation and distance running performance. Med. Sci. Sports. 11, 338-344.Foster, C., Costill, D.L., Daniels, J.T. and Fink, W.J. (1978). Skeletal muscle enzyme activity, bre piece of writing and V O2 max in relation to distance running performance. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 39, 73-80.Galy, O., Manetta, J., Coste, O., Maimoun, L., Chamari, K., and Hue, O.,(2003). Maximal oxygen uptake and power of lower limbs during a competitive season in triathletes. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports. 13, 185193. Grant, S., Craig, I., Wilson, J., and Aitchinson, T., (1997). The relationship between running performance and selected physiological variables. Journal of Sport Sciences. 15, 403-410.Hagberg, J.M., and Coyle, E.F., (1983). Physiological determinants of endurance performance as studied in competitive racewalkers. Med. Sci. Sports Exercise. 15, 287-289.Jacobs,I., (1986). Blood lactate Implications for training and sports performance. Sports Med. 3, 10-25.Jones, A.M., and Carter, H., (2000). The effect of endurance training on parameters of aerobic fitness. Sports Medicine. 29, 373386.Kumagai, S., Tanaka, K., Matsuura, Y., Matsuzaka,A., Hirakoba, K. and Asano, K., (1983). Relationships of anaerobic threshold and the onse t of blood lactate accumulation with endurance performance. European Journal Of Applied Physiology. 52, 51-56.Lafontaine, T.P., Londeree, B.R., and Spath, W.K., (1982). The maximal steady state versus selected running events. Med. Sci. Sports Exercise. 13, 190-192.Morgan, D.W., Baldini, S.D., and Martin, P.E., (1989). VO2max among well-trained virile runners. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 21, 78-83.Ramsbottom, R., Phil, M., Nute, M.G.L., and Williams C., (1987). Determinants Of Five Kilometre Running Performance In Active Men and Women. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 21, 9-13.Robergs, R.A., & Roberts, S., (1997). Exercise Physiology Exercise, performance, and clinical applications. St Louis, molybdenum Mosby.Saltin, B., and Astrand, P.O., (1967). Maximal Oxygen Uptake in Athletes. Journal of Applied Physiology. 23, 353-358.Tesch, P., Sjodin, B., and Karlsson, J., (1978). Relationship between lactate accumulation, LDH activity, LDH isozyme and fiber type distrib ution in human skeletal muscle. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica. 103, 40-46.Uaj, A., (2000). The application of criterion OBLA in prescribing running endurance training intensity is limited. KinSI. 6, 5762.Yoshida, T., Udo, M., Iwai, K., , Muraoka, I., Tamaki, K., Yamaguchi, T., and Chida, M., (1989). Physiological determinants of race walking performance in feminine race walkers. British Journal or Sports Medicine. 23, 250-254.Yoshida, T., Udo, M., Iwai, K., Chida, M., Ichioka, M., Nakadomo, F., and Yamaguchi, T., (1990). Significance of contribution of aerobic and anaerobic components to several distance running performances in female athletes. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 60, 249-253.Yoshida, T., Udo, M., Iwai, K., and Yamaguchi, T., (1993). Physiological characteristics related to endurance running performance in female distance runners. Journal of Sports Sciences. 11, 57-62.

Performance Management & Reward System

Performance Management How I buy off my people to do what I want them to do, in the way I want them to do it Performance direction (PM) Organisations that earn postulateance management seriously, manage a range of various simply inter-related trespassics Mission Vision Strategy Business plans Values (how people should and should non behave) Culture in which improving movement is valued and developed monitor of performance at single(a), unit and Team levels Feedback of that monitoring to staff Clear goals A set of competencies Appraisal discussions Personal development (training, coaching, reading, sittings etc) Management development well-grounded job design Team produceing (interaction and mutual responsibility) Extrinsic reward and recognition (basic pay, performance pay, awards, saying well d angiotensin-converting enzyme)Intrinsic rewards (the satis positionion from doing a worthwhile job reasonably well) Effective remedies for under performers. Performance manage ment levels Organisation Department Unit Team Individual Data collection for PM Data is collected at four levels Inputs Staff time, budget, data, consumables, energy, and equipment subroutinees Support, sales, teaching, research, paper rifle, IT, purchasing etc. Outputs Customers served, bills paid, items sold, students back uped, degrees awarded, research written up Outcomes Profit in a commercial attack or service delivery in a service administration ( habitually assessed with customer satisfaction).Rules for monitoring performance (a) Objective Introduce monitoring as one part of a bigger drive to improve customer experience. (b) Positive Seek information to improve the customer experience and not to saddle people. c) Involvement Involve responsible people to work on the monitoring, as a part of their drive to improve the customer experience. If you choose items to monitor and trim down those, staff will probably be de-motivated and performance will drop. Treat your staf f as professional, responsible and motivated (d) Outcomes Mea accredited outcomes in p mentionence to outputs. (G overnments be obsessed with outputs numbers of patients treated, lengths of waiting lists, numbers of students receiving degrees, numbers of children who atomic number 50 read and write etc). (e)Tough Challenge those who like the fuzziness of not knowing how they argon doing. (f) fastidious Pick only the most important factors to monitor as too many measures will be Counterproductive. (g) Numbers Measure performance numerically, by get the customer to grade them on a scale 0 to 5. (h) Benchmark Use the firmnesss as your mingyline or benchmark, from where you empennage improve. (i) Communicate Make sure the stains atomic number 18 known, understood and accepted. (j) Reliable Use reliable sources of data. HIGH PERFORMANCE WORKING High performance working (HPW) The four elements of HPW ar )Employee autonomy and involution in decision making Develop flexibility o f skills Team working to give categorization and responsibility. 2)Support for employee performance Appropriate selection and recruitment processes (finding staff at all levels who will support a high performance culture) encompassing induction programmes Sophisticated and wide trainingIntegrated and wide ranging performance management Emphasis upon work-life balance. 3)Rewards for performance Offer a career not just a job Harmonised terms and conditions Pay that is competitive with new(prenominal) employers Rewards conjugated to individualistic and team performance 4)Learning Plenty of effective chat Quality improvement teams Lean systems (this can be expanded upon at the workshop) Sp dismissing on training. Details will vary from organisation to organisation. Why HPW Because if you are not driving up performance Staff motivation will be unconnected Quality, quantity and transition will decline Pressure to reduce your prices will grow or Customers may simply stop buying you r goods or operate altogether or Competitors may take your work. What does this mean in practice?Employee autonomy and involvement Develop flexibility of skills Team working to give variety and responsibility Support for employee performance Appropriate selection and recruitment processes (finding staff at all levels who will support a high performance culture) Comprehensive induction programmes Sophisticated and wide training Integrated and wide ranging performance management Emphasis upon work-life balance Rewards for performance Offer a career not just a job Harmonised terms and conditions Pay that is competitive with other employers Rewards linked to individual and team performance. Learning Plenty of effective communication Quality improvement teams Lean systems (this can be expanded upon at the workshop) Spending on training. According to 2004 research, by the Engineering Employers Federation and Chartered wreak of Personnel and Development, effects of HPW are About 20% of i ncreases in productivity and profit in manufacturing Increased job satisfaction and commitment quality, quantity and innovation Employees more likely to say a great place to work Increased earnings potential for employeesImplementing high performance working Things that may hold to be addressed are Getting top managements commitment, particularly to resource, to exit and to demonstrate the required behaviours. Getting the resources HPW penurys (both financial and peril taking e. g. new reward structures). Carrying out team and individual appraisals that make a real difference. Seeking and rewarding discretionary behaviour (Ability x motive x Opportunity = AMO). Allowing employees to re-design jobs to maximise interest and challenge. Changing existing strong cultures Increasing levels of trust between management and employees. Getting staff to be examine more or less organisational performance Involving employees in design and implementation of HPW. Integrating initiatives, so they reinforce each other, therefore ? Implementation is in bundles ?Staff take in it and face commitment ?Other organisations are used as benchmarks ?Continuous improvement is developed. THE CONTRASTING OBJECTIVES OF THE EMPLOYER AND THE EMPLOYEE The employer wants as much productivity for as little represent as possible, whilst the employee wants as much money for as little effort as possible. Life is more complex than this, simply this is a useful start This is the go forth wing pluralist start out. The right wing unitarist approach is Prosperous employers make prosperous employees. What is the employer supplying to get out of the employee?Principally, an employer wants three few things from employees Quantity (productivity) Quality (producing good work with low wastage) Innovation (finding new and better ways to get the work done). But there are also management issues Cost Control (of cost and of the employees) What do the elements of good performance look like? We now talk about discretionary behaviour i. e. the voluntary effort people put in, over and above the bare minimum, below which they will get into trouble. Employers seek discretionary behaviour and good organisations will establish performance management processes to generate it. It is normally convey as Discretionary behaviour = ability x motivation x opportunity If the value of any component on the right is zippo there will be zero discretionary behaviour.Ability is the assumption that people want to apply for jobs, have their attributes recognised and are willing to goldbrick new skills. Motivation assumes that people can be motivated to use their ability in a productive manner. Opportunity assumes people will perform well, engage in high-quality work and participate in wider activities, such(prenominal) as team initiatives or problem solving, if they are given the opportunity to do so. What are the employees objectives? This will vary from person to person. Work published by Gue st and Conway (2001) on the psychological contract elicited the most common were A reasonably respectable job Fair pay for the work doneA career Interesting work Fair treatment by managers Equality of treatment To be kept informed about changes affecting them Involved and consulted about changes affecting them REWARD AND MOTIVATION Motivation is concerned with WHY people do or refrain from doing things. A motive is a need or a driving force within a person. The process of motivation involves choosing between ersatz forms of action in order to achieve some desired end or goal. As the following formula shows, goals can be tangible such as higher earnings or intangible such as personal reputation or prestige. Motivation at work We can severalize motivation at work into internal and external motivation. a) Internal motivationThis is related to the work, where there is a close identity between the task itself and the tender of necessity, e. g. where a cabinet-maker or motor-fitte r derives satisfaction from a job well done. (b) External motivation This is in regardent of the task i. e. the task is merely a means to an end for instance, when a person works on an assembly line to get high wages. Clashes of interest are resolved in the traditional manner by offering financial incentives and/or threatening the loss of employment providing external motivation. This traditional carrot and stick idea still lingers the carrot often universe money and the stick, fear. Money The great motivator. It is a fact that most people go to work because they get paid to do so. However, this basic need for money will only make a thespian turn up and do the acceptable minimum. There are a range of other carrots or positive incentives offered as an incentive to work, or to particular types of performance, including welfare amenities, holidays, etc. Fear The big stick theory is kinda outdated now, but it is still occasionally appropriate to motivate people through fearIntrin sic and extrinsic motivators Intrinsic reinforcements of behaviour, which are inside the individual reward feelings, like finding work interesting, feeling appreciated, etc Extrinsic reinforcements of behaviour, which are the outside influences and rewards such as money, extra holidays, company car, etc Problems in work role (a) Alienation Psychologists use this term to refer to the feelings of an individual when they are estranged from their situation at work. E. g. the salesperson forced to sell goods in which they have little belief or confidence. b) Anomie (lack of the usual social or ethical standards) The causes of anomie are to be found in the confusion that arises in large organisations. The individual may be approach with pressures and problems at work that they do not fully understand. (c) Status Social status refers to the amount of respect paid to an individual. A work role can confer prestige upon a person.Status may be perceived through the possession of symbols, e. g . salary, title of job, work surroundings, dress, company car, etc. Many advanced(a) theorists are becoming convinced of the value of the Nipponese approach of reducing status differences, e. g. veryone to wear the firms uniform single canteen parking and hind end facilities for all staff, etc. (d) Stress Psychologists define stress as strain experienced by an individual over a period of time, which impairs the ability of the individual to perform their role. Stress can produce physical or mental symptoms and can be generated by pressures and problems in the work situation. Managers view of motivation F W Taylor was an early proponent of the dictum that workers should share the same goals as those of the organisation, and the way to achieve this was through the application of scientific management principles.The basis of this approach lay in the following principles. Planning Time and motion study Incentives Working conditions Training The essence of the practical application of the scientific approach is to try to reconcile the needs of the organisation and the needs of the individual. Individual and Organisational Needs Factors that improve an employees level of job satisfaction are Responsibility Challenge self-improvement and personal growth Recognition Sense of achievement NEED THEORIES OF MOTIVATION Maslows Hierarchy of NeedsHierarchy of Needs D C McClellands theory D C McClelland is another theorist who, from the early 1960s, was concerned with the analysis of human needs. He concentrated on three key needs i)Need for affiliation The need of human beingnesss for friendship and meaningful relationships. ii)Need for power Some people seek power in their work situations they wish to make a strong impression on people and events. iii) Need to achieve To many people, the sense of getting on, progressing or being promoted, is very important. Frederick Herzbergs Two-factor scheme Frederick Herzberg, writing in the late 1950s and early 1960s, identified t wo distinct sets of needs in individuals working in organisations the need to avoid pain in the ass and discomfort and the need to develop psychologically as a person.Herzberg proposes several ways in which a higher level of motivation might be promoted Good quality training the more a person can do, the more that person can be motivated. Focus on quality of communications, rather than quantity communication should be direct whenever possible. romp rotation improving the variety of tasks and responsibilities. Job enlargement making a person capable of more. Job enrichment creating meaningful, interesting work. Herzberg takes that it is difficult or impossible to achieve if the job is basically dull, repetitive or uninteresting Douglas McGregor developed a typology of two opposed views about employee behaviour, related to Maslows categories of need and considered their implications for management and motivation.The two views are known as supposition X and Theory Y. (a)Theory X Th is traditional approach of management, which accepts the worker as a lazy, grasping individual, who must be bribed or coerced into working, McGregor called Theory X. It rests on the following assumptions The comely human being dislikes work. The average human being will avoid work whenever possible. Not only is the average employee lazy but they also lack ambition and do not wish to take on responsibilities. Because of the above characteristics, employees must be strictly controlled and directed. Control of employees must be backed by coercion and threats, if the objectives of the organisation are to be achieved. The average person prefers to be directed and not to have to think deeply for themselves in the work situation. (b)Theory Y McGregor then put forward the set of assumptions that modern managers should act upon.He calls this Theory Y. The physical and mental effort people put into work is a natural human response it is similar to the effort individuals make in games and spo rt. Hence, work can be enjoyable. Employees do not have to be controlled or threatened they have reserves of self control and self-motivation inclined the opportunities and training, employees will not only take, but also desire and seek, responsibilities. Employees have reservoirs of imagination, creativity and ingenuity and given the right environment and encouragement, they will use these to help solve problems in the work situation. In some modern organisations the potential of employees is not fully utilised not only is a waste of resources, but it also causes frustration among the workforce. Hence, when workers do not co-operate to achieve organisational goals, the fault may lie in the structure of the organisation rather than in the workers. Ouchis Theory Z William Ouchi agreed with the basic ideas put forward by McGregors Theory Y and related these to certain of the ideas he detected in Japanese organisations. Ouchis theory argues that meshing is a crucial motivator.Employ ees will be motivated to higher levels of performance if they are involved in meaningful participation in decision making in their organisation. PROCESS THEORIES OF MOTIVATION Difference between a content theory and a process theory meat or need theories suggest that there are universal needs that all humans have for example security, socialisation, self respect etc. outgrowth theories do not look at the content of the motivational package but at the mental processes that we go through when faced with a situation. Process theories Expectancy TheoryExpectancy Theory is a cognitively found motivational theory, put forward by Victor Vroom. According to this theory the effectivity of a tendency to act in a certain way depends on the strength of our expectation that the act will be followed by a given outcome and on the attractiveness of that outcome to us. Attractiveness This is the importance we place on the potential outcome or reward that can be achieved on the job. This will con sider the unsatisfied needs of the individual. Performance-reward linkage This is the degree to which we believe that performing at a particular level will triplet to a desired outcome.Effort-performance linkage The probability that we perceive that exerting a given amount of effort will lead to performance. The theory can be expressed by the formula Motivational force (F) = Valency (V) ? Expectancy (E) Valency is the value of the outcome to the person expectancy is the perceived likelihood of the outcome. porters beer and Lawler Porter and Lawler developed expectancy theory in the 1970s. They suggest that the amount of effort (motivation and energy exerted) put into work depends on The eventual reward The amount of effort necessary to achieve that reward How probable it is that the reward will be forthcoming.Attribution theory Kelleys attribution theory examines the way in which people explain success or failure and the impact on subsequent motivations. Four variables are freque ntly used Ability Effort Task difficulty passel Handys motivational calculus Handy looks at motivation as though when a person takes a decision, they give attention to three sets of factors (a) The individuals personal needs (b) The desired outcome or results (c)The E factors Effort, Energy, Excitement in attaining the desired outcome, Enthusiasm, Emotion, Expenditure. The motivation decision will depend on i) The strength of the persons needs. (ii) The expectation that by contributing one of the Es, the individual will achieve one of the desired results. (iii) The extent to which the result will contribute to satisfying the persons needs. Connection with the psychological contract A psychological contract is the perceived relationship between the individual and the organisation and involves the various factors that prevail the individual to the enterprise. Three examples of psychological contracts are A coercive psychological contract exists when a person works because they are f orced to do so.They may be tied into the job because the salary and fringe benefits prevent them from moving elsewhere. A remunerative psychological contract exists when a person works for the money. The person may tolerate the job to attain the lifestyle it provides. This differs from the coercive contract as the remunerative contract may bind the person in the short term, only to be severed if a better deal is available elsewhere. A collaborative psychological contract is one in which the worker is bound to the organisation by a belief that personal objectives can best be attained by enabling the organisation to fulfil its objectives.From an employers point of view, this is more likely to result in having a highly motivated workforce. The persons desire to achieve can facilitate the companys performance objectives. EXCELLENCE THEORY AND MOTIVATION Excellence theories originate in the works of writers in the early 1980s, principally based on the work of Tom Peters and Robert Waterm an. The nature of these ideas is essentially one of observing successes and failures in actual business scenarios and attempting to draw universal lessons that can then be applied elsewhere. Peters and Waterman did not set out to rite specifically on motivation, but their work comments much on the ability of successful companies to get a high level of commitment from their workers.Among their conclusions were Original ideas and ingenuity are grossly under-utilised. Druckers idea of the entrepreneur (the original thinker and innovator) was extended to suggest that if such persons are employed, their gifts should be harnessed for the benefit of the organisation. To motivate workers, it is necessary to get close to the workers and understand the issues affecting them as well as their drives and motivations. They believe that workers respond more positively when they feel more in control of their destiny. In one control group experiment, two teams were given the task of proofreading som e text material against a noisy background of a tape containing foreign speech, loud music and other distractions. One group had a button to cut off the noise whilst the other did not. The group with the button made far less errors than the other group. It was found, however, that no one had pressed the buttonThe fact that the workers felt in control made them work more effectively. Peters and Waterman record a direct application of this in a Ford locomote Company plant whereby any worker could (temporarily) stop the assembly line. This had stunning results in terms of increased productivity and reduced defect rates. PERFORMANCE ground REWARDING IN NOKIA Nokia provides employees with market competitive rewards through a flexible global structure, which can address diverse and changing business and employment environments, as well as specific individual preferences.Our Total Compensation Package is tailored for each country and typically consists of elements such as annual base sa lary, incentives, bonuses, possible stock options or performance shares, flexible Work-Life balance solutions, and other local benefits. Nokia rewards employees for good performance, competence development, and for overall company success. This creates a positive and supporting(a) environment with opportunities for employees to optimize their potential and be rewarded fairly. Higher erformance and contribution will lead to higher rewards. The Nokia global market competitive rewards structure addresses the need for flexibility, personalization, say-so and commitment. The basic salary is set to meet market conditions, the demands of the job and individual competence and performance. The variable part may consist of incentives or bonuses and other compensation, such as overtime pay and call-out pay. Bonus System Employees should have the opportunity to share in the success of Nokia.Short-term incentive programs such as individual, team, ramble/program incentives and the Nokia Connec ting People Bonus allow in Nokia to offer immediate rewards for employee and team achievements. The Stock Option Plan is a long-term reward that may allow employees to share in sustained company success. Eligibility for an incentive, bonus or stock option plans is defined by the content and nature of each individuals job. Local Benefits additive local rewards and benefits are also developed to complement the global programs and to ensure that the local market conditions are met.Annual Reviews Nokia has implemented a global process, where the change in the pay level for each employee is based on the results of the annual performance review. Health Nokia cares for its employees right throughout the cycle of their working life from induction and training, through development and advancement, and on to retirement. Nokias Work-Life balance solutions mean that health benefits and possible local retirement benefits are tailored to individual needs according to factors such as tenure, con tribution, performance, roles and responsibilities.The environment in which we do business is evolving continuously. To succeed, we must have the passion and courage to look for new ideas beyond existing products, services and ways of working. that with truly innovative ideas will we be able to define the future development of our industry and profoundly shape the way in which people understand and use our products and services in their everyday lives. Rewarding performance Nokia rewards employees competitively through a global reward framework designed to recognize individual contribution and achievement.Levels of compensation are determined by local labour markets and take into account both individual and company performance. Their reward programs including bonuses recognize performance based on individual, team and company results. We introduced changes to their incentive plans in 2007 to make the plans simpler, more consistent and able to deliver equal or higher payouts if ta rget performance or above is achieved. A wide number of employees are eligible to join their equity programs, based on rewarding performance and retaining top employees.Their broad-based equity compensation programs include stock options and performance shares. Both are linked to the companys performance over a number of years. We communicate with employees about the effect of business results on their incentives after each quarterly announcement, through articles and video messages on our intranet news channel, the News Hub. We also communicate through quarterly letters, blogs, webcasts and face-to-face meetings. In addition, information is available on the Know Your Business section of our intranet.

Blue Nile case study Essay

How strong be the emulous superpowers confronting stern Nile and otherwise online retail jewelers? Do a five-force analysis to support your answer. The competition among the competing sellers in the industry is strong. Competitors for Blue Nile non only include the online jewellery sellers such as Diamonds.com, Whiteflash.com, Ice.com and JamesAllen.com, but to a fault include brick-and-mortar jewelers, chain segment stores, mass merchants, local jewellery shop, and round jewelry chains such as Zale and Tiffany. The hawkish force from new entrants is moderate to weak.The new entrants of the traditional jewelry industry will need a large amount of capital for gunstock, established stigmas to attract customers, and a strong sales team. For new online jewelry sellers, they also need to find ways to get on their brand aw arness, establish partnership with suppliers, and to keep the operation be low to ensure attractive prices. The competition from substitute products for jew elry sellers is also moderate to weak. There are synthetic baseball fields, manmade jewels and alternative jewels. But for engagement rings and wedding bands, people would still choose those documentary and precious diamonds and materials. Thus, from this aspect, there could not be substitutes for diamonds and expensive jewels. The bargaining power from the buyers is strong since there are many choices for them to purchase jewelry from. It is easy for customers to change their source for purchase.The bargaining power from the suppliers is strong for the prices for diamond and precious metals depend much on the exchange market in the world. There are hold in suppliers creating an established oligopoly over the years. 2. What key factors will determine a companys success in the online jewelry pipeline in the next 3-5 years? Key success factors in the online jewelry calling include the following ones 1) Lower operation costs to keep prices lower than rivals2) Partnership with su ppliers to reduce inventory3) Build customers trust and loyalty4) Strong e-commerce capabilities5) Manufacture customized products3. What is Blue Niles strategy? Which of the five generic competitive strategies discussed in Chapter 5 most closely fit the competitive approach that Blue Nile is victorious? What type of competitive advantage is Blue Nile trying to achieve? Blue Niles strategy is to be the Best Cost Provider. It provides the customer high quality engagement rings, wedding bands and jewelry with low prices to evaluate seeking customers.Blue Nile tries to achieve low costs of its operation and marketing thus maintain its competitive advantage in prices. 4. What do you like and dislike about Blue Niles business theoretical account? Blue Niles business model is to make profits through its online sale of high-quality jewelry at competitive low prices with trusted guidance throughout the purchasing process. The model I like is that it provides honour to its suppliers and customers which in return bring about their profits. The lean costs and supply chain efficiency modify them to achieve this goal. Another aspect of the model I like is that they provide a high take of customer service and was continuously engaged in refining the customer service aspects in every(prenominal) step of the purchase order.The business model places great importance on customers satisfaction which would help their business to grow. The model I dont like is that they dont have their own brand of jewelry established and they depend too much on the jewelry of their suppliers. Quality of their jewelry as well as the brand effects could not be competitive with other well-known brands. 5. What does a SWOT analysis of Blue Nile reveal about the overall attractiveness of its situation? Strengths 1). Offer high-quality jewelry at competitive prices 2). Provide great customer services3). Efficient supply chain forethought4). Good financial condition with a positive amount of cas h flows Weakness 1). Brand foretell not widely recognized as Zale and Tiffany 2). only sell online3). Restricted to US, UK and Canada.Opportunities 1). Growing jewelry market in US2).Many recognitions in the online jewelry industry Threats 1). Competitors from online and offline jewelry retailers 2). Seasonal sale of jewelry6. What is your estimation of Blue Niles financial performance based on the data in case reveal 4? How well is the company doing financially? Is thereevidence that Blue Niles strategy is workswhat is the story of the numbers in case Exhibit 4? Use the financial ratios in bow 4.1 of Chapter 4 as a guide in doing the calculations needed to arrive at an analysis-based answer to your assessment of Blue Niles recent financial performance.Blue Nile has adequate competitive strength to compete with its online rivals. It has already created brand awareness and brand loyalty among most of its customers. It also has a large number of jewelry selections thanks to its e xtensive partnership with jewelry suppliers. The efficient supply management also ensures the low prices of their products. It has create a sustainable competitive advantage in the online retail jewelry business. For offline competitors, Blue Nile should work on putting more marketing efforts to make more people know about their brand and build its brand into a reliable high-quality image. 8. What strategic issues and problems does Blue Nile management need to address? Issues and problems Blue Nile guidance need to address1). Lack of marketing and advertising makes Blue Nile still unknown to many voltage customers. Blue Nile should explore more advertising channels to promote its brand image. 2). International efforts to reach the planetary market are slow. They currently only reach out to UK and Canada. Blue Nile should try to tap more potential global market and explore new markets. 9. What recommendations would you make to Blue Nile management to strengthen its competitive po sition and future strategic and financial performance? Blue Nile management should keep on providing customers jewelry at low costs while maintain its high quality of jewelry and customer services. bring down the costs would help ensure the low prices and continuous efforts on educating the customers and assuring their purchase decisions would help Blue Nile to strengthen its competitive position.