The Relationship Between Business and Government Essay -- Business Man

Relationship between Government and Business in the United States The government’s position is to ensure that citizens do not suffer harm resulting from business operations, such as selling tainted food or preparing foods in unsanitary conditions, causing ecological harm, or dealing unscrupulously in financial matters. As the government grows, government regulation, taxation, and spending has been beneficial for businesses (Carney, 2006). Businesses prefer the government eliminate regulates and government watchdogs so they can continue to operation in a fashion that would increase their profits. Most business leaders believe the government is excessively involvement with how businesses operate. A poll taken in 2005, found 90% of Americans believed that large businesses had great influence over the government. The CEO’s of large corporations are able to have personal meetings with senators and cabinet secretaries to discuss their position and influence their decision-making (Carney, 2006). Since the Obama Administration, the government is interacting directly with businesses to ensure that they are being fiscally responsible so as not to negatively impact the American citizens. President Obama had to intervene on behalf of Wall Street, automotive companies and the banking industry by means of stimulus package to avoid an economic depression for the country. Both businesses and the government need to work together to ensure the citizens receive the greatest protection in all issues, to include health and safety, defense, economics and environmental protection. The relationship between government and business is crucial and critical if American is to remain successful. Government will have to lay aside its bipar... ...cles/cpr28n4-1.html Federal Trade Commission, (n.d.). Protecting America’s consumers. Retrieved from http:// www.ftc.gov/bcp/menus/consumer/data/idt.shtm Goodell, J. (2010). As the World Burns. Rolling Stone, 1096, 30-45, 62. http://search.proquest. com.libproxy.edmc.edu/docview/220179270?accountid=34899 Machan,T. (1988). Government regulation of business: The moral arguments. The Freeman,38 (7). Retrieved from http://www.thefreemanonline.org/columns/government-regulation-of -business-the-moral-arguments/ Milkin Institute Global Conference (2009). The new relationship between government and business. Retrieved from http://www.milkeninstitute.org/events/gcprogram.taf?function= detail&EvID=1957&eventid=gc09 National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education. (2008). Retrieved from http://www. indicatorproject.com/preservation2009/index.html

Effects of Academic Dishonesty on Higher Education Essay

Academic dishonesty is a vice that is plaguing higher education in today’s society. While lecturers and exam invigilators always seem to be a step behind in catching the culprits, the techniques being invented by the students to beat the system can almost be viewed with grim fascination. The emphasis that has been put on higher education when it comes to job status has totally skewed the moral compass of students and people who were of â€Å"respected character† in their high schools are usually at pains when explaining why the chose to cheat; this is usually after they are caught. The challenges being presented to the young boys and girls in our corridors of higher learning can be tackled the same way these students made the grades in high school. It’s all about commitment and hard work. (Anderman et al, 2007) Reasons for Cheating Students will cheat if they are not adequately prepared or if they believe regardless of their understanding of the course content, they are just not going to pass. Looking at the first reason, failure to adequately prepare for a CAT or an exam yet one has been given all the material can only be blamed on one’s negligence. On the second reason, the students may have reason to believe that there will be a disconnect between the questions being asked and the material they have studied. They could base their suspicions on the previous practices of these particular lecturer or they just do not have faith on the content they have been taught. This rarely happens but what students do not understand is it is not the lecturer’s role to â€Å"spoon-feed† them in the entire course outline. One of the expectations society has on graduates is that one should at least be able to conduct a research independently. Part of the content would therefore not be given in class and the lecturer will expect the students to conduct their own fact-finding missions. Therefore, one should not vilify a lecturer for asking a question that one wasn’t familiar with before looking at the course outline. (Callahan, 2004) Plagiarism, Fabrication and Deception The kind of cheating looked at above focuses on exam-based mode of evaluations. Research work conducted by students or even university faculty has not been spared this vice either. This kind of cheating is characterized by plagiarism, fabrication and deception. Plagiarism is the most common especially with undergraduate students. The internet has proved to be quite resourceful with information about pretty much anything being just a mouse click away. Stiff penalties like being expelled or suspended from the university do exist but there are still a few brave souls who believe they can get away with it. When one moves to the post-graduate and doctorate levels, cases of plagiarism are quite minimal. Having one’s name tarnished with plagiarism is a tag that will follow you for the rest of your career. (Bowman, 2004, p 25) The few cases of academic dishonesty reported usually arise from intentionally presenting false data. Research work is a time consuming process that can take months and even years. It can be quite unfortunate if at the end of your research, the experimental results do not match your hypothesis. Occasionally, some people prefer to fabricate their results instead of repeating the entire process or admitting that their research was inconclusive. You might get away with it if the experts in that particular field are few but the fall-out that would follow when you are discovered has proven to be the greatest deterrent. (Bowman, 2004) Studies in the Unites States show that â€Å"70% of students in high school have cheated† (Anderman et al, 2007) meaning that this vice was not suddenly acquired when these students joined university. It has moved to a point where when students are caught cheating, they are probably mad at themselves because they were caught instead of having remorse. The likelihood that you might actually be caught should be the greatest deterrent to cheating; not the penalty received after you are caught. You will only worry about the penalty if you are not sure whether you will get away with it. (Anderman et al, 2007) Effects on Higher Education Cheating has a negative effect on higher education in that the entire credibility of the system is questioned. Take for instance a student who actively cheated during his time at a particular business school somehow sneaks through the cracks in the system and is employed in the job market. Research has shown a majority of people caught practicing unsound business practices like embezzling of funds most likely participated in academic dishonesty during their time in university. The embarrassment such a person will bring to their learning institution is immeasurable. Furthermore, the credibility of students who passed through this business school will also be brought into question. It is fair to say that a looted business enterprise will think twice before employing someone from that disgraced business school. Majority of universities rely on grants and research funds to run their expensive programs. While funds from local authorities, student fees or even the federal government might be enough to run some programs, a large majority of courses rely on huge cash returns that research programs produce. All this can change if the entire higher education system is brought into disrepute due to widespread cases of cheating. Currently, few universities dare to admit that the problem is more widespread than it is reported. They are aware of the vice and admit to it being prevalent mostly in the undergraduate level. Today, the cost of hiring a university to perform a research on your behalf is a luxury enjoyed by companies or institutions that can afford the high costs. The justification for these high costs is attributed to the level of skill required to conduct this research; and this skills can only be found at our institutions of higher learning. This house of cards could probably come tumbling down if the current levels of academic dishonesty continue persisting. The research work will continue but the revenue being generated will decline. Interested parties will argue that the widespread cases of cheating in your university do not justify the excessive research fees being charged. (Callahan, 2004, p 72) Most academic scholars will never admit it but the prestige that comes with obtaining qualifications from a recognized institution of higher learning played a part when they decided to pursue higher education. Rock stars and established sportsmen and women keep returning to universities to finish their degree courses regardless of the amount of wealth they have amassed. It’s not like getting a degree guarantees you a better life insurance package or longer life expectancy; it is what the degree represents. Ironically, cheaters also realize this. A university degree is a rubberstamp of knowledge in today’s society. Some siblings have complained that their fellow brothers or sisters are held in higher regard by their parents or relatives just because they attended a university (a prestigious one). Is this system fair? Yes it is because being selected to join a university and successfully completing one’s course is not an easy affair. I believe those who have managed this feat deserve every accolade they receive. All this good is however eroded by cases of academic dishonesty. Such people end up tarnishing the names of the institutions plus the people who will pass through its corridors long after they are gone. There is a class system in every society and a large majority of them are segregated by wealth accrued or the level of education attained. Without getting into the pros and cons of a society divided by class, the reality is in every society there will have to be leaders and followers; you cannot have both. A person’s education status has been a barometer for today’s leader. Changing this due to some inept practices of some students who were caught with crib notes does seem far-fetched but is plausible if the problem becomes endemic. (Bowman, 2004, p 26) Conclusion At its current â€Å"manageable levels† academic dishonesty needs to be wiped out since it does affect the morale of students who have chosen to walk the straight path yet they are lagging behind their counterparts who are cheating. The prestige of higher education will be preserved only if its members respect its ideals and principles. Unfortunately, it is these same members who are destroying the system but the buck still stops with them in repairing the tarnished image. (Callahan, 2004, p 78) References Anderman E M, Murdock T B (2007) Psychology of Academic Cheating. Amsterdam; Boston, Elsevier Academic Press, pp 15-18 Bowman V, ed. (2004) The plagiarism plague: A resource guide and CD-ROM tutorial for educators and librarians, New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, pp 25-26 Callahan, D (2004) The cheating culture: Why more Americans are doing wrong to get Ahead, Orlando, FL: Harcourt. Hayden & West Stacks, pp 69-78

How to Convert an Adjective to an Adverb

How to Convert an Adjective to an Adverb How to Convert an Adjective to an Adverb How to Convert an Adjective to an Adverb By Mark Nichol How do you determine whether the adverbial form of an adjective should end in -ly or -ally? For most adjectives, the reason to use -ally, rather than -ly, is that you’re adding -ly to a noun plus the inflection -al, which forms the adjective, as in emotionally, musically, or traditionally. You’re starting with emotion, music, or tradition, converting the noun to an adjective (emotional, musical, or traditional), and then adding -ly. But this process isn’t consistent. The adjectival form of romance is romantic, not romantical, nor are academical or sarcastical adjectival forms. But you can distinguish these exceptions by noting that the noun form of these words is not the word minus -al; those forms are the adjectival ones, and the noun forms are irregular: Romantic is derived from romance, not romant; academic comes from academy, not academ; and sarcastic stems from sarcasm, not sarcast. A generalization is that -ally follows words that end with the letter c; however, the adverbial form of public is publicly, not publically, and there may be other exceptions. In addition, some words bereft of the letter c, like sentimentally, are anomalously constructed. Note, too, that other major parts of speech include words that end in -ly: for example, the nouns ally and bully, the adjectives friendly and lonely, and the verbs apply and supply. (Also, adjectives ending in -ly have no adverbial form.) To summarize, if an adjective ends in -al, append -ly to produce its adverbial form. If an adjective does not end in -al, attach -ly without inserting -al first to transform it into an adverb. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to use "on" and when to use "in"Hyper and Hypo45 Idioms About the Number One

Composite Numbers What Are They How Can You Spot Them

Composite Numbers What Are They How Can You Spot Them SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Do you know the difference between prime and composite numbers? If not, don’t worry! You’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll talk about what prime and composite numbers are and give you a handy chart you can use to quickly see if something is a composite number. What Is a Composite Number? Composite numbers are whole numbers that are greater than 1 and divisible by other whole numbers. Here are the questions to ask yourself to decide if a number is composite: Is the number a whole number? Is the number greater than 1? Is the number divisible by whole numbers other than itself? Let’s apply those questions to two different numbers to see if they are composite or not. Take the number â€Å"4†. 4 is a whole number. It is greater than 1. You can divide 4 by 4. You can also divide 4 by 2, so it’s divisible by other whole numbers. That means 4 is a composite number. Let’s look at the number â€Å"3†. 3 is a whole number. It’s greater than 1. You can divide 3 by 3. But, you can’t divide 3 by any other whole numbers. That means 3 isn’t a composite number. How to Tell the Difference Between Prime and Composite Numbers If a number isn’t composite, then it’s prime. Prime numbers are numbers that are greater than 1 that are only divisible by themselves and the number 1. The best way to tell if a number is prime or composite is to perform the divisibility test. When you use the divisibility test, you check to see if a number is divisible by common prime factors, like 2, 3, 5, 7, ,and 13. If you’re testing an even number, start by trying to divide it by 2 to see if it’s composite. If you’re testing a number that ends with 0 or 5, try to divide it by 5. If you get a whole number when dividing by any of these common factors, then your number is composite. If you get a fraction or decimal when dividing by these common factors, then your number is likely prime. Composite Number Chart (1-100) Here is a handy composite number list to reference. All of the numbers in blue are composite numbers. Prime Number Chart (1-100) Here’s an easy-to-reference prime number list. All of the numbers in red are prime numbers. Final Thoughts It’s important to know whether a number is prime or composite so you can understand whether or not the number is divisible. Remember, ask yourself these questions to tell if a number is a composite number or not: Is the number a whole number? Is the number greater than 1? Is the number divisible by whole numbers other than itself? What’s Next? Writing a research paper for school but not sure what to write about?Our guide to research paper topicshas over 100 topics in ten categories so you can be sure to find the perfect topic for you. Learning about natural logs?Check out our guide on the natural log rules you must knowto ace this subject. What is dynamic equilibrium and what does it have to do with rusty cars?Find out by reading ourcomplete guide to dynamic equilibrium.

Webvan Firm Analysis

Webvan Firm Analysis Introduction Webvan is an online firm that deals with packaging, selling, and delivery of grocery products. The firm was established in 1996 under the leadership of Louis Borders. Borders’ vision was to establish a customer-focused grocery firm. The firm’s objective was to increase its customer base by nurturing a high level of customer satisfaction (McAfee and Ashiya 1).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Webvan Firm Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of the ways through which the firm intended to achieve this goal entailed simplifying the consumers’ purchasing process. The firm intended to achieve a high level of effectiveness and efficiency in its operations. For example, Webvan ensured that orders were delivered within thirty minutes. Its efficiency regarding product delivery was facilitated by the fact that the firm established a number of distribution centres. Problem identificatio n In a bid to achieve its vision, Webvan adopted the concept of online marketing. Webvan intended to exploit the niche market that is arising from the growth in the Internet and the high rate at which consumers are purchasing products online. The firm invested heavily in infrastructure, but it did not focus on marketing, which led to low sales. Consequently, the firm’s online model was adversely affected. This paper evaluates the problems faced by Webvan coupled with how they can be resolved in order to reposition the firm as a strong online company. Inherent complexities in Webvan’s business model Despite Webvan’s goals to attain an optimal market position in the e-groceries market, the firm faced a number of fundamental challenges. One of the major complexities faced by the firm relates to the fact that it did not understand how the groceries value chain operates. Therefore, the firm invested in a system that it had not tested (McAfee and Ashiya 3). Secondly, the firm also faced a major challenge in motivating consumers to adopt online shopping in their purchasing processes. During its inception, most consumers were only acquainted with purchasing groceries from convenient stores. By visiting the stores, consumers were in a position to access price discount in addition to gaining a unique experience during the purchasing process. Moreover, most consumers attached little economic value to the amount of time spent when shopping in the supermarket, which means that a significant proportion of consumers did not value convenience. Consequently, online shopping was a rather new concept to most consumers. Therefore, changing the consumers’ behaviour is one of the uphill battles faced by the firm.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Webvan intended to deliver a wide range of perishable and non-perishable products to custome rs through its online model. However, the 30 minutes duration within which the firm intended to achieve this objective was relatively short. Moreover, this model was untested with regard to delivery of perishable products. Therefore, the likelihood of the model failing was relatively high. Dealing with grocery products was another major challenge that the firm faced, as such products were characterised by low profit margins of 1% to 5%. The firm also faced a major challenge with regard to sustaining its wide product range and meeting the temperature requirements in to preserve the products (McAfee and Ashiya 7). Technological discontinuities and behaviour changes necessary to implement Webvan’s business model Webvan’s failure arose from its inability to understand how it would successfully integrate online shopping technology to groceries. Despite its failure, Webvan can attain an optimal market position by improving its online shopping model. In order to achieve this goal, the firm should focus on a number of technological discontinuities. Technological discontinuities refer to the changes that the firm will be required to implement in order to maximise its sales revenue. Considering the volatile nature of the IT industry, it is imperative for Webvan to develop a well-structured framework to implement the technological changes. First, the firm should align its operations with market changes by identifying the possible technological discontinuities and market needs that might affect its ability to maximise online sales. In a bid to identify the technological discontinuities successfully, Webvan should take into account the customers’ future needs and the prevailing technological trends. This move will minimise the likelihood of the implemented ICT technology from becoming obsolete. The firm should also assess potential substitute technologies that can be incorporated and compare with the technology that has already been integrated (McAfee and Ashiya 9). It is also imperative for Webvan to engage in a comprehensive marketing campaign. The campaign should focus at creating awareness on the benefits associated with online shopping. The firm should conduct its market awareness campaign on both traditional and emerging mediums, which will play a critical role in the firm’s effort to attract its customer base and hence its sales revenue.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Webvan Firm Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Some of the aspects that the firm should focus on relates to the economic benefits of online shopping. For example, online shopping saves on cost, as the consumer does not incur additional cost in their purchasing process due to transport. Moreover, online shopping is more convenient with regard to time, as it eliminates the amount of time that the customer may be required to queue. Target market Webvan targeted three main custome r groups, which include the new technologists, price insensitive consumers, and time conscious consumers. Before adopting the online shopping model, Webvan conducted a comprehensive market research. From the market research, the firm identified a customer group that values their time. These customers include senior citizens, mothers with young children, upscale employees, students, and physically challenged customers. Some of these customers such as students, senior citizens, and upscale employees attach high value to the convenience associated with online shopping. Consequently, they prefer shopping perishable and non-perishable products online rather than visiting supermarkets. Challenges associated with Webvan physical plant infrastructure In an effort to exploit the online market, Webvan invested in a high capital and technology intensive project. The project entailed constructing a number of distribution centres in different parts of the US. The distribution centres were fitted with optimal warehousing and order management technologies (McAfee and Ashiya 11). Despite its commitment in implementing the online shopping technology, Webvan experienced a major challenge with regard to meeting the cost of the high-tech warehouse. For example, the firm incurred $40 million in constructing the distribution centres in Atlanta. The firm experienced a major challenge in sustaining the operations of the high-tech warehouses considering the fact that its grocery sales were relatively low. The high cost of operation forced the firm to implement the downsizing strategy. For example, in 2001, the firm retrenched 2000 employees. Most investors in Webvan lost the amount they had invested. Moreover, the firm was forced to apply for bankruptcy protection. Conclusion The case study shows that Webvan faced numerous challenges that hindered its success in the online shopping market segment. First, the firm did not conduct a comprehensive consumer market research in order to det ermine the consumers purchasing patterns. Consequently, its online shopping model relied on assumption rather than market facts.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For example, the firm assumed that the prevailing market size in the US would translate into sales, which motivated the firm to engage in an aggressive market expansion. The firm also incurred high cost in maintaining the distribution centres it had established in the US market. Moreover, Webvan’s management team assumed that the frequency of online purchases would enable the firm to maximise its sales. However, most consumers who purchased through the firm’s online shopping system did not engage in repeat purchase behaviour. Therefore, the firm was not in a position to develop and maintain a strong customer base. The firm also experienced a challenge due to technological discontinuities. Recommendation Despite the above failures, Webvan can improve its online business model and hence its performance. In order to achieve this goal, the firm should consider the following. Webvan should conduct a comprehensive consumer market research. The research will give the firmâ⠂¬â„¢s management insight with regard to the consumers’ purchasing behaviour. For example, the firm will be in a position to identify the products that consumers purchase online rather than selling all its products through the online business model. The firm should continually invest in research and development with regard to ICT, which will improve the firm’s competitiveness within the online market segment. The firm should also evaluate its target market in order to identify changes in consumers’ purchasing patterns, and thus the firm will improve its online shopping technologies to be aligned with the prevailing market trend. McAfee, Andrew, and Mona Ashiya. â€Å"Webvan.† Harvard Business Review, 25 Sept. 2001: 1-28. Print.

Understanding the Special Needs of Children. Building Patterns of Essay

Understanding the Special Needs of Children. Building Patterns of Kindergarten Teaching from Student Assessment - Essay Example During this time I was introduced to the Kindergarten teacher Mrs. â€Å"Adams† as well as the school Principal and other teachers on the staff. The Edge Academy is a Kindergarten through Fifth Grade (K-5) school located in Akron with approximately 98% of the students coming from African-American families. According to statistics, â€Å"The Edge Academy spends $7,064 per pupil in current expenditures. The district spends 45% on instruction, 48% on support services, 7% on other elementary and secondary expenditures.† (Education.com, 2011) In standardized test results, the school scores an average of 2/10 nationally last year. This school can be seen as having potential problems due to the challenges the children and their families manage in coming from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Some parents have removed children from classes in preference for more racially diverse and integrated schools. However, while there may be many challenges in this school it is a very good place for children’s education. The teachers at Edge Academy are attentive and caring about the students’ needs, and conduct themselves in a professional manner. The school has facilities for music, sports, science, library, and other special activities. The Edge Academy has been developed to meet the challenge of providing the best education and foundation for future personal development to students in Akron. I am happy about the time I spent there in observation, and I gained many memories in working with the children and staff. The Edge Academy represents a school that I would like to seek a career in because I believe it is possible to make a difference in children’s lives by being a good teacher in such an environment. The Edge Academy is in the Akron School District and is publicly funded through tax dollars. It participates in standardized testing and also upholds Ohio Department of Education standards of quality in education. The Edge Academy has an enrollment of approximately 158 to 268 stude nts per year. (BES, 2006; Great Schools, 2008, Education.com, 2011) The school has been rated between 3/10 - 2/10 on the Standardized Testing Scale, based on national averages of performance for similar aged students in the country. (BES, 2006; Great Schools, 2008) The school has classrooms for six classes, plus additional rooms for group activities, events, and administration. The school has only a limited outdoor play area, but is near to a local city park in Akron. Source: Council of Chief State School Officers, 2011 The Kindergarten class I was assigned to observe in had all of the students sitting at four big tables in the room. There are three windows in the room to allow for natural sunlight and fresh air. There is a large chalkboard at the front of the room which the teacher uses for instruction. The classroom has a teacher’s desk in the corner that is used to prepare lessons and keep class materials organized. There is also a large rug that students can move to for p lay or other activities related to instruction. There is a restroom facility attached directly to the class for the students to access. The

The characteristics of a growing and a mature product market Essay

The characteristics of a growing and a mature product market - Essay Example Under this phase, there are rapidly rising sales volume and profit, and the overall-growth is at a very fast-paced manner (Kotler, 2002, p.173). For example, consumer electronic markets, particularly entertainment devices, are in the growing product market. Portable DVD player is the hottest, trending category and â€Å"derives its popularity from its portability and compact size† (Atico International, n.d.). It also constitutes an annual growth rate of 25% in the hi-fi product market together with turntable, amplifier and digital radio tuner, MP3 players, four-unit speaker and wi-fi capability. During this stage, the average production cost of portable DVD player is being assessed as to what the company could sustain. Samsung Electronics is one of the prominent manufacturers of consumer electronic devices, but because it is not the first-mover, it needs to do extensive research to enhance the quality and features of its product. It has launched the world’s smallest por table DVD with a tiniest DVD format, quality screen format and a good battery life. In addition, the high production cost during the introduction stage is initially recovered in the growth phase because of scale economies or increased output. Customers at this stage are early adopters and old-users because the former will become aware of product benefits and participate while the latter will increase their consumption level or usage rate. This phase is very attractive to new entrants because profitability and market share are certain; thus, the business must expect a growing competition. A higher sales volume and profits that Samsung have gained from its portable DVD players make competitors such as Sony, Philips and LG to emerge. For the product to compete and obtain superior sales rate and market share, its product features should be unique and different, and the cost of promotion should be increased. Strategies. Sales and marketing strategies should be strengthened by providing t he market segment with the necessary information about the product. The product quality, feature, style, and design should be improved to increase the usage rate and brand identity. It is also an advantage if the business will involve in new market segments such as first-time buyers or non-users to widen its distribution coverage as demand increases. Furthermore, the original price should be maintained because the demand is rising, and it should use an informative promotion to attract a wide market audience. 1.2 Mature Product Market The mature product market is the third product life cycle phase. During this level, the rate of sales and profits is high, but starting to level-off because the overall growth is at a very slow manner (Kotler, 2002, p.174). For instance, Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola are the two well-known competitors in carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) market wherein the former is the leading sales and market shareholder in the early years of competition. However, in the most recent soft-drink sales, Pepsi has total sales of $43.23 billion while Coca-Cola has $30.99 billion (Dlugosch, 2010). The