Leading and Building Effective Teams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Driving and Building Effective Teams - Essay Example are numerous issues, for example, ethnicity, race, age, work understanding, fitness, and qualities that colossally meddle with the team’s capacities henceforth making it difficult for them to complete things inferring that the characteristics that that trigger achievement additionally subverts achievement. The target of this article is to look at the significance of driving and building powerful groups in a various scope of hierarchical settings just as investigating group assorted variety and group execution. â€Å"Managing the enhanced group: difficulties and techniques for improving performance,† by Agrawal features a portion of the huge components that require close consideration for fruitful administration of an expanded group. The creator targets furnishing business directors and officials with a detailed system of how to guarantee use and usage of groups in the associations in a way that prompts boost of both inner and outer assortment of abilities. Agrawal accepts that there are basic differentiated aptitudes present among colleagues that ought to be tapped to accomplish the best out of a group. The creator has harped on the current writing to gather and blend the perspectives on different writers on the issue of dealing with an enhanced group. Agrawal completed SWOT examination in assessing and breaking down expanded group just as solid consideration of both essential and optional exploration to reinforce his perspectives and feelings on the issue of enhanced group. Taking everything into account, the author’s discoveries showed that collaboration necessitates that individuals see themselves as a unit with normal destinations for better outcomes. This article has featured a portion of the fundamental data that pioneers and directors may use in guaranteeing that decent variety of colleagues is completely used to deliver positive outcomes. â€Å"Motivating and demotivating powers in groups: Cross-level impacts of engaging authority and relationship conflict,† by Chen et al., addresses group level upgrades that incorporate persuading

Rise of Christianity and Fall of Rome essays

Ascent of Christianity and Fall of Rome expositions The decrease of the Roman Empire started after Marcus Aurelius passing. The pioneers assumed responsibility for the domain yet they were feeble pioneers. Numerous up-and-comers who needed to get the position. The military in the realm was solid however they didn't help out the ruler. Subsequently, the Romans employed Barbarians for the Roman military help. Since Barbarians were employed for military reason, they exploited attacking the Roman Empire. A portion of the Germanic clans attempted to begin a war with the Roman Empires and to destabilize the administration. With every one of these weaknesses, the Roman Empire gradually declined until the Roman Empire taken over by Diocletian. In the wake of administering the whole Roman Empire for a long time, Diocletian went to an answer that it was too difficult to even think about controlling the Roman Empire without anyone else. In this way, he chose to part it into the East and West Empires and designated his colleague toward the West E mpire. The division didn't help, in light of the fact that in the end the East and West Empires battled against one another for the decision rights. The ascent of Christianity started a few years in the wake of executing Jesus Christ. After Jesus became alive once again, he sent assistants to his kin. The Holy Spirit was sent by God to support us and to show what is good and bad. During that time, the Romans arrangement the roadways between the significant urban communities for exchange merchandise. In this manner, it was simpler to spread the gospel between close by nations and the boat exchanges assisted with moving Christianity to the opposite side of the world. The significant ocean was the Mediterranean Sea, which associated Lower Egypt with Rome. The medical issues mediated with the fall of the Roman Empire. Water was brought however lead pipes where rodents and mice lived and repeated. In certain occurrences, rodents would bite the dust in the funnels, in this manner water that experienced the city was tainted with a wide range of infections. These things carried medical issues to the Roman urban areas. The rubbish was accumulated in the city... <!

Little Words Are Important Too

Little Words Are Important Too In every genre, we tend to pass over the little words as we write. We are more fascinated with our choice of the perfect adjective or the most unusual verb. These little words, however, are especially important for new writers or ESL writers because the wrong little word can totally change the meaning of what you are trying to say. It can even be catastrophic.Little word use can produce proper diction or correct grammar. Using the right one will help you produce writing that is more accurate and deliver communication that is the clearest it can be.So how does a writer check for the use of those sometimes tricky little words? What should you know to make sure you are not committing a major faux pas with your use of what are words that everyone should understand so easily? Here are some examples Ive found in actual pieces Ive edited.Words can be spelled correctly, but mean something totally different than you intended. These mistakes wont be picked up by Microsoft Word spellcheck becau se the words are spelled right. Sometimes these words will have letters reversed to produce entirely different words, such as peel vs. peal; does vs. dose; form vs. from; or breaking vs. braking. These words all have much different meanings.Sometimes letters can be left out, again producing totally different words than you intended, i.e., her becomes he. When an r is left out or spacing is different, your becomes you and note becomes not. Again, these kinds of errors can be hard to spot, and Word wont alert you to them because the software sees them as correct.Even moving letters around or adding a letter can be a problem sometimes. For example, drooping becomes dropping and prosperity becomes property. Further, proposition can become preposition , specious can change to spacious and through goes from being a preposition to the noun, trough. Just think of the difference in meaning or confusion that can result for your reader.Watch out for words spelled right that are the wrong words . They can even be embarrassing sometimes. Examples of mismatches Ive seen are impotent for important, raped for rapid and massage for message. I ve seen course written as curse or even worse, so Im always glad when I spot these problems and fix them for the client. Its not funny if these word mismatches sneak into your dissertation or an academic article youre submitting to a prestigious journal.Preposition (not proposition) use is also sometimes a problem. The wrong preposition is used, and the result is unclear meaning. Favorite examples I see often are of rather than for or the reverse or for instead of from or use of too when the meaning should be to or even two. Knowledge is power, so find a good list of commonly used prepositions and study how they are used to produce proper diction. Look for sentence examples as well to understand which prepositions belong where in your sentences. Compile your own examples as you do more of your own writing.Contractions (not contradictions) can be tricky too. Know the correct spelling of the most common ones. Dont rely on word processing software to be your editor. Especially, know the difference between its and its. This is a very common error that appears even in sophisticated writing and top publications. Very simply, its means it is as in It is a dog On the other hand, its is a possessive adjective and is placed before a noun, as in The dog wags its tail. Heres a simple hint: When you can substitute the phrase it is for it s, then youll know which spelling to use. Another example is youre which means you are not your â€" another possessive adjective like in your books. Another is theyre vs. their or even there. Know the difference.Ive probably totally confused you by now with all these examples and maybe unnerved you a bit too. There are a lot of details and specifics to remember. Thats true. Whats important, however, is that you understand that little word mistakes often show up surreptitiously in writing, and the y can hugely influence how your writing is received and the meaning of what you are trying to say (hopefully they wont ever hugely embarrass you). So how do you catch little word errors or hopefully avoid them altogether? Its not easy, but here are a few tricks that can help:First, learn how little words are used in English, especially those that either sound alike or are spelled very similarly. Watch for them.Learn to recognize the precise differences in little words as you read. Then remember them when you move into writing mode. Perhaps start a notebook with ones you use wrongly. Notice preposition use in sentences you read written by authors you respect. Doing that will make you more diligent, both when you write and when you revise.Check every draft manually and your final version especially for bizarre use of little words. Read your work aloud if that helps, or mark questionable words as you read. Then check these words further for spelling and/or correct meaning and proper us e. If youre not sure, ask someone who does know and take note for the next time.Learn the basic correct spelling process for contractions. The apostrophe takes the place of letters that are left out. For example, did not becomes didnt because the o is replaced by the apostrophe. Speak the contraction as a formal phrase or write out the phrase to understand the correct spelling of its contraction.Proofread, Proofread, and Proofread again. Have a friend or editor you trust do the same and seriously note any advice. Then recheck your text and make necessary changes.There is nothing better then a good pair of eyes to make sure your use of little words never trips you up again. The best news is that practice does make perfect. The more you learn and the more you practice the precise use of little words, the better youll get at doing it. Eventually their use will become second nature.

Essay on Aristotle and Heidegger Allowing Personal...

Aristotle and Heidegger Allowing Personal Accountability A disquieting article recently appeared in The New York Times. The article chronicles the story of Larry W. Peterman, resident of Provo, Utah, owner of a successful adult video store, and defendant in a case in which he was charged with selling obscene material. During Peterman’s trial, the following information came to the fore, As it turned out, people in Utah County, a place that often boasts of being the most conservative area in the nation, were disproportionately large consumers of the very videos that prosecutors had labeled obscene and illegal. And far more Utah County residents were getting their adult movies from the sky or cable than they were from the stores†¦show more content†¦Heidegger’s penetrating analysis of human action yields - as we will discover - much insight into why we as humans are prone to weakness, which he defines in loosely social-constructionist terms that still allow for a large measure of personal accountability. However, i n the end we shall see that Aristotle goes further than Heidegger in explaining human weakness because his model of action (1) encompasses key aspects of Heidegger’s carefully executed existential analytic and (2) allows for more personal accountability by giving a wider account of action that allows for voluntary action that is chosen by deliberation in addition to merely voluntary action. Dasein, Modes of Being, and Being-in-the-world John Caputo of Villanova University relates that in Being and Time, Heidegger wishes to find a new conceptuality in which to ‘indicate,’ however ‘formally,’ the character of the pretheoretical, prephilosophical, indeed even a preconceptual life. This provocative and paradoxical task, to find a concept for the preconceptual, was undertaken in close dialog †¦ with Aristotle’s ethics.55 Simon Critchley tells us that the aim of Being and Time is to retrieve the question of Being as it was originally explicated by Aristotle and Plato.66 However, to understand fully Heidegger’s relation to Aristotle, we must first understand Heidegger’s project from

Rumored News on Argumentative Cigarette Essay Topics Exposed

Rumored News on Argumentative Cigarette Essay Topics Exposed Whispered Argumentative Cigarette Essay Topics Secrets Though writing an argumentative essay is a difficult job, selecting a topic for your essay is the very first hurdle within this procedure. After you choose a topic then compose an impressive assignment essay paper by abiding by the suitable structure of an argumentative essay. Hope this list provides you a good essay writing help. It is very important to begin with demonstrating the major idea of the entire piece so you and your readers are going to be on the exact page. The reader ought to be impressed by how you defend your ideas. Your readers will need to observe the entire picture, and that's what you should concentrate on. Finding the most suitable arguments will allow you to prove your point and win. The last couple of sentences ought to be extremely clear and have an enduring image on your audience. Another reason is to observe how well students argue on unique views and demonstrate understanding of the studied subject. To write a terrific argumentative essay the students first must investigate several sides of the argument, which enables them to make an educated stance. Always remember that people that are smokers may not appreciate the things you're saying. They ended up finding other sources to get their hands on alcohol. Because lots of people smoke it, the government will earn a whole lot of money. At cigarette organization, plenty of men and women work besides this. Cigarette production greatly assists the nation's economy along with being an import and export material. With statistics in this way, it clearly shows this item is an amazing alternative than other procedures. You will need to conduct a thorough research and propose your own remedy to the present issue. Argumentative Cigarette Essay Topics Fundamentals Explained The above-mentioned topic selection may give you a crystal clear understanding of what things to write about. Quite frequently, the ideal topic is one which you truly care about, but you also will need to get well prepared to research it. Shopping online isn't secure or secure. An argumentative essay requires you to choose a topic and have a position on it. It is a good idea to steer clear of argument essay topics on moral issues because they don't support logical discussion. Recent argumentative essay topics that are related to society is going to do. Take a look at how to develop an essay topic! Quite frequently, college essay topics prove to be more challenging than students expected, therefore it may be reasonable to request aid. At times you might require some expert help with argumentative essay topics. Students rarely select this topic because they're terrified they won't be in a position to do an excellent job. Nicotine addiction in any of its forms, whether or not it's smoking or vaping, is a very big issue for addicts. You must think about all of the men and women who'd want to acquire into rehabilitation clinics because of withdrawal effects from tobacco. Some populations smoke more than 1 cigarette daily, and at times the extreme cases smoke as much as a pack or two a day. As is usually understood, the disease isn't specific just for smokers but also for the folks who stay around the smokers when they smoke cigarette. Statistics and research reveal that smoking is liable for causing several deaths throughout the world. Reducing smoking can be achieved through education, as smoking isn't something you wish to advocate for. Cigarette smoking ought to be banned. It should be banned to decrease the health threats. If you would like to prevent respiratory failure, you might need to look at stopping smoking tobacco. Tobacco smoke includes chemicals that are damaging to both smokers and nonsmokers. Cigarette smoking is a significant cause of preventable diseases and premature death. Since you may see, banning tobacco is not going to stop individuals from deciding to smoke.

Steve Jobs Free Essays

According to this chapter, plus what you have learnt in the course on Marketing, what are the FIVE most important things to do in Marketing Management? Explain why each of the above five ideas is so important. 1. Creating brand image campaign Steve Jobs wanted to focus on creating brand image campaign, and not on a set of advertisements featuring products. We will write a custom essay sample on Steve Jobs or any similar topic only for you Order Now One of the most important objectives of doing this is to create awareness, improve image, be memorable and reinforce brand loyalty. It’s very important to plan campaign by creating ideas, develop content and execution. They come up with this brilliant idea, â€Å"Think Different†, it was creating a lifestyle brand in tech industry. Jobs was focused on market segments and costumers by identifying the special features and was making brand identified through its name, logo, color, design and slogan. This campaign creates emotional relation of society to Apple’s image and brand. Even now when people buy Apple’s products they decide to do this by emotional reasons more than rational reasons. 2. Market segmentation Jobs focused on identification and characterization of users groups. Changing from retailers to costumers needs. The product review revealed how unfocused Apple had become. The company was churning out multiple erosion of each product because of bureaucratic momentum and to satisfy the whims of retailers. One of the most important objectives is to develop mix that is focused on and matches the needs/wants of targeted segments. He defined two segments professionals and consumers. Then he understand segment customer’s needs, wants and resistances. He selected target markets and set of solution to each of it than was focused on user behavior market segmentation parameters. 3. Customer’s characterization Jobs realized that Apple had a dozen version of the Macintosh, each with a efferent confusing number, from 1400 to 9600. To figure out what the special characterization it took weeks to explain. Jobs finally was confusing by asking the question â€Å"Which ones do tell my friend to buy? When he was not getting a simple answer he decide to slash away at models and products. To do this he first of all started to understand what customer’s characterization. Apple got an access to its database of customers when it reach a deal with Power Computing to relinquish its license. What type of costumers, what are there functional needs, what are their present solutions? The answer to these questions Jobs understand that the market do not buy products, customers buy solutions. Jobs created brand relationship and encouraged the customers to feel involved with Appeal’s brand. 4. Product line review Deciding what not to do is important as deciding what to do. When Jobs defined the segmentation and costumers he put it in a four-squared chart. Here’s what we need† Consumer pro Desktop Imax Power Macintosh GO Portable book Power Book GO The purpose is to make four great products one of each quadrant. Jobs was features for the products as desired functionality, performance, quality and liability. Jobs paid attention on customer’s benefits through their needs/ wants. When the brand was strong and related to lifestyle in tech industry, customers knew that they buy the best product which provide them good feeling and emotional and performance benefits, additional for product specification and functionality. By focusing in this four products Jobs cut 70% of existing Apple’s products and models of Macintosh. This resulted by massive layoffs. The good engineers, including some whose projects were killed, were appreciative. Jobs wanted to relocate good minds for essential evildoing of main products. 5. Getting the company out of other business such as printers and servers Jobs couldn’t understand why company going to ship a million and not make money on these. He proposed that he will get out of printer business and just let to HP do it. He also cancelled the Newton, the personal digital assistant with the almost good handwriting-recognition System. The ability to focus on main products saved Apple. The laid off more than three thousand people, which salvage the company’s balance sheet. It’s also very important to concentrate on best companies products and to improve brand image by letting the costumers to feel that the company does the best solution in Operation System and provide the best product which including all customers’ needs and wants. The brand name is associating with high quality and great design computers. What other ideas about Marketing Management did you find in this Chapter, and why do you think was each one of them less important? 1 . Choosing the right agency for integrated marketing communications. Apple was going through a review to select a new agency, and Jobs was not impressed by what he had seen. So he wanted Slow and his firm, by then called In my opinion, this is one of main ideas but not an important because Steve Jobs had his own vision and touch of marketing strategy that could be implemented by different good agencies. . Narration Choosing well-known and popular person to make a narration of Apple brand promotion. Richard Dressers was chosen for this. There was an offer to use Steve Jobs voice for this campaign but Steve told â€Å"If people find out they will say it’s about me. It’s not. It’s about Apple†. It’s important to choose the right person in ad campaign to promote Apple’s brand but it’s less important as to ho se the right product for costumer’s needs and wants. 3. Ad campaign Television commercials and print campaigns. It’s important when company create brand image but it will be hard to do when products not fit to customers’ needs. Before doing it more important to understand who is your costumers and what theirs need/wants. 4. Killing the clones It was one of the great debate about Apple was whether it should have licensed its operating system more aggressively to other computer makers. When Apple allowed licensing out the Macintosh SO it turned out to be a dubious business strategy. The clones cannibalized the sales. How to cite Steve Jobs, Papers

Metallic Conductor Essays - Electricity, Physical Quantities

Metallic Conductor Determination of r for a Metallic Conductor Aim: To determine the resistivity (r) of a given sample of wire Introduction: Physical factors that affect the resistance of a conductor are length, cross sectional area and a constant that depends upon the material called the resistivity. The resistance per unit length is the same all along a uniform wire so if the resistance of different lengths of a wire is found out, the resistivity can be calculated. Resistance of a material, R = Voltage / Current Resistance of a conductor, R = r ? Length / Cross sectional area Apparatus: - 12V power supply - Power leads - 6 connecting leads - 2 crocodile clips - given sample of wire (? 5 m) - variable resistor ? is used to alter the resistance to change the current and voltage for each length - ammeter ? the 5 ampere outlet was used since the current was generally over 1 amperes - voltmeter ? the 5 volt outlet was used because voltage was always below 5 volts - meter stick ? more appropriate than a 30 cm ruler because the length is changed by 50 cm each time - micrometer ? since the wire is very thin an accurate measurement of the diameter can be obtained by using a micrometer with an uncertainty of ? 0.0005mm. Diagram: Method: 1. Set up the apparatus as shown on the diagram. 2. Make sure the voltmeter outlet is at 5 volts and the ammeter outlet is at 1 amp. 3. Measure 50 cm of the wire using the meter stick. 4. Connect this part of the wire to the circuit using the crocodile clips. 5. Make sure the wire is not touching other parts of the wire. 6. Turn the power supply on, record the voltage and current. 7. Using the variable resistor, alter the resistance and take 4 more different readings of voltage and current for this length. 8. Repeat steps 4 to 6 for 5 more times, each time increase the length of wire by 50 cm using the meter stick. 9. Draw a graph of current against voltage for each length and find the resistance of each length by finding out the gradient of the graphs. 10. Measure the diameter of the wire using the micrometer. Take 3 reading at different places on the wire to reduce the uncertainty. 11. Calculate the cross sectional area of the wire, using the formula Area = p ? radius2 12. Draw a graph of resistance against length. 13. Find the resistivity of the wire by finding the gradient of the graph and multiplying it by the cross sectional area. ( R = r L / A ) Results: Length (m)? 0.01 Voltage (volts)? 0.05 Current (amperes)? 0.05 0.5 0.70 1.15 0.5 1.30 2.00 0.5 1.90 3.10 0.5 2.45 3.90 0.5 2.90 4.70 Length (m)? 0.01 Voltage (volts)? 0.05 Current (amperes)? 0.05 1.0 0.55 0.40 1.0 1.05 0.85 1.0 1.60 1.25 1.0 2.50 1.95 1.0 4.05 3.10 Length (m)? 0.01 Voltage (volts)? 0.05 Current (amperes)? 0.05 1.5 0.80 0.40 1.5 1.50 0.80 1.5 2.45 1.30 1.5 3.80 1.90 1.5 4.50 2.30 Length (m)? 0.01 Voltage (volts)? 0.05 Current (amperes)? 0.05 2.0 0.90 0.35 2.0 1.30 0.50 2.0 2.20 0.85 2.0 3.40 1.30 2.0 4.30 1.65 Length (m)? 0.01 Voltage (volts)? 0.05 Current (amperes)? 0.05 2.5 1.20 0.35 2.5 1.40 0.45 2.5 2.35 0.75 2.5 3.35 1.00 2.5 4.70 1.45 Length (m)? 0.01 Voltage (volts)? 0.05 Current (amperes)? 0.05 3.0 1.00 0.25 3.0 1.70 0.45 3.0 2.80 0.75 3.0 3.80 1.00 3.0 4.90 1.25 Diameter of the wire: 1st reading = 0.709mm ? 0.0005 mm 2nd reading = 0.710mm ? 0.0005 mm 3rd reading = 0.710mm ? 0.0005 mm Analysis & Conclusion: Length (m)? 0.01 Resistance (ohms) 0.5 0.6161 ? 0.00071 1.0 1.306 ? 0.00098 1.5 1.985 ? 0.0025 2.0 2.618 ? 0.00046 2.5 3.263 ? 0.0052 3.0 3.883 ? 0.0049 Average diameter of wire = 0.710mm ? 0.0005 mm = 7.1 ? 10 ?4 m ? 5 ? 10 ?7 m Radius = 3.55 ? 10 ?4 ? 2.5 ? 10 ?7 = 3.55 ? 10 ?4 ? 0.0704 % Area = p ? radius2 = p ? (1.26 ? 10 ?7 ? 0.1408 %) = p ? (1.26 ? 10 ?7 ? 1.77 ? 10 ?10) = 3.96 ? 10 ?7 m2 ? 5.57 ? 10 ?10 m2 Gradient of Resistance against Length graph = 1.307 1.307 = r / Cross sectional area = r / (3.96 ? 10 ?7 ? 5.57 ? 10 ?10 ) r = 5.176 ? 10 ?7 ? 7.28 ? 10 ?10 W m It was concluded from

The Modern Chinese Wedding Ceremony and Banquet

The Modern Chinese Wedding Ceremony and Banquet In modern China, the official marriage ceremony is  now substantially different than it was in traditional Chinese custom, where most marriages were arranged according to a social arrangement and were heavily influenced by the philosophy and practices of Confucianism- at least for the majority of Han Chinese. Other ethnic groups traditionally had different customs. These traditional customs were a carry-over from feudal times in China but were changed by two different reforms after the Communist revolution.  Thus, the official act of marriage in modern China is a secular ceremony, not a religious one. However, there remain strong traditional customs in place in many parts of China.   The first reform came with the 1950 marriage law, the first official marriage document for the Peoples Republic of China, in which the feudal nature of traditional marriage was officially eliminated. Another reform came in 1980, at which time individuals were allowed to select their own marriage partners. In an effort to control population numbers, Chinese law today requires men to be at least 22 years of age and women 20 years of age before they can legally marry. It should be noted that while official policy outlaws all the feudal customs, in practice of arranging marriage does persist in many families. Chinese law does not recognize yet recognize same-sex marriage rights. Since 1984 homosexuality is no longer considered a crime, but there is still substantial social disapproval of same-sex relationships. Modern Chinese Wedding Ceremonies Although the official modern Chinese wedding ceremony usually takes place in a city hall office presided over by a government official, the genuine celebration generally occurs later at a private wedding banquet reception that is usually hosted and paid for by the grooms family.  Religious Chinese may also opt to exchange vows at a religious ceremony, but either way, it is at the later banquet reception that the larger celebration occurs, attended by friends and extended family.   The Chinese Wedding Banquet The wedding banquet is a lavish affair lasting two or more hours. Invited guests sign their names in a wedding book or on a large scroll and present their red envelopes to attendants at the entrance of the wedding hall. The envelope is opened and the money is counted while the guest looks on. The guests’ names and amounts of money given are recorded so that the bride and groom know how much each guest gave toward the wedding. This record is helpful for when the couple later attends this guests own wedding- they are expected to offer a gift of more money than they themselves received.   After presenting the red envelope, guests are ushered into a large banquet hall. Guests are sometimes assigned seats but are sometimes welcome to sit where they choose.  Once all the guests have arrived, the wedding party begins. Nearly all Chinese banquets feature an emcee or master of ceremonies who announces the arrival of the bride and groom. The couple’s entrance marks the beginning of the wedding celebration. After one member of the  couple, usually the groom gives a short welcome speech, guests are served the first of nine meal courses. Throughout the meal, the bride and groom enter and re-enter the banquet hall, each time wearing different clothing outfits. While the guests eat, the bride and groom are typically busy changing their clothes and attending to their guests’ needs. The couple typically re-enters the dining hall after the third and sixth courses. Toward the end of the meal but before dessert is served, the bride and groom toast the guests. The groom’s best friend may also offer up a toast. The bride and groom make their way to each table where the guests stand and simultaneously toast the happy couple. Once the bride and groom have visited each table, they exit the hall while dessert is served. Once dessert is served, the wedding celebration  promptly ends. Before leaving, guests line up to greet the bride and groom and their families standing outside the hall in a receiving line. Each guest has a photo taken with the couple and may be offered sweets by the bride. Post-Wedding Rituals After the wedding banquet, close friends and relatives go to the bridal chamber and play tricks on the newlyweds as a way to extend good wishes. The couple then shares a glass of wine and teach traditionally cuts off a lock of hair to symbolize that they are now of one heart. Three, seven or nine days after the wedding, the bride returns to her maiden home to visit her family. Some couples opt to go on a honeymoon vacation as well. There are also customs regarding the birth of the first child.

Biography of Joel Roberts Poinsett

Biography of Joel Roberts Poinsett Joel Roberts Poinsett was a scholar and traveler whose skills as a diplomat were relied upon by five consecutive American presidents in the early 1800s. Today we remember him not because he was taken so seriously by presidents from James Madison to Martin Van Buren, or because he served as a congressman, an ambassador, and in the cabinet as secretary of war. We also overlook that he helped keep his birthplace, South Carolina, from leaving the Union 30 years before the Civil War, during the heated politics of the Nullification Crisis. Poinsett is mainly remembered today because he was a devoted gardener, and when he saw a plant in Mexico that turned red before Christmas, he naturally brought samples back to raise in his greenhouse in Charleston. That plant was later named for him, and, of course, the poinsettia has become a standard  Christmas decoration. An article about plant names in the New York Times in 1938 stated that Poinsett probably would be disgusted with the fame that has come to him. That may overstate the case. The plant was named for him during his lifetime  and presumably, Poinsett did not object. Following his death on December 12,  1851, newspapers published tributes that did not mention the plant for which hes now remembered. The New York Times, on December 23, 1851, began  his obituary by calling Poinsett a politician, statesman, and diplomatist, and later referred to him as a substantial intellectual power. It wasnt until decades later that the poinsettia was widely cultivated and began to achieve enormous popularity at Christmas. And it was in the early 20th century that millions began unknowingly  referring to Poinsett while remaining unaware of his diplomatic adventures 100 years earlier. Poinsetts Early Diplomacy Joel Roberts Poinsett was born in Charleston, South Carolina, on March 2, 1779. His father was a prominent physician and as a boy, Poinsett was educated by his father and private tutors. In his teens, he was sent to an academy in Connecticut administered by Timothy Dwight, a noted educator. In 1796 he began studies abroad, attending, in succession, a college in England, a medical school in Scotland, and a military academy in England.   Poinsett intended to pursue a military career but his father encouraged him to return to America and study law. After engaging in legal studies in America, he returned to Europe in 1801 and spent most of the next seven years traveling through Europe and Asia. When tensions between Britain and the United States heightened in 1808, and it seemed war could break out, he returned home. Though apparently still intent on joining the military, he instead was brought into government service as a diplomat. In 1810 the Madison administration dispatched him as a special envoy to South America. In 1812 he posed as a British merchant to collect intelligence on events in Chile, where a revolution sought independence from Spain. The situation in Chile became volatile and Poinsetts position became precarious. He departed Chile for Argentina, where he stayed until returning to his home in Charleston in the spring of 1815.   Ambassador to Mexico Poinsett became interested in politics in South Carolina and was elected to statewide office in 1816. In 1817 President James Monroe called upon Poinsett to return to South America as a special envoy, but he declined.   In 1821 he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He served in Congress for four years. His time on Capitol Hill was interrupted, from August 1822 to January 1823, when he visited Mexico on a special diplomatic mission for President Monroe. In 1824 he published a book about his journey, Notes on Mexico, which is full of gracefully written details about Mexican culture, scenery, and  plants. In 1825 John Quincy Adams, a scholar and diplomat himself, became president. No doubt impressed by Poinsetts knowledge of the country, Adams appointed him as the U.S. ambassador to Mexico. Poinsett served four years in Mexico and his time there was often fairly troubled. The political situation in the country was unsettled, and Poinsett was often accused, fairly or not, of intrigue. At one point he was labeled as a scourge to Mexico for his presumed meddling in local politics. Poinsett and Nullification He returned to America in 1830, and President Andrew Jackson, whom Poinsett had befriended years earlier, gave him what amounted to a diplomatic mission on American soil. Returning to Charleston, Poinsett became the president of the Unionist Party in South Carolina, a faction determined to keep the state from seceding from the Union during the Nullification Crisis. Poinsetts political and diplomatic skills helped to calm the crisis, and after three years he essentially retired to a farm outside Charleston. He devoted himself to writing, reading in his extensive library, and cultivating plants. In 1837 Martin Van Buren was elected president and convinced Poinsett to come out of retirement to return to Washington as his secretary of war. Poinsett administered the War Department for four years before again returning to South Carolina to devote himself to his scholarly pursuits. Lasting Fame According to most accounts, plants were successfully propagated in Poinsetts greenhouse, from cuttings taken from the plants he brought back from Mexico in 1825, during his first year as an ambassador. The newly grown plants were given as gifts, and one of Poinsetts friends arranged for some to be exhibited at an exhibition of plants in Philadelphia in 1829. The plant was popular at the show, and Robert Buist, the proprietor of a nursery business in Philadelphia, named it for Poinsett. Over the following decades, the poinsettia became prized by plant collectors. It was found to be tricky to cultivate. But it caught on, and in the 1880s mentions of poinsettia appeared in newspaper articles about holiday celebrations at the White House.   Home gardeners began to have success growing it in greenhouses 1800s. A Pennsylvania newspaper, the Laport Republican News Item, mentioned its popularity in an article published on December 22, 1898: ... there is one flower which is identified with Christmas. This is the so-called Mexican Christmas flower, or poinsettia. It is a small red flower, with long highly decorative red leaves, which blooms in Mexico about this time of year and is grown here in greenhouses especially for use at Christmas time. In the first decade of the 20th century, numerous newspaper articles mentioned the popularity of the poinsettia as a holiday decoration. By that time the poinsettia had become established as a garden plant in southern California. And nurseries devoted to growing poinsettia for the holiday market began to flourish. Joel Roberts Poinsett could never have imagined what he was starting. The poinsettia has become the largest selling potted plant in America and growing them has become a multi-million dollar industry. December 12, the anniversary of Poinsetts death, is National Poinsettia Day. And its impossible to imagine a Christmas season without seeing poinsettias.

IBook Neurology Clerkship Thesis Project (Introduction)

IBook Neurology Clerkship Project (Introduction) - Thesis Example There is a lot of sensitivity within the healthcare industry where clinicians deal with matters of life and death and thus students in the medical schools and other related fields should be well equipped with both theoretical and practical knowledge that will be achieved through this project. The project will utilize the iPad through its iBook software to deliver instruction to students. Since all students in the clerkship are provided iPads, the iPads will also insure that students get 24-hour access to comprehensive learning tools and student support services. As a learning tool inside and outside of the classroom, the iBook will blend the theories of problem-based learning in interactive-simulated style to help these medical students practice their critical thinking while fostering intrinsic motivation to learn and collaborate with others. Not only will the iBook aid students with their own learning, but it will also give instructors a way to measure the progress of their students by gathering data about their student’s advancement through iBook simulations and iBook assessment exams. Overall, the project will help all medical students in the Neurology clerkship to better succeed in the program and become better critically thinking medical professionals in the process. Medical students, at the University of California Irvine, must complete numerous clerkships as they complete their medical training. The Neurology Clerkship is one of the last that students must complete. In an effort to increase student success rates, UC Irvine has provided all medical students with iPads. The iPads introduce students with a transformative mode of learning by connecting students with the same advancements in seen in the medical profession in the classroom. Even though iPads provide both students and instructors with the technological tools necessary for success, not all programs

The role of judges in making law in Uk courts Essay

The role of judges in making law in Uk courts - Essay Example This principle of precedent is also known as 'stare decisis'. This precedent should be created by a high ranking court and not from the courts of first instance. They are supposed to follow strictly the already existing law and precedents. Often these courts would be engaged in fact finding since they are not expected to hear full legal arguments of the parties. The courts administration documents and reports the decisions from 1865 in U.K. It is called now Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales. It brings out The Weekly Law Reports and The Law Reports. The decisions that are taken as legal precedents shall have 'ratio decidendi' behind them. The ratio decidendi must be related to the law and not on factual findings. It can not also be 'obiter dictum' mentioned as a passing reference while deciding the case and shall have no legal basis for future decisions. The ratio which is binding shall have legal principles and rules considered for finding a solution for the problem in the case. The 'obiter dicta' however are treated as persuasive authority which later judges can use them for arriving at their decisions but are not bound to treat them as precedents.(UK law online) Precedent has a very important role in the common law. It ensures certainty and consistency and logical progression and development in the law. At the same time it can be rigid and also complex - what is "the law" on a subject may be very difficult to find or to state as it is spread across many cases. So, many countries (especially in Continental Europe) prefer a codified system in which laws are set out in legislation and cases which apply them may be illustrative but do not become binding. The law is also easier to find and to state and is rationally prospective rather than based on the chance event of litigation, which may give rise to laws based on extreme or unusual situations or unevenly argued cases. For example, here is the offence of murder in US Federal Law. By contrast, the law of murder in England is contained in several cases, and even having read them there may be room for doubt. As for English law, the classic definition of murder is considered to be that given by Lo rd Chief Justice Coke who (writing in the early seventeenth century) said: "Murder is when a man of sound memory and of the age of discretion, unlawfully killeth within any county of the realm any reasonable creature in rerum natura under the King's peace, with malice aforethought, either expressed by the party or implied by law, so as the party wo, or hurt etc. die of the wound or hurt etc .within a year and a day of the same." (UK Law online) Blackstone stated in eighteenth century that court decisions were mere evidence of common law. (Commentaries pp 88-9) Later Lord Esher said in 1892 that there was no judge made law as such since the judges did not make law but only applied prevailing law not previously applied authoritatively (Willis v Baddeley) However these views are refuted by late professor Cross stating "a rule stated in a precedent is law properly so called and law because it was made by the judges, not because it originated in common usage, or the judge's idea of justice and public convenience" (Cross R 1991 p 28) Cross holds that Lord Esher's view that application of existing law to new circumstances actually is similar to statement of

Invisible Elements Of Spatial Ambience Design Cultural Studies Essay

Invisible Elements Of Spatial Ambience Design Cultural Studies Essay The visible and the invisible, the physical and the mental, these are the two main groups of elements which affect our perceptions toward a certain designated space ambience. The designers play a major part in it, and these days, it seems that some designers focus more on the aesthetic side of the creations, which fulfills the visible and physical parts for humans pleasures and desires, so what about the invisible and the mental parts? Arent they as important as the visible and physical parts for the design innovations? Design thinking, it is a design methodology by Tim Brown, who takes a human-centered approach, along with business and technology considerations of human behavior, needs and preferences, which demonstrates the practice of the important values bring out by the invisible and mental design innovation throughout the whole process of creating a new design with three main stages, inspiration, ideation and implementation. So what does it take to influence peoples perceptions, behaviors emotions? We see the things themselves; the world is what we see (Ponty, 1969). If we ask ourselves what is this WE, what SEEING is, and what the THING or WORLD is, we enter into a series of difficulties and contradictions. It is natural for human beings to be attuned to their surroundings. A physical environment affects various aspects of an individual: physically, emotionally, psychologically and socially. It defines individuality, coming to terms to the human side of our preferences and the choices we make. In design the designers choices, preferences and ideas are as important as the clients choices, preferences and ideas. In most cases if not all, the designer needs to come to the terms of the clients needs and wants. The distinction between the terms, needs and wants, is a way of describing the difference between what is that truly necessary for a persons activities against what a person asks for. When this happens the designer is actually creating that solution which answers the various requirements of a human-centered design. A term commonly used to describe human-centered design is called ambiance. What is ambiance? The general definition of ambiance is, a feeling, tone, character and atmosphere of the environment or surrounding influence; or the mood associated with a particular place, person, or thing. The look and feel of a space is highly relevant to the choices an individual makes in spatial design. This is where the visible and invisible concept in design comes in. Visible is what can be seen and noticed, invisible is what can be felt. These are two basic factors present in human-centered design. Interior Design is a world where creativity breeds innovation and tomorrows trends become todays styles. It is a career where art mingles with science to transform an architectural shell into a total environment (Haddad). These days, a lot of people practice on the visible side, concentrating more towards the physical aesthetics and form representation. Society lacks the attention to the invisible side, the emotional and psychological design elements. Architects and interior designers focus on designing dwellings, the form, structure and order of the space. We build these dwellings to satisfy most of our physical needs, pleasures and desires, but it seems that the more subtle, emotional and mental aspects of the space remain untouched. Perhaps a space is not just about the form and architecture. The elements of invisible design also need to be taken into consideration, which are the emotional and psychological design elements. As our basic needs increase with our standard of living, we expect experiences that are emotionally satisfying and meaningful. This will not be as simple as a single product; it will be complex combination of products, services, spaces and information. The process of spatial information visualization is shaped by various factors including interactive, perceptual, navigational as well as organizational and metaphorical aspects and as such requires an interdisciplinary approach (Buagajska, 2003). Thomas Edison created the light bulb and introduced it to the world. People perceived it as his main invention from the visible and physical aspects, but what was behind Edisons motive was that he understood the creation of the light bulb was a little more than just the surface result. His invention would be useless without the system of electric power and transmission to make it truly useful. His genius was his ability to perceive, not only the created device itself, but how people will use and innovate what he invented. And he worked with that approach, and gave a great contribution and consideration to users needs and preferences. Edisons approach was an early example of a methodology that influences the full range of innovation activities with a human-centered design philosophy. By this, it means that innovation is power driven by a detailed understanding, through direct observation, of what people want and need in their lives and what they like or dislike about the way particular products are made, packaged, marketed, sold, and supported (Brown, 2006). In the past, design has been treated as a downstream step in the development process the position where designers, who did not participate earlier role in the substantive work of innovation, had came along and put a beautiful wrapper around the idea. Undeniably, this move toward has inspired market growth in many areas by making new products and technologies aesthetically as well as attractive, and therefore more desirable to consumers or by enhancing brand perception through smart, evocative advertising and communication strategies. During the second half of the twentieth century, design had become more and more important competitive asset in, for example, the consumer electronics, automotive, and consumer packaged goods industries. But unlike the most others, it remained a late-stage add-on. Nowadays, rather than asking designers to create an already existed idea that is more attractive to consumers, the companies are asking them to create ideas that better and suitable to meet consumers needs and desires. The former role is well planned, and results in limited value creation; the final result is strategic, and it leads to dramatic new forms of value. Complexity is increased by the growing potential for personal customization. Do your own brand thinking can be seen especially in the communication cultures of youth groups. In the near future, the customer will be even more tightly linked to design processes (Koskinen, 2008). Let us take a few examples from the present. The personal ring tone, wallpaper and theme of a mobile phone is a classic example of personal customization. Some people go even further with engraved towels, pens and stationeries. In a nutshell, this paper will talk about how ambiance is not just seen through physical means and by just by having the space itself. Ambiance is more literally, through human perceptions, behaviors and emotions that the space will be filled up with life. Ambiance refers to the design of an environment via visual communications, lighting, colours, music to stimulate peoples perceptual and emotional responses and ultimately to affect their behavior and/or reaction. Many businesses have discovered the subtle benefits of developing atmospherics that complement other aspects of design and merchandise. The visible and the invisible, the physical and the mental, these are the two main groups of elements which affect our perceptions toward a certain designated space ambiance. The designers play a major part in it, and these days, it seems that designers focus more on the aesthetic side of the creations, which fulfills the visible and physical parts for a humans satisfaction and desires. So what about the invisible emotional and the mental aspects? Arent they as important as the visible and physical elements for design innovations? In this paper, it looks into the design thinking methodology, which is a design methodology lead by Tim Brown. Brown takes a human-centered approach, along with business and technological considerations for human behavior, needs and preferences, which demonstrates the practice of the important values brought out by the invisible and mental design innovation throughout the whole process of creating a new design, which comprises of three main stages: inspirat ion, ideation and implementation. In spatial design, ambiance of the space is generally created through the rooms function, the aesthetic of the space itself with object elements, including the primal elements within a space: staircase, floor, roof, wall, door, window, lighting, colour, tables, bed, chair, and furniture. If we are looking at it only through physical perception, the design would work just fine, because human emotion and the physical elements of design are connected. Things such as a designated space, structure, product or an image, forms and aesthetics are what we perceive in the first place of the physical phenomenon. A well-designed visual representation is needed. This representation can be seen as the expression of the physical ambiance design. All these design elements and methods do fulfill the needs for visible pleasure and desire, yet it seems that other important design elements are missing, not taken into consideration, or emphasized on much. These aspects are the invisible side, the mental and psychological perception from the users toward the ambiance within the space, and how they will perceive and express their behaviors and emotions. But ambiance doesnt exist just by having the space itself. Only through perceptions, behaviors and emotions can the space be filled up life. Architects and interior designers are not only designing to provide people with physical shelter, facilitate purpose and inspire sensory pleasure. Man-made structures tame the world for human habitation and understanding (Pallasmaa, 2008). The function of buildings and spaces should cater to the physical and mental well being of people. However, people have started to ask designers to create new ideas which suite and meet the clients needs. Their objectives have shifted away from just physical satisfaction and need. A rough idea would be the county jail. Its a place with the same environment and space layout for each individual bar space, but different kinds of criminals live in it. Each individual perceives the ambiance, behaviors and emotions of the space differently. Perhaps due to the individuals background, memories and experiences, it turns into different place in the end. For the criminals who have hope, they might take it as a turning point that gives them the chance to turn over a new leaf, so they might perceive the space as a confession box. For the criminals who have no hope, they might just take it as a daily routine, day after day, because they have no beliefs and confidence in themselves anymore, and dont see that there is a turning point or chance for them, sucking them deeper into the darkness. So in this paper, an exploration for the possibility of an ambiance design method that will create the positive benefits for both visible and invisible; physically and mentally designated space, which helps the well being of the people, is conducted. Another example would be how a restaurants design can affect peoples choice and preferences. A cosy and comfortably designed restaurant can give people the sense of serenity and tranquility while dining in. An upbeat and modern restaurant on the other hand may give people a certain lively and vibrant feel. It actually depends on peoples moods and preferences that whether they decide to dine in any of these restaurants. After looking at the outside of the restaurant and deciding to go in, and checking out the place before being seated, people look forward to how they are greeted. They will often go to an establishment before inviting business associates to dine, because not only does the restaurant need to make a good impression but so does them, so if the restaurant makes a unfavorable impression that would most likely reflect on myself as having bad taste. The next thing worth observing before ordering is the dà ©cor of the restaurant, does the theme stay consistent? After sitting down people check for cleanliness of the eating area, are the tables sticky or spotless? Is the server well groomed? And are the seats comfortable? Ambience has become a pivotal concern for tourism and hospitality managers worldwide. In an effort to improve the ambience, different groups of professionals are involved, in particular hospitality managers and outside experts, e.g. designers and architects. So how do we achieve a successful ambiance within a space, which is perceived by someones mental aspect, the invisible side? Ambiance design is not created by the designers only through the personal aspect, sense, experience and style, but molded together based on the understanding and knowledge that atmosphere has a multi-sensory effect on people. There is a new area of design, such as service design, user-centered design, interactive design, information design, and systems design which have become a new topic within the design field. Principles and disciplines such as sociology, psychology and medicine are entering the arena of design management process. With the supportive ideas and embrace how they bring philosophical considerations and anticipatory approach into design, which help to make up for the shortage of the invisible and mental design elements of a designated space or product. In order to achieve such a result, collaborative relationships are the main factor in the appro ach. To achieve the finest result, the process involves a wide range of fields, such as industrial design, interior design, graphic design, service design, information design, systems design, interactive design, user-centered design, light design, soundscape and scentscape design. Thinking like a designer can transform the way you develop products, services, processes-and even strategy (Brown, 2006). Tim Brown is the CEO and president of IDEO, a company associated with clients such as Daimler Chrysler, Microsoft, Motorola, Pepsi, Procter Gamble and Steelcase. Recently he joined the Advisory Council of Acumen fund, a global organization provides a not-for-profit service for improving the lives of the poor. He has won numerous design awards and has held exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Axis Gallery in Tokyo and the Design Museum in London. All that should not be part of the essay, but the reference. IDEO is an innovation and design firm from the USA, where designers exercise on design thinking methodology through three main stages: Inspiration, Ideation and Implementation. This discipline uses the designers sensibility and methods to meet peoples needs with what is technology phenomenon and what a practical business strategy can convert into customer value. A good design thinker doesnt work alone, so IDEO is a company that employs engineers, marketers, anthropologists, industrial designers, architects and psychologists. By thinking of people first in their approach, design thinkers can see potential problems, imagine the solutions for all intents and purposes, meet the needs, and observe the things that others dont. Designers then use their insight to apply and inspire innovation. This supports the idea I have for designing a space ambiance by emphasizing on the mental perception. One of their projects which benefits a company was the large health care provider, Kaiser Permanente, which was seeking a possibility to improve the overall quality of both patients and medical practitioners experiences. So in order to inspire the practitioners, the new concepts, techniques, and ideas of the design thinking method are taught to the nurses, doctors and administrators. Both Kaiser and IDEO teams participated in the workshops, which led to the innovations. During the first stage of the project, they acknowledged a number of issues and problems of the nurse shift routine, and one of their main objectives became redesigning the shift changes at the four Kaiser hospitals. They spent the first 45 minutes of each shift for a debriefing about the status of patients in their nurses station. Their original methods of communicating information, such as data exchanges, were different within their four hospitals. Exchanges varied wildly from recorded dictation to face-to-face conv ersations. From there, health professionals tried to compile the information which they needed, and quickly noted them down on any available piece of paper. Doing so made the information inaccessible, which lead to the nurses often failing to learn some of the things which are important to the patients. Administrators had learned that there were many patients that felt a lack in their care after each shift changed. This is a negative act that shouldnt happened in the healthcare industry, because it might lead the patients to the kind of perception towards the hospital that, the sight of the environment they are staying at is attractive, but the memory of their use is negative. Therefore, that is why we should be focusing on the importunateness for being cautious and attentive towards the process of both invisible, mental design elements within a space. By observing these important issues, the teams explored possible solutions through brainstorming and prototyping. Prototypes work efficiently only with investments in time, effort and funding. A positive idea could be generated through useful feedback, and prototyping allows it to be done on a small scale so that they could learn about the strengths and weaknesses of the idea, and to adjust and modify for a better direction. Their solution was to merge shift changes with nurses passing on the information in front of the patient rather than at the nurses station, which saves time and errors. With this new system implemented together with some simple software, the nurses were able to call up the data information from the previous shift notes and edit patients information throughout a shift rather than rushing at the end to pass it on, which minimized the possibility of errors. The results were positive, and showed that the new method saves time on preparation, provides better knowledge through information transfers and a better informed healthcare staff taking care of patients. Kaiser saw the potential impact of this whole new idea and system and applied human-centered design methodology, which created a small process innovation that produced a massive impact. They found that time management had improved in efficiency, which added a huge amount of nursing time across the four hospitals, as well as affect t he quality of the nurses work experience, adding invisible value to both nurses and patients, satisfying both groups. Kaiser and IDEO accomplishments didnt happen instantly overnight. They put in a lot of time and hard work into the project by using a creative human-centered discovery process followed by numerous cycles of prototyping, testing and adjustment. The process is best described as a symbolic system of spaces rather than a series of fixed steps. Then whole space was designed for different activities which together form the innovation. The result might not be perceived in a short term, and this method might take a longer time to see the intended results, and it is very true that, in order to have a long lasting emotional feelings, it takes time to develop; as they come from sustained interaction. So the main key is patience, determination and observation. Edisons approach was an example of what now we called the design thinking, a method which improves the innovation activities with human-centered design approach, which is driven by fully understanding, through observation, of what people r eally need in their lives, their likes and dislikes toward certain things, along with business and technological considerations. When the process includes research based on direct observation, it leads to unexpected insights and inspirations to process the best solutions for the consumers. Throughout the whole process, it actually achieves the invisible and mental designs areas significantly through the design thinking innovation methodology, making it so that not only the patients receive the benefits, but also the nurses working in the hospitals. For the patients, they get full attention from the nurses and satisfaction for both physical and mental pleasure while staying in the hospital. The nurses will gain positive experiences, and the positive feedback will lead to better attitudes toward their job, creating an optimistic positive working environment at the same time In 2004, IDEO was invited to collaborate on another new project with Shimano, a Japanese manufacturer of bicycle components, which was facing a flattened growth in its sales in USA. Shimanos intention was to introduce their high-end casual bike to a new area of consumers who are potentially worth exploring. During the initial inspiration stage, teams were formed from both Shimano and IDEO, comprised of designers, behavioral scientists, marketers and engineers, who worked to explore appropriate potential solutions and constraints. They decided to focus on other areas as well rather than just sticking on the high-end market. They started with searching on the statistics and facts, and found that 90% of American adults dont ride bikes, so they continue the research and try to find out why. They put in a lot of effort into surveying different kinds of consumers, and found that most of them had ridden a bike during their childhood, and had positive memories. One surprising thing they foun d out was that many Americans are intimidated by cycling today for a few reasons: the retail experience, the high cost of the bikes, accessories, hidden dangers of cycling on the road, and the maintenance fees. After gathering all the information they received, which were collected and summarized using the human-centered exploration method, it led to the realization that their new created category of bicycling might be able to solve the problems of reconnecting the consumers with their childhood and at the same time to dealing with the intimidation of cycling on the road. By using the design thinking methodology and cooperates with human-centered design method, the design team looked into every aspect to foresee the possibilities, and came up with the concept of Coasting, a way to enjoy life. This is designated more for the pleasure than for sports. It is featured with comfort padded seats, easy operation and minimal maintenance. Trek, Raleigh and Giant are three major brand bike manufacturers that benefitted from the research. They cooperated and invented new bikes together with Shimano by applying the same methods they used. But the design team didnt stop exploring and searching for opportunities from other areas. In order to complete this whole concept, which they are trying to publicize, they designed a public relations campaign which cooperated with local governments and cycling organizations, providing the bikers with identified safe places to ride. Design thinking was the key to come to this complete solution, and of course, for the visible, ae sthetic part of the bikes was created later on in the development process, a reference design to inspire the bike companies own design teams. After the successful launch in 2007, seven more bicycle manufacturers signed up to produce Coasting bikes in 2008. They were successful due to that; they created breakthrough ideas that were inspired through the understanding of peoples lives and what they really need and implemented the principles of design in order to create and adding more values not only for the visible, physical part, as well as the invisible, mental part for needs, desires and pleasures. By doing so, it is very possible that one of the main reasons is that, the innovation of creating the bike actually brings them back to the childhood, reliving fond and happy memories. Here are some examples of current architects who have been working on the relevant practices. Peter Eisenman is famous of his impenetrable paper architecture and writing. His works have been distinguishable buildings have been identified as anti-architecture, He spent quite a period of time exploring how to create a building that would be unencumbered by the expectations by doing away with the order of the contextual baggage or a program. Eisenman has been at the front of the Deconstructivist movement in architecture, linguistic, psychoanalysis and literary theory to analyse the apparent objectivity and unity of Modernism and reveal the subjective human desires beneath. Fig 1 The overall view of Holocaust Memorial. Fig 2 The pathway inside the Holocaust Memorial. One of his inspiring works would be the Holocaust Memorial, Berlin 2005, which is also known as Memorial to the Murdered Jews of European, it is a memorial of the Jewish victims and other victims of the Holocaust. 19,000 square meter throughout the whole site, a total of 2,711 concrete slabs, seems randomly, has the entire site covered. Some of the concrete slabs lay low to the ground, others stood upright. There is an gallery located at underground, where it displays the names of all the Jewish Holocaust victims because, there are no names or marks on the above ground. However, it relies on the emotional response from each of the visitors, in order to get the message. Its just like other good public places, this memorial is designed with multi functions. It provides its visitors with places to sit around. It is a place of amazement, as children and adults, climb around from column to column, but at the same time, it is also a place of reflection and remembrance. But in the end, it is a place where each of the visitor is confronted with their own emotions and look within themselves to perceive their surroundings. Human-centered design can work well for the workplaces, as the cultural has changed, the focus to the workers well-being has been noticed. Theres a rise to interesting experiments in architecture. As mentioned before, by having the psychologists, sociologists, architects and engineers aiming to optimize productivity in human resources. Buildings should no longer design as huge boxes, but in order to begin at assuring workers psycho-physical comfort. For example, interior space is organised in an open, flexible fashion which may be modified to suit users needs. Steven Holls Het Oosten office, Amsterdam, 2000 is one of the best to describe it. Fig 3 The cafeteria. Fig 4 Het Oosten office during night time. Fig 5 Exterior view of Het Oosten office, A 50,000 square meter brick warehouse, it has been entirely renovated and expanded in order to create this new building. By using the local resources, it fits comfortably into its natural context. The interior has strong emotions with its vibrant hues, designing with the light: the regular square cut windows light up with colour lights reflected in the water of the canal during the night. Emotion-laden physical space brings the improvement on quality of life by combining work, entertainment and environment for human well being. His design characterizes an architecture attention to emotional needs and the invisible elements within a space, by dedicating his designs through understanding their surroundings. Steven Holls work wants to open up our human experience to the possibility of questioning the University of Technological Space and its inhumanity, questioning the state of technology as an absolute truth. He offers the alternative of a poetic vision of life which does not propose an arbitrary but the demystification of the very forces which have been demystifying our sense of humanity through positivist reason for the last two centuries. Another view that exists out there which talks about human-centered designn is called, ambience design. Ambience design represents a new kind of design culture; it could even be said that it represents a change of paradigm. Ambience designs working culture is transdisciplinary. The one major innovation of ambience design is that designers from different working areas communicate with researchers. As such, ambience design is not built on the personal touch and style of the designer, but is based on the knowledge of the effect which a multi-sensory environment or atmosphere has on people. In effect, know-how in an ambience design project is developed through interaction with professionals and researchers from various science and business branches. Then the research results are accurately documented using various types of media. This school of thought develops and moves our visually emphasized design culture towards becoming a more multi-sensory design environment. It does this by using the language of shapes, sound landscapes, odour worlds, textured contact surface, light and colour worlds and even the world of taste (this is by no means an all-inclusive list). Ambience design also means new forms of distinguishing and recognizing: fresh methods utilizing our multi-sensory abilities. This involves scent signs, sound logos and designed lights and colours as symbols of organization identity. Ambience design combines spatial design and the means of of multi-sensory communication. It also talks about atmosphere design, i.e. by affecting people through the creation of a psychophysical entirety. In practice this means laying stress on experiences and phenomenology. Ambience design utilizes smart environments and materials at the same time. The use of these is aimed at increasing interaction in mediated and social environments. Fig 6 the Baron House by John Pawson, Sweden, 2005. When people see photos of my work, they sometimes say they are misleading theres nothing in them, no furniture, etc but they are meant to stimulate you to think, use your imagination, and project your own ideas. (Pawson, 2005). The central themes of ambience design are adjustability and adjustment. These themes are connected with the changing and transformable communicational identity of different rooms and brands. For example, rooms become more usable when individual people or groups are given a chance to adjust them according to their changing needs. Spaces are designed with simple, clean aesthetic, so that they can be personalized, and for the users to inject in with their perceptions, emotions and behaviors freely. Ambience design utilizes narration, dramaturgy and the competence of drama experts. The challenge is the changing narratives related to spaces, with dramaturgical and multi-sensory applicability, and a link to, say, GIS systems. Ambience design can be connected to brand building. At its best, ambience design management will become part of the brand management process. Multi-sensory marketing, which uses things such as distinctive sounds and odours, can be employed in brand development more than ever before. The advantage of ambience design is that it connects multi-sensory interior design to multisensory marketing and communications. This idea by Koskinen is ethically and environmentally aware. All activities are guided by an ethic code. A key objective of the ambience design team is to increase the well-being of people through transdisciplinary design and research. The future of design is human-centred, ecologically aware and ethically-oriented (Koskinen, 2008). Ambience design, was first developed in Finland long before Martin Lindstrom touched the theme in his Sense Branding (2004). Internationally, however, the concept was not introduced until the summer of 2005 in a paper presented in the HAAHAMA conference, Ambience Design: Creating

GCSE statistics coursework

In this coursework I am going to investigate the affect that age has on the car. I am going to look at price, engine size, mileage, and age of the car. By the end of the coursework I am aiming to have a set of results about how the cars are affected by the age, price and mileage. My prediction should show that * As the car increases its price will decrease * The higher the mileage the price will decrease. Plan I am going to be collecting a sample of 100 cars. I will find mean, median, mode and range for some certain makes of cars, from the data I have been given. I will then represent my data by the following diagrams * Bar charts * Tally charts * Pie charts * Standard deviation (mean and mean deviation) * Scatter diagrams. The reason why I am doing so many diagrams is to give a clear understanding and also to give the reader a pictorial view about what is happening, and also I must say to get more accurate results. The diagrams would maintain a clear understanding and show what is happening to the cars and what people prefer according to their engine size. After each of the diagram I would explain how I did the diagram and what people prefer and why. I would compare the mean, median and mode to support my hypothesis. At the end of the coursework I would be doing a conclusion explaining what has happened and why. I am going to calculate the number of each type of car according to its age and mileage. I would provide my entire hypothesis to get more accurate results and also to include my prediction. I would provide me working on computer to avoid biased results and also to get more accurate results. I think doing my investigation on computer would give a better pictorial view than by hand. I predict that as the age of car increases the mileage would increase. I think that this is because an older car would have been driven more than a new car and therefore

10 Facts About Adolf Hitler

Among the world leaders of the 20th century, Adolf Hitler is the most notorious. The founder of the Nazi Party, Hitler is responsible for starting  World War II and unleashing the genocide of the Holocaust. Although he killed himself in the waning days of the war, his historical legacy continues to reverberate in the 21st century. Learn more about Adolf Hitlers life and times with these 10 facts. A Surprising Artistic Dream Throughout his youth, Adolf Hitler dreamed of becoming an artist. He applied in 1907 and again the following year to the Vienna Academy of Art but was denied admission both times. At the end of 1908, his mother, Klara Hitler died of breast cancer, and Adolf spent the next four years living on the streets of Vienna, selling postcards of his artwork to survive. Parents and Siblings Bettmann/Getty Images Despite being so readily identified with Germany, Adolf Hitler wasnt a German national by birth. He was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria, on April 20, 1889, to Alois (1837–1903) and Klara Hitler (1860–1907). The union was Alois Hitlers third. During their marriage, Alois and Klara Hitler had five other children, but only their daughter  Paula (1896–1960) survived to adulthood. Soldier in World War I Hulton Archive/Getty Images As nationalism roiled Europe, Austria began conscripting young men into the military. To avoid being conscripted, Hitler moved to Munich, Germany, in May 1913. Ironically, he volunteered to serve in the German army once World War I began. During his four years of military service, Hitler never rose higher than the rank of corporal, though he was decorated twice for valor. Hitler sustained two major injuries during the war. The first occurred at the Battle of the Somme in October 1916 when he was wounded by shrapnel and spent two months in the hospital. Two years later, on Oct. 13, 1918, a British mustard gas attack caused Hitler to go temporarily blind. He spent the remainder of the war recuperating from his injuries. Political Roots Like many on the losing side of World War I, Hitler was furious at Germanys capitulation and the harsh penalties that the Treaty of Versailles, which officially ended the war, imposed. Returning to Munich, he joined the German Workers Party, a small right-wing political organization with anti-Semitic leanings. Hitler soon became the partys leader, created a 25-point platform for the party, and established the  swastika  as the partys symbol. In 1920, the partys name was changed to National Socialist German Workers Party, commonly known as the  Nazi Party. Over the next several years, Hitler often gave public speeches that gained him attention, followers, and financial support. An Attempted Coup Motivated by the success of Benito Mussolinis seizing power in Italy in 1922, Hitler and other Nazi leaders plotted their own coup in a Munich beer hall. In the overnight hours of Nov. 8 and 9, 1923, Hitler led a group of about 2,000 Nazis into downtown Munich in a putsch, an attempt to overthrow the regional government. Violence broke out when police confronted and fired upon the marchers, killing 16 Nazis. The coup, which came to be known as the Beer Hall Putsch, was a failure, and Hitler fled. Apprehended two days later, Hitler was tried and sentenced to five years in prison for treason. While behind bars, he wrote his autobiography, Mein Kampf  (My Struggle). In the book, he articulated many of the anti-Semitic and nationalist philosophies he would later make policy as German leader. Hitler was released from prison after only nine months, determined to build up the Nazi Party in order to take over the German government using legal means. The Nazis Seize Power German President Paul von Hindenburg (left) in a car with Nazi leader and Chancellor of Germany, Adolf Hitler in Berlin, 1st May 1933. Culture Club/Getty Images Even while Hitler was in prison, the Nazi Party continued to participate in local and national elections, slowly consolidating power throughout the rest of the 1920s. By 1932, the German economy was reeling from the Great Depression, and the ruling government proved unable to quell the political and social extremism that roiled much of the nation. In the July 1932 elections, just months after Hitler became a German citizen (thus making him eligible to hold office), the Nazi Party obtained 37.3 percent of the vote in national elections, giving it a majority in the Reichstag, Germanys parliament. On Jan. 30, 1933, Hitler was appointed chancellor. Hitler, the Dictator On Feb. 27, 1933, the Reichstag burned under mysterious circumstances. Hitler used the fire as an excuse to suspend many basic civil and political rights and to consolidate his political power. When  German President  Paul von Hindenburg  died in office on Aug. 2, 1934,  Hitler took the title of fà ¼hrer and Reichskanzler (leader and Reich Chancellor), assuming dictatorial control over the government.   Hitler set about rapidly rebuilding Germanys military, in clear defiance of the  Versailles Treaty. At the same time, the Nazi government began swiftly cracking down on political dissent and enacting an ever-harsher series of laws disenfranchising Jews, gays, the disabled, and others that would culminate in the Holocaust. In March 1938, demanding more land for the German people, Hitler annexed Austria (called the Anschluss) without firing a single shot. Not satisfied, Hitler agitated further, eventually annexing Czechoslovakias western provinces. World War II Begins Adolf Hitler plans military strategy at the German Army Headquarters, circa 1940. Keystone/Getty Images Emboldened by his territorial gain and new alliances with Italy and Japan, Hitler turned his eyes east to Poland. On Sept. 1, 1939, Germany invaded, quickly overrunning Polish defenses and occupying the western half of the nation. Two days later, Britain and France declared war on Germany, having pledged to defend Poland. The Soviet Union, having signed a secret nonaggression treaty with Hitler, occupied eastern Poland. World War II  had begun, but the real fighting was months away. On April 9, 1940, Germany invaded Denmark and Norway; the following month, the Nazi war machine crossed through Holland and Belgium, attacking France and sending British troops fleeing back to the U.K. By the following summer, the Germans seemed unstoppable, having invaded North Africa, Yugoslavia, and Greece. But Hitler, hungry for more, made what would eventually be his fatal mistake. On June 22, Nazi troops attacked the Soviet Union, determined to dominate Europe. The War Turns The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, drew the U.S. into the world war, and Hitler responded by declaring war on America. For the next two years, the Allied nations of the U.S., the U.S.S.R., Britain, and the French Resistance struggled to contain the German military. Not until the D-Day invasion of June 6, 1944, did the tide truly turn, and the Allies began to squeeze Germany from both east and west. The Nazi regime was slowly crumbling from without and within. On July 20, 1944, Hitler barely survived an assassination attempt, called the July Plot, led by one of his top military officers. Over the following months, Hitler assumed more direct control over German war strategy, but he was doomed to failure. The Final Days In his last official photo, Adolf Hitler leaves the safety of his bunker to award decorations to members of Hitler Youth. Keystone Features/Getty Images   As Soviet troops neared the outskirts of Berlin in the waning days of April 1945, Hitler and his top commanders barricaded themselves in an underground bunker to await their fates. On April 29, 1945, Hitler married his long-time mistress, Eva Braun, and the following day, they  committed suicide together  as Russian troops approached the center of Berlin. Their bodies were burned on grounds near the bunker, and the surviving Nazi leaders either killed themselves or fled. Two days later, on May 2, Germany surrendered.

Study On The Issues Of Dividend Policy Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 20 Words: 5996 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? Dividend policy has been an issue of interest in financial literature since Joint Stock Companies came into existence. Dividends are commonly defined as the distribution of earnings (past or present) in real assets among the shareholders of the firm in proportion to their ownership. Dividend policy connotes to the payout policy, which managers pursue in deciding the size and pattern of cash distribution to shareholders over time. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Study On The Issues Of Dividend Policy Finance Essay" essay for you Create order Managements primary goal is shareholders wealth maximization, which translates into maximizing the value of the company as measured by the price of the companys common stock. This goal can be achieved by giving the shareholders a fair payment on their investments. However, the impact of firms dividend policy on shareholders wealth is still unresolved. The area of corporate dividend policy has attracted attention of management scholars and economists culminating into theoretical modelling and empirical examination. Thus, dividend policy is one of the most complex aspects in finance. Three decades ago, Black(1976) in his study on dividend wrote, The harder we look at the dividend picture the more it seems like a puzzle, with pieces that just dont fit together. Why shareholders like dividends and why they reward managers who pay regular increasing dividends is still unanswered. According to Brealey and Myers (2002) dividend policy has been kept as the top ten puzzles in finance. Paying Dividends The most pertinent question to be answered here is that how much cash should firms give back to their shareholders? Should corporations pay their shareholders through dividends or by repurchasing their shares, which is the least costly form of payout from tax perspective? Firms must take these important decisions period after period (some must be repeated and some need to be revaluated each period on regular basis.) Dividend policy can be of two types: managed and residual. In residual dividend policy the amount of dividend is simply the cash left after the firm makes desirable investments using NPV rule. In this case the amount of dividend is going to be highly variable and often zero. If the manager believes dividend policy is important to their investors and it positively influences share price valuation, they will adopt managed dividend policy. The optimal dividend policy is the one that maximizes the companys stock price, which leads to maximization of shareholders wealth. Whe ther or not dividend decisions can contribute to the value of firm is a debatable issue. Firms generally adopt dividend policies that suit the stage of life cycle they are in. For instance, high- growth firms with larger cash flows and fewer projects tend to pay more of their earnings out as dividends. The dividend policies of firms may follow several interesting patterns adding further to the complexity of such decisions. Why should one invest for long term? Long term investing is the last thing on the minds of active traders in the stock market. For most traders, the greatest lure of volatility in the market is the possibility of generating big returns in a short amount of time. Passive investing, be it through mutual funds, index funds, ETFs, or even some long forgotten buy and hold stock one has owned for years in an ignored account somewhere, is as incomprehensible to the traderÂÂ  as obsessively analyzing a stocks price chart to determine short term areas of support and resistance is to the long term investor. And yet, the active traders can learn a thing or two from the long term investor. It may seem counterintuitive, to suggest that short term instruments such as stock options or any money market instrument be associated in any way with a long term horizon, but there are a number of powerful advantages toÂÂ  investing for the long haul, advantages that anyone interested in creating wealth would consider: Long te rm investing makes it easier to focus on only high quality companies.ÂÂ  The quality here can be related to the predictability in the price fluctuation of the stock in medium to long term. And securities short term horizon, we learn through painful experience, are not always as predictable or as well-behaved as their charts suggest. Long term investing gives you time to recover if your position moves against you in the short term.ÂÂ  Short term investor or traders require not only that you be right about what a particular stock will do, but that you also be right on the timing. However, the long term investor, however, only has to be right on the first part. By excluding near term timing requirements, the long term investor has the luxury of being protected against short term volatility or market irrationality. The long term bias of the stock market is higher.ÂÂ   Long term, the outlook for most solid investments is relatively certain. Invest inÂÂ  quality companiesÂÂ  at reasonable prices and then wait. In almost every case, one will have good returns and a substantially higher net worth than if one would invest money in a money market account. Illustration Scenario 1ÂÂ   Assume you make a $10,000 investment in a safe and stable stock paying a 3% dividend. And assume two other things that the dividend grows by just 5% a year and that you spend the dividends rather than reinvest them. After 30 years, your original investment would be generating a 12.35% annual dividend. And, thanks to the power of compounding, assuming the dividend continued growing 5% annually; the dividend rate based on your original investment would be accelerating. Wait another five years and the rate jumps from 12.35% to 15.76%. Double digit income with below average risk and no effort on your part. This is a decent return, however, based on conservative assumptions. First, we didnt reinvest the dividend (in which case our returns would rea lly benefit from the power of compounding). Second, we assumed a very conservative 5% dividend growth rate. Third, we started with a fairly low dividend base of just 3%. And, if we were willing to wait 30 years or more while doing absolutely nothing, we still came out pretty good. Why should the company pay dividend? There are primarily two source of income for investors in stocks buy at low and sell it at a higher price in future or earn a consistent stream of dividend for a long duration. In the later case return is compounded by reinvesting the dividend in the stock. Moreover, there can be gains from capital appreciation. However, whether the company pays dividend depends on both the capacity of the company small or large and the companys fundamentals. How companies pay dividend? Key terms related to dividend: Declaration Date:ÂÂ  The date on which the board of directors of a company announces the amount of the next stock dividend and its ex-dividend, record and payment dates. Ex-Dividend Date:ÂÂ  The date on which, or after, the stock trades without a dividend. So if you buy the stock on or after the ex-dividend date, you will not receive the next dividend. If you sell a stock before the ex-dividend date, you will not receive the dividend (the buyer will receive the dividend). If you sell after the ex-dividend date, you will receive the dividend (the buyer will not). Record Date:ÂÂ  The date the company determines the list of shareholders who qualify for the stock dividend. To be a shareholder of record, you must own the stock at least one day before the ex-dividend date. Payment Date:ÂÂ  The date on which the stock dividend is paid to shareholders of record, in the form of a dividend check, or a credit to your account. T he price of the stock increases steadily by the amount of the dividend until the date of record, then drops by the same amount on the ex-dividend date. This happens because investors are willing to pay more if they are expecting to receive the dividend, which offsets the increased price. Moreover, open buy and stop sell orders are also usually reduced by the dividend amount on the ex-dividend date. Do higher yield stocks give higher return? Security analysts utilize a concept they call the total return of an investment. The total return of a common stock is simply the sum of (or difference between) the stocks dividend return and the average annual appreciation (or depreciation) in the price of the stock over some period of time. If a stocks dividend return is 10%, but it depreciates in value an average of 5% per year, its actual return or total return is only 5% per year; and, on the other hand, if a stocks dividend returns is 5%, but its price appreciates an average of 10% per year, its average total return is 15% per year. Clearly, it would seem better, in the long-run, to try to maximize the total return on ones investments, rather than to try to maximize dividend return alone. Many investors prefer securities with high dividends in the belief that these high dividends imply more efficiently employed funds. There are, however, two basic reasons why such may not be the case: Growth Companies vs Mature Companies The first reason concerns the type of company represented by a stock with a high dividend yield. Almost without exception, such companies tend to be in mature, troubled, or declining industries. The reason their current yields are so high is usually a combination of two factors: The dividend payout is high in relation to the companys earnings; this is so because the company does not have sufficiently attractive investment opportunities of its own in which legitimately to reinvest its shareholders earnings, and so it pays out most of its earnings to its shareholders. The price of the stock is low relative to the dividend because of the investment communitys perception that the prospects for the company are poor and/or the element of risk is inordinately high. In contrast, a stock with a lower current dividend yield usually has this lower yield for the two opposite reasons: The investment opportunities for the company seem so promising that the board of directors determin es it in the best interest of the shareholders to plow back the greater part of earnings into the expansion of the companys business; hence, the dividend payout is small as a percentage of total earnings. The price of the stock is relatively higher, reflecting the investment communitys assessment that the prospects for the company are indeed promising and/or the element of risk is small. Those investors, who invest in lower-dividend-paying securities, over a period of time, are actually apt to receive more in total dividends than those investors who invest in high-dividend-paying issues. That is because the rate of dividend paid by a company typically increases at a rate commensurate with increases in earnings. Though the lower-dividend stock investor may receive a smaller dividend than the high-dividend stock investor initially, the formers dividend is apt to increase over time to exceed the latters dividend quite substantially. It is not uncommon for the lower-dividend stock investor to observe that, though his current yield on present value is low, his current yield on original cost is very high. This is far less apt to be a claim by the high-dividend stock investor. Tax preferences for Long term Capital Gains The second reason lower dividend, higher-appreciation stocks may be more efficient investment vehicles than higher-dividend, lower-appreciation stocks concerns the way dividends and capital gains are taxed in a taxable account. As per Indian taxation, short-term capital gains, the investor will be taxed depending on the tax slab relevant to that investor after he has added the capital gain to his annual income. But if the transaction was levied with Securities Transaction Tax (STT), his gain will be taxed 10%.ÂÂ  Whereas, forÂÂ  long term capital gains, investor will be taxed at 20%. But if the transaction was levied with STT, investor need not pay any tax on your gain. In case of long term capital gains, you can either calculate your capital gain using an indexed acquisition cost, or you can choose not to opt for indexing. In short, from a personal income tax perspective, capital gains income may be much more tax-efficient than dividend income. It should finally be no ted that, for those investors who use the cash flow from their investments as a source of livelihood, capital gains income can constitute every bit as legitimate a source of cash flow as dividend income. If one deliberately purchases a lower-dividend stock instead of a high-dividend one in the hope of realizing a capital gain, he should have no compunctions about spending a part of whatever capital gain he realizes for the same purposes that he would otherwise have spent the incremental dividends. Moreover, historically, those investors willing to forego some current dividend income for greater capital gains potential have, indeed, generally enjoyed capital gains considerably in excess of the dividend income they sacrificed to pursue the gains. In short, the after-tax rates of total return on their portfolios have usually exceeded, by wide margins, the after-tax rates of total return of the portfolios of those who sought to maximize dividend yield alone. Why investor should invest in high dividend stock? Traditionally some of the best stocks available in the market are the ones that has offered dividend. And the best dividend stocks belong to those companies that has regularly paid dividend to all its shareholders for many years at a stretch without break, however, such forms of stock are the safest for long term investments. These are known to appreciate steadily in value over the years. Historically such dividend paying stocks offer better return and carries minimum risk, than the so called growth funds. Firstly, dividends allow investors to attainÂÂ  positive returnsÂÂ  even in a bearish market. Secondly, dividends allow investors toÂÂ  further do well inÂÂ  investmentÂÂ  returnsÂÂ  when bull market return. By virtue of the preceding two points, a dividend paying stockÂÂ  lowers the risk of investing.ÂÂ  This is reflected in the lower volatility in the stock prices of these stocks. No wonder stocks that offer regular dividends consisten tly are by and large stable and mature than those that dont and whose price patterns fluctuate too frequently. Such volatile shares, however potential, are difficult to read because of their erratic behavior and therefore are beyond the comprehension of novice who enters the stock market. In such situations one has to depend upon so called expert brokers and fund managers for advice provided they are reputed with a long standing. Shares that offer dividends consistently are less prone to be volatile even when the markets are turbulent. These are the ones which are most lucrative amongst conservative investors who have very little appetite to stake their hard earned money. Although the value of such shares do not rise and fall heavily like most growth funds, their value continues to rise surely and steadily even when the markets are sluggish or choppy. In the long run, after several years such dividend paying shares outperform most of the other forms of investment in the share mar ket sowed in the initial stage at the same time. If the investor had wisely reinvested the dividends too on a regular basis, then at the end of say ten or twenty years, the amount earned after selling those shares at current market rates would fetch a considerable sum that is the reason for such dividend paying stocks having remained the safest and best bet amongst investors with long term objectives. However such stocks especially of Blue chip companies come at a price, unless one had wisely brought them when the markets were down such as during recession. Also one must have enough funds at the time of initial investment to be able to diversify the investment in thick over a large diversified dividend paying stocks of reputed companies from various potential sectors, be it energy, infrastructure, finance, defense, food, security, FMCG (short for fast moving commercial goods) etc. Moreover, capital gain need to be realized before one can reinvest for compounding returns, bu t a consistent dividend paying stock means thatÂÂ  dividends received can be reinvested for compounded gains.ÂÂ  In addition, there is still capital appreciation in the long run as more investors are attracted to stocks that pay dividends. These stocks also benefit from tax treatment which is very favorable, because these stocks are not taxed on the basis of ordinary income. High dividend stocks will usually give a better yield and return than a Certificate of Deposit or a money market account. High dividend stocks can help make your investment portfolio much stronger, simply because it contains these stocks. How do we know company is paying sufficient dividend? There are three approaches to check if a company is paying sustainable dividends: Payout Ratio:ÂÂ  Compare the dividend to earnings in the most recent period to see if too much it is being paid out. A 67% (two-thirds of earnings the upper limit) payout ratio can be used as a Rule of Thumb. This is to say that that one should avoid companies that pay out more than two thirds of their earnings. Treat 67% as the upper limit. Average Payout Ratio:ÂÂ  Compare dividends to normalized or average earnings over time. Long Term Expected EPS Growth Rate:ÂÂ  Check how much the company could have paid in dividends, allowing for the reality that firms have to reinvest money to grow their earnings. How do we select a company paying consistent dividend? Finding quality high dividend stocks does not have to be extremely complex, but it does require a massive amount of research on each stock, going back into history for fifteen to twenty years. This will allow you to ensure that the proposed stock is a quality high dividend stock that meets all your investing criteria. These stocks will not make you rich overnight, but these stocks will usually pay between five and fifteen percent dividends, which can be combined with compound interest to make you rich over an extended time period if the high dividend stocks are chosen right. The following can be few of the criteria to identify right dividend yielding stocks, which would yield stable returns in the long run, not only through reinvestment of the dividend yield but also from capital appreciation: Simple business:ÂÂ  The fewer the moving parts the fewer things that can go wrong and sap cash intended for dividend payments. Focus on companies doing one or two things that you can understand, as opposed to massive corporations with dozens of operating segments. Steady demand:ÂÂ  Given the Great Recession, the first thing we need to verify is demand for a companys products. After all, a company needs a steady stream of cash coming in to afford to pay it out to shareholders. Usually try to stick to industries or sectors with recession-proof or recession-resistant demand (food, alcohol, tobacco, health care, etc.). High cash balance:ÂÂ  Cash is king, especially when it comes to maintaining a dividend. Consider it insurance against any unexpected slowdowns. At a minimum, insist on enough cash to cover one quarters worth of dividends. Debt Servicing Capacity: Minimal need for credit:ÂÂ  Securing credit in this market is extremely difficult. Accordingly, focus on companies that do not need to raise significant amounts of capital through credit. Remember, too, when interest rates rise, so do interest payments for companies that rely on a significant amount of debt. So its also important to focus on companies with reasonable or low debt balances, however may vary from one industry to another. This insures interest payments wont sap money intended for us. Cash flow positive:ÂÂ  If a companys not generating cash each quarter, the only way to pay a dividend is by borrowing or tapping into cash reserves. Such practices are not sustainable over the long term. Eventually, the dividend will be cut. Earnings buffer:ÂÂ  Insist on a dividend payout ratio (annual dividends/annual net income) of 80% or less. A company paying out 100% of earnings has no sufficient room in the event of a slowdown. If business suffers, so will the di vidend. Though the above list is not exhaustive, however, the above criteria can be starting point to narrow down on the potent dividend yielding stock. Furthermore, more analysis can be done on the basis of companys fundamentals. Can paying more dividends make a company more attractive? There is varying degree of disagreement about the answer to this question. One of the most widely used prepositions in corporate world is Miller-Modigliani dividends are neutral and cannot affect returns. While there are many theorists who adhere to this theory, however, there are many other who believe declaration of dividends by firms is signal towards better future earnings. Dividends do not matter: The Miller-Modigliani Theorem: Firms those pay more dividend tend to offer less price appreciation and deliver the same total return to its stakeholders. This is because firms creates value from what it investment in plant, machinery or raw material and whether these return deliver higher or lower returns. If a firm which pay more in dividend can issue new shares in the market and raise capital and take exactly the same that it would have if it would have not paid the dividend, its overall value should be unaffected by the dividend policy. For this proposition to hold, the in vestor should also be indifferent between dividend and capital appreciation. The assumption needed to arrive at the proposition that dividends do not affect value may seem so restrictive that one will be tempted to reject it without testing it, after all, it is not costless to issue new stock and dividends and capital gains have historically not been taxed at the same rate. That would be a mistake, however, because the theory does contain a valuable message for investors. A firm that invests in poor projects that make substandard return cannot hope to increase value to its investor by just offering them higher dividends. Alternatively, a firm with a great investment may be able to sustain its value even it does not pay any dividend. Dividends are good: The Clintele and Signaling Stories There are academics who believe dividends are good and can increase firm value: Some investor like dividends: Given vast diversity of individuals and institutional investors in the markets, it is not surprising that, over time, stockholders tend to invest in firms whose dividend policy meet their investment requirement. Stockholders in high tax brackets who do not need cash flows from dividend payments tend to invent in companies that might be paying low dividend but have high capital appreciation potential in short run. However, on the flip side, there are stockholders, with capital preservation motives, need to invest in companies those pay consistent dividend. Market view dividends as signals: Financial markets examine every action a firm takes for implication for the future. When firms announce changes in dividend policy, they are conveying information to markets, whether they intend to or not. By increasing dividends, firms commits to paying these dividends in long term. These positive signals should therefore lead investors to buy these stocks, which, in turn, increase the price of the stock. Decreasing the dividends is a negative signal, largely because firms are reluctant to cut dividends. Thus, when a firm takes this action, markets see it as an indication that this firm is in substantial and long-term financial trouble. Consequently, such action leads to a drop in stock price. Some managers cannot be trusted with cash: Not all companies have a good investment and competent management. If a firms investment prospects are poor and its managers are not viewed as careful custodians of the stockholder wealth, paying dividends will reduce the cash in the firm and thus the likelihood of wasteful investments. Other School of Thought We look into the possible links between dividend policy and stock price behavior in case of Indian corporate sector. In order to establish the relation, if it exists at all, analyzing the relationship between dividend-retention ratio and stock-price behavior while controlling the variables like size and long-term debt-equity ratio of the firm is required. The analysis is based on the fixed-effect model, as these perform statistically better than random effects and pooled OLS model. The dividend policy of a firm is the choice of financial strategy when investment decisions are made. There are a number of factor effecting the dividend policy decision viz. investors preference, earnings, investment opportunities; annual vs. target capital structure, flotation costs, signaling, stability Government policies and taxation. Signaling is one of the crucial factors that influence the market. Dividends may convey information about the company, and hence the possibility of its influence o n the stock market. A large dividend payment reduces risk and thus influence stock price and is considered a proxy for the future earnings. The influence of dividend policy on stock price volatility can be analyzed through four basic models The duration effect The rate of return effect, The arbitrage pricing effect The informational effect The following control variables should be considered while testing its significance Operating earnings The size of the firm The level of debt The payout ratio The level of growth It is also sometimes suggested that dividend yield and payout ratios to vary inversely with common stock volatility, but it ignores the nature of the dividend its impact on the share price and whether market is more volatile to high dividend yield share than normal share. Existing Theories Indian stock market is one of the most volatile stock market. A study by the then RBI Governor Y.S.Reddy in 2003 suggest that the percentage of companies paying dividends has declined from 60.5 percent in 1990 to 32.1 percent in 2003 and that only a few firms have consistently paid the same levels of dividends. It further goes on to implicate that the dividend-paying companies are more profitable, large in size and growth doesnt seem to deter Indian firms from paying higher dividends. The tradeoff or tax-preference theory does not appear to hold true in the Indian context, suggesting no significant influence of changes in tax regime on dividend behavior. Modigliani and Miller (1961) proposed the absence of any significant impact of the dividend policy on the value of shares since its impact is offset exactly by other means of financing. It however assumes perfect market conditions, neglecting taxes, transaction cost or asymmetric information. In a perfectly competitive market both company and shareholders invest in the same assets, which does not make a difference for the economy as a whole. There is another school of thought that states the fair value of a stock should be equal to the stock-dividend per share and the difference between the discount rate and the long-term dividend growth rate, which inherently assumes a constant growth rate at constant discount rate. Fama (1998) advocates maximization of the total firm value i.e. debt plus equity. This also inherently assumes efficient capital market, one which may not be true in case of emerging markets. Thirumalvan Sunita (2005) examined the signaling effect of Stock repurchases and Dividend announcements. They observed an upward trend of share price movement after the dividend announcement. But the positive signaling existed only for a day or two after the announcements, after which the extent of positivism of shares started declining. According to Sen and Ray (2003) dividend pay-out is the single important factor affecting stock price, followed by earning per share which has very weak impact on the share prices. Black and Scholes in 1974 stated uninformed demand for dividends can result from dividend decisions which in turn derive from imperfections viz. taxes, transaction costs and institutional investment constraints. Due to the dominance of joint stock corporations the associated characteristics of separation of ownership control, sole motive of corporation has been maximization of rate of return on capital. Nevertheless, the shareholders generally prefer stable dividend rates that the effect of taxes is only on the preference of the shareholders, the richer classes prefer low dividends and high retained earnings. The opposite is applicable in the case of middle income group of shareholders. The management behavior can be classified as Active: sufficient profit retentions to satisfy the firms long-term needs such as investment demand liquidity need s etc. Passive: aims at increasing the market value of the firm the market price of shares. The clustering of stock-holders in companies according to their preferences is clientele effect. Thus the firm gets the type of investor they deserve and will have difficulty in changing an established dividend policy, even though it makes sense. The market value of a firm can be expressed a function of net profits, and the ratio of dividends to Retained earnings. The Electricity, Food and Beverage and Non-metallic justify the use of the fixed firm effect model whereas Textile, Mining and Other services do not. The stock return, as a function of net profit and dividend-retention ratio with two control variable such as size debt-equity ratio of the firm were used establish the relationship of dividends and stock return. The findings display statistical significance and linearity with the industry classifications i.e. dividend retention ratio is positively related with the stoc k-returns. But in case of aggregate data the regression lacks statistical significance establishing no relationship. As the firm go for more debt, its value is affected by stock-return. Size of the firm remains consistently positive but in many cases it turns out to be insignificant, it cannot be generalized against variable size. So we can conclude that dividends have impact on the stock-return in Indian corporate sector, which is industry specific. Our Analysis The best way to test any such theory is to opt for statistical analysis which lays a mathematical foundation for analysis. The theory that High Dividend Paying Stocks Perform Better can be tested using statistics. Therefore, we have chosen 5 sectors covering 28 companies so that we can get an unbiased set of data, further to remove the cyclical effects, the analysis is done for 10 years from 2000 to 2009. Thus the large amount of data will play a crucial role in data analysis. The companies that are analyzed are as follows: Sector Company Heavy Industries Praj Industries Heavy Industries BEML Heavy Industries LT Information Technology HCL Tech Information Technology TCS Information Technology Polaris Information Technology Infosys Information Technology Wipro Information Technology Mphasis Information Technology Patni Information Technology Tech Mahindra Information Technology Oracle Oil ONGC Oil Aban Offshore Oil Cairn India PSU Banks Andhra Bank PSU Banks Bank Of India PSU Banks IDBI PSU Banks Allahabad Bank PSU Banks Bank of Baroda PSU Banks Canara Bank PSU Banks Dena Bank PSU Banks Central Bank of India Steel Tata Steel Steel SAIL Steel Usha Martin Steel JSW Steel Steel Bhushan Steel The factors considered for each company were: Dividend Yield Stock Price Payout Ratio PAT Growth Apart from this, it can be observed that the returns for any stock are the total sum received from dividends and the increment in share price. Therefore, the log normal returns for any stock can be given as: Log Normal Growth = Ln St * (1+Dt) St-1 St-1 Where: St = Stock Price at time t Dt = Dividend Yield at time t Now, to see if high dividend paying stocks do perform better than there must be some correlation between the log normal growth and the dividend yield. We can find this using linear regression, wherein, the dependence of log normal growth on the dividend yield can be verified. The basic linear regression equation is given as: Y = a + B*X + Error as previously mentioned, Y represent the dependent variable which is log normal growth while X represents the independent variable which is the dividend yield. The error term will be neglected for the mean of the error term over large sample space near Zero. The a term represents the Y-axis intercept and B represents the slope of the line which is fitted upon the given data points. The important factor that needs to be observed is the R2 term. This term represents the amount of variation the independent variable can explain about the dependent variable. Its value lies between 0 to 1 wherein, any value above 0.75 is considered very good fit. We can observe the following figure from the regression analysis for each of the sectors chosen for our analysis. The figure represents the Log Normal Growth versus Dividend Yield observed for the stock over a period of time. The factor R2 represents the amount of variation in log normal growth that can be explained by dividend yield. N ow, if we analyze the similar regression model for complete sample space which actually represents the market then we have the following data: R R Square Adjusted R Square Std. Error of the Estimate Change Statistics Durbin-Watson R Square Change F Change df1 df2 Sig. F Change .184a .034 .029 .8860309 .034 7.447 1 213 .007 2.010 Observation Table Sector Explained Variation Steel 97.7% Information Technology 98.2% Heavy Industry 95.7% Oil 76.3% PSU Banks 85.1% All Sectors 3.4% Thus, we can see that there is no correlation between the dividend yield and the log normal growth for the complete sample space. The dividend yield can explain only about 2.9% variations that are represented by Log normal growth Conclusion From above observations we can see that, there exists a correlation between the dividend yield and the log normal growth of the stock provided all the data points are from the same sector. But there hardly exists any significant correlation when this relationship is tested across the complete sector. Thus, hypothesis that consistent dividend paying stocks perform better is holds true when considered for a particular sector but fails when whole market is taken into consideration. There are various reasons for the hypothesis to fail for market. First, dividends tend to lag behind earnings, that is, increases in earnings are followed by increases in dividends and decreases in earnings sometimes by dividend cuts. Second, dividends are sticky because firms are typically reluctant to change dividends; in particular, firms avoid cutting dividends even when earnings drop. Third, dividends tend to follow a much smoother path than do earnings. Finally, there are distinct differences in divid end policy over the life cycle of a firm, resulting from changes in growth rates, cash flows, and project investments in hand. Especially the companies that are vulnerable to macroeconomic vicissitudes, such as those in cyclical industries, are less likely to be tempted to set a relatively low maintainable regular dividend so as to avoid the dreaded consequences of a reduced dividend in a particularly bad year. Dividend decisions are recognized as centrally important because of increasingly significant role of the finances in the firms overall growth strategy. The objective of the finance manager should be to find out an optimal dividend policy that will enhance value of the firm. It is often argued that the share prices of a firm tend to be reduced whenever there is a reduction in the dividend payments. Companies generally prefer a stable dividend payout ratio because the shareholders expect it and reveal a preference for it. Shareholders may want a stable rate of dividend payment for a variety of reasons. Risk averse shareholders would be willing to invest only in those companies which pay high current returns on shares. The class of investors, which includes pensioners and other small savers, are partly or fully dependent on dividend to meet their day-to-day needs. Similarly, educational institutions and charity firms prefer stable dividends, because they will not be able to carry on their current operations otherwise. Such investors would therefore, prefer companies, which pay a regular dividend every year. This clustering of stockholders in companies with dividend policies that match their preference is called clientele effect. Thus, we can observe a part of investors that are highly attracted to towards consistent dividend paying stocks while other part of investors prefers stock providing high returns. These two classes of investors are not mutually exclusive but at the same time, they are not the same class of investors since both have varying propensi ty towards the risks associated with the stocks. Thus, we can finally conclude that, consistent dividend paying stocks do not necessarily perform well across the market but it can be the case for individual sector.