Barbara Jordan

A woman who has made her name very well known throughout history and American Government is the late Barbara Jordan. Barbara Charline Jordan, and attorney and American politician, was born on February 21, 1936 in Houston, Texas. Throughout her career she served as a congresswoman in the United States House of Representatives from 1973 to 1979, and as a professor at various universities and institutes. Jordan’s education began at Robertson elementary and Phillis Wheatley high school in Houston’s fifth ward. While attending Wheatley, she was a member of the honor society and participated in debates and public speaking engagements. After graduating in the top 5% of her high school class, Barbara Jordan would go on to attend Texas Southern University despite hopes of attending the still segregated University of Texas at Austin. Barbara Jordan graduated Magna Cum Laude from Texas Southern with a double major in political science and history. After contemplating of attending Harvard School of Law, Jordan went on to attend Boston University Law School where she graduated in 1959. After she passed both Massachusetts and Texas bar examinations, Barbara Jordan, being a woman so eager to throw herself into her profession, set up a law practice in her parents’ kitchen until she could save up enough money to move her firm to the fifth ward, a primarily African American populated area of Houston in which Jordan began her education and career, in 1962 and 1964, Barbara Jordan campaigned for the Texas House of Representatives. In 1966, Jordan ran for the Texas Senate and won the Democratic Primary with over 60 percent of the votes. Jordan’s Victory made her the first African American woman to serve in the Texas senate and the first African American elected to that body since 1883. She was re-elected to full in 1968 to 1972, when she became the first African American woman from a southern state to be elected to the United States House of Representatives. In 1974, Barbara Jordan gained attention from the nation for her service on the committee charged with hearing and evaluating the evidence bearing on the possible impeachment of then-President Nixon in what was called the â€Å"Watergate Scandal†. At one point President Jimmy Carter expressed interest in making Jordan Attorney General as well as a U. N. Ambassador, but Jordan was deeply rooted in congress and was even thinking of challenging Sen. John Tower in a 1978 re-elect. Unfortunately, Jordan fell ill and became unable to carry out her decision and retired from politics all together. Having served as Professor of Political Science once before at the Tuskegee Institute, Jordan became a professor once again after her retirement from congress, this time as Professor of Public Affairs at the Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs. Though she had returned to living as a â€Å"private citizen† Jordan would go on to maintain a very active stance within her community despite many unfortunate physical ailments. Sadly, Barbara Jordan passed away January 17, 1996. She would lie in state at University of Texas at Austin’s Lyndon Baines Johnson Library, and being that she was no stranger to firsts throughout her radiant career, even in her untimely passing; Jordan became the first African American woman interned at the Texas State Cemetery. Barbara Jordan Barbara Jordan A woman who has made her name very well known throughout history and American Government is the late Barbara Jordan. Barbara Charline Jordan, and attorney and American politician, was born on February 21, 1936 in Houston, Texas. Throughout her career she served as a congresswoman in the United States House of Representatives from 1973 to 1979, and as a professor at various universities and institutes. Jordan’s education began at Robertson elementary and Phillis Wheatley high school in Houston’s fifth ward. While attending Wheatley, she was a member of the honor society and participated in debates and public speaking engagements. After graduating in the top 5% of her high school class, Barbara Jordan would go on to attend Texas Southern University despite hopes of attending the still segregated University of Texas at Austin. Barbara Jordan graduated Magna Cum Laude from Texas Southern with a double major in political science and history. After contemplating of attending Harvard School of Law, Jordan went on to attend Boston University Law School where she graduated in 1959. After she passed both Massachusetts and Texas bar examinations, Barbara Jordan, being a woman so eager to throw herself into her profession, set up a law practice in her parents’ kitchen until she could save up enough money to move her firm to the fifth ward, a primarily African American populated area of Houston in which Jordan began her education and career, in 1962 and 1964, Barbara Jordan campaigned for the Texas House of Representatives. In 1966, Jordan ran for the Texas Senate and won the Democratic Primary with over 60 percent of the votes. Jordan’s Victory made her the first African American woman to serve in the Texas senate and the first African American elected to that body since 1883. She was re-elected to full in 1968 to 1972, when she became the first African American woman from a southern state to be elected to the United States House of Representatives. In 1974, Barbara Jordan gained attention from the nation for her service on the committee charged with hearing and evaluating the evidence bearing on the possible impeachment of then-President Nixon in what was called the â€Å"Watergate Scandal†. At one point President Jimmy Carter expressed interest in making Jordan Attorney General as well as a U. N. Ambassador, but Jordan was deeply rooted in congress and was even thinking of challenging Sen. John Tower in a 1978 re-elect. Unfortunately, Jordan fell ill and became unable to carry out her decision and retired from politics all together. Having served as Professor of Political Science once before at the Tuskegee Institute, Jordan became a professor once again after her retirement from congress, this time as Professor of Public Affairs at the Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs. Though she had returned to living as a â€Å"private citizen† Jordan would go on to maintain a very active stance within her community despite many unfortunate physical ailments. Sadly, Barbara Jordan passed away January 17, 1996. She would lie in state at University of Texas at Austin’s Lyndon Baines Johnson Library, and being that she was no stranger to firsts throughout her radiant career, even in her untimely passing; Jordan became the first African American woman interned at the Texas State Cemetery. Barbara Jordan

Herman Miller Inc Essay

From the headquarters of Herman Miller Inc. , Curt Pullen talks amid the unmistakable pounding sounds and commotion associated with a construction work site about his company’s plan to rebound from the recession. Pullen, the firm’s executive vice president and president of North America, says the workers are installing new lower-height Herman Miller workstations designed to accommodate a growing trend in offices toward more open, collaborative environments. The new product, called Canvas, is part of the company’s market-shift strategy after the demand for office furniture fell hard during the economic downturn. The plan also involves diversifying into the health care and academic furniture markets and more emphasis on emerging economies. The plan appears to be paying off. For the first time in nearly four years the company reported two consecutive quarters of double-digit percentage sales growth after releasing its second-quarter earnings statement on Dec 15th. Orders in the second quarter rose 34% to $462 million. CEO Brian Walker noted the company’s expanded market reach as a contributing factor to growth. Significant increases occurred in international markets where sales rose 33%. In 2010 the company acquired UK-based ergonomic workstation manufacturer Colebrook Bosson Saunders and purchased assets from Australian furniture maker Living Edge Group. In 2008, the company announced a partnership with China’s Posh Office Systems Ltd. to expand in the Asia-Pacific region. The company attributed a year-end surge to gains in its international, health care, learning and retail vertical markets. The expanding health care industry has become one of the company’s key growth targets. One of the more recent expansions into the health care field came on Jan. 31 when Herman Miller completed its acquisition of health care furniture manufacturer Nemschoff Chairs LLC based in Sheboygan, Wis. Herman Miller designed the Canvas workstation at a lower height than traditional workstations to facilitate a workplace trend toward more collaborative environments. The design also allows more light into work areas and saves space, the company says. Including sinks and headwalls, to be reconfigured to meet patient needs. 2. Business Strategy: Broad Differentiation Strategies This strategy pursues the buyer’s needs and preference to make them satisfied with the product. And to be different from other rivals, the product must have unique product attributes that a wide range of buyers find appealing and worth paying for. The strategy achieves its aim when an attractively large numbers of buyers find the customer buyer value proposition. Herman miller is pursuing this strategy as we refer to the case study that their products are based on the design which is designed according to the people who use the furniture. Like the president of Herman Miller said: ‘people are important not the furniture. Furniture should be useful’. Besides, this company emphasizes on product design and environmental friendly, these are two basic things that they have been practicing for many decades. Furthermore, they also invest more in research and development for product innovation. Take an example of office design product, Herman Miller’s Insight and Exploration team observed various workplaces to analyze how people collaborate and the ways in which their interactions vary over the course of a day, and throughout the life of a project by differentiating the subtleties of how, when, where, and why people connect independent of content or industry. Senior Researcher Shilpi Kumar notes that, â€Å"outlining these collaborative work behaviors will empower designers and decision makers with a greater understanding for how people really work, and will enable more informed choices in regards to office spaces. Herman Miller takes advantage of the growing desire for green products to create a better world and increase ergonomic furniture, because the consumers are willing to pay a premium for such quality and social responsible product. Since the designer of Herman Miller emphasized quality, excellence, and the continual improvement of their products, obviously one of their product which is designed by Charles and Ray Eames since its launch in 1950 had developed from plastic chair to wood chair in 2000. She also confirmed that this wood chair is 100 times recyclable since Herman Miller is concerned about environmental friendly, and Eames Molded Wood Side Chair earns â€Å"Gold† award at NeoCon 2013 in the Guest Seating category. 3. Functional strategy: Research and Development (R&D) This category focuses on strategy that is concerned with the actions in managing particular functions within a business especially in R&D. In terms of Herman Miller R&D, they invested in research and development (R&D) financially. Although there was downturn in financial, Herman Miller still invested tens of millions of dollars in R&D. The investment in R&D was code named Purple. A result of investment in R&D was an outgrowth of project Purple. The goal of this project was to spread beyond the boundaries of normal business. Herman miller created a special team called the accessories team in which the team-identified a potential growth area. This team is made to recruit people with different disciplines needed to support that goal. In addition, this team focuses on contributing ideas to the success of the team from all resources and also to develop a particular product as it goes through that piece of work. This project is in line with functional strategy of R&D in which a company’s product development represents the plan for keeping the company’s product in accordance with what buyers are looking for (Thompson et al, 2014). In the case of Herman Miller Inc, they began with research in every real design solution in which the exploitation and insights of the best research leads to human-centered design and problem solving. Herman Miller Inc is doing many things for R&D in the case of education, sustainability, performance, healthcare, manufacturing, architectures design and ergonomics. Herman Miller Inc has its major R&D activities and projects, i. e. its way to support and develop a company’s product. According to Herman Miller’s financial statement for fiscal years 2006-2011, there was a decline in design and research in 2009 due to the ongoing economic downturn. Figure 1. 1: Spending on Design and research So far, they have done some research projects regarding education such as; student’s research work behaviors behind innovation spaces. In the fall 2012, there was a project Herman Miller funded as a way of investing in the next generation of workers by giving students the chance to apply what hey learn in a real-world setting. Herman Miller wanted them to look at the business objective of the company. Besides Herman Miller providing the funds, the employees of the company also participated in the project. After the field research, the goal of this project was that the students shared what they had learned from going to the company for a workshop. The company also wanted to discover more about places that encourage creativity and the places of creative people. Besides Herman Miller providing the funds, the employee of the company also participated in the project. In regarding with the research in technology, the research starts by understanding which technological trends are creating new behaviors in the workplace. So from that, they can produce new design solution. Over the last three years, a group of designers, engineers, and researchers, the Insight Herman Miller and Exploration Team (I & E) has focused on emerging technologies and how they alter social behavior in the workplace. Herman Miller’s goal is to identify the technology trends that are relevant to the office and also understanding new behaviors that allow the designers, architects and manufacturers to bring new workplace design. For healthcare, Herman Miller Healthcare saw the opportunity to study and analyze by doing the research from the discussion of Bluewater health in which prior to design development and also the satisfaction and safety of patients and staff members. Herman Miller Healthcare is sponsoring a research project that will explore how changes in the built environment have affected staff in three important areas: Ambulatory Care, Intensive Care Unit and Emergency Department. 3 4. Functional Strategies: Marketing Marketing is one of the strategies used under functional strategy. First and foremost, Herman Miller products were sold internationally through wholly owned subsidiaries in countries including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Australia, Singapore, China, India, and the Netherlands. Hence, they use the international strategy to compete its products in each country. In other words, they use the foreign subsidiary strategies because it seemed that they prefer to have a direct control over all aspects of operating in a foreign country that is the reason why they established wholly owned subsidiaries. As a result, this strategy was successful as their brand was recognized by customers and increased customer base spreading over 100 countries. Moreover, they used green marketing strategy to sell their products. This is because they mainly focus on environmental friendly such as Mirra chair, one of their products which was made of 45 percent recycled materials, and 96 percent of its material were recyclable. Therefore, the chairs used 100 percent renewable energy. Due to this strategy used, Mirra chair was recorded as one of the Top 10 Green Products by Architectural Record and Environmental Building News. Hence, this can indicate the success of using this strategy. In addition, Herman Miller engaged in cooperating advertising with strategic partners. As the example of Hilton Garden Inns which they equipped the Mirra chair in some room and on the desk in the room, was a card that explain how to adjust the chair while also providing the advertisement of Herman Miller’s website, how to purchase the products. Likewise, this is one of the advertising used to promote their products by using the strategic partner. As a result, they can reduce the advertising cost and gain more brand awareness. . Operating Strategy: Lean Production Initially, at Spring Lake, Herman Miller had invested in a giant robot assembly that welded supports inside file cabinet housings, including a tractor-trailer-length automated welding line with 1,000 sensors to drive labor completely out of the process. Unfortunately, big customers like Hewlett-Packard and AT&T were pulling their orders of 100 instead of 500 and some wanted file cabinets in two weeks instead of six with much higher quality. The Spring Lake plant could not deliver, and certainly not for the lower prices customers demanded. 995, they adapted Toyota’s leading-edge formula for plant-floor management into an approach they called the Herman Miller Performance System (Booz&co. , 2010, para 20). Based on the above quote, it depicted that Herman Miller’s decision to employ Herman Miller Performance System (HMPS); lean production, was to maintain efficiencies and cost savings by minimizing the amount of inventory on hand through a just-in-time process. To ensure a fluid flow on the order – driven production, Herman Miller collaborated with reliable and strategic suppliers. HMPS created competitive advantage through large assembly – manufacturing based. For example, direct materials and components purchased as needed to meet the demand and some suppliers delivered parts to Herman Miller production facilities five or six times per day. This resulted in a standard lead time of 10 to 20 days for majority of the products and low inventories on hand. Interestingly, HMPS managed to increase the variable costs rather than fixed costs while retaining proprietary control over manufacturing process. It was reported that â€Å"the plant managers across Herman Miller have learned that the best-run plants rely on people, not machines. Only people can solve problems to make assembly lines go faster, run cheaper, and deliver higher quality† (Booz&co. , 2010, para 25). Therefore, it can be concluded that labor intensive approach tend to outperform machine intensive approach especially when the products demand further customization with limited time and the majority of industry products are built to each customer’s unique order. Question 2: Culture at HMI: healthy and largely supportive of good strategy execution. Herman Miller had codified its long-practiced organizational values, intended as a basic for uniting all employees, building relationship, and contributing to society. Herman Miller started in 1905 with the Star Furniture Company and created the Herman Miller furniture company with his son in law named Dirk Jan De Pree. From the beginning, De Pree committed himself to treating all workers as individuals with specials talents and potential. This was part of Herman Miller’s corporate culture which continued to generate respect for all employees and take advantage of the diversity of skills possessed by all. This is one of the functional strategies in corporate culture in Herman Miller Inc in which included the company’s approach to people management, procedures and operating practices that provide the guidelines for the behavior of the company. The impact of this culture became one of the competitive advantages that make strong management and employee satisfaction in the company. The business principles and ethical standard of Herman Miller are the management practices as the key of company’s culture. Herman Miller was one of the furniture company named to Fast Company’s â€Å"Most Innovative Companies† in both 2008 and 2010. Herman Miller had pursued a path of reinvention and renewal. Herman Miller has many ways to develop their products and its culture is also unique. Through the growing of the company, Herman Miller maintains the relationship with the employees. Herman Miller’s commitment to innovation included sharing ideas and opinions from the employees. On January 1979, Herman Miller established new organization structures that included all employees were to be given the opportunity to discuss new plan in small group settings. In addition, Herman Miller also established a plan in which all employees became shareholders. Herman Miller Inc. also focuses on more efficient and environmentally friendly by taking a major initiative in 1981. It is in line with a better world value which is pursuing sustainability and environmental policy. They established environmental quality action team whose goal was to coordinate environmental programs worldwide that involves many employees. A Herman Miller’s culture is grounded in and resides to certain core value and some sets for ethical behavior. Herman Miller had long practiced organizational values that were still used in 2012. The values are as basis for uniting all employees, building relationship, adapt the implied attitude, behaviors and work practices. The company adopted inclusiveness which means they include all the expressions of human talent and potential that society offers. As mentioned before, Herman Miller corporate culture continued to create respect to all employees and looking for and utilizing the skills possessed by anyone. The second value is design in which it is important to Herman Miller Inc. in order to make innovative products. It is the way for them for looking at the world and how it can work. The results of this value are Herman Miller established many innovative products and designs. In 1971 and 1984, they introduced products based on ergonomics principles such as the Ergon chair and Equa chair. For another groundbreaking design, it introduced the Aeron chair which was almost added to New York Museum of Modern Art’s permanent design collection in 1990. Other important values are based on Herman Miller’s best performance that focuses on enriching the lives of employees, customers and create value for the shareholders. The result of this value has made Herman Miller share the gains and pains with the employees especially about the compensation. All employees received a base pay and they also participated in a profit sharing program where they received stock in accordance to the company’s financial performance. The company also offered to the employees the employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), retirement income plan, offered annual bonus to all employees based on company’s performance, and in regard to profit sharing both the employees and executives have same calculation of bonus potential. High performance culture In Herman Miller Inc. there is a strong sense of involvement on the part of company personnel and emphasis on individual initiative and creativity. Two of the greatest strengths lie behind our heritage of research-driven design. Respecting and encouraging risks, exploring new ideas and freedom of speech. Owners actively committed to the life of the community called Herman Miller, pride in doing things right, sharing in its success and risks. The strengths and payoff really comes in when engaging in people’s own problems, solutions and behavior. Performance is required at the highest level possible. Herman Miller enriches employees’ lives, delight its customers, and create value for its shareholders. Herman Miller includes all the express human talent and potential, everyone should have a chance to realize his or her potential regardless of color, gender, age, sexual orientation. It believes that skill; different educational background could bring the company uniqueness. Adaptive Culture Herman Miller always keep innovating its products to serve their customers better. Herman Miller’s corporate culture, which continued to generate respect for all employees, had fueled the quest to tap the diversity of gifts and skill held by all. The company designs products according to what people want the most, and it is a way of looking at the world and how it works or does not. To design a solution, rather than simply devising one, required research, thought sometime starting over, listening and humility. Manager and employees support each other in dealing with working environment. Herman Miller designed the Canvas workstation, at a lower height than traditional workstations to facilitate a workplace trend toward more collaborative environments. The design also allows more light into work areas and saves space, the company says. Additionally, the company also keeps changing its production designs from time to time according to the needs of the people and follow ergonomic system. Herman Miller hired much expertise to design its furniture, and it is costly to spend on R;D but company the company was willing to take risks on new innovation. Financial performance Year 2008 2009 2010 2011 Revenue ($ millions) $ 2,012. 1 $1,630. 0 $1,318. 8 $1,649. 2 R;D to Sales Ratio R;D/Sale 51. 2 / 2,012. 1 = 2. 5 % 45. 7 / 1,630. 0 = 2. 8 % 40. 5 / 1,318. 8 = 3. 1 % 45. 8 / 1,649. 2 = 2. 8 % Table 2. : HMI’s Revenues and R;D to Sales ratio from 2008 to 2011 Figure 2. 1: Research and development (R;D) to Sales ratio from 2008 to 2011 The above graph shows the trend of R;D sales ratio which increases from year 2008 until 2010. However, it decreased slightly in 2011 due to low R;D investment because of recession. However, it is not clear whether measuring the R;D ratio is a good metric to represent its efficiency towards a company. This is because it takes into consideration the R;D expenses rather than R;D investment thus it is easy to manipulate the number by lowering the R;D expenditure. Even, in the balance sheet of Herman Miller, the R;D investment is not disclosed under assets. If R;D is capitalized as asset, then it depicts the efficiency of R;D towards business revenues. In brief, due to that constraint, we assume that at least the R;D sales ratio increases and contributes positively towards Herman Miller’s business structure as Herman Miller invests heavily in R;D to create the furniture. Figure 2. 2: HMI’s Revenues from 2008 to 2011 The above graph illustrates that the trend of sales revenue decreases from year 2008 until 2010. However, it started to increase in year 2011. Thus, in brief, Herman Miller is improving in their sales through investment in Research and Development and produces competitive design. Question 3: HMI’s Financial situation: prior years and its competitors 1. HMI’s financial situation In order to measure the financial performance of Herman Miller Inc, we have used different ratios, such as liquidity, profitability, leverage and activity ratios. Besides, we also compare the financial performance of HMI in relation to its competitors – HNI and Steelcase Inc from 2008 until 2012 based on the above mention ratios. For our case, we have used the current ratio to measure the extent to which the three companies (HMI, HNI and Steelcase) can meet their short term obligations as shown in the figure below. Figure 3. 1: HMI’s current ratio versus its competitors’ ratio The figure above shows the current ratios for the three manufacturers’ of office furniture and equipment for five consecutive years. In the case of Herman Miller Inc. , their current ratio showed some slight increase of about 1 percent from 2008 to 2009. However, a drop of about 21 percent was xperienced in 2010 but they were still able to maintain a current ratio of greater than 1. In the year 2011 and 2012, there had been a tremendous increase in their current ratio to 1. 76 and 1. 81 respectively. This current ratio of greater than 1 provides additional cushion against unforeseeable contingencies that may arise in the short term. In the case of HNI, their current ratio showed a moderate increase of about 7 percen t from 2008 to 2009. However, for the subsequent years, HNI experienced a decrease in their current ratio of approximately 10 percent from 2010 all the way to 2012. Nonetheless, they were able to maintain a current ratio of at least 1 to ensure that the value of their current assets covers at least the amount of their short term obligations. As for Steelcase, their current ratio showed a moderate increase of about 8 percent from 2008 to 2010. On the other hand, the company experienced a decrease of roughly 8 percent in the year 2011 but they were still able to maintain a current ratio of greater than 1. However, Steelcase managed to have an increase in their current ratio from 1. 37 in 2011 to 1. 52 in 2012. Overall, Herman Miller Inc. as shown a significant increasing trend in their current ratio as compared to the other two companies. This may suggest improved liquidity of the company or a more conservative approach to working capital management. ii. Profitability ratios: Profitability ratios measure management’s overall effectiveness as shown by the returns generated on sales and investment. There are a number of ratios under profitability but for our case, we have used the Return on Assets (ROA) to measure the after-tax profits per dollar of assets and Gross Profit Margin which measures the total margin available to cover operating expenses and yield a profit. These two ratios have been used to evaluate the three companies (HMI, HNI and Steelcase). Figure 3. 2. 1: HMI’s return on asset ratio versus its competitors’ ratio The figure above shows the Return on Assets for the three manufacturers’ of office furniture and equipment for five consecutive years. In the case of Herman Miller Inc. , there has been a decreasing trend of ROA in the year 2008 to 2010 from 19 percent to 4 percent respectively. This shows that the profitability of the company is deteriorating. Nevertheless, rom the year 2010 to the year 2012, the company has shown some slight increasing trend of ROA from 4 percent to 9 percent respectively. This indicates that the company’s profitability is quite improving over the years. When it comes to HNI, it has also shown a high decreasing trend of ROA in the year 2008 to 2011 from 5 percent to -0. 6 percent respectively. This shows that the profitability of the company is extremely deteriorating. However , in the year 2012, there was an increase of about 4 percent as compared to the previous year. The company was able to move from -0. 6 percent to 3. 8 percent. This signifies that the company’s profitability is slightly improving. Lastly for Steelcase, there has also been a high decreasing trend of ROA from the year 2008 to 2010 with about 6 percent and -0. 8 percent respectively. This shows that the profitability of the company is extremely deteriorating. However, there was a slight increasing trend of ROA in 2011 and 2012 of 1. 02 percent and 3. 33 percent respectively. This means that the company’s profitability is somewhat improving. Overall, Herman Miller Inc. has shown a considerable increasing trend in their ROA over the years as compared to the other two companies. This may imply effective use of assets and creation of high margins by the company as well as gauging how well the company uses its financing from borrowing and bonds. Figure 3. 2. 2: HMI’s gross profit ratio versus its competitors’ ratio The figure above shows the Gross Profit Margin for the three manufacturers’ of office furniture and equipment for five consecutive years. In the case of Herman Miller Inc. , there has been a slight decrease of the Gross Profit Margin in the year 2008 to 2009 from 34. 72 percent to 32. 37 percent respectively. However, from the year 2010 to the year 2012, the company has shown some slight increase in their Gross Profit Margin from 32. 49 percent to 34. 26 percent respectively. This indicates that the company can make a reasonable profit. For HNI, there has been an increasing trend of the Gross Profit Margin from the year 2008 to 2011 with about 33. 66 percent and 34. 6 percent respectively. However, in the year 2012, there was a slight decrease of about 1. 3 percent as compared to the previous year. The company’s Gross Profit Margin moved from 34. 86 percent to 34. 39 percent. This also signifies that the company can make a reasonable profit. Lastly for Steelcase, it has shown a slight decreasing trend of Gross Profit Margin from the year 2008 to 2010 with 32. 12 percent and 28. 35 percent respectively. However, there was a slight increasing trend of Gross Profit Margin in the subsequent years amounting to 29. 5 percent in 2012. This means that the company can still make a reasonable profit. Overall, HNI has shown a steady increasing trend in their Gross Profit Margin over the years as compared to the other two companies. This may indicate how efficiently the company is using its materials and labor in the production process and gives an indication of the pricing, cost structure, and production efficiency of the company. iii. Leverage ratios This ratio is used to determine the companies’ financing methods, or the ability to meet the obligations. There are many ratios to calculate leverage but the important factors include debt, interest expenses, equity and assets. In this section, we will examine two ratios which are debt to assets and debt to equity ratios. Figure 3. 3. 1: HMI’s debt to asset ratio versus its competitors’ ratio The debt to asset ratio gives us a quick measure of the amount of debt that the company has on its balance sheets compared to its assets. In general, the debt to asset ratio for Herman Miller fluctuated over the years as compared to its competitors – HNI and Steel case. In 2008, the debt to equity ratio for Herman Miller was above 80 percent and rose approximately to 100 percent in 2009, whereas this ratio was just about 61 percent and 57 percent for HNI and Steel case respectively in 2008; and about 58 percent in 2009 for both competitors. This indicated that almost 100 percent of Herman Miller’s assets were financed by debt or creditors which implied that the Company has high level of leverage and risk, while its competitors had roughly 50 percent of their assets financed by the owners. However, Herman Miller’s ratio significantly dropped in 2010 to about 40 percent which was below its competitors who almost maintained their position over the years. In 2012, 70 percent of Herman Miller’s assets were financed by debt. In general, although the company debt to assets ratio is still high in relation to its competitors, the financial performance of the company is improving after the financial crisis. However, the Company needs to further reduce the amount of debt resulting to the reduction of risk; this is because it may affect the company’s survival in the long-run. Figure 3. 3. 2: HMI’s debt to equity ratio versus its competitors’ ratio A debt-to-equity ratio measures the amount of debt a company uses to fund its business for every dollar of equity it has. In other words, it is a measure of a company’s ability to repay its obligations. Generally companies with less debt equity ratio are less risky than the companies with high ratios. As we can see from the graphs, Herman Miller Inc. has the highest ratio over the year in relation to the other companies. For instance, its ratio fluctuated significantly over the years which were at 32. 7 and 94. 91 in 2008 and 2009 respectively. This might be due to the effect of the financial crisis, which caused the company to increase its debt financing heavily. Also, this indicates that the company had substantial high amount of debt as compared to equity which can endanger the long term survival of the firm since the company may not be able to generate enough cash to satisfy its debt obl igations. Meanwhile, debt to equity ratio for HNI and Steel case was roughly lower than 2, which was acceptable for large public companies. For Herman Miller, however, this ratio sharply dropped over the next years to just about 8. 62 in 2010 and 2. 37 in 2012. In contrast, its competitors still can maintain their ratio below two over the next years. In order to improve this ratio, Herman Miller had sold its common stock and tried to lower the mount debt financing, this can be seen by the amount of long-term debt decreasing. This implies that the company’s financial performance has been improving after the financial crisis. In terms of leverage, overall, it can be said that the performance of the company has been improving over the years and regaining its position in the furniture market after the economic downturn. Although it may not do well as compared to its competitors in terms of financing the debt and equity, there is a sign of improvement and effort in positioning its self in the market industry in U. S. iv. Activity Ratios Figure 3. 4. 1: HMI’s Inventory turnover ratio versus its competitors’ ratio The inventory turnover is commonly used to measure the operational efficiency in managing its assets. Based on the figure 4. 1 illustrated above, in 2009, Herman Miller Inc. has the highest ratio compared to other years. This high ratio could indicate two conditions, such as; whether the company has strong sales during the year or it has an ineffective buying activity. However, it is perceived that the company did have strong sales proven from the lowest level of inventory and high sales revenue which are seen in the annual report during the year. While in 2010, Herman Miller Inc. ’s turnover ratio drops significantly compared to the other years. Its cost of sales for the year has the lowest and showed a decrement of 24% from previous year which simultaneously contribute to low ratio as well as indicating the lack of effectiveness particularly in turning its inventory into sales. One of the reasons is that it could be due to the recession which highly affected the company, and hence making them to reduce the cost of sales. However, Herman Miller Inc is getting better in turning its inventory into sales proven from the increment of its ratio by year. Additionally, compared to competitors, the position of the ratio shown for Herman Miller Inc. is located somewhat in the middle. Steelcase is somewhat faster in turning their inventory into sales compared to others. In contrast, HNI has the lowest rate. This proves that Steelcase is more effective in managing its operational assets. Figure 3. 4. 2: HMI’s Average collection period versus its competitors’ ratio Average collection period is the number of days it takes a company to collect its account receivables. As illustrated from the figure 4. 2 above, Herman Miller is getting better in obtaining its receivables shown by the average days taken which was from 58 days in 2008 and 34 days in 2012. This demonstrates that Herman miller Inc. onstantly improve its credit policy effectiveness confirmed by a dramatic slump by years. Comparing to other competitors, originally HNI was the most effective company in managing its credit term policy, as the company only took 38 days in collecting its account receivables compared to Steelcase or Herman Miller. However, the company ended up to be the highest rate at 2012 showing that it is not effective in evaluating company’s credit policy. As a result, when a company possesses a lower average collection period, it is seen as optimal as it indicates that the company does not take very long to turn its receivables into cash. . HMI’s current strategies: an issues of need to change its strategies during poor economic conditions The current Herman Miller strategy which focuses on growth strategy, through innovative products and related diversification made the company to survive the Great Depression early in its history, multiple recessions in 20th century and in early 21st century the company recovered from the dot-com bust and was able to continue expanding overseas. The furniture industry is an economically volatile industry. The office furniture segment of the industry was hit hard by the recession. Industry sales decreased 26. 5 percent during the 2009 economic downturn. However, because of the innovative and diversification, Herman Miller was able to outperform its competitors in terms of sales and profitability, during that time Herman Mill’s sales dropped by 19% which is relatively low in comparison with its competitors HNI Corporation and Steelcase which had dropped by 33 percent and 28% respectively. The furniture industry is at its maturity stage, thus Innovation is crucial to the company’s survival. If Herman Miller continues to successfully innovate, it will enable them to compete in the market strongly. The industry had been negatively impacted telecommunication which had reduced the need office furniture. Yet, more employees were spending more hours in front of the computer screens than ever before. Because of Herman Miller’s effective innovation, they were able to respond to the need of ergonomically correct office furniture that had helped to decrease fatigue and injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome. In summary, the company does not need to radically alter its main strategy which focuses more on innovation and diversification as it’s the reason they were not dramatically hit by recessions and competitions among the rivals. 3. Recommendation: i. Reduced current benefit and incentive schemes There are several incentives that had been eliminated by Herman Miller’s management due to the economic downturn in 2009. The suspend of 401(k) contribution plans (saving contribution plan), cut-off 15 percent of current workforce and 10 percent reduction in salary for remaining workforce had been implemented during the crisis. However the pay cuts was discontinued because of Herman Miller’s quick turnaround. The company was stable starting the year 2011, but the selling, general, and administrative were the highest contribution of the operating expenses. Specifically, â€Å"†¦$3. million and $16. 6 million of additional operating expenses during fiscal 2011 due to the reinstatement of all of our employee benefits and employee incentive expenses† (Herman Miller’s Annual Report, 2011). The company believed that the large benefit and incentives had created motivated and skilful employees which are the key of its competitive advantage. Even though the company has increased in sales as compared to the year 2010, it is important to cut the costs by eliminating some of the less important incentives schemes and benefits such as $100 rebate on a bike purchase, concierge services and one-site services to name a few. Previously, the company had eliminated the 401(k) contribution plan so that they could stop providing some percentage on the employees’ contribution. It is crucial since it could allow the company to save a significant amount of money in the long run (Richardson, 2009). It can be done by communicating the problems and issues which need to be addressed to the staff before they get out of hand. Address the problems proportionately and regular communication could make the staff be aware on their role to support the company throughout the economy downturn. By having it, the staff might accept the decision positively and provide effort to help the company to fully recover after the recession (‘Recession Business Cost Cutting†, 2013). ii. Reduction in company’s cost of sales According to Herman Miller’s Annual Report (2011), the increase in cost of sales for the year 2011 was due to the increase in sales volume that was driven primarily by cost leverage on higher production, which was partially offset by deeper discounting, higher employee benefit and incentive costs, and higher costs of key direct materials, most notably steel and steel components. Besides that, the cost of direct material increased as compared to previous years which there was increase in the cost of commodities and the increase in discounting, which has the effect of reducing net sales The costs of certain manufacturing materials used in producing finished products are sensitive to the volatility of commodity market price. The cost of direct labor and overhead were increased due to increase in product volume while the cost of freight expenses had increased during the year because of increase in product volume as well as increase in fuel costs in 2011. First recommendation to cut the cost of sales in terms of direct material is substituting lower cost material where possible to replace the expensive one and each angle should be considered for better decision. For example, the substitution of carbon steel to replace expensive stainless steel could reduce the cost but the corrosion protection might not last longer. This method should be applied if only the benefit from the substitution is higher than the cost of reduction in quality (Lewis, n. d. ). Second recommendation is by eliminating unnecessary product features to reduce cost. The company should produce a product that really suits customers’ preferences in buying their products. For example, the company should identify whether customers are purchasing its products because of their unique looks, lower price or high quality. If customers buy the products because of their lower price, unique features may not be needed (Lewis, n. d. ). Third recommendation which is the most effective one is by hedging the price of the steel through futures contract. According to Herman Miller’s Annual Report (2011): The company believes market prices for commodities in the near term may move higher and acknowledges that over time increases on its key direct materials and assembly components are likely. Consequently, it views the prospect of such increases as an outlook risk to the business† (p. 34). By locking the price in the contract, it could eliminate any risk of price volatility (â€Å"Hedging in Practice†, 2013). For example, if there is a huge possibility that the price of steel will increase in a certain period of time. Due to that, the company will engage in future contract and lock-in the price for a specific period in the future. Regardless of increase in steel price, the company is eligible to buy the commodity at a lower lock-in price as stated in the agreed future contract. Conclusion Herman Miller Inc. has implemented different strategies in order to improve its performance and expand its self in furniture market, such as diversified strategy, broad differentiation strategy, green marketing, product development and innovation. In addition, besides focusing on those strategies to achieve the business goals, the company also concerns about how it communicates and treat its employees. â€Å"All workers as individuals ith special talents and potential† can be considered as one of the healthy culture at Herman Miller since 1927 and the Company continued to generate respect for all employees and fueled the quest to tap diversity of gifts and skills held by all. According to one of the verse in chapter 42 of the Qur’an: â€Å"Those who hearken to their Lord, and establish regular Prayer; who (cond uct) their affairs by mutual Consultation; who spend out of what We bestow on them for Sustenance† (Quran 42:38) The verse above explains the importance of mutual consent in making a decision. Islam encourages Muslims to decide their affairs by consulting with those who will be affected by the decision. Thus, in the case of Herman Miller, it empowers its employees and nurture participative decision making so that the employees feel as part of the company. Surviving in matured furniture industry and the economic volatility such as recession, demand full cooperation from the whole organization. It is not easy to integrate the diverse nature of employees with different backgrounds and behaviors to achieve goal congruence. Thus, Herman Miller’s healthy culture leads to its employee’s readiness to accept any relevant decision by Herman Miller such as cutting their salaries as the employees work with Herman Miller and not just work for it. Furthermore, in term of design value, the designer team of Herman Miller always emphasized on quality, excellence, and the continual improvement of their products. â€Å"At Herman Miller the products we made decade ago are still sold after today, and products we make today we will do for a decade to come. † All in all, Herman Miller should pursue its current strategies and continue to expand those strategies such as product innovation, diversification and so on. We believe that these strategies have made and will make Herman Miller one of an outstanding and award winning Company. They will continue to provide the Company with the ability to renew and reinvent itself in the furniture market and outperform its rivals in the future. From the explanation above, it gives us a broad view of how the company’s long-term strategy and objective affects all their business: from product design to decision-making process to the culture of the Company.

Communiction Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Communiction Theories - Essay Example The standard journalistic practice of answering the four W’s and the how is comparatively mentioned with the philosopher’s dramatistic pentad which breaks down the content of a speech as act, scene, agent, agency and purpose. As answering the five important questions helps journalists compose effective reports, completing the aforementioned information in a speech helps a speaker to formulate well-versed and well-guided information expressed to his listeners so where they can picture events so that they would be able to identify with what is being said. In addition, Burke’s theory is also placed in juxtaposition with Martin Luther’s consubstantiation where the story of Ruth following her mother-in-law to a foreign land saying to her, â€Å"Where you go, I will go. Your people will be my people, your God will be my God† as an example of such identification. Indeed, when a person or group of people have similar sentiments as the speaker, they would spare there time to listen and join in the discussion of their beliefs as opposed to those who do not share the same conviction. This shows that there is much truth to Burke’s words that ‘without identification, there is no

Personal statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 10

Personal statement - Essay Example Moreover, I have pursed different courses related to security sciences from different institutions. I have also worked on my Communications skills through pursuing a Diploma in English Language (Michigan Test) Level 112 ELS Indianapolis in 2011. Although I have completed English languages course, I am still hopeful that I will continuously develop my communications skills through practice when I make interactions with other people. My ultimate purpose is to obtain the highest level of education where I can easily secure a challenging position at a major institution related to my field or at a government organization in Saudi Arabia and/ or contributing towards the betterment of the world in general. I am aware that my application of knowledge is an asset to my community and my country as well. Besides, I am privileged to have received a scholarship from the Saudi government towards the completion of my Master’s degree at the Sacred Heart University. Thus, I pursed my studies without financial challenges and focused more on research work and internship. My personal attributes are; open- mindedness, dedication and ready to learn, and share experiences with others. I have professional knowledge in computer use and all common software. I can also read, write and speak in both Arabic and English. My practical and industrial experiences revolve around working in Criminal Justice field. To begin with, I have been working as a police officer in Ministry of Interior from 1998. In 2000, I began working as an Expert of Forensic Science, Criminal Justice and crime scenes in the general administration of criminal evidences, Ministry of Interior Saudi Arabia. Additionally, I have served in the Department of Firearms & Tool Marks Examination as a Head of Ammunition Department (shots) from 2002-04. In June 2004, I became an Officer in Charge of crime scene, explosion of Almuhaya Residential Complex.

Performance Management for Human Resources Essay

Performance Management for Human Resources - Essay Example The task involved three people playing the role of HR staffs and three people playing the role of employees. The staffs were initially trained to fold two patterns in paper - a pop gun and a shuriken. The trained staffs were then instructed to teach and coach the employee-trainees, one on one. Each coaching staff was to teach one employee-trainee regarding the proper folding of papers to produce the two patterns. During the class presentation, the trained audiences show their learning by performing the task requirement. The performance of each employee was then assessed with regards to quality of work and time consumed through a 360-degree approach. After the presentation, the three audiences and three staffs were given feedback forms to evaluate the performance of one another. An effective performance management for human resource defines the goals and objectives of the program. Management by objectives, or MBO, is employed in most performance management systems where a set of goals or deliverables are put together (Drucker, 1986). The goal of the class task is to evaluate and improve the performance outcomes of each staff and each member. Goal-setting draws employee into the performance management process and gives them a blueprint for improving performance. The class presentation is a simple task that involved folding two patterns of paper. The task specified key requirements which are folding a pattern of a pop gun and a shuriken. The pop gun served as a standard measurement of performance while the shuriken served as a bonus. Defining the job requirements would guide the audience on the tasks and on the assessment criteria on how their performance will be measured. The class task had demonstrated clear job descriptions and responsibilities. The manner of training employed utilises the coaching approach. The trained staffs served as coaches for the audience. In order to maximise the learning of the audience, the number of coaching staff employed were with the same number of audience to be trained. Coaching is a way of learning that is highly personal, flexible and individualised. The approach enhances and develops the performance of individuals. Coaching is a direct means of increasing the competency of the trainee. (Caplan, 2003) The performance appraisal of the tasks is directed with three objectives. First is to establish a systematic way of evaluating performance. Second is to provide constructive feedback. And third is to enable the audience to improve their job performance. (Messmer, 2007) With regards to the class task, it has established a systematic way of evaluating the performance of the audience through minimum criteria for evaluations of performance. The performance outcomes of each audience or employee are evaluated using defined criteria. The criteria include following the folding instructions correctly; folding done neatly; testing the finish product; and measuring the time to finish. The criteria such as following instructions, quality of folding and testing of finish product were evaluated by the staffs using a performance protocol; whether it were performed good, moderate or poor. Time consumption standards were established beforehand. The standard time for creating the pop gun pattern was 2mins and 15secs. The standard time that would be consumed for making the shuriken pattern was 4mins and 50secs. Assessment of

International business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 13

International business - Essay Example nce, it is an effort to integrate or transverse some of national boundaries that reduce the national barriers and the businesses can compete for productive inputs and customers across the globe. In other words, it can be explained as an effort to reduce national barriers and establish broader market that permits all buyers and sellers to persuade business activities at a global level. The process of globalization can not only be identified as a buzz word but it will provide opportunities to accelerate pace of major business. Despite the fact, globalization will provide greater opportunities for the business to expand its markets, improve the pace of its performance and productivity. Globalization still remains to be one of the debatable and controversial issues in contemporary times. Researchers claim that the globalization is an excellent concept to boost up economic prosperity but elimination of national barriers cannot be attained. It has created a confusion and paradox situation for the business entities to integrate its operations at a global platform. The statement ‘The problem with the globalization is that there is not enough of it’ indicates that the concept of globalization is not absolutely attainable that has created problem itself. Therefore, the present essay paper will critically analyze advantages and disadvantages of Globalization to interpret the statement. Werhane (2012) explains globalization as an integration process of national economies within the international economy, through trade flows, foreign direct investments, short capital flows, technologies flow and labor forces (Werhane, 2012). The integration of the economies has increased diversity, complications, and controversies because of its multi dimensional nature. Sebastian and Elisabeta (2014) Claim that with the passage of time globalization stresses on the increasing process of integrations among countries within regional economies and political structures, with respect to

How to live in London Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How to live in London - Essay Example 86 per month   Zone 1-6 travel card in London  Ã‚   ?41 per week   Rent one bedroom  flat (West/Central London)  Ã‚   ?800  -?1200per month   Rent one bedroom flat (other London areas)   ?600  - ?800 per month   Average  electricity bill  Ã‚   ?20 - ?25 per month   Average  gas bill   ?20 - ?30 per month   Buying the average house in London (2 to 3 bedrooms)   ?300,000 - ?400,000   Despite this London is also one of the most popular cities in the world and many people wish to have the chance to live there. Here are some simple steps to ensure that one Search for a house wisely Housing in London is ridiculously expensive, whether renting or buying. The prices vary with the closeness to the central London. It is advisable for one to rent a house rather than buy if he or she is to live in London for the first time. This allows one to compare and learn various neighbourhoods before committing to buy an apartment at a specific price. The decision of whe re to live should be based on the place of work or study. Generally one should try to balance the rent expenses with transport costs which are also high. To get a cheap house one should talk to friends already living there as well as search the internet, www.easyroommate.com is a brilliant website to start with. One must insist on knowing the utilities covered in the rent; most utilities like electricity and water bills are usually not covered for in the rent. Reduce Transportation Costs Public transport in London tends to be more expensive than in other Europeans countries. Transport is, however, widely available, and one has many options to choose from ranging from underground networks, trains, bus and coaches, as well as taxi or minicabs. Underground network connects most part of London and is one of the most cost effective means of transport. For the convenience, it is advisable that the one gets an â€Å"Oyster Card† obtainable either on-line or from Underground ticket o ffice. The card allows one to pre-charge money on the card and pay by touch on every journey. This pay as you go card also gives considerable discounts on the normal tariffs (the tariffs starts from ? 4.00) such that one can save as much as forty percent. Travelling by bus is especially cheap for students since most of them give discounts to students with travel cards. The Megabus, for instance, has tickets from as little as ? 1.00 (Expats Plaza, n.d.). If one wishes to save money and keep fit, then travelling by bicycle is the solution. Second-hand bicycles are quite inexpensive in London, and many people use them. This is why staying close to the place of work or study is advisable to save on travel expenses. Utilities and how to reduce Bills The utility market is largely competitive in London, and one has a choice of suppliers to choose from for various utilities. To get discounts on bills asked by most utility companies, it is advisable to make payment by direct debits from the bank. For gas and electricity, it is much cheaper to get dual deals, as opposed to buying each in single. One should also compare prices for the best deals through the consumer focus website â€Å"Energy Watch.† To cut down bills further it is better to use energy-saving bulbs. Water is another major utility commodity that one pays for and since there are many providers one should compare rates for the best deal. For telephone, internet and digital televisions services one should shop around for the operator offering a combined affordable bundle for the three services. Shopping The prices

Topic Exploration Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Topic Exploration Paper - Essay Example In most western countries like America, fatherhood has undergone a revolution. This revolution has been brought about a change in the traditional gender roles where women were involved in reproductive while men carried out the productive roles to sharing of parenthood responsibilities as the women go into productive roles as well. Women were purely the care givers and men the breadwinners. This therefore distanced them from any direct involvement in their children’s lives other than providing the meals for them while the mother did all the other things for them. As society evolved and women began advocating for their own equality and equity rights, the men started getting more involved in childhood responsibilities other than just fathering and provision of food. The 20th Century has seen fatherhood rise to the status of fathers raising their own children without the presence of a mother or wife. It has also seen gay men becoming fathers and bringing up their own kids without the presence of the traditional family setup of mother, father and child and these children still grow up like other children (Ozgun, Erden and Ciftci, 2011). Fathers have started getting more interested in the other aspects of their children’s lives other than just grooming them towards being the heirs to their property. They care about their other previously trivial aspects of their lives like their health both psychological wellbeing as well as physical wellbeing, their education and their social life as well. Fathers of this era are seen taking their children to sports, to hospitals for checkups, and to recreational facilities for bonding which was non-existent and still in in other cultures. When it comes to African societies, there is a division between those who have become urbanized and hence taken up similar fatherhood roles with the western societies as explained earlier and those who

French Revolution Discussion Questions Essay Example for Free

French Revolution Discussion Questions Essay 1. After the Sun King died in 1715, Frances financial status was bad. As the 18th century progressed these problems were never fixed and the problems continued to worsen. The Bourbons faced a variety of socio-political problems during the 18th century. After supporting the American Revolution and getting nothing in return because of the Treaty of Paris, France was left with insurmountable amounts of debt. To try to decrease the amount of debt facing France, Louis XVI tried to raise taxes but was met with a resounding protest throughout the country. The government could not inflate their currency because they did not have a central bank or paper currency. It seemed this financial situation was next to impossible to overcome. The general population was upset because the cost of living was skyrocketing; they were unable to provide for their daily needs and the monarchy was wasting money on unnecessary luxuries. 2. When the French Revolution began the French people were divided into three estates. The first estate consisted of the clergy, the second the nobility, and the third estate was the rest of France. Each estate had problems with the monarchy and wanted reform. The clergy was upset that the churchs income was being depleted from the local parishes to political appointees and worldly aristocrats the sat at the top of church hierarchy. Because of this, the economic position of local parishes were poor. The rest of the French population had simple problems but for some reason were not being solved. The third estate wanted bread to be attainable for all so they could feed their families. The price of bread was very high and the economic position of the country was terrible because of the debt caused by their support of the American Revolution, which caused widespread hunger. The three estates blamed the monarchy for their problems because no one else had enough power to come up with a solution. Unfortunately, the King couldnt make decisions and was influenced by the people around him in his decision making. Marie Antoinette and the court nobles did not care about the third estate, they just wanted to be able to maintain their frivolous lifestyle of luxury and ease. 3. The main goal of the Revolutionaries was to create a new constitution which they did in August 1789 when they issued the declaration of the rights of man. This stated that mankinds natural rights are liberty, property, security, resistance to oppression and that every man is innocent until proven guilty. It also stated that the law would express the feelings and the opinions of the general will. The Revolutionaries in 1789 attempted to create a constitutional monarchy. The Enlightenment philosophers, especially Montesquieu, influenced the type of government the French would become. Montesquieu believed in a separation of powers or a series of checks and balances so that there would not be tyranny. France wanted their government to follow that example. 4. The goal of the revolution was to reform Frances government and bring equality to all people. The revolution took such a radical turn because of political and social factors. People knew that the National Assembly was working on reforming the government and the economic situation of France. They started to become impatient and decided to take matters into their own hands. The Great Fear is one of the ways the peasants tried to free themselves from manorial rights and peasants invaded the palace as an attempt to be heard by the monarchy. The inter-conflict of the National Assembly caused the revolution to take a radical turn as well. Some people believed bloodshed was the only way to solve the problems of the revolution. They believed the monarchy needed to be disposed of which resulted of the execution of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Some revolutionaries were determined to put an end to tyranny throughout Europe and declared war against Britain, Holland, Spain in addition to Austria and Prussia whom they were already at war with. 5. One of the most controversial phases of the French Revolution, the Reign of Terror, was a step backwards in terms of the ideals developed during the Revolution. During the Reign of Terror, the Constitution previously implemented was suspended and the rights of sovereignty that the Revolutionaries had fought for all was revoked. The Reign of Terror was a political tool to scare all who might oppose the new revolutionary government. The goal was to initiate an ideal democratic republic where justice would reign supreme and there would be no differentiation between the rich and the poor. 6. Robespierre was one of the main leaders of the revolution and considered himself a disciple of Rousseau. I believe this is true because he follows the same beliefs about the general will as Rousseau does. Rousseau believes that in society everyone should be dependant of each other in all aspects of life. This dependency would prevent individual achievement, and everyone would be equal. Robespierre wanted there to be no difference between rich and poor. Rousseau also believed that nothing could be done without the consent of all people. One person could not make decisions independently and could not be without the consent of all.

Ways of Knowing Essay Example for Free

Ways of Knowing Essay Carper (1978) identified four fundamental patterns of knowing which are (1) empirics, or the science of nursing; (2) personal knowledge; (3) esthetics, or the art of nursing; and (4) ethics, or the moral component of nursing. The purpose of this discussion is to explain how each pattern of knowing affects this author’s practice, and to identify the author’s preferred paradigm and provide justification for choosing this paradigm. Empirical knowing is based on the belief that what someone knows is objective and attainable through our senses (Chinn Maeona, 2011). Empirical knowledge is created through research to test hypotheses. This type of knowledge could be called evidence based practice. Empirical knowing is used daily in this nurses practice with the administration of medications that have been studied and tested for there efficacy on identified diseases. As an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) this type of knowing will be used to make evidence based choices about diagnoses, medications prescribed, and care plans initiated. The personal knowledge pattern of knowing is based on an interpersonal process which involves â€Å"interactions, relationships, and transactions between the nurse and the patient-client† (Carper, 1978). By sharing personal experiences at appropriate times and being open and willing to listen to patients, this nurse practices this pattern of knowing. A major focus of this author’s APN practice will be to get to know each individual client on a personal level. This will show the client that they are important as a person and not just a number. Esthetics knowing or the art of nursing is the ability of a nurse to grasp meaning from each patient encounter (Johnson, 1994). The nurse practicing esthetics must be genuine, empathetic, and strive for a connection with their patients (Johnson, 1994). This author toils with practicing esthetics in his current position as an emergency room (ER) nurse. When patients come to the ER on a frequent basis it is very hard to show empathy and try to connect with them. As a practicing APN this nurse will try to deliver nursing care based on the clients individual needs and perceptions by understanding the uniqueness of every patient. Ethical knowing or the moral direction of nursing is focused on the nurses’ responsibility of knowing what out to be done and what is good and right (Carper, 1978). Ethical knowing â€Å"guides and directs how nurses morally behave in their practices† (Chinn Maeona, 2011, p. 7). This nurse practices ethics by being a patient advocate and preserving his clients right to choose or refuse care. This patient advocacy will continue as this nurse advances to the role of APN. This author ascribes to the empiricism paradigm. This paradigm is similar to empirical knowing in that it is based on the premise that what is known can be verified through the senses, or validated through research (Monti Tingen, 1999). This author believes that the basis of a good practice is through the use of evidence based findings. If the procedure or care plan is supported by research, and the findings are reproducible, then this author is more likely to implement it into his practice. As this author continues his journey toward becoming an APN the patterns of knowing are very important to understand. By implementing these patterns to practice, and using evidence based findings to guide decision making, the author will be better able to care for his patients.

Analysis of Young Adults Attitudes Towards Sex and Shyness

Analysis of Young Adults Attitudes Towards Sex and Shyness KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE TOWARDS SEXUALITY AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH SHYNESS AMONG YOUNG ADULTS Introduction: Sex refers to whether or not a person is male or female, whether a person has a penis or vagina. Sex is also commonly used as an abbreviation to refer to sexual intercourse. Sexuality refers to the total expression of who we are as a human being, our maleness or our femaleness. Our sexuality begins at birth and ends at death. Everyone is a sexual being. Our sexuality is interplay between body image, gender identity, gender role, sexual orientation, eroticism, genitals, intimacy, relationships, love and affection. A persons sexuality includes his or her attitudes, values, knowledge and behaviors. How people express their sexuality is influenced by their families, culture, society, faith and beliefs. Sources of sexual learning include parents, friends, religion, culture, media, environment, law, school, teachers, books, etc. Knowledge Myth according to Merriam Webster Dictionary is an idea or story that is believed by many people but that is not true. Myth comes into existence due to lack of scientific knowledge with regard to particular idea. Attitude is positive or negative expression towards a person, place, thing, or event (the attitude object). Gordon Allport define attitude as the most distinctive and indispensable concept in contemporary social psychology. Attitude can be formed from a persons past and present experiences. Attitude is also measurable and changeable as well as influencing the persons emotion and behavior. Attitude towards sex Shyness is the feeling of apprehension, lack of comfort or awkwardness especially when a person is in proximity to other people. This commonly occurs in new situations or with unfamiliar people. Shyness can be a characteristic of people who have low self-esteem. Stronger forms of shyness are usually referred to as social anxiety or social phobia. Sexuality is a vital aspect of human development with biological, psychological and social components, which may facilitate identity, well-being, pleasure, affectionate, relationships and reproduction (Formenti 2005; Ahmadi 2010). Sexuality also refers to the human potential of consciousness and specific forms of behaviour that are likely to change at different stages of life (Tiefer 1995; Zubarew 2006). In reality, the sexual behaviour of young people is influenced by attitudes and values that start to develop long before they begin to attend school. Moreover, during schooling, young people continue to be strongly influenced by messages from the family, peers and the media. Sexual offences in general are increasing, according to National Crime Records Bureau, Crime in India 2011 Statistics, Sexual Harassment (Sec.509 IPC) cases registered are 9746 (0.9), 9966 (0.9), 10950 (1.0) 12214 (1.1), 11009 (0.9) and 9961 (0.8) in the year 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010. There are many cases which are not reported and under reported cases still many are pending. The crimes related to sex are increasing still as days are passing, the reason behind it is just a gratification or its all about the misconception and experiments which are committed by young adults? Upcoming of new websites and updates with regard to sexuality are increasing. These entire information shows positive side and very less on its disadvantages. This has brought confusion among young adults. The developmental age leads to curiosity which in turn leads to experimentation and at last the results will lead to tragedy in individual life. All these have lots of implication on human potential to become responsible citizen but youth is not properly directed and they are not empowered with the skill to have a healthy, physical, psychological and psycho-social environment. Todays digital technology bringing lots of myths and directing youths from the thrust (it’s a reaction force) areas of education. Its not always easy to ask for what you want where sex is concerned? And if were naturally shy, it can feel almost impossible. Shyness in the bedroom is common for many people, particularly with women. When its present the result is always the same-physically relating to another person becomes difficult. If it isnt corrected early on, the foundation of a relationship can weaken, leading to sexual frustration, arguments, cheating or worse a broken love affair. By its very character, sexual shyness acts as a barrier that keeps two people at a distance. Kaustav. C and Guha. T. R, in their review article on Indian concepts on sexuality in Jan 2013, published in Indian Journal of Psychiatry mentions about Sexuality in Adolescence and Young Adulthood that, Indian children are pampered as much as possible, often until age 6 or 7. Before puberty, a natural approach to sexuality and nudity prevails, especially in rural areas. Daughters and sons are carefully prepared for their future domestic roles as mothers and fathers. Women are considered to be much more skilled than males in love and sexual pleasures. At puberty, most boys and girls are segregated. In some regions of India, pubescent girls are not even allowed to enter a house where a single young man is present. Masturbation is generally unacceptable among girls. For boys however, it is considered a preparation for mature sex life. Though boys at the younger ages may masturbate together without shame, at little more mature ages, they all give it up. Among adolescents, Reddy et al, i n a 1983 study found that the sample youth had their first sexual experience between the ages of 15 and 24 years. Homosexual activities were also reported in this study: 38% of women in the sample reported that their first sexual activity had been with a partner of the same sex. Traditionally, premarital sex activity was controlled in India. As the marriages were mostly arranged by elders, premarital sex was not the accepted practice. Although premarital sex among the tribal societies of India has been widely reported, there is very little if any reliable data on this topic in either the rural or urban areas. A study by Savara and Sridhar in 1992 showed that 30% of the respondents had experienced premarital sex, while 41% of unmarried men and 33% of married men had their first intercourse before attaining 20 years. Stephanie S. L, Larry J. N, Franklin O. P, Brian J. W. conducted a study on Emerging Adult Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors, Does Shyness Matter? in 2013 at Brigham Young University. According to study â€Å"Numerous studies have shown how shyness affects individuals in childhood and adolescence. However, little is known about the effects shyness may have in emerging adulthood. This study addressed how shyness may be associated with sexual attitudes and behaviors of emerging adult men and women. Participants included 717 students from four college sites across the United States, who were largely female (69%), European American (69%), unmarried (100%), and living outside their parents home (90%). Results suggested that shyness was positively associated with sexual attitudes (reflecting more liberal views) for men whereas shyness was negatively associated with sexual attitudes for women. Shyness was positively associated with solitary sexual behaviors of masturbation and pornography use for men. Shyness was also negatively associated with relational sexual behaviors (coital and non coital) and number of lifetime partners for women†. Need for the Study The children of today are not the children of yesterday. Growth in terms of maturity and knowledge can be seen on a large scale for the adolescent population of today. Notions and ideas about sexuality were a prohibited topic till long time back but now adolescents are much aware and filled with various kinds of knowledge on the same. Researchers have shown that parents play the most significant role in imparting sex education to their adolescent children. They have been found to be the primary sex educators where basic and the initial knowledge about sexual attitudes and the like are conveyed on to the children. India is a multi-culture country, here perspectives differs from region to region and even socio-economic wise also. The young adults who comes from these various background mixes up in educational institutions, their knowledge and perceptions are been shared which leads to change in attitude towards a concept. With emerging westernization, there is growing concern about sex ual promiscuity and changing attitude towards sexuality. Aim: The present study aims in knowing the attitudes of young adults towards the concept of sex, myths associated with it due to lack of knowledge and their relationship with shyness. Objectives: To study the knowledge, attitude about sexuality and shyness among young adults. To study the effect of shyness and its relationship to the knowledge and attitude towards sexuality. To study the influence of demographic variables (Gender, Developmental Span, Area, Medium of Instruction and Exposure to Digital Technology) on a) Knowledge, b) Sexuality and c) Shyness. Hypotheses: Young adults differ in terms of knowledge, attitude towards sexuality and shyness. Shyness leads to lesser knowledge and unfavorable attitude towards sexuality. Demographic variables (Gender, Developmental Span, Area, Medium of Instruction, and Exposure to Digital Technology) have significant influence on a) Knowledge, b) Sexuality and c) Shyness. Sample: 600 both male and female young adults (18-25 years) from different colleges of Mysore City will be included for the present study. Participating in the study was voluntary and the questionnaire will be filled in anonymously. Tools: A semi-structured socio-demographic profile to ascertain the socio-demographic details shall be used. Sex Myth Check List by S.P. Kumar: This is a test with 23 highly sensitive items in Yes/No format and reveals the mythical relations to sex among both the sex. This test is developed on 18-25 year population. The test-retest reliability has been found to be .70 (N=30) with one weeks time interval, showing that the check-list is fairly dependable in terms of stability of scores in table. Showing Test-Retest Reliability The face validity of the check-list appears to be fairly high as the myth items were prepared following intensive interviews of 25 college-going students regarding their conceptions or misconceptions about different aspects of sexuality. The content validity was adequately assured as only those myth items were initially included in the myth check-list which had shown 100 per cent agreement amongst the judges. Of theses, only those myth items which showed a high discriminating value (.26 or above) following item-analysis were finally selected for the check-list. On the assumption that the low myth Ss would show better mental health as compared to the high myth Ss, a group of 54 Ss 27 Being high myth and 27 being low myth Ss were administered the Mental Health Check-list (Kumar, 1992). As hypothesized the low myth Ss scored significantly higher on the mental health measure, showing that they possessed better mental health as compared to the high myth Ss. Sexual Attitude Scales (SAS) by Amit Abraham: The Sexual Attitude Sclaes (S.A.S) has been developed for the exclusive purpose of research work in the area of human sexuality. The SAS provide for measures of attitude in five areas of human sexuality, viz., Attitude Towards Premarital Sex (PSS); Attitude Towards Polygamy (PS); Attitude Towards Pornography (PGS); Attitude Towards Lesbianism (LS) – for women only and Attitude Towards Homosexuality (HS) – for men only. The reliability was worked out by both the split-half and test-retest method) 3 months interval between retesting) for each of the SAS. Table shows the reliability for each scale. Showing Test Re-Test and Split Half Reliability The face validity of the scales is fairly high as the items were prepared after intensive discussion with various men and women and after survey of available literature on male and female sexuality. The content validity was adequately assured as only items which showed cent per cent agreement amongst the judges regarding their relevance to sexuality study were selected. Of these, only those items which had high t-value (greater than 1.75, Edwards, 1969) following item analysis were finally selected. Shyness scale: The shyness assessment test was developed by DSouza (2006) of Maharajas College, University of Mysore. It consists of 54 items and requires the subject to indicate his/her response by marking Yes, No or Cant say. The items in the test pertain to three domains of Shyness: Cognitive/Affective (32 items), Physiological and Action oriented program resulted in Cornbachs alpha coefficient of 0.817 for the Indian population. Further, the scale had sufficiently high validity. SAT is developed exclusively on Indian adolescents by DSouza (2006). The reliability index ascertained by split half (odd-even) method and Cronbachs alpha coefficient for the scale as a whole were found to be 0.735 and 0.812 respectively. The reliability indices of the 3 domains were also calculated by split half method which are as follows: Reliability Indices of Three Domains Methodology: Pilot study on 60 samples on younger adults aged between 18-25 years done before the Main study. After obtaining Informed consent from the participants, young adults from different colleges of Mysore City shall be assessed with the tools mentioned for relationship of knowledge, attitude towards sex and shyness. Statistical Methods: The following statistical techniques will be used for analysis and interpretation of data: Descriptive Statistics, t test Independent Samples, ANOVA One way/two way, Correlation Pearsons Product Moment and 5.Regression Stepwise Multiple. Chapterization: The entire research work will run into five chapters. The first one on Introduction brings out the importance of the study, and states its objectives and hypotheses. It also includes methodology and limitations. Chapter II will contain previous reviews, history of the Problems. A Quick look on subjective well-being will also be carried out in chapter II. Chapter III will be a methodological part of the study. Analysis and Discussions is to be done in Chapter IV. Findings, Conclusions and Suggestions for further Research will be presented in Chapter V followed by Bibliography and References. References: Canadian Living, How to overcome shyness when it comes to sex, http://www.canadianliving.com/relationships/sex/how to overcome shyness when it comes to sex.php Newfriends4u, Sexual Shyness, http://www.newfriends4u.com/relationships/sexual shyness.html Resource Center for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, Learning Activities, Sex and Sexuality: Understanding the Difference, http://recapp.etr.org/recapp/index.cfm?fuseaction=pages.LearningActivitiesDetailPageI D=167 Crime in India 2011 Statistics, National Crime Records Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. http://ncrb.nic.in Kaustav. C and Guha. T. R, Indian concepts on sexuality, Indian J Psychiatry. Jan 2013; 55(Suppl 2): S250-S255. doi: 10.4103/00195545.105546. Stephanie S. L, Larry J. N, Franklin O. P, Brian J. W, Emerging Adult Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors, Does Shyness Matter?, Sage Journals, Emerging Adulthood September 2013 vol. 1 no. 3 185195, doi: 10.1177/2167696813475611. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Attitude (psychology)oldid=629345408 Fisher, T. D., Davis, C. M., Yarber, W. L., Davis, S. L. (2010). Handbook of Sexuality-Related Measures. New York: Routledge. Shyness: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shyness Ind Psychiatry J. 2010 Jul-Dec; 19(2): 90-93. DOI: 10.4103/0972-6748.90337

How Hitchcock Challenges Audience Expectations in his Film Psycho :: Papers

How Hitchcock Challenges Audience Expectations in his Film Psycho Hitchcock does very well in his film with censorship of film making in the nineteen fifties as he goes right to the limits of were the film is just suitable to show the nation. He does this many times in his film, one example is where Marian gets undressed and dressed. You see her bra and knickers in this scene, which is very unusual back then, it is worse than seeing nudity in films now. If Marian had taken any think else off in this scene it would have been explicit nudity, therefore not be able to be shown in the film. This is what I mean by how Hitchcock takes censorship to the limit. Some other censorship themes that Hitchcock took to the boundary was expressive kissing, swearing and brutality. Hitchcock went as far as possible with censorship to grip the audience and get more of a feel to the film. Psycho is a fifteen in England to buy on video these days because the censorship now is nothing compared to back when the film was made, a director can do basically anything now. The audience now would say it should be a twelve or lower as there is no swearing or sexual scenes and not that much brutality and parents would not mind their children seeing this. The scenes are still scary to the audience though and it would take quite an intelligent twelve year old to wrap their head round what is about and how it develops at the end. The editing in psycho is great and must have taken a week to do just one scene. It is very good for the scene and for the audience as it builds tension and creates an atmosphere. The best scene to show this as an example is the famous shower scene where Marian is murdered, whilst having a shower, by Norman dressed as his mother with a knife. There was seventy-eight separate camera set ups needed for the shower scene from the shower head, down the toilet, from the mirror, Marians How Hitchcock Challenges Audience Expectations in his Film Psycho :: Papers How Hitchcock Challenges Audience Expectations in his Film Psycho Hitchcock does very well in his film with censorship of film making in the nineteen fifties as he goes right to the limits of were the film is just suitable to show the nation. He does this many times in his film, one example is where Marian gets undressed and dressed. You see her bra and knickers in this scene, which is very unusual back then, it is worse than seeing nudity in films now. If Marian had taken any think else off in this scene it would have been explicit nudity, therefore not be able to be shown in the film. This is what I mean by how Hitchcock takes censorship to the limit. Some other censorship themes that Hitchcock took to the boundary was expressive kissing, swearing and brutality. Hitchcock went as far as possible with censorship to grip the audience and get more of a feel to the film. Psycho is a fifteen in England to buy on video these days because the censorship now is nothing compared to back when the film was made, a director can do basically anything now. The audience now would say it should be a twelve or lower as there is no swearing or sexual scenes and not that much brutality and parents would not mind their children seeing this. The scenes are still scary to the audience though and it would take quite an intelligent twelve year old to wrap their head round what is about and how it develops at the end. The editing in psycho is great and must have taken a week to do just one scene. It is very good for the scene and for the audience as it builds tension and creates an atmosphere. The best scene to show this as an example is the famous shower scene where Marian is murdered, whilst having a shower, by Norman dressed as his mother with a knife. There was seventy-eight separate camera set ups needed for the shower scene from the shower head, down the toilet, from the mirror, Marians

Comparison Of Judaism And Christianity :: essays research papers

There are many substantial and vital distinctions between Judaism and Christianity. Of course there are many similarities, primarily because Christianity emerged from Judaism. However, the emergence was not a direct line. Christianity broke from Judaism, forming a new religion, so it is misleading, however comfortable the thought might be, to believe that the two religions are essentially the same, or to see Christianity as the natural continuation of Judaism. Judaism's central belief is that the people of all religions are children of God, and therefore equal before God. All people have God's love, mercy, and help. In particular, Judaism does not require that a person convert to Judaism in order to achieve salvation. The only requirement for that, as understood by Jewish people, is to be ethical. While Judaism accepts the worth of all people regardless of religion, it also allows people who are not Jewish but who voluntarily wish to join the Jewish people to do so. GodJudaism insists on a notion of monotheism, the idea that there is one God. As Judaism understands this idea, God cannot be made up of parts, even if those parts are mysteriously united. The Christian notion of trinitarianism is that God is made up of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Such a view, even if called monotheistic because the three parts are, by divine mystery, only one God, is incompatible with the Jewish view that such a division is not possible. The Jewish revolutionary idea is that God is one. This idea allows for God's unity and uniqueness as a creative force. Thus, for Jewish people, God is the creator of all that we like and all that we don't. There is no evil force with an ability to create equal to God's. Judaism sees Christianity's trinitarianism as a weakening of the idea of God's oneness. Jewish people don't have a set group of beliefs about the nature of God; therefore, there is considerable, and approved, debate within Judaism about God. However, all mainstream Jewish groups reject the idea of God's having three parts. Indeed, many Jewish people see an attempt to divide God as a partial throwback, or compromise with, the pagan conception of many gods. The Jewish View of JesusTo Christians, the central tenet of their religion is the belief that Jesus is the Son of God, part of the trinity, the savior of souls who is the messiah.

Philippine’s Political Dynasty Essay

The 1987 Constitution of the Philippines states in Article II Section 26, â€Å"The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service, and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law. † How can we define political dynasty? Political dynasty is a family, clans or group that maintains power for several generations. These clans root themselves into our national and local governments for many decades. Almost every position in the government has been posted either by relatives, or friends who are indebted to the clan for appointing them into position. In a sense, they have already established political kingdoms throughout the country. In the course of the rising and expanding political kingdoms ruling over the country, it has become hard to tell where democracy is to be found. With rules unclear and morality questioned, people can never tell if they deserve more than what they are getting from the government. Political dynasties inhibit democracy, further adding instability and weakness of political institutions that are supposed to be working on their sense of rationality and individualism for the country. With political dynasties, it is no longer a question on qualifications and slogans, it will now be a question on connections and guns. The establishment of political dynasties is an effective way of monopolizing and perpetuating power. With various seats in the government occupied by a single family it would be easy to manipulate the system to benefit their family. The concept of check and balance will be thrown out the window. More often than not, politicians get to be elected not because of their merit, but because they belong to a family that is been in the government for generations.

Do you agree with this interpretation of the importance of the battle of the Somme? Essay

Source A is an extract from a report written by General Haig in December 1916 about a month after the battle of the Somme, the report was then sent to the British cabinet. Douglas Haig was commander in chief of the British army and in the report he was trying to show how vital he thinks the battle was in perspective of winning the war. As with every source, it needs to be looked at in context so you can review its provenance and reliability. When the report was writhen there was a new government in Britain. David Lloyd George who had been Secretary of State for War was now Prime Minister replacing. Haig had been criticised by Lloyd George, Churchill and Beaverbrook and for his strategy of attrition at the Somme, this being the cause of huge casualties during the battle and only a very small push in land taken. The British only gained an average of 5miles for 420,000 casualties. Haig was now starting his own battle back home to save his reputation as a military commander.In the report Haig seems to have been using the report to justify his decisions that had led to the largest loss of forces and manpower ever experienced by the British army in one battle. Haig was commander in chief during the Somme and it was his job to set the tactics for commanders to carry out. The fact that Haig was Commander in Chief at the Somme meant that he was largely responsible for the tactics used at the battle. This means that in source A Haig is having to defend or justify his actions in on the Somme. This will make the source less reliable as Haig has cause to be biased in his report. He is trying to keep his job and wants to be known as a great military hero not a military disaster. This would have given Haig even more motive to give a biased report. Haig was respected by the French generals and had the support of the king, this put him in a position of power particularly as there was no one better to do the job. He knew that members of the cabinet did not like him being Commander in Chief so this may have made Haig present the evidence in source A in a more positive light. He did this to protect his reputation, justify his decisions and to keep his job. There is no evidence that Haig was a untruthful man. However, the likelihood that he was badly informed about the situation and his self-confidence and the fact that he was wanting to protect his reputation and job mean that Haig could be biased in his report and his reliability as a source can be doubted. Looking at Source A, it looks like most of the extract is accurate but not completely accurate. Haig states, ‘the German casualties have been greater than ours ’. This is misleading as although the British casualties were less than the German casualties (420,000-500,000), the combined allied casualties were more. The allies suffered 620,000 whereas the Germans suffered about half a million casualties. Nevertheless Haig may not have known about this at the time. Roll calls at the end of battles meant there were truthful records of allied casualties however German records would not have been available, so these casualty figures were estimates. Nonetheless Haig may have said the German casualties were greater than ours because he wants to keep his job and make his situation look better than it is. Haig admits that, ‘the amount of ground we have gained is not great’ which is true but he then says, ’That is nothing’. Even before the Somme, Haig had been more concerned with a strategy of attrition so. Haig was expecting his strategy to have large casualties but the public wanted a justification of why so many lives had been lost. Even though the German army had been disconnected from ‘strong defensive positions’ the cost was very high and the Germans had often retreated to equally strong defensive positions. Haig was presenting only part of the situation. He is doing this to put himself in a positive light. Because he wants to keep his job and be seen as a public hero rather than villain. However writing about the Somme in 1919 the German General Ludendorff wrote; ‘We had heavy losses in men and material. As a result of the Somme we were completely exhausted on the western front.’ This German quote supports Haig’s opinion of the effect of the Somme on the troops in the German army. Other than reports from captured prisoners its unclear how he can have been sure of this at the time. Whilst he has not lied in the report, Haig might be seen as guilty of laying out the information in a way that isn’t completely truthful. Also he has been discriminatory by only mentioning the upbeat information. Perhaps the principal thing wrong with the extract is it not showing the impact of the Somme on the British troops, but this would have undermined his argument because this would have showed the down side of the war and therefore not put Haig in a positive light. In conclusion, it appears that in the extract Haig is justifying his strategy of attrition at the Somme by showing the significance of the battle, for demonstrating the might of the British army, and its role in the destruction of the German army. Haig is reasonable in his view. It seems from the Reich archive that the affect on the German army from the Somme was great but nevertheless they still fought on for 2years. There are a number of key reasons why the Somme was important. It helped the French defence of Verdun and allied relations. It was a trial for new technologies in warfare such as tanks, machine guns and planes. Before the Somme, Kitchener’s volunteer army had been amateurs and inexperienced. After the Somme, they were a force of battle hardened experienced troops. The objectives that were achieved through the Somme were done through a strategy that cost many lives and unfortunately many errors made the battle longer. There is no way of telling whether the same things could have been achieved using different tactics. Haig was writing his report to people who were hostile to him and his strategy. He believed in his strategy and his ability to win the war, he was also worried about defending his reputation and job. His original aim was to wear down the German army in a war of attrition. From his view he achieved his aim so it is understandable why he wrote what he did. It is my view that what he said he achieved was important but even as an report to the British government themselves it presents a biased view because Haig has all the motive to be biased.