Friday, January 31, 2020

A Stereotypical Teenager Essay Example for Free

A Stereotypical Teenager Essay Loud, obnoxious, rebellious, out of control, and up to no good†¦ these are just a few of a wide number of stereotypes that are attributed to American teenagers. What is it about teenagers that make the rest of society seem to turn against them? I believe that there are many misconceptions about teenagers. Many people in different generations sincerely believe that all teenagers are up to no good, and are guaranteed trouble no matter where they are. I am not arguing that teenagers like that don’t exist, because there are plenty of them out there, but it bothers me that one type of teenager has been able to spoil the image of all other teenagers. Personally I think that these stereotypes apply more to me because I am a male. In addition to being a male teenager, I also have noticed that people think negatively of me because I wear a longer hair style than what is typically expected in society. Some people grow long hair to show rebellion, or to be unique, but I wouldn’t classify myself into either of those categories, I simply enjoy having it more than short hair. But because of that, many members of society link certain stereotypes of male teenagers to me because I show long hair. I could be considered many different things including: rebellious, troubled, angry, arrogant, or any other sort of stereotype out there. How could anyone possibly claim to know all of these false accusations simply based on my age, and my gender? At times it can be bothersome when people take certain precautions around teenagers, because they believe that we are all reckless, and dangerous. Parents will cross to the opposite side of the street with their kids, people clear sidewalks when walking, other drivers tense up on the road, and all while this is happening, other people will keep one eye carefully watching, just to make sure that all of the rotten teenagers don’t do anything dangerous. I sometimes think that people see me and other teenagers as giant, shiny explosives that are about to detonate, so everyone else needs to distance themselves as much and as quickly as possible. Just because a teenager happens to be walking around outside, that should in no way trigger a response where people feel that it isn’t safe to be near  teenagers. Although it does bother me, I can also see a point of view where I would do the same thing. If I saw someone outside that looked a little bit off-beat to me, I would most likely go a different path as well. However, that raises the question, why does society take in all of these stereotypes and live all of their lives believing false statements? All of it is ridiculous I believe. Anyone that knows me will be able to explain that I am the exact opposite of a stereotypical teenager, so no one should need to take precautions if they see me out somewhere. A stereotypical teenager would most likely be thought of being connected to alcohol, tobacco, and drugs in some way, shape, or form; I on the other hand do not do any of those things, and am strongly against them. Because I do not consider myself anywhere close to a stereotypical teenager, it does bother me when people mistake me for doing those types of activities. All of these common stereotypes don’t do any good for the people who actually work hard, and try to do something with their lives. For many people, stereotyping does more than just become a bothersome hassle. For a handful of teenagers, the effect of stereotyping makes them feel pressured into behaving like a stereotypical teenager. For example, some people do drugs and alcohol because they are expected to by society’s stereotypes, so someone may think, â€Å"Oh, I am a teenager now, I guess because other people are drinking then I have to as well.† I don’t even see peer pressure as that much of an issue here, people tend to start drinking or doing drugs voluntarily; more often than not, there isn’t peer pressure that is forcing them into doing something. And that creates an entire roundabout of madness. To simplify this; many people start acting like stereotypical teenagers, because they feel that they need to in order to be a â€Å"normal† teenager. But that in turn makes society cast out teenagers, when it is actually those same members of society who created these stereotypes for teenagers to follow. In reality, there are several statistics that illustrate a decline in teenage drug abuse, alcoholism, and teenage pregnancy, yet stereotypes still exist (Poole). Are all teenagers loud, obnoxious, rebellious, out of control, and up to no good? Obviously not, there is no way that every single teenager in the world  could fit that description. And yet, society still labels every teenager in the world by a description very similar to that. The few teenagers that live a life similar to that have managed to destroy the image of every teenager that happens to be a good kid. It seems that hardworking, determined, and honest teenagers don’t have a place in the world anymore. They are out there, and ready to be noticed, but the rest of society has chosen to view them in the same manner as the bad crowds that exist in the teenage population. Quite strange, that the model teenager that is acceptable in society is not taken seriously. Why does society view superior teenagers that way? It is not only teenagers; it is everybody in the world. No person will ever be right in prejudicing someone, no matter who they are.

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Financial Management Notes Essay -- GCSE Business Management Studies

ROLE OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Financial management is one of the functions of management -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Financial management is concerned with o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Profits and losses of operations  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Control over funds o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ensuring appropriate cash flow is available o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chas management o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Raising funds / controlling internal funds o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Investment of funds o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cost control / pricing o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Forecasting / measuring financial performance against expectations -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Accounting is a subset of financial management. Financial transactions must be recorded, classified, stored and eventually reported to the managers. -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  OBJECTIVES OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Liquidity Refers to cash reserves being held, or to the ability to turn and investment into cash with little or no delay or loss of capital o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Solvency Refers to a business ability to pay its debts when due, and remain a going concern o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Profitability Refers to how profitable the business is from the perspectives of profit on sales, assets and shareholders equity o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Efficiency Examines how well working capital is managed, that is how quickly cash is collected from debtors, inventory sold and creditors paid. o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Growth Once a business is formed and operations commence, it enters a growth phase, where there should be an increase in the number of goods or services sold -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  THE PLANNING CYCLE o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Strategic or corporate plans involve how the business can accomplish its objectives, generally to create a strong competitive advantage o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Organisational planning processes involve   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The formulation of mission, goals and objectives,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An analysis of key environmental variables that present opportunities, threats, and constraints. It is known as an environmental audit   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An organisational audit to evaluate strengths and weaknesses and identify where change needs to be met   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The formulation of strategies within deadlines to achieve specific objectives   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Monitoring and review to ensure that the mission is on target and that performance indicators are being met o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tactical plans focus on the most efficient resource use by a business unit or department o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Operational plans are concerned with implementing the strategic plan through day to day processes, procedures, workflow and efficiency o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Financial plans represent the dollar quantification of the stra... ...e lease agreement come to an end. Here the emphasis is on rental, rather than what is effectively deferred purchase. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The lessee may be responsible for paying all or any of the maintenance, insurance operating costs etc ï‚ §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Factoring †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is the selling of accounts receivable or debtors ledgers to a third party for less than the book value ï‚ §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sale and leaseback †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Refers to a transaction in which the seller retains the use of an asset such as occupancy of a building, by simultaneously signing a lease, with the purchaser of the asset at the time of sale -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  EFFECTIVE FINANCIAL PLANNING  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   o  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  EFFECTIVE CASHFLOW MANAGEMENT ï‚ §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Source of funds = use (application) of funds ï‚ §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sources include †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Injection of new capital †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Raising new loans †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reductions in stock ï‚ §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Applications include †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pay out of loans †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tax paid †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Purchase of fixed assets ï‚ §Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Management strategies for cash flow problems include †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shortening the operations cycle †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Increasing net profit margins †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Increasing trade payable †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Borrowing money †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Maintaining a minimum cash reserve

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Factors affecting women working in the pharmaceutical sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Introduction Thanks to its considerable oil resources, Saudi Arabia has evolved from a relatively poor country to become the world’s dominant oil producer and one of the wealthiest regions in the Middle East. There is international pressure on the rulers to embrace political and social reforms, including enhancing the participation of women within the national workforce. Research Background Interesting findings about working women in adjacent Jordan have been generated by the country’s National Centre for Human Resource Development, which has carried out research into the experience of women workers in the private sector, namely in the Communications, Internet and Pharmaceuticals industries. This research was prompted because of recognition that â€Å"women’s participation in the Jordanian labour market is growing and the fact that women’s participation is often hindered by social perceptions, practices and sometimes legislation† (Peebles, Darwazeh, Ghosheh and Sabbah, 2007). Given the size and scale of Jordan (population approximately 6.5 million) compared with Saudi Arabia (population approximately 27.1 million), it seems likely that some of these hindrances will also apply to Saudi Arabia. The pharmaceuticals industry in Saudi Arabia is the richest in the Gulf region[1] and among the largest of all those in the Middle East: â€Å"Saudi Arabia represents 65%, or $1.7 billion of the pharmaceutical market in the member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)[2], which is currently valued at $2.7 billion per year[3]† (Issa, Al-Ammar and Mostafa, 2009). Proposal The research proposal is to examine the factors affecting women working in the pharmaceuticals industry, with particular reference to perceived advantages and barriers. It is anticipated that the issues arising will include those touching on human rights, equal opportunities and discrimination; religion and education; legislation, including family law; cultural norms; and also resistance to radical change within the community of Saudi Arabian females. Academic Literature Academic treatises on women in Muslim cultures include a synopsis of literature reviews produced by the Library of Congress (Offenhauer, 2005), which includes chapters on women’s roles in the productive economy as well as in the domestic setting. Maryland University’s Professor in the Department of Business and Executive Programs, Dr. Dorothy Minkus-McKenna, researched entrepreneurship among Saudi Arabian women albeit on an exploratory basis and without the benefit of statistical data, and noted the different ways in which ‘success’ is measured and valued. This provides useful background information about women’s perceptions of their role in the workplace. In a further look at entrepreneurship, another study (Sadi and Al-Ghazali, 2009) sought to establish what motivated women entrepreneurs and pinpointed barriers as being a lack of co-ordination and governmental support; limited competition due to market domination; a dearth of market studies; poor support from the internal community and the general restrictions imposed by society. Whilst limited, the available literature serves to confirm that women in Saudi Arabia struggle to establish themselves in the workplace on an equal footing with men. Overall Aim and Objectives The aim of the research is to identify the key factors that act as obstacles to women working in the pharmaceuticals sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). To achieve this, the focus of the research will be on the pharmaceuticals company, Saudi Pharmaceutical Industries[4], one of the largest research-driven companies producing veterinary, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals products in KSA. The objectives of the research will be to establish: Whether societal and cultural norms in KSA act against women making progress in the workplace. Whether the impact of legislation relating to the workplace has an adverse affect on women. Whether childcare responsibilities interfere with women’s progress in their working lives. Whether financial pressures, and related issues, have a bearing on working women. In relation to the pharmaceuticals sector: Whether there are perceptions that some jobs are more appropriate for women than others. Whether gender bias, marital status, personal appearance and religious discrimination have a bearing on recruitment techniques and practices. Whether there are perceived or real barriers to women achieving management positions. Research Methodology and Methods A number of methods will be used in order to achieve the objectives. Secondary research will establish the required information on cultural and societal norms, and legislation. Primary research will provide the quantitative and qualitative information pertaining to women in the workplace. Participants will be invited to complete a questionnaire without disclosing their name. In this way their anonymity will be protected and it should ensure that they are able to be open and honest about their workplace experiences without any fear of reprisal. Online questionnaires will enable participants with access to a computer to respond relatively quickly and easily, however paper questionnaires can also be issued if this is deemed more suitable for certain members of the sample population. Primary Research A questionnaire designed to elicit the required information will be prepared for workers at the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA). The Authority was established on 10th March 2033 and is charged with ensuring that drugs and foodstuffs manufactured for consumption by humans and animals are safe; this includes chemical and biological substances and also medical equipment. SFDA has been chosen because it has a relationship at some level with all the pharmaceuticals companies in Saudi Arabia, and it also sets the standards and regulations as to how they operate. Questionnaire 1: The survey will include a sample of both male and female workers at SFDA, based on the demographic of people of working age in Saudi Arabia. Current estimates indicate that the ratio of males to females aged 15–64 years is approximately 5:4, however it is not known exactly how many female workers are currently employed at SFDA. Ideally, a sample of 180 employees would include 100 men and 80 women. The questionnaire will ask workers about their educational background prior to employment, to provide information on their current position at SFDA. Data will be gathered on their responsibilities in the workplace, and also those outside work relating to childcare and care of any other dependants. Questions about the impact the job makes on their financial situation will be included. Finally, the questionnaire will seek to establish the career plans of participants and their experiences of training and promotion. Questionnaire 2: Directed at Human Resources (HR) personnel, this questionnaire will ask about participants’ interview techniques when recruiting staff, including the extent to which personal questions about an applicant’s marital status, social status, place of residency and childbearing plans are discussed. Peebles, Darwazeh, Ghosheh and Sabbah (2007) found it was common practice among HR professionals in Jordan to ask personal questions at job interviews, which the staff justified on the basis that this was a way of obtaining information about the character of an applicant, and of determining their suitability for work-related travel or overtime. The questionnaire will ask about the types of jobs, and the opportunities for training and promotion, that are available to men and women, with the intention of determining whether these are on an equal footing. Qualitative information on the perceived commitment levels of female and male employees will also be sought. Other Methods Data collection could also be achieved via a longitudinal study, that is where the researcher spends a considerable period of time embedded in the organisation in order to observe interrelationships and company operations on a day-to-day basis. Structured or semi-structured interviews could be conducted with workers and HR personnel as an alternative to a survey. One or more focus groups could be convened to discuss the findings of the survey, in order to provide enhanced qualitative information. These methods have been considered and rejected as they are either too time-consuming and impracticable. Secondary Research Reports and articles by other researchers concerned with female workers in the Middle East and their work experiences in pharmaceuticals companies will be studied to obtain an overview of the sector and the key issues relating to women workers. Very basic statistical information about SFDA is also available on LinkedIn[5] where a few members of staff are also listed. Data Analysis Information from the questionnaires will be analysed to elicit clear information on the position of women working in pharmaceuticals in KSA – their educational background, experience of recruitment, training and promotion and any barriers they have encountered in terms of their advancement in the workplace. Qualitative information will provide the context for the statistics. Planning and Critical Analysis Permission will be needed from the SFDA Executive Management to conduct the survey among a sample of staff members, and the researcher’s contact person within the company could facilitate this. If permission is not granted, it may still be possible for some members of staff to participate in a private capacity (for example, via LinkedIn) although participants may be hesitant and it may be difficult to attract 180 people by this method. SFDA may wish to alter the wording or the questions in the survey to suit company needs, however any proposed changes will have to be carefully scrutinised by the researcher before any changes are agreed. Alternatively, another pharmaceuticals company could be used, such as Merck Serono, which has a base in Saudi Arabia but company headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland and a UK office. Limitations The surveys are limited to a selection of the working population in one specific organisation and although a degree of extrapolation is possible the findings will not represent a comprehensive and in-depth view of the country’s entire pharmaceuticals sector. Timescale Obtaining permissions and approvals and distributing questionnaires will take up to five weeks, with data analysis in week six and writing up of the findings in weeks seven – ten. References: BBC (2012). Saudi Arabia profile. Online. 16th January. [available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14702705] Issa, N.A., Al-Ammar, A.I. and Mostafa, S. (2009) Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Industries in Saudi Arabia. American Health Lawyers Association. Minkus-McKenna, D. (2009). Women Entrepreneurs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Working paper. http://bit.ly/yCoxTY Offenhauer, P. (2005). Women in Islamic societies: a selected review of social scientific literature. Report. Library of Congress. Online. [available at: http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/pdf-files/Women_Islamic_Societies.pdf] Peebles, D., Darwazeh, N., Ghosheh H. and Sabbah, A. (2007) Factors Affecting Women’s Participation in the Private Sector in Jordan. Research Report. National Center for Human Resources Development. Sadi, M. A. and Al-Ghazali, B. M. (2010). ‘Doing business with impudence: A focus on women entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia. Research paper.’ African Journal of Business Management Vol. 4(1), pp.1-11, January. Online. [available at: http://www.academicjournals.org/AJBM]. Saudi Food and Drug Authority. [available at: http://www.sfda.gov.sa/En/Home/Topics/about/]

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

The Origin Of Species Revolutionized The Way That Changed...

The theory of evolution in itself is an evolution. The way humans understand how life came to exist and how it has changed along the way reflects the different socio economic environments we have created. For any scientist, previous theory’s and ideas from historians or other scholars are used in part to form the basis of understanding of new information (Klyve, D. k. 2014). The understanding of evolution as we see it today comes from many areas of the world amid varying time periods. The most famous and current understanding is that of Darwin, in 1859 his book On the Origin of Species revolutionized the way we see life and its continuity through natural selection. In this essay I will look at a project pertaining to the observational study of tropical fish that have changed through time with natural selection and divergence of geographical isolation. Scientists have found that by comparing genome scans, links in different lineages of Pacific reef fishes give an example of how isolating barriers contribute to morphologic changes in the species, (Gaither, M. R.,2015). I will also look at another study which suggests that natural selection is flawed as it does not take into account the current understanding of genomics. this study suggests that instead of natural selection and the process of evolving traits through the added complexity of structures in a species, species evolve due to random changes from the evolution of genomes (Randall JE 2007). Their idea if genomesShow MoreRelatedOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pages1700s. But at the same time, without serious attention to the processes and misguided policies that led to decades of agrarian and industrial depression from the late 1860s to the 1890s, as well as the social tensions and political rivalries that generated and were in turn fed by imperialist expansionism, one cannot begin to comprehend the causes and consequences of the Great War that began in 1914. That conflict determined the contours of the twentieth century in myriad ways. On the one hand, theRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesvaluable. Peter Holdt Christensen, Associate Professor, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark McAuley et al.’s book is thought-provoking, witty and highly relevant for understanding contemporary organizational dilemmas. The book engages in an imaginative way with a wealth of organizational concepts and theories as well as provides insightful examples from the practical world of organizations. The authors’ sound scholarship and transparent style of writing set the book apart, making it an ingenious read