Executive Remuneration Analysis of Vodafone

Executive Remuneration Analysis of Vodafone 1. Introduction Executive remuneration is the compensation which company rewards for the executive directors. Since the early 1980s, executive payment increase rapidly. The unjustified increasing of executive remuneration pushes the reform of remuneration policy. The Cadbury code mentioned this problem in the Code of Practice in 1995. Cadbury gives some suggestions to companies about the executive remuneration policy.According to his suggestions, companies should dividend total payment into the basic salary and performance-based bonus, and the remuneration report should publish in the annual reporting every year [1]. In additional, UK government provides the vote right for shareholders to supervise the company’s executive remuneration, it also can force executive directors taking investors’ interest into account when they design the company strategy [2]. The analysis of big companies’ remuneration policy is more emphasi ze by investors and government, especially after the 2008 financial crisis.Investors are paying more attention to whether the executives deserve the high reward. Therefore, the analysis of executive remuneration is more necessary and valuable. Companies in FTSE 100 have the highest market capitalization in UK, and it means the analysis of FTSE 100 companies is most valuable. Vodafone Group, as one of the biggest company in the FTSE 100 companies, has business in almost 70 countries. And the market capitalization is nearly ? 90bn [3]. Last year, Vittorio Calao, the CEO? of Vodafone received around ? 0m for remuneration in fiscal year 2012, which is one of the highest remuneration in the FTSE 100 [4]. Although the executive rewards are higher than others in the FTSE 100, there still are 96. 12% shareholders voting in favour with the Vodafone’s remuneration policy [5]. This raises the question that why there are a huge amount of shareholders convincingly supports their highest r emuneration. This essay analyses the executive remuneration for Vodafone Group. Firstly, it will talk about the remuneration principle. Then the Remuneration Committee will be discussed.This part aims to measure whether the Remuneration Committee according to the UK Corporate Governance Code. The third part will explain the remuneration package of Vodafone Group, both base salary and various bonuses are included. At last, the essay will discuss the rationality of Vodafone’s executive remuneration from the perspectives of remuneration policy itself and the comparison with other companies. 2. Remuneration principle The aim of Vodafone’s executive remuneration is driving executives to achieve the company’s long-term strategic goals by offering an attractive and competitive reward [6].Vodafone wishes to make sure that their executive directors keeping in the highest level in work by providing an attractive payment. For example, a part of rewards are measured by the performance for this year. Therefore, executive directors were given an opportunity to achieve the truly exceptional performance. The remuneration package is determined by Remuneration Committee after Comprehensive consideration. The Remuneration Committee will choose some relevant group of comparators when setting total reward. It makes sure that the executive remuneration policies are considered on a total compensation basis.The comparators are choosing from some basic considerations, which are as follows: 1) top European companies, 2) top UK companies, 3) particularly for scarce skills, and 4) the relevant market in question [6]. These comparators mean that Europe is the major region for business for Vodafone, and the company is original from UK. According to above three principles, the external comparators are consisting by similar size companies, and the European top 25 companies and a few other select companies relevant to the sector.Additionally, the external comparator group do not including the financial companies, such as bank and insurance company. Another important Remuneration principle is that the rewards will related to the performance both long-term and short-term. According to the Annual Report of 2012, performance-based reward account for 70% in the whole remuneration package [6]. Vodafone build a link between executive directors and shareholders by this way, in order to force executive directors think about shareholders’ interest. 3. Remuneration CommitteeAccording to the UK Corporate Governance Code, the Remuneration Committee must include at least three independent non-executive directors [7]. The Remuneration Committee of Vodafone is consisting by independent non-executive directors and running independently in the company. The chairman of Remuneration Committee is Luc Vandevelde, and there are another five members in the Remuneration Committee. All of them are the non-executive directors in company. There also are two external adv isors: PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (‘pwc’) and Towers Watson.Pwc is responsible for performance analysis and giving suggestions about company strategy and measuring the performance. It also supports the international business of Vodafone, such as tax, finance, compliance and operations. Another external advisor Towers Watson provides the market data of executive payment to Remuneration Committee. They also manage the pensions and benefit for Vodafone [6]. There are a lot of factors need to be considered by Remuneration Committee when deciding the payment package. Firstly, Remuneration Committee consults the CEO and HR directors’ opinion of the appropriate reward package for executives.Secondly, the external advisors give the Committee another perspective form the external information analysis. They can provide the benchmark of directors’ reward about other similar company on the market. Additionally, Committee also take the company’s strategy into ac count, both long-term and short-term are important. In fiscal year 2012, Remuneration Committee had five meetings to discuss the Short-Term Incentive bonus, Long-Term Incentive plan and basic salary in order to determine the total remuneration packages of the executive directors appropriately [6].Remuneration Committee particularly report four chief executive directors in the Directors’ Remuneration Report, including Chief Executive Vittotio Colao, Chief Financial Officer Andy Halford, Chief Technology Officer Stephen Pusey and Regional CEO Europe Michel Combes, and the reporting also include the reward of non-executive directors. 4. Remuneration package The Vodafone remuneration package is divided into five parts: base salary, Global Short-Term Incentive Plan (‘GSTIP’), Global Long-Term Incentive Plan (‘GLTI’) base awards, Global Long-Term Incentive Plan (‘GLTI’) co-investment matching awards and benefit [6].These parts reflect the remu neration policy of Vodafone which make the executives holing a lot of company shares to align the interest of executive directors and investors. It also obeys the UK Corporate Governance Code that keeping the reward in a level which is attractive and motivate to the directors, and designing the performance- related income based on long-term strategy. Base salary aims to attract and retain the best talents. It reflects the directors’ level of skill, experience and the responsibility in Vodafone. In fiscal year 2012, Committee decided the base salary stay at the same level with 2011[6].Global (‘GSTIP’) measure the performance in this financial year with the short- term financial and non- financial target, and the GSTIP is paid in cash in June 2013. The related performance is service revenue (25%), EBITDA (25%), adjusted free cash flow (20%) and competitive performance assessment (30%). This bonus can flow from 0-200% of base salary, and it reward 93. 4% of target f or financial year 2012[6]. Global Long-Term Incentive Plan (‘GLTI’) is consist of performance shares which award every year and vest three years later to force directors on the Vodafone’s long-term strategy.The vesting of performance shares is determined by the adjusted free cash flow and relative TSR performance. Both operational performance and external performance are included in the two measures in GLTI. The target GLTI face value of CEO is 137. 5% for basic salary, and 110% for other directors. In this year, executive directors was rewarded the vesting the shares of 2008 fiscal year at 30. 6% of maximum [6]. Global Long-Term Incentive Plan (‘GLTI’) co-investment matching awards means that executive directors can purchase Vodafone normal shares and turning them to performance shares after holding three years.Benefit is the pension scheme for the executive director and other benefit such as company car and private medical insurance. 5. Analysis of the director remuneration Figure 1 Total remuneration for 2012 (based on Vodafone 2012 Annual Report) The Figure 1 shows the detail of the total remuneration for fiscal year 2012 including a value for GLTI payment. Without the GLTI vesting during this year, Vodafone actually paid 30. 35m pounds to CEO Colao, 19. 27m pounds to CFO Halford, 21m pounds to Europe region CEO Combes, and 14. 08m pounds for CTO Pusey [6].The Figure 1 illustrates that all the four chief executive directors’ incomes are increasing except the CTO Pusey. Although the total rewards were general increased, GSTIP for fiscal year 2012 was decreasing. In the meanwhile, salary and cash in lieu of pension were keeping in the similar level with last year. Therefore, the increasing of total remuneration was due to the significant increasing of the item cash in lieu of GLTI dividends. During the fiscal year 2012, the Global Short-Term Incentive was deduct from last year. The total actual short term incentive pay ment was 93. %, while the target payment is 100% and the maximum payment is 200% for the basic salary [6]. According to the remuneration policy of Vodafone, GSTIP is influenced by the performance for this year. There are four indicates to measure the GSTIP: service revenue, EBITDA, adjusted free cash flow and competitive performance assessment. According to the 2012 annual report, the service revenue slightly increased to 46. 4bn pounds, which was just arrival the target performance [6]. However, the EBITAD and adjust free cash flow were cut down, especially the adjust free cash flow.Because of the loss of China Mobile Limited and the dividends of SFR, the actual pay-out percentage for adjust free cash flow is 8. 5, while the target performance is 20% in the whole GSTIP [6]. The policy of GSTIP is related to both the financial and non-financial performance in this year in order to measure the executive short-term performance in a rational way. The target performance is not only base d on the Vodafone’s strategy and past operation, but also taking the long-term strategy into account. Figure 2 Adjust free cash flow target and range for awards Based on Vodafone 2012 Annual Report) Figure 3 GLTI award for 2008 & 2009 (based on Vodafone 2012 Annual Report) Opposite the reducing of DSTIP, cash for Global Long-Term Incentive Plan is significant increase. The GLTI is determined by adjust free cash flow and the TSR outperformance of a peer group median. These two indicators consist a matrix in order to measure the internal operational performance and external performance. The long-term operation cycle is three years which means the target performance of financial year 2012 was settled in 2010.According to Figure 2, the target for 2012 is 18bn pounds, while the actual adjusted free cash flow for 2012 was 20. 9bn pounds [6]. Another important measure is the TSR performance. The figure 3 shows that Vodafone’s TSR was outperformance than the peer group which c onstitute by the similar size companies. The TSR performance increasing by 18. 5% in 2012, and exceed the target number. Therefore, the TSR performance for 2012 was paid by 100% of maximum to executive directors, while there is only 30% in 2011.Figure 4 Five year historical TSR performance (based on Vodafone 2012 Annual Report) Table 1 Comparison of Vodafone & BT Group (Base on [6] [8] [9] [10]) 201220112010 CEO Reward ?000Total Revenue ?bnCEO Reward ?000Total Revenue ?bnCEO Reward ?000Total Revenue ?bn Vodafone303546. 46282645. 88266844. 47 BT Group250518. 90235920. 1210520. 1 To compare with other similar size companies in UK, figure 4 reflects the Vodafone TSR performance compare with the average level of FSTE 100. From this figure, it indicates that Vodafone’s TSR performance is higher than the average level of FSTE 100.It means that the Vodafone Group is in a better operation situation among FSTE 100 companies. Therefore, it is reasonable that Vodafone’s executive remuneration is higher than the similar size companies. Additionally, the comparison in Table 1 is shown in similar result. BT Group is another strong competitor of Vodafone in UK telecommunication industry. The numbers in table 1 are published in the annual report for the two companies from 2010 to 2012. The total revenue of Vodafone is basically twice as much as BT Group, while the difference between the CEO remuneration is just around ? m in the three years. Through above analysis, Vodafone remuneration is in a rational level, and it is corresponding to its operation performance. 6. Conclusion All in all, Vodafone executive remuneration is acceptable and in a rational level. It not only reflects the operation performance but also obey the rules of UK Corporate Governance Code. The executive remuneration is setting by an independent remuneration committee which consist by five non-executive directors and two external advisors.The remuneration report is published by Remuneration C ommittee in Vodafone’s Annual Report. The remuneration package divide into base salary, Global Short-Term Incentive Plan (‘GSTIP’), Global Long-Term Incentive Plan (‘GLTI’) base awards, Global Long-Term Incentive Plan (‘GLTI’) co-investment matching awards and benefit. Through these five parts, executive reward is related to performance and the investor interest, and can help executives focusing on company’s strategy. Therefore, Vodafone executive remuneration can be seen as a good example in executive remuneration policy.

Listening Functions

One of the essential things in human life is communication. In fact we can say that man has been involved in communication since the beginning of time. Although not as developed as we have today, man has always sort to communicate his ideas to his fellow man. Today, the import of communication to man can not be overemphasized. This is because human life is impossible without it. In human endeavor, we need to share and receive information. Being at the center of human life, hardly is can man survive without communicating. Effective communication involves a lot of things. To begin with, communication involves more than one person. The process of communication involves two parties. When we communicate, there is the person that is giving the information and the other party that is receiving the information. However, communication is not complete with the person passing the information, effective communication also essentially requires the person receiving the information to fully understand the original meaning of what is being said. As simple as communication might seem, effective communication is not an easy task. In this essay, focus will be drawn on the listen rather that the speaker in communication process. We all know that we have to communicate but the fact is that oftentimes,   we do not wait to get a feedback about what we are communicating or the information we are receiving. As human beings, we have to understand that there is a difference between hearing and listening. We can hear a thing but not listen but we can not listen without hearing. The difference between these two concepts rests in the fact that hearing is unconscious but it takes a conscious effort to listen. Listening transcends the realm of hearing and is more complex. In the case of hearing, we do not make an effort to hear something because hearing is spontaneous. On the other hand, listening requires a special form of concentration on the part of the listener that is not required in the case of hearing. Unfortunately, most people confuse both concepts to mean the same thing, thereby using it interchangeably as a form of synonym. More than ever, professionals need to develop their listening skills. This is because they have to understand what their client is saying so as to understand the real situation in question. Generally, professionals hold the responsibility to listen to their clients in order to know how they can be of help to them. Such professions entail a daily interpersonal encounters and success in such profession rests on the professional’s ability to listen in order to really understand what is required in the given situation. No matter how good a professional is, without effective listening skill or ability, the professional is as good as not being a professional. Such a field that requires effective listening skills is the legal profession. As a lawyer, one is daily involved in interpersonal encounters that require basic skill in listening. This is informed by the fact that the lawyer in the discharge of his duties can not just rely on the client for effective communication. Oftentimes, the client is disillusioned and emotional and so the lawyer has to be able to not only hear what the client is saying but to make a conscious effort in order to be able to interpret the message that is being passed across. Due to the fact that success in the legal profession is based on the acquisition of necessary information, the legal practitioner must seek to fully understand what the client is saying, meaning or implying. When a professional listens, the person relaying the information feels respected and valued, making them feel that they have something they can contribute to the discussion. This goes a long way in boosting the client’s boldness and this allows for a better interpersonal relationship between the professional and the client. In the general sense, interpersonal encounters require five basic learning functions. These are namely listening to comprehend, listening to support, listening to analyze, listening to appreciate and listening to discern. I will make an attempt to explain how each function aids the legal practitioner in the practice of his/her profession. In the legal practice, the legal practitioner must learn to listen to the client in order to fully comprehend what the client is saying. This becomes important because the success of the case is based of the proper understanding of the issue at hand. The professional must be patient enough to carefully listen to the client in order to grasp what is needed to know about the case. In addition to this, the legal practitioner must be able to listen in order to support the client in bring out information that the client might not consider relevant to the case. This becomes important because the client might be ignorant of some things in the legal profession and so the legal practitioner holds the responsibility of making sure that the client is guided in his thought so that the required information can be acquired. Furthermore, the legal practitioner must possess the ability to listen in order to analyze the information that is provided by the client. As expected, the client might give some information that needs scrutiny and evaluation. The lawyer is put in a vantage position if he/she able to listen properly. This helps in putting the information given together and weighing it for inadequacies and contradictions. Apart from this, the listening helps the lawyer appreciate the value of information that is given. As part of the responsibilities of the lawyer, he/she must be able to envisage the likely outcome of the case given the information provide. Listening make the legal practitioner know what they stand to encounter in the court based on the information given. Also, when a lawyer listens properly, he/she can discern between the information that is relevant and need for the success of the case. Not all what is said by the client is useful and so the legal practitioner must be able to make a decision and to distinguish between what is required for the case at hand. In conclusion, as I have noticed, successful lawyers are those who have the unrivalled ability to listen effectively. So if you are a legal practitioner and you wish to be successful in your practice, develop your listening skills then learn to listen to your client more. This will not only put you in a vantage position, it will make you a better lawyer. Reference: Nadig L. â€Å"Tips on Effective Listening†. Retrieved on April 24, 2008 from http://www.drnadig.com/listening.htm University of Leeds website. â€Å"Listening and Interpersonal Skills – University of Leeds† skillscentre. Retrieved on April 24, 2008 from http://www.skillscentre.leeds.ac.uk/learnhigherleeds/pages/listening_skills/ls_home.htm www.lifepositive.com. â€Å"THAT'S JUST WHAT I MEAN!† Retrieved on April 24, 2008 from http://www.lifepositive.com/mind/personal-growth/communicate/communication.asp ; ; ; ; ;

Analysis of Rudyard Kipling’s “The Bridegroom” Essay

During the First World War, death was a constant threat. Soldiers faced it every day in the trenches, and more succumbed to it. Rudyard Kipling’s Epitaphs of War represents the impact those deaths had across much of the world. â€Å"The Bridegroom† exposes the last thoughts of a dying soldier through an extended metaphor, personification and tone. First of all, the title and first stanza reveal that the speaker, a young soldier, is either dying or already dead. Traditionally, a bridegroom defines a man on his wedding day. In this poem, Kipling personifies the bride as death and therefore the title refers to a man on his last day. The speaker is a soldier fighting in the trenches, writing or at least speaking out to his wife back home. The first stanza initiates the apologetic and sorrowful tone that is used throughout the poem. The soldier asks his wife not to call him â€Å"false† as he rests in other arms. He apologizes to his beloved for abandoning her for a new mistress, death. The arms not only represent death’s embrace, but they also evoke falling to the weapons of the enemy in battle. The stanza also demonstrates that the couple’s marriage is recent as the speaker mentions his wife’s â€Å"scarce-known breast.† The second stanza clearly brings forward the poem’s theme. The soldier mentions his â€Å"more ancient bride,† death. She is qualified as ancient because she has always existed, not only with him but since the beginning of time. He also describes a cold embrace, the word cold working on several levels here. It refers to the deceased and his rigidity, but it also expresses his reluctance to follow death. By calling her â€Å"constant,† Kipling emphasizes the reality of death on the battlefield; she was faithful and always lurked over the soldier. The third stanza describes how the young man escaped from his â€Å"often set marriage† with death through unexplained miracles. We can suppose that he narrowly survived several life-threatening events, thereby cheating death,  which relates back to his â€Å"cheating† on his living marriage. His â€Å"new† marriage is now perceived as â€Å"consummate,† a term which is usually used for unions made complete through the sexual act. This union, however, refers to the soldier’s falling into death’s embrace, finally touching her after a long apprehension and ultimately lying in her bed, his grave. The term â€Å"consummate† can also represent perfection, which, in this marriage refers to the fact that it was meant to be. The last line reinforces the consummation by saying that the union â€Å"cannot be unmade.† Death cannot be unmade; it is a permanent state as the ideal marriage is, but it also returns to the metaphorical bed which will forever remain unmade. In the last stanza, the tone reaches a lull, yet is still filled with sorrow. The speaker urges his wife to â€Å"live,† to move on and allow life to â€Å"cure† her of the painful memory of him. Kipling uses a metaphor to treat memories as a painful disease that can only be cured by time. The soldier expresses fear of being forgotten with the word â€Å"almost.† He wants to be remembered although he mostly desires for his beloved to regain happiness. The final two lines return to a more somber tone as the soldier states he will have to endure the â€Å"immortality† of memories in death. In the end, we can feel the young man has a greater acceptance of his state as he begins using the pronoun â€Å"us† to qualify himself and death. The marriage, having been consummated, as previously stated, they are now one. Immortality is an evocative word, which fits perfectly into the general theme. The soldier is now immortal, fixed in time with his memories and never able to make new ones. The term also refers back to death, which is immortal in its own way. To conclude, Rudyard Kipling’s â€Å"The Bridegroom’ expresses the difficult process associated with death. The various metaphors and personification bring forward the themes in an apologetic, somber tone. The nameless soldier represents all young men who died young unfairly in the trenches, afraid of being disloyal to their countries.

Osmosis Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Osmosis - Lab Report Example Cells require the movement of the chemicals inside and outside the cell for their survival. Cells require the movement of mainly the solute and solvent molecules inside and out of the cells for their proper functioning. The movement of the molecules occurs by active and passive processes. If the cell uses ATP for the transport of the molecules then it is termed as active process and if the molecules crosses the membrane with the help of concentration gradient, then it is called as passive process. Simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion and osmosis are the types of passive process. Osmosis is the movement of water molecules from a lower solute concentration to the higher solute concentration through a permeable membrane. Water molecule is much smaller than most of the solute molecules. Thus they are able to move through the membranes in which the solute molecules cannot pass through. This property of the water molecule is called as osmosis. The cell membranes are more permeable to the water molecules than most other solvents. As a result the cell membrane allows most of the water molecules to penetrate inside the cell. This results in the hypotonic condition of the cell. As a result the cell swells. Sometimes the solute concentration will be higher outside the cell membrane and as a result, the cell looses its water molecules out. This results in cell shrinkage termed as hypertonic solution. Is there is no change in the solute concentration inside and outside the membrane, then the solution is said to be isotonic. Osmosis is very essential for the biological systems. The biological membranes are semi permeable in nature. Water molecules travel through the plasma membrane by diffusing across the phospholipid bilayer using the transmembrane proteins. Cellophane membrane is a type of partially permeable membrane that can allow the water molecules to pass through. Cellophane membrane is made by regenerating the cellulose b y the addition of some chemicals like alkali, carbon disulfide and sulfuric acid. Cellulose is derived from the wood, hemp and cotton. The Glucose molecules are larger than the water molecules and they don’t diffuse through the cellophane membrane. When the different glucose concentrations are kept separated by the cellophane membrane, the movement of the solvent molecule, (i.e.) the water molecules, from the region of higher concentration to the region of lower concentration occurs. The thermodynamic property of the solution to reach the equal concentration in both sides of the membrane takes place. Materials required: 4 finger bowls 4 pieces dialysis membrane 8 pieces string Metric ruler Hot plate Glass stirring rod Test tubes 50% glucose solution Squeeze bottle of distilled water Paper towels Electronic scale Boiling beads Plastic pan Dropper bottle of Benedict’s solution. Beakers of varying size ( 200 ml, 500 ml, 1000 ml) Pipettes Graduated cylinder ( 10 ml, 25 ml) Distilled water. Method: The 4 cellophane membranes are made active by dipping it in the distilled water. The membranes become wet and flexible. From the stock 50% glucose solution, the appropriate concentration of glucose solutions is prepared by diluting them appropriately with the distilled wat

Research report on Australian financial services industry Essay

Research report on Australian financial services industry - Essay Example The economic recession spiralled by the subprime crisis has called upon business organizations particularly banks and other financial institutions to ensure better risk management practices. It also calls for financial institutions to increase the level of compliance. These calls for a collective effort on the part of bankers, central bankers as well as policy makers to formulate policies that seek to ensure financial health and stability of these crucial institutions of the economy. The present study would analyse the financial institutions in Australia with regards to their structure and legal framework. Special emphasis would be given to the banking sector in the report that would also analyse the challenges faced by the Australian banks. Structure of Australian Financial Institutions The Australian financial services industry is divided into a total of nine distinct sectors which includes deposit based financial institutions like banks and other credit agencies, non deposit based financial firms, the central bank, asset investing firms like stock trading companies, pension and superannuation fund management companies, auxiliary firms like stock brokers, mortgage securities firms, life insurance, general insurance and finally the insurance broking companies. The financial sector contributes about 18 billion Australian dollars to the nation’s economy which equals almost 8 percent of the total GDP of the nation. The nation has a total of 30000 financial institutions which also provide employment opportunities to a significant share of the population of the nation that is being pegged at 700000 individuals which includes approximately 6.4 percent of the total workforce in Australia (IBSA, 2010, p.4, 6). Figure 1: Assets of the Financial Institutions in Australia (Source: Austrade, 2009, p.13) The figure above shows the total assets of the financial institutions in Australia as of the year 2009. According to the statistics shown in the figure the total as sets of the financial institutions of the nation was 4431 billion Australian dollars. The compounded annual growth rate is being pegged at 11.8 percent starting from the year 1994. The financial institutions in Australia have also expanded their reach to across all the major and developing markets across the globe (Austrade, 2009, p.13). In terms of investment based funding assets the current value of the total assets in the nation is 541 billion AUD which is the fourth largest in the world. The figure is expected to grow to about 1979 billion AUD by the year 2015 (Austrade, 2009, p.16). Banking Industry in Australia As per the latest information from the Australian Reserve bank there are about 58 banks in the nation that includes 7 major banks, 7 local banks, 9 foreign banks incorporated in Australia and 35 foreign banks. The total cash and liquid assets including notes, deposits and coins apart from other liquid assets amounted to 3 percent of the total assets of residents in Aust ralia. Trading and investment based securities accounted for 9.3 percent and 6 percent respectively. The loans and advances segment including all forms of loans extended to the retail as well as corporate houses in the nation amount to 62.2 percent. Other

Discuss the importance of soil in the environment Essay

Discuss the importance of soil in the environment - Essay Example The three most imperative components of soil encompass clay, silt and sand. Texture of the soil depends on the composition of these components in various proportion. These components together with various chemical elements are responsible for supporting plant growth. Various minerals such as Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) are also present in the soil. Appropriate and balanced composition of these minerals defines soil fertility. Too high concentration of nitrogen retards the growth, while high concentration of phosphorus is responsible for reduced water absorption. High bulk of phosphate is responsible for binding with zinc and also hinder sulfur availability. High load of potassium curtails the availability of boron which is required for conversion of nitrogen and also for the transfer of starch from leaves to storage tissues such as fruits. Excessive potassium brings blockage of manganese uptake (Web: "Soil Fertility For Specific Crops"). Similarly poor concentratio n of NPK retards plant growth. The components of soil are responsible for its texture, various tests are being carried out to understand the nature of the soil. One such test is ribbon test where moist soil is rolled into long thin shape followed by squeezing it between forefinger and thumb in order to form longest and thinnest ribbon. Larger percentage of clay is responsible for longer ribbon while greater silt content tends to flake and does not form ribbon (Web: "Soil Texture

Serving size of carrots and snap peas(presentation) Assignment

Serving size of carrots and snap peas(presentation) - Assignment Example Nutrition experts have come up with a recommended serving size of both carrots and pretzels which we are advised to adhere to. For carrots, we should at least consume half a cup of cooked carrot sticks, which translates to about 75g (100–350kJ). This is the recommended serving size of carrots that we ought to consume. Pretzels on the other hand are not essential and ought to be served in small quantities. Nutrition experts recommend that we should consume it once in three days and avoid addition of honey and other sugary products. Pretzels serving size is 20 minis which is 30g and contains 110 calories. Meaning we ought to consume more of carrots than pretzels in order to maintain good dietary practices. Snap peas is another example of a highly nutritious food, doctors advocate that we ought to take them in large quantities. Personally I am big fan of snap peas because of their sweet taste. Snap peas contain little concentration of cholesterol, sodium and fats. In addition it is rich in Riboflavin, Pantothenic Acid, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Potassium. Besides, I would recommend you to increase the consumption of snap peas because they are rich in fiber which is vital for the body. Its serving size is half a cup of cooked snap peas which is 80g translates to 60 calories. Unlike snap peas, chips fall under junk food and have varied adverse effects on our health. For instance, they contain too much calories and cholesterol. Junk food has been identified globally as a source of bad cholesterol which causes complications such as heart disease and stroke. My advice to you is to reduce or avoid the consumption of chips to avoid bad cholesterol and the risks associated with

Employment Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Employment Relations - Essay Example In that context, New Zealand’s Accident Compensation Act 1972, and the subsequent 1973 amendment to this Act framed the scope and ramifications of the country’s accident compensation policy. The 1972 Accident Compensation Act covered both the motor vehicle injuries and also non-work and work injuries. The 1972 Accident Compensation Scheme tended to affiliate to a salubrious array of rationales like pursuing a no-fault approach towards accident compensation and eliminating the time consuming and wasteful dependence on legal ways in the area of accident compensation, to extend multiple benefits to accident victims that included medical expenses, rehabilitation associated costs, payments related to permanent loss, earnings associated compensations, etc (Palmer, 1994). Background Prior to the envisaging of the 1972 Accident Compensation Scheme, New Zealand had a compensation system that was akin to what existed in the rest of the world. However, the nation soon realized tha t the tort based compensation policies were replete with varied undesirable consequences and results. Eventually, it was the Royal Commission on Worker’s compensation that proposed sweeping changes in the accident compensation policies in 1966 (Foley, 2008). The recommendations made by the Woodhouse commission recognized varied general principles related to compensation like enhancing the administrative efficiency in the area of accident compensation, bringing in community onus and responsibility in the arena of accident compensation, making the concept of accident compensation to be broad based to include varied costs like rehabilitation, pay losses and lump sum payments and ameliorating the disadvantages and efficiencies associated with tort based accident compensation (Foley, 2008). The essential crux of these recommendations was to associate accident compensation from Tort claims and to make way for the compensation of injuries irrespective of the related fault, including the fault of the person who gets injured. Rational Behind 1972 Accident Compensation Scheme It goes without saying that the 1972 Accident Compensation Scheme was a trend setter in the sense that it was perhaps one of the first few compensation policies in the world to take into cognizance a series of rationales associated with accident compensation and tried to do away with the flaws incumbent on the previously existing policies and systems (Malcolm & Barnett, 2007). The 1972 Accident Compensation Scheme took into consideration the human, social and financial ramifications of the compensation related claims and made way for covering the injuries irrespective of who so ever happened to be at fault (Malcolm & Barnett, 2007). This policy to a large extent did away with the need for engaging in costly, time consuming and unsatisfactory processes aimed at seeking compensation through courts. This scheme also tried to mitigate the emotional and physical trauma associated with injuries by allowing for the prompt and timely rehabilitation and treatment of accident related injuries (Dewees, Duff & Trebilcock, 1996). The 1972 Accident Compensation Scheme also diluted the financial losses and pain inflicted on the impacted individuals by allowing for

What are NGOs How do they help and hinder development Essay

What are NGOs How do they help and hinder development - Essay Example rity organizations, and while their social aims may have political undertones, or political support, they are not created or run for political purposes (Ahmed & Potter, 2006) NGOs can be aimed towards a very diverse array of aims, ranging from environmental benefits, social benefits, poverty alleviations, awareness campaigns, health benefits, or educational reform. They can be very large, ranging across cities or countries, or they can be small, run by and consisting of only a handful of people. For example, in his book Three Cups of Tea, author and NGO worker Greg Mortenson describes his efforts at working in areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan, aiming to alleviate poverty and in particular focus on educating young girls. The benefit of NGOs is that they are very easy to set up and do not require government grants or tedious official proceedings in order to set up. Mortenson, who was initially a nurse and mountain-climber before directing his efforts towards social benefits, managed to educate over sixty thousand children, out of which more than 50,000 were girls, a remarkable feat in a place where women are rarely allowed to leave their houses, much less acquire education (Mortenson, 2007). As a result, one can conclude that NGOs maximize developmental efforts for two reasons. Governments tend to focus on geographically significant areas, that is, either areas that are significantly underdeveloped, or areas that are significantly developed. NGOs, being more personal in nature, can focus over a wider array of areas and subjects, which the government might not otherwise be able to focus on, owing either to a lack of resources or distribution of priorities. Secondly, they can be set up on any scale, and provide help on any level, be it small or big. Because it is the vision of common, dedicated individuals, not obligated by their jobs or other responsibilities, yet choosing to do so anyway, they are able to focus in a more converged environment and seek out greater

Social Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Social Psychology - Essay Example the study o f how behavior due to one sort of environmental event (larger distant or abstract rewards) may come to dominate behavior due to another sort (smaller immediate or particular rewards)†(Rachlin,2000,p.25).Self discipline is also a concept, which is closely related to self control. It is taming oneself, to live a certain way of life. This concept is mainly incorporated by the person in his life, when he wants to achieve a particular task. Mostly, self control is seen as an individual trait and as a measure of self discipline. If a person lacks self control, it is seen as a failure of his character and personality. Self control is the capability of a person to motivate him to do the right thing. It can also be described as stopping ourselves form doing things that we see as bad for us. Self control constitutes a fundamental aspect of human behavior. Self discipline is another name for self control, without which the life of individuals would lead to chaos. Every habit embedded in the human mind is the result of continuous action .So by controlling a behavior he can form or avoid a habit. It can be very well said that, self control is the strong foundation for the building of character in a person. The degree to which an individual think he has control over the events happening to him, is termed as locus of control. â€Å"Internal versus external control, often referred to as locus of control, refers to the degree to which persons expect that reinforcement or an outcome of the behavior is contingent on their own behavior or personal characteristics versus the degree to which person expect that the reinforcement or outcome is a function of chance, luck or fate, is under the control of powerful other, or is simply unpredictable†(Scrimla,Grimaldi ,2002,p.381).People having high locus of control, have a better control on their behavior and desires. These people direct their life in their own designed path, with their own controlled actions and behavior.

Managing the difference between individuals is more relevant to Essay

Managing the difference between individuals is more relevant to today's organisations than ever before - Essay Example This essay analyses the necessity of managing the differences between individuals in the current scenario to meet the targets of the organisation, by aligning individuals to organisation goals and effectively making them work as a team and meeting increasing productivity and efficiency goals. A growing economy challenges everyone with problems of finding and retaining the best in the industry. When the multi faceted team comes together, harmonizing the work place and managing the differences between individuals becomes necessary to attain organisational goals. A motivated and contented individual performs better and contributes towards reaching organisational goals. Today, the customer is given a lot of priority and the emphasis is on customer service. It order to meet these expectations, dependence on the human workforce has increased tremendously. In the past organisations often had the upper hand. The organisation culture was more conservative and traditional. The hierarchy was adhered to and the lower attrition rates often contributed to a sense of complacency on the part of the management in making efforts to retain the workforce. Today's organisations boast of "shorter chains of command." Unnecessary levels of management have been done away with. Organisations in the past operated on the basis of "Unity in command " principle. It meant that one employee only reported to one supervisor. This was supposed to avoid the potential confusion when an employee gets directions from more than one source. Today, organisations are using more cross-functional teams, task forces and horizontal structures that cater to customers more than before. Employees often find themselves working for more than one" boss". Past organisations had a narrower span of control meaning lower number of people reporting to one single person. Smaller spans of control require more managers and are more costly, while larger spans are less expensive due to the requirement of a reduced number of managers and also are more efficient because of the reduced levels in the management. Organisations today opt for a wider span of control as chains of command are shortened and there is more trust in "empowerment", individual managers are taking on a larger number of subordinates who act with lesser direct supervision. Organisations today have understood the need to delegate more and empower the employees by giving them sufficient authority to make relevant decisions when required. Unlike in the past, this saves the managers from micro managing and also helps the employee own the responsibility for his own decisions. This has also led to the decentralisation of authority to a certain extent, while centralising the information with the help of the technological advances. Reducing the number of staff by using specialised staff increases the operating efficiency of the organisations today. Also, in the past subtly manipulating the workforce was slightly easier due to lack of myriad opportunities. Today, employees know they have many options. They have the upper hand. If the company needs them, it has to work hard to keep them. They need to have a unique

Indian Independence Movement and Modern India Essay Example for Free

Indian Independence Movement and Modern India Essay I am Chandini C Kurup of class IX B standing here to speak to you on this auspicious occasion of Republic Day As we are celebrating the 64th Republic Day of India, we students have some responsibilities to shoulder, and some duties to plunge ourselves. The contribution of students in the struggle for Indian independence and thereafter in the making of modern India can never be negated. From the prehistoric times to the recent years, students in India have played a significant role in shaping the history, culture and demographics of our beloved motherland. Students are not moved by greed, nor touched by the fanaticism and bigotry between brothers and sisters, in religion or otherwise, nor engulfed by the violence that seems to be a standing libel on the world all around. We students are the most pure, the most energetic. And it is the time for us once more to take the oaths and help the nation march forward. Let us take an oath to explore our country in its history, geography, culture and literature as much as we can. It is a pity that we can name several novelists, artists and musicians of England, France, Germany, Russia and many more foreign countries without much thoughts, but need to reach our notebooks and laptops to name even a few of them from our neighboring states. Let us take an oath to understand the immense power of the Indian culture and tradition that have always been the unity in our rich diversity. India was never a nation before the British rule. Our country was forever decided in numerous political pockets, in fact the very concept of a nation is purely Western, yet the concept of a country united through her culture was always there. Only that culture has been the lifeline of India, despite the number of invasions and aggressions on our motherland. If we forget that culture altogether and rush with closed eyes to imitate the West, the end is near. Let us take an oath to do our duties for the country and the environment. If we do all our rough works in the electronic media, we would save lot of papers and trees to make a difference. We can choose not to accept plastic carry bags and request our friends and relatives to follow us. Once in a week, we can offer free tuition to our needy brothers and sisters. Lots of medicines, old books, and old clothes go waste every year; we can donate them to these organizations as well. Our years old shirts that we hate to put on now will bring smiles to many of our friends in need. Morality is the basis and we must not forget that too. We don’t need to be religious and in fact the maker of modern India, Swami Vivekananda, used to hate the manifold rites and customs that make the gap between religions and the common man. But we need to have faith – faith on God, on the essential goodness of man, on the strength and future of our country, and last but not the least, in ourselves. Our nation is made of none but us, and if we can enlighten ourselves we can enlighten the whole nation. We are the future of India, and the way we make ourselves ready for it will decide the fate of the country in the years to come. All good deeds and attempts are mocked by a class of people we must not be afraid nor ashamed of them. All good deeds are achieved through hardships, and we must toil. But all good deeds bring forth a joy to the core of our heart that none can snatch away, and to our last days of lives, that pleasure is going to be our precious possession for sure. Let us respect our country, our nation, our brave soldiers, our Constitution, our national anthem, and our national flag. As we will follow our ways back to home after this ceremony, we might see paper made tricolor flags torn down from ropes and poles and lying on the street dust like garbage; let us spend a few minutes on our way, today at least, to stop and pick them for a better and respectful disposal. The road ahead is a long one, where we have miles to go. With determination and unity we can move forward. On this special occasion, I urge all of you to show the unity and strength and develop the nation where citizens live with peace and mutual understanding.

Growth and expansion of Arcelik Home Appliances

Growth and expansion of Arcelik Home Appliances Introduction Arcelik Home Appliances is the leading manufacturer of home appliances in Turkey with a market share of 50% in the domestic market as at 2003 (Ghemawat, 2008). It supplies the market using two brands namely Arcelik and Beko. The company has adopted an international expansion strategy and has already been marketing its products to more than one hundred (100) countries mainly in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Asia, and North Africa (Ghemawat, 2008). Arcelik was originally founded to produce metallic office furniture in 1955 but diversified into production of household appliances shortly after. It has been hailed as the first company to introduce appliances such as washing machines and refrigerators to the Turkish households. Arcelik would face further challenges when it became apparent that the Turkish government would be participating in the European Communitys tariff reduction which was meant to reduce to zero from 1992 to 1996 (Ghemawat, 2008). The challenge would be competition from other manufactures from the European Community who would be able to sell their products at more competitive process in the domestic market. Arcelik overcame this challenge by investing heavily in research and development thereby substantially improving the quality of their products. The company is currently the leading holder of patents in the Turkish market. This strategy cemented its market leadership in the domestic market as consumers preferred to spend a little more to obtain goods whose durability could be assured. This preference was also enhanced by Turkeys fluctuating market where inflationary forces were highly unpredictable with the greater odds being to the consumers disadvantage. Arcelik would later grow to establish its market dominance in Turkey for decades but would later face challenges that would trigger its focus on international expansion to ensure its survival and growth. Arceliks motives for international expansion The focus on international expansion by Arcelik was triggered by the economic crisis that hit Turkey in 2001. This crisis had led to soaring levels of unemployment and a significant reduction of market demand by an estimated figure of 35% (Ghemawat, 2008). This strategy mainly comprised increasing exports as well as engaging in international acquisitions. The economic crisis in Turkey must have proved to Arcelik the vulnerability of firms wholly dependent on domestic markets. Pressures from business cycles, inflation, interest rates, exchange rates and political forces are prevalent in domestic markets. On the other hand, international markets tend to be better insulated from such pressures since they will rarely apply across several countries. Economic crisis in one market would normally not be prevalent in the rest of the markets hence multinationals can ensure stability by marketing their products across many countries. Arcelik had to get a way to survive the economic crisis in 20 01 and as well ensure that future company performance was stabilized by reducing its level of vulnerability to domestic market fluctuations. Arcelik also sought to focus on international expansion in order to increase its level of production and increase its economies of scale (Ghemawat, 2008). This means that with additional production, the cost of producing each unit product becomes significantly lower hence allowing a company to make higher margins per unit or allowing them to charge lower per unit without incurring any losses. Economies of scale allow a company to remain competitive in the ever-evolving economies. To ensure that the economies of scale do not end up in accumulation of dead stock, or in the escalation of warehousing and storage costs, Arcelik would need to look to markets that would be able to support its intention of increasing the economies of scale through a larger demand. The national demand within Turkey would not be able to absorb these additional products h ence the rationale behind Turkey looking to expand international trade. The level of demand for home appliances in Europe alone is about 25% of world demand (Ghemawat, 2008). Arcelic sought to tap into this huge demand to support its competitiveness and the large levels of production occasioned by their strategy of maximizing on the economies of scale. International expansion can also be explored where a company seeks to lower its production costs by having a significant proportion of their production done from regions where the cost is lower than in the domestic market. One of the major factors of production that normally influence the decision of overseas production is labour. When considering labour, it is imperative that a company weighs between the benefits of the savings from paying the lower labour cost, the differences in the productivity of the workers between the higher wage and lower wage areas, and the transport and storage cost implications. It is also worth noting that in many cases, where the labour costs are low, other factors of production such as land would also be relatively lower. The labour cost in Western Europe is estimated to be five times that in Turkey. Labor cost in Turkey is three times that in Eastern Europe (Ghemawat, 2008). In China, it is four times lower than in Turkey. Labor productivity also varies and must be taken into account. For instance, in China, labour productivity is just half of that in Turkey. Additional transportation costs are determined by both the distance between the production facilities and the legal environments of the countries through which the products must cross to get to its intended markets. Access to international markets is crucial to any organization that seeks to expand itself. Domestic markets will often in many cases be found insufficient to support the growth targets that the companies set for themselves. They are also in many cases unable to enable an organization to recoup the investments the y may make in research and development in time. The complexity and the level of innovations in the global market is advanced and often leads to production of new and better fulfilling products. This significantly reduces the product life cycles and the companies engaging in research and development need to gain assurance that their investments can be recouped before the products lose demand. This assurance can only be found by marketing extensively in the international markets where the demand is much larger and can ably support the level of sales needed. Arcelik was motivated to focus on international markets since it had opted to distinguish itself as a research and development specialist who focused on the production of quality and durable products. These features would mean that it would need to charge relatively higher prices for the products. On the other side, the products from other European countries were finding their way into Turkey due to the zero tariff arrangement with the European countries. The entry of other products in Turkey meant that Arcelik would either have to lower their prices in order to maintain its domestic share market, or expand its operations to European and other markets in order to maintain or increase its level of sales to clients that focus more on quality, suitability and durability of the products they purchase. Arceliks options for expansion In order to realize its goal of expansion into the international markets, Arcelik has adopted a number of options to help them realize this goal. The international market entry options adopted by Arcelik include use of exports, international acquisitions, use of private label contracting, and product diversification. Organic domestic growth and use of exports Arcelik ensured growth domestically by ensuring reliable accessibility to the market using exclusive distributors and agencies who also served as centres for offering after sales services. This exclusive network also served as an entry barrier for any new market operators. Exporting entails maintaining the companys operations in the home market and selling the products in overseas markets (Giroud, Sinkovics, and Yamin, 2011). It is hailed as the least costly mode of foreign market entry but at the same time the most vulnerable to various entry barriers as government regulations. The cost effectiveness of this entry method is enhanced by the fact that it requires no involvement with the foreign governments or the companies operating in the target market. It is often seen as the best mode of entry for an organization operating on a lower scale. With subsequent growth of exports, the company may open sales agencies in the foreign markets to be the link with the companys clients overseas. By 2003, Arcelik had grown to be the leading player in Estonia and Lithuania with a market share of 25% in these two markets. It also had a commanding presence in the rest of Eastern Europe. The presence of Arceliks sales agencies helped grow significantly in Western Euro pe with a markets share of 15% in the United Kingdom. Arcelik also conducted a successful export strategy gaining a 70% market share in Romania with its Beko brand. The net effect of these exporting strategies was a significant increase in Arcetiks production capacity from 440,000 to 750,000 in 2003 and 2004 respectively (Ghemawat, 2008). International acquisitions This mode involves a company buying out another firm operating in the target market hence assuming full legal rights over it. This method is hailed as the best mode of expansion into other markets since it grants a company total control over the foreign subsidiary as well as full profits generated thereafter (Giroud, Sinkovics, and Yamin, 2011). The full control over the activities of a subsidiary is viewed as essential in ensuring they run in accordance with the philosophies of the parent company hence ensure the goals of the company are achieved as intended. The targets for acquisition would need to have the unquestionable ability to complement Arceliks growth strategies. Arcelik would also evaluate the foreign firms brands and take consideration on how these brands would help strengthen them as well as complement their capabilities. The target subsidiarys contribution to sustainable growth was also a key factor. Arceliks acquisitions in 2002 include Bloomberg, Electra, and Flavel and Leisure in Germany, Austria and the UK for the two latter brands (Ghemawat, 2008). They also acquired Arctic in Romania. The acquisitions of brands in the target markets was likely informed by the fact that many consumers tend to prefer purchasing brands that they can identify with: the brands they consider national brands. These acquisitions tremendously increased the product range offered by Arcelik and lead to its significant growth within the European markets. Use of license contracting Licensing involves the company transferring certain rights to another firm to enable it manufacture products using its brand. In licensing, the consideration that the licensor gets is only the royalty or the license fee (Giroud, Sinkovics, and Yamin, 2011). It does not take part in profit sharing or any other marketing processes of the licensee. Licensing offers the advantage of enabling a firm to avoid government regulations and other restrictive policies such as tariffs and quotas. It also enables market penetration without involving extensive capital expenditures. However, this method is highly restrictive in the level of control the company can have over the activities of the licensee. There is also the risk of the licensee gaining the technical expertise and becoming a competitor in the production of close substitutes after the expiry of the mutual arrangement. Arceliks production in 2004 comprised 40% from various licensing arrangements (Ghemawat, 2008). This complimentary effo rt helped ensure Arceliks brand presence in the Europeans markets. Diversification into other businesses within Turkey In order to enhance further growth in the domestic market, Arcelik sought to capitalize on its elaborate distribution network to provide consumers with additional products. By 2004, Arcelik was offered various types cellular phones and was already getting into arrangement with various Japanese firms to act as distributors of various electronic products. The diversification proved to be a great success and further cemented Arceliks leadership in the Turkish market. Additional Options for Expansion Arceliks ambitious goal of achieving revenues of three billion Euros in the next year may be difficult to realize unless additional methods were employed to ensure its continued growth in the international markets. Domestically, Arcelik could opt to but out local competitors in a bid to solidify its hold on the local market. This solidification would help reduce the downward pressure on its product prices by reducing the significance of competition locally. In addition, the additional channels of distribution gained through any such acquisition would act as an entry barrier to any foreign firms hence ensuring steady domestic growth. Internationally, Arcelik could embrace a number of methods to ensure its continued growth. These methods include engaging in Joint ventures, franchising and use of strategic alliances. Joint Ventures Joint ventures involve the formation of a partnership arrangement with a different company where the parent companies provide the resources to operate it, share responsibility on management, and share profits realized thereafter (Giroud, Sinkovics, and Yamin, 2011). This type of venture is especially popular where it comes to sharing the intelligence and technical knowhow required for research and development. With their determination to distinguish themselves as the masters of innovation and product development, this method can be used to ensure its rapid growth. Instead of engaging in competition with the already existing companies in the foreign market, Arcelik could identify a strategic partner who knows the market remarkably well. They could then research into the market needs in a bid to try and unveil any unsatisfied demands in the market. Having found the features lacking in the products found in the market, they could, through the joint venture develop new products that woul d suit this need and capture the unreached market. This method would be convenient to Arcelik since it would not involve many unnecessary government regulations that normally bar entry. In addition, such a venture, if well implemented would easily capture the market as it would be riding on the goodwill and distribution network of the strategic partner in the foreign market. Franchising Arcelik needs to consider franchising in order to minimize the risks involved with the licensing as it currently practices. Here, Arcelik would transfer some rights to the franchisee to produce the products under its brand but will reserve the right to provide some aspects of technical support (Giroud, Sinkovics, and Yamin, 2011). This way, Arcelik will be able to be abreast with the activities of the franchisee. In addition, in Franchising, the royalty is based on the amount of sales hence Arcelik will be able to generate higher revenues in the event the franchisor is able to realize significantly higher sales. Franchising is easy to start since the franchisor incurs minimal capital cost hence Arcelik can expand into more foreign markets with relative ease. Moreover, the franchisee assumes all the risks and foots for all costs of labour and facility establishment. The company will also be able to avoid any political risks associated with foreigners operating in national markets. Arc elik can therefore easily expand its scale of production without worrying about high capital expenditure hence edging closer to achieving the revenue targets Strategic alliances A strategic alliance differs from joint ventures in that it does not necessarily involve formation of a legal entity. Strategic alliances are formed to enable companies use each others distribution networks, technologies, production capacities, management experience and others (Giroud, Sinkovics, and Yamin, 2011). One very essential factor in ensuring product penetration in the market is the distribution network. This has been evident in the manner in which Arcelik has been able to capture the domestic market by using effective distribution networks in Turkey. Arcelik should also try to replicate this experience in the foreign markets. However, by virtue of the fact that its a foreign market, they may not have the resources to establish an effective distribution network in those markets. It would therefore be relatively more convenient to identify foreign companies with a distribution network that serves their target customers effectively, and then enter into a strategic alliance wit h them. This may be companies offering similar products or those making completely different products. When the products are easily available to the consumers, they more likely to buy these products and this would lead to an increase in the amount of sales realized by Arcelik. The strategic alliance could also involve sharing of certain technologies between the companies in question. Arcelik could choose to leave the production of a certain product components to a company with a comparative advantage in its production in exchange for providing a component which it can produce more efficiently. This exchange could lead to lowering the production cost which would be useful in helping the company become more price-competitive in the market. Conclusion Arceliks growth is mainly dependent on how the company can enter and prosper in the international markets. This is because it is already commanding the domestic market in Turkey and may have limited growth opportunities locally. Growth and diversification are often related as is evident from Arceliks company history. Arcelik has grown in the past by steadily improving on the product range that it offers to the market and this diversification should be continued to ensure continued growth.

Seasons Of A Mans Life Essay -- essays research papers

Daniel J. Levinson wrote The Seasons of A Man's Life. Mr. Levinson conducted his research for the book in the late 1960's. At that time he was a Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry of the Yale University School of Medicine, Director of Psychology in the Connecticut Mental Health Center and Director of the Research Unit for Social Psychology and Psychiatry. Early in the book, Mr. Levinson states his reasons for engaging in the research of male adult development and for ultimately writing the book. "The choice of topic reflected a personal concern: at 46, I wanted to study the transition into middle age in order to understand what I had been going through myself. Over the previous ten years of my life had changed in crucial ways; I had developed in a sense I could not articulate. The study would cast light on my own experience and, I hoped, contribute to an understanding of adult development in general." The book is completely about Levinson's theory of male adult development. Levinson acquired his research by interviewing 40 men between the ages of 35 and 45 from four different occupational groups. Through his interviews, Levinson believed that all males pass through a series of stages, each of which presents a different problem to be solved. The first stage is known as the early adult transition (ages 17-22). The problem is to develop a sense of independence by separating from one's family and trying out different lifestyles. This is the stage where hopes and dreams are formulated. The next stage is entering the adult world (ages 22-28). The problem at this stage is to explore and obtain the many adult roles that are needed to be happy and successful in one's career and relationships. A set of priorities begin to form. The age-thirty transition (ages 28-33) happens next. In this stage the man establishes his role in society, builds a nest, and pursues more long- range plans and goals. His problem may be evaluating earlier career choices and goals. Immediately following the age-thirty transition is the settling down stage (ages 33-40). The problem here is to develop a sense of success in the major areas of one's life, primarily one's career and relationships.  ... ...th previous decisions, such as by becoming more committed to one's family or career. I feel that the book was written very well. It went in-depth in mapping out the stages and the events in each one of the stages. I could relate to some but most I could not since Levinson limited his research to only males. I am a female and only 22 so I have just barely entered into the early adult era. Looking at older males around me I can see some of what Levinson has stated to be true, however, I just don't believe that every male is going to go through the life stages just as he says. I think that for the time when this book was written, Levinson probably did a great job in describing the stages. Most of the men that he interviewed were born before and during the Depression. What was true for the men that were interviewed may not be true for today's 40-year-olds. By reading this book I can atbest say that I have a more complete understanding of male adult development. Reference Levinson, D. J. (1977). The Seasons of a Man's Life. Ballantine Books.

Myrdal On Wall Street :: Roger and Me Economics Essays

Myrdal On Wall Street Myrdal’s economic theory of circular and cumulative causation is depicted in the film Roger and Me. In Flint, Michigan, General Motors closes eleven factories, which causes over thirty thousand people to become unemployed. The company claims that they need to close the factories to â€Å"stay competitive.† The viewer sees the truth; they are greedy and will make money wherever they can, regardless of the people they may harm. Labor is much less expensive in Mexico, where GM only has to pay the workers $0.70 an hour. As a result, General Motors begins to close plants in Flint and move them to Mexico. Some people leave Flint to find work elsewhere and some remain, struggling to find new forms of employment. As more and more workers lose their jobs, poverty in Flint becomes more severe. Increasingly people are evicted from their homes, become ill, the violent crime rate in Flint becomes the highest in the country, and the general standard of living plummets for the poor. M ichael Moore describes their living conditions, â€Å"The rat population has now surpassed the human population.† Their environment worsens to the point where Money Magazine declares Flint the worst place to live in the country. The poor citizens in Flint live Myrdal’s circular and cumulative causation theory. In addition, the rich population of Flint prospers during this time of great poverty. The wealthy community of Flint spends their time at the ballet, golfing and relaxing at Grosse Point. When the jail becomes too full and another one is built there is a large party in which couples pay one hundred dollars to stay over night in one of the new cells. They didn’t seem to mind â€Å"celebrating American tragedy,† as Moore had said in another instance. At the end of the documentary, Michael Moore says, â€Å"The rich were richer, the poor, poorer and the people everywhere had a lot less lint thanks to the lint rollers in my town. It truly was a dawn of a new era.† Myrdal’s theory is also highlighted in the films, Wall Street and The Boiler Room. By not hiring women and creating a male dominated environment, the men progressively gain power, just like the rich getting richer in Roger and Me. The women do not have the same opportunities to earn money and power. Several factors contribute the portrayal of Mrydal’s theory of circular and cumulative causation.

A Time Of Change:The 1880’s and 1890’s Kansas Essay -- American Histor

A Time Of Change:The 1880’s and 1890’s Kansas As history cascades through an hourglass, the changing, developmental hands of time are shrouded throughout American history. This ever-changing hourglass of time is reflected in the process of maturation undertaken by western America in the late nineteenth century. Change, as defined by Oxford’s Dictionary, is â€Å"To make or become different through alteration or modification.† The notion of change is essential when attempting to unwind the economic make-up of Kansas in the 1880’s and 1890’s. Popular culture often reveres the American cowboy, which has led him to become the predominate figure in America’s â€Å"westering† experience (Savage, p3). However, by 1880 the cowboy had become a mythical figure rather than a presence in western life. The era of the cowboy roaming the Great Plains had past and farmers now sought to become the culturally dominant figure and force in the American West. Unlike the cowboys, farmers were able to evo lved, organizing and establishing the Populist Party. The farmers’ newly formed political organization provided them with a voice, which mandated western reform. Furthermore, the populist ideas spread quickly and dominated western thought in the 1880’s and 1890’s. The period of the 1880’s and 1890’s marked the end of the American cowboy and gave farmers a political stronghold that would forever impact the modernization of the West. Although early nineteenth century Kansas was vast in territory, the land was mostly unpopulated. This cheap abundant land along with the dream of a better life lured farmers from the east to start their lives in Kansas. Many people were driven to pack their belongings and start their westward bound journey. Floyd Benjamin St... ...ture and the development of small towns led to the inevitable transformation of cattle-towns into large well-populated cities. In June of 1887, a survey conducted by Bradstreet ranking real-estate transactions listed Wichita third with a population increase of 500% (Miner, 174). As the cowboys lost national prominence, farmers became organized groups and gained access to government offices. The Populist Movement brought national attention to the struggling farmer, and secured them an unprecedented quality of life. No longer a diminutive group that the government could ignore, many populist leaders had now attained prominent spots in the House and Senate. The western voice was now abundant, an unyielding force that not only legitimatised farmers, but also helped facilitate the development and modernization of Kansas and other territories throughout the American West.

Math Scores At Harmony Creek Middle School Education Essay

This paper is in response to a petition to find if there is a important difference in math trial tonss that can be attributed to methods of direction and instruction assignments at Harmony Creek Middle School based on ethnicity, socioeconomic position and ethnicity. Test scores for all pupils grouped by instructor, gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic position as determined by the eligibility of the pupil to measure up for free or decreased monetary value tiffin. An Analysis of Variance trial ( ANOVA ) was performed on each information subset and when important differences were found a station hoc analysis utilizing a simple t-test presuming equal discrepancies was used to measure the presence of any important difference in the average trial tonss in math that may be attributed to the method of direction and other listed factors. Do gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic position, method of direction and instructor assignments significantly affect math tonss at Harmony Creek Middle School?IntroductionHarmony Creek Middle School disposal has become concerned with math trial mark over the past several old ages and has examined the construction of the plan in an attempt to turn to the state of affairs. Professional development activities for the three instructors ‘ presently learning math categories have been provided and a restructuring of the instruction methodological analysis has been proposed as a possible solution to the job. At present two of the math instructors use a criterions based instructional method with the 3rd instructor utilizing a more traditional method. This paper will try to turn to the different instruction methods along with gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic position and in what mode these factors seemingly affect the math tonss within the school. It should be noted that this research i s really limited in nature and farther research is called for in this topic. It should besides be noted that with the limited information available and with the methods of roll uping the statistics that there are possible mistakes within the decisions. An analysis of informations covering several old ages would perchance be a better index of the identified issues and could bring forth different consequences. At present there is some favour to standardise the instruction methods within the school to supply more consistent direction of the math plan. Differing sentiments as to efficiency of traditional instruction methods versus criterions based direction exist. Opinions to the construct of grouping pupils by ethnicity and by abilities within cultural groups are besides a topic of some contention to the staff. Surveies seem to propose that a criterions based schoolroom helps kids to derive a better appreciation of math and helps the pupil to go a better critical mind. Traditional methods of instruction may bring forth better procedural accomplishments but seems to make little to assist pupils go better job convergent thinkers. Grouping pupils by ethnicity and by abilities has besides been shown to bring forth really few positive effects and tend to really increase spreads in cognition and accomplishments. Delegating pupils to instructors of the same race have non been shown to hold a important consequence on trial tonss. This paper will analyze the trial tonss of all math pupils at Harmony Creek Middle School harmonizing to race, gender, and socioeconomic position. Methods of direction will besides be examined to try to find if traditional instructional methods or criterions based methods are more effectual. It is hypothesized that there is no important difference in math tonss for pupils based on gender, socioeconomic position or ethnicity. The hypothesis is besides that there is no relationship between teacher assignment and trial tonss based on ethnicity.Reappraisal of literaturePast surveies have theorized that sorted pupils should on norm do better and separately should make at least every bit good. It is besides theorized that a position order could take to increased competition within the group, harder work by persons and to higher consequences for the group as a whole ( Hoffer, 1992 ) . Other factors would look to hold some bearing on grouping though as it is frequently thought that instructo rs relegated to take down group categories would hold lower degrees of occupation satisfaction and that the attempt of these instructors would worsen. The grouping of pupils by ability or cultural grouping may besides ensue in unequal allotment of resources, the instruction of inkinesss, for case, would frequently non have the same quality resources and concerns as the instruction of Whites ( Harris, 2008 ) . Students in higher grouped categories are more likely to be taught by more skilled and motivated instructors who would supply more piquant direction. Lower sorted categories would be given to concentrate on basic accomplishments, trial readying and rote acquisition ( Worthy, 2010 ) . Since lower grouped categories would travel more easy and cover less material the spread in content covered would steadily increase. It is frequently put forth that able pupils are held back by slower 1s when all the pupils work together in the same category ( Goodlad ‘s 1984 ) .MethodsTo compare the efficiency of the methods of direction this undertaking used the ANOVA trial to compare tonss between the pupils and the three instructors in an attempt to find if the Direct Instruction method or the Standards based Instruction yielded higher tonss. A t-test: two sample presuming equal discrepancies was used as a station hoc analysis when the ANOVA trial indicated that there were important differences in the research informations subsets. Assuming a random assignment of pupils to the three instructors this research should give consequences that will let for a finding to be made as to the Method of Instruction that would see the highest math tonss for the pupils. A 95 % assurance degree was used to table the consequences of this research. The dataset contains tonss from 216 pupils. Students were assigned to categories seemingly without respect to ethnicity, ability, gender or socioeconomic position as each category contained pupils stand foring each factor. 71 pupils were taught by Ms. Ruger utilizing a Direct Direction or traditional method of direction. 145 pupils were taught by Ms. Smith and Ms. Wesson who both employ a Standards Based method of direction. The analysis of the information was used to happen if there was a direct tie between the Method of Instruction and the math tonss. A t-test: two sample presuming equal discrepancies was used to compare the tonss for the Direct and the Standards based instructional methods. The information was besides used to compare the trial tonss by factors of ethnicity, gender and socioeconomic position being taught utilizing direct instructional method versus Standards based direction methods. A t-test: two sample presuming equal discrepancies was used here besides for comparing of the tonss.Consequences and Analysis71 pupils were assigned to Ms. Ruger ( direct direction method ) . 69 pupils were assigned to Ms. Smith and 76 to Ms. Wesson ( criterions based method ) . Students taught utilizing the direct method had a average mark of 55.2 and the mean for pupils in criterions based categories was 70.17. The deliberate T Stat for this comparing was 6.94 and the critical value was 1.97. The T Stat being much larger than the critical value allows for the rejection of the void hypothesis and allows us to presume that there is a important difference in the effectivity of the two methods of direction with the Standards based method ensuing in higher math tonss. Male pupils make up 56 % of the population for this research. 39 males were assigned to direct direction schoolrooms and 81 were assigned to categories utilizing a criterions based method. The mean for direct direction pupils ( male ) was 53.30 and the mean for criterions based pupils ( male ) was 68.20. A t Test gave us a deliberate T Stat of 5.13 and a t critical value of 1.98. Because the T Stat is larger than the t Critical we can reject the void hypothesis and happen that there is a important difference of the tonss of male pupils in direct direction schoolrooms and those taught in criterions based schoolroom with the direct direction method giving higher tonss. Female pupils make up 44 % of the population. 32 females were assigned to schoolrooms utilizing a direct direction method and 64 were assigned to criterions based method categories. The mean for females taught utilizing the direct direction method was 57.65. The mean for females taught utilizing the criterions based method was 72.65. A deliberate T Stat of 4.78 and a t Critical value of 1.98 would let for the rejection of the void hypothesis as the T Stat is larger than the t Critical value. Rejecting the nothing in this case would let us to find that the math tonss of females taught utilizing the criterions based direction method were higher than those of females taught utilizing the direct direction method. Asiatic pupils make up 24 % of the population of pupils. The figure of Asiatic pupils taught under the direct direction method was 17 and the figure of Asiatic pupils taught under the criterions based method was 36. A t Trial: two tailed presuming equal discrepancies resulted in a mean of 53.70 for Asiatic pupils assigned to instructors utilizing a direct direction method and 71.36 for those Asiatic pupils assigned to instructors utilizing criterions based methods. A deliberate T Stat of 3.76 and a t Critical value of 2.00. The value of the T Stat being larger that the T Critical value allows for the rejection of the void hypothesis and leads to the decision that within the Asiatic subpopulation those pupils taught utilizing the criterions based method of direction scored higher in math than those Asiatic pupils taught utilizing the direct direction method. Black pupils represent 24 % of the group. The figure of black pupils taught utilizing the direct direction method is 18 and the figure of black pupils taught under the criterions based method is 34. The mean for Black pupils assigned to instructors utilizing the direct direction method was 55.22 and 72.06 for those Black pupils assigned to instructors utilizing criterions based methods. A t Trial of this subpopulation resulted in a deliberate T Stat of 3.82 and a t Critical value of 2.00. As the value of the T Stat is larger than the t Critical value the void hypothesis is rejected and a decision that the criterions based learning method consequences in higher math tonss for the black pupils in this population is reached. Latino pupils account for 31 % of the population of this group. The figure of Latino pupils taught utilizing the direct direction method was 25 and the Latino pupils assigned to criterions based schoolrooms numbered 41. A t Trial of the Hispanic subpopulation resulted in a mean of 55.64 for Latino pupils assigned to instructors utilizing direct direction and a mean of 70.41 for those assigned to instructors using criterions based learning methods. A deliberate T Stat of 3.90 and a t Critical value of 1.99 was observed for this subpopulation. As the T Stat is larger than the value of t Critical the void hypothesis is rejected and it is concluded that Latino pupils achieve higher math tonss when taught utilizing a criterions based method. White pupils account for the staying 21 % of the population. 11 pupils of this subpopulation are assigned to instructors utilizing a direct direction method and 34 to instructors using criterions based methodological analysis. A t Test resulted in mean of 56.90 for white pupils under a direct direction method and a mean of 66.73 for white pupils taught utilizing criterions based method. A deliberate T Stat of 2.06 and a t Critical value of 2.01 allow for the rejection of the nothing and the decision that white pupils taught utilizing criterions based learning methods achieved higher math tonss during the period studied. 35 pupils in this group having free or decreased monetary value tiffins were assigned to instructors utilizing a direct direction method. 69 pupils received free or decreased monetary value tiffins and were assigned to instructors utilizing criterions based learning methods. The deliberate mean for this subpopulation taught under direct direction was 56.17. The mean for the pupils having free or decreased monetary value tiffins taught under criterions based direction was 71.02. A deliberate T Stat of 5.10 and a t Critical value of 1.98 allow for the rejection of the void hypothesis and allows for the finding that pupils having free or decreased monetary value tiffins achieve higher math tonss when taught utilizing criterions based methods. 36 pupils who did non have free or decreased monetary value tiffins were assigned to instructors utilizing a direct direction method. 76 pupils who did non have free or decreased monetary value tiffins were assigned to instructors who used criterions based direction methods. The average mark for pupils who paid full monetary value for tiffins and were taught utilizing direct direction was 54.38 % and the mean mark for pupils paying full monetary value and assigned to instructors who use criterions based methods was 69.39. A deliberate T Stat of 4.75 and a t Critical value of 1.98 allow for the rejection of the void hypothesis and farther let for the decision that pupils who did non have reduced monetary value or free tiffins and were taught utilizing the criterions based direction method scored achieved higher math tonss than the pupils who did non have reduced monetary value or free tiffins and were assigned to instructors utilizing a direct direction learning method.DecisionThe con sequences of this survey would look to do a clear suggestion that Standards Based Instruction should better math trial tonss at the Harmony Creek Middle School. In about every class at that place existed a important difference in tonss between pupils taught utilizing a Standards Based method and those taught utilizing a Direct Instruction method. This tendency appears across all of factors that were examined and would look to follow the tendencies noted in other research that does be. As Thompson ( 2009 ) noted Standards Based patterns were found to be important subscribers to pupils math accomplishment and that virtually none of the ascertained non-SBI practiced were found to be a important subscriber to student accomplishment by gender or cultural grouping. For the intent of this research a commission was formed to help in the rating of the research consequences and in the finding of the more effectual instructional agencies. Committee members consist of 3 active or former in-between school instructors who are familiar with the type of research to be evaluated, the instructional methods and with the demographics of the community, two community members who are active in their support of the school and a module member of the local community college. All members were chosen because of their engagement in both the community and local schools. All of the commission members have some background in instruction, concern, and finance or in the legal field. Harmony Creek Middle School will necessitate to buy 71 text editions at a cost of $ 100 each to implement the alteration to a criterions based instructional method in all math categories. The entire cost of the text editions will be $ 7100. The commission feels that the disbursal of buying new text editions that will be needed to implement a school broad policy of a criterions based learning method is justified as there should be a pronounced betterment in math tonss which should ensue in an improved ambiance throughout the school and the community. Implementing alterations to the math course of study should increase tonss which will assist to hike the morale of both pupils and module. An addition in math tonss will besides be given to increase support from the community as its members shortly see that Harmony Creek Middle School is non content to keep the position quo and is willing to take stairss to better the instruction of the pupils and in the betterment of the community. The vision statement of Harmony Creek Middle school proclaims that: We believe that each of our pupils, our module and our community is alone. We believe that each of our pupils, our module, and our community deserve the chance to accomplish their full potency. We believe that each individual is responsible for their ain actions and the effects of those actions. We believe that diverseness strengthens persons and the community. We believe that larning in an indispensable and womb-to-tomb procedure. To these terminals this commission feels that we must implement this vision statement with action and make all that is possible to farther instruction, diverseness and chance within our schools. We besides feel that one method to carry through this end is the execution of a Standards Based Instructional method in math categories at Harmony Creek Middle School.

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 9. Sure As Hell Didn’t See That One Coming

9. Sure As Hell Didn't See That One Coming I didn't really plan to say goodbye to my father. After all, one quick call to Sam and the game would be up. They'd cut me off and push me back. Probably try to make me angry, or even hurt me – somehow force me to phase so that Sam could lay down a new law. But Billy was expecting me, knowing I'd be in some kind of state. He was in the yard, just sitting there in his wheelchair with his eyes right on the spot where I came through the trees. I saw him judge my direction – headed straight past the house to my homemade garage. â€Å"Got a minute, Jake?† I skidded to a stop. I looked at him and then toward the garage. â€Å"C'mon kid. At least help me inside.† I gritted my teeth but decided that he'd be more likely to cause trouble with Sam if I didn't lie to him for a few minutes. â€Å"Since when do you need help, old man?† He laughed his rumbling laugh. â€Å"My arms are tired. I pushed myself all the way here from Sue's.† â€Å"It's downhill. You coasted the whole way.† I rolled his chair up the little ramp I'd made for him and into the living room. â€Å"Caught me. Think I got up to about thirty miles per hour. It was great.† â€Å"You're gonna wreck that chair, you know. And then you'll be dragging yourself around by your elbows.† â€Å"Not a chance. It'll be your job to carry me.† â€Å"You won't be going many places.† Billy put his hands on the wheels and steered himself to the fridge. â€Å"Any food left?† â€Å"You got me. Paul was here all day, though, so probably not.† Billy sighed. â€Å"Have to start hiding the groceries if we're gonna avoid starvation.† â€Å"Tell Rachel to go stay at his place.† Billy's joking tone vanished, and his eyes got soft. â€Å"We've only had her home a few weeks. First time she's been here in a long time. It's hard – the girls were older than you when your mom passed. They have more trouble being in this house.† â€Å"I know.† Rebecca hadn't been home once since she got married, though she did have a good excuse. Plane tickets from Hawaii were pretty pricey. Washington State was close enough that Rachel didn't have the same defense. She'd taken classes straight through the summer semesters, working double shifts over the holidays at some cafe on campus. If it hadn't been for Paul, she probably would have taken off again real quick. Maybe that was why Billy wouldn't kick him out. â€Å"Well, I'm going to go work on some stuff___†I started for the back door. â€Å"Wait up, Jake. Aren't you going to tell me what happened? Do I have to call Sam for an update?† I stood with my back to him, hiding my face. â€Å"Nothing happened. Sam's giving them a bye. Guess we're all just a bunch of leech lovers now.† â€Å"Jake†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I don't want to talk about it.† â€Å"Are you leaving, son?† The room was quiet for a long time while I decided how to say it. â€Å"Rachel can have her room back. I know she hates that air mattress.† â€Å"She'd rather sleep on the floor than lose you. So would I.† I snorted. â€Å"Jacob, please. If you need†¦ a break. Well, take it. But not so long again. Come back.† â€Å"Maybe. Maybe my gig will be weddings. Make a cameo at Sam's, then Rachel's. Jared and Kim might come first, though. Probably ought to have a suit or something.† â€Å"Jake, look at me.† I turned around slowly. â€Å"What?† He stared into my eyes for a long minute. â€Å"Where are you going?† â€Å"I don't really have a specific place in mind.† He cocked his head to the side, and his eyes narrowed. â€Å"Don't you?† We stared each other down. The seconds ticked by. â€Å"Jacob,† he said. His voice was strained. â€Å"Jacob, don't. It's not worth it.† â€Å"I don't know what you're talking about.† â€Å"Leave Bella and the Cullens be. Sam is right.† I stared at him for a second, and then I crossed the room in two long strides, i grabbed the phone and disconnected the cable from the box and the jack. I wadded the gray cord up in the palm of my hand. â€Å"Bye, Dad.† â€Å"Jake, wait – ,'7he called after me, but I was out the door, running. The motorcycle wasn't as fast as running, but it was more discreet. I wondered how long it would take Billy to wheel himself down to the store and then get someone on the phone who could get a message to Sam. I'd bet Sam was still in his wolf form. The problem would be if Paul came back to our place anytime soon. He could phase in a second and let Sam know what I was doing†¦. I wasn't going to worry about it. I would go as fast as I could, and if they caught me, I'd deal with that when I had to. I kicked the bike to life and then I was racing down the muddy lane. I didn't look behind me as I passed the house. The highway was busy with tourist traffic; I wove in and out of the cars, earning a bunch of honks and a few fingers. I took the turn onto the 101 at seventy, not bothering to look. I had to ride the line for a minute to avoid getting smeared by a minivan. Not that it would have killed me, but it would have slowed me down. Broken bones – the big ones, at least – took days to heal completely, as I had good cause to know. The freeway cleared up a little, and I pushed the bike to eighty. I didn't touch the brake until I was close to the narrow drive; I figured I was in the clear then. Sam wouldn't come this far to stop me. It was too late. It wasn't until that moment – when I was sure that I'd made it – that I started to think about what exactly I was going to do now. I slowed down to twenty, taking the twists through the trees more carefully than I needed to. I knew they would hear me coming, bike or no bike, so surprise was out. There was no way to disguise my intentions. Edward would hear my plan as soon as I was close enough. Maybe he already could. But I thought this would still work out, because I had his ego on my side. He'd want to fight me alone. So I'd just walk in, see Sam's precious evidence for myself, and then challenge Edward to a duel. I snorted. The parasite'd probably get a kick out of the theatrics of it. When I finished with him, I'd take as many of the rest of them as I could before they got me. Huh – I wondered if Sam would consider my death provocation. Probably say I got what I deserved. Wouldn't want to offend his bloodsucker BFFs. The drive opened up into the meadow, and the smell hit me like a rotten tomato to the face. Ugh. Reeking vampires. My stomach started churning. The stench would be hard to take this way – undiluted by the scent of humans as it had been the other time I'd come here – though not as bad as smelling it through my wolf nose. I wasn't sure what to expect, but there was no sign of life around the big white crypt. Of course they knew I was here. I cut the engine and listened to the quiet. Now I could hear tense, angry murmurs from just the other side of the wide double doors. Someone was home. I heard my name and I smiled, happy to think I was causing them a little stress. I took one big gulp of air – it would only be worse inside – and leaped up the porch stairs in one bound. The door opened before my fist touched it, and the doctor stood in the frame, his eyes grave. â€Å"Hello, Jacob,† he said, calmer than I would have expected. â€Å"How are you?† I took a deep breath through my mouth. The reek pouring through the door was overpowering. I was disappointed that it was Carlisle who answered. I'd rather Edward had come through the door, fangs out. Carlisle was so†¦ just human or something. Maybe it was the house calls he made last spring when I got busted up. But it made me uncomfortable to look into his face and know that I was planning to kill him if I could. â€Å"I heard Bella made it back alive,† I said. â€Å"Er, Jacob, it's not really the best time.† The doctor seemed uncomfortable, too, but not in the way I expected. â€Å"Could we do this later?† I stared at him, dumbfounded. Was he asking to post-pone the death match for a more convenient time? And then I heard Bella's voice, cracked and rough, and I couldn't think about anything else. â€Å"Why not?† she asked someone. â€Å"Are we keeping secrets from Jacob, too? What's the point?† Her voice was not what I was expecting. I tried to remember the voices of the young vampires we'd fought in the spring, but all I'd registered was snarling. Maybe those newborns hadn't had the piercing, ringing sound of the older ones, either. Maybe all new vampires sounded hoarse. â€Å"Come in, please, Jacob,† Bella croaked more loudly. Carlisle's eyes tightened. I wondered if Bella was thirsty. My eyes narrowed, too. â€Å"Excuse me,† I said to the doctor as I stepped around him. It was hard – it went against all my instincts to turn my back to one of them. Not impossible, though. If there was such a thing as a safe vampire, it was the strangely gentle leader. I would stay away from Carlisle when the fight started. There were enough of them to kill without includinghim. I sidestepped into the house, keeping my back to the wall. My eyes swept the room – it was unfamiliar. The last time I'd been in here it had been all done up for a party. Everything was bright and pale now. Including the six vampires standing in a group by the white sofa. They were all here, all together, but that was not what froze me where I stood and had my jaw dropping to thefloor. Itwas Edward. It was the expression on his face. I'd seen him angry, and I'd seen him arrogant, and onceI'd seen him in pain. But this – this was beyond agony. His eyes were half-crazed. He didn't look up to glare at me. He stared down at the couch beside him with an expression like someone had lit him on fire. His hands were rigid claws at his side. I couldn't even enjoy his anguish. I could only think of one thing that would make him look like that, and my eyes followed his. I saw her at the same moment that I caught her scent. Her warm, clean, human scent. Bella was half-hidden behind the arm of the sofa, curled up in a loose fetal position, her arms wrapped around her knees. For a long second I could see nothing except that she was still the Bella that I loved, her skin still a soft, pale peach, her eyes still the same chocolate brown. My heart thudded a strange, broken meter, and I wondered if this was just some lying dream that I was about to wake up from. Then I really saw her. There were deep circles under her eyes, dark circles that jumped out because her face was all haggard. Was she thinner? Her skin seemed tight – like her cheekbones might break right through it. Most of her dark hair was pulled away from her face into a messy knot, but a few strands stuck limply to her forehead and neck, to the sheen of sweat that covered her skin. There was something about her fingers and wrists that looked so fragile it was scary. She was sick. Very sick. Not a lie. The story Charlie'd told Billy was not a story. While I stared, eyes bugging, her skin turned light green. The blond bloodsucker – the showy one, Rosalie – bent over her, cutting into my view, hovering in a strange, protective way. This was wrong. I knew how Bella felt about almost everything – her thoughts were so obvious; sometimes it was like they were printed on her forehead. So she didn't have to tell me every detail of a situation for me to get it. I knew that Bella didn't like Rosalie. I'd seen it in the set of her lips when she talked about her. Not just that she didn't like her. She was afraid of Rosalie. Or she had been. There was no fear as Bella glanced up at her now. Her expression was†¦ apologetic or something. Then Rosalie snatched a basin from the floor and held it under Bella's chin just in time for Bella to throw up noisily into it. Edward fell to his knees by Bella's side – his eyes all tortured-looking – and Rosalie held out her hand, warning him to keep back. None of it made sense. When she could raise her head, Bella smiled weakly at me, sort of embarrassed. â€Å"Sorry about that,† she whispered to me. Edward moaned real quiet. His head slumped against Bella's knees. She put one of her hands against his cheek. Like she was comforting him. I didn't realize my legs had carried me forward until Rosalie hissed at me, suddenly appearing between me and the couch. She was like a person on a TV screen. I didn't care she was there. She didn't seem real. â€Å"Rose, don't,† Bella whispered. â€Å"It's fine.† Blondie moved out of my way, though I could tell she hated to do it. Scowling at me, she crouched by Bella's head, tensed to spring. She was easier to ignore than I ever would have dreamed. â€Å"Bella, what's wrong?† I whispered. Without thinking about it, I found myself on my knees, too, leaning over the back of the couch across from her†¦ husband. He didn't seem to notice me, and I barely glanced at him. I reached out for her free hand, taking it in both of mine. Her skin was icy. â€Å"Are you all right?† It was a stupid question. She didn't answer it. â€Å"I'm so glad you came to see me today, Jacob,† she said. Even though I knew Edward couldn't hear her thoughts, he seemed to hear some meaning I didn't. He moaned again, into the blanket that covered her, and she stroked his cheek. â€Å"What is it, Bella?† I insisted, wrapping my hands tight around her cold, fragile fingers. Instead of answering, she glanced around the room like she was searching for something, both a plea and a warning in her look. Six pairs of anxious yellow eyes stared back at her. Finally, she turned to Rosalie. â€Å"Help me up, Rose?† she asked. Rosalie's lips pulled back over her teeth, and she glared up at me like she wanted to rip my throat out. I was sure that was exactly the case. â€Å"Please, Rose.† The blonde made a face, but leaned over her again, next to Edward, who didn't move an inch. She put her arm carefully behind Bella's shoulders. â€Å"No,† I whispered. â€Å"Don't get up___† She looked so weak. â€Å"I'm answering your question,† she snapped, sounding a little bit more like the way she usually talked to me. Rosalie pulled Bella off the couch. Edward stayed where he was, sagging forward till his face was buried in the cushions. The blanket fell to the ground at Bella's feet. Bella:s body was swollen, her torso ballooning out in a strange, sick way. It strained against the faded gray sweatshirt that was way too big for her shoulders and arms. The rest of her seemed thinner, like the big bulge had grown out of what it had sucked from her. It took me a second to realize what the deformed part was – I didn't understand until she folded her hands tenderly around her bloated stomach, one above and one below. Like she was cradling it. I saw it then, but I still couldn't believe it. I'd seen her just a month ago. There was no way she could be pregnant. Not that pregnant. Except that she was. I didn't want to see this, didn't want to think about this. I didn't want to imagine him inside her. I didn't want to know that something I hated so much had taken root in the body I loved. My stomach heaved, and I had to swallow back vomit. But it was worse than that, so much worse. Her distorted body, the bones jabbing against the skin of her face. I could only guess that she looked like this – so pregnant, so sick – because whatever was inside her was taking her life to feed its own†¦. Because it was a monster. Just like its father. I always knew he would kill her. His head snapped up as he heard the words inside mine. One second we were both on our knees, and then he was on his feet, towering over me. His eyes were flat black, the circles under them dark purple. â€Å"Outside, Jacob,† he snarled. I was on my feet, too. Looking down on him now. This was why I was here. â€Å"Let's do this,† I agreed. The big one, Emmett, pushed forward on Edward's other side, with the hungry-looking one, Jasper, right behind him. I really didn't care. Maybe my pack would clean up the scraps when they finished me off. Maybe not. It didn't matter. For the tiniest part of a second my eyes touched on the two standing in the back. Esme. Alice. Small and distractingly feminine. Well, I was sure the others would kill me before I had to do anything about them. I didn't want to kill girls†¦ even vampire girls. Though I might make an exception for that blonde. â€Å"No,† Bella gasped, and she stumbled forward, out of balance, to clutch at Edward's arm. Rosalie moved with her, like there was a chain locking them to each other. â€Å"I just need to talk to him, Bella,† Edward said in a low voice, talking only to her. He reached up to touch her face, to stroke it. This made the room turn red, made me see fire – that, after all he'd done to her, he was still allowed to touch her that way. â€Å"Don't strain yourself,† he went on, pleading. â€Å"Please rest. We'll both be back in just a few minutes.† She stared at his face, reading it carefully. Then she nodded and drooped toward the couch. Rosalie helped lower her back onto the cushions. Bella stared at me, trying to hold my eyes. â€Å"Behave,† she insisted. â€Å"And then come back.† I didn't answer. I wasn't making any promises today. I looked away and then followed Edward out the front door. A random, disjointed voice in my head noted that separating him from the coven hadn't been so difficult, had it? He kept walking, never checking to see if I was about to spring at his unprotected back. I supposed he didn't need to check. He would know when I decided to attack. Which meant I'd have to make that decision very quickly. Tm not ready for you to kill me yet, Jacob Black,† he whispered as he paced quickly away from the house. â€Å"You'll have to have a little patience.† Like I cared about his schedule. I growled under my breath. â€Å"Patience isn't my specialty.† He kept walking, maybe a couple hundred yards down the drive away from the house, with me right on his heels. I was all hot, my fingers trembling. On the edge, ready and waiting. He stopped without warning and pivoted to face me. His expression froze me again. For a second I was just a kid – a kid who had lived all of his life in the same tiny town. Just a child. Because I knew I would have to live a lot more, suffer a lot more, to ever understand the searing agony in Edward's eyes. He raised a hand as if to wipe sweat from his forehead, but his fingers scraped against his face like they were going to rip his granite skin right off. His black eyes burned in their sockets, out of focus, or seeing things that weren't there. His mouth opened like he was going to scream, but nothing came out. This was the face a man would have if he were burning at the stake. For a moment I couldn't speak. It was too real, this face – I'd seen a shadow of it in the house, seen it in her eyes and his, but this made it final. The last nail in her coffin. â€Å"It's killing her, right? She's dying.† And I knew when I said it that my face was a watered-down echo of his. Weaker, different, because I was still in shock. I hadn't wrapped my head around it yet – it was happening too fast. He'd had time to get to this point. And it was different because I'd already lost her so many times, so many ways, in my head. And different because she was never really mine to lose. And different because this wasn't my fault. â€Å"My fault,† Edward whispered, and his knees gave out. He crumpled in front of me, vulnerable, the easiest target you could imagine. But I felt cold as snow – there was no fire in me. â€Å"Yes,† he groaned into the dirt, like he was confessing to the ground. â€Å"Yes, it's killing her.† His broken helplessness irritated me. I wanted a fight, not an execution. Where was his smug superiority now? â€Å"So why hasn't Carlisle done anything?† I growled. â€Å"He's a doctor, right? Get it out of her.† He looked up then and answered me in a tired voice. Like he was explaining this to a kindergartener for the tenth time. â€Å"She won't let us.† It took a minute for the words to sink in. Jeez, she was running true to form. Of course, die for the monster spawn. It was so Bella. â€Å"You know her well,† he whispered. â€Å"How quickly you see†¦. I didn't see. Not in time. She wouldn't talk to me on the way home, not really. I thought she was frightened – that would be natural. I thought she was angry with me for putting her through this, for endangering her life. Again. I never imagined what she was really thinking, what she was resolving. Not until my family met us at the airport and she ran right into Rosalie's arms. Rosalie's! And then I heard what Rosalie was thinking. I didn't understand until I heard that. Yet you understand after one second. . . .† He half-sighed, half-groaned. â€Å"Just back up a second. She won't let you.† The sarcasm was acid on my tongue. â€Å"Did you ever notice that she's exactly as strong as a normal hundred-and-ten-pound human girl? How stupid are you vamps? Hold her down and knock her out with drugs.† â€Å"I wanted to,† he whispered. â€Å"Carlisle would have___† What, too noble were they? â€Å"No. Not noble. Her bodyguard complicated things.† Oh. His story hadn't made much sense before, but it fit together now. So that's what Blondie was up to. What was in it for her, though? Did the beauty queen want Bella to die so bad? â€Å"Maybe,† he said. â€Å"Rosalie doesn't look at it quite that way.† â€Å"So take the blonde out first. Your kind can be put back together, right? Turn her into a jigsaw and take care of Bella.† â€Å"Emmett and Esme are backing her up. Emmett would never let us†¦ and Carlisle won't help me with Esme against it___† He trailed off, his voice disappearing. â€Å"You should have left Bella with me.† â€Å"Yes.† It was a bit late for that, though. Maybe he should have thought about all this before he knocked her up with the life-sucking monster. He stared up at me from inside his own personal hell, and I could see that he agreed with me. â€Å"We didn't know,† he said, the words as quiet as a breath. â€Å"I never dreamed. There's never been anything like Bella and I before. How could we know that a human was able conceive a child with one of us – â€Å" â€Å"When the human should get ripped to shreds in the process?† â€Å"Yes,† he agreed in a tense whisper. â€Å"They're out there, the sadistic ones, the incubus, the succubus. They exist. But the seduction is merely a prelude to the feast. No one survives† He shook his head like the idea revolted him. Like he was any different. â€Å"I didn't realize they had a special name for what you are,† I spit. He stared up at me with a face that looked a thousand years old. â€Å"Even you, Jacob Black, cannot hate me as much as I hate myself.'7 Wrong,I thought, too enraged to speak. â€Å"Killing me now doesn't save her,† he said quietly. â€Å"So what does?† â€Å"Jacob, you have to do something for me.† â€Å"The hell I do, parasite!† He kept staring at me with those half-tired, half-crazy eyes. â€Å"For her?† I clenched my teeth together hard. â€Å"I did everything I could to keep her away from you. Every single thing. It's too late.† â€Å"You know her, Jacob. You connect to her on a level that I don't even understand. You are part of her, and she is part of you. She won't listen to me, because she thinks I'm underestimating her. She thinks she's strong enough for this___† He choked and then swallowed. â€Å"She might listen to you.† â€Å"Why would she?† He lurched to his feet, his eyes burning brighter than before, wilder. I wondered if he was really going crazy. Could vampires lose their minds? â€Å"Maybe,† he answered my thought. â€Å"I don't know. It feels like it.† He shook his head. â€Å"I have to try to hide this in front of her, because stress makes her more ill. She can't keep anything down as it is. I have to be composed; I can't make it harder. But that doesn't matter now. She has to listen to you!† â€Å"I can't tell her anything you haven't. What do you want me to do? Tell her she's stupid? She probably already knows that. Tell her she's going to die? I bet she knows that, too.† â€Å"You can offer her what she wants.† He wasn't making any sense. Part of the crazy? â€Å"I don't care about anything but keeping her alive,† he said, suddenly focused now. â€Å"If it's a child she wants, she can have it. She can have half a dozen babies. Anything she wants.† He paused for one beat. â€Å"She can have puppies, if that's what it takes.† He met my stare for a moment and his face was frenzied under the thin layer of control. My hard scowl crumbled as I processed his words, and I felt my mouth pop open in shock. â€Å"But not this way!† he hissed before I could recover. â€Å"Not this thing that's sucking the life from her while I stand there helpless! Watching her sicken and waste away. Seeing it hurting her.† He sucked in a fast breath like someone had punched him in the gut. â€Å"You have to make her see reason, Jacob. She won't listen to me anymore. Rosalie's always there, feeding her insanity – encouraging her. Protecting her. No, protecting it Bella's life means nothing to her.† The noise coming from my throat sounded like I was choking. What was he saying? That Bella should, what? Have a baby? With me? What? How? Was he giving her up? Or did he think she wouldn't mind being shared? â€Å"Whichever. Whatever keeps her alive.† â€Å"That'sthe craziest thing you've said yet,† I mumbled. â€Å"She loves you.† â€Å"Not enough.† â€Å"She's ready to die to have a child. Maybe she'd accept something less extreme.† â€Å"Don't you know her at all?† â€Å"I know, I know.It's going to take a lot of convincing. That's why I need you. You know how she thinks. Make hersee sense.† I couldn't think about what he was suggesting. It was too much. Impossible. Wrong. Sick. Borrowing Bella for the weekends and then returning her Monday morning like a rental movie? So messed up. So tempting. I didn't want to consider, didn't want to imagine, but the images came anyway. I'd fantasized about Bella that way too many times, back when there was still a possibility of us, and then long after it was clear that the fantasies would only leave festering sores because there was no possibility, none at all. I hadn't been able to help myself then. I couldn't stop myself now. Bella in my arms, Bella sighing my name†¦ Worse still, this new image I'd never had before, one that by all rights shouldn't have existed for me. Not yet. An image I knew I wouldn't've suffered over for years if he hadn't shoved it in my head now. But it stuck there, winding threads through my brain like a weed – poisonous and unkillable. Bella, healthy and glowing, so different than now, but something the same: her body, not distorted, changed in a more natural way. Round with my child. I tried to escape the venomous weed in my mind. â€Å"Make Bella see sense? What universe do you live in?† â€Å"At least try.† I shook my head fast. He waited, ignoring the negative answer because he could hear the conflict in my thoughts. â€Å"Where is this psycho crap coming from? Are you making this up as you go?† â€Å"I've been thinking of nothing but ways to save her since I realized what she was planning to do. What she would die to do. But I didn't know how to contact you. I knew you wouldn't listen if I called. I would have come to find you soon, if you hadn't come today. But it's hard to leave her, even for a few minutes. Her condition†¦ it changes so fast. The thing is†¦ growing. Swiftly. I can't be away from her now.† â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"None of us have any idea. But it is stronger than she is. Already.† I could suddenly see it then – see the swelling monster in my head, breaking her from the inside out. â€Å"Help me stop it,† he whispered. â€Å"Help me stop this from happening.† â€Å"How?By offering my stud services?† He didn't even flinch when I said that, but I did. â€Å"You're really sick. She'll never listen to this.† â€Å"Try. There's nothing to lose now. How will it hurt?† It would hurt me. Hadn't I taken enough rejection from Bella without this? â€Å"A little pain to save her? Is it such a high cost?† â€Å"But it won't work.† â€Å"Maybe not. Maybe it will confuse her, though. Maybe she'll falter in her resolve. One moment of doubt is all I need.† â€Å"And then you pull the rug out from under the offer? ‘Just kidding, Bella'?† â€Å"If she wants a child, that's what she gets. I won't rescind.† I couldn't believe I was even thinking about this. Bella would punch me – not that I cared about that, but it would probably break her hand again. I shouldn't let him talk to me, mess with my head. I should just kill him now. â€Å"Not now,† he whispered. â€Å"Not yet. Right or wrong, it would destroy her, and you know it. No need to be hasty. If she won't listen to you, you'll get your chance. The moment Bella's heart stops beating, I will be begging for you to me.† â€Å"You won't have to beg long.† The hint of a worn smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. â€Å"I'm very much counting on that.† â€Å"Then we have a deal.† He nodded and held out his cold stone hand. Swallowing my disgust, I reached out to take his hand. My fingers closed around the rock, and I shook it once. â€Å"We have a deal,† he agreed.