Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Business - Essay Example The firm’s revenues – from its retail sales in its major 19 brands – in 2010 were estimated to $1 billion/ per brand, i.e. about 19 billion in total (2010 Annual Report, p.16); the firm’s employees have been estimated to 285,000 in the firm’s branches worldwide (PepsiCo, The Company 2011). 1.2 Aims and mission of the company The firm’s mission is clearly stated in its website; in accordance with its mission and vision statement, the firm’s key mission is to become the leading firm in its industry – worldwide. At the same time, emphasis is given on the firm’s visions, which include the improvement of the firm’s ‘social, economic and natural environment’ (PepsiCo, The Company 2011). Moreover, it is made clear that profitability is not the key aim of the firm; expansion in the world market is among the firm’s priority but this expansion needs to be combined by the promotion of the interests of the firm’s stakeholders – as noted in the firm’s mission and vision statement (PepsiCo, The Company 2011). 2. ... eholders are defined as follows – in accordance with the firm’s website: ‘consumers, communities, associates, retail customers, investors, partners and suppliers’ (PepsiCo, Stakeholders 2011). Therefore, the relationship between PepsiCo and its stakeholders implies the policies that the company has promoted in order to respond to the needs of the above groups of persons; it also implies the views of stakeholders (as described above) on the practices of the firm. These views can be identified through the following ways: the level of the firm’s profitability (in case of high profitability, the acceptance of the firm’s corporate social responsibility policies by its stakeholders is assumed) and the market research (developed by the company, by its competitors or by independent researchers). Having identified the firm’s stakeholders, the examination of their relationship with the firm could proceed. Two are the key questions that should be addressed: which are the main needs of the firm’s stakeholders and how well has the firm managed to respond to these needs. Reference is made to an indicative example of the firm’s corporate social responsibility, showing its ability to respond to the needs of its stakeholders: the response of the firm to the accident (Oil spill) by BP in the Gulf of Mexico. These issues are analytically presented in the section that follows. 2.2 How well does PepsiCo impact on society and its stakeholders? In order to understand the relationship between the firm and its stakeholders it would be necessary primarily to present the interests of these stakeholders (as described above); then the practices of the firm for protecting these interests could be presented and evaluated. Referring to each particular category of the firm’s

Electric Vehicles Essay Example for Free

Electric Vehicles Essay Skyrocketing fuel pricing along with depleting oil resources and increased environmental concerns have pushed mankind to consider alternative sources of fuel to power automobiles. Among all the alternate fuel ideas that include everything from excreta to biodiesel, electricity has also been considered as a best alternative to conventional fuels. Electric Vehicles (EVs) are a promising technology for drastically reducing the environmental burden of road transport. Electric Vehicles (EVs) have been around since mid 1800s. During early years, electric vehicles had many advantages over cars powered by internal combustion engines. Such as vehicles with internal combustion engines were started using a hand crank, whereas EVs could be started like regular cars today. EVs did not have gearboxes or the noise and vibration levels of a petrol-powered car. However, their expensive price tag and limited range led petrol powered car to prosper. However later, rising fuel prices, limited oil resources and environmental concerns brought the electric car back into mainstream production line for automobiles. Today, almost all mainstream car makers have been building electric concept cars as well as production version of electric and hybrid cars. Introduction: An automobile that is powered entirely or partially by electricity are electric vehicles. Electric cars are the cleanest, most efficient, and most cost-effective form of transportation around. Seriously, electric cars are high-performance vehicles that will continue to meet new challenges in the future. There are generally of three types: Battery Electric Vehicle: A battery electric vehicle runs entirely on an electric motor, powered by a battery. The battery is charged through an electrical outlet. One of it is Nissan Leaf . Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle: A plug-in hybrid vehicle has both an electric motor and a gasoline engine onboard. These vehicles generally run on the electric motor until the battery is depleted, at which point the gas engine can kick in, extending the car’s range. The main battery in a plug-in hybrid is charged through an electrical outlet. An example of a plug-in hybrid is the Chevrolet Volt. Hybrid Electric Vehicle: A typical hybrid electric vehicle is fuelled by gasoline and uses a battery-powered motor to improve efficiency, thus is not considered a plug-in electric vehicle. The battery in a gasoline hybrid is never plugged into an electrical outlet, but instead is powered by a combination of the gasoline engine and regenerative braking. The most well known hybrid electric vehicle is the Toyota Prius. WORKING OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A. Battery Electric Vehicles(BEV’s) Electric cars are zero-emission cars at the point of their usage. There are two types of charger plugs in BEV’s. One is quick charger plug which charges the battery at faster rate compared to the household charger plugs. On board chargers are used to convert AC power to DC power. The controller controls the amount of power to be transmitted to the motor, which in turn, converts the electrical power to the motive power. Nickel-Metal Hydride and Lithium-ion cells are the latest battery modes used nowadays. B. Hybrid Electric Vehicles Hybrid electric vehicles combines the best features of conventional as well as electrical cars. The underlying principle of hybrid cars comprises of the usage of temporary power storage which later on enables the major engine to be functioned at the close to its supreme efficiency. There are two types of hybrid drive generated series hybrids and parallel hybrids. In ‘series hybrid’, the combustion engine sends the power to the electrical generator. Electrical generator converts the mechanical energy into electrical energy which is converted into DC by the inverter to be stored in the battery. Power from the battery can be inverted back to AC so that the electric motor converts it into motive power. In parallel hybrid the car wheels are either powered by engine or from the battery powered electric drive-train. Planetary gear system is used to transmit the power into axle. Electric motors and planetary gear system work as a Continuously Variable Transmission(CVT). In both the hybrids, whenever the engine ignites slowly, the excess energy is stored for the later usage. In this way, these cars provide less emission and improved fuel economy. Conventional Cars Vs Electric Vehicles A. Fuel Efficiency In a conventional car: . * 87. 4 % of fuel energy is wasted * Only 12. 6 % of fuel energy is transferred to the wheels * 5. 8 % is turned to kinetic energy, consumed in the brake * 17. 2 % idling losses, engine on with no torque How Hybrids save fuel? 1. Engine is turned off at: -Stops -Lower speed (say less that 15 km/h), an electric motor drives the car until speed reaches a certain limit, then engine kicks in -When vehicle is stopping or going downhill, engine is turned off, and regenerative braking is applied. 2. When engine operates in an inefficient mode(e. g. at very high or very low engine speeds), the electric motor kicks in and assists engine. Engine is driven to its optimum operating zone 3. Engine can be made smaller, due to electric motor assistance B. Emissions: 1. In combustion engine, emissions occur during driving 2. In E-cars, emission occurs only during electricity production. C. Operating Cost 1. In combustion cars, take petrol at Rs. 73/lt, and a car that achieves 25kms/lt. Energy cost is Rs3/km. 2. Now take electricity at Rs. 6/kW-h, and a car that consumes 125 W-h/km. Energy cost is Rs. 0. 75/km D. Efficiency ratio: 1 Combustion engine: 25-30 percent 2. Electric motor: close to 90 percent TECHNOLOGICAL CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES: The main problem with the electric car is battery. Such as:- Time of battery charging is long. -Batteries are heavy. -Batteries are expensive. -Low performance in hot or cold temperatures also may damage the battery -Very sensitive to overcharge/undercharge(Battery life reduces dramatically) -Contain toxic heavy metals, disposal issue. All these provide scope for the further research and development in the field of electric vehicles. The RD are supported by the government and industries. POSSIBLE FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES: Over population and limited energy resources have pushed the need and the demand of the electric vehicles. In the future, we will have hybrids and battery electric vehicles everywhere in the markets, industries and highways. Some of the possible future technologies in this field are: 1. A photovoltaics-carport (solar service station) which is considered as a charging station of electric cars for the future. 2. Battery recharging which will employ a special chemical process, occurring on all energy-storage particles at once; in contrast to the traditional batteries, where only a fraction of the energy storage can be replenished at once . 3. Electrical outlet and electric cable will not be required in future anymore, because the electric car of the future refuels its power fully automatically and without contacting by induction while driving or parking. CONCLUSION: Electric vehicles (EVs) hold the potential of transforming the way the world moves. EVs can increase energy security by diversifying the fuel mix and decreasing dependence on petroleum, while also reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. Just as important, EVs can unlock innovation and create new advanced industries that spur job growth and enhance economic prosperity. However, the mass deployment of EVs will require transportation systems capable of integrating and fostering this new technology. To accelerate this transitition, cities and metropolitan regions around the world are creating EV-friendly ecosystems and building the foundation for widespread adoption.

Issues in Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway Essay -- Woolf

Issues in Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway revolves around several of the issues that preoccupied the Bloomsbury writers and thinkers as a group. Issues of androgyny, class, madness, and mythology run throughout the novel. While that is hardly an exhaustive list, these notions seem to form the core of the structure of the novel. Woolf herself, when envisioning the project, sought to produce â€Å"a study of insanity and suicide, the world seen by the sane and the insane side by side.† This issue of madness, in particular, gives the novel its form as we follow the twinned lives of Septimus Warren Smith and Clarissa Dalloway. These preoccupations, occuring in the biographical and intellectual lives of the disparate members of Bloomsbury, revolved around Virginia framing the preoccupations and concerns of the text. In terms of the ambiguous gender identities running throughout the text (Clarissa’s frigidity towards her husband, her sexual view of women, and Septimus’s effeminite nature), there is a tendency towards the asexual or the androgynous in the...

Marketing Changes Your Brain

The reason why I chose the topic for my final paper â€Å"Marketing Changes Your Brain† is because we are constantly surrounded by advertisements on a daily basis to where the government is basically brain washing us from birth to be consumers in this capitalistic society. Also this topic reminds me of one of my favorite professors, Dry. Choc who teaches Sociology at San Diego State University. His lectures were always life changing, and I could tell in the conviction of his voice that he is strongly assassinate about his profession and loves teaching undergrads.One of the main topics of the semester was about consumerism and how it affects us every single day. Statistics show that the average American will come across 5000 different types of advertisements a day (Lecture, Choc). There are millions of ways we come in contact through ads these days including, commercials, posters, covers on food, and etc. What I basically learned in this class was that we should be more aware o f what it meaner to be consumers of Capitalism and to realize how much we have been exploited to be constant consumers.The reason many of us fall for advertisements we see is because many of these companies purposely make their commercials activate a part of the brain's reward/pleasure center. The pleasure center is made up of nucleus acumen's and ventral testament area which the brain receives dopamine (Plotting, Summoning). This reward/pleasure is closely associated when individuals do pleasurable things such eating favorite foods, watching movies, sex, and drugs (Plotting, Summoning).In the module 9 critical thinking, the article explains how the consumption Coca Cola will activate the reward/pleasure center which is another example of why many Americans are addicted to it. It is ironic that Americans in recently years have put so Running head Much money into preventing obesity and childhood obesity yet our government doesn't put any effort into reducing the number of ads we see from these soda companies. Another interesting point that the critical thinking article shows is how smell and auditory senses also have to do with marketing and how we consciously don't even realize it.I can relate myself as when I'm near In-n-Out burger and I can smell the burgers and suddenly want a craving for it. The textbook calls this Subliminal Message where it meaner that our perception is below an absolute threshold where there is less than 50% of it being realized (Plotting, Summoning). Another subliminal message can also be auditory as the text book gives an example of how playing French music will result in people purchasing more French Wine. Subliminal messages can be seen at every store at the mall, such as Hollister.Walk into a Hollister and you will notice how it Just smells like a concreted perfume pit and the ambient lights. However the greatest influences to our brains is culture, another point which Dry. Choc has always brought up in lectures. Advertisement have been a dominant influence in our culture and it is unfortunate that many Americans do not even realize how much our brain is being influenced. Not even Just as adults, advertisements can capture someone at any age. Despite these, I urge many people to make more wiser choices such eating balanced,

The History Of The Life Cycle Costing Accounting Essay

Capital goods are machines or merchandises that are used by makers to bring forth their end-products or by service organisations to present their services. E.g. power generators, medical equipment used by infirmaries to name and handle patients, trains used by a service organisation such as Virgin Trains to transport clients to their finishs. Capital goods are one of the most of import parts of a company or organisation ‘s assets. They can be used for their useable life to bring forth the merchandises or services for the clients and increase the value. It is the involvement of both the manufacturer/supplier and customer/user to hold a full apprehension of the capital good life rhythm and its associated costs. It is widely believed that there are several life rhythm theoretical accounts in industry to see and most of them are instead similar. Fig. 2.1 shows one general life rhythm theoretical account: Fig. 2.1 A General Life Cycle Model ( Source: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.ugs.com/ ) Phase 1 Conceive: The life rhythm starts with the definition of the capital good based on clients ‘ demands. Phase 2 Design: This stage consists of elaborate design and development of the capital good, prototype testing, pilot release and full merchandise launch. It can besides affect redesign and betterment to bing capital good. Phase 3 Realize: Once the design of the capital good is complete the method of fabrication is defined. Phase 4 Service: The concluding stage of the life rhythm involves pull offing of in service information, supplying clients and service applied scientists with support information for fix and care. Finally, there is an end-of-life to the capital good. It needs to be considered whether it is disposal or devastation of stuff. One of the most singular things about life rhythm is that life rhythm procedure is iterative ( Fig. 2.2 ) . It is ever possible that something does n't work good in any stage sufficiency to endorse up into a anterior stage. Fig. 2.2 The loop feature of life rhythm procedure ( Beginning: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.ugs.com/ ) Another life rhythm theoretical account is developed by Kumar, et Al. ( 2000 ) , which consists of 5 stages ( Fig. 2.3 ) . In the first stage, demands and demands are defined based on feedback from the clients and cognition of proficient possibilities. From the specifications of the capital good major proficient parametric quantities can be defined. Following, the system is wholly designed. After that, multiple units of the system are produced. Then, in the development stage, the capital good/system is used, by and large for extended periods ( 10-40 old ages ) . Finally, the capital good/system is disposed of. Fig. 2.3 Life rhythm of a capital good ( Kumar, et al. , 2000 ) To find the costs associated with the different stages, Life Cycle Costing ( LCC ) analysis can be a really utile tool. 2.2 Life Cycle Costing LCC analysis was foremost introduced and developed by the U.S. Department of Defense in order to minimise the disbursals of their purchased equipment. Nowadays the construct is widely used in both private and public sectors every bit good as in different capital goods industries. In Fig. 2.4 a typical illustration is given on the costs distribution associated with the different stages of the capital good life rhythm. Fig. 2.4 Costs distribution of the capital good life rhythm To be brief, Life Cycle Costing ( LCC ) is a methodological analysis for measuring assets that takes into consideration all costs originating from having, runing, keeping, and disposing of the plus ( Fuller and Peterson, 1996 ) . It is the entire discounted cost of acquisition, operation, care and disposal of an plus or system over a fixed period of clip. The elements of cost will be added together to give the entire cost for each point and a expansive sum for the plus through its life clip on a common footing for the period of involvement. LCC analysis enables determinations on acquisition, care, renovation or disposal of the plus to be made in the visible radiation of full cost deductions. Following are two decompositions of costs from different positions. From the position of clients, they are most interested in the Entire Cost of Ownership ( TCO ) . The Entire Cost of Ownership ( TCO ) is the summing up of the cost of geting and having or change overing an point of stuff, piece of equipment, or service and post-ownership cost, including the disposal of risky and other fabrication waste. It besides includes the cost of lost gross as a consequence of downtime or break of service or stop merchandise. Therefore, under the traditional contract ( without the performance-based logistics or power by the hr contract ) : TCO = C acquisition + C care + C downtime + C disposal ( 2.1 ) Acquisition costs: It is the costs during the first three stages of the capital good life rhythm ( Fig. 2.3 ) , viz. , the initial cost incurred prior to seting the system into service which in many instances is high. It reflected in the gross revenues monetary value for new systems. The remainder of the TCO occurs after the purchase stage. Multiple types of costs arise during the development stage, with care and downtime accounting for the largest proportion. Care costs consist of all the resources needed for care, which may be executed by the client or by the maker or a 3rd party. In any instance, the points that have to be paid for include trim parts, service/maintenance applied scientists, substructure and direction. Downtime costs may dwell of direct costs, such as those caused by a decrease in the end product of a mill, and indirect costs, such as those caused by loss of repute and resulting loss of future grosss. Finally, in the disposal stage, there will be disposal costs. Disposal cost is the cost or addition of acquiring rid of assets after usage. These may be important if systems contain environmentally unfriendly stuffs. In many instances, the disposal costs are low. While in some instances, systems or parts of systems may be refurbished and can be reused, so that disposal may even take to gross alternatively of cost. To give an feeling of how high the costs of a capital good may be after purchase, Fig. 2.5 shows how the TCO of an engineer-to-order system is divided over the acquisition, care and downtime costs ( A-ner et al. , 2007 ) . Fig. 2.5 the TCO of an engineer-to-order system The consequences showed that the sum of down clip costs can account up to 48 % of entire LCC while care cost history for 27 % . For other systems, we may acquire different Numberss, but by and large the tendency is the same: the acquisition costs history for merely a fraction of the TCO. The care and downtime costs accounted for a important proportion. When the clients buy a new system, they are implicitly doing farther investings that are 2-4 times every bit great as the acquisition costs. Therefore, it is of involvement of both original equipment makers ( OEM ) and their clients to minimise the TCO. Another decomposition of costs is given by El-Haram and Horner ( 2003 ) . Harmonizing to their survey, Life rhythm costing is composed of entire acquisition cost, entire installation direction ( operation and support ) costs, and entire disposal cost: CT = C acquisition + C installation direction + C disposal ( 2.2 ) Facility Management Costs: Under LCC analysis, installation direction ( operation and care ) costs are future disbursals which are similar to the care and downtime costs. Facility direction costs may be two to three times higher than acquisition costs. Therefore, there is a demand to plan undertakings that minimizes installation direction costs. 2.3 The Life Cycle Costing Process Life Cycle Costing is a six-staged procedure as show in Fig. 2.6: Fig. 2.6 Life Cycle Costing procedure ( Life Cycle Costing guideline, 2004 )Phase 1 Plan LCC analysisThe Life Cycle Costing procedure begins with the development of a program, which addresses the intent and range of the analysis. The program should: Specify the analysis aims in footings of public presentation required to help direction determinations. Describe the range of the analysis sing the life-time of the capital goods/assets, the operating environment and the care support resources to be employed etc. Identify any implicit in conditions, premises, restrictions and restraints ( such as minimal plus public presentation, handiness demands or maximal capital cost restrictions ) that might curtail the scope of acceptable options to be evaluated. Supply an estimation of resources required and a coverage agenda for the analysis to guarantee that the LCC consequences will be available to back up the decision-making procedure. The program should be documented at the beginning of the Life Cycle Costing procedure to supply a focal point for the remainder of the work. Thus the customers/users can reexamine the program to guarantee their demands have been right interpreted and clearly addressed.Phase 2 Select/develop LCC theoretical accountPhase 2 is the choice or development of a LCC theoretical account that satisfies the aims of the analysis. LCC theoretical account contains footings and factors which enable appraisal of all relevant constituent costs. Before choosing a theoretical account, the intent of the analysis and the information it requires should be identified. The theoretical account should besides be reviewed with regard to the pertinence of all cost elements, empirical relationships, invariables and variables. A figure of available theoretical accounts can be used for LCC analysis. And in some instances it is appropriate to develop a specific theoretical account. In either instance, the LCC theoretical account should: Construct a cost dislocation construction ( CBS ) that identifies all relevant cost classs in all appropriate life rhythm stages. Cost classs should go on to be broken down until a cost can be readily estimated for each person cost component. Identify the cost elements that wo n't hold important impacts on the overall LCC of the capital goods/assets. These elements may be eliminated from farther consideration. Make appropriate premises which should be documented to steer and back up the subsequent stages of the analysis procedure. Choose a method for gauging the cost associated with each cost component to be included in the theoretical account. iˆ Determine the information required to develop the estimations and place beginnings for the informations. Identify uncertainnesss that are likely to be associated with the appraisal of the cost elements. Integrate the single cost elements into a incorporate LCC theoretical account, which provides the LCC consequences required to run into the analysis aims.Phase 3 Apply LCC theoretical accountApplication of the LCC Model involves the undermentioned stairss: Obtain informations and develop cost estimations and their timing for all the basic cost elements in the LCC theoretical account. Identify cost drivers by analyzing LCC theoretical account inputs and end products to find the cost elements that have the most important impact on the LCC of the capital goods/assets. Validate the LCC theoretical account with available historical informations if possible. Summarize and categorise the LCC theoretical account outputs harmonizing to the logical groupings ( e.g. fixed or variable costs, acquisition or ownership costs, direct or indirect costs ) . Conduct sensitiveness analyses to analyze the impact of fluctuations to premises and cost component uncertainnesss on LCC theoretical account consequences. Particular attending should be focused on cost drivers, premises related to plus use and different price reduction rates. Review LCC outputs against the aims defined in the analysis program phase to guarantee that all ends have been fulfilled and that sufficient information has been provided to back up the determination. If the aims are non met, extra ratings and alterations to the LCC theoretical account may be required.Phase 4 Document and reexamine LCC consequencesThe consequences of the LCC analysis ( including all premises ) should be documented to guarantee that the consequences can be verified and readily replicated by another analyst if necessary and let the customers/users to clearly understand both the end products and the deductions of the analysis along with the restrictions and uncertainnesss associated with the consequences. Besides, a formal reappraisal of the analysis procedure may be required to corroborate the unity and truth of the consequences, decisions and recommendations. The study should incorporate the undermentioned basic contents: Executive Summary: a brief outline of the aims, consequences, decisions and recommendations of the analysis. Purpose and Scope: a statement of the analysis aim, plus description including a definition of intended plus usage environment, operating and support scenarios, premises, restraints. LCC Model Description: a sum-up of the LCC theoretical account, including relevant premises, the LCC cost elements and breakdown construction along with the methods of appraisal and integrating. LCC Model Application: a presentation of the LCC theoretical account consequences including the designation of cost drivers, the consequences of sensitiveness analyses and the end product from any other related analyses. Discussion: treatment and reading of the consequences including designation of uncertainnesss or other issues which will steer determination shapers and users in understanding and utilizing the consequences. Decisions and Recommendations: a presentation of decisions related to the aims of the analysis and a list of recommendations along with designation of any demand for farther work or alteration of the analysis.Phase 5 Prepare Life Cycle Costing AnalysisThe Life Cycle Costing Analysis is basically a tool, which can be used to command and pull off the on-going costs of the capital goods/assets. It is based on the LCC Model which was developed and applied during the old phases with one of import difference: it uses informations on nominal costs. The readying of the Life Cycle Costing Analysis involves reappraisal and development of the LCC Model as a â€Å" real-time † cost control mechanism. This requires altering the bing footing from discounted to nominal costs. Estimates of capital costs will be replaced by the existent monetary values paid. Changes may besides be required to the cost dislocation construction and cost elements to reflect the plus constituents to be monitored and the degree of item required. Targets are set for the operating costs and their frequence of happening based ab initio on the estimations used in the old phases. These marks may alter with clip as more accurate information is available, either from the existent plus operating costs or from benchmarking with other similar assets.Phase 6 Implement and monitor Life Cycle Costing analysisExecution of the LCC analysis involves the uninterrupted monitoring of the existent public presentation of the capital good/asset during its operation and care stages to place countries in which cost nest eggs may be made and to supply feedback for future life rhythm bing planning activities. 2.4 Life Cycle Costing Model An appropriate LCC theoretical account is provided in Fig. 2.7 by Woodward ( 1997 ) . The theoretical account shows in the first measure the cost elements of involvement are defined from the position of manufacturer/supplier and of the customer/user. The 2nd measure defines the cost construction to be used, which will ensue in the possible trade-off relationships. The following measure is to find the mathematical relationship between the costs. The 4th measure is to set up a methodological analysis to measure the trade-off points of LCC sing all the relationships and uncertainness. Finally we get the LCC analysis consequences. Fig. 2.7 the LCC analysis theoretical account ( Woodward, 1997 ) 2.4.1 Cost elements Estimating the entire LCC requires breakdown of the capital good/asset into its component cost elements over clip. The degree to which it is broken down will depend on the intent and range of the LCC survey and requires designation of: important cost generating activity constituents the clip in the life rhythm when the work/activity is to be performed Relevant resource cost classs ( e.g. labor, stuffs, fuel/energy ) Woodward ( 1997 ) identified the undermentioned of import cost elements when carry oning the LCC analysis: Acquisition costs Life of the merchandise or system Discount rate and rising prices Operating and Care costs Disposal cost Information and feedback Uncertainty and sensitiveness analysis For the last two points: Information and feedback is required to prove whether the LCC computations are accurate ; the uncertainness takes different rising prices and discounting scenarios into history ; the sensitiveness analysis measures the public presentation fluctuations and design options. For case, if a little alteration in a parametric quantity consequences in a big alteration in result, the result is sensitive to that parametric quantity. Costss associated with LCC elements may be farther allocated between repeating and non-recurring costs. LCC elements may besides be estimated in footings of fixed and variable costs. To ease control and decision-making and to back up the Life Cycle Costing procedure, the cost information should be collected and reported in a mode consistent with the defined LCC dislocation construction. 2.4.2 Cost dislocation construction In order to carry on a LCC analysis it is necessary to make a construction that facilitates the designation of undertaking costs in each of the life rhythm stages. The British Standard 5760, portion 23, has a cost dislocation construction ( CBS ) that identifies all relevant costs classs in all appropriate life rhythm stages. The life rhythm cost dislocation construction has five degrees ( Fig.2.8 ) : Fig. 2.8 LCC break-down constructions Flat 1: The undertaking degree has four stages: design, production, installation direction and disposal. Flat 2: The stage degree break down the four stages into their several cost classs, viz. the design and development costs ; the production and assembly costs ; the operation, service, support and care costs ; and the remotion and disposal costs. Flat 3: The class degree takes each class and subdivides it into its cost elements. The design and development costs include the costs related to research and development, technology design, development and trials, and design certification. The production and assembly costs comprise fabrication and assembly, installation building, and initial logistic support costs. The operation, service, support and care costs contain operations of the system in the field, maintaining the system up to an acceptable criterion through service and care, and prolonging care and logistic support throughout the system life rhythm. Finally, the remotion and disposal costs of the system are the estimated value of a system at the terminal of its expected life, including pulverizing cost, recycling or recycling cost and redemption value ( Blanchard et al. , 1995 ; Kumar et al. , 2000 ) . Flat 4: The element degree takes the classs from degree 3 and interrupt them down into their bomber cost elements. For case, the costs related to research and development can be disaggregated into the costs of forces, informations aggregation, historical information analysis and other elements. The cost of operation in the field costs can be broke down into the cost of electric, natural gas, H2O etc. Flat 5: The undertaking degree is the entire cost of all the resources required to finish a undertaking. Fig. 2.9 shows a LCC dislocation construction based on Blanchard et Al. ( 1995 ) . Life Cycle Costing ( LCC ) Design Production Facility direction Disposal Design and development Production and assembly Operations service and care Removal and disposal Research & A ; development Fabrication and assembly Operationss Engineering design Manufacturing technology Tools and trial equipment Fabrication Inspection and trial Quality control stuff Packing and transporting Service and care System technology Electrical design Mechanical design Dependability Maintainability Human factors Logistic support analysis Maintenance/support forces Spare/repair parts Trial and support equipment Transportation system and handling Maintenance/support preparation Maintenance/support installations Maintenance direction Technical informations Computer resources System downtime Construction Fabrication installations Trial installations Operational installations Care installations Development and trial Engineering theoretical accounts Trial and rating Design certification Initial logistic support System alterations Program direction Provisioning Initial stock list direction Technical informations readying Initial preparation Training equipment Trial and support equipment Fig. 2.9 LCC dislocation construction ( based on Blanchard et al. , 1995 ) Estimating cost elements The method used to gauge the cost elements in LCC computations will depend on the sum of information available. By definition, elaborate cost informations will be limited in the early phases, peculiarly during the design/acquisition stage. Cost informations during these early phases will necessitate to be based on the cost public presentation of similar plus constituents presently in operation. Where new engineering is being employed, informations can merely be based on estimated unit cost parametric quantities specified or suggested by the technician. More information on the plus constituent costs will go available during the usage of the capital good/asset, enabling more complete and descriptive costs to be defined. 2.4.4 The estimating cost relationships The bulk of the cost drivers are determined and locked up in the design stage. This stage determines the dependability, maintainability and the effectivity of the system and its constituents. It is of import to hold a good apprehension of how specified assets or systems will execute in the hereafter. Dependability is the chance that a merchandise manufactured to a given design will run throughout a specified period without sing a indictable failure, when maintained in conformity with maker ‘s instructions and non capable to the environmental or operational emphasiss beyond bounds stipulated by the maker or put Forth in the purchase understanding ( Moss and Dekker, 1985 ) . Maintainability is that component of merchandise design concerned with guaranting that ability of the merchandise to execute satisfactorily can be sustained throughout its intended utile life span with minimal outgo of money and attempt understanding ( Moss and Dekker, 1985 ) . A system is technically available when it can run into the throughput where its client agreed on. Availability of a system is typically measured as a factor of itsA dependability. The System Availability is the chance that a system will be in a status to execute its intended map when. As widely recognized, the expression for system handiness is: System availability= ( 2.3 ) In general it can be stated that LCC are mostly determined by the system handiness ( A ) demands set by the client: LCC = C ( A ) acquisition + C ( A ) maintenance+ C ( A ) downtime+ Cdisposal ( 2.4 ) A ( 2.5 ) Where MTBF: Mean-Time-Between-Failures and MTBF measures the system uptime MDT: Mean-Down-Time and MDT measures the system downtime The most of import facet of LCC in the design stage is the average clip between failures ( MTBF ) of the system. MTBF is defined as the mean clip before the first failure of a repairable system occurs ( Kumar et al. , 2000 ) . On one manus MTBF plays an of import function in the costs of the design stage, increasing the MTBF of the system will increase the system ‘s acquisition cost ( A-ner et al. , 2008 ) . On the other manus it besides plays an indispensable function in the care costs of the life rhythm, viz. , increasing the MTBF of the system will cut down the care costs. The other of import facet is the clip the system is expected to be out of operation when a failure occurs. Although system ‘s MTBF are rather long, the mean down clip ( MDT ) determines the costs of non runing for each system failure. Therefore OEMs should do certain these down times are every bit low as possible. The relationship between LCC and system handiness is complex because alterations in system handiness can increase certain LCC constituents and lower others. Thus it means that there will be a trade-off point between the MTBF, MDT and the LCC. Elaborate treatments will be made in the undermentioned chapters. 2.5 Discounting and Inflation Discounting and rising prices are two of import constituents which should be treated carefully when ciphering the LCC. Discounting is a method where the investing for a future period is adjusted to the clip value of money by a price reduction rate. A price reduction rate is the per centum of difference between the value of an investing paid in the present and the value of an investing paid in the hereafter. Besides, in LCC analysis it is common to take into history rising prices rates for the future period. In order to take some uncertainness into history different rates can be chosen. The associated price reduction rate should be used with attention, since there are differences between existent and nominal price reduction rates. The former excludes rising prices and the latter includes rising prices. In concern activities, price reduction rates are normally based on market involvement rates, that is, nominal involvement rates which include the investor ‘s outlook or general rising prices. Market involvement rates by and large serve as the footing for the choice of a nominal price reduction rate, which is used to dismiss future costs expressed in current dollars. In contrast, the existent price reduction rate needed to dismiss changeless dollar sums to show value reflects merely the existent gaining power of money, non the rate of general rising prices ( Fuller and Petersen, 1996 ) . The existent price reduction rate, vitamin D, can be derived from the nominal price reduction rate, D, if the rate of rising prices, I, is known. The relationship is as follows: ( 2.6 ) Then the general expression for the LCC present-value theoretical account is: ( 2.7 ) Where LCC= entire LCC in present-value Ct= amount of all relevant costs, including initial and future costs N= figure of old ages in the survey period, and d= existent price reduction rate used to set hard currency flows to show value Furthermore, the price reduction rate is likely to alter from period to period and there are many price reduction rates. When utilizing the existent price reduction rate in present value computations, cost should be expressed in changeless dollars. Taxs and depreciation allowances should be accounted for in LCC computations, every bit good as any local value consequence. By and large, the straight-line method of depreciation is used. It is simple to utilize and it is based on the rule that each period of the plus life should deprecate every bit ( Ellis, 2007 ) . 2.6 Decision LCC analysis is used as the footing for monitoring and direction of costs over the capital good or plus ‘s life clip. It is basically a fiscal direction tool. In pattern, costs are by and large non expressed as existent or discounted costs but as nominal costs to enable a comparing of the predicted cost and the existent cost. This enables better anticipation and accommodation of the Life Cycle Costing theoretical account. In the article wrote by Ellis ( 2007 ) , he stated that harmonizing to old surveies, old LCC computations did non bring forth dependable prognosiss. The estimated values might be rather different from existent values and that trying to gauge far in the hereafter could take to forecasting mistakes ( Ashworth, 1996 ) . And LCC is non an exact scientific discipline, end products are merely estimations and estimations are non accurate. Even so, given robust and realistic premises, LCC analysis is a utile assistance for the customers/users to compare life rhythm cost of reciprocally sole assets and find which plus provides the best value per unit money spent ( Barringer and Weber, 1996 ) . For the application of LCC analysis, realistic premises can be obtained from measuring the public presentation of similar assets, carry oning literature reappraisals, obtaining information from makers, sellers, contractors, and utilizing mean support and care costs ( Robinson, 1996 ) and it should be pe rformed early in the design stage. The finding of costs is an built-in portion of the plus direction procedure. LCC analysis can be applied to any capital investing determination in which higher initial costs are traded for decreased hereafter disbursals.

How to Write a Report Without Stress - Successful Tips

How to Write a Report Without Stress - Successful Tips Sometimes students are required to make a report, and they may confuse this task with essay writing. Needless to say, the skills you need for writing wuch a  paper are good knowledge of grammar, the ability to analyze things and find the most important information fast. Writing a report or any other academic paper is a serious assignment, and you need a guide to fulfill this task successfully without stress. In our useful guide, you will find all the needed information about writing a report, what skills sub-sections you need, and how to create this paper without wasting your precious time. Do you need a guide to write a report? In our skills sub-sections guide, students can find all the needed tips on how to write a report without wasting nerves. Of course, if you haven't got all the skills sub-sections we recommend, it's better to ask professionals about writing your document. Our talented specialists have all the skills you need for successful writing. ORDER YOUR REPORT NOW The Skills You Need Guide: The Needed Skills Sub-Sections When you're writing a report, you need strong skills to complete the task perfectly. For students, it's not always clear how to write a good document. Usually, teachers require them to create something without telling how to write this paper and the skills you need to complete it successfully In our how to write a report guide, we're going to share the main skills sub-sections: 1. Managing your time This is not always so easy to manage your time while writing a report because you have to plan a lot of things like researching the subject, making an outline, editing the finished work, etc. How to write papers within a deadline? Time-management is important for students to fulfill their tasks in time. Most students get problems with planning their time while writing a report. We suggest reading our e-books about the skills you need to develop your time-management. 2. Researching When you want to improve your writing abilities, it's critical to learn how to research information before writing a report. It's impossible to create a good paper without reading a lot of information and structuring it well. You have to understand what sources are good to use in your paper, how to cite them properly, and how to analyze information to make your own opinion on the particular things. Our e-books on researching will be a must-have for students who want to make excellent documents! 3. Developing an idea Before you start thinking about how to write a document, it's important to develop the main idea. Spend some time thinking about the key points and the idea of the paper to create a thesis statement. Patience and clear thinking are the skills you need here. If you need a guide to develop an idea, feel free to search for it in our how to write papers blog. 4. Understanding your readers When students are writing any papers, they have to understand their future audience. This helps to create an interesting document for a particular group of people. Before you start to write, think who will read the paper, and what kind of things can make this group of people interested in reading and discussing it. If you need a guide to research your audience before writing, read our e-books about the skills you need, and learn how to write better and improve your abilities without stress! 5. Organizing your future report. It's important to follow the particular format when writing a report Most papers for students must include three main parts: an introduction,   main part, and a conclusion. Make sure you know the required format and read all the instructions on writing. Skills in organization the document help students to make successful manuscripts without problems. Keeping your work well-organized will prevent a lot of problems like repeating things, stress, and time-wasting. Organizing your document and keeping a good structure are the skills you need to finish your task perfectly. Don't hesitate to read our e-books on how to write and organize a report. 6. Clear writing and straight thoughts are the skills you need It's a very important point in our skills sub-sections because every paper should be created with a formal tone and proper grammar. When you need to support the argument or tell readers your own opinion, it's important to write clearly and straight. Include only the information on the subject. Learn to formulate thoughts straightforward without many words. Build simple and short sentences, it'll help readers to understand your document better. If you need a guide to create good manuscripts, our e-books on how to write academic papers will be quite useful. 7. Grammar rules Knowing grammar and punctuation rules are the skills you need to create marvelous texts. When students are writing a report, it's inappropriate to write with errors. We suggest checking the completed paper and correct all the mistakes. If you need a guide to revise documents for grammar mistakes, feel free to use various online programs and read our e-books with detailed instructions. Nobody wants to read articles with misprints and mistakes, so do your best to make papers look professional! Read more articles from our blog to learn how to write excellent texts. What to Do if You Don't Have the Skills You Need? Here are five great reasons why clients keep choosing our team for writing their manuscripts: Talented authors know how to write bright documents. They have all the skills you need for creating a professional paper on the highest level. Experienced editors can review completed texts for errors. They will give no chance to mistakes to appear in your writing. All the texts will be checked thoroughly for grammar and punctuation mistakes and plagiarism. Low prices attract customers' attention. Order papers without wasting money and get some rest without stress! We set reasonable prices and special discounts for customers. Years of experience. Thousands of happy clients trust our reliable company. We provide students with high-quality documents without errors. People select us because we do our best to create perfect manuscripts for your needs. Order papers fast. Fill the form and get a completed manuscript just in a few hours! The most popular question among students is "How to write a report if you don't have the skills you need?", and the answer is to choose our professional writing company! We know how to write various papers for students without stress. Our skilled professionals are glad to create successful documents for your needs in the shortest terms. ORDER A REPORT HERE

Hipparchus the Astronomer, Geographer, Mathematician

Hipparchus the Astronomer, Geographer, Mathematician If youve studied math at a high school level, you probably have experience with trigonometry. Its a fascinating branch of mathematics, and it all came about through the genius of Hipparchus of Rhodes. Hipparchus was a Greek scholar considered the greatest astronomical observer in early human history. He made many advances in geography and mathematics, specifically in trigonometry, which he used to construct models to predict solar eclipses. Because math is  the language of science, his contributions are particularly important.   Early Life Hipparchus was born around 190 BCE in Nicaea, Bithynia (now known as now Iznik, Turkey). His early life is mostly a mystery, but what we do know about him comes from Ptolemys Almagest. He  is mentioned in other writings as well. Strabo, a Greek geographer and historian who lived around 64 BCE to 24 AD called Hipparchus one of the famous men of Bithynia. His image, usually depicted sitting and looking at a globe, has been found on many coins minted between 138 AD and 253 AD. In ancient terms, thats a pretty important acknowledgment of importance. Hipparchus apparently traveled and wrote extensively. There are records of observations he made in his native Bithynia as well as from the  island of Rhodes and the Egyptian city of Alexandria. The only example of his writing that  still exists is his Commentary on Aratus and Eudoxus. Its  not one of his major writings, but its still important because it gives us an insight into his work. Life Achievements Hipparchuss major love was mathematics and he pioneered a number of ideas we take for granted today: the division of a circle into 360 degrees and the creation of one of the first trigonometric tables for solving triangles. In fact, he very likely invented the precepts of trigonometry. As an astronomer, Hipparchus was curious about using his knowledge of the Sun and stars to calculate important values. For example, he derived the length of the year to within 6.5 minutes. He also discovered the precession of the equinoxes, with a value of 46 degrees, which is fairly close to our modern number of 50.26 degrees. Three hundred years later, Ptolemy only came up with a figure of 36. The precession of the equinoxes refers to the gradual shift in Earths rotation axis. Our planet wobbles like a top as it spins, and over time, this means that the poles of our planet slowly shift the direction in which they point in space. Its why our north star changes throughout a 26,000-year cycle. Right now the north pole of our planet points to Polaris, but in the past, it has pointed to Thuban and Beta Ursae Majoris. Gamma Cepheii will become our pole star in a few thousand years. In 10,000 years, it will be Deneb, in Cygnus, all due to the precession of the equinoxes. Hipparchuss calculations were the first scientific effort to explain the phenomenon. Hipparchus also charted the stars in the sky seen with the naked eye. While his star catalog does not survive today, it is believed that his charts included around 850 stars. He also made a careful study of the motions of the Moon. Its unfortunate that more of his writings do not survive. It seems clear that the work of many who followed was developed using the groundwork laid by Hipparchus. Although little else is known about him, it is probable that he died around 120 BC most likely in Rhodes, Greece. Recognition In honor of Hipparchuss efforts to measure the sky and his work in mathematics and geography, the European Space Agency named their HIPPARCOS satellite in reference to his accomplishments. It was the first mission to focus exclusively on astrometry, which is the accurate measurement of stars and other celestial objects in the sky. It was launched in 1989 and spent four years on orbit. Data from the mission have been used in many areas of astronomy and cosmology (the study of the origin and evolution of the universe).   Edited and updated by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

9 Tips I Learned from Renewing My Certified Executive Resume Writer Certification

9 Tips I Learned from Renewing My Certified Executive Resume Writer Certification On March 17th, I got a â€Å"friendly reminder† that my most prized certified executive resume writer designation, the Certified Executive Resume Master (CERM), was up for renewal. What this meant is that I would have to submit four executive resumes, written by me, to a committee for examination. I had a problem: I have a team of amazing executive resume writers who write the initial drafts of all the resumes my company writes. I am the editor, not the writer. So I had to dig into my files to find good raw material that I could spruce up for my recertification. I identified six good candidates and went to work. It took hours of reformatting and rewriting before I could even narrow down my submission to four resumes. I cursed my short attention span for this detailed and challenging work. But I was able to create four resumes that I thought would make the grade. And then, I got a second opinion from my executive resume coach, Laura DeCarlo. I knew I was submitting myself to possible dismantling, but that’s kind of what I do. I want to do the best work possible, even if there’s pain involved along the way. And ultimately, I’m glad I asked for her advice, because not only did I pass the CERM renewal on the first try (and with very positive remarks), but I also was reminded of some important points for writing a top-notch executive resume – points I will now share with you. Here’s what I learned: Executive resumes require some â€Å"fairy dusting† – that magical something that makes the document come to life, whether it’s a catching turn of phrase like â€Å"fiscally rejuvenating† or just the right testimonial, or a tasteful, appropriate graphic element. Look for that element in the samples below, and throughout the examples provided in this article. Use a crisp, modern, not-too-fancy format. Don’t use more than two fonts (perhaps one for the headers and one for the body). Don’t overuse italics. Don’t overuse centering. And be consistent! It doesn’t fly, for instance, to have a header where there are two spaces before some bullets and three after others. Here’s an example of two fonts, one color, and evenly spaced bullets:Note: While you might think you’re being fancy by putting your contact information above your name, best practice is to stick with convention and put that information under your name or possibly to the side. Capture an executive’s contribution to ROI in the branding statement at the top. While some statements about experience and expertise are appropriate, tie as much as possible into results. And be sure to use keywords that are important in your industry. They matter! When writing summary statements under a position, open them with a â€Å"hook† – not with a list of responsibilities. Then, once you have your reader’s attention, you can talk about the scope of your work. Who says the only place you can list accomplishments is in your bullets?! Here are two examples: Use effective section headers to draw attention to accomplishments. You might, for instance, have an overarching accomplishment, with bullets underneath of how that accomplishment was achieved:Or, you might create functional headers with bullets underneath:Do you see how these dividing markers help the reader know what to pay attention to? The alternative is something we call â€Å"death by bullets† – a long list of bullets without any indication of what’s important. Don’t do that! Testimonials work well, especially when they are action-packed. Here’s my favorite from my CERM submissions:I’ve heard concerns that testimonials might come across as â€Å"cheesy.† My response is that the proof is in the pudding. I’ve seen client after client get job interviews with resumes that include testimonials. So I recommend using them! The more concrete results that can be included in the quotation, the better. If you had two positions with increasing responsibility, and you did less in the more recent position, combine them. Otherwise, it could look like you didn’t perform in the higher-level position. As a tool to make your executive resume bullets hard-hitting, use bolding to draw the eye – either to a noteworthy accomplishment or a functional area. See point #5 for examples, plus this one: Write, rewrite, get an editor, and rewrite some more. Or hire someone to write your executive resume for you. Resume writing is not easy, as the above examples may have illustrated. If you’re a busy executive, don’t spend the hours upon hours I spent working on these resume submissions, and that the executive resume writers at The Essay Expert spend on every executive resume project. Hire someone whose job it is to do that, and then go do what you do best! Category:Resume TipsBy Brenda BernsteinMay 15, 2017

Workplace Violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Workplace Violence - Essay Example Workplace violence is a growing concern for employers and employees all over the world (OSHA, 2002). Though any worker can be subjected to workplace violence, some occupations place certain individuals at increased risk of violence. Workers who deal with money, who deliver goods, passengers or services, those who work alone or work with small groups, workers who work late in the nights or early hours in the morning are at increased risk of workplace violence. Others at risk are those who work in areas with high crime rates, in community settings and in health care and social services. Psychiatric evaluators, nurses, water utility employees, TV cable installers, letter carriers, taxi drivers, retail workers and probation officers are also at risk for violence (OSHA, 2002). 1. Type 1: Violence by criminals who are not associated with the workplace, but enter the workplace with intentions of robbery or any other such crime. This type of violence accounts for about 80% of workplace homicides. Taxi drivers and late-night retailers are at increased risk of this type of violence. The motive in this type of incidents is usually theft and in many cases the criminal will be carrying dangerous weapons like gun. 2. Type- 2: Violence by the receivers of service against the service providers. Examples of this type of violence are violence against doctors or nurses by the patients, violence against teachers by the students and violence by the customers against the retailers. Even police officers, security guards, correctional officers and mental health workers are at risk of this type of assault. The largest number of victims facing this type of violent behavior are those in healthcare services. 4. Type- 4: Violence stemming from a personal relationship: The violence is committed by an individual who has no direct association with the workplace but is personally related to one of the workers either through marriage or

Historical Vacation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Historical Vacation - Essay Example The first Historical event that I would visit on my Vacation would be to Witness the Events Surrounding the Purchase of Louisiana One of the first stops we made on our historical vacation was to stop by the year 1803. On arriving in 1803, we found that General Napoleon had just managed to conquer France and subsequently confiscate Louisiana. General napoleon came to pay President Jefferson a visit at which he informed Jefferson that as his military forces and machines were in urgent need for cash, he wanted to sell Louisiana to America. President Jefferson thought that this was a very good opportunity for the country as it would serve to help in providing more land for the country’s fast expanding population. The Louisiana territory was relatively large and Jefferson managed to negotiate a deal in which he managed to purchase the entire territory for a total amounting to $15 million, this essentially worked out to about 3 cents an acre (Goldberg 26-31). The Ending of Slave Tra de in the United After our brief vocational tour of the United Sates in 1803, my teacher suggested that the next important time for us to visit would be 1807 so as to be able to witness all the first hand events that would eventually lead to the complete abolition of slave trade in the United States. On arriving in this particular time period, my teacher informed me that in this year, the United States Constitution had a key element that required that slave trade be ended by the year 1808. In the year 1807 the country’s congress was seen to comply with the Act Prohibiting any importation of slaves into the country in the 1807 (Goldwin and Kaufman 10). This act essentially went into effect the next year and was posed to greatly revolutionize the lives of the African American slaves in the country who had been greatly suffering from a myriad effects of slavery. Most of the country’s main founding fathers were seen to hope that by passing the act, they would be able to ef fectively abolish all form of slavery in the country and hence manage to usher the entire country into the long awaited freedom whereby it would not experience any form of slavery. However, the nation’s founding fathers were not to see their objective fully achieved as although there was a legal cessation in the general importation of new slaves into the country, the number of African American in the country was seen to not decline as the United States’ native born African American population were seen to be quite self sustaining and continued to greatly multiply. The institution of slavery was also seen to be greatly prompted by the expansion of the cotton gin, an aspect that was seen to provide numerous incentives that saw the development of a situation where although slavery was legally abolished in the entire country, numerous African Americans were seen to continue working in slave like conditions just so as to be able to make a sufficient living. The California G old Rush My third historical vacation would be to travel through to the year 1848 to the day that gold was found by Marshall James in the county as he managed a work crew that was working on building him a mill. While the project was ongoing, Marshall was able to find a few gold nuggets an event that essentially heralded the start of the of the California gold rush. This event was to quickly become one of the largest ever cases of

An effective ways of calculating unemployment and types of it Essay

An effective ways of calculating unemployment and types of it - Essay Example Unemployment can be due to various reasons, some of which are, seasonal layoffs, racial discrimination, technological advancements and changes in the industries, fluctuations in economies, and lack of required skills by the worker. Seasonal layoffs occur in the field of agriculture. The increased focus on automation due to growing technology has also increased the level of unemployment. Unemployment in developing countries is usually caused urban migration that leads the industrial development required to employ these migrants. In developed industrial nations the main cause of unemployment is due to depressions and economic recessions. "The Great Depression brought massive impoverishment. At its depths in 1933, the unemployment rate skyrocketed to over 25 per cent, a dramatic increase from the unemployment rate of slightly over 4 per cent four years earlier" (Frager and Patrias 80). Different policies of unemployment are suggested by different schools of economic thought. For example, Monetarists believe that employment will increase in the long run if inflation is controlled and growth and investment is encouraged. Keynesians believe that emphasis should be given to smoothing business cycles by controlling aggregate demand. Frictional unemployment arises when a person is searching for a job after quitting one job. Generally when a person quits one job it requires some time before he gets another job. During this time he is said to be frictionally unemployed. The problem of frictional unemployment can be minimized with the creation of competent labor markets. If this is done the time period between shifting jobs is negligible. When an economy is developed frictional unemployment is reduced as the possibility of getting a job faster is high. When a person is not qualified enough to meet the requirements of his job structural unemployment arises. In simple words, when the marginal revenue earned by an employee is less than the minimum wage paid to the employee for the particular job, it gives rise to structural unemployment. The level of structural unemployment depends on a number of factors. Structural unemployment will be lower if the mobility of labor across different jobs is higher. It also depends on the structure of n industry and the growth rate of an economy. Classical unemployment is also known as real wage unemployment. When the equilibrium full employment level falls below the wages, it gives rise to classical unemployment. In a situation where classical unemployment exists the wages are not flexible downwards, this implies that unemployment will persist for a longer time. Therefore, such wages should be set in the trade unions with manipulations. Cyclical unemployment is also called demand deficient unemployment. Cyclical unemployment takes place when the demand of workforce by the economy is low. Keynesian economists believe that this type of unemployment takes place because of disequilibrium in the economy. The name cyclical unemployment comes from the fact that this unemployment moves with the trade cycle. When the economy is in boom the demand for labor increases, and when there is an economic crisis or recession the demand for la

How do you create a truly customer-centric islamic financial Essay

How do you create a truly customer-centric islamic financial institution - Essay Example More particularly, in case of retail banking range of bank networks, size is an important factor, in which they are seen to suffer heavily (Presley, 2013). Figure 1 Source: (Garbois et al., 2012) Therefore, the Islamic banks should focus on these two areas; firstly on other channels like phone banking and online banking in order to increase market share. Secondly, the Islamic banks should also look for establishing alternative branch model depending on the needs of the customers. The alternative branch model also offers other advantages like reduction in operating cost, set-up time and capital investment. When the Islamic banks are competing with the conventional banks, it signifies that they are attracting the customers, who give less significance to the Sharia compliance while conducting their financial deals and more importance is given to the efficient services and products that are offered by the banking market in large (Anon, 2010). The three key elements that are most importan t while targeting the right customers segment are; firstly, is the identification of the customers segment that is least open to the Islamic banks for their financial purposes. This step leads to identification of the exclusion. ... Designing strategies to attract these customers can make the Islamic banks much more competent to face the competition from the conventional banks. In order to achieve this objective, the banks need to identify broader set of customer’s requirement and remain at par with the conventional banks in regards to pricing and ease of use. In this context, product innovation should be given paramount importance. There are some products that can be offered in the new Islamic banking structure that are not in compliance with the Sharia law like the hedge fund, which are for the high net worth individuals and derivatives, that are for the corporate clients. Some Islamic banks are now seen to offer derivative products by going against the compliance law (Bock, 2010). Top tips for creating and maintaining a customer-centric organisation In order to create a customer centric image, the organization needs to emphasize on the environmental and social efforts and apart from these, ethical valu es should also be given importance. In order to incorporate those in the Islamic banks, the employees should be educated about the Islamic bank structure and products. Customers play a very important role in generating revenue and sales for the organization, whether it is financial or any non-financial institution. Studies have shown that customer focus is very low in Islamic banks. Therefore, in order to increase the revenue, customer satisfaction should be the top priority. Following should be done in order to focus on the customers: Whenever dealing with any product, the salesperson needs to be very well aware of the product and services they are offering. This awareness is seen to

My life five years ago Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My life five years ago - Essay Example The aspects that have changed in me include my maturity levels exceeding my thought boundaries. I never thought in my early teenage years that I would get matured this quickly. In just 5 years time I look like a young adult. I can sense things around me in a better manner than I was able to when I was just a kid. My personality has molded in such a manner that I have started to like it more and more. I have appreciated the difficulties of life now with my chin up and I seldom cry in the face of adversity. I can stand up and be counted – which was not the case some 5 years down the road. I have traveled far and wide with my parents. Europe is a continent that I have explored with my loved ones in my early teenage years. I remember each and every moment of my visits with my parents and I cherish everything about those journeys that we had. I can still remember the talks and conversations we had in those times with my parents and how we ended up laughing at the end of each debate and friendly mocking. We enjoyed different sceneries together and looked to find out about nature more and more. I remember my parents guiding me through thick and thin in those formative years of a kid’s life and I believe I am pretty lucky to be blessed with such loving parents. A lot in me has changed all this while. Though I lived in Egypt for the better part of my life, I feel that my upbringing has been affected in a positive fashion after I went to United States. I explored a new world and thus tried to comprehend things in a wholly new way. I aim to become a successful businessman just like my father who I believe is my living inspiration. I draw my encouragement and inner motivation from him and thus I believe I am what I am because of my father. I would do anything to go back in those times – 5 years back to be precise. I absolutely adore each and every second of that life which I had. Now life has become more sober and demanding. Earlier it used to be all fun and play.

How do you create a truly customer-centric islamic financial Essay

How do you create a truly customer-centric islamic financial institution - Essay Example More particularly, in case of retail banking range of bank networks, size is an important factor, in which they are seen to suffer heavily (Presley, 2013). Figure 1 Source: (Garbois et al., 2012) Therefore, the Islamic banks should focus on these two areas; firstly on other channels like phone banking and online banking in order to increase market share. Secondly, the Islamic banks should also look for establishing alternative branch model depending on the needs of the customers. The alternative branch model also offers other advantages like reduction in operating cost, set-up time and capital investment. When the Islamic banks are competing with the conventional banks, it signifies that they are attracting the customers, who give less significance to the Sharia compliance while conducting their financial deals and more importance is given to the efficient services and products that are offered by the banking market in large (Anon, 2010). The three key elements that are most importan t while targeting the right customers segment are; firstly, is the identification of the customers segment that is least open to the Islamic banks for their financial purposes. This step leads to identification of the exclusion. ... Designing strategies to attract these customers can make the Islamic banks much more competent to face the competition from the conventional banks. In order to achieve this objective, the banks need to identify broader set of customer’s requirement and remain at par with the conventional banks in regards to pricing and ease of use. In this context, product innovation should be given paramount importance. There are some products that can be offered in the new Islamic banking structure that are not in compliance with the Sharia law like the hedge fund, which are for the high net worth individuals and derivatives, that are for the corporate clients. Some Islamic banks are now seen to offer derivative products by going against the compliance law (Bock, 2010). Top tips for creating and maintaining a customer-centric organisation In order to create a customer centric image, the organization needs to emphasize on the environmental and social efforts and apart from these, ethical valu es should also be given importance. In order to incorporate those in the Islamic banks, the employees should be educated about the Islamic bank structure and products. Customers play a very important role in generating revenue and sales for the organization, whether it is financial or any non-financial institution. Studies have shown that customer focus is very low in Islamic banks. Therefore, in order to increase the revenue, customer satisfaction should be the top priority. Following should be done in order to focus on the customers: Whenever dealing with any product, the salesperson needs to be very well aware of the product and services they are offering. This awareness is seen to

Smoking cessation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Smoking cessation - Essay Example Evidence Based Practice is essential to the medical practitioners that deal with the smokers since it is from the information gathered from the evidence based practice that nurses are able to ensure quality service delivery in the smoking and smoking cessation services. However, the nursing knowledge and clinical skills must be incorporated just as much as the appropriate evidence and integrate them with an understanding of the patient’s needs i.e. how to handle patients with smoking-related illnesses (Julia 2014). Remarkably, a partial frame of suggestions on the efficiency of intercessions to moderate the amount of deaths due to smoking in underprivileged regions via exploiting practical circumstances, preservation and provision of services; however, some mediation initiatives are hopeful but request for additional evaluation and familiarity in the field, from the nurses and medical personnel. In the past, there has been biasness in evidenced based practice in relation to smoking, where some information does not appear in the report such as the socioeconomic data on the smokers making it hard to come up with stable suppositions for all associates (Susan, 2012). Typically, the data is vital in any evidence-based practice as it generally helps the effecting of the smoking termination interpositions that can help decrease the rising rates in death, and smoking as for those communities that have occupied its peak peal. Decisively, the journal describes the key findings form the Smoking Toolkit study relevant to the smoking cessation policy for the past three years (2007 to 2010); the smoking tool kit study focused on surveys conducted monthly of representative samples of the population of England aged 16 years and above (the surveys were conducted every six months). The results shows that only a small number of smokers were familiar to the smoking cessation programs and had had discussions in the past one year and only a quarter of these smokers had gone on to the next step of the program- being offered a prescription or advised to see a stop smoking practitioner.

Soft Drinks in India Essay Example for Free

Soft Drinks in India Essay Soft drinks off-trade value sales continued to record further growth in 2013 in India mainly due to growth in juices, and bottled water. Categories such as carbonates, and sports and energy drinks faced significant pressure due to growing health concerns but the strong grip of brands especially for carbonated drinks helped soft drinks to continue growth momentum during the review period. Soft Drinks in India report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the market at a national level. It provides the latest retail sales data (2009-2013), allowing you to identify the sectors driving growth. It identifies the leading companies, the leading brands and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market – be they legislative, distribution, packaging or pricing issues. Forecasts to 2018 illustrate how the market is set to change. Product coverage: Asian Speciality Drinks, Bottled Water, Carbonates, Concentrates, Juice, RTD Coffee, RTD Tea, Sports and Energy Drinks. Data coverage: market sizes (historic and forecasts), company shares, brand shares and distribution data. Why buy this report? * Get a detailed picture of the Soft Drinks market; * Pinpoint growth sectors and identify factors driving change; * Understand the competitive environment, the market’s major players and leading brands; * Use five-year forecasts to assess how the MARKET is predicted to develop. Table of Content Executive Summary Soft Drinks Records Further Growth in Value Sales Launch of New Flavours Maintain Consumers Interest Amidst Slowdown Competition Between Coca-Cola and PepsiCo Becomes More Aggressive Modern Retailers Gain Further Popularity Sustained Sales Likely To Record Steady Growth in Sales Key Trends and Developments Manufacturers Focus on Introducing New Flavours Celebrity Endorsements Remain As Popular Promotional Tool Modern Retail Gains Further Popularity East and Northeast India North India South India West India Rural Vs Urban Key Trends and Developments Trends Competitive Landscape For more information kindly visit: http://www.marketreportsonindia.com/food-beverages-market-research-reports-541/soft-drinks-in-india.html About MarketReportsonIndia Market Report on India is a portal where you can access thousands of reports on India starting from Aeronautics to Zinc (A-Z). We provide you with reports which will help you gain a better understanding of the Sectors, Companies, New Products and Latest trends.

Reviewing The Tragical History Of Doctor Faustus English Literature Essay

Reviewing The Tragical History Of Doctor Faustus English Literature Essay My third chapter proposes a threefold analysis of the major characters in The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus and The Master and Margarita. First, by comparing Faustus and Margarita, I show how their individual features as well as their relationships with the other characters are marked by elements of feminism, psychoanalysis, Renaissance humanism, affective geography, and role-play. Then, I put forth a parallel between Woland and Mephostophilis meant to reveal that-in both literary works-the devils embody a necessary evil that actually reinforces divinity. Last but not least, an insight into some of the most significant supernatural episodes of these books shall demonstrate that magical realism and Bakhtins theory of carnival laughter offer readers the Faustian myth with a twist. Margarita and Doctor Faustus Starting from the premise that man is created as Gods reflection, in a twofold embodiment of the masculine and the feminine principle (Sergei Bulgakov 150), one might easily assume that both The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus and The Master and Margarita underline the harmonious union between male and female elements-hence Bulgakovs title of his novel and also its dual structure; yet instead, nothing could be farther from the actual ponder of masculine over feminine aspects in both books. In this sense, feminist critics and theoreticians base their approach to either of these two literary works on issues of gender-segregated societies, appellatives, transgender identity, androgyny, and linguistically codified male discourses. Both Marlowes England and Bulgakovs Stalinist Russia are worlds segregated in terms of gender. Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick explains: male friendship, mentorship, admiring identification, bureaucratic subordination, and heterosexual rivalry (quoted in Chedgzoy 247) are all forms of homosocial connections that pervade both Marlowes play and Bulgakovs novel. Thus, Faustus aspirations are foreshadowed at the beginning of the play when he fantasizes about exotic sites, colonial exploitation (attributed to men exclusively), and violent ambitions: Ay, these are those that Faustus most desires. / O, what a world of profit and delight, / Of power, of honour, of omnipotence (Marlowe 52). Faustus deems knowledge the way to gain power. His is not a singular view; rather, it represents the exponent of Marlowes epoch according to historians: during those times, this segregation extends even to theatres where actresses are not admitted and universities where men alone are granted access. Bulgakovs work o f fiction account for a role reversal, although the circumstances are somewhat similar. Margarita-the female Faustus of the twentieth century and therefore the one who assumes a anti-hegemonic role-is swept off her feet by the Master, a God-like figure who is not satisfied with writing about Yeshua (hence the identification with the latter that confers him divine authority) but carries his artistic mission further, which acquires metaphysical connotations. The Master remains unnamed and thus represents a universal symbol of Bulgakovs literary times. He is the exponent of one of the major Moscow literary associations, called Massolit (Bulgakov 11) that rarely if ever includes women writers among its members. Even if this is the case, women are belittled twice: first rejected as writers or second fiercely censored by the state. Feminists seek to rebel against such a misogynistic structure of masculinity; they find the key figures to do that in exactly the same female characters who are initially submissive and oppressed. Both Margarita and Helen of Troy disrupt the authoritative discourse of masculinity. On the one hand, the second part of Bulgakovs novel casts away the Master and brings into focus the beautiful Margarita: She was beautiful and intelligent. () many women would have given anything to exchange their lives for the life of Margarita Nikolaevna (Bulgakov 166). She is now the active protagonist, whereas the Master is the passive one. She is willing to sacrifice body and soul in the name of love, acknowledging her role entirely. On the other hand, Marlowes tragedy depicts Helen as the demolisher of masculine power; her name Helen may be read as made up of the core Hel (referring to hell and destruction) and the particle -en. That is why Helens image is associated with the downfall of Troy but also of Faustus and Wittenberg here. Furthermore, an equally significant element that brings about the subversion of masculine authority is love. Both Faustus and the Master single-mindedly surrender to their mistresses, although this aspect is more obvious at Marlowe. In Bulgakovs book, the Master owes Margarita his salvation and recuperation, whereas in Marlowes tragedy, the play of significances has a greater depth. Doctor Faustus and Helen engage in an androgynous role-play: he plays Semele and Paris: I will be Paris, and for love of thee / Instead of Troy shall Wittenberg be sackd, / () When he appeard to hapless Semele (Marlowe 106), while Helen assumes the prototype of feminine beauty but also the role of Jupiter: Brighter art thou than flaming Jupiter (106). A few lines afterwards, by being associated with Eve, Faustus becomes aware of his sin but he is also left with an undermined masculinity: that tempted Eve may be saved, but not Faustus (108). In The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus and The Master and Margarita alike, even episodic characters or those of lesser importance see women only as a medium of power, as objects rather than agents. Hence Valdes ironic observation: Sometimes like women or unwedded maids, / Shadowing more beauty in their airy brows / Than in the white breasts of the queen of love (Marlowe 54) or Robins declamatory fantasy: Ay, there be of us here that have waded as deep into / matters as other men (73). Mephostophilis himself turns the concept of marriage into an antisocial act because he offers Faustus a devil disguised as woman instead of a wife. Bulgakovs text describes the meeting between Azazello and Margarita on which occasion the former reckons that women are superficial beings: saying ironically: Difficult folk, these women! (174). Another character, Hella-Wolands maidservant-is analogised to Helen of Troy through her name (note the particle Hell): she represents the feminine side of Hell. Twentieth century feminists fight against such patriarchal empowerment. This is the case of Helene Cixous who upholds the idea that gender relations are inscribed in the language we use. Consequently, Cixous turns the invisibility of women back against men, who become the other of the other and hence are cancelled out (Hedges 106). Following in the same line, Luce Irigaray argues that man obliterate differences between them and women as a result of their belief that women represent their reflected opposites; therefore, womens otherness is denied (Hedges 105-6). Additionally, the two protagonists of these literary works are linked by features of humanism. Doctor Faustus definitely embodies the exponent of the perfectible man of the Renaissance whose intellectual curiosity, aspiration for power, and nationalism are expressed rhetorically in the first person singular: Ill have them (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) / Ill levy (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) / Ill make (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) (Marlowe 53). In this respect, Faustus is an overreacher according to Harry Levin as he reaches out to the unconscious, to supernatural forces that might help him remedy the intellectual bases of his age which he perceives as faulty (quoted in Mitchell 55). Although he aims to gain fame through his powers and he aspires to be more than a man, he is permanently haunted by an uneasy consciousness; hence the opposition between the Good and the Bad Angels but also the Seven Deadly Sins that reveal the scholars inner flaws. Margarita too is a representative of twentieth century humanism. She does not seek to gain power through knowledge but through love. Similarly, her being an overreacher is evident in the desire to explore new environments and her acceptance to obey occult forces. Marlowes Faustus and Bulgakovs Margarita are both folk protagonists since they are considered dissidents of their times, in spite the fact that their endeavours target very distinct goals. Paul de Man describes this type of character as the one whose path is strewn with those parts of himself that he had to abandon in the process of his own becoming (398). Faustus symbolizes the opposition brought about by the protestant belief that every individual is responsible for his / her own salvation or damnation. Margarita denotes the opposition against the rigid moral and social rules dictated by the communist regime. The scholars unorthodox practices and his extended travels shed light on the ultimate results which he bargains for: knowledge, fame, and control over other cultures, whereas Margaritas is a more limited aim-she is not at all domineering (although she is appointed queen for a night) but looks for affective fulfillment. However, these central characters are brought together by the development of all their individual possibilities, so that, by being put to test in the world, they might penetrate, come to know, and dominate reality (Lukacs quoted in Hedges 92). Faustus and Margaritas personalities extend to more than their individual scope, they represent a literary reaction to the ardent issues of their times. Moreover, these protagonists are depicted as torn between their affective and their intellectual make-up all throughout the texts. Obviously, the combo of emotion and reason is much more stringent in Faustus case: the oscillation between enjoying life and attaining knowledge reveals that for the scholar, the body is more important than the soul, as he himself puts it: This word damnation terrifies not him (Marlowe 58). Nevertheless, Faustus existence stands not under the sign of eros, (like Margaritas does) but of thanatos (Hermand quoted in Hedges 94)-since his quest leads to death whereas Margaritas grants her access to atemporal bliss. Ultimately, the construction of Marlowes and Bulgakovs central characters is informed by the setting where they are portrayed. Garrett A. Sullivan, Jr. speaks about an affective geography (231)-for instance Faustus study or the Master and Margaritas rented apartment-that shapes the protagonists identity. He further explains that the notion of geography is defined as a conceptual structure through which social and spatial relations are simultaneously materialised and represented (Sullivan 236). In these two literary works, there exists a cyclic sequence of broadness and enclosure. We find Faustus alone in his study both at the beginning and in the end of the play, although he travels extensively during the twenty-four years of the pact, while Margarita swings between the remoteness of her Masters apartment-A completely private little apartment, plus a front hall with a sink in it, little windows just level with the paved walk leading from the gate (Bulgakov 109)-Moscows expansiveness, and the seclusion of their eternal refuge. Thus, the relationship space-identity acquires new dimensions; locations become part of the characters emotional make-up: The axis mundi passes through [Faustuss] Wittenberg study and the Muscovite abode; on it lie Heaven and Hell (Kott quoted in Sullivan 240). Overall, Marlowes play and Bulgakovs prose present two multidimensional characters who-if carefully analysed-are more similar than different in terms of questioning patriarchal discourses through feminist techniques, in terms of revealing humanistic features, and in terms of attaching emotional connotations to their setting or background. The Evil Suite The archetype of the dichotomy good-evil permeates human discourses as well as literary creations since the beginning of time. Evil has forever been opposed to and traditionally vanquished by good forces, regardless of the culture adopting this model. Nonetheless, The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus as well as The Master and Margarita put forth an innovative perspective: not only does evil stem from good, but it also reinforces divine laws and teaches moral lessons. Both Christopher Marlowe and Mikhail Bulgakov deal with metaphysical issues in their works, issues that question the relationship between Heaven and Hell and Gods intervention in humans lives at the same time. In this context, Wolands emergence in Moscow and Mephostophilis in Faustus study foreshadow the obvious religious themes whose manifold interpretations are disclosed in these two works. Wolands mission is to point to the moral collapse of the Stalinist 1930s Moscow through the use of satire and supernatural whereas Mephostophilis task is more limited in scope because it refers to a single individual, Doctor Faustus. However, both demons appear as God-sent messengers swinging between Heaven, earth, and Hell. In Marlowes tragedy but also in Bulgakovs novel, the forces of good and evil are not in competition but coexist on more or less equal terms (225) as Laura D. Weeks tells us in her article Hebraic Antecedents in The Master and Margarita: Woland and Company Revisited. The black magic professor, Woland seems inseparably united with God even from the very beginning of the novel, when the motto taken from Goethe exposes this timeless link: I am part of that power which eternally wills evil and eternally works good (Bulgakov 11). The same may be said about Mephostophilis who-when asked about his origins-replies: FAU. Was not that Lucifer an angel once? / MEPH. Yes, Faustus, and most dearly lovd of God. () FAU. And what are you that live with Lucifer? / MEPH. Unhappy spirits that fell with Lucifer (Marlowe 59). Thus, Woland appears as an intricate and profound character while Mephosto is less thoughtful and more servile. Additionally, having the status of Gods opposites, the two devils actually strengthen His goodness and prove once more that they are His envoys. In Bulgakovs novel, Woland claims to have been an incognito observer of Yeshuas trial; it is paradoxical how-by recounting this first installment to Berlioz and Ivan Homeless-Woland in fact reasserts Gods existence: Theres no need for any points of view, the strange professor replied, he simply existed, thats all' (Bulgakov 18). Likewise, Mephostophilis reconfirms the divine authority when he admits his origins and confesses the sin of having Conspird against our God with Lucifer (my emphasis, Marlowe 59). Moreover, both Woland and Mephostophilis have immense powers, yet they are aware these are limited in comparison to Gods. For instance, when Margarita asks that Frieda be forgiven, Satan admits: Each department must look after its own affairs. I dont deny our possibilities are rather great, () But there is simply no sense in doing what ought to be done by another as I just put it department (Bulgakov 216). Mephosto similarly gives away his limitations when he refuses to tell Faustus who has created the world: Now tell me who made the world. / MEPH. I will not (Marlowe 69) or during all the episodes when he urges the scholar to renew his bond for fear Faustus might be forgiven by God. However, in their attempt to attest Gods existence, both Marlowes and Bulgakovs demons actually want to reinstate theirs. Wolands and Mephostophilis is a peculiar status since they seem to embody both good and evil. On the occasion of the Great Ball when Woland is willing to grant Margarita a wish, the power of mercy surfaces: I am talking about mercy, Woland explained his words, (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) It sometimes creeps, quite unexpectedly and perfidiously, through the narrowest cracks. And so I am talking about rags' (Bulgakov 216). Mephostophilis does not mention mercy but regret and despair when he contemplates his everlasting doom in Hell: Thinkst thou that I, who saw the face of God / And tasted the eternal joys of heaven, / Am not tormented with ten thousand hells / In being deprivd of everlasting bliss? (Marlowe 59) or when he advises the scholar: O Faustus, leave these frivolous demands, / Which strike a terror to my fainting soul (ibidem). Under these circumstances, there arise questions about the ambiguous, opposites-marked personalities of Woland and Mephosto; Radha Balasubramanian further explains: the two literary works complicate the matter further by concentrating on the nature of the Devil, raising questions as to who the Devil is, and how he came out being angelic. He is a wanderer, without a name and without a home? Does he also resemble God? Are they the same? Do devils exist as a contrast to God? Are they two sides of the same coin? (1995: 41) Therefore, besides the dominant feature of demonism, The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus and The Master and Margarita endow their devils characters with versatile attributes. The demons incorporate multiple valid truths (Emerson 179), acting as coordinators and bridging the different plans of the two books. In so doing, Woland and Mephosto bring about a multiplicity of perspectives and remind the reader of Mikhail Bakhtins heteroglossia, although Marlowes devil is less distant than Bulgakovs: Except when he is the mouthpiece for an installment of Christs Passion, Woland is a taciturn man. This is appropriate. He shows rather than tells (Emerson 179). Another equally significant aspect is related to the parallel that the two authors draw between devils and religion. Hence, the satire of the Stalinist Moscows society is acquired through a review of the Yershalaim narrative. The same may be averred about a satire of Catholicism at Marlowe through a post-Reformation approach. Whereas the parallel between Wolands visit in Moscow and Yeshuas Passions in Yershalaim indicates time condensation-Moscows literary time became a mythical time that can be structurally correlated with the mythical dimension in the Yershalaim chapters (Balasubramanian, 2001: 90)-there is no such analogy or time contraction in Marlowes tragedy. Instead, the dramaturge describes the meeting between Faustus, Mephosto, and the Pope as the only occasion when the Pope is punished by the devil. In this way, Catholicism is downplayed as the Pope is mocked for failing to exorcize the troublesome ghost (Marlowe 83). Here, religious dissidence is also backed up by newly em ergent ideas of predestination and original sin as advocated by the Elizabethan church. By opposition, the sole religious dispute occurs in the incipit of Bulgakovs novel between Ivan Homeless, Berlioz, and Woland. Furthermore, there are additional thought-provoking implications that seem to pervade only Bulgakovs novel but not Marlowes play. For instance, certain scholars question the source and the narrator of the novel at the same time, attributing these alternatively to Bulgakov, the Master, the Devil, or God (Balasubramanian, 1995: 44). It is evident that endowing Woland with the premise of authorship is an idea reminiscent of Bulgakov himself who has originally planned his novel as a Gospel According to the Devil' (Emerson 178). In this respect, Christs story is defamiliarized by transposing narrative points of view from the apostles to the devil (Balasubramanian, 1995: 44)-the habitual Christian perception is disrupted and the gospel acquires novel undertones. In general, good and evil are the inseparable components of the human nature differentiated only by mans free will. There is no preeminence of evil over good, although there can be no good without evil: Kindly consider the question: what would your good do if evil did not exist, and what would the earth look like if shadows disappeared from it? (Bulgakov 274). By this account, both Woland and Mephostophilis appear as the most reliable source of knowledge in these two literary works but equally as troubled allies of God. Supernatural Encounters At the beginning of the nineteenth century, E. T. A. Hoffmann-a leading representative of German Romanticism-uses the fantasy genre with macabre undertones in combination with realism. A century later, the theoretician Mikhail Bakhtin defines his work as a Menippean satire, fundamentally satirical or mocking in nature and seeking to ridicule different intellectual attitudes and philosophical postures (Cuddon 504). The two literary works herein under scrutiny draw on the category of supernatural and on comedy to give the Faustian myth a twist, although humour serves distinct purposes in The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus and The Master and Margarita. The use of humour and farce in the two books is treated differently by critics. On the one hand, in Marlowes play, the comic scenes have not received that much critical consideration over the years. One reason for this aspect might be the fact that there is still ardent debate nowadays over the authorship of these comic scenes: There is almost unanimous agreement that the scenes of clownage (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) and the comic scenes at the papal, imperial, and ducal courts (Jump 22) are not Marlowes but someone elses-hence the variation in length and style between the A-version (1604) and the B-version of the text (1616). Regardless of their origin, humourous scenes do permeate Marlowes play. On the other hand, Bulgakovs comedy episodes have been the focus of much more critical interpretation due to the conviction that, in this case, Bulgakov himself is the author of these scenes. Bulgakovs fiction does not employ humour and pranks only for the sake of comic relief but also to underscore a deeper connotation: the Stalinist Moscows small-mindedness, gluttony, and moral degradation. Certain commentators such as Marie-Hà ©là ¨ne Besnault in Belief and Spectacle at Early Performances of Doctor Faustus (2009) separate humourous episodes into low-comedy and clowning scenes (19). The former category occur in Vatican and at Charles-the German Emperors-court, have Faustus as protagonist, depict people pertaining to the social elite, and are further divided into sub-scenes with a larger number of characters (Besnault 19-20): dukes, attendants, cardinals, and others. The most relevant instances of low-comedy scenes centre on the moments when Faustus and Mephosto steal the Popes food or beat up the friars: POPE. How now! Who snatchd the meat from me? / POPE. My wine gone too? Ye lubbers, look about (Marlowe 82). By opposition, the protagonists of the clowning scenes are Robin, Dick, the horse-courser and their suite (in fact, all of them embodying archetypes of clowns), although the main topic of discussion remains Faustus. Besides, these episodes have a less intricate course of events as well as an equally uncomplicated spatial and temporal frame. Examples that best illustrate this case present Faustus tricking the horse-courser or Robin and Dick being changed to animals: For apish deeds transformed to an ape. / MEPH. And so thou shalt: be thou transformed to a dog, and carry him upon thy back. Away, be gone! (Marlowe 85). Similarly to Marlowes low-comedy that parallels the major events of the play, Bulgakovs novel contains buffoonery scenes meant to counterpoint the main plot. For instance, Natashas metamorphosis into a witch parallels Margaritas: Completely naked, her dishevelled hair flying in the air, she flew astride a fat hog, who was clutching a briefcase in his front hoofs, while his hind hoofs desperately threshed the air (Bulgakov 185). Then, there is also the correspondence between Behemoths noble-like manners and Wolands aristocratic personality: There was now a white bow-tie on the cats neck, and a pair of ladies mother-of-pearl opera glasses hung from a strap on his neck. Whats more, the cats whiskers were gilded (Bulgakov 195). Both Marlowes tragedy and Bulgakovs narrative dwell on the connection between belief and disbelief when presenting supernatural occurrences. T. S. Coleridges willing suspension of disbelief (Biographia Literaria, 1817) justifies the emergence of supernatural, seemingly inexplicable actions in a literary work. Thus, despite being taken aback by multiple extraordinary, uncanny events, the readers of these two books are willing to believe and acknowledge such scenes as literary conventions. Berliozs severed head as predicted by Woland, Behemoth traveling by tram with a paid ticket, Faustus invocation of Alexander the Great, or Wagners summoning devils are all examples that illustrate the abovementioned hypothesis. Unlike Bulgakovs fiction however, Marlowes play draws on an extra element which reinforces the suspension of disbelief (ibidem), namely the fact that the comic scenes seem open to further editing, alterations, or adjustments according to the taste of the audience who watches t he performance of the play onstage. Additionally, magical realism informs The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus and The Master and Margarita alike. In The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory (1998), J. A. Cuddon enumerates some of the key aspects which characterize this literary trend: Some of the characteristic features of this kind of fiction are the mingling and juxtaposition of the realistic and the fantastic or bizarre, skillful time shifts, convoluted and even labyrinthine narratives and plots, miscellaneous use of dreams, myths and fairy stories, expressionistic and even surrealistic description, arcane erudition, the element of surprise or abrupt shock, the horrific and the inexplicable. (488) In the two literary works analysed here magical realism establishes a link between the books reality and a mythological, distant past. In this way, supernatural episodes are bordered by easily recognisable locations and characters that offer readers a dose of certainty. Behemoth alludes to Charles Perraults story The Booted Cat (1697) when he claims: A cat is not supposed to wear trousers, Messire, the cat replied with great dignity. Youre not going to tell me to wear boots, too, are you?' (Bulgakov 195). Koroviev himself hints at various titles as he walks pass the Griboedov House: and a sweet awe creeps into ones heart at the thought that in this house there is now ripening the future author of a Don Quixote or a Faust, or, devil take me, a Dead Souls. Eh?' (268). Furthermore, humour at Marlowe and Bulgakov is not exclusively employed for purposes of comic relief during moments charged with narrative or dramatic tension. Rather, it also mocks, it satirizes individual and social flaws, being marked by ironic undertones. In Bulgakovs novel, the fascination with the folkloric, the demonic and the grotesque (Jones 27) actually indicates a satire of the Stalinist society that has discarded individual reliability and awareness. In this situation, the mockery seems to be directed especially towards people of the artistic sphere: writers, critics, or theatre employees. By comparison, in Marlowes dramatic work readers come across entertaining episodes fraught by sinister underpinnings-for example, Robin and Dicks metamorphoses in animals parody the degradation of the human nature, its reduction to primeval instincts. Moreover, Mikhail Bakhtins theory of carnival laughter may be applied to both Marlowes play and Bulgakovs narrative. In the article entitled Carnival and Comedy: On Bakhtins Misreading of Boccaccio, Adrian Stevens explains that For Bakhtin, carnival is a manifestation of folk laughter; it embodies a folk based culture defined by its antipathy to the official and hierarchical structures of everyday, noncarnival life (1). Bakhtin believes that carnivals influence the various types of comic works in literature by deferring daily constraints and thus liberating humans and also by bringing opposites together. In Bulgakovs and Marlowes books comic scenes unite masters and servants (Faustus and Mephosto-Wagner and his suite; Margarita-Natasha; Woland-his retinue), the righteous and the sinful (Yeshua-Woland; Pope-Mephosto; Good Angel-Bad Angel) but equally the wise and the fool (Faustus-Benvolio; the Master-Ivan Homeless). On the whole, the third chapter of my paper has shown how the personalities of the protagonists in The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus and The Master and Margarita are shaped by elements of feminism, humanism, and affective geography. Afterwards, I have compared the evil entourages in these two works only to reveal that Woland and Mephostophilis are an integrant part of goodness. Finally, by contrasting the supernatural and the comic episodes in Marlowes play and in Bulgakovs novel, I have exposed the fact that humour may acquire deeper implications besides the visible comic relief at the surface.