Chilhood obsity Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chilhood obsity - Research Proposal Example On course of the research, the researcher introduces a healthy child to the study population strata to act as a control variable for validating the tests. The researcher then compares the test results obtained from the obese children and the healthy child through a comprehensive and analytic process. If the obese children’s research proves positive for the health-associated benefits, then the researcher drafts a conclusion that obesity results in the benefits. The first instrument essential for this study is the heart rate distribution recorders in the clinical set-ups in Tampa, Florida. The instrument helps in the measurement of heart rate to ascertain the health associated benefits. The device is an eight-register integrator that is applied in recording the heart rate over a long duration usually 24 hours and over. The data recorded helps in assessing the daily physical activity in children who are the target group for this research. The instrument records the cardiac beat-to-beat interval in seven registers with a range of 40 to 225 H4 per minutes. The researcher tests for validity of the instrument through simultaneous evaluation of a manual acoustic monitoring system, an established system. Comparisons of the results from both the instruments should concur thereby validating the chosen instrument for the research. The next instruments are the weighing balance and tape measure to measure the weight against an individual’s height that is usable in calculating BMI. The instruments help in the classification and identification of the obese members of the population in Tampa, Florida. The researcher validates the instruments by taking measurements using the instruments and then ascertaining credibility by checking against accredited instruments by the state. Obesity is a leading cause of deaths in America. The government strives to design and research on the best preventive measures to adopt to reduce the

Savil Building by Glen Howells Architects Essay

Savil Building by Glen Howells Architects - Essay Example In its design, its response to the site, the climate, the design requirement, it has surpassed the programme. That's what makes it unique, 'high architecture' or in plainer words an award winner! This essay investigates the architectural qualities of the Savill Building with specific reference to the following themes: Beauty or the aesthetic value of every building is an important feature of every structure established within certain locations. It is also closely related to the time and place of the architectural event. Thus, modernists like Philip Johnson see deconstructivism as 'warped' and the International Style as 'pure'. It is about the contrast between 'perfection and violated perfection'.1 The many trends in architecture after modernism suggest a pluralist society where too many issues are equally important. However, in the collective concern for the environment and attempts at conserving and reusing and generally trying to contain one's carbon footprint, we may have finally, the one world- religion that will generate an aesthetic that may be most persuasive of recent trends.2 And the Savill Building illustrates this beautifully both figuratively and literally. Through improving the landscape of the park, the building creates a profound experience for the visitors making them feel like they belong to the landscape itself. The dome shape of the roof creates an illusion that the entire building is one continuous structure that follows the dictates of the landforms so sensitively that it is difficult to perceive where building ends and landscape begins. It fits in with its surroundings hand-in-glove, not just in terms of building profile but also in terms of its material for construction that was judiciously selected and felled on site itself. Of all the other features of the complex, the structure of the building stands out as the chief characteristic of the complex. Being a part of the whole landscape works well for the Savill Building as it utilizes the natural beauty of the location where the structure is established. The complete building created not only for catering to its distinct functions it aims also to enhance the entire natural landscape of the site3. This capability of the structure to bring out the natural essence of the beauty that the location itself posses makes the complete conception a complimentary element to the landscape. 2. Nature Seen and Sensed The major features of the shapes and elements that make up the building actually create a more sophisticated presentation of nature. The carefully crafted design that mimics the entirety of scale and location highlights the abundance of nature creating an 'environment of seemingly untamed, ever-productive free growth'4. A curved glazed curtain wall allows the visitor to view the 'spectacular' landscape over the terrace.5 The glazing allows natural light to enter the building giving it better chances of being appropriately lit during the day right up to mid afternoon. The glazing 'frames' the scenic view of the natural landscape of the gardens for which the interiors of the building create a perfect foil. Hills and

Dells Generic Strategy Business Essay

Dells Generic Strategy Business Essay Introduction Dell Computer Corporation was started in 1984 by Michael Dell, who had the simplistic view that personal computers could be built and sold directly to customers (Suite 101, 2009) alongside this ideology that Dell, could best understand consumer needs and efficiently provide the most effective computing solution to tailor those needs (Information Systems Management, unknown date). So Dells mission is to be The most successful computer company in the world at delivering the best customer experience in markets we serve (Dell, 2010(a)).In doing so, Dell aim to meet customer expectations of: Highest quality Leading technology Competitive pricing Individual and company accountability Best-in-class service and support Flexible customization capability Superior corporate citizenship Financial stability (About, 2010) So, Dell, since the last 26 years, has become a mass producer of standardised products and has evolved dramatically since they were first formed in 1984. The company, at first, merely took orders on the phone to help fulfil their policy of building custom built personal computers (PCs) (Dell,2010, (b)).However, the company then gained first-mover advantage in the mid 1990s, when it became one of the first companies to offer PCs online (Chaffey, 2007, p.239).In 2008, Dell was one of the market leaders in the worldwide PC market with sales around US$41 billion (lynch, 2009, p.789) and since their evolution, Dell, have diversified their product range and scope from small desktop computers to large server computers-to individuals, businesses and other organisations (Schneider, 2006, p.108). In 2009 in they owned a global market share of 12.4% in the number of PCs shipped worldwide, with only Hewlett Packard (21%)and Acer (13.4%) preceding them during this period (Bloomberg, 2010). Notably, this was the first time Dell had fell behind Acer in the second spot as the worlds largest computer-maker and this was primarily due to Acer producing low-cost net books and other inexpensive home computers at a reduced operating margin (Bloomberg, 2010).However, recently, in 2010,they did move back into second place in the global PC manufacturing market ahead of Acer but only slightly as they had a 12.8% market share compared to Acers 12.4% (Afterdawn, 2010).So this level of competition has been intense since 2006 as companies such as HP and Acer were vastly reducing the cost of their global network suppliers, which forced Dell to enter into new global markets such as in China ( George and Jones, 2009,p.195). However, Dell, see their strengths in the commercial and corporate market ( Techeye, 2010), as this is still their dominant market, even though home consumers are an ever growing element of their strategy. So, Dells competitors now include both, domestic manufacturers of PCs such as Apple and HP as well as, overseas competitors such as Sony, Acer and Lenovo in Asia (Jones George, 2009, p.195). This essay will therefore explore Dells generic hybrid strategy and the activities which constitute this strategy. This will then lead to a value chain analysis of the company, which can be used as a tool to emphasise the linkage between the primary and support activities which are used to create value within Dell. This will then pave show how these added values create a distinctive competence within Dell, which, overall, have lead to competitive advantage since the company began to aggressively cut its costs and prices to increase their global market share in the 2000s (Jones and George, 2009,p.195). Dells Generic Strategy Michael Porters Generic Strategy Model (1980) was created to specify how companies use generic business strategies, to gain a competitive advantage over their competitors. This encompasses how companies use cost reduction and/or differentiation within their product and services to appeal to a particular broad or narrow segment of the market, in order to gain this competitive advantage. Overall Dell, operate a hybrid broad focus strategy and this can derived be from Porters Generic Strategy Model obtained from the Mind Tools website (2010): In order to understand Dells generic strategy we must explain the different segments of this model Firstly, cost leadership occurs when a company achieves lower costs than its rivals and competes across a broad range of segment (Ogden and Wersun, 2007, p.282). On the other hand, differentiation is when a company has a range of clearly differentiated products which appeal to different segments of the market (Ogden and Wersun, 2007, p.282). However, Dell, appear to operate on a hybrid strategy, similarly to the car manufacturing industry, which incorporates both the cost leadership and differentiation elements of Porters model. A hybrid strategy, overall, seeks simultaneously to achieve differentiation and a price lower than that of competitors (Johnson et al, 2008, p.230). So, Dell, use both of these aspects, but in a broad focus since they offer their products on a wide scale, as explained earlier, as they offer both corporate and commercial solutions to small, medium and large sized enterprises but also satisfy the needs of users within different spectrums such as within the public sector right down to the home user. This is explained by on their homepage when they state: For more than 26 years, Dell has empowered countries, communities, customers and people everywhere to use technology to realize their dreams. Customers trust us to deliver technology solutions that help them do and achieve more, whether theyre at home, work, school or anywhere in their world (Dell, 2010(c)). So the focus is very much broad, but Dell has this direct business model which involves gathering customer needs and tailoring that solution to meet their requirements For instance, Premier Dell.com offers technological solutions to businesses which helps them manage all phases of computer ownership such as purchasing, asset management and product support(Chaffey, 2007, p.97) So their broad direct focus helps simultaneously create both cost leadership and differentiation strategies and helps explain why, perhaps they have been one of the most successful PC manufacturing corporations in the world. So how does Dell use both of these strategic elements of Porters model? Firstly, with cost leadership, Dells direct business model involves purchasing standardised components which ultimately minimises the need for expensive research and development and sales are then made direct over the Internet to customers (Ogden Wersun, 2007) thus eliminating retailers that add necessary time and cost, or/who can diminish Dells understanding of customer expectations. (Information Systems Management, unknown date). So this results in low costs and is a very aggressive pricing policy which helps gain market share from any competitor whom has taken their eye of the ball and has let their costs increase (Ogden Wersun, 2007, p.60). Consequently, Dell have lower manufacturing and distribution costs than most of their competitors, thus they have achieved a cost leadership strategy over their rivals. However, another school of though can equally argue that within Dells generic strategy lies a differentiation strategy. This also exists within their direct business model as consumers can design their own computers which tailor their own unique needs and specifications. This is differentiation as Dell not only offers differentiated products to specific users, but also to specific markets(small, medium, large-sized, public sector, businesses, etc), thus reinstating this concept of the company having a broad focus. Hence, Dells direct sales model has allowed it to differentiate its PC products by allowing customers to design their own computer system and offering complementary services such as online customer support, three-year-on-site warranty, web hosting, installation and configuration of customers hardware and software (Grant, R.M, 2005, p272).Furthermore, Timmers (1999, p.227) stated how Dell, on their website, dont merely offer the best PC offer of the month approach but rather an approach which offers discounts for large purchases which are tailored to that particular individual or company, as well as having support which is customised to users needs (Dell, 2010 (c)). However this whole concept could be challenged as many people would be reluctant to buy a Dell PC without testing it in store first, however this argument becomes less relevant as more and more of us know people who have bought a Dell computer, since we can inspect theirs (Ogden Wersun, 2007, p.61). Notably, Schneider (2005,p.305) also argued that because Dell made most of their sales online, they often unintentionally left themselves exposed to the laws and ethics of the banking industry and in this case, in1999, they had offered monthly payment setups to customers without disclosing the full details of the lease plan associated with this payment scheme. So, this pinpoints how despite Dell having a successful online strategy, they could be left vulnerable to changes in the legal environment, which could clash with their online customisation policy. Nevertheless, Dells hybrid strategy was a clever one; not only did it conjunctively produce cost effective manufacturing policies and customised products, but it also overcame the barrier of having access to new suppliers or distributers which can be arduous for companies gaining and sustaining success within an online market. This factor can be analysed in more depth from the companys value chain activities. The Value Chain of Dell Overall, the following value chain model by Michael Porter helps analyse the type of activities within Dells value chain and how they interlink with one another, to fulfil their generic strategy. Dells customisation policy of tailoring technological solutions to satisfy individual or company needs, has provided the company with the two main advantages of being able to reduce marketing and sales costs by eliminating their intermediaries and building to order which, overall, reduces inventory costs (suite 101, 2009). This originally led to soaring profits, as the internet has, ultimately, allowed Dell to extend the scope of their sales at a reasonably low marginal cost This following diagram allows a more definitive insight into how Dells value chain operates: (Dedrick and Kraemer, 2001) Dell, unlike their competitors, actually eliminates the need for distributors and retailers to sell their product, which as mentioned earlier creates cost leadership. Hence, this direct PC value chain, works around this built to order (BTO) strategy. The BTO process begins with the customer placing an order through the internet, phone or email and then it takes approximately one day to process the order (Turban et al, 2006, p.506). This then corresponds to this concept of just-in-time management as here Dell, only purchase the necessary parts which are needed for that particular order with the result being that inventories are kept to a minimum. Michael Dell emphasised this whole idea when he stated: We tell our suppliers exactly what our daily production requirements are. So its not, well every two week deliver 5,000 to this warehouse and well put them on the shelf, and then well take them off the shelf. Its tomorrow morning we need 8.562 and deliver them to door number seven by 7am. (Mhhe,1997). So, in the Dell manufacturing process, parts come into their factory to fulfil actual customer orders hence no PCs are made for stock, so there is no cost of hiding stock (Lynch, 2009, p.789). This also has the advantage that if a supplier such as Intel, launches a new computer chip, then Dell is not caught with high stocks of the old chip (Lynch, 2009, p.789), allowing the company to efficiently keep up with changes in technology. Therefore Dells procurement support activities i.e. purchasing of stock, play a pivotal role in executing these strategies of BTO and JIT, both, before and after the product has been sold. So what are the exact support and primary activities that Dell has used, in conjunction with one another, which has lead to them adding value to their activities? A traditional firm usually incorporates a make-to-forecast strategy in which products are produced from long-term demands of consumers. Hence, when considering Porters value chain activities, here the primary activities of the value chain move from inbound logistics to operations to outbound logistics and then to marketing and sales (Turban et al, 2006, p.506). However, since Dell manufactures the product only after an order has been given, then the marketing and sales support activity is moved to the front of the value chain (Turban et al, 2006, p506). Notably the inbound logistics element is important since the correct parts have to be delivered but since the holding of stock isnt necessary with Dell due to their JIT system, then it becomes less meaningful. Therefore the operations segment which transfers the supplies into the finished customised product and the service segment which Dell exemplifies to help the end-user(s) maintain their products i.e. the PCs value after the PC ha s been delivered, are the key primary elements of Porters Value Chain in which Dell uses. However, without the marketing and sales aspect these primary activities couldnt be executed since customised orders wouldnt be known and this has a direct link to the support activities of technology and procurement, as technology i.e. the internet allows Dell to sell their products to their customers and without it, it would be arduous to establish their hybrid strategy and procurement mechanisms are pivotal in maintaining their BTO and JIT policies since this deals with the acquisition of supplies in the more efficient way. There are though some criticisms of Dells value chain activities. Such as, the BTO strategy is sensitive to short term changes in demand. For example if a particular computer component suddenly becomes wildly popular or temporary unavailable, the standard supply in inventory may diminish fast, and customer orders will not be completed on time (Turban et al, 2006, p.507). Also, in terms of their service function. Orman (2007) argued that despite Dell providing one of the most effective support systems to its customers the company, fails to provide comparisons to the products of other vendors such as HP and also fails to compare products from one class to another such as desktops in relation to notebooks., Nevertheless though, Turban et al (2006, p.507) highlighted that by using key value chain activities such as operations and technology, Dell showed the world that when these are used effectively and efficiently, they can be used to gain a competitive advantage creates a distinctive c ompetence and therefore leads to competitive advantage. Competitive Advantage of Dell By orchestrating a SWOT analysis of Dell, we can clearly see the key components which

Drugs: Hurt Players And Sports Essay -- essays research papers fc

Drugs: Hurt Players and Sports Brett Favre, Diego Maradona, and Darryl Strawberry are all big name sport stars. They all play different sports, but all have the same problem: they tested positive for using illegal drugs. Cocaine, anabolic steroids, and painkillers are just a sample of drugs found in sports. Cocaine is described this way, â€Å"It makes you feel like you can do anything, and for athletes who long to be in control all the time, that's a strong temptation† (Coffey 1). Anabolic-androgenic steroids are synthetic forms of hormones that produce muscle faster (Rozin 176). Over fifty percent of the players in the National Football League are weekend or recreational users of cocaine (Burwell 1) . Forty-four Olympians have been caught with steroid use since 1972 (Corelli 28). Through Favre's painkillers, Strawberry's and Maradona's cocaine, one can see that drugs hurt the athletes as well as the sport. First Brett Favre, who was the Most Valuable Player in the National Football League last season, entered a drug abuse center for his addiction to Vicodin, a very strong painkiller (Plummer 129 ). Favre had problems because of Vicodin. Favre suffered a seizure in February while in surgery to repair a broken bone. The seizure resulted from the abuse of the painkiller (Howard 1). Favre states, â€Å"I went to Topeka, because the pills had gotten the best of me† ( qtd. in Plummer 129). Favre's daughter Brittany asked his wife Deanna, â€Å"Is he going to die?† (qtd. in Plummer 129). He not only scared himself but his family as well. Favre not has to submit up to ten urine tests a month. His losses were internal as well. â€Å"It is kind of embarrassing,† says Favre; â€Å"I will do whatever it takes† (qtd. in Plummer 133). He spent several weeks in rehabilitation but was not be fined or suspended. If caught again his charge will be a four game suspension with loss of pay. Another famous athlete, Diego Maradona, was once considered the most skilled soccer player in the world. Now he is considered a loser. Maradona was banned from international soccer play for testing positive for cocaine. Shortly after that, he was arrested for cocaine possession (Longman 1). The fifteen month suspension ended in time for Maradona to play in the 1994 World Cup. He was then caught with five illegal drugs in his system. One doctor cal... ...re greater than ever and fines are outrageous. The chance to play and perform must outweigh the desire to experiment with drugs and suffer the painful consequences of drug abuse. Works Cited Burwell, Bryan. "The NFL Confronts the Burgeoning Drug Crisis." Social Issues Resources Series August 21, 1983, Article #54 Volume 2. Coffey, Wayne. â€Å"Cocaine Back in Sports News, and Many Ask About Bias' Death.† New York Daily News. May 20, 1996. "Cornered Kicker." Sports Illustrated. July 11, 1994. Volume 81. Corelli, Rae. "The Drug Detectives." Maclean's . July 22, 1996, Volume 109. Longman, Jere. "Maradona's Suspension Disappoints U.S. Team" New York Times. July 1, 1994. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. â€Å"Packers QB Favre Enters Substance Abuse Program.† May 15, 1996. Plummer, William. "Beating the Blitz." People. October 28, 1996. Rozin, Skip. "Steroids and Sports: What Price Glory?" Business Week. October 17, 1994. Sports Illustrated. "Cornered Kicker." July 11, 1994. Volume 81. Verducci, Tom. "The Hard Price of Hard Living." Sports Illustrated.. February 27, 1995. Volume 82.

Key Elements of Communication Essay

By Barbara Bulleit, Global Knowledge Instructor Communication We communicate all the time, every day. Sometimes we’re even aware of it! We communicate through gesture, body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice as well as through the words we speak. These variables can be joined in a variety of ways in our communication. Add to this mix: language; cultural and social differences; educational background; physical proximity; and individual fears, insecurities, strengths, and weaknesses. No wonder communication is complex! There is a huge amount of information on communication and different methodologies for improvement. The following offers one perspective on communication. First of all, being successful in business requires effective communication. This paper focuses on effective business communication, although the information can be applied generally. To untangle the mix described above and to improve communication, we can focus on several key elements: Purpose Style Listening Purpose In business, when we communicate we usually have a purpose. Sometimes we have not considered that purpose sufficiently before beginning the dialogue, which can lead to confusion and mixed messages. So, first we must clarify our purpose. What do I want as a result of this communication? What would be a successful outcome? As an example, let’s consider dialogue with an employee regarding a new assignment. Initially, we may look at the assignment and consider that its successful completion is the purpose. But let’s break this process further down into smaller steps, with handing off the assignment being the first step. Our desired outcome FOR THE MEETING to hand off the assignment might be: Employee fully understands the assignment Responds to questions to ensure understanding Is able to paraphrase assignment requirements Is aware of consequences of completing or not completing assignment Employee has an idea of how to proceed Articulates next steps Identifies problems, etc Or we and employee discuss together Employee knows resources available Employee knows where to go for help We and employee agree on a follow-up status check meeting If we have been successful in this first communication regarding the assignment, we have already established a paradigm for communication during the assignment work, including follow-ups to check status, make corrections, and to compliment upon completion. Clarity in the initial communication makes a huge difference. And to back up one step, clarifying our purpose before starting the communication can separate effective communication from that which is unclear, does not have sufficient detail, leaves no room for questions or advice, or does not ensure the employee can gain access to sufficient resources. A clearly identified purpose can mean the difference between success or failure, and while thinking through a purpose may take time initially, we will eventually form a consistent habit of clarifying desired outcome – which usually leads to better results. Style Style has to do with who we are and how who we are affects our communication. We may engage in dialogue with little knowledge of the impact of individual differences. Some of us may have a higher awareness of style differences and still not use this awareness when communicating. Others of us become aware of stylistic differences only when having a problem communicating. Let’s stop for a moment and further define â€Å"style.† Style is influenced by many factors, some of which were defined at the beginning of this article. A longer list might include culture, upbringing, religion, gender, age, education, language, race, politics – and this is not a total list. Some of the influences of our early years are mitigated or enhanced during our growth and experience. In all, we become who we are, and who we are influences our communication. Let’s stay at this level of detail and agree that generally at work we do not sit down and tick off this list every time we communicate with someone! Then how do we overcome some of our differences in order to communicate effectively? We consider style: mine and theirs. Some of us tend to be more direct and/or assertive, or even aggressive. Some of us tend toward being indirect and/or passive. Here are some characteristics of each type. Direct and Assertive/Aggressive â€Å"Take charge† attitude; may have aggressive tendencies May interrupt or tend to dominate the dialogue Passive and Indirect More laid back tendency May hesitate, wait to speak up, or have to be drawn out Lack of response does not necessarily Does not always seek dialogue; instead indicate agreement or approval; has to â€Å"tells† a lot be probed Does not always see the other person’s Sometimes prefers for others to make side; may be perceived as closedecisions minded May assume that passivity indicates agreement Passive style may not indicate true feelings and attitudes Non-verbal clues follow passive Non-verbal clues easier to detect since characteristics and require more careful they are more openly expressed attention Tends to decide or answer quickly May need time rather than having to respond immediately This simple table provides a general understanding of two basic styles. It’s easy to see how communication may break down between these two types. Most of us do not easily fall into these simple categories but may have characteristics of each, which may change or vary on different days. All of this adds to the complexity of communications. Having some knowledge of a person’s style can help us. To try to break down the complexity we can use the elements in the table to formulate helpful questions, such as the following. Generally, what is his attitude: take charge or laid back? Does she comfortably engage in dialogue with others? Does he add comments and ask questions? Is it necessary to draw her out, to solicit her opinions? Does she listen to others or have a tendency to interrupt? We can see how to use this style information to gain a better understanding of the person with whom we want to communicate. For example, if Sally’s style is to be assertive or aggressive, she might have to work hard to hold back some of that take charge mentality and her tendency to speak up, dominate, and not read non-verbal clues. If Sally’s style is passive and indirect she might have to make more effort to participate in a discussion, to voice her opinions or misgivings, and to ask questions. It’s easy to see how we can use this same information to gain more insight about our own style. After all, it takes at least two people to communicate and we are part of that formula. So we have to apply these questions to ourselves as well. Am I more aggressive or laid back? Do I ask questions of others? Is my tendency to accept in the moment then voice my opinions later? Do I consider other people’s opinions, do I ignore their input, or do I just withdraw? Once we’ve determined our style and the style of the other person, we have to consider the dynamic of the two. Two aggressive people may have to each work harder at allowing the other to talk and voice opinions. Two passive people may tend to come to conclusions too quickly, or may not uncover issues or differences. One of each will have to be very aware of the other’s differences and make the effort required to accommodate those differences. Taking the time to think about our own style, then to consider the style of the other person, generates huge returns in communication. These returns include: Increased ability of the passive/indirect person to express Increased ability of the aggressive/direct person to listen Ability to allow and work out differences Realization that we each offer strengths as well as weaknesses Achieving more together than possible as individuals Recognizing style or personal characteristics is key to successful business communications. Listening Active listening takes energy; it’s work. To actively listen to someone means the following: Focus eyes and mind on the person speaking Indicate listening through eye contact, note taking, and body language Respond appropriately with comments, questions, or paraphrasing The first step is the most difficult: focusing solely on the person speaking versus thinking of what we want to say next, beginning to analyze, or even coming up with a solution! We can minimize these tendencies by making good eye contact with the person speaking so that our focus is only on that person. Quelling the desire to analyze, problem solve, etc. means we have to WORK hard. It takes a strong effort to halt or slow down these urges. If we don’t stop them, then our focus is not on the person but is on our own words and thoughts, and we are not getting all of the information they are telling us. Short circuiting active listening means we short circuit them and ourselves. When this does happen and we’re aware of it, we can stop the person and ask him or her to repeat what they said. We might say, â€Å"Would you please repeat that so I will have a full understanding,† to cover our embarrassment for not listening! Making eye contact with a person may depend upon style or culture. Some cultures prefer not to have direct eye contact. Our style assessment will help us to determine whether or not that is true for the person with whom we are dealing. Our assessment will also help us to establish which other mechanisms to use to indicate we are truly focused on what the person is saying. Responding appropriately is a real indication of active listening. When we talk with teenagers we might ask them to repeat what we just said. If they repeat verbatim we know they heard us and can â€Å"parrot.† If they paraphrase or explain what we said in their own words, we know they really listened and understood. The ability to paraphrase is a powerful tool to use with our fellow employees. If we have any doubt of their understanding, having them paraphrase is a good way to check it out. Another appropriate response is to ask questions. If we are listening to the person, asking appropriate questions helps that person to know we are really listening. It works the other way as well. If an employee or colleague does not ask us questions or does not respond appropriately, we know we need to review again, repeat using different words, draw a diagram, or whatever else we need to do to help that person understand. Active listening is not something we need to do all the time; in fact, we could not. What’s important is to determine when to use active listening. A good measurement is to say that we should actively listen anytime not listening could result in damaging or hurtful consequences. Summary Behind our communication is a purpose. That purpose may be assigning a new task, asking an employee to solve a problem, or providing feedback on performance. Our next step is to understand style: that of the employee and our own, which helps us to modify our own style and better understand how to work with the employee’s style. As we talk with the employee we can use active listening to ensure that we are getting complete information and to ensure the employee is listening to us.

Global Financial Market Essay

With the market turmoil of 2008 and 2009 in fairly recent memory, investors were feared to take risk in the stock markets, as instabilities of global stock market accordingly enhanced. Stock market is a key element prior to reflect the performance of economy. It is an important part of the economy of a country. The stock market plays a pivotal role in the growth of the industry and commerce of the country that eventually affects the economy of the country to a great extent. That is reason that the government, industry nd even the central banks of the country keep a close watch on the happenings of the stock market. The stock market is important from both the industry’s point of view as well as the investor’s point of view. Through this assignment, with particularly focusing on the performance of Hong Kong stock market, I am going to discuss the roles of the stock market that affect the economy by elaborating the functions of primary market and secondary market, and anal ysis the Hong Kong stock market in relation to the economy with statistics method. Importance of Stock Market The stock market is a necessary and essential aspect of commerce world-wide. Without a stock market, companies could not easily to raise the fund and capital, and investors could not quickly and easily trade shares through the stock market system, and the global economy would not be established into a maturity stage like now a day. The stock market and thus they play the most important role of supporting the growth of the industry and commerce in the country. That is the reason that a rising stock market is the sign of a developing industrial sector and a growing economy of the country. Primary market Whenever a company wants to raise funds for further expansion or settling up a new business venture, they have to either take a loan from a financial organization or they have to issue shares through the stock market. In fact, the stock market is the primary source for any company to raise funds for business expansions. If a company wants to raise some capital for the business it can issue shares of the company that is basically part ownership of the company rather than issuing debt for enhancing the capital and liquidity because of the cost efficiency. There are three main financial systems such as resources allocation, risk management and risk pricing to simultaneously and consistently perform in an economy under the philosophy of primary market. Resources allocation in the primary market Primary market can raise the fund for the company business plan in a short period. Economy can be affected according to any new IPO issued in the stock primary market. To issue shares for the investors to invest in the stocks, through the primary market of the stock exchange they can issue the shares and get the funds for business requirements. There are certain rules and regulations for getting listed at a stock exchange and they need to fulfill some criteria to issue stocks and go public. The company has the business plan which is required to borrow fund for implementation, and the company has planned to apply their fund raised by the stock market after issuing the share through IPO. Fund should be allocated in different areas of the business plan, and it can also increase the liquidity and capital. Refer to the IPO issuance of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China(ICBC) in 2006, ICBC was one of the biggest bank in China. After the IPO. ICBC was the world’s biggest ever IPO that makes it at the same becoming the biggest bank with the most capital in the world. These can significantly increase the confidence of the investors and reallocate the resources in investing into different market against their business plan. Risk pricing in the primary market Investors always assess and calculate the interest and return to every investment which they made. In the primary market of issuing stock listed on the stock exchange, rules and regulations are formed to dominate any new issuers. International banks and Investment banks are always the underwriter of the IPO. It can also comfort the investors that the risk has been assessed by experience large institutions accurately, and then the price of the share is announced to the public objectively. Investors can have more information to compare the return and lose through the provided information in the primary market. In the view of the above, investors will be attracted to invest into the IPO against the recommended pricing. More funding invests into the market that can make a positive impact to the economy. Risk management in primary market To issue IPO in the primary market, guaranteed investors should be confirmed to every IPO announced. This can help into managing the risk, as a minimum of fund can be ensured to the company which can control the risk exposure. The company may have liquidity problem in case of failure in raising the fund of IPO, therefore, the function of guaranteed investor and IPO underwriter can mitigate suck risk, and that can be a risk management to protect the interest of the company as well as the investors. It can reduce the uncertainties and managing the risks involved in investment market of economy. Secondary Market The secondary function of the stock market is that the market plays the role of a common platform for the buyers and sellers of these stocks that are listed at the stock market. It is the secondary market of the stock exchange where retail investors and institutional investors buy and sell the stocks. In fact it is these stock market traders who raise the fund for the businesses by investing in the stocks. So the stock market is not only providing the much required funds for boosting the business, but also providing a common place for stock trading. It is the stock market that makes it possible to sell the stocks at any point of time and get back the investment along with the profit. This makes the stocks much more liquid in nature and thereby attracting  investors  to invest in the stock market. Mobilize Savings in the secondary market When businesses or even individuals hold their money in form of shares, they can easily mobilize funds for investments. Securities traded in the secondary markets are not as liquid as cash therefore this limits the ease of accessing cash. Accumulation of funds for long-term capital projects is therefore easy and possible. The secondary market provides a convenient platform for the trade of securities hence shares can be easily converted to cash for investment. Investment Opportunities in the secondary market As opposed to holding money in savings accounts, the secondary market provides investors with an opportunity to save and at the same time invest. Shareholders can earn and make profit in investing in the secondary market, as the share price always rises and falls subject to the news in public and the environment of economy. In the secondary market, investment in shares does not require a large of fund, therefore, it provides a chance to invest and expand their portfolios. Stock market and economy (Statistical analysis) To support the analysis of stock market in related to the economy, I have done a t-test showing as below. Basically, as the stock market should reflect the economy in advance. I do the statistic in one year difference. Refer to the result, the difference is considered to not statistically significant. The stock market seem influencing the economy significantly. We can see the stock market dropped in 2008 that make the decrease of GDP in 2009. Due to the financial crisis in 2008, the stock market was in panic. This is one of the factors to decrease the GDP. In Hong Kong economy, as there was a great support due to the significant growth of China’s economy. In relation to the increase of HKEx index since 2009, the stock market was in recovery that bloom the economy and the Hong Kong property market has accordingly benefited to grow in these years. GDP was also reflected slightly growth. It can strongly evidence and prove that the performance of stock market obtains a strong relationship with the economy. Conclusions With the reference of the above, stock market is essential to the impact of economy. Companies could easily raise the fund thru the stock market by IPO in the primary market, in order to apply the fund in implementing the expansion business plan, and the investors could gain interest and profit in the secondary market in stock exchange that the capital fund of investors could be increased, in which both factors could have positive effect to the economy. In my recommendation, Hong Kong Exchange and Clearing Limited (HKEX) could consider to extend the trading hours. It could stay closer to other stock markets like USNY, London and etc. This implementation could attract more investors and equity fund to invest into Hong Kong stock market, as the time difference to other stock markets is shorten. It could increase the trading volume in the stock market. If the stock market becomes prosperous that makes the Hang Seng index increase, as more funds invest into Hong Kong, the economy in Hong Kong can accordingly rise in an absolute way.