Assess the View That the Nuclear Family Functions

Assess the view that the nuclear family functions for the benefit of the individual and society. A nuclear family is universal and consists of two generations of families: a father, a mother and their children, all living in the same household. In this essay, I will be assessing the views that the nuclear family functions to benefit all its members and society as a whole, from a Functionalist, Feminist and a Marxist perspective.In order to assess these views, it is necessary to first establish the functions that the nuclear family performs and then to assess whether these benefit the individual and the wider society. Sociologists such as George Peter Murdoch (1949) claimed that the family was a ‘universal institution'. This is a functionalist view, however Marxists feminists argues that it online met the needs of capitalists. Functionalists see society as playing a major role in achieving social goals such as proving positive norms and values for the individual and society to r eproduce consensus.They believe that institutions such as the family must have a function which benefits society and its members. They believe that without consensus society will collapse into chaos. Consensus and shared values enables the members of society to cooperate with each other providing unity. Functionalist sees society as an institution from which norms and values are shares providing harmony. Functionalists regard society as a system that depend on each other such as the institution of the family, the education system and the economy.They look at what the nuclear family does for the whole of society, not just for certain individuals. Functionalists consider the nuclear family as essential for society’s smooth running. George Peter Murdoch (1949) claimed that the family was a universal institution. He studied 250 different societies and cultures and found that the family existed in one form or another. This suggests that families are necessary in some way whether i t be for societies to survive, for individual well-being, or both. He believed that the family performed four vital functions.Sexual: where adults can enjoy healthy sex lives with their marital parenters preventing disruption to society and conflicts that could arise from sexual desires such as affairs and also allows children to be raised by their natural parents. Reproductive: the family allows the reproduction of the next generation without doing so, society will cease to exist. Economic: the family ensures the survival of its members by providing food and shelter. Education: the family allows primary socialisation without it there will be no consensus about society’s norms and values.Functionalists have been criticised for ignoring the dark side of family life. Many families are places of disruption and violence from at least one of its members suffering from domestic violence, child abuse and divorce. Murdock’s views have been criticised to be conservative rather than universal. In different society’s people have different methods of child rearing influenced by their religious teachings, class and different psychological approaches to the upbringing of children. Talcott Parsons believed that the family performed two functions.Primary socialisation: children’s personalities are moulded in terms of society’s culture; they learn normal and values from their parents for example expressive roles from the mother and an instrumental role from the father. Stabilisation of adult personalities: marital parents provides each other with emotional support, idea that the man can relieve the stress of being insecure in his workplace by allowing himself to relax by indulging in his childish side. Due to this taking place, it relieves adult family members and strengthens social stability.Parsons views can be criticised as his perceptions of society are outdated. Family diversity now exits. Marxists would criticise of the nuclear family a s they see the role of primary socialisation as exploiting the working class which promotes and maintains class inequality. A Hierarchal structure exists within the Nuclear Family, as the man is considered the breadwinner, the head of the household who has the responsibility to go out and work to earn money for the family’s needs.This structure enables men to accept their perhaps low status at work which stops them from questioning the hierarchal nature of capitalism which only benefits the powerful and rich. Marxists Feminist would criticise the nuclear family as benefitting the capitalists system and therefore the ruling class. Men benefit from the Nuclear family and the capitalist system through the exploitation of women. Women are expected to have children and spend a lot of time to raise them. They would argue that primary socialisation means that males will remain dominant and women will remain inferior even in the future generations.

Crisis Management

Crises Management in Public Schools Review of Crisis in Public Schools throughout the United States Throughout the United States students in public schools have experienced many crises. Students have witnessed or experienced many different types of crisis which can include: violence, death, accidents, family issues, natural disasters and terrorism. Statistics from the National Center for Educational Statistics (2008) show that in the 2003-04 school year there were 19 homicides and 3 suicides that occurred at school. Outside of school in the 2003-04 school year there were 1,437 homicides and 1,285 suicides of youth ages 5 to 18. According to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System Encyclopedia (2008) in the year 2007, there were 2,022 children ages 0-15 and 5,338 teens ages 16-20 who died in fatal car accident. Other crises include disasters. Since 2003 there have been 4 hurricanes (hurricanes Isabel, Ivan, Katrina, and Ophelia) in the United States. Hurricane Katrina displaced over 372,000 school-aged children (Dickenson, 2008). In the September 11 attack, there were 3,051 children who lost a parent (New York Media, 2008). Earthquakes, thunderstorms, and tornadoes also have caused major fatalities and displacements. Public Schools in the United States â€Å"need to be ready to handle crisis, large and small, to keep children and staff out of harm’s way†. There must be a â€Å"Crisis Intervention or Management Plan†, in case any of these crises occur in the school. Unfortunately, not all do. School Psychologists play a significant role of the crisis management team and should review the plan and know their part in crisis management for schools during and after the crises occurs. Crisis Management, as defined by The Model School Crisis Management Plan (1999), is â€Å"that part of a school division’s approach to school safety which focuses more narrowly on a time-limited, problem-focused intervention to identify, confront and resolve the crisis, restore equilibrium, and support appropriate adaptive responses†. This paper will address the following: recent research on what school crisis management plans should include, definition and signs of posttraumatic stress disorder, and resources to guide school psychologists in playing an important role in risis management. Resent research on crisis management plans The Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA (2008) created a 161 page crisis prevention and response plan for schools to use as a resource. In it they define the major facets of crisis response as being: 1. communication, 2. direction and coordination, and 3. health and safety. These major facets should be implemented during the emergency, immediate aftermath, days/weeks following, and in prevention. The Psychological First Aid approach which was developed by the National Center for PTSD to help children, adolescents, adults, and families in the immediate aftermath of disaster and terrorism should also be included in the crisis management plan. It is â€Å"designed to reduce the initial distress caused by traumatic events and to foster short-and long-term adaptive functioning and coping† (NCTSN, 2006). The Psychological First Aid for school aged children should be implemented immediately after the trauma and includes three basic objectives: managing the situation, mobilizing support, and following up. Definition and signs of posttraumatic stress disorder Posttraumatic Stress Disorder â€Å"is an anxiety disorder that can occur after you have been through a traumatic event†¦ during this type of event, you think that your life or others’ lives are in danger. You may feel afraid or feel that you have no control over what is happening† (NCPTSD, 2008). If these feelings persist over a long time and interfere with a person’s daily life, they are experiencing PTSD. Elementary school-aged children show different signs of PTSD than adults. Instead of experiencing flashbacks or amnesia, children experience â€Å"time skew† (mis-sequencing trauma related events) and â€Å"omen formation† (belief that there were warning signs that predicted the trauma) and may reenact the trauma in play, drawings, or verbalization (Hamblen, 1998). Adolescents resemble the signs of adults, but may also reenact the trauma in some part of their daily life. Resources for school psychologists in crisis management The National Association of School Psychologists (2000) has a list of website resources that guide school psychologists on various school safety and crisis information. Some resources include: school safety/violence prevention, suicide prevention/intervention, trauma, natural disasters, and war/terrorism materials. One approach the NASP recommends for school psychologists in identifying coping strategies is the BASIC Ph Coping Model by Dr. Mooli Lahad. The model â€Å"suggests that people possess six potential characteristics or dimensions that are at the core of an individual’s coping style† (Zenere, 2004). The six coping styles are Belief, Affect, Social, Imagination, Cognitive, and Physiological. There are many organizations and associations listed on the Ed. gov â€Å"Emergency Planning† website. It is important for school psychologists to recognize their important role in the crisis management team. They should use the resources available to them to aid in the school’s process of developing the crisis management plan. School psychologists should also stay up-to-date on current research regarding outcomes of tragedy in children. Together as a team, they have the ability to help children, and hopefully reduce PTSD in children after a trauma. References Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA. (2008). Responding to a Crisis at a School. Los Angeles, CA: Author. Retrieved December 2, 2008, from http://smhp. psych. ucla. edu/ Dickenson, C. (2008, November). Children Displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Communique, 37(3), 32. Fatality Analysis Reporting System Encyclopedia (2008). National Statistics. Retrieved December 2, 2008, from http://www-fars. nhtsa. dot. gov/Main/index. aspx Hamblen, J. (1998). PTSD in Children and Adolescents. National Center for PTSD. Retrieved December 2, 2008, from http://www. ncptsd. va. ov/ncmain/ncdocs/fact_shts/fs_children. html National Association of School Psychologists (2000). Information for Educators. Retrieved December 3, 2008, from http://www. nasponline. org/educators/index. aspx National Center for Education Statistics (2008). Indicators of School Crime and Safety:2007. Retrieved December 2, 2008, from http://nces. ed. gov/programs/crimeindicators/crimeindicators2007/ NCTSN: National Child Trau matic Stress Network (2006). Psychological First Aid: Field Operations Guide (2nd Ed). Retrieved December 3, 2008, from http://www. ncptsd. va. ov/ncmain/ncdocs/manuals/smallerPFA_2ndEditionwithappendices. pdf U. S. Department of Education (2008). Emergency Planning. Retrieved December 2, 2008, from http://www. ed. gov/admins/lead/safety/emergencyplan/index. html Virginia General Assembly (1999). The Model School Crisis Management Plan, 2. Retrieved December 2, 2008, from http://pen6. pen. k12. va. us/VDOE/Instruction/model. html Zenere, F. (2004). How Children with Trauma and Ongoing Threat: The BASIC Ph Model. National Association of School Psychologists. Retrieved December 2, 2008, from http://www. nasponline. org/

A Study on the Impacts of Noise Barrier in Construction Site Communication Essay

Construction industry is a complex and risky of work, the people in construction industry should have a better understanding of the need to practice good communication to ensure the better work quality and performance with a good communication (Vasanthi R.Perumal and Abu Hassan Abu Bakar, 2011). Good communication enables the members of the project for archiving the centre goal where the construction project complete in time with expected budget. In construction industry, communication can be achieved through letters, drawings, symbols, signs, posters, and word for ensure the information able to send and receive by each other. With the good communication, the workers especially in construction site find it easily and greatly productive to work together. Instruction and order are given and they are carried out as expected once they are well understood and acted upon correctly. Hence the communication in construction site shall be in clear, concise, accurate and well-planned. A good communication can enable an organization in better of work quality and performance, and also in decision making. Besides, an organization can achieve a better relationship with each other without any misunderstanding and misconception. So, the organization will be successful in any project without problems arise due to the poor communication. Other than that, good communication will also bring some advantages (Paul, 2008), such as: – Reduce conflict within an organization – Stronger and better relationships between each other – Improve the teamwork of an organization – Stronger controlling and problem-solving – Well coordinated work plan For instances, a good communication can benefit an organization for achieving better work quality and performance. Either in verbal or non verbal, communication should be practice well in an organization to prevent any misunderstanding or misconception occur. Problem Statement According to the BRE guidance on construction site communication (2010), UK construction industry cost at least  £20 billion to repair and reconstruct the incorrect work due to poor communication such as instructions or orders given incorrect, technical information not available and etc. Such defects occur resulted of the workers’ poor workmanship or misunderstood the instruction from site agent. One of the main factors of verbal communication is employment of foreign labour. According to Philida Schellekens & Judith Smith (2004), define that most of the construction project will employ foreign labour as worker due to their low salary. Those foreign labours have their own native language, so they may not able to communicate with site agent and other Malaysian workers. Hence, it finds out that there is language barrier between site agents with foreign labours at construction site. Besides, according to Ravi Jain (2012), mentioned the construction site creates noise through the use of vehicles, construction equipment and power tools. Those noises can affect the verbal communication between the site agents with foreign labours. A negative personality such as impatient, distrust, bad temper, fear (Asma Zaineb, 2010) happen on workers may be a barrier for them to communicate with others either in verbal or non verbal communication. Since construction industries had involved so many workers that came from different country with different education level, different cultural and etc (Nurul Azita Binti Sallet et al, 2012). There will be a huge impact on communication will be occurred with different personalities. Aim and Objectives The aim of the research study is to identify the factors affecting the verbal communication between site agent and foreign labour at construction site. Whereas, the objectives will be the following, – To identify the language barrier between site agent and foreign labour is a factor for verbal communication at construction site – To identify the noise barrier at construction site is a factor for verbal communication at construction site – To identify the personality barrier is a factor for verbal communication at construction site Hypothesis 1. Language barrier between site agent and foreign labour is a factor for verbal communication at construction site 2. Noise barrier at construction site is a factor for verbal communication at construction site 3. Personality barrier is a factor for verbal communication at construction site Scope of Study There are 4 main communication forms which are verbal communication, non-verbal communication, written communication and visual communication (Aarti R, 2011). Communication of information, messages, opinions, speech and thoughts can be made via different forms of modern communication media, like Internet, telephone and mobile. Besides, some of the basic ways of communication are by speaking, eye contact, sign language, body language, touch and singing. †¢ Verbal Communication – Verbal communication includes sounds, words, language and speaking. – Example: face to face communication, telephone, site meeting, etc †¢ Non Verbal Communication – Non-verbal communication involves physical ways of communication, like, tone of the voice, touch, smell and body motion. – Example: Short Message Service (SMS), Email, etc †¢ Written Communication – Written communication form is writing the words which used for communication. Good written communication is essential for business purposes and practiced in many different languages. – Example: Short Message Service (SMS), Email, etc †¢ Visual Communication – Visual communication is visual display of information, like topography, photography, signs, symbols and designs. – Example: Photo, Presentation Slide, etc In this research study, it focuses on verbal communication between two or more people at construction site. For the most part of the communications example, is between a site agent and foreign labour. This research study also will talk about factors that considered as barrier for good communication at construction site. Research Methodology Literature Review For literature review, journal articles and journal review were read up as much as possible to be cited in order to collect the useful data which were proved descriptively. This is a process of reading, analyzing, evaluating, summarizing and gathering information and data from book, article, journal, internet, newspaper, magazine and etc. All information relate to communication in construction site industry will be study and summarize in this research study. Questionnaire Survey A list of questions about the factors affects the verbal communication between site agent and foreign labours in construction site will be distributed to the respondents which are the parties involved in the construction site for more data and information for this research study. Questionnaire was designed in several sections and categories, the construction sites were randomly chosen and distributed in Kuala Lumpur. All the responses will be collected on individual basis and also a simple interview will conduct with respondents in respects of questionnaire earlier distributed. Definition of communication Communication is the interaction between two or above people and the interaction may in various form such as body motion, speaking, tone of the voice, touch and etc (Paul, 2008). It is the process of transmitting and receiving this information. A common objectives hardly to get done in a work place unless people able to share their ideas and information with others in a way to produce a common understanding. A successful communication in the workplace environment is very important. An employer shall create a good working situation which helps to increase the quality of work and increase the ensure quality control while the employee, it allows personal growth and development and contributes to satisfaction on the job. What is verbal communication? All humans need to interact. There are 4 main communication forms which are verbal communication, non-verbal communication, written communication and visual communication (Aarti R, 2011). The most obvious and common form of communication is verbal communication. Verbal communication includes sounds, words, language and speaking and it is one way for people to communicate face to face. According to Beth Lee (2010), verbal communication involves using speech to exchange information with others. It is generally defined as spoken language. Tone, enunciation, pauses, loudness, emphasis, word choice, these can all be used while speaking to enhance the spoken word. As a type of face-to-face communication, body language and different tones play an important role, it may cause greater impact upon the listener than informational content. For an example, a simple phrase like, â€Å"You did a wonderful job† may implicate different meanings and intentions. A genuine and sincere tone may su ggest praise and commendation, but a mocking tone can be offensive and sarcastic.

Economy in India Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economy in India - Term Paper Example I, in this paper, discuss the economy of India through exploring the country’s macroeconomic indicators. Economic indicators Macroeconomics defines larger aspects of an economy. The factors are comprehensive and affect overall state of an economy with diversified effects on all stakeholders in the economy. Examples of macroeconomic factors that offer a basis to reviewing the economy of India are domestic gross product, unemployment, inflation, consumer price index, foreign direct investment, and international trade (Dwivedi). Gross domestic product Gross domestic product is the monetary value of the amount of goods and services that a country produces within an economic period, normally a year. It indicates productivity level of an economy and shows derivable benefits from the output. An economy with high gross domestic product can therefore be associated with positive prospects and increasing trend in the value identifies a growing economy that can offer investment opportunit ies and utilities among its citizens (Dwivedi 55). India’s gross domestic product is estimated at about $ 1867 billion, a value that is comparatively high. Prospects in the gross domestic product can however be understood from its trend. ... By April 2013, the country’s gross domestic product was estimated at $ 1867.4 billion, more than twice its value in 2005 and the constant trend predict continued expansion. This means that India’s economy has growth potentials and is therefore a viable economy for investment. The increasing productivity also means availability of commodity for utilities and employment opportunities (Exim Bank, 1). Closer evaluation of the country’s gross domestic product by the economy’s major sectors identifies service industry as the major contributor of the country’s output as it accounts for more than 50 percent of India’s gross domestic product. Industrial sector follows it before the agricultural sector and its associated activities. A time series trend in the sectors over the past eight years also offers significant insight into India’s economy. The percentage contribution by the agricultural sector has been decreasing while percentage contribut ion from the service sector has been increasing with significantly constant percentage contribution from the industrial sector. The agricultural sector and its allied activities generated more than 18 percent of the country’s gross domestic product in the year ended 2006 but the value reduced steadily to record about 14 percent in the year 2013. Contribution from the service industry however increased from less that 54 percent in the year ended 2006 to 58.4 percent in the year ended 2013 and this shows a shifting trend from agricultural activities to the service industry (Exim Bank, 1). Another significant feature of the economy’s gross domestic product is the consumption and its trend. Private sector is the major consumer of the economy’s output and its consumption rate has a steadily increasing trend.

Planning And Control Of Budgets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Planning And Control Of Budgets - Essay Example Budgeting is a significant control system in almost all organizations (Armstrong et al., 1996; Ekholm and Wallin, 2000; Merchant and Van der Stede, 2003). A budget is defined as a quantitative statement, which comprises for a defined period of time. In which, planned revenue, assets, expenses, cash flows and liabilities may be included. And, it can be used for multiple purposes (Garrison and Noreen, 2003; Horngren et al., 2003).Additionally, a budget helps the organization to concentrate its current availability of resources; ensure an appropriate level of coordination has been put in place to ensuring budgetary objectives. In which, costs are highlighted to be controlled; and control is achieved when different types of budgets, such as master budgets, sales budgets, purchase budgets, production budgets are compared with the actual costs. On the other hand, planning comes after the step of determining budgets. Planning is strategy how to serve the budgetary objectives.Budgetary objec tives are achieved with the implementation of budgets. And, the prior study suggests that organizations use budgets for the attainment of their identical objectives and they are not determined in isolation (Moores and Yeun, 2001). Consequently, the reasons to the budget are going to be correlated (Shields and Shields, 1998). First, budgets are devised to be used as a means of communication horizontally and vertically. Horizontally, budgets can be used for the purpose of discussion among or between different departmental managers.

D.C. hospital reports high rate of black women seeking treatment for Coursework

D.C. hospital reports high rate of black women seeking treatment for advanced breast cancer - Coursework Example b. As a member of the community of promoting awareness against breast cancer, I would prepare certain questions in relation to mammograms. It is very effective for every woman who is having misconceptions relating to mammography (Sun, 2014). The questions to be framed are provided hereunder. c. Contextually, as a prime responsible person of health promotional program, I will prepare three stage of health prevention camp. Initially, I will suggest all the black American and African women to opt for physical screening, which includes full body examination. After that in the second stage, I will suggest for doing a clinical breast examination with mammography treatment. Finally, I will suggest doing an overall medical screening, if the person is having symptoms of breast cancer (Sun, 2014). d. It can be stated that African-American women belongs to Ward 5 are having lower knowledge regarding the treatment process of breast cancer through mammogram. In this regard, In order to enhance health precautionary promotion, the women are to be provided with appropriate health education program, so that they have knowledge about the importance screening and treatment in the early stage of cancer. In addition, acute measures should be adopted for making them knowledgeable about the treatments to be offered (Sun,

Book Review for Principles of Curriculum Construction Essay

Book Review for Principles of Curriculum Construction - Essay Example makes serious note of this, and, as powerful examples of his approach in this book, Gardner describes an education that illuminates the theory of evolution, the music of Mozart, and the lessons of the Holocaust, for instance. Within this book, Gardner envisions an education that preserves the strengths of a traditional humane education while at the same time fully preparing younger generations for the many challenges that will face them in the future. This book is truly one of great intelligence and efficiency, and there are many different issues within it that need to be discussed in order to be able to actually gain a proper and knowledgeable understanding on the book and the purpose of the book overall. The aim of this paper is to show the reasoning and purpose behind the book, as well as the key and significant issues that are dealt within the book. This is what will be dissertated in the following. Howard Gardner is a man whose work around multiple intelligences has had an incredibly profound impact on thinking and practice in education, and although his theory of multiple intelligences has not yet been readily accepted within academic psychology, it has however met with a strongly positive response from many educations, and as well it has truly been embraced by a range of educational theorists and, significantly, applied by teachers and policymakers to the problems of schooling. In this particular book of his, Gardner makes several points in particular quite major, such as the fact of how he believes that there is much more information that students need to know compared to the amount that they are presently receiving. The way in which Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences has been translated into policy and practice has really been quite varied, and although Gardner certainly did not initially spell out the actual implications of his theory for educators in any detail, but subsequently, he has worked by looking more closely at what the theory

The development of the Papacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The development of the Papacy - Essay Example Following this recognition, this essay examines the development of the papacy. While the contemporary office of the Pope constitutes a single individual this was not always historically true. During the early era of the Catholic Church, there were a number of popes, as the term referred to specific church leaders (Bokenkotter, p. 49). During the beginning of the Christian Church, there is the recognition that there was not a need for religious leaders, as the size of the religion was minimal. At this time there were only local leaders or bishops that organized many church gatherings and promoted the religion among the surrounding regions. During the first century, Rome was only emerging as a Christian center and as such, the extensive papal development would only gradually take hold. Towards the end of the second century, Rome became solidified as this Christian center. At this time, the Church of Rome was designated as the primary church to which all others should answer. In this wa y there is the recognition of the office of the Pope as originating from structural developments of church organization, rather than the innate religious nature of the office or individual (Bokenkotter, p. 111). According to the Catholic Church, the office of the Pope functions as a direct lineage of leadership leading back to the Apostle Saint Paul. This perspective positions the office as something that is intrinsic to the Christian faith and subsequently a natural extension of the word of God. To an extent then the Pope can be viewed as possessing a relationship with God that would position him as the most important person in the universe. In many ways the Pope’s social and political power would reflect this recognition. By the third century, following the Council of Nicaea, the papacy assumed the form it contains today. The Pope’s power continued to grow through the third and four centuries. With the fifth century, the world experienced the fall of the Roman Empire to invading German armies. Following the fall of Rome, the papacy gained increased power as many people turned to the Pope for continuity of leadership. The following Medieval Period would find the Pope at an all-time high of personal power. Following the ascension of Constantine as the Roman Emperor, he established the decree that all future Roman Emperors would require the approval of the Pope (Orlandis 1993, p. 34). The increasing connection between the Pope and political authorities would greatly expand the power and reach of the papacy. Subsequently, this period witnessed a significant amount of developments in the papacy. In 1073, Pope Gregory VII instituted the Gregorian Reforms (Orlandis 1993, p. 40). These rules raised the standards for leaders within the Catholic Church, notably encouraging celibacy among members. Perhaps the ultimately display of the Pope’s power, however, occurred during the Crusades. During this period Alexius, I even had to go to Pope Urban II to gain military support to guard against Muslim invasions. For the papacy, this demonstrates the significant political power the Pope had attained during the Medieval Period. From the 11th century onward, the papacy would experience a declining amount of influence. Because of the Pope’s involvement in many earlier conflicts, a schism emerged in the Church that divided the East and West. The onset of the Protestant Reformation in the

Clean Energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Clean Energy - Essay Example Most of the industrialized countries have embarked on new policies and technologies which makes the future energy sustainable. Their aim is to maintain the current economic growth and culture and at the same time provide environmental protection and energy security. Therefore the world is aiming at maintaining sufficient supply of clean energy. According to Dell, Anthony and Rand (2004), clean energy also known as renewable energy is anticipated to expand rapidly. This will be due to the increasing need to counter the issue of global warming. Combustion technology, such as agricultural and municipal solid waste are said to make important contribution to the supply of energy. The only challenge to the clean energy is low cost fossil fuels, lack of resource, capital cost or public opposition. Clean energy aims at the possibility of there being a reduction on pollution resulting from fossil fuels. It also sets the available renewable energies such as sun, wind and waves in the current c ontext of production of energy. Generally, nature has provided us with various forms of clean energy such as hydro energy, wave energy and tidal energy. All these forms of energy are categorized under water as the source. There other forms such as solar energy (sun), geothermal energy (ground) and biomass from waste products. Natural gas is also another form clean energy since its means of distribution that is through pipeline have less impact to the environment. The major task is to use these various forms of clean energies sufficiently and economically to reducing environmental impact. The major objective of global energy sustainability is to ensure replacement of fossil fuels with clean (renewable) energy sources around the globe. There are different ways the world benefits from clean energy. The benefits range from initiating a business to investing in companies to clean energy market trading. There are lots of entrepreneurship opportunities in the industry clean industry tradin g. Clean energy industry is a highly growing industry where business opportunities are not restricted to anyone. Sales and marketing individuals can also benefit from clean energy industry. They can partner with service and product providers to launch the marketing of clean energy services and products. There are also several employment opportunities in the clean energy industry. They include research jobs and consultant jobs. Capital investment has also ventured in the clean energy market and technological advancement. There are several challenges facing the development of clean energies especially in developing countries. First there are difficulties in eliminating carbon emission. There are very little incentives capable of developing better technologies that reduce carbon emission. The issue of mitigating climate change is yet another major issue. The main goal of both the public and the private sector is reduce green house gases. Therefore any attempt that solves this problem t ends to draw a lot of attention from the public. This in turn leads to less attention on the technology of clean energy which does not completely solve this problem. Due to the expensiveness of the facilities required in producing clean energy the process has to take a slow pace. The techniques required are also rare hence costly. Failure to adequately serve technological needs of the third world countries is yet

The Argument of Elite Theorists Essay Example for Free

The Argument of Elite Theorists Essay In order to assess how useful this view is, we must first look at the differing factions operating within the framework of elite theory. On doing this it will become apparent within the scope of Government, that this view is outdated and riddled with flaws. Elite theory originally developed from the work of Gaetano Mosca and Vilfredo Pareto, two italian sociologists writing at the turn of the last century. Pareto argued that, in the course of history, different leadership qualities are required in order to adapt society to changed circumstances. Essentially, two types of person can be distinguished, lions and foxes, the former, according to Pareto are stolid and forceful, willing to use violence. The latter are basically sly, wheeler-dealer types. One or other type will rule as long as it can cope with the political and economic problems facing it; but in certain circumstances their particular qualities will be insufficient for the task in hand, and they will be deposed by the other group. Pareto describes this process as the circulation of elites, which rise and fall through a combination of psychological aptitudes and historical circumstances, irrespective of the economic or social structure of society. There are many flaws in Paretos work, but the main ones must centre on his inability to explain the origins of the elites rise to power, and his classification of people into two -and only two-psychological types (S.MOORE,1995). The belief that a superior group forms a ruling elite underlies Moscas(1939) writings too, and it is this superiority that he sees leading the elite to power in the first place. Once there, the elite continues to rule, not solely because it is superior but also through its relatively small membership, which makes it far better organised than the mass of the population. Pareto fails to provide a method of measuring and distinguishing betwwen the supposedly superior qualities of elites. He simply assumes that the qualities of the elite are superior to those of the mass. His criterion for distinguishing between lions and foxes is merely his own interpretation of the style of elite rule (HARALAMBOS HOLBORN,1990). Whereas Pareto and Mosca attempted to provide a general theory to explain the  nature and distribution of power in all societies, the American sociologist C.Wright Mills presents a less ambitious and wide-ranging version of elite theory. He limits his analysis to American society in the 1950s. Unlike the early elite theorists, Mills does not believe that elite rule is inevitable: in fact he sees it as a fairly recent development in the U.S.A. Unlike Pareto, who rather cynically accepts the domination of the masses by elites, Mills soundly condemns it. Since he sees elite rule as based upon the exploitation of the masses, he adopts a conflict version of elite theory (HARALAMBOS HOLBORN,1990). Robert A.Dahl has criticised Mills from a pluralist perspective. He has claimed that Mills has simply shown that the power elite has potential for control. Dahl argues, the potential for control is not equivalent to actual control. Dahl maintains that actual control can only be shown to exist by examination of a series of concrete cases where key decisions are made: decisions on taxation and expenditures, subsidies, welfare progrmas, military policy and so on. Dahl claims that by omitting to investigate a range of key decisions, Mills and also like-minded British sociologists have failed to establish where actual control lies. As a result Dahl argues that the case for a power elite remains unproven (HARALAMBOS HOLBORN, 1990). Since the British variant of power elite theory(the idea of a socially and culturally cohesive establishment) was first asserted in the 1950s, it has decreased rather than gained in plausibility. This is first, because British politics has become more polarised, more open and more democratic. It became more polarised in the 1970s, as large differences between major parties displaced consensus. In these circumstances, it became virtually impossible to maintain that elections did not alter things much, and even more difficult after the general election of 1979. Clearly, the advent of Mrs Thatcher changed things a great deal. Second, British government became more open and less secretive. This happened more by inadvertence than design and it was usually resisted by governments of the day. Nonetheless by the 1980s, the public were far more aware of what went on in the inner counsels of the  Cabinet and in the Whitehall village than was the case a generation previously. The publication of politicians diaries and memoirs(Richard Crossman, Barbara Castle), leaks by civil servants(Clive Ponting) and the revelations of goings-on within the secret services by people like Peter Wright provided fascinating if somewhat selective glimpses of power in the inner sanctums of government and made its mysteries less mysterious. Finally, as we have seen, certain important sectors of British society became more democratic. In political parties, members played an increasing role in the election of leaders and the selection of party candidates; in trade unions, balloting on the choice of leaders and on strike decisions became the norm. The increasing hold of television on society tended to promote both greater openess and greater democracy -not least by providing continual public demonstrations that, far from being cohesive and untied, the so-called establishment spoke with many, often sharply divergent, voices (COXALL ROBINS,1989). The overall count against the notion of an establishment in Britain is clear; it is neither united, nor -in an age of revelations and media coverage- mysterious, nor-and most important of all -free from popular control. It is a myth.

Impact of Packing Elements on Consumer Buying Behavior

Impact of Packing Elements on Consumer Buying Behavior Introduction Nowadays consumers have become more and more conscious about the packaging available to them from products. The role of packaging has changed over the years since primarily due to the changing lifestyles and needs of the consumers. Companies have started bring innovations in packaging since their beliefs over the years have changed that good and unique packaging can stimulate consumer buying behaviors. It has become the source of customers attraction towards products or services, increases the image of the brand and increases the perceptions of the consumer for the product (Rundh 2005). In marketing context packaging plays a very vital role in communicating the product to the consumers and ultimately increases consumers purchase decisions. According to Underwood, Klein Burke, 2001; Silayoi Speece, 2004 a good package communicates unique values about products, and also helps in differentiating the products from other products, hence helping the consumers in choosing the right produc t from a wide range of similar products, and as a result stimulates consumers buying behaviors. (Wells, Farley Armstrong, 2007). In the past the primary function of packaging was to protect the product, but nowadays according the changing marketing environments packaging is being used as a tool for promoting sales, attracting customers and communicating the product to the consumers. (Kotler et al. 1998). The major objectives of a good packaging, which should be achieved are that is should be able to identify the product to the consumer, conveys descriptive and persuasive information about the product, facilitates the product protection and transportation, aid product consumption, and assists at-home storage. Consumers in daily life are exposed to a very wide range of products having different packaging ranging from different product categories displayed in markets, supermarkets and any other place of shopping. Products can then be differentiated from the external packaging having different shapes, sizes, colors, labeling, etc. what is actually inside the package can only be judged through a creative and innovative packaging. The issue here arises that can a good package design impact consumers buying behaviors? Does packaging color impact the behaviors? Do innovations impact these behaviors? Do the labels on packaging impact these behaviors? It is very easy gaining examples from our daily lives. The package design helps the consumer is judging what the package is carrying. If we take the example of Nestle Orange Juice the package reveals that the product contains a very healthy orange juice. The package design should be able to communicate to the consumer what the product is. According t o Schoormanns and Robben (1997) a new package design can be negatively related to the consumers influences of taste perceptions. This is likely due to the consumers past experiences with the product, the perceptions they develop by judging the product by its packaging design. Thus it is very important that the packaging design is the key to developing consumers perceptions about the product or brand. These perceptions may be negative or positive, so it is essential for marketers to bring creativeness and innovations in the packaging design. Consumers are very much likely to judge the product on the basis of price, package color, design, labeling etc. (Implicit Product Theory of Pinson 1986). Background Problem Formulation Previous Studies Deficiencies Significance Purpose Statement The purpose of this cross-sectional survey study is to determine the impact of Packaging Elements on Consumer Buying Behavior in Pakistan. In this context Quantitative Method has been used, the purpose of this survey is to study the various packaging elements that influence the consumers buying behavior. The present study focuses on packaging elements including design, color, labeling, and innovations. Packaging is a wide term in which different elements describe and identify a product or service. It is considered a science, art and technology which not only protects, stores, and distributes a product but also helps the consumer in identifying a product (Wiki). Orth Malkewitz 2006; Underwood Klein 2002 argue that the importance of packaging is increasing due to the increased significance it is playing in buying decisions in store, the presence of it at the time of purchase decisions, and its ability to reach to a wider audience of product purchasers. Rundh 2005 further argues that packaging has the ability of differentiating products from each other. In todays global and competitive environment, packaging can also provide a source of competitive advantage. This study will identify the impacts of packaging elements on the consumer buying behavior in Pakistan using questionnaire survey method. Significance of Study The topic under research will study the impact of packaging elements on consumer buying behavior of Pakistan. For this purpose four packaging elements have been selected; packaging color, design, innovation and printed information. According to Cruden 1989, over the years the, introduction of new packaging concepts have accelerated. This study will be of value in a number of ways. The topic of research is highly under researched and least research has been done regarding the impact of packaging elements on consumer buying behavior of Pakistan. This study will not only help the marketers in bringing innovations and creativeness into the packaging of products but will also provide the policy makers in implementing effective decisions in bringing changes and creative strategies in packaging. This study will contribute immensely through Quantitative research. Theoretically Practically Methodologically Theoretical Framework Theoretical Stances Model: Color pPa Design Consumer Buying Behavior Printed Information Innovation Research Objectives Main Objective The main objective of the study is to: To determine the impact of packaging elements on consumer buying behavior of Pakistan. Sub Objectives The sub objectives of the study are: To provide a basis for future research and to facilitate the administration in implementing and introducing effective and creative packaging elements in order to influence the consumers buying behavior in a positive way. Research Questions and Hypothesis Main Research Question Impact of Packaging Elements on Consumer Buying Behavior. Hypothesis H1 = Does package color influence the consumer buying behavior? H2 = Packaging design has an impact on consumer buying behavior? H3 = Does labeling influence the consumer buying behavior? H4 = Do innovations in packaging impact the buying behaviors? Chapter 2 Literature Review Introduction Nowadays consumers have become more and more conscious about the packaging available to them from products. The role of packaging has changed over the years since primarily due to the changing lifestyles and needs of the consumers. Companies have started bring innovations in packaging since their beliefs over the years have changed that good and unique packaging can stimulate consumer buying behaviors. It has become the source of customers attraction towards products or services, increases the image of the brand and increases the perceptions of the consumer for the product (Rundh 2005), further argued by Rita Kuvykaite (2009) that a package attracts the attention of the consumers for a particular brand. In marketing context packaging plays a very vital role in communicating the product to the consumers and ultimately increases consumers purchase decisions. According to Underwood, Klein Burke, 2001; Silayoi Speece, 2004 a good package communicates unique values about products, and a lso helps in differentiating the products from other products, hence helping the consumers in choosing the right product from a wide range of similar products, and as a result stimulates consumers buying behaviors. (Wells, Farley Armstrong, 2007). It has become a significant issue that the consumers buying behaviors are influenced by the packaging elements. According to Kotler 2003 six packaging elements are the important elements that should be evaluated while employing packaging decisions, these include; size of package, package form, package material, color, text and the brand using that package. According to a study conducted by Bed Nath Sharma in 2008, the respondents response was 84.37% in which they responded that product labels are a simple tag which is attached to any product or consider it as a graphical design which an essential part of a package. In another study in support of packaging belongs to Alice Louw (2006) in which he studied the responses of university students in which it was concluded that in the marketing arena packaging has played a very vital role and he concluded that the right packaging helps in creating unique place in the market as well as in the minds of the consumers. In another research conducted by Renaud Lunardo (2007) the impacts of label on particular brand consumption showed that many consumers buying behavior has been influenced by the labeling. In support of packaging influencing the buying behavior of consumers another study has been conducted by Bytyqi Hysen Vegara Mensur (2008) on how consumers purchase or buy diary products in Kosovo. The results that generated from the research show that majority of the respondents feel that packaging has much to do while purchasing diary products. Various studies have found that packaging is a mean of attracting customers attention towards a product (Underwood et al., 2001; Garber et al., 2000; Goldberg et al, 1999; Schoormans Robben, 1997). Goldberg et al. (1999) emphasized that if non-verbal communication like colors etc, if they are removed from packaging and the use of verbal communication is increased (like images) then it highly attracts the customers specially when the brand in unfamiliar with the consumers. (Underwood et al., 2001). Futher it is argued that package color (Gordon et al., 1994), name of brand (Rigaux-Bricmont, 1981), and package material (McDaniel Baker, 1977) all communicate the meaning of the brand to the consumer. Despite these finding researchers argue that physical appearance is not all that attract consumers towards a particular brand (Garber et al., 2000; Schoormans Robben 1997) while others argue that package colors and shapes are the main source of product attraction and attention (Garber et al., 2000; Schoormans Robben 1997). According to a research conducted by Pires Gon (2008) it is unable for the consumers to preceive what a product is all about, they heavily rely upon the packaging of any product. So the essential packaging elements are the color and shape of the package as well as labeling which communicate the product message to the consumers. Literature Flow Diagram Packaging Elements Color Design Labeling Innovation Conclusion Introduction Consumer Buying Behavior: History of consumerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Packaging Color Consumer Buying Behavior: Packaging Design Consumer Buying Behavior: Bridging the gapà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. dkvà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Packaging Labeling Consumer Buying Behavior: Packaging Innovation Consumer Buying Behavior: Summary Chapter 3 Methodology This chapter deals with the methodology used in investigating the collected data. A systematic way has been provided which includes the procedures taken for the purposes of data collection and analysis. Introduction For the purpose of this research Quantitative Research Method has been used. Paradigm: Research Approach: The research approach used in this study is Quantitative Research. For this purpose a self administered questionnaire was designed. Research Design: Quantitative research approach is implied in this study in which questionnaires will be undertaken for the purpose of data collection. The questionnaire respondents were the employees of the Telecom sector. (Sampling, validity reliability, cross sectional survey) Research Site: Population/Sample: For the purpose of data collection the site selected for this study includes general consumers from which the data has been selected. Strategy of Inquiry: Method: Data collection method was questionnaire which was self administered. The method of sampling was random sampling. Survey method has been used Validity and Reliability: Reliability means that the result is applicable whereas validity means that the measurement are accurate and whether they are measuring what they intend to measure. In reliability checked the results through statistical procedure of internal consistency. To increase the reliability of questionnaire a pilot test was made from 5 respondents. Errors and ambiguities were removed during this process. Analysis Procedure: After setting the sample size, site, the tool for data collection, various analyses were done using SPSS. Summary Chapter 4 Analysis and Results Introduction Analysis and Results Summary Chapter 5 Discussion Conclusion and Recommendations Introduction Discussion Conclusion Suggestions and Recommendations Impact of Packing Elements on Consumer Buying Behavior Impact of Packing Elements on Consumer Buying Behavior Nowadays consumers have become more and more conscious about the packaging available to them from products. The role of packaging has changed over the years since primarily due to the changing lifestyles and needs of the consumers. Companies have started bring innovations in packaging since their beliefs over the years have changed that good and unique packaging can stimulate consumer buying behaviors. It has become the source of customers attraction towards products or services, increases the image of the brand and increases the perceptions of the consumer for the product (Rundh 2005). In marketing context packaging plays a very vital role in communicating the product to the consumers and ultimately increases consumers purchase decisions. According to Underwood, Klein Burke, 2001; Silayoi Speece, 2004 a good package communicates unique values about products, and also helps in differentiating the products from other products, hence helping the consumers in choosing the right produc t from a wide range of similar products, and as a result stimulates consumers buying behaviors. (Wells, Farley Armstrong, 2007). In the past the primary function of packaging was to protect the product, but nowadays according the changing marketing environments packaging is being used as a tool for promoting sales, attracting customers and communicating the product to the consumers. (Kotler et al. 1998). The major objectives of a good packaging, which should be achieved are that is should be able to identify the product to the consumer, conveys descriptive and persuasive information about the product, facilitates the product protection and transportation, aid product consumption, and assists at-home storage. Consumers in daily life are exposed to a very wide range of products having different packaging ranging from different product categories displayed in markets, supermarkets and any other place of shopping. Products can then be differentiated from the external packaging having different shapes, sizes, colors, labeling, etc. what is actually inside the package can only be judged through a creative and innovative packaging. The issue here arises that can a good package design impact consumers buying behaviors? Does packaging color impact the behaviors? Do innovations impact these behaviors? Do the labels on packaging impact these behaviors? It is very easy gaining examples from our daily lives. The package design helps the consumer is judging what the package is carrying. If we take the example of Nestle Orange Juice the package reveals that the product contains a very healthy orange juice. The package design should be able to communicate to the consumer what the product is. According t o Schoormanns and Robben (1997) a new package design can be negatively related to the consumers influences of taste perceptions. This is likely due to the consumers past experiences with the product, the perceptions they develop by judging the product by its packaging design. Thus it is very important that the packaging design is the key to developing consumers perceptions about the product or brand. These perceptions may be negative or positive, so it is essential for marketers to bring creativeness and innovations in the packaging design. Consumers are very much likely to judge the product on the basis of price, package color, design, labeling etc. (Implicit Product Theory of Pinson 1986). Purpose Statement The purpose of this cross-sectional survey study is to determine the impact of Packaging Elements on Consumer Buying Behavior in Pakistan. In this context Quantitative Method has been used, the purpose of this survey is to study the various packaging elements that influence the consumers buying behavior. The present study focuses on packaging elements including design, color, labeling, and innovations. Packaging is a wide term in which different elements describe and identify a product or service. It is considered a science, art and technology which not only protects, stores, and distributes a product but also helps the consumer in identifying a product (Wiki). Orth Malkewitz 2006; Underwood Klein 2002 argue that the importance of packaging is increasing due to the increased significance it is playing in buying decisions in store, the presence of it at the time of purchase decisions, and its ability to reach to a wider audience of product purchasers. Rundh 2005 further argues that packaging has the ability of differentiating products from each other. In todays global and competitive environment, packaging can also provide a source of competitive advantage. This study will identify the impacts of packaging elements on the consumer buying behavior in Pakistan using questionnaire survey method. Significance of Study The topic under research will study the impact of packaging elements on consumer buying behavior of Pakistan. For this purpose four packaging elements have been selected; packaging color, design, innovation and printed information. According to Cruden 1989, over the years the, introduction of new packaging concepts have accelerated. This study will be of value in a number of ways. The topic of research is highly under researched and least research has been done regarding the impact of packaging elements on consumer buying behavior of Pakistan. This study will not only help the marketers in bringing innovations and creativeness into the packaging of products but will also provide the policy makers in implementing effective decisions in bringing changes and creative strategies in packaging. This study will contribute immensely through Quantitative research. Research Objectives Main Objective The main objective of the study is to: To determine the impact of packaging elements on consumer buying behavior of Pakistan. Sub Objectives The sub objectives of the study are: To provide a basis for future research and to facilitate the administration in implementing and introducing effective and creative packaging elements in order to influence the consumers buying behavior in a positive way. Research Questions and Hypothesis Main Research Question Impact of Packaging Elements on Consumer Buying Behavior. Hypothesis H1 = Does package color influence the consumer buying behavior? H2 = Packaging design has an impact on consumer buying behavior? H3 = Does labeling influence the consumer buying behavior? H4 = Do innovations in packaging impact the buying behaviors? Literature Review Introduction Nowadays consumers have become more and more conscious about the packaging available to them from products. The role of packaging has changed over the years since primarily due to the changing lifestyles and needs of the consumers. Companies have started bring innovations in packaging since their beliefs over the years have changed that good and unique packaging can stimulate consumer buying behaviors. It has become the source of customers attraction towards products or services, increases the image of the brand and increases the perceptions of the consumer for the product (Rundh 2005), further argued by Rita Kuvykaite (2009) that a package attracts the attention of the consumers for a particular brand. In marketing context packaging plays a very vital role in communicating the product to the consumers and ultimately increases consumers purchase decisions. According to Underwood, Klein Burke, 2001; Silayoi Speece, 2004 a good package communicates unique values about products, and a lso helps in differentiating the products from other products, hence helping the consumers in choosing the right product from a wide range of similar products, and as a result stimulates consumers buying behaviors. (Wells, Farley Armstrong, 2007). It has become a significant issue that the consumers buying behaviors are influenced by the packaging elements. According to Kotler 2003 six packaging elements are the important elements that should be evaluated while employing packaging decisions, these include; size of package, package form, package material, color, text and the brand using that package. According to a study conducted by Bed Nath Sharma in 2008, the respondents response was 84.37% in which they responded that product labels are a simple tag which is attached to any product or consider it as a graphical design which an essential part of a package. In another study in support of packaging belongs to Alice Louw (2006) in which he studied the responses of university students in which it was concluded that in the marketing arena packaging has played a very vital role and he concluded that the right packaging helps in creating unique place in the market as well as in the minds of the consumers. In another research conducted by Renaud Lunardo (2007) the impacts of label on particular brand consumption showed that many consumers buying behavior has been influenced by the labeling. In support of packaging influencing the buying behavior of consumers another study has been conducted by Bytyqi Hysen Vegara Mensur (2008) on how consumers purchase or buy diary products in Kosovo. The results that generated from the research show that majority of the respondents feel that packaging has much to do while purchasing diary products. Various studies have found that packaging is a mean of attracting customers attention towards a product (Underwood et al., 2001; Garber et al., 2000; Goldberg et al, 1999; Schoormans Robben, 1997). Goldberg et al. (1999) emphasized that if non-verbal communication like colors etc, if they are removed from packaging and the use of verbal communication is increased (like images) then it highly attracts the customers specially when the brand in unfamiliar with the consumers. (Underwood et al., 2001). Futher it is argued that package color (Gordon et al., 1994), name of brand (Rigaux-Bricmont, 1981), and package material (McDaniel Baker, 1977) all communicate the meaning of the brand to the consumer. Despite these finding researchers argue that physical appearance is not all that attract consumers towards a particular brand (Garber et al., 2000; Schoormans Robben 1997) while others argue that package colors and shapes are the main source of product attraction and attention (Garber et al., 2000; Schoormans Robben 1997). According to a research conducted by Pires Gon (2008) it is unable for the consumers to preceive what a product is all about, they heavily rely upon the packaging of any product. So the essential packaging elements are the color and shape of the package as well as labeling which communicate the product message to the consumers. Literature Flow Diagram Summary Chapter 3 Methodology This chapter deals with the methodology used in investigating the collected data. A systematic way has been provided which includes the procedures taken for the purposes of data collection and analysis. Introduction For the purpose of this research Quantitative Research Method has been used. Paradigm: Research Approach: The research approach used in this study is Quantitative Research. For this purpose a self administered questionnaire was designed. Research Design: Quantitative research approach is implied in this study in which questionnaires will be undertaken for the purpose of data collection. The questionnaire respondents were the employees of the Telecom sector. (Sampling, validity reliability, cross sectional survey) Research Site: Population/Sample: For the purpose of data collection the site selected for this study includes general consumers from which the data has been selected. Strategy of Inquiry: Method: Data collection method was questionnaire which was self administered. The method of sampling was random sampling. Survey method has been used Validity and Reliability: Reliability means that the result is applicable whereas validity means that the measurement are accurate and whether they are measuring what they intend to measure. In reliability checked the results through statistical procedure of internal consistency. To increase the reliability of questionnaire a pilot test was made from 5 respondents. Errors and ambiguities were removed during this process. Analysis Procedure: After setting the sample size, site, the tool for data collection, various analyses were done using SPSS.

Implications of change management on organizational behavior

Implications of change management on organizational behavior Change is hard because people overestimate the value of what they have-and underestimate the value of what they may gain by giving that up. (James et al 1994) Change Management is the process, tools and techniques to manage the people-side of change to achieve the required business outcome (Prosci 2009). This report outlines a massive Change Management exercise rolled out at Infosys Technologies Ltd (ITL), India. ITL is a NASDAQ listed fortune 500, Indian IT company with 63 offices across the globe with an employee base of 1, 22,468 (Infosys 2010). Pre-recession scenario in Indian IT companies witnessed employee promotions in every 2-3 years. As a result, a person works on technology for 4-5 years and then moves up to management. This has resulted in clients complaining about the lack of technically strong people. To urgency to meet the client expectations triggered the launch of iRACE (Infosys Role and Career Enhancement) change management exercise in October 2009 amidst peak recession climate (Huczynski et al 2010 pp. 563). iRACE, implemented by global HR services firm Mercer Consulting, was a career transformation exercise with 24 career streams to ensure the growth will no longer be defined by movement up due to frequent promotions. This review sights the analysis of the nature of iRACE transformation using Scale Of Change and Change Leadership Style plot (Stace and Dunphy, 2001), change agents approach, communication strategy and implications of iRACE change and compares it with theory. Also suggestions that could have led to effective change management at Infosys with minimum resistance and impact on the employees have been proposed. Change characteristics Scale, Leadership style Context Analysis: With approx. 1, 00,000 employees getting affected by the iRACE change rollout the analysis of the scale, leadership style context of the change becomes very significant. Stance and Dunphy (2001) defined that the change of scale using four characteristics: fine Tuning, incremental adjustment, modular transformation and corporate transformation. Stance and Dunphy (2001) also defined the categories of change leadership style: collaborative, consultative, directive and coercive. Plotting Scale Of Change against Change Leadership Style and Dunphy Stace contingency approach to change implementation helps to analyze the scale of change, leadership style and evaluate the approach of iRACE change whether it fits in the right context or not . (Huczynski et al 2010 pp. 574). Fig1 : Scale of change and leadership style Scale of change Style of change leadership Fine Tuning Incremental Adjustment Modular Transformation Corporate Transformation Collaborative Type 1 Type 2 Consultative Participative evolution Charismatic transformation Directive Type 3 Type 4 iRACE Change was a necessity for survival. Had to rely on external support for doing the change. Coercive Forced evolution Dictatorial transformation Source: Adopted from (Huczynski et al 2010 pp. 574). This matrix analysis categorizes iRACE into a Corporate Change with Coercive leadership style and fits iRACE into a Dictatorial corporate transformation context. Role and approach of Change Agents in fostering the change: Effective management of change is necessary to sustain the competition. Balogun and Hope Hailey (2004) report a failure rate of around 70% of all change programmes initiated. The facts thus suggest that there is no well-defined framework across domains that outlines the management and implementation of change. What is available is a wide range of confusing theories and approaches (Burnes, 2004). Guimaraes and Armstrong (1998) support this by saying that mostly superficial analyses have been published in this basic area. With the lack of a fundamental framework of change, the role of change agents becomes exceedingly crucial. A change agent is defined as a manager who seeks to reconfigure an organizations roles, responsibilities, structures, outputs, processes, systems, technology or other resources in the light of improving organizational effectiveness (Buchanan and Badham 1999). Buchanan and Boddy (1992) list competencies of effective change agents: clarity of specifying goals, team building activities, communication skills, negotiation skills and influencing skills to gain commitment to goals. Gronn (2002) and Bennett et al (2003) sight that distribution of change agency means that more people need to have the skills required. Also contrary to Gronn (2002) and Bennett et all (2003) sighting, iRACE change agency was not distributed as major part of the change was formulated by Mercer Consulting (external change agent) and a committee of only 65 top level managers (internal change agents) Fig2 : iRACE Change Management and Communication (Phases and Timelines) Source: Self-understanding of knowledge of iRACE gained at Infosys (2009) Kanter (1989) speaks of superhuman change agents, with wide-ranging expertise, as a business athlete. Although the change agents seemed to be effective in Phase I but contrary to Kanter (1989) argument, change agents in Phase II couldnt perform effective organizational diagnosis and Phase III IV were ineffective because of the lack of expertise the change agents took much longer time than expected in dealing with the design complexities. This resulted in excessive delay in (Phase V) and thus delayed communication led to mismatch with the stakeholders expectations of the change resulting in resentment of the stakeholders (Kubler Ross, 1969). Importance of Communication- An underestimated picture An effective communication smoothens the delivery of the change. Bovee and Thill (2000, p.4) believe that effective communication only takes place when participants achieve a shared understanding, stimulate others to take actions and encourage people to think in new ways. Opposite to Bovee and Thills (2000) saying iRACE change communication lacked shared understanding at the managerial level. Gibb (1961) argues the importance of Communication Climate. Contrary to Gibb (1961) argument the climate was not favorable for iRace change with global recession cloud, layoffs and other stringent policy amendments (e.g. 9.15 work hour policy, ISTAFF policy) and communications taking place simultaneously. The communication process also lacked effective communication strategy. The communication was merely based on tactical analysis. Even though communication involved just tactical analysis, It failed to cater to all the areas of tactical analysis i.e. it lacked right channels for communication flow, timeliness and efficient monitoring. Communication was made highly complex. The delay in design phase worsened the communication by percolating the delay in delivery phase and as a result of shrinked timelines, communication process lacked two-way communication, dialogue and feedback, review exercise for the communication delivered and last but not the least the employee discomfort went un heard during the entire communication phase (Huczynski et al 2010 pp. 226-27). Fall out of the Change Impact on Organizational Behavior : Role Restructuring Demotions: Over 4,500 people got demoted because of the iRACE implementation. This created a furor. Loss of Loyalty of Employees: The employees criticized iRACE and the HR leadership through use of social media to express their resentment and the fading out loyalty. Unprecedented Attrition- A key failure indicator: In the initial half of 2010- Infosys lost 4000 employees in the month of February 2010 alone accounting for 3% of its total strength (Dexter 2010). Over 10,000 that have quit since October 2009, 4,000 left in February10 alone. About 1,000 e-separations were filed on the intranet on a single day: December 31st (Current IT Market 2010). Fig3 : Attrition Rate at Infosys Pre and Post iRACE change implementation Source: (Infosys Reports Filings 2010) Pre iRACE Implementation- Q3-09 to Q2-10 relate to Peak recession scenario iRACE design phase. iRACE Implementation- Q4-10 iRACE Implementation phase Post iRACE Implementation- Q1-11 to Q2-11- iRACE fall out phase. Refurbishing process- The Resolution : Unitarist frame of reference views organization as fundamentally harmonious, co-operative structures, consisting of committed, loyal, worker-management teams that promote harmony of purpose (Huczynski et al 2010 pp. 662-63). Ackroyd et al (1999) and Johnston (2000) identified the key features of unitarist frame of reference which use communication failures between management and employees to explain the workplace conflict. To overcome the communication failures continuous impacts, management must re-structure the communication process so that the objective of the change is communicated to the employees clearly. Firstly, using Gronn (2002) and Bennett et al (2003) theory of distribution of change agency management must involve more skilled persons in the communication thus distribute the change agency. Secondly, iRACE change agents should restructure the communication process by using a Strategic Planning- Iceberg which outlines the strategic approach to communicating change based o n four levels of planning outlined below (Clampitt et all N.D.). Fig3 : Strategic Planning Iceberg Source: (Clampitt et all N.D.) The Ice Berg strategic planning will benefit iRACE change agents in focusing on all four strategic approaches contextual analysis (anticipate possible resistance points), audience analysis (isolate key groups of employees that may be directly or indirectly impacted by the change) and strategic design (development of a sustainable strategy based on the outcomes of contextual and audience analysis) unlike the previous approach which focused on Tactics (how to s?) only. As the market is stabilizing after the recession, substantial rewards (salary hikes, exceptional performance promotions, role progressions if not role change) can be given to the employees which will be beneficial for the employees and the organization as a whole. Conclusion: The Scale Of Change against Change Leadership Style and Dunphy Stace contingency approach helped in accessing the characteristics of the change. The analysis also uses Gronn (2002) and Bennett et al (2003) change agency distribution theory to analyze the importance of distribution of the change agency viz a viz emphasizes on competencies of effective change agents. These strategies, if used, strategically, would have led to the involvement of more competent people into the change process as change agents. Diversification of change agency if ignored like in case of ITL leads to inefficient change strategy. The unitarist frame of reference helped to identify the causes of conflict in ITL. This analysis further highlights the (Clampitt et all N.D.) Ice Berg strategic planning approach to understand the significance of strategic communication of the change and communication climate Gibb (1961) and its benefits in communicating the objective of the change. Value of the strategic communic ation in fostering the change, if undermined, wreaks serious threats to the organizational behavior. The solutions suggested may involve extra manpower, extra effort and time in restructuring the communication process and communicating the essence of change. Given solution may also incur cost to give wage hikes initially but are competent enough to solve the problem and lead to a smoothened and sustainable organization change viz a viz improvement in organization behavior. References Ackroyd, S. and Thompson, P. (1999) Organizational Misbehavior. London: Sage Publications. Balogun, J. and Hope Hailey, V. (2004) Exploring Strategic Change, 2nd edition (London: Prentice Hall). Bennett, N., Wise, C. and Woods, P. (2003) Distributed Leadership. Nottingham: National College for School Leadership. Bovee, C.L. and Thill, J.V. (2000), Business Communication Today, 6th edition., Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. Buchanan, D.A. and Badham, R. (1999), Politics and organizational change: the lived experience, Human Relations, Vol. 52 No. 5, pp. 609-29. Buchanan, D.A. and Boddy, D. (1992), The Expertise of the Change Agent, Prentice-Hall, London. Burnes, B. (2004) Managing Change: A Strategic Approach to Organizational Dynamics, 4th edition (Harlow: Prentice Hall). Clampitt, Phillip, G. and Berk, Laurey, R. (N.D.) Strategically Communicating Organization Change. http://www.imetacomm.com/otherpubs/pdf_doc_downloads/strat_commg_org_change_v5.pdf [Accessed 28/10/2010]. Current IT Market (2010). Most Viewed Posts Today: Infosys to give unheard of increments. http://www.currentitmarket.net/2010/03/infosys-to-give-unheard-of-increments.html [Accessed 27/10/2010]. Dexternights (2010). Daily dose of Technology and Reviews: Infosys iRace makes employees say I QUIT. http://www.dexternights.com/2010/03/20/infosys-irace-makes-employees-say-i-quit/ [Accessed 27/10/2010]. Gibb, J.R. (1961) Defensive Communication, Journal of Communication, 11(3): 141-48. Gronn, P. (2002) Distributed leadership as a unit of analysis, Leadership Quarterly, 13(4):423-51. Guimaraes, T. and Armstrong, C. (1998) Empirically testing the impact of change management effectiveness on company performance, European Journal of Innovation Management, 1(2), pp. 74-84. Huczynski, A., and Buchanan, A. (2010) Organizational Behaviour, 7th edition. Harlow: Pearson Education, pp. 563-575, 662-663. Infosys (2010). About us: What We Do http://www.infosys.com/about/what-we-do/pages/index.aspx [Accessed 23/10/2010]. Infosys Reports Filings (2010). Quarterly Reports, FY 09-11: Fact Sheet: Consolidated financial data: Attrition. http://www.infosys.com/investors/reports-filings/quarterly-results/2010-2011/Q1/Pages/index.aspx [Accessed 26/10/2010 ] James, A., Belasco and Ralph, C., Stayer (1994). Flight Of The Buffalo http://www.leadershipnow.com/changequotes.html [Accessed 23/10/2010]. Johnston, R. (2000) Hidden capital. In J. Barry, J.Chandler, H. Clark, R. Johnston and D. Needle (eds), Organization and Management: A Critical Text. London: International Thomson Business Press, pp. 16-35. Kanter, R.M. (1989) When Giants Learn to Dance: Mastering the Challenge of Strategy. Management and Careers in the 1990s. London: Simon Schuster. Kubler-Ross, E. (1969) On Death and Dying. Toronto: McMillan. Prosci (2009). Proscis Change Management Webinar Series http://www.change-management.com/Prosci-Webinar-Prereading-2009.pdf [Accessed 23/10/2010]. Stace, D., and Dunphy, D., 2001 The strategic management of corporate change, Human Relations, 46(8), pp. 905-918.

Anne Sexton: Poetry as Therapy Essay -- Anne Sexton Poet Poem Poetry E

Anne Sexton: Poetry as Therapy Many great literary and artistic geniuses have been troubled with deep depression and mental illness. Anne Sexton is an example of a poet with such problems who used her personal despair to inspire her poetic works. Not all of Sexton's work is based solely on her mental health; but a good portion of her work is influenced by her constant bouts with depression. As she struggled to deal with her own marital infidelity and the problems associated with being a female poet in a male dominated genre, she combined the theme of depression with one based on the roles of women in society. In turn, she gained a wider audience and received recognition for her work. But all the fame and fortune were not enough to compete with her lack of mental stability. Anne Sexton was born Anne Gray Harvey on November 9, 1928 in Newton, Massachusetts. She was the youngest of three daughters to Ralph and Mary Gray Staples Harvey. Life in the Harvey household was difficult for Anne. Her parents, especially her father, were very concerned with appearances and she failed them in these standards most of the time. As the Harvey children grew older, the household became much more tense. Anne's father was an alcoholic and her mother drank nearly as much as he did. Her mother's failed aspirations to become a famous writer increased the tension among the family members as Anne's mother began to resent her husband and children (Middlebrook 4-16). The ingredients for future depression were already in the works for Anne. There was a history of mental illness in the family with both Anne's great aunt and grandfather. As Anne grew older, she was pretty and popular with the boys. However, her performance in school was lacking in m... ...tudied today but the inspiration for her poetry, her constant depression, forced Sexton to take her own life. In her work, she expressed the inner torture she endured and explored the depths of her mind and society. Works Cited Kumin, Maxine. Foreword. The Complete Poems by Anne Sexton. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1999. xix. Middlebrook, Diane Wood. Anne Sexton: A Biography. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1991. Parini, Jay. Editor. The Columbia Anthology of American Poetry. New York: Columba University Press, 1995. Sexton, Anne. "Her Kind." Kennedy, X.J. and Dana Gioia, eds. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. 8th ed. New York: Longman, 2002. 770. Wagner-Martin, Linda. "Sexton, Anne Gray Harvey." 13 November 2001. <http://www.anb.org/articles/16/16-01490-print.html> Anne Sexton Reads Her Poetry. Audiocassette. Caedmon, 1999.

Professional Sports Teams Move - Cities Fight To Keep Them Essay

Professional Sports Teams Move - Cities Fight To Keep Them   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Professional sports, like most of our popular culture, can be understood only partly by through its exiting plays and tremendous athletes. Baseball and football most of all are not only games anymore but also hardcore businesses. As businesses, sports leagues can be as conniving, deceitful, and manipulative as any other businesses in the world. No matter what the circumstances are, it seems that Politicians are always some how right around the corner from the world of sports. These Politicians look to exploit both the cultural and the economic dimensions of the sports for their own purposes. This is what is known in the sports industry as â€Å"playing the field†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the last decade, almost all the big cities in the United States, and a few small cities as well, have battled with each other for the right to host big league franchises. Cities spend hundreds of millions of dollars to build new stadiums and offer enticements to private franchise owners. Politicians often push for stadiums and other favors to teams despite not having support from neighborhoods and general opposition across the whole city, especially where these high dollar stadiums would be built.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some of the most prolific franchises in sports, like the Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Colts of the National Football League, have moved to other cities breaking off their loyalty to the hometown fans. More important than the actual moves are the more frequent threatened moves. When teams â€Å"play the field† and explore the option of playing in other cities they are able to lure interested cities into giving them just about any royalty they want. New stadiums are only the beginning. The willingness to threaten departure has secured for teams a variety of land deals, lower taxes, more revenues from parking and concessions, control of stadium operations, guaranteed ticket sales, renovation of stadiums with luxury seating, control over neighborhoods and transportation systems, and that’s only the beginning of the list.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Franchises are able to control their own destinies and have major advantages over city officials. This is what as known in the sports industry as the â€Å"uneven playing field†. City officials react to the offensive stra... ...s left Baltimore to play in Indianapolis, where they haven’t had a championship season since they left.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ironically, the Cleveland Browns of the NFL who were a playoff caliber team every year, who had loyal fans and good attendance, lost their team to the city of Baltimore. Owner Art Modell moved his Cleveland Browns team to the city of Baltimore, with the promise of a cost free state of the art stadium, built by tax payers, and a larger market for their team to play in. The city of Baltimore welcomed the team wholeheartedly, after going through the same loss of a team, the Colts. The team is know called the Baltimore Ravens and play in a beautiful stadium complex in downtown Baltimore, Maryland. They have great fan support and Baltimore is once again a football town. The city of Cleveland on the other hand has been in shock after losing a team they loved and supported and are not very fond of Art Modell. The city of Cleveland will once again become a football town, with the expansion Cleveland Browns preparing for their inaugural season, beginning in the fall 1999. The city is once again very excited about the NFL and the â€Å"Dog Pound† will live again.

“Financial Statement Analysis of Apple Inc.”

Company Background Apple Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (collectively â€Å"Apple† or the â€Å"Company†) designs, manufactures and markets mobile communication and media devices, personal computers, and portable digital music players, and sells a variety of related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications. The Company’s products and services include iPhone  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  , iPad  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  , Mac  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  , iPod  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  , Apple TV  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  , a portfolio of consumer and professional software applications, the iOS and Mac OS  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  X operating systems, iCloud  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  , and a variety of accessory, service and support offerings.The Company also sells and delivers digital content and applications through the iTunes Store  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  , App Store  SM  , iBookstore  SM  , and Mac App Store. The Company sells its products worldwide through its retail stores, online stores, and direct sa les force, as well as through third-party cellular network carriers, wholesalers, retailers, and value-added resellers. In addition, the Company sells a variety of third-party iPhone, iPad, Mac and iPod compatible products, including application software, printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and various other accessories and peripherals, through its online and retail stores.The Company sells to consumers, small and mid-sized businesses (â€Å"SMB†), and education, enterprise and government customers. The Company’s fiscal year is the 52 or 53-week period that ends on the last Saturday of September. Unless otherwise stated, all information presented in this Form 10-K is based on the Company’s fiscal calendar. The Company is a California corporation established in 1977. Business Strategy The Company is committed to bringing the best user experience to its customers through its innovative hardware, software, peripherals, and services.The Company’s business strategy leverages its unique ability to design and develop its own operating systems, hardware, application software, and services to provide its customers new products and solutions with superior ease-of-use, seamless integration, and innovative design. The Company believes continual investment in research and development and marketing and advertising is critical to the development and sale of innovative products and technologies. As part of its strategy, the Company continues to expand its platform for the discovery and delivery of hird-party digital content and applications through the iTunes Store. As part of the iTunes Store, the Company’s App Store and iBookstore allow customers to discover and download applications and books through either a Mac or Windows-based computer or through â€Å"iOS devices,† namely iPhone, iPad and iPod touch  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  . In January 2011, the Company opened the Mac App Store to allow customers to easily discover, download an d install applications for their Macs. The Company also supports a community for the development of third-party software and hardware products and digital content that complement the Company’s offerings.The Company’s strategy also includes expanding its distribution network to effectively reach more customers and provide them with a high-quality sales and post-sales support experience. Consumer and Small and Mid-Sized Business The Company believes a high-quality buying experience with knowledgeable salespersons who can convey the value of the Company’s products and services greatly enhances its ability to attract and retain customers. The Company sells many of its products and resells third-party products in most of its major markets directly to consumers and businesses through its retail and online stores.The Company has also invested in programs to enhance reseller sales by placing high quality Apple fixtures, merchandising materials and other resources within selected third-party reseller locations. Through the Apple Premium Reseller Program, certain third-party resellers focus on the Apple platform by providing a high level of product expertise, integration and support services. The Company’s retail stores are typically located at high-traffic locations in quality shopping malls and urban shopping districts.By operating its own stores and locating them in desirable high-traffic locations, the Company is better positioned to ensure a high quality customer buying experience and attract new customers. The stores are designed to simplify and enhance the presentation and marketing of the Company’s products and related solutions. To that end, retail store configurations have evolved into various sizes to accommodate market-specific demands. The Company believes providing direct contact with its customers is an effective way to demonstrate the advantages of its products over those of its competitors.The stores employ experienced and knowledgeable personnel who provide product advice, service and training. The stores offer a wide selection of third-party hardware, software, and other accessories and peripherals that complement the Company’s products. Enterprise and Government The Company also sells its hardware and software products to enterprise and government customers in each of its geographic segments. The Company’s products are deployed in these markets because of their power, productivity, ease of use and the simplicity of seamless integration into information technology environments.The Company’s products are compatible with thousands of third-party business applications and services, and its tools enable the development and secure deployment of custom applications as well as remote device administration. Business Organization The Company manages its business primarily on a geographic basis. Accordingly, the Company has determined that its reportable operating segments, which are generally based on the nature and location of its customers, consist of the Americas, Europe, Japan, Asia-Pacific and Retail.The results of the Americas, Europe, Japan and Asia-Pacific reportable segments do not include the results of the Retail segment. The Americas segment includes both North and South America. The Europe segment includes European countries, as well as the Middle East and Africa. The Asia-Pacific segment includes Australia and Asian countries, other than Japan. The Retail segment operates Apple retail stores worldwide. Each reportable operating segment provides similar hardware and software products and similar services.Further information regarding the Company’s operating segments may be found in Part II, Item  7 of this Form 10-K under the subheading â€Å"Segment Operating Performance,† and in Part II, Item  8 of this Form 10-K in Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Note 8, â€Å"Segment Information and Geographic Data. † Pro ducts The Company offers a range of mobile communication and media devices, personal computing products, and portable digital music players, as well as a variety of related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions and third-party hardware and software products. In addition, the Company ffers its own software products, including iOS, the Company’s proprietary mobile operating system; Mac OS X, the Company’s proprietary operating system software for the Mac; server software and application software for consumer, SMB, and education, enterprise and government customers. The Company’s primary products are discussed below. iPhone iPhone combines a mobile phone, an iPod, and an Internet communications device in a single handheld product. Based on the Company’s Multi-Touchâ„ ¢ user interface, iPhone features  desktop-class email, web browsing, searching, and maps and is compatible with both Macs and Windows-based computers. Phone automatically s yncs content from users’ iTunes libraries, as well as contacts, bookmarks, and email accounts. iPhone allows customers to access the iTunes Store to download audio and video files, as well as a variety of other digital content and applications. In October 2011, the Company launched iPhone 4S, its latest version of iPhone, which includes Siriâ„ ¢, a voice activated intelligent assistant. In addition to the Company’s own iPhone accessories, third-party iPhone compatible accessories are available through the Company’s online and retail stores and from third parties. Pad iPad is a multi-purpose mobile device for browsing the web, reading and sending email, viewing photos, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, reading e-books and more. iPad is based on the Company’s Multi-Touch technology and allows customers to connect with their applications and content in a more interactive way. iPad allows customers to access the iTunes Store to download a udio and video files, as well as a variety of other digital content and applications. In March 2011, the Company introduced iPad 2, its second-generation iPad.In addition to the Company’s own iPad accessories, third-party iPad compatible accessories are available through the Company’s online and retail stores and from third parties. Mac Hardware Products The Company offers a range of personal computing products including desktop and portable computers, related devices and peripherals, and third-party hardware products. The Company’s Mac desktop and portable systems feature Intel microprocessors, the Mac OS X Lion operating system and the iLife  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  suite of software for creation and management of digital photography, music, movies, DVDs and websites.The Company’s desktop computers include iMac   Mac Pro and Mac mini. The iMac desktop computer has an all-in-one design that incorporates a display, processor, graphics card, storage, memory and other components inside a single enclosure. The Mac Pro desktop computer is targeted at business and professional customers and is designed to meet the performance, expansion, and networking needs of the most demanding Mac user. The Mac mini is a desktop computer in a compact enclosure. . iPodThe Company’s iPod line of portable digital music and media players includes iPod touch, iPod nano  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  , iPod shuffle  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  and iPod classic  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  . All iPods work with iTunes. In addition to the Company’s own iPod accessories, third-party iPod compatible accessories are available, through the Company’s online and retail stores or from third parties. The iPod touch, based on iOS, is a flash-memory-based iPod with a widescreen display and a Multi-Touch user interface. iPod touch allows customers to access the iTunes Store to download audio and video content, as well as a variety of digital applications.The iPod nano is a flash-memory-based iPod that features the C ompany’s Multi-Touch interface allowing customers to navigate their music collection by tapping or swiping the display. The iPod nano features a polished aluminum and glass enclosure with a built-in clip. The iPod shuffle is a flash-memory-based iPod that features a clickable control pad to control music playback and VoiceOver technology enabling customers to hear song titles, artists and playlist names. The iPod classic is a hard-drive based portable digital music and video player. iTunes  Ã‚ ® Tunes is an application that supports the purchase, download, organization and playback of digital audio and video files and is available for both Mac and Windows-based computers. iTunes 10 is the latest version of iTunes and features AirPlay  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  wireless music playback, Genius Mixes, Home Sharing, and improved syncing functionality with iOS devices. Mac App Store In January 2011, the Company opened the Mac App Store allowing customers to discover, download and install applic ations for their Macs. The Mac App Store offers applications in education, games, graphics and design, lifestyle, productivity, utilities and other categories.The Company’s Mac OS X operating system software and iLife and iWork  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  application software are also available on the Mac App Store. iCloud In October 2011, the Company launched iCloud, its new cloud service, which stores music, photos, applications, contacts, calendars, and documents and wirelessly pushes them to multiple iOS devices, Macs and Windows-based computers. iCloud’s features include iTunes in the Cloud, Photo Stream, Documents in the Cloud, Contacts, Calendar, Mail,  automatic downloads and purchase history for applications and iBooks, and iCloud Backup.Users can sign up for free access to iCloud using a device running iOS 5 or a Mac running Mac OS X Lion. Software Products and Computer Technologies The Company offers a range of software products for consumer, SMB, education, enterprise and government customers, including the Company’s proprietary iOS and Mac OS X operating system software; server software; professional application software; and consumer, education, and business oriented application software. Operating System Software iOS OS is the Company’s mobile operating system that serves as the foundation for iOS devices. In October 2011, the Company released iOS 5, which supports iCloud and includes new features such as Notification Center, a way to view and manage notifications in one place; iMessageâ„ ¢, a messaging service that allows users to send text messages, photos and videos between iOS devices; and Newsstand, a way to purchase and organize newspaper and magazine subscriptions. Mac OS X Mac OS X, the operating system for Macs, is built on an open-source UNIX-based foundation.Mac OS X Lion is the eighth major release of Mac OS X and became available in July 2011. Mac OS X Lion includes support for new Multi-Touch gestures; iCloud integr ation; system-wide support for full screen applications; Mission Controlâ„ ¢, a way to view everything running on a user’s Mac; the Mac App Store; Launchpadâ„ ¢, a new home for a user’s applications; and a redesigned Mail application. Application Software iLife iLife ’11 is the latest version of the Company’s consumer-oriented digital lifestyle application suite included with all Mac computers. Life features iPhoto  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  , iMovie  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  , iDVD  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  , GarageBand  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  , and iWebâ„ ¢. iPhoto is the Company’s consumer-oriented digital photo application and iMovie is the Company’s consumer-oriented digital video editing software application. iDVD is the Company’s consumer-oriented software application that enables customers to turn iMovie files, QuickTime files, and digital pictures into interactive DVDs. GarageBand is the Company’s consumer-oriented music creation application that allows customers to p lay, record and create music. Web allows customers to create online photo albums, blogs and podcasts, and to customize websites using editing tools. iWork iWork ’09 is the latest version of the Company’s integrated productivity suite designed to help users create, present, and publish documents, presentations, and spreadsheets. iWork ’09 includes Pages  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢09 for word processing and page layout, Keynote  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢09 for presentations, and Numbers  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢09 for spreadsheets. The Company also has a Multi-Touch version of each iWork application designed specifically for use on iOS devices. Other Application SoftwareThe Company also sells various other application software, including Final Cut Pro  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  , Logic Studio  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  ,  Logic  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  Express 9, Logic Studio  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  Pro, and its FileMaker  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  Pro database software. Displays  & Peripheral Products The Company manufactures the Apple LED Cinema Displa yâ„ ¢ and Thunderbolt Display. The Company also sells a variety of Apple-branded and third-party Mac-compatible and iOS-compatible peripheral products, including printers, storage devices, computer memory, digital video and still cameras, and various other computing products and supplies.Apple TV Apple TV allows customers to watch movies and television shows on their high definition television. Content from iTunes, Netflix, YouTube, and Flickr as well as music, photos, videos, and podcasts from a Mac or Windows-based computer can also be wirelessly streamed to a television through Apple TV. With the release of iCloud in October 2011, content purchased on Apple TV can be re-downloaded on iOS devices. Product Support and Services AppleCare  Ã‚ ®Ã‚  offers a range of support options for the Company’s customers.These options include assistance that is built into software products, printed and electronic product manuals, online support including comprehensive product informat ion as well as technical assistance, and the AppleCare Protection Plan (â€Å"APP†). APP is a fee-based service that typically includes two to three years of phone support and hardware repairs and dedicated web-based support resources. Markets and Distribution The Company’s customers are primarily in the consumer, SMB, and education, enterprise and government markets.The Company uses a variety of direct and indirect distribution channels, such as its retail stores, online stores, and direct sales force, and third-party cellular network carriers, wholesalers, retailers, and value-added resellers. The Company believes that sales of its innovative and differentiated products are enhanced by knowledgeable salespersons who can convey the value of the hardware and software integration, and demonstrate the unique solutions that are available on its products.The Company further believes providing direct contact with its targeted customers is an effective way to demonstrate the advantages of its products over those of its competitors and providing a high-quality sales and after-sales support experience is critical to attracting new and retaining existing customers. To ensure a high-quality buying experience for its products in which service and education are emphasized, the Company continues to expand and improve its distribution capabilities by expanding the number of its own retail stores worldwide.Additionally, the Company has invested in programs to enhance reseller sales by placing high quality Apple fixtures, merchandising materials and other resources within selected third-party reseller locations. Through the Apple Premium Reseller Program, certain third-party resellers focus on the Apple platform by providing a high level of integration and support services, and product expertise. No single customer accounted for more than 10% of net sales in 2011 or 2010. One of the Company’s customers accounted for 11% of net sales in 2009. CompetitionTh e markets for the Company’s products and services are highly competitive and the Company is confronted by aggressive competition in all areas of its business. These markets are characterized by frequent product introductions and rapid technological advances that have substantially increased the capabilities and use of mobile communication and media devices, personal computers, and other digital electronic devices. The Company’s competitors who sell mobile devices and personal computers based on other operating systems have aggressively cut prices and lowered their product margins to gain or maintain market share.The Company’s financial condition and operating results can be adversely affected by these and other industry-wide downward pressures on gross margins. Principal competitive factors important to the Company include price, product features, relative price/performance, product quality and reliability, design innovation, a strong third-party software and pe ripherals ecosystem, marketing and distribution capability, service and support, and corporate reputation.The Company is focused on expanding its market opportunities related to mobile communication and media devices. These industries are highly competitive and include several large, well-funded and experienced participants. The Company expects competition in these industries to intensify significantly as competitors attempt to imitate some of the features of the Company’s products and applications within their own products or, alternatively, collaborate with each other to offer solutions that are more competitive than those they currently offer.These industries are characterized by aggressive pricing practices, frequent product introductions, evolving design approaches and technologies, rapid adoption of technological and product advancements by competitors, and price sensitivity on the part of consumers and businesses. The Company’s digital content services have face d significant competition from other companies promoting their own digital music and content products and services, including those offering free peer-to-peer music and video services.The Company believes it offers superior innovation and integration of the entire solution including the hardware (iPhone, iPad, Mac, and iPod), software (iTunes), and distribution of digital content and applications (iTunes Store, App Store, iBookstore and Mac App Store). Some of the Company’s current and potential competitors have substantial resources and may be able to provide such products and services at little or no profit or even at a loss to compete with the Company’s offerings.The Company’s future financial condition and operating results depend on the Company’s ability to continue to develop and offer new innovative products and services in each of the markets it competes in. Research and Development Because the industries in which the Company competes are characte rized by rapid technological advances, the Company’s ability to compete successfully depends heavily upon its ability to ensure a continual and timely flow of competitive products, services and technologies to the marketplace.The Company continues to develop new technologies to enhance existing products and to expand the range of its product offerings through research and development, licensing of intellectual property and acquisition of third-party businesses and technology. Total research and development expense was $2. 4 billion, $1. 8 billion and $1. 3 billion in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights and Licenses The Company currently holds rights to patents and copyrights relating to certain aspects of its iPhone, iPad, Mac and iPod devices, peripherals, software and services.The Company has registered or has applied for trademarks and service marks in the U. S. and a number of foreign countries. Although the Company believes the ownership of such patents, copyrights, trademarks and service marks is an important factor in its business and that its success does depend in part on the ownership thereof, the Company relies primarily on the innovative skills, technical competence and marketing abilities of its personnel. The Company regularly files patent applications to protect inventions arising from its research and development, and is currently pursuing thousands of patent applications around the world.Over time, the Company has accumulated a large portfolio of issued patents in the U. S. and worldwide. The Company holds copyrights relating to certain aspects of its products and services. No single patent or copyright is solely responsible for protecting the Company’s products. The Company believes the duration of its patents is adequate relative to the expected lives of its products. Due to the fast pace of innovation and product development, the Company’s products are often obsolete before the patents rel ated to them expire, and sometimes are obsolete before the patents related to them are even granted.Many of the Company’s products are designed to include intellectual property obtained from third parties. While it may be necessary in the future to seek or renew licenses relating to various aspects of its products and business methods, based upon past experience and industry practice, the Company believes such licenses generally could be obtained on commercially reasonable terms; however, there is no guarantee that such licenses could be obtained at all.Because of technological changes in the industries in which the Company competes, current extensive patent coverage, and the rapid rate of issuance of new patents, it is possible that certain components of the Company’s products and business methods may unknowingly infringe existing patents or intellectual property rights of others. From time to time, the Company has been notified that it may be infringing certain paten ts or other intellectual property rights of third parties. Foreign and Domestic Operations and Geographic Data The U. S. epresents the Company’s largest geographic market. Approximately 39% of the Company’s net sales in 2011 came from sales to customers inside the U. S. Final assembly of the Company’s products is currently performed in the Company’s manufacturing facility in Ireland, and by outsourcing partners, primarily located in Asia. The supply and manufacture of a number of components is performed by sole-sourced outsourcing partners in the U. S. , Asia and Europe. Single-sourced outsourcing partners in Asia perform final assembly of substantially all of the Company’s hardware products.Margins on sales of the Company’s products in foreign countries, and on sales of products that include components obtained from foreign suppliers, can be adversely affected by foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations and by international trade regulat ions, including tariffs and antidumping penalties. Information regarding financial data by geographic segment is set forth in Part II, Item  7 and Item  8 of this Form 10-K and in Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Note 8, â€Å"Segment Information and Geographic Data. † Seasonal BusinessThe Company has historically experienced increased net sales in its first fiscal quarter compared to other quarters in its fiscal year due to increased holiday seasonal demand. This historical pattern should not be considered a reliable indicator of the Company’s future net sales or financial performance. Warranty The Company offers a limited parts and labor warranty on most of its hardware products. The basic warranty period is typically one year from the date of purchase by the original end-user. The Company also offers a 90-day basic warranty for its service parts used to repair the Company’s hardware products.In addition, consumers may purchase the APP, which extends service coverage on many of the Company’s hardware products in most of its major markets. Employees As of September  24, 2011, the Company had approximately 60,400 full-time equivalent employees and an additional 2,900 full-time equivalent temporary employees and contractors. APPLE INC. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) Ratio Analysis | 2008| 2009| 2010| 2011| | Liquidity Ratios| a. Current Ratio:A liquidity ratio that measures a company's ability to pay short-term obligations. The Current Ratio formula is:Also known as â€Å"liquidity ratio†, â€Å"cash asset ratio† and â€Å"cash ratio†. | Current Asset/Current Liability| 32311/14092| 36265/19282| 41678/20722| 44988/27970| | 2. 293| 1. 881| 2. 011| 1. 609| industry average| 2. 00| 1. 8| 2. 1| 1. 5| Current Ratio Comparisons :Ratio is stronger than the industry average. | | b. Acid Test Ratio:A stringent indicator that determines whether a firm has enough short-term assets to cover its immediate liabilities without selling inventory. The acid-test ratio is far more strenuous than the working capital ratio, primarily because the working capital ratio allows for the inclusion of inventory assets.Calculated by: | (Current Asset- Average inventory)/Current Liability| (32311-509)/14092| (36265-482)/19282| (41678-753)/20722| (44988-913. 5)/27970| | 2. 257| 1. 86| 1. 961| 1. 581| industry average| 2. 20| 1. 80| 2. 00| 1. 50| Acid Test Ratio Comparisons :Ratio is weaker than the industry average in first 3 years but stringer at last year. | | Summary of the Liquidity Ratio Comparisons * Strong current ratio and weak acid-test ratio indicates a potential problem in the inventories account. * Note that this industry has a relatively high level of inventories. | Financial Leverage Ratios| a.Debt to equity:A measure of a company's financial leverage calculated by dividing its total liabilities by stockholders' equity. It indicates what proportion of equity and de bt the company is using to finance its assets. Note: Sometimes only interest-bearing, long-term debt is used instead of total liabilities in the calculation. Also known as the Personal Debt/Equity Ratio, this ratio can be applied to personal financial statements as well as corporate ones. | Total debt/Shareholders ‘ Equity| 18542/21030| 26019/27832| 27392/47791| 39756/76615| | 0. 882| 0. 935| 0. 573| 0. 519| industry average| . 89| . 95| . 5| . 50| Debt to equity Ratio Comparisons :Has average debt utilization relative to the industry average. | | b. Debt to total asset:A metric used to measure a company's financial risk by determining how much of the company's assets have been financed by debt. Calculated by adding short-term and long-term debt and then dividing by the company's total assets. | Total debt/Total asset| 18542/39572| 26019/53851| 27392/75183| 39756/116371| | 0. 469| 0. 483| 0. 364| 0. 342| industry average| . 45| . 50| . 35| . 35| Debt to total asset Ratio Compa risons :Has average debt utilization relative to the industry average. | c. Total Capitalization:The capitalization ratio measures the debt component of a company's  capital structure, or capitalization (i. e. , the sum of long-term debt  liabilities  and  shareholders' equity) to support a company's operations and growth. | | | | Debt/capitalization| 18542/25480| 26019/34569| 27392/54461| 39756/88401| | . 73| . 75| . 50| . 45| industry average| . 75| . 75| . 50| . 45| Total Capitalization Ratio Comparisons :Has average long-term debt utilization relative to the industry average. | | Coverage Ratios| a. Interest Coverage:A ratio used to determine how easily a company can ay interest on outstanding debt. The interest coverage ratio is calculated by dividing a company's earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of one period by the company's interest expenses of the same period: | EBIT/Interest charges| 6895/2242| 7984/2360| 18540| 34205| | 3. 075| 3. 383| -| -| industry avera ge| 3. 2| 3. 5| -| -| Interest Coverage Ratio Comparisons :Has below average interest coverage relative to the industry average. | | Summary of the Coverage Trend Analysis * The interest coverage ratio for Apple Inc. has been falling since 2008. It has been below industry averages for the past two years. This indicates that low earnings (EBIT) may be a potential problem for BW. * Note, we know that debt levels are in line with the industry averages. | Activity ratios| a. Receivable Turnover:An accounting measure used to quantify a firm's effectiveness in extending credit as well as collecting debts. The receivables turnover ratio is an activity ratio, measuring how efficiently a firm uses its assets. Formula: Some companies' reports will only show sales – this can affect the ratio depending on the size of cash sales. | Annual net credit sales/ Average receivables| 32497/2422| 36537/3361| 65225/5510| 108249/5369| | 13. 17| 10. 871| 11. 838| 20. 162| industry average| 15| 10| 1 3| 20| Receivable Turnover Ratio Comparisons :Ratio is stronger than the industry average. | | b. Average collection period:The approximate amount of time that it takes for a business to receive payments owed, in terms of receivables, from its customers and clients. Calculated as: Where: Days = Total amount of days in period AR = Average amount of accounts receivables Credit Sales = Total amount of net credit sales during period| Days in year/receiveable turnover| 365/13. 417| 365/10. 871| 365/11. 838| 365/20. 62| | 27. 204| 33. 576| 30. 833| 18. 103| industry average| 25| 36| 30| 20| Average collection period Ratio Comparisons :Has improved the average collection period to that of the industry average. | | c. Inventory turnover:A ratio showing how many times a company's inventory is sold and replaced over a period. The days in the period can then be divided by the inventory turnover formula to calculate the days it takes to sell the inventory on hand or â€Å"inventory turnover da ys. † | Cost of goods sold/Average inventory| 21334/509| 25683/482| 39541/753| 64431/913. 5| | 41. 914| 53. 8| 52. 51| 70. 53| industry average| 42| 53| 53| 70| Inventory turnover Ratio Comparisons :Has relatively good turnover. | | d. Total asset turnover:The amount of sales generated for every dollar's worth of assets. It is calculated by dividing sales in dollars by assets in dollars. Formula: This ratio is more useful for growth companies to check if in fact they are growing revenue in proportion to sales. Also known as the Asset Turnover Ratio. | Net sales/ total asset| 32479/39571| 42905/53851| 65225/75183| 108249/116371| | . 821| . 797| . 868| . 930| industry average| . 2| . 80| . 85| . 90| Total asset turnover Ratio Comparisons :Has relatively strong turnover. | | Profitability Ratios| a. Net profit margin:A ratio of profitability calculated as net income divided by revenues, or net profits divided by sales. It measures how much out of every dollar of sales a company a ctually keeps in earnings. | Net profit after tax/Net sales| 4834/32479| 8235/42905| 14013/65225| 25922/108249| | . 149| . 192| . 215| . 239| industry average| . 15| . 20| . 20| . 24| Net profit margin Ratio Comparisons :Has average Net Profit Margin. | | b.Return on investment:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Return on investment(ROI)  rate of return  (ROR), also known as ‘rate of profit' or sometimes just ‘return', is the ratio ofmoney  gained or lost (whether realized or unrealized) on an  investment  relative to the amount of money invested. Similar financial measures with variations on how ‘investment' is defined: * Return on assets  (ROA), * Return on net assets  (RONA), * Return on capital employed  (ROCE) * Return on invested capital  (ROIC) * Social return on investment  (SROI)| NPAT/Total asset| 4834/39572| 8235/53851| 14013/75183| 25922/116371| | . 122| . 153| . 87| . 223| industry average| . 125| . 15| . 18| . 20| Return on investment Ratio Comparisons :H as strong Return on Investment. | | c. Return on equity:The amount of net income returned as a percentage of shareholders equity. Return on equity measures a corporation's profitability by revealing how much profit a company generates with the money shareholders have invested. ROE is expressed as a percentage and calculated as: Return on Equity = Net Income/Shareholder's Equity Net income is for the full fiscal year (before dividends paid to common stock holders but after dividends to preferred stock. Shareholder's equity does not include preferred shares. Also known as â€Å"return on net worth† (RONW). | NPAT/Shareholders equity| 25922/21030| 8235/27832| 14013/477931| 25922/76615| | . 229| . 296| . 293| . 338| industry average| . 23| . 29| . 29| . 350| Return on equity Ratio Comparisons :Has average Return on equity. | | Summary of the Profitability Trend Analyses * The profitability ratios for Apple Inc. have ALL been average since 2008. Each has been below the industry av erages for the past four years. * This indicates that COGS and administrative costs may both be too high and a potential problem for Apple Inc. Note, this result is consistent with the low interest coverage ratio. | Summary of Ratio Analyses * Inventories are too high. * May be paying off creditors (accounts payable) too soon. * COGS may be too high. * Selling, general, and administrative costs may be too high. | Common Size Analysis- Particulars| 2008| 2009| 2010| 2011| | 2008| 2009| 2010| 2011| Assets| | | | | | | | | | Current assets:| | | | | | | | | | Cash ; cash equivalents| 11875| 5263| 11261| 9815| | 30. 01| 9. 77| 14. 98| 8. 43| Short term marketable securities| 10236| 18201| 14359| 16137| | 25. 87| 33. 80| 19. 10| 13. 7| A/R| 2422| 3361| 5510| 5369| | 6. 12| 6. 24| 7. 33| 4. 61| Inventories| 509| 455| 1051| 776| | 1. 29| . 85| 1. 40| . 67| Differed tax assets| 1447| 2101| 1636| 2014| | 3. 66| 3. 90| 2. 18| 1. 73| Vendor non-trade receivables| -| -| 4414| 6348| | -| -| 5. 8 7| 5. 46| Other current assets| 5822| 6884| 3447| 4529| | 14. 71| 12. 78| 4. 59| 3. 89| Total current assets| 32311| 36265| 41678| 44988| | 81. 04| 67. 34| 55. 435| 38. 659| Long-term marketable securities| 2379| 10528| 5391| 55618| | 6. 01| 19. 55| 7. 171| 47. 794| Property, plant and equipment, net| 2455| 2954| 4786| 7777| | 6. 20| 5. 486| 6. 336| 6. 83| Goodwill| 207| 206| 741| 896| | . 52| . 383| . 986| . 769| Acquired intangible assets, net| 285| 247| 342| 3536| | . 72| . 495| . 455| 3. 039| Other assets| 1935| 3651| 2263| 3556| | 4. 890| 6. 780| 3. 010| 3. 056| Total assets| 39572| 53851| 75183| 116371| | 100| 100| 100| 100| | | | | | | | | | | LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY:| | | | | | | | | | Current liabilities:| | | | | | | | | | Accounts payable| 5520| 5601| 12015| 14632| | 13. 942| 10. 401| 15. 981| 12. 574| Accrued expenses| 3719| 3376| 5723| 9247| | 9. 398| 6. 269| 7. 612| 7. 946| Deferred revenue| 4853| 10305| 2984| 4091| | 12. 64| 19. 136| 3. 969| 3. 516 | Total current liabilities| 14092| 19282| 20722| 27970| | 35. 611| 35. 806| 27. 562| 24. 035| Deferred revenue – non-current| 3029| 4485| 1139| 1686| | 7. 654| 8. 329| 1. 515| 1. 449| Other non-current liabilities| 1421| 2252| 5531| 10100| | 3. 591| 4. 182| 7. 357| 8. 679| Total liabilities| 18542| 26019| 27392| 39756| | 46. 856| 48. 317| 36. 434| 34. 163| Commitments and contingenciesShareholders’ equity:| | | | | | | | | | Common stock, no par value; 1,800,000 shares authorized; 929,277 and 915,970 shares issued and outstanding, respectively| 7177| 8210| 10668| 13331| | 18. 37| 15. 246| 14. 189| 11. 456| Retained earnings| 13845| 19538| 37169| 62841| | 34. 987| 36. 282| 49. 438| 54. 001| Accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss)|   Ã‚  8| 84| (46)| 443| | . 020| . 156| (. 061)| . 381| Total shareholders’ equity| 21030| 27832| 47791| 76615| | 53. 144| 51. 683| 63. 566| 65. 837| Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity| 39572| 53851| 75183| 11637 1| | 100| 100| 100| 100| Index Analysis- Particulars| 2008| 2009| 2010| 2011| | 2008| 2009| 2010| 2011| Assets| | | | | | | | | | Current assets:| | | | | | | | | | Cash ; cash equivalents| 11875| 5263| 11261| 9815| | 100| 14. 13| 27. 019| 21. 897| Short term marketable securities| 10236| 18201| 14359| 16137| | 100| 39. 204| 34. 452| 35. 870| A/R| 2422| 3361| 5510| 5369| | 100| 9. 27| 13. 221| 11. 934| Inventories| 509| 455| 1051| 776| | 100| 1. 26| 2. 522| 1. 752| Differed tax assets| 1447| 2101| 1636| 2014| | 100| 5. 79| 3. 925| 4. 477| Vendor non-trade receivables| -| -| 4414| 6348| | -| -| 10. 591| 14. 111| Other current assets| 5822| 6884| 3447| 4529| | 100| 18. 983| 8. 271| 10. 067| Total current assets| 32311| 36265| 41678| 44988| | 100| 67. 34| 55. 435| 38. 59| Long-term marketable securities| 2379| 10528| 5391| 55618| | 100| 19. 55| 7. 171| 47. 794| Property, plant and equipment, net| 2455| 2954| 4786| 7777| | 100| 5. 486| 6. 336| 6. 683| Goodwill| 207| 206| 741| 896| | 100 | . 383| . 986| . 769| Acquired intangible assets, net| 285| 247| 342| 3536| | 100| . 495| . 455| 3. 039| Other assets| 1935| 3651| 2263| 3556| | 100| 6. 780| 3. 010| 3. 056| Total assets| 39572| 53851| 75183| 116371| | 100| 100| 100| 100| | | | | | | | | | | LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY:| | | | | | | | | | Current liabilities:| | | | | | | | | |Accounts payable| 5520| 5601| 12015| 14632| | 100| 10. 401| 15. 981| 12. 574| Accrued expenses| 3719| 3376| 5723| 9247| | 100| 6. 269| 7. 612| 7. 946| Deferred revenue| 4853| 10305| 2984| 4091| | 100| 19. 136| 3. 969| 3. 516| Total current liabilities| 14092| 19282| 20722| 27970| | 100| 35. 806| 27. 562| 24. 035| Deferred revenue – non-current| 3029| 4485| 1139| 1686| | 100| 8. 329| 1. 515| 1. 449| Other non-current liabilities| 1421| 2252| 5531| 10100| | 100| 4. 182| 7. 357| 8. 679| Total liabilities| 18542| 26019| 27392| 39756| | 100| 48. 317| 36. 434| 34. 63| Commitments and contingenciesShareholders’ equity:| | | | | | | | | | Common stock, no par value; 1,800,000 shares authorized; 929,277 and 915,970 shares issued and outstanding, respectively| 7177| 8210| 10668| 13331| | 100| 15. 246| 14. 189| 11. 456| Retained earnings| 13845| 19538| 37169| 62841| | 100| 36. 282| 49. 438| 54. 001| Accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss)|   Ã‚  8| 84| (46)| 443| | 100| . 156| (. 061)| . 381| Total shareholders’ equity| 21030| 27832| 47791| 76615| | 100| 51. 683| 63. 566| 65. 837| Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity| 39572| 53851| 75183| 116371| | 100| 100| 100| 100|