Expando manufacturers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Expando manufacturers - Essay Example The situation was that the Expando Co. in State A received a wide variety of general subsidies from the State A government (including tax breaks, low interest financing, and technical assistance) that State A offers to all domestic enterprises within its territory. It is important to keep in mind that these breaks are offered in domestic situations. However, Expando manufactures began to market their wristwatch bands in State B and when this occurred the disagreement began.. The Flexo Co. in State B manufactures similar watchbands to those manufactured and marketed by Expando. Flexo Co. began to lose some of its market share to Expando and they became concerned over the loss. State A and State B are both WTO member states. While the market loss for Flexo ensued, there were some further issues that Flexo to take into consideration. Included was Their desire that State B impose a countervailing duty to offset the subsidies received by Expando from State A, and Flexo asked the State B Customs Service (which is responsible for imposing such duties) to do so. the reason that the question the question at hand was answered yes is because of the codes stipulating international business conduct for WTO members. According to these laws specifically Countervailing Duty Laws.

Capitalism V. Communism Essay Example for Free

Capitalism V. Communism Essay As the feudal system in Europe began crumbling with the dawn of the Industrial Revolution a void was created in the European social and economic structure, Scottish philosopher Adam Smith took it upon himself to fill this void and in 1776 published The Wealth of Nations; just as Newtons Principia Mathematica laid the foundation for modern physics so to did Adams work lay the foundation for modern economics. For the next 70 years Adams doctrine went unchallenged until Karl Marx presented his rebuttal in the Communist Manifesto. Capitalism as envisioned by Smith called for complete private control of the economy, and a small government that practiced a hands off policy. Such a system, Smith believed, would allow for the greatest amount of wealth, and as a byproduct would benefit the majority of the citizens. Capitalism quickly became the economic standard in the British Empire and post-revolutionary France and America, as well as in Germany and the Scandinavian countries as they industrialized. This switch in economic philosophy would result in an unprecedented shift in western society from chiefly agrarian to mostly urban, from feudal lords to corporate tycoons, and from frugality to consumerism. Under capitalism people for the first time in history could, on a large-scale, improve their economic and societal status through hard work and perseverance. Under this system someone like Andrew Carnegie the son of a weaver could through intelligence and determination found a corporate empire. Capitalism was and is by no means perfect, as is evident by the vast separation of wealth it creates, in America today for example according to the University of California at Santa Cruz, the top twenty percent of Americans control 85 percent of the countrys wealth. This obvious economic inequality is the greatest shortcoming of capitalism, and the primary reason for the creation of communism. Under communism the government controls every aspect of the economy and society. Communism calls for a classless society in which there is no private property and citizens work for the good of the state rather than their personal well being. The few examples of pure communist countries North Korea, Cuba, China under Zedong, and the USSR under Stalin that have been created were or still are dysfunctional states. They are characterized  by violent oppression, famines and the rise of dictators. On a smaller scale though communism has proved quite successful, a hundred and fifty years before Marx coined the term early religious sects in America, namely the Puritans and later on the Mormons, had perfected small scale communism. These settlers worked not for themselves but for the community, and proved that such a society could govern effectively. Communism at its core calls for the people to sacrifice individuality and work for the benefit of the state rather than for their personal well being. Capitalism on the other hand is focused on working for individual growth, and personal ownership to provide wealth for ones self. Communism places the economy in governments hands, while capitalism removes the government from the economy entirely. Communism sets direct demands on the work you do and what you need to produce, so others can benefit as well as you from your hard work. Communism asks the government to decide what is needed for each individual to live and be equal. The government tells the community what demands need to be meets to produce and distribute enough materials equally. Capitalism depends on supply and demand instead of quotas, in order to make sure there is not too much or too little of certain products. If there is not enough of a product wanted then the price will rise, which will in turn cause production to increase. Once there is more than enough of that product on the market, the demand will begin to drop, resulting in the price and production to drop and so on. Capitalism creates a system where peoples first concern is themselves, rather than the others, making things a personal investment instead of community investment. Communism is built on the idea that humans are inherently just, and as such will work not just for themselves, but for their countrymen as well. Capitalism is built on the idea that humans are inherently greedy and self-promoting, which will in turn lead to a great importance being placed on attaining wealth. Capitalism calls for freedom at the expense of equality while communism calls for equality and neglects liberty. Communism with its drive towards collectivization, and a classless society, clashes with the very principle that western democracies are based on individuality. Neither capitalism nor communism is ever going to be perfect for a nation, but a system that  rewards hard work and self-determination will always outdo a system that calls for dependence and mediocrity. Communism Marxism The Communist Manifesto. All About Philosophy. 9 Oct. 2008 . Capitalism. The European Enlightenment Glossary. 10 Oct. 2008 .

A & P - John Updike :: essays research papers

Sammy vs. the Grocery Store In the story, â€Å"A & P†, John Updike differentiates the views of Sammy and the store with many eye-catching techniques. By presenting the store as the antagonist, the reader gains Sammy sense of view about things through his close detail and humor of situations. Well before the dramatic opportunity presents itself for Sammy to quit his job, his narrative voice has established his individualism, imagination and his subversive sense of humor that already set him at odds with his jobs dull routine. The three girls entering the store in bathing suits and â€Å"walking against the usual traffic† coming down the aisle symbolize Sammy’s individualism. Because of the girl’s different appearance from the usual shoppers in A & P, Sammy couldn’t help but stare. This type of dress was not part of the â€Å"A & P policy† especially since â€Å"the women generally put on a shirt or shorts or something before they get out of the car into the street†. An example of Sammy’s imagination is exemplified through his description of the other shoppers in A & P. Sammy refers to the shoppers as â€Å"sheep† twice in the story. Once as he views the customers continuing to push their carts down the aisle only glancing slightly at the girls and continuing to shop. Sammy â€Å"bets you could set off dynamite in an A & P and the people would by large keep reaching and checking oatmeal off their lists and muttering†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The second time is when the girls go to the check out lane and Lengel starts to explain the policy. â€Å"All this while, the customers had been showing up with their carts but, you know sheep, seeing a scene, they had all bunched up on Stokesie†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Sammy’s narration of the lady at the front counter presents an example of his defiant sense of humor. The phrases â€Å"a witch about fifty† and â€Å"if she’d been born at the right time they would have burned her over in Salem† demonstrates the intolerance Sammy has developed toward the â€Å"A & P policy†. The song Sammy hears by the register as he rings up a purchase represents his oddity from his jobs dull routine. A & P - John Updike :: essays research papers Sammy vs. the Grocery Store In the story, â€Å"A & P†, John Updike differentiates the views of Sammy and the store with many eye-catching techniques. By presenting the store as the antagonist, the reader gains Sammy sense of view about things through his close detail and humor of situations. Well before the dramatic opportunity presents itself for Sammy to quit his job, his narrative voice has established his individualism, imagination and his subversive sense of humor that already set him at odds with his jobs dull routine. The three girls entering the store in bathing suits and â€Å"walking against the usual traffic† coming down the aisle symbolize Sammy’s individualism. Because of the girl’s different appearance from the usual shoppers in A & P, Sammy couldn’t help but stare. This type of dress was not part of the â€Å"A & P policy† especially since â€Å"the women generally put on a shirt or shorts or something before they get out of the car into the street†. An example of Sammy’s imagination is exemplified through his description of the other shoppers in A & P. Sammy refers to the shoppers as â€Å"sheep† twice in the story. Once as he views the customers continuing to push their carts down the aisle only glancing slightly at the girls and continuing to shop. Sammy â€Å"bets you could set off dynamite in an A & P and the people would by large keep reaching and checking oatmeal off their lists and muttering†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The second time is when the girls go to the check out lane and Lengel starts to explain the policy. â€Å"All this while, the customers had been showing up with their carts but, you know sheep, seeing a scene, they had all bunched up on Stokesie†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Sammy’s narration of the lady at the front counter presents an example of his defiant sense of humor. The phrases â€Å"a witch about fifty† and â€Å"if she’d been born at the right time they would have burned her over in Salem† demonstrates the intolerance Sammy has developed toward the â€Å"A & P policy†. The song Sammy hears by the register as he rings up a purchase represents his oddity from his jobs dull routine.

Be Our Guest

Be Our Guest, Inc. Case Analysis Page 1 INDEX 1. Key success factors & company performance†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3 2. Bank perspective regarding the performance†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 7 3. Bank financing perspective at the end of 1998†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 10 4. Management perspective regarding the bank financing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 13 5. Exhibit 1 – Annual Income Statements (1994-1997)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦17 6. Exhibit 2 – Annual Balance Sheets (1994-1997)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 18 7. Exhibit 3 – Quarterly Income Statements 1997†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 19 8. Exhibit 4 – Quarterly Balance Sheets 1997†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦20 9. Exhibit 5 – Forecasting†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦21 10. Exhibit 6 – Annual Ratios†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 22 11. Exhibit 7 – Quarterly Ratios†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 23 Tudor Team Five Page 2 1. What are the key success factors in this equipment rental business? How has the company performed the past few years? Key Success Factors Five of the key success factors are as follows: First, the locat ion of the business is ideal for handling several projects at once. This is due to their central Boston location. The ability to handle everal projects at once gives the company a competitive edge and allows them to attain a performance as close to the full potential of the company as possible. Second, the company’s leaders have been successful in networking to primary and secondary clients. This has aided in growing a business that is based on a foundation of good company/client relationships. These strong relationships have led to significant repeat customers as a strong basis of the company’s revenue. Fostering these relationships throughout the years of the company’s existence has also led to sustained revenue growth year after year. This revenue growth is shown in the financials and, using the Compound Annual Growth Rate, it can be seen that this growth in revenue has been 14. 26% from 1994 to 1997. Third, the executive management is well experienced in the hospitality industry as well as other industries that relate to the successful operation of a business. Stephen Lizio was involved in the food and wine business prior to founding Be Our Guest in 1983. Al Lovata was previously a banker and began his relationship with Be Our Guest as a financial consultant, later joining the organization full-time as the Chief Executive Officer. Lizio and Lovata together form a foundation of strong knowledge of the hospitality Tudor Team Five Page 3 business and the vital knowledge of finance, thus giving the business a core of understanding both its industry and how to manage the money coming into the company. Simone Williamson was brought on to the team and comes from years of experience in the food service business. She also came to the company with strong networking connections in the catering industry in Boston, which further reinforces the second success factor described above. This management team is made up of members that complement ach other’s strengths, as well as provide the necessary skill sets for running a successful business. The fourth key success factor is that the company identified its business plan early on and held its course throughout the years without deviation to business expansions that would have resulted in higher profits but fewer turnovers. This can be seen in the company’s analys is of the potential of The executive team determined that this entering the tent rental market. market, though highly profitable, would result in time delays and longer turnovers and would split their core business. The team recognised that this split could result in lower profitability and splintering of the core business structure. Rather than expand into a low profit margin business â€Å"tents†, in which the management lacks market expertise, they chose to stick to their initial business plan and focus on their key strengths rather than deviate from the company's set fundamentals. This example illustrates that the company followed its original business plan and complied with its mission and vision from the beginning without deviation. In doing so, the company built a strong foundation and upheld the strength of that foundation. The fifth key success factor identified here is the high quality of service as well as the high quality of the rental equipment provided to clients. The executive team recognised early that they could compete in either price or Tudor Team Five Page 4 quality, and the team chose to compete in quality. Part of this high quality service is seen in the company’s dedication to its clients through its willingness to deliver only one table on short notice if a client is in need. Through high quality service, the company has upheld its networking connections to clients by building strong relationships. This high quality service combined with high quality rental equipment products has allowed the company to obtain a competitive edge over its competition, keep that competitive advantage, and foster strong company/client relationships throughout the years. How has the company performed the past few years? Viewpoint – Independent perspective Be Our Guest, Inc. originated in 1983 and is still thriving in a very competitive and volatile industry 14 years later. Over the past few years the company has shown significant growth. We see that Annual sales revenues have consistently risen from 1994 to 1997 with a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 14. 26%. 1997 was an impressive year for the company with a 22. 7% increase in revenues. Gross Margins were very consistent year over year for 1994 through 1997. Gross margins for 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997 were 53. 9%, 49%, 52. 63% and 55. 5%, respectively. Be Our Guest, Inc. is doing a solid job of keeping the Costs of Revenue in line with the Sales Revenue. It is a positive sign to see this growth, because we can be assured that the company is staying competitive, while not completely giving in to the pricing crunch. Annual Sales Revenue has a strong CAGR, but it is important and concerning to note that the CAGR of total Operating Expenses is higher. It is about 5% higher and this is very important, because Be Our Guest needs to stay in control of its expenses. Tudor Team Five Page 5 The high and increasing Operating expenses are cutting into the Operating margins, which also cuts into the bottom line. Be Our Guest’s balance sheet shows good signs of liquidity. Current Ratios for the past four years have remained above 1 proving that the company can handle its current liabilities. The current ratios are not extremely high (19941. 7, 1995- 2. 17, 1996- 1. 15 and 1997- 1. 16), but they can cover the current liabilities. It is important to note that the company is operating on a thin line because the current assets are barely covering the current liabilities. This is particularly unpleasant because we are dealing with a company operating in a seasonal business. It is a concern that the curren t ratio slightly eroded after 1995, and this is primarily due to Be Our Guest converting the bank line into long term debt in 1995. The current ratio in 1995 is an outlier, because 2. 17 do not accurately represent the company. The quick ratio is the same as the current ratio for Be Our Guest because they do not have inventory for all of the rental equipment is under property and equipment. They display a good working capital position as well, which is another measure of liquidity. Cash position is a concern for we can see in 1994 and 1997 that they actually had an Overdraft, and for 1995 and 1996 cash is not very high. However, this company is in an industry that is more of a receivables business, so the cash position is not a high concern, especially given that it is covering the current liabilities. Since this is a receivables business it is important to look at the Receivables Turnover ratio, and we find that this is quite consistent, however when comparing to the Payables Turnover ratio we see that they are paying out more quickly than they are receiving, which is a problem. In 1995 they are paying out twice on average before collecting. Be Our Guest needs to focus on getting its receivables in a more timely manner. Tudor Team Five Page 6 2. As the bank loan officer, Anne Granger, how would you view this company? What concerns might you have about the business and the lending elationship? What factors provide a source of comfort when considering the credit risk? Anne will look at Be Our Guest, Inc. with both an annual and quarterly perspective really focusing in on the company’s liquidity, leverage and how they will match up to the covenant ratios established. The company is liquid, but it is not extremely liquid. Be Our Guest, Inc. is barely covering the current liabil ities, and from a banks perspective we would want to see that there are not any concerns in this area. If the company is to become insolvent, we want to be able to get our outstanding balance back. We know that Q1 is the worst quarter for the company, and you can see that for Q1 1997 the company displays a current ratio of . 88, which is simply not good, and means that during that quarter they did not have the ability to pay all current liabilities, therefore having to access the line of credit during this quarter. Q1 is also the hardest month for this company to retain its receivables, which can sometimes be the cause for liquidity problems. The top line growth is great to see, especially in the competitive space that the company operates in, but we also need to examine the rest of the income statement. It is concerning to see the Operating Profit Margin as well as the Interest Coverage Ratio declining year over year. Operating Profit Margin shrinking is a negative because it indicates that the company is not controlling its operating expenses. Interest Coverage Ratio is especially concerning because this ratio indicates the ease of paying the interest on the outstanding debt, and Be Our Guest, Inc. may struggle paying the interest down the road if the ratio continues to decline. Note that the company is currently fully capable of paying for the interest on an annual and quarterly Tudor Team Five Page 7 basis, but the trend downward will be noticed. Be Our Guest, Inc. relies on debt to build the business as you can see from the long term debt to equity ratios. However, the ratios are fairly consistent and it drops down to . 43 in 1997. The company is more than capable to cover the interest of this debt as noted earlier. Cash Flow is being adversely affected due to the abnormally large increase (56%) in G during 1997. According to the footnote on page 4 of the case, a company the size of Be Our Guest should have G sales in 1997 closer to $565,718 rather than the $840,718 that was reported. The bank will keep a particular eye on Cash Flow/Debt Service Ratio and Debt/Tangible Net Worth Ratio along with the bottom line, since the covenants include requirements regarding these. The covenants require the Cash Flow/Debt Service ratio to not be less than 1/25:1, and the company is in line with this covenant on an annual basis. However, the company does not satisfy this covenant when looking at the quarterly figures. Debt/Tangible Net Worth cannot be greater than 2. 00:1, and Be Our Guest, Inc. satisfies this covenant on an annual and quarterly basis. According to the covenants, the company can’t incur two consecutive quarters of net losses; nor incur a net loss for any fiscal year. The company did incur a loss in Q1 1997, but followed with a strong Q2 net profit, so the company is in compliance with this covenant as well. Be Our Guest, Inc. is in a seasonal industry, which is a concern, but even more of a concern is the company’s inability to produce projections. We understand that projections may not be extremely accurate, but it is possible to project through the use of confidence intervals. The bank becomes a little more comfortable with the seasonality because they feel that Al Lovata (former Banker) is aware of the risks associated and has a handle on them. Tudor Team Five Page 8 The balance sheet is decent, but it is not incredibly strong because it is barely covering the current liabilities. As a banker we would also be concerned about the customer makeup. Be Our Guest, Inc. relies heavily on two particular customers (Customer A and B), which make up over 21% of the company’s sales. These two customers make up 1/5 of the company’s budget, and I would like to know if the company has any backup plans in case they lost either of these customers and has performed the due diligence required to make sure its major customers are not insolvency risks themselves. Other than these top two customers, it appears that the customer base is spread out appropriately. The strong covenants in place are a source of comfort for the bank. Not only do they have strong covenants, but the bank also has virtually all of the company’s assets pledged and the shareholders guarantee the loan. Given that this is an S Corporation, the shareholders’ personal assets would be safe, but since these shareholders guaranteed the loan, the bank can go after the personal assets of the shareholders. Be Our Guest, Inc. is not a start-up company, and it has been in operation since 1983, so there is a level of comfort knowing that this company has been around for over 10 years and has been remotely successful during this time as well. It has great management in place who each contributes strong and complimentary experiences along with a level of expertise. This company is focused and driven to provide the best service they can within the industry, and they have been rewarded for it with the 1997 Small Business Firm of the Year. While Be Our Guest may not be the greatest risk, there are provisions in place and aspects of the company that make Be Our Guest an acceptable risk for the bank. Tudor Team Five Page 9 3. How much total bank financing will the company need at the end of 1998, including both the short-term borrowing under the bank credit line and the outstanding amount of the term loan? For convenience, assume that 1998 sales are $3,000,000. ) In order to estimate how much total bank financing the company will need at the end of 1998, there are two possible ways of forecasting the financial results in terms of balance sheet and income statement. The analysis must take into account the highly unpredictable, seasonal nature of the business. Due to this seasonality, there is high level of uncertainty whichever forecasting method is applied. The first method is to estimate the future income statement based on a trend or horizontal analysis. In this specific case, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for each item on the income statement was calculated for the years 1994-1997. With regards to revenue, $3,000,000 for 1998 was accounted for in the calculation. This analysis shows an increase in G due to the unusual increase in G the previous year (1996-1997) affecting the CAGR in 1998. Consequently, the income statement shows a loss in the Net Earnings when applying this method. The second method is to calculate the costs of revenue based on the percentage impact of each item of cost on the total revenue in 1997 (vertical analysis). This analysis, according to us, seems more logical in itself and also leads to a much more positive outlook for 1998 (Net Earnings of $99,408). The result would be sustainable for the business. Two more steps are necessary to forecast the financing needs for the year 1998: Tudor Team Five Page 10 The first step is repayment of the line of credit for the short-term liabilities ($140,000+$3,498). The second step is better management of the seasonality, especially for quarters 1 and 4 which are the most risky quarters for the business. Given that Net Earnings are around $68,096, the line of credit needs to cover the difference ($75,402). Taking into consideration the seasonality, calculated as operating cash flow (refer to case – covenants), there should be no liquidity problems year-end 1998. The cash flow available at the end of 1998 completely covers the losses in Q1 and Q4. The company should keep the line of credit, because debt is incurred upon the credit line only when used. The management, however, should only use the credit line when absolutely necessary. Finally, the company should convert approximately $75,000 of the $140,000 of the line of credit into long-term debt because it will cost less in terms of interest. In addition, the company should increase the long-term debt accordingly (based on the strategy regarding future investments; see answer to question 4). Assuming that the long-term loan is amortised in a constant manner, with approximately 25% payoff per year as â€Å"current instalment of term note†, shown to be the same figure as 1997 ($75,268) which is calculated based on the term note payable less current instalment of $168,043 for 1998. Tudor Team Five Page 11 Proposed here is a two-step approach for financing the investment: The first step is to obtain another long-term loan of $200,000 to change and improve the phone and IT systems. This will lead to a better position to judge the current market needs to revise and produce a strong strategy for the business in terms of efficiency, profitability and long-term outlook. Once this step is accomplished, by 1999, the company should obtain yet another long-term loan. Regarding the possibility of an acquisition, if Be Our Guest makes an acquisition, it can do so through a leveraged-buyout. Therefore, taking on the debt of the company being acquired and funding the other part of the acquisition by selling part of the equity of Be Our Guest (Following the financial restructuring and the increase in efficiency the value of the stock will increase). Asking for a loan for an acquisition today would not be reasonable, nor is it likely that the bank would agree to issue the loan. Currently, the financial ratios of the company do not justify an acquisition. Therefore, starting off with a smaller loan to improve the company running in terms of efficiency and infrastructure will be of greater value. In total the company should take the following long-term loans: $75,000 (line of credit converted into long-term loan) $200,000 (investment) $168,000 (outstanding long-term loan) Total long-term loans in the Balance Sheet by end of 1998: $443,000 As already mentioned before, the line of credit should remain available at the same level as before ($140,000) since it is only paid for if used (expected 1998: fully available). Tudor Team Five Page 12 4. What should Al Lovata and Simone Williamson ask for when talking with the bank? If the company needs additional bank financing, should the increase be provided by an increase in the credit line, or should the size of the term loan be increased to meet the need? Should they ask for some relaxation or change in the loan covenants, particularly the personal guarantees that they have provided at the bank’s request? Al Lovata and Simone Wiliamson should approach Anne Granger in a confident way. Be Our Guest’s balance sheet is fairly strong and fairly liquid, the income statement shows signs of growth and the company is generally doing well. Hence Be Our Guest can take a confident stand to discuss the covenants openly with the bank in order to reach some relaxation on the strict terms. They need to work with the bank to: *lower the rate *review the requirements of personal guarantees for the loan Be our Guest Inc. can consider the possibility of going to another bank if State Street holds their ground on these strict covenants Considering the current and past status of the balance sheets and income statements it is realistic to assume that Be Our Guest, Inc. would not have much difficulty to find a new lender who would agree on different, more relaxed terms of covenants. The company mainly needs the line of credit to finance the seasonal effects of Q1, which could be reduced by a solid growth or expansion plan or merely revising the company’s HR strategy regarding the full-time staff during Q1. Tudor Team Five Page 13 For example, they could reduce the staff’s hours, which would keep them on a full-time employment base but would reduce the G costs for this particular quarter; or they could put the full-time staff on a strategic rotation plan which incorporates the poor business of quarter 1 but leaves options in case of unexpected business in this time period which would also reduce the general G costs and still leave the company in a good position to handle short-term notice business. Regarding the interest for outstanding borrowings on the credit line as well as the interest for the long-term loan, it has been reliably covered and there is no immediate reason to believe that this will change. Any future increase of the long-term loan to drive the growth of the company in terms of business expansion or increasing assets can only be interpreted in a positive way seeing that the revenues have shown to increase with all previous growth-measures. State Street bank should recognise the company’s solid management foundations and the well-going business over the past years and keep their good standing with Be Our Guest, Inc. Lovata and Williamson want to be prepared for future growth. The way to growth has been identified in two possible options, completing an acquisition or expanding their product line. Both of these strategies need to be supported by a consistent long term plan in order to finance their investment needs. Pertaining to this reason, for funding their growth they should ask the bank to extend their long term lend (clearly cheaper than a revolving credit) and moreover ask to re-negotiate the interest rate (too high especially to be a â€Å"prime rate†). Additionally each growth plan in the first few years needs patience and flexibility in terms of managing losses, therefore it would be crucial to review Tudor Team Five Page 14 at least part of the current covenants, like prohibiting two consecutive quarters of net losses and avoiding a net loss for any fiscal year. Taking into account that they are in a good financial position and that the extra money they would need is for future expansions and growth of the company, refinancing its existing debt to obtain better terms, could be quite reasonable. Moreover the company has a fairly strong balance sheet and profitable growth, so it has plenty of bargaining power to negotiate a better deal with the bank. The only negative item is given by the decrease in the last 4 years of the â€Å"net income†, but again it is an issue suggested by a covenant (distribute more than 50% of the earnings to the principals). It is probably the most useless and most dangerous of the list as it is leading the owners to distribute the profit thereby increasing the G costs. Definitely, another crucial aspect is about liquidity pain, especially for an already seasoned business as that of â€Å"Be Our Guest†. In this case they should consider converting some of their revolving credit to term debt (cheaper) making line of credit available, which is currently fully used (coherently to the 1998 expected cash position, answer 3). In this sense the best deal for â€Å"Be Our Guest† might be to invest in a business that generates revenue during current slow seasons and eases the firm's reliance on credit for working capital. Thus even if the tents business could be apparently external to the â€Å"Be Our Guest† business model this business expansion should be taken into consideration. It is not only a new source of profit but will also enable profits for the current business in the slow seasons (tents are mainly set off in the rainy and cold seasons like fall and winter). However, they should be able to distinguish between long term debt and short term line of credit, using the first one for investments and the second one to manage liquidity pain periods. Tudor Team Five Page 15 Leaving aside its convenience in general, the nature of the long-term debt, makes the development of the financial plan easier by providing the exact future payment scheme. On the contrary the line of credit is extremely useful to manage liquidity pain periods but should be paid back quickly or converted in term loan. Finally while refinanced bank loans for now may be adequate to finance the company, it may not be enough for future plans and therefore curb the expansion (current debt/tangible worth ratio is already higher than 1). They should consider a different way of raising funds e. g. from selling equity. Reviewing the personal guarantees is fundamental in order to attract new investor and to manage the company differently. Be Our Guest was created as a business idea and for many years ran more like a family business but now it is a profitable firm that should be managed in terms of efficiency and profitability. This leads to two necessary actions: one by the State Bank, to get rid of the covenant including the personal guarantee of the loan by the management; and second by Be Our Guest, Inc. to review their company status. In terms of the State Bank, it will be essential to convince Anne Granger to remove the covenant regarding the guarantee for the long-term loan. From the point of view of the management of Be our Guest, Inc. they need to review their company status. Only when they successfully separate the business from the family-business approach on which terms Be Our Guest, Inc. as founded, they can attract future investors. Tudor Team Five Page 16 Exhibit 1 – Annual Income Statements (1994-1997) Tudor Team Five Page 17 Exhibit 2 – Annual Balance Sheets (1994-1997) Tudor Team Five Page 18 Exhibit 3 – Quarterly Income Statements 1997 Tudor Team Five Page 19 Exhibit 4 – Quarterly Balance Sheets 1997 Tudor Team Five Page 20 Exhibit 5 – Forecasting Tudor Team Five Page 21 Exhibit 6 – Annual Ratios Tudor Team Five Page 22 Exhibit 7 – Quarterly Ratios Tudor Team Five Page 23

India’s Role in the Climate Change Summit Essay

The worlds nation today adopted a package dubbed the cancun Agreements buildings blocks for a future legal treaty to address climate change amid concerns that commitments to avert acceptable level of global warming remain missing. Negotiators from 194 countries agreed on a set of decision that the un climate secretariat said would set all governments â€Å"more firmly on the path towards the low emissions future† and provide support to developing countries on their action on climate change. India played a key role at the climate change summit , proposing a new mechanism to allow international scrutiny of all countries’ including India’ s action to crub emission of greenhouse gases. The invironment minister Jairam Ramesh also signalled that India would eventually consider legally –binding crubs on emission, a shift from its long standing position. Some environmental grouos have criticised these moves by India. But climate change analysts have said India’s proposal for serutiny of the climate climate change exchange actions reflect an acceptance of the principal of transparency. ‘’ And (Rmesh’s) assertions on legaklly binding actions is an indicator that India is willing to shift from the position of doing nothing to joining the global community in fiting climate change ,†an analyst in Cancun said. ‘’This does not mean India will accept legally – bending cuts next year,’’ he said . The Cancun documents of ficially recognise emissions curbs targets set by industrialised and developing countries and once every year by the developing countries. But the target of cutting global emissions by 50 % by the year 2050- part of the draft circulated yesterday – has been replaced by text calling for ‘’ subsantial’’ reductions in blobal emissions by 2050 . The Cancun decision pledge US$30 billion in fast start finance from the industrialised countries to support climate action in developing countries. The goal is to raise this to US$ 100 billion by 2020. Thew agreements also  recognise the need of countries to work towards the keeping the rise in the aversge global temperature below 2 degree c. ‘’ Cancun has done its job ,’’ said chistiana Figueres, head of the UN climate change secretariat after the agreement was adopted today. ‘’ lt is not what is required but it is the essential foundation on which to build greater collective ambition Figueres said. But several environmental group including Indias centre for science and Environment have pointed out thst the emission reduction pledge made by all countries so far are way below the whst is required to keep the rise in the average temperature.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing an A+ Business Studies Term Paper

A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing an A+ Business Studies Term Paper The business area of knowledge and competencies is necessary for everyone to become a valuable member of today’s community. For that reason, most students decide to take business courses. Currently enrolled in Business Studies? You will inevitably encounter the need to write a term paper. By its nature and role in the field, you are expected to carry out an intensive research work within the business world that is quite complex for most students. Business Studies is a subject area with the aims and objectives like: investigate various business companies; analyze consumer behavior; identify issues existing in the business world; offer effective solutions, etc. If you are unfamiliar with the difference between an excellent and just good term paper, consider reading this article to find out what your professor wants to see in an A+ term paper. A Well-Chosen Business Topic Is Vital for Term Paper Writing When it comes to conducting some valuable research on Business, you should know what to research so that it will have considerable success. Everyone probably wants to taste a piece of the success pie. Why not start trying it when an original and interesting topic on Business Studies is in your hand? Business Decisions: The Skills of Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation; Starbucks Effect in the World’s Consumer Culture: How to Make Fast-Moving Consumer Goods?; Business Ethics Policies of Top World’s Companies: The Values Define Them; Business Opportunities in a Variety of Industries Based on Consumer Surveys; The History of Partnerships Between the Government and Private Companies; Workplace Diversity in the Business World: Are Glass Ceiling and Sticky Floor Predictable Today?; 10 Challenges of Managing Small and Large Businesses: An Effective Course of Action for Company Founders; Consumer Behavior Changes Since the Beginning of Globalization; Business Management Techniques: Their Theoretical and Practical Aspects, History of Implementation, Beneficial and Adverse Effects; Business Leadership Concept: X Dynamics of Organizational Changes; Business Environment: Internal and External Factors That Influence a Companys Performance; Business Career Credentials: The Evidence of Expertise; Startups in the 21st Century: The Vision and Opportunities to Make a Business Successful; The Power of Brands in the Modern Business: Its Effect on Consumers’ Minds; Business Competitiveness Index: Macroeconomic and Microeconomic Aspects of Prosperity. How to Choose a Business Research Topic: Few Business Studies Term Paper Tips from Our Writers With a lot of business matters existing today, there is a variety of possible business research topics to explore on paper. That’s why choosing an appropriate term paper topic on Business Studies can be a really daunting task for many students. There are two roadmaps you write on a business topic selected by your professor, or you deal with a business topic chosen on your own according to the following criteria: The relevance of a research topic. It means that while you are working on a business term paper, all your efforts put in the writing process shouldn’t be in vain. Choose a topic so that your research work will have scientific, social or practical relevance. The ultimate purpose of any research on Business Studies is to fill gaps in the business area of knowledge and information. Besides, your research paper on Business is aimed at helping people to better understand the business world by answering some questions. So, make contributions to the business community and/or the business theory. The feasibility of a research topic. When looking for a topic for your business term paper, you can face some research questions that have been comprehensively covered and those that cannot be reasonably answered. So, your business research topic should be quite manageable in the context of your term paper. The information source base (either published sources or digital archives) should allow you to investigate a business topic to the maximum. For example, if you want to uncover â€Å"Global Pay Scale† or â€Å"Business Life Cycle: Its Phases with Appropriate Financial Metrics†, you are probably not going to have much luck. Formulate your research question that is not too broad and not too narrow. The originality of a research topic. For any research to meet high academic standards, all institutional regulations require from students to include only original and significant ideas/thoughts. In practice, while all research projects are checked at all levels for their originality by means of anti-plagiarism software, students don’t pay much attention to topics. Maybe, can some of them be discovered already? Yes, they can. Every year, millions of students graduate from colleges and universities. Be sure that your business topic hasn’t already been explored, for example, by your professor. Even if you intend to focus on the same topic, you can approach it with the help of the other research methods, techniques, and procedures, etc. A Business Term Paper Structure That Is Universally Accepted All the previous criteria for choosing a research-worthy topic are aimed at contributing to your business studies term paper only if you manage to reflect the research ideas throughout the well-written content. What makes the content of your term paper well-written? Adhere to a structure, ensure flawless grammar, punctuation, and spelling. A term paper structure is comprised of a few sections that you need to review in detail before you start writing each of them. Title Page The look of a title page depends on the type of formatting you need to use, be it an APA, MLA, or Harvard. As a basic rule, your title page should include a title of your work itself, your name, a course (in your case it is Business Studies), the name of your professor. Sometimes, the date can be written on this page. Table of Contents For ease of reference, an academic paper contains a table of content as a plan. Your term paper also requires the outline of the content with the headings and subheadings- each of them stated with appropriate page numbers. The advice is to create this table at the end when the entire paper is well-prepared. Otherwise, you will be constantly changing page numbers and soon you will get confused. Don’t do the extra work during the writing process. Abstract An abstract is a brief overview of the main points in your business studies term paper. Usually, this piece of writing takes half or more of a page. It is a part in which you need to reveal the scope and aim of your writing (for example, to analyze the business trends in a particular industry), the research methods you used to analyze or make an experiment, and your main findings and results. Generally speaking, you have to write the most crucial information on the whole work in several sentences according to the type of an abstract. Find it difficult to say briefly about your term paper? You are highly recommended to look thoroughly at each written section after you finish. Highlight some essential points that would help readers to decide whether it suits their research interests. For that reason, a well-written abstract allows not to read the whole paper. Introduction How to write a good term paper introduction? This is a crucial question for all good business studies term papers since this part is aimed at making the readers want to read the whole paper. It includes: The background of your research study – what is known/done in the given field of study; The general statement of the research question – what you are going to research; The main purpose of your work – what you’re going to achieve; The significance of a research topic – why you’re going to deal with a particular topic among a variety of topics and how your study can contribute to further researches; The research methods used – what you’re going to use to accomplish the purpose; The thesis statement – what is your main argument on a research issue; The specific term definitions if needed. Body: Literature Review, Methodology, Results, Discussion This is the most extended part of your term paper on Business Studies. Basically, the main organization of a term paper is concentrated on the body paragraphs – how they are linked in the whole flow of thoughts. So how to structure a term paper main body sections? Literature review. It is a description, summary, and critical evaluation of all possible sources that are relevant to a particular issue being investigated in your term paper on Business Studies. The best solution to do a literature review is to interpret old materials in relation to new ones. However, as Business Studies is a relatively ‘young’ field of research and you may investigate some emerging issues, you’ better to evaluate the information sources and advise the reader on the most pertinent or relevant research in the field in question. Methodology. This part describes the means of how the data of research is obtained and what methods are used to investigate a research problem. The number of research methods for Business Studies may be rather vast. Your instructor needs to see that you understand the application of methods. A practical guide on research methods in Business Studies can come in handy if you face some difficulties in this section. It is necessary to know how you need to use the particular ones properly. Results. In this part, there is a report of the findings you manage to get during the research process. In case you have many results to share, it is better to present them in the form of tables, figures, graphs, etc. You shouldn’t provide the data beyond the research question not to confuse the readers. Leave it for your future research. Discussion. Now, you need to explain your findings – their significance in the area of research. Can your findings fill existing gaps in the field? State in what way they can. It should an evidence-based interpretation of findings, but not a general description. Conclusion This part is designed to give a brief summary and evaluation of the whole term paper whether the objectives of your research are met and why your research on Computer Science should worry the audience. Besides, you can include some recommendations you consider relevant for the further research. Reference List All the sources you use in your term paper must be cited on a separate page that is called either ‘Reference List’ (APA) or ‘’ (MLA). Pay attention to the format in your paper instructions since the right reference list contributes greatly to the final mark. As a rule, it is shown at the end of a term paper and arranged in alphabetical order. Revise Your Business Studies Term Paper Again and Again As the author of your own term paper, it’s harder to spot any errors in it. Right? Moreover, some slightest mistakes can happen to really experienced authors. That’s why you shouldn’t skip such an important step as proofreading and editing. It can seem like a simple task to look through the text, but too much attention to detail and intense focus is required to fix all the possible errors in grammar or a format style. For that reason, there are specialists who are competent in proofreading and editing academic works that require a lot of attention and skills such people are called ‘editors’/‘proofreaders’. If you decide to proofread your business term paper on your own, it is better to do it like a pro: Get rid of all possible distractions like smartphones or tablets; Revise it on paper rather than on screen; Read a paper aloud word by word backwards by using a pencil to point to every single word; Check the accuracy (spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, etc.); Verify the numerical data, names used in a term paper. Obviously, if you sit still without applying this business studies term paper guide in practice, your Business Studies course won’t be completed successfully as too much are put on term paper writing. After you read all this information on how to write an A+ business term paper, be 100% sure that you’re closer to the purpose to achieve the great results in writing. Never give up!

Juan Gris, Spanish Cubist Painter

Juan Gris, Spanish Cubist Painter Juan Gris (1887-1927) was a Spanish painter who lived and worked in Paris, France, for most of his adult life. He was one of the most significant cubist artists. His work followed the development of the style through all of its stages. Fast Facts: Juan Gris Full Name: Jose Victoriano Gonzalez-PerezOccupation: PainterStyle: CubismBorn: March 23, 1887 in Madrid, SpainDied: May 11, 1927 in Paris, FranceEducation: Madrid School of Arts and SciencesSpouses: Lucie Belin, Charlotte (Josette) HerpinChild: Georges Gonzalez-GrisSelected Works: Portrait of Pablo Picasso (1912), Still Life with Checkered Tablecloth (1915), Coffee Grinder (1920)Notable Quote: You are lost the moment you know what the result will be. Early Life and Career Born in Madrid, Spain, Juan Gris studied engineering at the Madrid School of Arts and Sciences. He was an outstanding student, but his heart was not in academia. Instead, he chose to focus on the drawing skills that came naturally. In 1904, he began to study with the artist Jose Moreno Carbonero, a past instructor of Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso. Hulton Archive / Getty Images After adopting the name Juan Gris in 1905, the artist moved to Paris, France. He would stay there for most of the rest of his life after having avoided Spanish military service. In Paris, he encountered some of the leading artists of the emerging avant-garde scene including Henri Matisse, Georges Braque, and Pablo Picasso, as well as American writer Gertrude Stein, who would become a collector of Gris work. During the period, Gris contributed satirical drawings to a wide range of Parisian journals. Cubist Painter In 1911, Juan Gris began to seriously focus on his painting. His initial works reflect the emerging cubist style. Pablo Picasso led the early development of cubism along with French artist Georges Braque. Gris considered Picasso an important mentor, but Gertrude Stein wrote that Juan Gris was the only person whom Picasso wished away. Portrait of Pablo Picasso (1912). Corbis Historical / Getty Images Gris exhibited at the Barcelona Exposicio dArt Cubista in 1912, considered the first group exhibition of cubist artists. His early cubist works are in the style of analytical cubism pioneered by Picasso and Braque. The 1912 Portrait of Picasso is an example of this approach. However, within two years, he focused on synthetic cubism, which used collage techniques extensively. The 1915 Still Life with Checkered Tablecloth illustrates the change. Crystal Cubism The outbreak of World War I in 1914 disrupted the life and work of Juan Gris. Gertrude Stein provided him with financial assistance, and he spent time at Henri Matisses studio in the south of France. In 1916, Gris signed a contract with French art dealer Leonce Rosenberg which helped solidify his financial future. Coffee Grinder (1920). Heritage Images / Getty Images Juan Gris simplification of the geometrical structure of his paintings in late 1916 is a distilled version of cubism. He also blurs the distinction between the background and the central object in the picture. This style has been called crystal cubism. Many observers see the technique as the logical extension of developments in cubism. The first major solo exhibition of the work of Juan Gris took place in Paris in 1919. He also participated in the final major exhibit of cubist painters at the Salon des Independents in Paris in 1920. Later Career In the months following the end of World War I in 1919, Juan Gris became ill from the lung disease pleurisy. He traveled to Bandol on the southeastern coast of France to recuperate. There, he met Russian ballet patron Serge Diaghilev, founder of the Ballets Russes. Juan Gris designed sets and costumes for the dance troupe from 1922 through 1924. La Liseuse (1926). Heritage Images / Getty Images More major international exhibitions followed from 1923 through 1925. During the period, Gris enjoyed the greatest fame that he would know during his lifetime. He delivered the lecture, Des possibilites de la peinture at the Sorbonne in 1924. It outlined his major aesthetic theories. Unfortunately, Gris health continued to decline. In 1925, he began to suffer from cardiac and kidney disease. Juan Gris died of kidney failure at age 40 in 1927. Legacy Still Life with Checkered Tablecloth (1915). Metropolitan Museum of Art / Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons 1.0 While Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque are given credit for first developing the cubist style, Juan Gris is one of the most distinctive artists who devoted his career to the development of the movements theories. Artists ranging from Salvador Dali to Joseph Cornell acknowledged their debts to the innovations of Juan Gris. His use of brand logos and newspaper type anticipated the development of Pop Art a generation later. Source Green, Christopher. Juan Gris. Yale University Press, 1993.

5 Free Alternatives to Microsoft Word

5 Free Alternatives to Microsoft Word 5 Free Alternatives to Microsoft Word Microsoft Word is the undisputed champion of modern word processing. Sure, some Apple fans are loyal to Pages. And Corel WordPerfect is still a thing. But Microsoft Word is the world’s most widely used word processor, found in homes, schools, and offices everywhere. What if you can’t afford or don’t like Word, though? Good news! There are other word processors available, so check out our list of five free alternatives to Microsoft Word to find a program that suits your needs. 1. Google Docs If any program can challenge Microsoft Word for its crown, it will be Google Docs. All you need is a Google account in order to write, format, and share documents. It’s also simple, free, and lets you download documents in multiple file formats, including DOC and DOCX. Google Docs is linked directly to Google Drive, too, so it autosaves your work with every keystroke. Another advantage of being online is collaborative working, as multiple users can edit a single shared document at the same time, saving the hassle of sending drafts back and forth. 2. LibreOffice Writer If you have used Microsoft Word for a while, LibreOffice Writer should feel reassuringly familiar. And if you’re one of those people who really hate the ribbon in MS Word, you may even prefer it! LibreOffice is, after all, a set of open-source programs that mimics the general appearance and functions of the Microsoft Office suite. Except it’s free. Which is always appealing. Currently, LibreOffice Writer offers most of the features and formatting options you find in MS Word. It uses the OpenDocument Format (ODF) file extension by default, but it also supports other documents formats, including DOC, DOCX, and RTF, so compatibility shouldn’t be an issue. 3. WPS Writer Part of the WPS Office suite, WPS Writer offers more in-built features than any other free word processor. The user interface is also closer to the modern version of Microsoft Word than most open-source word processors. Consequently, WPS Writer is ideal for those who want something as close to MS Word as possible without the hefty price tag. One notable downside is that the free version comes with adverts. These won’t bother you most of the time, but they will pop up when you use certain features (e.g., printing or exporting files). To get rid of the adverts in WPS Writer, you will have to upgrade to a paid version. 4. Apache OpenOffice Writer For Apache OpenOffice Writer, we can mostly point to the description of LibreOffice Writer above. They are similar in most respects, such as the user interface and features they offer. And this is because LibreOffice was originally based on the OpenOffice source code. Nowadays, some consider OpenOffice limited in some respects (e.g., it will let you save a document as a DOC file, but not as a DOCX file). But OpenOffice Writer remains one of the most popular, cost-free alternatives to Microsoft Word that you should try if LibreOffice isn’t quite to your liking. 5. Microsoft Word Online The last of our free alternatives to Microsoft Word is†¦ Microsoft Word. Well, to be specific, it is Microsoft Word Online, a free version of Microsoft’s word processing giant accessed via your web browser. This is great if you just want the basics, but it is a very limited version of MS Word. It doesn’t include advanced formatting options such as adding a table of contents, for instance. And while it supports DOC, DOCX, and even ODT files, it does not work with RTF files or other document formats. As such, this is mainly useful for existing MS Word users who need to work on a document when they’re away from their computer, as you can switch between the online and desktop versions easily. But if you’re looking for a professional word processor, you may need to pay for the full version.

Leadership for Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Leadership for Health - Essay Example Health care industry should be among the most excellently managed industries globally. Leaders in the health care industry should familiarise with the most effective leadership styles and strategies from successful institutions and organisations in applying them for promoting their own. Some of the variably admired traits that nursing leaders should possess include the ability to inspire, exhibit honesty, intelligence, competence and visionary. The four leadership styles that demonstrate the ideals of moral leadership include transformational, evidence-based, authentic and servant leadership. Transformational leaders are charismatic and act as role models to their followers. This is because they yearn to inspire autonomy as well as promote servant leadership (Nielsen, Yarker, Brenner, Randall and Borg, 2008). They motivate nurses to engage in problem solving strategies, team work in decision making procedures and personal professional development through strategies such as coaching a nd mentoring. According to Leach (2005), application of transformational leadership style enhances the act of communicating organisational or professional mission, vision and goals. Shirley (2006) posits that authentic leadership is practised by individuals committed to personal core values, compassionate leadership as well as understanding their own sense of purpose. Authentic leaders possess profound integrity and have abundant sense of personal conviction in matters related to personal beliefs and values. Authentic leaders are appropriate for managing and overseeing the nursing units and departments dealing with the care of old people because their high level of awareness enables them to advise and lead their followers accordingly. Servant leadership is a product of the possession... This paper approves that there is no doubt that health care leadership is at stake. Any health organisation that is mindful of the future should prioritise the tradition of perfect leadership. Improving leadership will involve training the new leaders on effective application of the new technology and instilling the required leadership capabilities. Leaders in the health sector should learn the most effective methods of management in order to promote the industry into the greater heights. Leaders should ensure that the context and concept in which nursing care is provided is appropriate for improved care. Some of the strategies that enhance improved care include appropriate mixing of skills, creation of the systems that facilitates shared decision making, facilitating staff relationships and establishment of systems that are supportive to the work force This report makes a conclusion that technical practice development approaches are short term and normally focused on the results rather than the strategies used in the achievement of those results. This approach is task based and specific to the project e.g. the inclusion of a new policy in nursing practice or acquiring new skills and competencies. However, this approach is currently ineffective because it involves the application of contemporary top-to-down approach of implementing change. The best alterative to the technical approach is the emancipatory practice development. Application of this strategy by the nurses involves focusing on the practices that improves health care practice through the development of sustainability and person centred cultures.

Television Plug-In Drug Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Television Plug-In Drug - Assignment Example Ms. Winn emphasized the points in her essay through emotional appeal on some of the aspects such as deteriorating family relationships since even during meal times the television is switched on. Ms. Winn stated that parents have settled for the convenient lifestyle provided by the television, it gives the children company throughout and therefore also acts as a babysitter. What I found lacking in Ms. Winn’s work was significant empirical evidence that would substantiate her work. Mostly she has used an emotional appeal to sway the readers off the importance of evidence that would justify her stance. Therefore, in order to get a clearer picture of the issue I looked for some empirical evidence on the topic which I researched the topic â€Å"Research on Television Addiction† on EBSCO host and found in the article â€Å"Measuring Television Addiction† by Cary W. Horvath. The article was published in the Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, which I believe is a very authentic source of information, moreover the author Ms. Horvath is Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication and Theater at Youngstown State University, which for me adds a lot more value to the credibility of the research. Ms.

Heraclitus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Heraclitus - Essay Example These fragments covered various notions that humans go by in their daily lives and put them in a philosophical manner showing the social stature of each. The fragments are over one hundred and they assist individuals learn how to counter some of life issues. The fundamental of the fragments is ensuring that there exists co-existence of different people without change affecting their living or rather their manner of operation (Russell 56). The doctrine of flux is a principle that seeks to show the manner of thinking portrayed by Heraclitus. According to him, everything is subject to change and this change happens every time and in different places. An analogical expression of the doctrine assists in understanding it further. A flux is generally a flow and this is characteristic of change. Just like the way a river flows and water in it does not remain in one position, so is the case for life. The reason is that change happens consistently and various things do not remain in the same position. To understand the famous river fragment by Heraclitus, an individual ought to view this from a literal view where there is the understanding of the various concepts brought out in the fragment. The part where he states that it is impossible for a person to step twice in a river is meant to show that the part of the river that the person steps on is not the same one that he will step on if he decides to step in the river again. This is because that part of the river has already gone and finding it in the same place again is impossible. This is to illustrate the fact that things in this life are subject to change such as that part of the river that cannot be found in the initial location again. He however states that despite the change that takes place within the river, itself it does not change and remains constant (Kahn 89). Another point that he states is that it is impossible to capture something in its stable condition given the fact that it is immortal. This shows the

The Origins of First World War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

The Origins of First World War - Essay Example Though, taking a retrospective look, James Joll (1984), argued in his book The Origins of the First World War, that German rulers had 'accepted the war as inevitable' by December 1912 itself. But the Germans preferred to wait for the most opportune time. Historians also say that the imperialistic policies of some European nations also contributed to the simmering discontent amongst other nations. Some countries had highly ambitious plans of establishing their colonies in foreign lands. Similarly, some countries had started arming themselves in a big way, which left the neighboring countries apprehensive for their safety and asking for cover for other nations. This polarized the world community. Therefore militarism was another reason for the outbreak of war. Slav nationalism never allowed the Austrians and Russians a peaceful coexistence. The sea route was earlier used basically for exploring far off places, but Britain and Germany also started using the naval forces for strategic ad vantages. Another race started in the two blocks to strengthen the naval forces. Though earlier the use of James Joll (1984) argues that; "The immediate motives which led governments to decide to go to war in 1914 were not directly imperialist, but earlier imperialist policies had contributed to the frame of mind in which decisions were taken. ... Evans and Strandmann (1990) say that apparently the war started off a clear sky, but most of the nations seem to be well prepared for the war. The authors state that, "Everyone seems to have known exactly what to do, and to have done it with great efficiency. Arrangements to take over the Examination Schools and colleges had been made by the War Office two years earlier." Though historians find it very difficult to pinpoint one particular event or one particular day when the war trigger was put on. But the events of June 28, 1914 are still remembered as a turning point (Turner, 1970). It is on this day that, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to throne of Austria-Hungary, and his wife were assassinated (it was their wedding anniversary) in Sarajevo, Bosnia by a Serbian nationalist student. This province had been under Austro-Hungarian Empire since 1908. After this assassination, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, followed by the Russian Mobilization the next day. Increasing emphasis on militarism led to the development of new weapons. Simultaneously the emergence of trench warfare made the Great War the bloodiest conflict the world had known (The Birmingham Post, 2004) James Joll prefer to place imperialism, domestic concerns, and the failure of diplomats as the basic reasons for eruption of the full fledged war. In broader terms the origin of First World War can be traced back as the result of a number of reasons. Some such reasons, enlisted by historians, over time are; The rise of German power after 1870 and its Imperialistic designs: Germany used to be a loose confederation of independent states till 1870. On January 18, 1871, these states united under a Prussian king

Market Entry Report for Petcoats.com Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Market Entry Report for Petcoats.com - Essay Example Recently, the company received local coverage on BBC East Midlands followed by a favorable article on the company by Daily Mail. Following the two incidents of coverage, there was an avalanche of activity on the company’s website leading to the crash of the website. This event convinced the manager to explore the possibility of venturing into two foreign markets – the USA and France. This paper constitutes a report to the director of Petcoats.com on the viability of entering the US market and how best to approach the market. The report is organized into three parts: the first part investigates the US pet market, the second analyses a number of possible market entry strategies before proposing the strategy the author feels is the most appropriate. The third part of the report explores the various ways through which Petcoats.com can communicate with American pet. Finally, the author concludes by making a number of recommendations. In the 1970s, 64 million American households owned at least a pet. By 2012, that figure had more than tripled 164 million households – this figure translated to 62% of American households (The Humane Society of the United States, 2014). As has always been the case, the dog and the cat are the two most favored pets. In 2012, 47% of all households owned at least a dog, translating to a total of 83.3 million pet dogs. In that same year, dog owners spent an average $231 in a year on routine veterinary visits. The pet cat population stood at 95.6 million and on average, the cat owner spent $193 on routine visits to the veterinary.

Shoes leather business industry in South Korea Term Paper

Shoes leather business industry in South Korea - Term Paper Example Subsequently, it has also been learnt that government laws regarding the operations of the leather industry are also quite strict wherein rigid laws are imposed to control the production of leather products in an integrated and ethical manner. These aspects have certainly affected the overall industry operations of the leather producing sector to a large extent (PETA, 2013; UNIDO, n.d.). Focusing on this particular issue, this paper intends to analyze in detail the overall challenges faced by the tanning or leather industry of South Korea. The paper further emphasizes upon the issues that are being related with the leather industry of the world with special regard to South Korea taking the example of HAESUNG AIDA Co. Ltd. A Brief Overview of the Company HAESUNG AIDA Co. Ltd. is one of the largest and the most well known companies of South Korea. The company mainly focuses on manufacturing quality leather products. It has been observed that the company is considered as a world class t annery manufacturer, the quality of which is considered excellent by the branded companies playing in the global market. It is known that the company has acquired the reputation of a leading leather company of Korea. Undoubtedly, this acknowledgement has been gained through immense hard work and honesty in manufacturing its products for the people all over the world. It always intends to produce products that would be able to satisfy the current needs of the customers to the utmost level. It has been observed that through continuous development of technology and innovative production techniques, the company has managed to establish large size production units which are further operated through organized processes in Korea. This enables it to carry out bulk production and obtain a... The leather industry is one of the most rapidly developing industries of the world. It has been observed that the industry plays a major role in economic performance of the countries. It has been observed that effective performance of companies in this industry will be related with the several aspects or rather obstructions such as environmental factors related with the operations of the company, government regulations for this kind of industries and some other vital barriers. It can be further observed that the company has taken various steps in order to alleviate all the associated concerns of the leather industry. In this regard, the company provided training to its employees, arranged programs for customers and suppliers for environmental awareness and incorporated a lot of advanced technologies in the working process in order to enhance its environmental performance. The company also comes up with new strategies in order to operate efficiently in spite of the economic downturn. However, despite these steps the company has experienced certain financial breakdowns owing to the various problems associated with the leather industry. The financial position or performance of the company is effected by the cost it spends in enhancing its environmental performance, expenditure and losses of the company owing to the stern governmental regulations and the maintenance of its employees regardless of its negative performance due to recession.

Market Entry Report for Petcoats.com Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Market Entry Report for Petcoats.com - Essay Example Recently, the company received local coverage on BBC East Midlands followed by a favorable article on the company by Daily Mail. Following the two incidents of coverage, there was an avalanche of activity on the company’s website leading to the crash of the website. This event convinced the manager to explore the possibility of venturing into two foreign markets – the USA and France. This paper constitutes a report to the director of Petcoats.com on the viability of entering the US market and how best to approach the market. The report is organized into three parts: the first part investigates the US pet market, the second analyses a number of possible market entry strategies before proposing the strategy the author feels is the most appropriate. The third part of the report explores the various ways through which Petcoats.com can communicate with American pet. Finally, the author concludes by making a number of recommendations. In the 1970s, 64 million American households owned at least a pet. By 2012, that figure had more than tripled 164 million households – this figure translated to 62% of American households (The Humane Society of the United States, 2014). As has always been the case, the dog and the cat are the two most favored pets. In 2012, 47% of all households owned at least a dog, translating to a total of 83.3 million pet dogs. In that same year, dog owners spent an average $231 in a year on routine veterinary visits. The pet cat population stood at 95.6 million and on average, the cat owner spent $193 on routine visits to the veterinary.

Owners Perspective During Preconstruction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Owners Perspective During Preconstruction - Essay Example guidance of the architect/ during this phase maximizes the value added to the project such as, energy efficiency, space used, design, structural integrity, mechanical systems and market value. Construction project cost is a main worry for the owner, yet usually the estimating is carried out in too general a manner like sq. ft. costs or very late in design development phase. The benefits that the estimating process brings are likely to be missed if the estimator comes in at the last part of the design phase to execute an Engineers Estimate. These benefits consist of project feasibility, budget development, scope definition, realistic input to the VE as well as VA process, documents’ quality control, input to the designers as well as owners decision making course, format of the bid, clarity of scope, and projects’ bid-ability. The usual project usually overruns its cost estimation. Overruns are frequent on governmental as well as commercial projects, even when changes are considered. The reason this occurs is because estimating traditionally does not take into account the threat that the work will in point of fact cost less or more than offered by the most proficient estimate. In order to settle on a more suitable contingency, use of a quantitative risk assessment is encouraged. Nevertheless, risk assessment has been mainly ignored for larger projects as a part of the approximating process in addition to the development of the budget. Risk assessment is currently getting more popular; it is being talked and considered a lot more than it was in the past. Major projects, mainly those in the Design-Build or some using an optional delivery technique, the teams involved in design, building, and project controls work jointly developing the design, approximations, budgets, as well as schedules in juxtaposition with each other or concomitantly (Demkin 569). Incorporated cost along with plan risk assessments can thrive in this setting. Nevertheless, in spite of the

Postmodern Theory in Art Essay Example for Free

Postmodern Theory in Art Essay Philosophy refers to the search for truth, existence, knowledge and performance through sense and rationale. Philosophy attempts to study the nature of existence, soundness, impartiality, beauty, mind and language. Art on the other hand refers to the process of arranging elements in a creative manner that makes them appealing to the senses and the emotions. Art includes performance which involves the use of language. The artist Paul McCarthy, born in 1945 in Salt Lake City, learned his art skills at the University of Utah in the year 1969. On his further studies at San Francisco art institute, he studied painting and went further to study film, video and art at the University of Southern California. McCarthy majors his work in video and sculpture having taught performance, video, installation and performance art history at the University of California (Bronfen 214). McCarthy in his works institutes color as a central theme in his story of modern and contemporary work. McCarthy’s life and art works are connected to the practice centered on the role of artists within the cultures and the system of art. In his works he proves a bit of a chocker. The use of language and descriptions of all the American culture that he grew up with, he works towards bending and transforming the familiar into the disturbing. The works of McCarthy definitely removes the dark side of the American dream and presents a selection of postmodern works produced between 1966 and 2006. The philosophies of Kierkegaard involved a unifying factor which evolved around three spheres of existence, which is the aesthetic, the ethical and the religious choice in constant tension. According to Kierkegaard the personal aesthetic enjoyment is in the inconsistent search of pleasure which is self-centered. Comparing the artist Paul McCarthy to this philosophy, it is clear that the philosophy involved beauty and pleasure which is mainly egocentric just like the work of McCarthy which involves the provision of pleasurable activities, through performance and beautiful paintings (Robert Adorno 132). The ethical sphere however is not egocentric but impersonal. It involves a law centered on reasoning as opposed to personal inclination and expediency. Kierkegaard asserts that at this stage, life does not just involve a succession of separate moments of pleasure but is a long range venture which should be structured according to rational principles. The principles according to Kierkegaard’s philosophies do not only include the rules of eventual interest but the conceptual ideologies of morality that describe what an individual should do. Just like Kierkegaard’s ideals, in McCarthy’s attempts to reduce the disadvantages of painting, he resorted to using the body as a canvas. He later involved the use of bodily fluids and foods to act as surrogates in his work. Other than painting the work of McCarthy included transgressive presentation art, psychosexual events which were meant to test the emotions of both the artist and the viewer. McCarthy in his works was known for shocking, sexually charged pieces that feature benign cartoon and pop culture characters reflecting the ideologies of morality which teaches the viewers and the artist on what they should do (Glennie 34). Much of the works of Kierkegaard looks into religious premises like the faith in God, the organization of the Christian church, the Christian ethics and divinity and the emotions and feelings of different people when dealing with the choices of life. Kierkegaard remained the most influential figure in modern philosophy’s consideration just like McCarthy who remained the most influential artist in the postmodern artistry. Kierkegaard believed and insisted on individual rather than collective responsibility before God. In the stage of true religious choice, only a leap of faith that provides a ground for decision is employed, however there are no automatic rational decision procedures. According to the philosophy of Kierkegaard, acknowledgment of the need for religion as a personal dedication to truth is the major component of life. Relating to this principle of Kierkegaard, McCarthy centers his interest within the daily activities of life and the confusion created by such activities. Due to misinformation by people, McCarthy has been taken to be influenced by the Viennese Actionism. Due to his dedication to truth as his life component, McCarthy clarifies that he knew the activities of the group in the 1970s but there exists a big difference between the self deleterious activities of the Viennese and his own performances. This is a reflection that as Kierkegaard’s principle of individual responsibility to God, McCarthy obeys the same principle and would therefore not engage in the injurious activities of the Viennese (Ben 56). The view of Kierkegaard on the free press can be understood on why he hated the press. He was mainly concerned on the public sphere which had been a source of problem for many intellectuals in the middle of the 18th century before the democratization and the expansion of the press. In his view to the free press, Kierkegaard abandoned the use of internet with the claims that it promoted risk free ambiguity and idle curiosity that undermined responsibility and dedication. Kierkegaard’s opposition to the press is said to have had sociological, political and psychological motivations. He however claims that he does not attack the press because of the liberalism or any other political reason. As has been noted earlier, the works of Kierkegaard mainly revolved around religious issues. His view was therefore opposing free press because he believed that the press and especially the daily newspaper were making Christianity and religious matters impossible. Definitely from his political, sociological and psychological qualms, he considered the press as a threat to both cultural and religious practices. Because of these reasons Kierkegaard continued to attack the public and the press up to 1846 in his writings. With the democratization of the public sphere by the daily press, Kierkegaard felt that the public sphere was becoming a new and a dangerous cultural experience whereby the ranking created by the press was to produce something that was very wrong right from the beginning. In the modern society Kierkegaard gives his total view on the relation of the press, public sphere and the ranking taking place in his time. He considers the press mysterious and desituated with no obsession and dedication and combines in this philosophical age to produce the public. The ideals and the philosophies of Kierkegaard strongly affected the theologians and the existential philosophy. Even though Kierkegaard was a very strong defender of religious faith he was an unhappy, neurotic and a terribly suffering man (Ben 356). His belief was that the best way to disclose truth was through dramatic confrontation of conflicting practices to life. In addition to his ideals and philosophical works, Kierkegaard was a thinker and a genius. His philosophy despite having not been presented in a systematic and analytical manner, contain several wealth of sharp intellectual insights. Due to lack of coherent stance, the philosophies of Kierkegaard have remained questionable. Nevertheless according to Kierkegaard, his principles have been mainly on how one can become a Christian. Other than his philosophical work, Kierkegaard had complex poetic work which rewards careful reading. The totals of moral of his philosophy can be put into a single sentence that the existence of human beings needs real passion and thought. Conclusion Art and philosophy may be two different disciplines, but still some principles or morals of an artist and a philosopher may relate in some way. The revealed example is between the artist Paul McCarthy and the philosopher Soren Kierkegaard. The ideals and the philosophies of Soren Kierkegaard match the artist Paul McCarthy for instance, both of them seems to value aesthetics, ethical values and religious choices and issues.

Application of the Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms

Application of the Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms The Application of the Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms In Pediatric Nursing Practice Krista Kelly Introduction Every human being regardless of age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status or physical ability will experience pain or unpleasant symptoms at some point in their lives. Pain can be defined as an unpleasant, subjective sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage (International Association for the Study of Pain, Subcommittee on Taxonomy, 2008). This definition acknowledges not only the physical nature of the pain experience, but also recognizes the psychological aspect. Pain is a highly subjective experience and can only be accurately described by the person experiencing it. According to the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (2013), nurses have an ethical responsibility for assessing and alleviating pain using appropriate, evidence informed pain management. It also states that nurses are also obligated to advocate for change in the care plan when pain relief is inadequate. The theory of unpleasant symptoms (TOUS) is a middle-range theory that was developed by nurses to enhance the understanding of relationships among multiple symptoms and symptom experiences to manage unpleasant symptoms through effective interventions (Lee, Vincent Finnegan, 2017). The TOUS has three major concepts that will be discussed in further detail throughout this paper. The purpose of this paper is to describe, analyze and evaluate the TOUS and its relevance to pediatric nursing practice. This paper will identify a clinical situation on a pediatric unit and will indicate how the TOUS provides direction for guiding nursing practices. Lastly, this paper will assess the utility, strengths and weaknesses of the TOUS. Description of Theory According to Smith Parker (2010), theories help guide our actions, help us reach desired results and give evidence to what has been previously achieved. Specifically, middle-range theories are abstract, yet are concrete enough that it provides a link between nursing research and practice. The middle-range theory of unpleasant symptoms was introduced in 1995 as a means for incorporating existing information about a variety of symptoms (Lenz, Pugh, Milligan, Gift, Suppe, 1997). The TOUS incorporates three major components: the symptoms that a patient is undergoing, the factors that influence symptoms and that give rise to the nature of the symptoms, and the effects of the symptom experience. Each individual symptom is considered a multidimensional experience that can be measured together with other symptoms or measured independently (Lopes- Junior, de Omena Bomfim, Nascimento, Pereira-da-Silva, Garcia de Lima, 2015). Although symptoms differ from one another, they share four common domains including: duration, intensity, quality and distress. The duration of a symptom refers to the time that the symptom occurs at, or the frequency of the symptom. Intensity indicates the severity, strength or amount of the symptom being experienced by the individual. Whereas, the quality of pain can be used to describe what the symptom feels like to the individual. For instance, pain can be described as sharp, dull, achy or throbbing. Lastly, the distress domain of the symptom experience refers to the degree to which the patient is bothered by it (Lee et al., 2017). The same symptom may be unbearable to some individuals but could be much less severe to others. Thus, it is important to ask patients how much they are bothered by the symptom to gain a better understanding of how they are interpreting the experience and the meaning they associate with it (Lenz, et al.,1997). In the TOUS, there are three factors that influence each of the previously mentioned domains: physiologic factors, psychologic factors and situational factors (Lenz, Supp e, Gift, Pugh, Milligan, 1995). Physiologic factors include the normal functioning of the body systems, the presence of any pathology and the individuals energy levels. Psychologic factors incorporate the individuals mental state and their reaction to their illness. Lastly, situational factors pertain to aspects of the individuals physical and social environment that can affect their experience and reporting of symptoms. Examples of social environment include: lifestyle behaviours, social support, employment status, and access to health care services. On the contrary, physical environments can include but are not limited to variables such as noise, light, temperature and polluted air/water; all of which can influence symptoms (Lenz Pugh, 2014). According to Lenz Pugh (2014), the outcome concept in the TOUS is performance. Performance refers to the outcome or effect of the symptom experience and how it impacts the individuals functional status, cognitive functioning and physical performance. For example, certain symptoms may affect an individuals ability to perform the activities of daily living or may alter their memory, concentration or problem solving skills (Lee et al., 2017). Application to Clinical Practice The assessment and management of pain or unpleasant symptoms are essential skills while dealing with the pediatric population. With children, especially infants and toddlers who are unable to communicate, it can be extremely challenging to identify the presence of pain, which in turn makes it difficult to treat. Therefore, it is important to assess pain by receiving input from the child and their parents or care givers. In the case when a child is unable to communicate, their family and caregivers should be able to advocate for suitable interventions to manage pain based on what they know about their child and the current situation (RNAO, 2013). The TOUS exemplifies a perspective that not only includes the physical domain of the human experience, but also recognizes the importance influence of psychological and situational factors, as well as their interaction on the symptom experience (Lenz Pugh, 2014). The writer was able to apply this theory in the pediatric setting while caring for an eight year-old female patient who was experiencing painful urination and abdominal pain related to a urinary tract infection. Looking at the physiological factors, this patient had a history of a fever for the past month, lower abdominal pain and a decreased appetite; otherwise her diet was classified as tolerated. Regarding the psychological factors, the patient expressed she was happy, as she was being discharged that afternoon. While the writer was taking vital signs, the patient was alert, oriented, compliant and aware of why she was in the hospital. As the writer was providing care for this patient, it was evident that there was suppo rt from her father, mother and little brother, all who provided positive words of encouragement to get well soon. The updated version of the TOUS states that symptoms can occur alone or simultaneously, thus this paper will focus on multiple symptoms experienced by the patient; painful urination and abdominal pain. The patient expressed that she experienced a burning and painful sensation while urinating and that it had been occurring for the previous four days. When asked to rate her pain on a severity scale from 0-10, she rated her pain as a 4. In regards to the distress of her symptom, she mentioned it really bothered her during the night, as she was frequently waking up with the urge to urinate. In regards to the patients performance, she was unable to fulfill her social role as a grade four student, piano student and dance student as she stayed in the hospital for five days. She was also unable to assist her mother and father in playing/ taking care of her younger brother as she was experiencing abdominal pain that restricted her from doing so. The TOUS is valuable tool for nurses as it helps collect the previously mentioned data, which in turn helps nurses individualize interventions that fit the patients needs and unique pattern of symptoms (Lenz, et al.,1997). In order to manage symptoms effectively, these nursing interventions should include the evaluation of the symptoms individually and as a whole in order to comprehend their interactions (Lopes-Junior et al., 2015). Understanding symptoms of patients is important because experiencing multiple simultaneously occurring symptoms, as opposed to one symptom can have more negative effects on patient outcomes. Ultimately, understanding these multiple symptoms can help improve clinical management of an illness or disease (Lee et al., 2017). Assessment of Overall Utility There are both strengths and weaknesses in the utility of the TOUS. The TOUS can be used to improve the understanding of the symptom experience of individuals in various scenarios and provides information that is useful for nursing interventions that can decrease, prevent or manage negative symptoms and their unpleasant effects (Lenz Pugh, 2014). However, the TOUS lacks detail that may be useful in working with a specific symptom or illness in a given clinical population, such as pediatrics. Specifically, the TOUS has focused only on subjectively perceived symptoms rather than objective observable data. Neonates, infants and toddlers or children who are cognitively impaired, are incapable of verbalizing their pain. Therefore, pain or unpleasant symptom assessment should also be based on behavioural and physiological cues rather than just subjective information. For example, an infant may display pain by frowning or clenching their jaw and crying uncontrollably. They may moan, whimpe r or have a difficult time being consoled by a parent or caregiver. Being agitated, squirmy or rigid can also be indicative of pain or unpleasant feelings in infants and should be noted (Merkel, Voepel-Lewis, Shayevitz Malviya, 1997). The TOUS does an excellent job at looking at the individual in a holistic manner, such that it considers the interactions between individuals and their environment, the multidimensionality of symptom experiences of the individual and uses a biopsychosocial approach (Lee et al., 2017). While constructing an individualistic health care plan for patients, the TOUS does not include an intervention component within the model. This may indicate that the theory is more useful for observing concepts, examining their relationships, and developing tools to measure the concepts/relationships than for developing specific interventions for particular symptoms (Lenz, et al.,1997). In the future, the theory should include suggestions for interventions on specific symptoms for health care providers to use in practice. Conclusion The purpose of this paper was to describe, analyze and evaluate the TOUS in a clinical pediatric setting and its connection to nursing practice. The uses, strengths and weaknesses of the theory were also presented. The TOUS is a middle-range theory that emphasizes the importance for nurses to understand that physiological, psychological and situational factors can influence multiple symptoms, which in turn can affect the individuals performance. It is also critical to realize that the performance outcomes can loop back to impact the symptom experience itself, as well as to alter the influencing factors (Lee et al., 2017). Overall, this theory can be applied in different settings to understand symptoms of individuals, however specific nursing interventions are currently lacking in this theory. With continued research and studies, this theory can only increase in its practicality to health care professionals and caregivers. References International Association for the Study of Pain, Subcommittee on Taxonomy. (2008). Pain terms: A list of definitions and notes on usage. Pain, 6, 249. Lee, S.E., Vincent, C., Finnegan, L. (2017). An analysis and evaluation of the theory of unpleasant symptoms. Advances in Nursing Science, 40 (1), E16-E39. Lenz, E.R., Suppe, F., Gift, A.G., Pugh, L.C., Milligan, R.A. (1995). Collaborative development of middle-range nursing theories: Toward a theory of unpleasant symptoms. Advances in Nursing Science, 17 (3), 1-13. Lenz, E.R., Pugh, L.C., Milligan, R.A., Gift, A.G., Suppe, F. (1997). The middle-range theory of unpleasant symptoms: An update. Advances in Nursing Science, 19 (3), 14-27. Lenz, E.R., Pugh, L.C. (2014). The theory of unpleasant symptoms. In M. J. Smith (Ed.), Middle range theory for nursing (3rd ed.), (165-195). New York: Springer Publishing Company. Lopes- Junior, L.C., de Omena Bomfim, E., Nascimento, L.C., Pereira-da-Silva, G., Garcia de Lima, R.A. (2015). Theory of unpleasant symptoms: Support for the management of symptoms in children and adolescents with cancer. Revista gaucha Enfermagem, 36 (3), 109-112. Merkel, S.I., Voepel-Lewis, T., Shayevitz, J.R., Malviya, S. (1997). The FLACC: A behavioural scale for scoring postoperative pain in young children. Pediatric Nursing, 23 (3), 293-297. Registered Nurses Association of Ontario [RNAO]. (2013). Assessment and management of pain, third edition. Retrieved from http://rnao.ca/sites/rnao-ca/files/AssessAndManagementOfPain2014.pdf Smith, M.C., Parker, M.E. (2010). Nursing theory and the discipline or nursing. In M.E. Parker M.C. Smith (Eds.), Nursing Theories and Nursing Practice (3rd ed.), (pp.3-15). Philadelphia, PA: Davies.