Business Model and Strategy Assessment - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2137 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? Business Model and Strategy Assessment Industry Environment Analysis Based on Porterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Five Forces Model, the footwear industry has a high intensity of competitive rivalry. The reason is that in this market, there are a number of wholesalers and retailers, and many of which are well-known and occupy the major market share. In addition, due to the low entry barriers and the affordable capital investments, the force of threat from new entrants is high. Threat from substitutes is low, resulting from the fact that shoes are considered necessities. Customers are more sensitive to price, resulting in all companies reducing price in order to cater and attract consumers. Also, people are fond of chasing fashion and comparing a shoe with all substitutive shoes. Consequently, the bargaining power of buyers is high in this industry. All suppliers produce homogeneous products, leading to a low switching cost to purchasers; thus the bargaining power of suppliers is low. According to dynamic industry analysis, customers, products, and technolo gies dimensions are growing. The world population will increase about 43% to 10 billion in 2050 compared to 7 billion in 2013 (Exhibit 1). With the growth of world population, the demand of life necessities will increase, so the footwear industry will grow as well. At the same time, as a result of people standards of living becoming higher and higher, the shoe companies should improve the level of technology to meet the new needs of customers. Now, healthy lifestyle is a mainstream idea. However, a majority of incumbent firms pay attention to producing high quality and low cost products, rather than lifestyle products. Therefore, lifestyle brands have a greater competitive advantage to disrupt the current market, helping companies achieve success. In summary, although Porterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Five Forces Model expresses the footwear industry as unattractive, based on dynamic industry analysis, the footwear industry consistently maintains a huge market that might attract a great deal of potential new entrants. Accordingly, both incumbent and new firms should find some à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"market holesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ to capture market share and enhance profits, such as designing novel shoes that are good for health. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Business Model and Strategy Assessment" essay for you Create order Business Model Maps or Canvases Brown Shoe has adopts an à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Unbundledà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  business model, which includes three fundamental types of businesses: customer relationship, product innovation, and infrastructure. These three entities should be separated to avoid conflicts. This company puts customers first, and it provides a broad-range of products, and operates a variety of e-commerce websites in order to improve customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ shopping experience. Moreover, Brown Shoe focuses on creating and innovating comfort and high quality shoes. Furthermore, it not only owns some factories in China, but it also has a network of global third-party manufacturers. Customer Segments, Customer Relationship, and Channels: All ages of people can buy products in real stores and the companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s E-commerce website. The company uses both owned and partner channels. Value Propositions: This companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s mission is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“to inspire people to feel good and live bet terfeet firstà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (Brown Shoe Company, 2012, P.10). Key Activities and Key Partners: This company designs, produces, and delivers footwear for all kinds of people. It has a number of retailer and wholesaler partners. A major portion of its infrastructure is acquired from third-parties. Cost Structure and Revenue Streams: Cost-driven. The objective of this company is generating profits with a wide- range of products. Vera Bradley has adopts the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Long Tailà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  business model, which pays attention to niche markets. This business model requires a strong platform to innovate and create novelty products, in order to attract customers, leading to high demand and revenue. Customer Segments, Customer Relationship, and Channels: Vera Bradley aims at providing novelty and fashionable products for women. It uses a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Dynamic Multi-Channel Distribution Modelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  throughout its direct and indirect channels. Moreover, the real and online stores allow people to select and buy products easily. Value Propositions: This brand vision is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“accessible luxury that inspires a casual, fun, and family-oriented lifestyleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (Vera Bradley, 2013, P.6). Key Activities and Key Partners: This company designs, makes, and sells complementarily accessory products for women. It has a good relationship with third-party retailers and manufacturers. Cost Structure and Revenue Streams: Value-driven. The company would like to achieve high profit by premium price. Yue Yuen has adopts an à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Unbundledà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  business model as well. The Pou Sheng Company, its subsidiary, is a retailer in China, and is responsible for dealing with customer relationships. Its market research department collects information from customers to help brand partners innovate and improve products. Yue Yuen manufactures branded athletic and casual footwear. Customer Segments, Customer Relationship, and Channels: The main market segment of Yue Yuen is athletic and casual footwear; thus, sports enthusiasts are its core customers. The company mainly depends on direct retail stores to capture market share. Value Propositions: The products quality of the company has resulted in significant consumer trust. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Group complies to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"put employees firstà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ as a promised actionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (Yue Yuen Industrial (Holdings) Limited, 2012, P.188). Key Activities and Key Partners: The company makes and sells a broad range of international sport brands footwear. Brand name customers, joint venture companies, and suppliers are its key partners. Cost Structure and Revenue Streams: Cost-driven. This company wants to increase market share by providing a variety of sportswear, resulting in a high sales volume. Similarities and Differences: First, all these companies have same key activities, which include producing and selling footwear and accessories. Additio nally, their similar point of value proposition is putting customers and employees fist, but the difference is that Brown Shoe and Yue Yuen are interested in providing high-quality products to customers, and Vera Bradley is effective at creating stylish and premium commodities for customers. What is more, these three companies have totally different customer segments. Brown Shoe targets all age groups; Vera Bradley aims at women, and Yue Yuen keeps a watchful eye on sports fans. Furthermore, in the aspect of channel, both Brown Shoe and Vera Bradley sell goods in real and online store through direct and indirect distribution channels. Yue Yuen mainly uses direct retail store to sell shoes. Finally, Brown Shoe and Yue Yuen are cost-driven and want to improve profits via a broad-range of products. On the contrary, Vera Bradley is value-driven through innovating premium products to achieve high profits. Corporate Strategy Brown Shoe utilizes multi-corporate strategies. First, it promotes organic growth through the opening of new facilities. In the next fiscal year, the company expects to open approximately 55 new stores in the US. Then, a global footprint strategy drives the company to open 26 stores in China and plans to open five new retail stores in 2013. In addition, Brown Shoe wants to collaborate with Hongguo International Holdings Limited, a joint venture partner, to add about 22 stores in 2013 (Brown Shoe Company, 2012, P.11-12). Furthermore, this company makes use of the acquisition of related companies to achieve a horizontal diversification structure in order to increase its market share. In 2010, Brown Shoe Company acquired the remaining 50 percent interest of Edelman Shoe Company, which is a leading fashionable footwear designer. In 2011, the company acquired a leading athletic footwear designer and manufacturerAmerican Sporting Goods Corporation. However, it sold AND 1 in 2011 and A via and Nevadors in 2013, in order to pay down debt. Vera Bradley mainly expands its retail sale in the United States by opening new stores. The company plans to open roughly 20 new stores annually during each of the next five fiscal years (Vera Bradley, 2013, P.10). To grab global market share, Vera Bradley sells products through 15 department store locations and an E-commerce website in Japan (Vera Bradley, 2013, P.6). Moreover, this company made a strategic alliance with Von Maur in 2012. Beginning on July 10, customers could buy Vera Bradleyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s products through Von Maur, a company that provides excellent customer service and creates a more pleasant shopping environment, so this cooperation helped it expand multi-distribution channels. In addition, the company founded the Vera Bradley Foundation for BreastCancer in 1998, and contributed about $1 million to support breast cancer research (Vera Bradley, 2013, P.36). Although philanthropy is different from its primary business, this unrelated service can improve its reputation with an added benefit of increasing sale volumes. Yue Yuen is the worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s largest manufacturer of branded athletic and casual footwear, so its services are all over the word, such as Asia, USA, Europe, Canada, and so on. Moreover, considering retailing activities, the company focuses on China, and has 3,659 directly-operated stores and 2,276 sub distributors (Yue Yuen Industrial (Holdings) Limited, 2012, P.13). In 2003, with the purpose of expanding related horizontal diversification product lines, Yue Yuen acquired Pro Kingtex, a manufacturer and retailer of sportswear, and formed a joint venture with Hua Jian Industrial Holdings Company Limited, a designer and manufacturer of ladiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ shoes. Furthermore, the acquisition of Zhanxin and Pengda sportswear retailers allowed the company to strengthen and consolidate the retail distribution channels in China. What is more, Yue Yuen pays attention to engaging in vertical integration by acquiring some supply chain services companies, for example, Luen Thai and LINE. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The vertical integration and horizontal diversification business model enhances the companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s visibility into customer demand and synchronizes its supply chains to help it control costs to achieve higher marginsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (Jia Chu, Paper 1). Competitive Strategy Brown Shoe involves three key market segments to service all walks of life: Family, Healthy Living and Contemporary Fashion brands. These markets segments provide a broad offering of products at a variety of price points through Omni-Channel distributions to accomplish a differentiation strategy. Moreover, the company highly invests in advertising so as to boost brand recognition and create brand differentiation. In 2012, the investment of advertising and marketing support was about $21.5 million (Brown Shoe Company, 2012). Furthermore, Brown Shoe built a customer loyalty program, which is its members can earn points toward savings certificates for qualifying purchases at its Famous Footwear stores. This program improves the possibility that customers will choose to purchase goods in Brown Shoe instead of other companies the first time. The data indicated that approximately 66% of net sales in the Famous Footwear stores were made from the reward members in 2012 (Brown Shoe Compa ny, 2012). Unfortunately, the differentiation strategy generated a high variable cost that leads to a low operating margin for this company (Exhibit 23). The companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s product lines are too diverse to manage. Based on its 2012 annual report, the wholesale operationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s net sales accounted for about 50% of the net sales generated from retail segments. Additionally, the healthy living market should be intensely attended, because it fills current customer preferences. Therefore, narrowing the scope of business may improve the companys profitability, such as giving up part of the wholesale businesses. Vera Bradley carries out a niche strategy by providing stylish complementary products for women to make their life distinctive and cheerful. Moreover, Vera Bradley advocated a visual merchandising strategy, which is using homey decorations to create stores that have a friendly feeling of home. This distinctive customer shopping experience encourages cu stomers to visit again and purchase more (Jia Chu, Paper 1). Furthermore, this company positions its brand as a lifestyle brand emphasizing high quality, vibrant styling, and functional design, all of which highly match the contemporary consumer ideal. At the same time, Vera Bradley releases new patterned products and funny advertisings frequently in order to keep the brand fresh. By doing this, it promotes customers to purchase over and over again. In addition, Vera Bradley has both international and domestic manufacturing factories. This strategy helps the company save costs substantially. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Meanwhile, domestic factories help Vera Bradley adapt to the fluctuations in the market demand and consumer preferences quickly. Also, combining in-house manufacturing and outsourcing makes its suppliersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ power lowerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (Jia Chu, Paper 1). As a result, a lower cost brings a higher operating margin (Exhibit 3). Yue Yuen exploits a cost leaders hip strategy by putting forward à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“a proactive supply chain model, which shifts the company from an essentially domestic manufacturing plant to a global sourcing platformà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (Jia Chu, Paper 1). Integrating and acquisition supply chain departments allow it to successfully increase à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“flexibility and accuracy of inventory management. In fiscal year 2013, inventories accounted for only 18% of total assetsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , so this reduce a great deal of cost (Jia Chu, Paper 1). Moreover, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“from helping brand name customers design, produce, and sell products, Yue Yuen has the market power to manipulate selling and general administrative expensesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (Jia Chu, Paper 1). Also, the company has minimal advertising costs. Furthermore, this low cost structure allows the company to help its brand name customers offer all kinds of products at a relatively low price, in order to increase sale volumes. As a result, the company will m aintain the leadership role in the market, because of the cost-efficient business model. Conclusion Brown Shoe Company should adjust its differentiation strategy so as to gain the competitive advantage and improve profit its margin. Vera Bradley achieves success in the niche market by focusing on providing complementary products to accessorize a womanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s life. Yue Yuen benefits from its vertical integration business model that contributes to a low-cost and high-profitability performance. 1

Education Philosophy Statement Essay - 1255 Words

Education Philosophy Statement Every person has his or her idea of what education should be. One wants to be educated or go to universities so he or she could have a higher degree. Some other person wants to get education just to fulfill ones self. Many people get college education thinking that they can make more money. Education is not about money; it is a lifetime process that enables one to satisfy ones inner self. It makes a person feel good for who they are inside. Jon Spaydes article Learning in the Key of Life made me think about the different aspects of education, such as college education or street education. Which one is a more necessity for survival in todays world. The question that arises in my mind is does†¦show more content†¦Spayde quotes novelist and journalist Earl Shorris. Shorris started an Ivy League-level adult education course in humanities for low-income people. Shorris told his students that Youve been cheated. Rich people learn the humanities, you didnt. The humanities are a foundation for getting along in the world for thinking, for learning to reflect on the world instead of just reacting to whatever force is turned against you. (60) Humanities help people to live a better life. It makes a person rich not in terms of materialistic aspects, but in terms of self-satisfaction and fulfilling ones life. Education does not end after high school or after university. It is true, School helps, but its just the beginning of the engagement between ideas and reality. (61) A well-educated person is one who has not only studied in a university but one who is able to control and analyze everyday life. Most learning takes place from everyday experience, which occurs not in schools but in the streets, such as during everyday activities. Just like Spayde argues, A truly good education may well be one carpentered out of the best combination we can make of school, salon, reading, online, exploration, walking, the streets, hiking in the woods, museums, poetry classes at the Y, and friendship. (58) We do not learn all the lifes obstacles from school or books, but from real people during everyday life. It is true that formal education should be known, inShow MoreRelated Education Philosophy Statement Essay1221 Words   |  5 PagesEducation Philosophy Statement I believe education is one of the most important parts of our lives. Education sets the foundation for everything else we do in our lives. Without an education, it is nearly impossible to get gainful employment of any kind. But an education is not just something you get from taking notes, reading chapters, and passing tests. It is true that these are major parts of receiving an education, but they are not the only parts. 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Culture Affects the Performance

Question : 1. How Culture Affects the Performance of International Managers ? Answer : Introduction Key research questions The topic of this research proposal is to find out the impact of culture on the performance of international managers. Major research questions for this research work are given below: What are the dimensions of organizational culture that affect the business performance? How performance of international managers can be analyzed? What is the linkage between culture and performance of international managers? How cultural dimensions of an organization can be improved so that international managers can enhance their performance? Specific research objectives The aim of this research work is assess the impact of cultures on the performance of international managers. Objectives for this research work are given below: To analyze the dimensions of organizational culture that can affect the business performance. To evaluate the performance of international managers. To examine the between culture and performance of international managers To provide some recommendations to improve cultural dimensions of an organization so that international managers can enhance their performance Rationale of the research Performance of international managers plays a significant role to improve sustainability of a business in international market on the basis of effectiveness. Biddle and Swee (2012) stated that, it is the role of international managers to improve productivity of an organization and enhance commitment level of employees. International managers help to clarify the norms, values and objectives of the organization depending on the organizational culture (Banks 2015). Development of a strong organizational culture can help to enhance the performance level of employees and their productivity as well. Blowers (2014) stated that employee performance is considered as the backbone of a company. It is the major responsibility of international managers to improve their performance. However, in international market, managers have to deal with employees, who have different thoughts, cultures values and beliefs. Hence, most of the cases conflict arises in the workplace. Bain et al. (2012) mentioned that, it is the responsibility of international managers, to deal with all these conflicts effectively and efficiently. Dealing with all these cultural issues and influencing employees to work as a team can improve productivity and vice versa. Hence, in this research work, the impact of culture on the performance of international mangers has been discussed. The concept of culture in organizational perspectives According to Banks (2015), culture can be distinct as the mixture of belief, set of values, communications and the behavioral explanation that offers guidance to people. Atchley et al. (2014) mentioned that, culture is the cognitive system that can help to improve decision making and thinking of people within a company. In case of organization, these values and beliefs have significant impact on the sustainability of performance. It can also help to improve sustainability of an organization. Different types of culture have been mentioned below: Subculture According to Brown (2012), sub cultures can be defined as the segment of organizations that have different set of values, beliefs and norms based on department goals, job requirements and geographical areas. It has been found that employee commitment towards an organization depends upon employee participation. Blowers (2014) stated that, sub culture of employees have impact on their participation level. Strong culture Blowers (2014) stated that, the types of beliefs and values that workers hold in a culture is considered as strong. In the context of an organization, a culture is considered strong, when the staffs hold grater part of culture. It is the responsibility of international managers to develop procedures, policies and objectives that can influence employee behaviour and help to gain competitive advantage. Weak culture Brown (2012) argued that loosely knit organizational culture, can push the thoughts, beliefs and attitudes of employees and help them to become more innovative. For this reason, managing the increasing needs to cultural management has become an important and valuable asset for a company. Dimension of organizational culture Professor Greet Hofstede had developed a study to analyze how the values and beliefs in a workplace is affected by the culture. Doris et al. (2015) stated that, culture can be considered as the collective programming that can distinguish a set or group of people from others. There are six major dimensions of culture can be found from Greet Hofstede model. They are such as Power Distance Index (PDI), individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, long term orientation and indulgence. PDI indicates the degree of equality of power distribution among people. On the other hand, individualism indicates the preference of people for a loosely knit framework of the society. In this type of social framework people only take care of themselves and their close family members. On the contrary, Ferraro and Brody (2015) stated that masculinity is considered as the preference of people for achievement, success, rewards and heroism. Femininity is the opposite of masculinity. Quality of life, coop eration, caring and modesty is considered as femininity. Bain et al. (2012) mentioned that uncertainty avoidance is the dimension of culture that helps to determine the comfort level of people with ambiguity and uncertainty. In order to discuss about the cultural dimension named long term orientation, Greet Hofstede stated that every society had to keep a link with its past, while dealing with the challenges of present and thinking about future. Ferraro and Brody (2015) stated that, culture that scores low in this dimension like to have time-honored tradition. According to Bain et al. (2012), indulgence is considered as the cultural dimension related with having fun in work and enjoying life. Greet Hofstedes cultural dimension has been described below: Figure 1: Greet Hofstedes model of cultural dimension (Source: Geert-hofstede 2016) Roles and responsibilities of international managers Li et al. (2016) stated that due to global competition, companies are forced to change their management strategy at home and abroad. There are various factors like high speed communication, shorter product cycle, rate of change and technical advancements have contribution towards the change. Koopmann-Holm and Tsai (2014) mentioned that, organizational structure has to be flexible so that an organization can adopt the changing market condition. Bain et al. (2012) argued that, although international managers have to perform the same functions like domestic managers, they have to adjust to more variables and different environment. There are four major roles and responsibilities of international mangers can be found. They are such as: Planning Li et al. (2016) mentioned that, the first step of international planning is to decide how to conduct business in the global market. It is the major role of international managers to set aims and objectives for international activities. They have to observe the environment very closely. It includes factors such as cultural barriers, political instability, currency rate fluctuations and trademark protection. Organizing It is the major responsibility of international managers is to make sure that the planning of the company fits with the culture of the host country. Li et al. (2016) stated that, they have to organize international business in such a way that that can adopt environmental and cultural barriers. They have to change the structure of the organization in three major stages (Liu et al. 2013). They are such as pre-international stage, international division stage and global structure stage. Staffing According to Marsh et al. (2015), hiring a good employee is crucial to the success of any organization. For this reason, hiring qualified employees and development of employees have to be done carefully. The international managers have to be familiar with the labor laws of the host country. Depending on the cultural difference with the host country, the international managers have to decide whether to hire employees from local workforce or to transfer home-base personnel. Directing Atchley et al. (2014) stated that, cultural differences between the origin country and the host country, makes the directing role more challenging for the international managers. They have to understand that attitude of employees towards job and their problem solving skills differ from country to country. In addition, language barriers in the host countries can make the communication more difficult. In to minimize the cultural barriers, international mangers have to take training related with cross-cultural management. Atchley et al. (2014) mentioned that, cross-cultural management can help managers to develop effective interaction with people coming from different cultures and respect diversity. Controlling Marsh et al. (2015) stated that, language barriers, geographic dispersion and distance and legal constraints in the host country can affect the controlling functions of international managers. For instance, in many countries, holidays, pensions are legally mandated by legal bodies of a country. Bernard (2012) stated that, in many countries all the aspects are considered as the legal rights of employees. In many part of the world, there many powerful employee unions exist. According to Atchley et al. (2014), demands of these labor unions restrict the controlling ability of international managers. It has affected their overall performance severely. Conceptual framework Figure 2: Conceptual framework (Source: created by author) Research methodology Outline of this research work consists of descriptive research purpose, deductive approach along with post positivism research philosophy. In order to conduct this research work, both primary data and secondary will be collected. In order gather primary data, an interview will be conducted with 5 international mangers working in the country Jordon (qualitative data). On the contrary, secondary data can be collected from a range of updated journals, websites, books and various research articles. Bernard (2012) mentioned that, research philosophy provides the required knowledge and dimension required for a specific research study. It provides the fundamental facts, concepts and models required to conduct a study in appropriate manner. There are various catagories of research philosophies can be utilized to conduct a research work. They are like positivism, realism and post- positivism philosophy. In order to conduct this research work, post-positivism philosophy will be used. Bryman and Bell (2012) mentioned that, post positivism philosophy helps to examine the validity of the particular data gathered from a specific research work depending on previous research works. This philosophy will help to complete this research work with the help of cross checked and real data and fact. There are primarily two categories of research approaches can be utilized to conduct a research work in appropriate manner. They are like deductive approach and inductive approach. Bernard (2012) mentioned that, deductive approach can help to inspect the previous models and theories associate with a specific research topic. On the contrary, Bryman and Bell (2012) mentioned that inductive research approach helps to develop new theories and models related with a specific research topic. In order to develop this specific research study, deductive research approach has been chosen. It will help to develop this research work with the help of existing theories and models related with this topic. As there is not ample time to develop new models or theories related with this research topic, inductive research approach is not suitable for this research work. According to Bryman and Bell (2012), there are mostly three categories of research purposes can be utilized to conduct a research study. They are like descriptive research purpose, exploratory research purpose and explanatory research purpose. In order to develop this research study in appropriate manner, descriptive research purpose has been chosen as it will help to develop this research work with detail information related with the research topic. Cooper and Schindler (2012) mentioned that, there are primarily two categories of data can be collected in order to conduct a research study. They are like primary and secondary data. It has been fund that primary data can be gathered with the help of surveys and interviews. Burns et al. (2013) mentioned that, there are two kinds of primary data can be gathered. They are like quantitative data and qualitative data. It has been found that, quantitative data can be gathered with the help of survey. On the other hand, qualitative data can be gathered with the help of interviews. Secondary data can be collected from various updated journals, articles and books. In order to conduct this research study in appropriate manner, qualitative primary data will be collected by conducting an interview with 5 international managers working in Jordon. In addition, secondary data will be collected from various updated journals and articles related with the topic of the research. Reference list Atchley, P., Shi, J. and Yamamoto, T., 2014. Cultural foundations of safety culture: A comparison of traffic safety culture in China, Japan and the United States.Transportation research part F: traffic psychology and behaviour,26, pp.317-325. Bain, P., Vaes, J., Kashima, Y., Haslam, N. and Guan, Y., 2012. Folk conceptions of humanness beliefs about distinctive and core human characteristics in Australia, Italy, and China.Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology,43(1), pp.53-58. Banks, J.A., 2015.Cultural diversity and education. Routledge. Bernard, H. R. 2012 Research Methods in Anthropology: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. 5th ed. Plymouth: Alta Mira Press. Biddle, N. and Swee, H., 2012. The relationship between wellbeing and Indigenous land, language and culture in Australia.Australian Geographer,43(3), pp.215-232. Blowers, G., 2014. Gone with the west wind: the emergence and disappearance of psychotherapeutic culture in China, 193668.Psychiatry and Chinese history. Brown, A.J., 2012. Measuring the mysteries of federal political culture in Australia.Tomorrows federation: Reforming Australian government, ed. Paul Kildea, Andrew Lynch, and George Williams,310. Bryman, A. and Bell, E. 2012 Business Research Methodology. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press. Burns, R. B., Burns, R. and Burns, R. P. 2013 Business Research Methods and Statistics Using SPSS, 3rd. ed. London: Sage Publications. Cooper, D. and Schindler, P. S. 2012 Business Research Methods, 11th ed. London: McGra-Hill. Doris, E., Shekriladze, I., Javakhishvili, N., Jones, R., Treasure, J. and Tchanturia, K., 2015. Is cultural change associated with eating disorders? A systematic review of the literature.Eating and Weight Disorders-Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity,20(2), pp.149-160. Ferraro, G. and Brody, E.K., 2015.Cultural Dimension of Global Business. Routledge Geert-hofstede, 2016. [online] Geert-hofstede.com. Available at: https://geert-hofstede.com/ [Accessed 16 Dec. 2016]. Koopmann-Holm, B. and Tsai, J.L., 2014. Focusing on the negative: Cultural differences in expressions of sympathy.Journal of personality and social psychology,107(6), p.1092. Li, Z., Massa, M., Xu, N. and Zhang, H., 2016. DP11475 The Impact of Sin Culture: Evidence from Earning Management and Alcohol Consumption in China. Liu, C., Liu, W., Wang, Y., Zhang, Z. and Wang, P., 2013. Patient safety culture: a case study in an outpatient setting in Beijing.BMJ quality safety, pp.bmjqs-2013. Marsh, H.W., Abduljabbar, A.S., Morin, A.J., Parker, P., Abdelfattah, F., Nagengast, B. and Abu-Hilal, M.M., 2015. The big-fish-little-pond effect: Generalizability of social comparison processes over two age cohorts from Western, Asian, and Middle Eastern Islamic countries.Journal of Educational Psychology,107(1), p.258.

Kara Walker Essays (557 words) - Kara Walker, Guggenheim Fellows

Kara Walker [emailprotected][emailprotected][emailprotected][emailprotected][emailprotected] Walker produces mural-sized, paper cutout silhouettes to create a dense caustic narrative of nineteenth-century, antebellum slavery. She details the black-paper cutouts with stereotypical characters pickaninnies, sambos, mammies, slave mistresses, and masters. My first impression of her work is that she elegantly portrays scenes from African American?fs plantation life; however, I became aware that sexual, violent, and scatological images are represented repeatedly in her landscapes. She exaggerates the grotesque history of slavery and race relations in America. [emailprotected][emailprotected][emailprotected][emailprotected][emailprotected] of all, I agree with older Blacks?f feelings of fear regarding the inclusion of slavery as a part of their history, and the use of stereotypes to detonate ancient equations of racism. Older generations cannot explain stereotypical imagery except with malice and hate. Betye Saar?fs negative opinion of Walker convinced me; she believes that Walker stoops to accommodate the White art world to ensure her financial success (MacArthur Foundation Achievement Award). Saar has fought to suppress stereotypes through the empowerment of these icons, and her artwork arouses sympathy from black compatriots. This can be seen in her work, The Liberation of Aunt Jemima. It seems that Walker?fs illustration of contorting slave imagery resuscitates noxious racial perceptions which Saar and other social activists try to deny. [emailprotected][emailprotected][emailprotected][emailprotected][emailprotected] I had Ms. Cahan?fs lecture, and during the following class discussion, I clearly grasped the meaning of Walker?fs intention, ?gChange the Joke and Slip the Yoke,?h and the reasons for controversy surrounding her ambitious work. I am aware that Walker does not accommodate herself to the White society that once shared the belief that slavery was justifiable. Her use of stereotypical and devastating imagery becomes a weapon, and she seems to avenge the past sins of the society in which she creates her work. [emailprotected][emailprotected][emailprotected][emailprotected][emailprotected] African Americans, the pain of racism is everpresent, and Walker's world is devoid of the sinless and the passive black victim. Walker mines the source of this discomfort from submerged history and goes so deep that everyone is involved. She knows that stereotypes have not disappeared: they have only been hidden. [emailprotected][emailprotected][emailprotected][emailprotected][emailprotected] animated figures of her cut-paper wall murals attempt to change a painful past into satire. Consequently, African Americans can conquer a fear of racism in which the themes of power and exploitation continue to have deep meaning for them in contemporary American society. Using humor, they digest the indigestible agony. Furthermore, nothing can be eradicated, nor can their pain be suppressed by looking back tragic events. [emailprotected]?fs shocking narrative is a powerful heeling process of dealing with slavery. Younger generations who were born after the Civil Rights Movements may have instinct for destroy the fear because they are proud of themselves being black; they are brought up as ?gBlack is beautiful.?h [emailprotected][emailprotected][emailprotected][emailprotected][emailprotected] she has turned the art world upside down and involved the African American society with her work, I understand how art can lift people above the problem and change lives. I would like to say that artist must recognize this point and have responsibility to own artwork. Artist sometimes plays an important part in the social issue. Arts and Painting

Recommendation Letters in Signed, Sealed Envelopes

Recommendation Letters in Signed, Sealed Envelopes Graduate and undergraduate schools alike often require hopeful students to include recommendation letters with their applications, with many graduate programs requiring the envelope containing the letter be signed and sealed by the recommending writer. Often students will ask the letter-writer to return their recommendations, each in a separate signed and sealed envelope, but many students also wonder if its too much to ask for the mentor to do- is organizing all that paperwork unreasonable? The short answer is no- its almost required in order for the contents of the letter to remain private from the students they are about.   The Standard for Recommendation Letters For most academic institutions accepting applications that require recommendation letters, the standard is that students are not to have contact- be able to read- their letters of recommendation. Traditionally, programs required that faculty submit recommendation letters independently of the student or give them to students in sealed and signed envelopes. The problem with asking faculty to send recommendations directly to the admissions office is the possibility of losing a letter, and if a student does choose this route, it would be best to contact the admissions office to determine that all expected letters have arrived. The second option is for the faculty to return their letters of recommendation to the student, but the letters are confidential, so admissions committees ask that faculty seal the envelope and then sign over the seal, assuming that it will be obvious if a student opened the envelope. Its Okay to Ask for Signed, Sealed Envelopes Admissions offices often prefer that applications arrive complete, with faculty recommendations in the packet, and most faculty  members know this, so dont feel that youre asking faculty to do too much work. Because this is and has been a standard part of most college application processes, the letter writer will likely understand the official preferred process. That said, a student can make it easier by preparing an envelope for each program he or she is applying to, clipping the recommendation form and any relevant material to the envelope. Recently, electronic applications have become very common, possibly even the norm, making this whole process almost obsolete. Instead of the traditional sign, seal, deliver process, a student will complete his or her application online then send the person writing the recommendation letter a link to submit it online. The student will be notified if and when the letter is received and can, therefore, contact the faculty member if any problems arise. Dont Forget to Say Thank You After everything is said and done, the recommendation letter and complete registration packet submitted, its important for students to take the time to thank the person who wrote his or her recommendation letters and helped him or her in the application process.   Although not required, a token of appreciation like flowers or candy goes a long way in returning the faculty members consideration of the student- plus, who doesnt like getting a little thank you gift?

Separation of Church and State

Separation of Church and State The separation of church and state is a fast growing issue of today. The beginning of the First Amendment says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Separation of church and state is a miss-representation of the First Amendment intended to deceive those that can be easily deceived.In the past there has been numerous court cases dealing with separation of church and state. Each passing year it is miss-interpreted more and more by the Supreme Court. Our founding fathers never meant for this confusion to happen. One of the major factors to this is a misinterpreted letter by Thomas Jefferson. On January 1, 1802 Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter. Contained within this letter was Jefferson's concern with the Government breeching religious freedom and affairs of the church. In this letter Jefferson mentioned a wall of separation between church and state.This image was selected as a picture of the week o...Jefferson was saying that the legislature couldn't favor a specific religion or prohibit a specific exercise. No power over the freedom of religion is delegated to the United States by the Constitution .In 1804, bible reading and use of the bible was implemented in the first public schools in the District of Columbia. During this time Thomas Jefferson was president of the school board. Moral instructions created by Thomas Jefferson were included in the school curricular. There was even places in schools set aside for worship. This to was created by one of our founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson. In 1772 an essay called The Rights of the Colonist were widely circulated. A man named Samuel Adams wrote it.Many as the Father of the American Revolution knew him. Samuel Adams was one of the Singers of the Declaration of Independence. Not to mention that he makes a great...

Nike Industry Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Nike Industry - Research Paper Example For example, Adidas and Reebok are the closest competitors of Nike Inc. However, Adidas is one of the main competitors of Nike in that the company owns 5.32% of the industry market share and has been privileged to sponsor major events such the as the 2012 Olympics. While Nike owns 35.21% of the industry but suffers a major ordeal of competitive losses as it does not focus on social media to keep in touch with return customers and potential new ones. Reebok on the other hand, is a subsidiary of the Adidas Company and owns about 2.58% of the market share posing as a potential competitor for Nike in terms of quality products, target market, and promotional schemes (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2008). Customer Bargaining Power Based on 2009, 2010, and 2011 revenues that peaked at $20.9, Nike’s customers have a high bargaining power with regards to their social backgrounds and average total household income. The target market for Nike Inc. earns an average total household income of $50,000 to $150,000 per year making the target market upper-middle class. The customer base of Nike Inc. is cultured in terms of quality and continued use of the company’s products, therefore, it has very little interest in switching brands. Trends in this market show that 62% of customers buy Nike shoes once per year as their use for the shoes is central to exercise and athletic reasons. The target market includes athletes and non-athletes while 19% of all sales are from athletes while the rest are distributed amongst customers looking for products giving/providing comfort, enjoyment, fitness exercise, and quality collections. Supplier Bargaining Power Given the market share of more than 35% that Nike Inc. has secured within the industry, the bargaining power of suppliers is weak due to the fact that there are few other companies that can sustain their survival better than Nike. For example, competition between suppliers in 2012 resulted to increased revenues for Nike as sup pliers had to win Nike’s confidence by lowering their prices and providing discounts in order to win the tenders. Additionally, Nike’s market share has placed the company as a high contender of the suppliers with best deals . Due to bulk purchases of supplies, the company enjoys extensive cash and purchase discounts (Lazich, and Virgil, 2011). Threat of Substitutes Reflecting back on the competitive forces that shape the sportswear industry, it has been noted that most companies in this industry capture their market share with regards to trends, customer behavior, and culture of the company (Lazich, and Virgil, 2011). Nike Inc. faces a major threat of substitutes from various companies starting with the major competitors Adidas and Rebook. However, Nike shoes and other products fair better on the competitive market due to brand recognition rather than quality and design. With regards to purchasing power of customers, above 62% of return customers buy shoes once a year and have more than $50,000 in total household income (Lazich, and Virgil, 2011). Due to prices that match the quality of products traded by Nike, substitutes bridge the gap between low income earners and product sales. For example, the market share owned by companies labeled as others is 29.68 (Mirando, (2012). Threat of New Entrants The threat of new entrants in the sporting industry is almost zero. Two considerations make up for this claim. Firstly, the sportswear in

The Merchant of Venice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Merchant of Venice - Essay Example In the same scene, she showed what a good judge of character she was, when discussing the various suitors with Nerissa. She did not break her word, but managed to get the man she wanted by hanging on to her belief in love, and then offering him the duty and love she once gave her father. Next, is her quick mind and intelligence; she saw right to the crux of any problems and thought of solutions quickly. When Bassanio got the letter about Antonio's problems, she offered the money right away to get them out of trouble. It was a rational and decisive solution. When the offer of money did not work, Portia looked for another way out and sought expert help to put her plan into practice. Her intelligence meant she had a realistic view, and helped her recognize that a rich young woman would have no influence or power, but a clever young lawyer would. It also made her aware that expert advice was necessary, as was the quick decision to get that advice. Her great reasoning and negotiating powers allowed her to understand that Shylock wanted to use the law, so she would use it too, to get a good outcome for all. The third and most important characteristic is her ethical and fair way of dealing with everything.

Federalism & Parliament. Essay Example for Free

Federalism Parliament. Essay Federalism is a political philosophy or a system of government where leadership of a state is divided between a central head and its sub-units. States with a federal form of government are split into different territories, each territories are then governed by the sub-units. Each unit can act independently of other units such that each territory may different laws governing them. The central government, on the other hand, act for the common good which grants substantial autonomy to each territory. As a result, territories are subject to their laws and those imposed by the central government. The United States of America is an example of a country with a federal form of government from which each state has its own state legislature but must at the same time follow the laws made by the United States Congress. Parliament. A parliament is a legislature operating under a parliamentary system of government. In more simple terms, the parliament is the body of people who represents the general population and who meet and discuss matters of state. Members of parliaments may be elected or not, although representatives are rarely non-elected. Members of parliaments also have the power to elect the head of state, usually called the Prime Minister. As such, the head of state is answerable to and would only hold office as long as the parliament is confident on the heads leadership. The latter part is possible because the parliament also hold the power to dismiss or to request an early dissolution. Parliaments may also be divided between chambers or houses. The British Parliament, for example, is divided between the House of Lords and the House of Commons, although only members of the House of Commons is referred to as the parliament. Constitution. A constitution is a fundamental system of laws, written or unwritten, which establishes the rules and principles of a sovereign state. Constitutions set up the basis for governments, defining the limits and relations of each political structures of the state. States which have democratic forms of government, for example, have executive, legislative and judiciary authorities which have separate powers and duties but are interdependent of each other. Most constitution also cover the claim of territories and guarantee certain rights to people. While constitutions may be in unwritten form, having it in written or codified form makes it more easily understood and coherent. However, written constitutions are still usually relatively rigid than with other laws, allowing for a potentially wide range of interpretations. High Court. A high court refers to the superior court of justice, the court of last resort, or the highest judicial body within a specific autonomous state. In the United States, for example, high court refers to the Supreme Court. Being the highest judicial body, rulings of high court could no longer be subjected to further review by another court. High court decisions usually impact other cases in that most states have a doctrine called stare decisis for rulings covering common law from which previous rulings and decisions constitute binding precedence upon the same court or courts of lower status within their jurisdictions. That means that judges are obliged to follow the precedents established in prior high court decisions in subsequent cases. Others have, on the other hand, the principle of jurisprudence constante from which previous decisions applying a particular law carries great weight and may be determinative in subsequent cases. Responsible Government. A responsible government is a concept in a system of government embodying the principles of accountability. In the United Kingdom, for example, responsible government manifests itself in several ways. The Prime Minister account to the Parliament for decisions and departmental performances. They retain office for as long as the lower house of holds confidence in his or her leadership. However, once the lower house has passed a motion of no confidence, the Prime Minister must immediately resign and the government is subjected to the electorate for a general election. In Canada, responsible government encompass ministerial responsibility. Collective ministerial responsibility involves principles which ensure that the prime minister and all cabinet ministers pursue a policy consistent with the priorities of their party which has the support of the majority of voters.

Prejudice and Racism in Conrads Heart of Darkness :: Heart Darkness essays

Racism in Heart of Darkness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Joseph Conrad develops themes of personal power, individual responsibility, and social justice in his book Heart of Darkness. His book contains all the trappings of the conventional adventure tale: mystery, exotic setting, escape, suspense, and unexpected attack. Chinua Achebe concluded, "Conrad, on the other hand, is undoubtedly one of the great stylists of modern fiction and a good story-teller into the bargain" (Achebe 252). Yet, despite Conrad's great story telling, he has also been viewed as a racist by some of his critics. Achebe, Singh, and Sarvan, although their criticisms differ, are a few to name. Normally, readers are good at detecting racism in a book. Achebe acknowledges Conrad camouflaged racism remarks, saying, "†¦ Conrad chose his subject well - one which was guaranteed not to put him in conflict with psychological pre-disposition..." (Achebe, 253). ***CAN YOU TELL US SPECIFICALLY WHAT THIS MEANS? THE READER DOES NOT KNOW WHAT PSYCHOLOGICAL PRE-DISPOSITION IS*** Having gone back and rereading Heart of Darkness, this time reading between the lines, I discovered some racism Conrad felt toward the natives that I had not discovered the first time I read the book. Racism is portrayed in Conrad's book, but one must acknowledge that in the eighteen hundreds society conformed to it. Conrad probably would have been criticized as being soft hearted rather than a racist in his time. Conrad constantly referred to the natives, in his book, as black savages, niggers, brutes, and "them", displaying ignorance toward the African history and racism towards the African people. Conrad wrote, " Black figures strolled out listlessly... the beaten nigger groaned somewhere" (Conrad 28). "They passed me with six inches, without a glance, with the complete, deathlike indifference of unhappy savages" (Conrad 19). Achebe also detected Conrad's frequent use of unorthodox name calling, "Certainly Conrad had a problem with niggers. His inordinate love of that word itself should be of interest to psychoanalysts" (Achebe 258). Conrad uses Marlow, the main character in the book, as a narrator so he himself can enter the story and tell it through his own philosophical mind. Conrad used "double speak" throughout his book. Upon arriving at the first station, Marlow commented what he observed. "They were dying slowly - it was very clear. They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly now, nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation lying confusedly in the greenish gloom" (Conrad 20).

Balance Sheet and Net Sales

3 shows the December 31, 2009 pro- forma balance sheet and income statements for R& E Supplies, Inc. The pro- forma balance sheet shows that R& E Supplies will need external funding from the bank of $ 1. 4 million. However, they show $ 1. 27 million in cash and short- term securities. Why are they going to the bank when they have most of the required amount in their cash account? 2. Pro forma financial statements, by definition, are predictions of a company’s financial statements at a future point in time.So why is it important to analyze the historical performance of the company before constructing pro forma financial statements? 3. Suppose you constructed a pro forma balance sheet for a company and the estimate for external financing required was negative. How would you interpret this result? 4. Harlin Fencing Company’s sales, half of which are for cash, over the past three months were: August September October $70,000 $120,000 $80,000 a. Estimate Harlin’s cash receipts in October if the company’s collection period is 30 days. b.Estimate Harlin’s cash receipts in October if the company’s collection period is 45 days. c. What would be the October balance of Accounts Receivable for Harlin Fencing if the company’s collection period is 30 days? 45 days? 5. Suppose you constructed a pro forma balance sheet and a cash budget for a company for the same time period and the external financing required from the pro forma forecast exceeded the cash deficit estimated on the cash budget. How would you interpret this result? 6. Table 3. 5 presents a computer spreadsheet for estimating R& E Sup-plies’ external financing required for 2009.The text mentions that with modifications to the equations for equity and net sales, the fore-cast can easily be extended through 2010. Write the modified equations for equity and net sales. 7. Using a computer spreadsheet, the information presented below, and the modified equations de termined in question 6 above, extend the fore-cast for R& E Supplies contained in Table 3. 5 through 2010. Is R& E’s external financing required in 2009 higher or lower than in 2010? R& E Supplies Assumptions for 2009 ($ thousands) Growth rate in net sales 30. 0% Tax rate 45. 0% Cost of goods sold/ net sales 86. % Dividend/ earnings after tax 50. 0% Gen. , sell. & admin. Current assets/ net sales 29. 0% expenses/net sales 11. 0% Net fixed assets $270 Long- term debt $560 Current liabilities/ net sales 14. 4% Current portion long- term debt $100 Interest rate 10. 0% 8.This and the following two problems demonstrate that pro forma forecasts, cash budgets and cash flow forecasts all yield the same estimated need for external financing— provided you don’t make any mistakes. For problems 8, 9, and 10, you may ignore the effect of added borrowing on interest expense. The treasurer of Pepperton, Inc. a wholesale distributor of household appliances, wants to estimate hi s company’s cash balances for the first three months of 2009. Using the information below, construct a monthly cash budget for Pepperton for January through March 2009. Does it appear from your results that the treasurer should be concerned about investing excess cash or looking for a bank loan? Pepperton Selected Information Sales (20 percent for cash, the rest on 30- day credit terms): 2008 Actual October $360,000 November 420,000 December 1,200,000 2009 Projected January $600,000 February 240,000 March 240,000Purchases (all on 60- day terms): 2008 Actual October $510,000 November 540,000 December 1,200,000 2009 Projected January $300,000 February 120,000 March 120,000 Wages payable monthly $180,000 Principal payment on debt due in March 210,000 Interest due in March 90,000 Dividend payable in March 300,000 Taxes payable in February 180,000 Addition to accumulated depreciation in March 30,000 Cash balance on January 1, 2009 $300,000 Minimum desired cash balance 150,000 9. C ontinuing problem 8, Pepperton’s annual income statement and balance sheet for December 31, 2008 appear below.Additional in-formation about the company’s accounting methods and the treasurer’s expectations for the first quarter of 2009 appear in the footnotes. Pepperton Annual Income Statement December 31, 2008 ($ thousands) Net sales $6,000 Cost of goods sold1 3,900 Gross profits 2,100 Selling and administrative expenses2 1,620 Interest expense 90 Depreciation3 90 Net profit before tax 300 Tax (33%) 99 Net profit after tax $ 201Balance Sheet December 31, 2008 ($ thousands) Assets Cash $300 Accounts receivable 960 Inventory 1,800 Total current assets $3,060 Gross fixed assets 900 Accumulated depreciation 150 Net fixed assets 750 Total assets $3,810 Liabilities Bank loan $0 Accounts payable 1,740 Miscellaneous accruals4 60 Current portion long- term debt5 210 Taxes payable 300 Total current liabilities $2,310 Long- term debt 990 Shareholders’ equity 510 To tal liabilities and equity $3,810 1.Cost of goods sold consists entirely of items purchased in first quarter. 2 Selling and administrative expenses consist entirely of wages. 3 Depreciation is at the rate of $30,000 per quarter. 4 Miscellaneous accruals are not expected to change in the first quarter. 5 $210 due March 2009. No payments for remainder of year. a. Use this information and the information in problem 8 to construct a pro forma income statement for the first quarter of 2009 and a pro forma balance sheet for March 31, 2009. What is your estimated external financing need for March 31? b.Does the March 31, 2009, estimated external financing equal your cash surplus (deficit) for this date from your cash budget in problem 8? Should it? c. Do your pro forma forecasts tell you more than your cash budget does about Pepperton’s financial prospects? d. What do your pro forma income statement and balance sheet tell you about Pepperton’s need for external financing on F ebruary 28, 2009? 10. Based on your answer to question 9, construct a first- quarter 2009 cash flow forecast for Pepperton. 11. Toys- 4- Kids manufactures plastic toys. Sales and production are highly seasonal.Below is a quarterly pro forma forecast indicating external financing needs for 2009. Assumptions are in parentheses. Toys- 4- Kids 2009 Quarterly Pro Forma Forecast ($ thousands) Qtr 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr 4 Net sales $300 $375 $3,200 $5,000 Cost of sales (70% of sales) 210 263 2,240 3,500 Gross profit 90 113 960 1,500 Operating expenses 560 560560 560 Profit before tax (470) (448) 400 940Income taxes (188) (179) 160 376 Profit after tax ($282) ($269) $240 $564 Cash (minimum balance $200,000) $1,235 $927 $200 $200 Accounts receivable (75% of quarterly sales) 225 281 2,400 3,750 Inventory (12/ 31/ 08 balance $ 500,000) 500 500 500 500 Current assets 1,960 1,990 3,120 4,450 Net plant & equipment 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 Total assets $2,960 $2,708 $4,100$5,450 Accounts payable ( 10% o f quarterly sales) 30 38 320 00 Accrued taxes ( payments quarterly in arrears) (188) (179) 160 376 Current liabilities ( 158) ( 142) 480 876 Long- term debt 400 400 400 400 Equity (12/ 31/ 08 balance $3,000,000) 2,718 2,450 2,690 3,254 Total liabilities and equity $2,960 $2,708 $3,570 $4,530 External financing required $ 0 $ 0 $ 530 $ 920 a. How do you interpret the negative numbers for income taxes in the first two quarters? b. Why are cash balances in the first two quarters greater than the minimum required $ 200,000?How were these numbers deter-mined? c. How was â€Å" external financing required† appearing at the bottom of the forecast determined? d. Do you think Toys- 4- Kids will be able to borrow the external financing required as indicated by the forecast? 12. Continuing with Toys- 4- Kids introduced in the preceding problem, the company’s production manager has argued for years that it is inefficient to produce on a seasonal basis. She believes the company sho uld switch to level production throughout the year, building up finished goods inventory in the first two quarters to meet the peak selling needs in the last two.She believes the company can reduce its cost of goods sold from 70 to 65 percent with level production. a. Prepare a revised pro forma forecast assuming level production. In your forecast assume that quarterly accounts payable under level production equal 10 percent of average quarterly sales for the year. To estimate quarterly inventory, use the following two formulas: Inventoryeoq = Inventoryboq + Quarterly production – Quarterly cost of sales Quarterly production Annual cost of sales/ 4 where eoq and boq refer to end of quarter and beginning of quarter, respectively.Please ignore the effect of increased external financing required on interest expense. b. What is the effect of the switch from seasonal to level production on annual profits? c. What effect does the switch have on the company’s quarterly ending inventory? On the company’s quarterly need for external financing? d. Do you think the company will be able to borrow the amount of money required by level production? What obsolescence risks does the company incur by building up inventory in anticipation of future sales? Might this be a concern to lenders? 13. You will need to use the Standard & Poor’s Market Insight Web site ( www. hhe. com/ edumarketinsight) for this problem. Market Insight presents a spreadsheet entitled â€Å" Forecasted Values. † ( Excel Analytics, Valuation Data, Forecasted Values. )a. How are these forecasts generated? Are they more than simple extrapolation of past trends? b. How useful might these forecasts be for projecting a company’s future financing needs? 14. This problem asks you to construct a simple simulation model. If you do not own simulation software, you can download to your computer a free, full- strength version of Crystal Ball for a one- week trial. Point your b rowser to www. crystalball. om and select download. a. Problem 7 above asked you to extend the forecast for R& E Sup-plies contained in Table 3. 5 through 2010. Using the same spread-sheet, simulate R& E Supplies’ external funding requirements in 2009 under the following assumptions. i. Represent the growth rate in net sales as a triangular distribution with a mean of 30 percent and a range 25 percent to 35 percent. ii. Represent the interest rate as a uniform distribution varying from 9 percent to 11 percent.iii. Represent the tax rate as a lognormal distribution with a mean of 45 percent and a standard deviation of 2 percent. . If the treasurer wants to be 95 percent certain of raising enough money in 2009, how much should he raise? ( Grab the triangle below the frequency chart on the right and move it to the left until 95. 00 appears in the â€Å" Certainty† window. ) 15. This problem asks you to prepare one- and five- year financial fore-casts for Aquatic Supplies Company. An Excel spreadsheet containing the company’s 2008 financial statements and management’s projections is available for download at www. mhhe. com/ higgins9e. (Select Student Edition Choose> a Chapter >Excel Spreadsheets. Use this information to answer the questions posed in the spreadsheet. 16. The financial statements and additional information for Noble Equipment Corp. appear at www. mhhe. com/ higgins9e. (Select Student Edition Choose >a Chapter> Excel Spreadsheets. ) The company’s fiscal year end is September 30. Noble’s management wants to estimate the company’s cash balances for the last three months of calendar year 2008, which are the first three months of fiscal year 2009. The questions accompanying the spreadsheet ask you to prepare a monthly cash budget, pro forma financial statements, and a cash flow forecast for the period.

Mun,delegate of australia

The delegate of Australia Is very excited to collaborate with delegates and participate In this prestigious conference. Today our delegation Is here to discuss two of the most aggravating issues in the world. It is a great concern to our people, and we are sure that it is a great concern to the entire world as well. The house is here to firstly discuss the Rebuilding South Sedan's Economy, following its Recent Independence and Ongoing Conflict with Sudan.As a new nation, South Sudan is building some of TTS institutions from the very start, with core administrative structures and mechanisms of political representation beginning to emerge. The Government Is still struggling to provide basic services for the majority of the population. Since the country independence in July 201 1, high inflation has been affecting the economy, which remains relatively undeveloped. Secondly, the HIVE virus, most commonly known as AIDS. AS all of you are aware, Eliminating Stigma and Discrimination Agains t those Infected with HIVE/.They tend too suffers from a tremendous lack of lath care, which accelerates the population's death rate. The HEADWINDS is affecting 1. 1 million people in the country,therefore they are forced to leave their homes and are left In poverty. CLC. Due to Its history of so many civil wars, diseases and death rates are always increasing in The widespread destruction of homes and hospitals has left children without families and many people with sicknesses and injuries. Because of the country poverty, state health facilities offer no treatment for HIVE/AIDS other than voluntary tests and council.The HEADWINDS virus acts as a significant brake on the economic growth and development of the country, since the people affected are forced to leave their Jobs. For these reasons we urge all delegates of the house to vote In favor of our resolution. TLS delegate of Australia wishes to contribute and collaborate with other delegates to solve these very urgent issues. Than k you for your attention Topic 1: after decades of brutal civil war that left two and a half million dead, the devastated and vastly underdeveloped southern part of Sudan secured Its Independence In 011.The world's youngest country came into existence amid great challenges. Secession from Sudan marked a major milestone and opportunity for South Sudanese, but the nascent state has remained fragile. During its first years of independence, an oil standoff with neighboring Sudan, inter-communal violence, persistent rebellions by splinter militia groups, increasingly constrained political space, corruption, and limited economic opportunities troubled the young nation. Then, In 2013. Power struggle within the ruling political party mutated Into an armed conflict, first on the streets of the capital city, and then across the country. South Sedan's latest war has killed thousands and displaced almost one million people. Although a cessation of hostilities agreement has since been signed, it is not being enforced. As South Sudanese seek to move forward, they have to build stable inclusive national dialogue process, security sector reform, and real accountability measures are needed to address the root causes of South Sedan's violence.Otherwise, the continued violence raises the specter of further atrocity crimes, and ungenerous destabilize consequences for the region. Industry and infrastructure in landlocked South Sudan remain limited, imposing prohibitive costs on the procurement and delivery of relief items and other operational activities. Seasonal rains and annual flooding render large parts of the country inaccessible by road between June and November. Inter-ethnic conflicts continue in various parts of the country, causing internal and cross-border displacement. In Jingle, more than 132,000 were displaced by August 2013.The rate of refugee influxes from Sudan remains considerable, with almost 6,700 individuals registered between January and August 2013 in Unity and Upper Nile states. The South Sudanese authorities continue to provide protection and safety for over 234,000 refugees in the country and have allocated land for two new refugee camps in Unity and Upper Nile States. Following the creation of the Commission for Refugee Affairs in early 2013, the authorities established a regular presence in the refugee-hosting areas, ensuring effective coordination with humanitarian actors on the ground.In a newly independent nation, parts of the population remain at risk of coming stateless by virtue of being of mixed Sudanese-South Sudanese parentage, originating from border areas, or having resided in Sudan for an extended period of time. TOPIC 2 actors that contribute to Wealds-related stigma include: HIVE/AIDS is a life-threatening disease, and therefore people react to it in strong ways. HIVE infection is associated with behaviors (such as homosexuality, drug addiction, prostitution or promiscuity) that are already stigmatize in many societi es.Most people become infected with HIVE through sex, which often carries moral baggage. There is a lot of inaccurate information about how HIVE is transmitted, creating irrational behavior and misconceptions of personal risk. HIVE infection is often thought to be the result of personal irresponsibility. Religious or moral beliefs lead some people to believe that being infected with HIVE is the result of moral fault (such as promiscuity or ‘deviant sex') that deserves to be punished. The effects of intervocalic therapy on people's physical appearance can result in forced disclosure and discrimination based on appearance

William Rosecrans - General William Rosecrans - Civil War - Army of the Cumberland

William Rosecrans - General William Rosecrans - Civil War - Army of the Cumberland William Rosecrans - Early Life Career: William Starke Rosecrans was born at Little Taylor Run, OH on September 6, 1819. The son of Crandall Rosecrans and Jemima Hopkins, he received little formal education as a youngster and was forced to rely on what he could learn from books. Leaving home at age thirteen, he clerked at a store in Mansfield, OH before attempting to obtain an appointment to West Point from Representative Alexander Harper. Meeting with the congressman, his interview proved so impressive that he received the appointment that Harper had intended to give to his son. Entering West Point in 1838, Rosecrans proved a gifted student. Dubbed Old Rosy by his classmates, he excelled in the classroom and graduated ranked 5th in a class of 56. For this academic achievement, Rosecrans was assigned to the Corps of Engineers as a brevet second lieutenant. Marrying Anna Hegeman on August 24, 1843, Rosecrans received a posting to Fort Monroe, VA. After a year there, he requested and was granted a transfer back to West Point to teach engineering. With the outbreak of the Mexican-American War in 1846, he was retained at the academy while his classmates went south to fight. William Rosecrans - Leaving the Army: While the fighting raged, Rosecrans continued teaching before moving to Rhode Island and Massachusetts on engineering assignments. Later ordered to the Washington Navy Yard, Rosecrans began seeking civilian jobs to aid in supporting his growing family. In 1851, he sought a teaching post at the Virginia Military Institute, but turned down when the school hired Thomas J. Jackson. In 1854, after suffering from declining health, Rosecrans left the US Army and took a position with a mining company in western Virginia. A skillful businessman, he prospered and later formed an oil refining company in Cincinnati, OH. William Rosecrans - The Civil War Begins: Badly burned during an accident in 1859, Rosecrans required eighteen months to recover. His return to health coincided with the start of the Civil War in 1861. Offering his services to Ohio Governor William Dennison, Rosecrans was initially made an aide-de-camp to Major General George B. McClellan before being promoted to colonel and given command of the 23rd Ohio Infantry. Promoted to brigadier general on May 16, he won victories at Rich Mountain and Corricks Ford, though credit went to McClellan. When McClellan was ordered to Washington after the defeat at Bull Run, Rosecrans was given command in western Virginia. Eager to take action, Rosecrans lobbied for a winter campaign against Winchester, VA but was blocked by McClellan who promptly transferred away most of his troops. In March 1862, Major General John C. Frà ©mont replaced Rosecrans and he was ordered west to command two divisions in Major General John Popes Army of the Mississippi. Taking part in Major General Henry Hallecks Siege of Corinth in April and May, Rosecrans received command of the Army of the Mississippi in June when Pope was ordered east. Subordinate to Major General Ulysses S. Grant, Rosecrans argumentative personality clashed with his new commander. William Rosecrans - The Army of the Cumberland: On September 19, Rosecrans won the Battle of Iuka when he defeated Major General Stirling Price. The following month, he successfully defended Corinth though his men were hard-pressed for much of the battle. In the wake of the fighting, Rosecrans earned Grants ire when he failed to quickly pursue the beaten enemy. Hailed in the northern press, Rosecrans twin victories earned him command of XIV Corps which was soon renamed the Army of the Cumberland. Replacing Major General Don Carlos Buell who had recently checked the Confederates at Perryville, Rosecrans was promoted to major general. Re-equipping the army at Nashville, TN through November, Rosecrans came under fire from Halleck, now general-in-chief, for his inaction. Finally moving out in December, marched to attack General Braxton Braggs Army of Tennessee near Murfreesboro, TN. Opening the Battle of Stones River on December 31, both commanders intended to attack the others right flank. Moving first, Braggs assault drove back Rosecrans lines. Mounting a strong defense, the Union troops were able avert disaster. After both sides remained in place on January 1, 1863, Bragg again attacked the next day and sustained heavy losses. Unable to defeat Rosecrans, Bragg withdrew to Tullahoma, TN. Remaining at Murfreesboro for the next six months to reinforce and refit, Rosecrans again drew criticism from Washington for his inaction. After Halleck threatened to send some his troops to aid in Grants Siege of Vicksburg, the Army of the Cumberland finally moved out. Beginning on June 24, Rosecrans conducted the Tullahoma Campaign which saw him use a brilliant series of maneuvers to force Bragg out of central Tennessee in little more than a week while sustaining fewer than 600 casualties. William Rosecrans - Disaster at Chickamauga: Though a tremendous success, his accomplishment failed to garner major attention, much to his ire, due to the Union victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg. Pausing to assess his options, Rosecrans pressed on in late August. As before, he out-maneuvered Bragg and forced the Confederate commander to abandon Chattanooga. Union troops took the city on September 9. Abandoning the cautiousness that had been part of his earlier operations, Rosecrans pushed into northwest Georgia with his corps widely spread apart. When one was nearly beaten by Bragg at Daviss Cross Roads on September 11, Rosecrans ordered the army to concentrate near Chickamauga Creek. On September 19, Rosecrans met Braggs army near the creek and opened the Battle of Chickamauga. Recently reinforced by Lieutenant General James Longstreets corps from Virginia, Bragg began a series of attacks on the Union line. Holding through the day, Rosecrans army was driven from the field the next day after a poorly-worded order from his headquarters inadvertently opened a large gap in the Union line through which the Confederates attacked. Retreating to Chattanooga, Rosecrans attempted to organize a defense while Major General George H. Thomas delayed the Confederates. William Rosecrans - Removal from Command: Though he established a strong position at Chattanooga, Rosecrans was shattered by the defeat and his army was soon besieged by Bragg. Lacking the initiative to break out, Rosecrans position worsened. To remedy the situation, President Abraham Lincoln unified Union command in the West under Grant. Ordering reinforcements to Chattanooga, Grant arrived in the city and replaced Rosecrans with Thomas on October 19. Traveling north, Rosecrans received orders to command the Department of Missouri in January 1864. Overseeing operations, he defeated Prices Raid that fall. As a War Democrat, he was also briefly considered as a running mate for Lincoln in the 1864 election as the president was seeking a bi-partisan ticket. William Rosecrans - Later Life: Remaining in the US Army after the war, he resigned his commission on March 28, 1867. Briefly serving as US Ambassador to Mexico, he was quickly replaced with Grant became president. In the postwar years Rosecrans became involved in several railroad ventures and later was elected to Congress in 1881. Remaining in office until 1885, he continued to bicker with Grant over events during the war. Serving as Register of the Treasury (1885-1893) under President Grover Cleveland, Rosecrans died at his ranch in Redondo Beach, CA on March 11, 1898. In 1908, his remains were re-interred at Arlington National Cemetery. Selected Sources Civil War: William S. RosecransNational Park Service: William S. Rosecrans Ohio History: William S. Rosecrans

How to Study for SAT Subject Tests 5 Expert Tips

How to Study for SAT Subject Tests 5 Expert Tips SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you taking an SAT Subject Test soon and want to know how to be well prepared on exam day? You've come to the right place! In this guide, I explain everything you need to know about how to study for SAT Subject Tests, including which exam(s) you should take, the five most important steps for preparing for a Subject Test, and additional tips to help you maximize your score. This guide can be used to help you prepare for any and all of the 20 different Subject Tests offered, so let’s get started! Introduction to SAT Subject Tests Before we get into how to prepare for SAT Subject Tests, let’s go over some basic information on them. SAT Subject Tests are meant to measure your knowledge and skills in a specific area. This is in contrast to the ACT and regular SAT, both of which assess multiple subject areas.Some colleges require or recommend that you submit Subject Test scores when you apply to that school so they canget a better idea of your academic abilities. Each SAT Subject Test is an hour long, has 50-95 multiple-choice questions, and isscored on a scale of 200-800. SAT Subject Tests are offered several times a year, on all the same dates as the general SAT except for March. This means that SATSubject Tests are offered in the following months annually: May June August October November December However, not every Subject Test is available on every date. Check out our guide to learn the exact dates each Subject Test is offered.In most cases, you can take up to three Subject Tests in one day. Which SAT Subject Tests Should You Take? Before you can begin preparing for SAT Subject Tests, you need to decide which ones to take. The College Board offers 20 different SAT Subject Tests infive main areas. Here is the full list: English Literature History US History World History Languages Chinese with Listening French French with Listening German German with Listening Italian Japanese with Listening Korean with Listening Latin Modern Hebrew Spanish Spanish with Listening Mathematics Mathematics Level 1 Mathematics Level 2 Science Biology E/M Chemistry Physics The most important factor when deciding which Subject Test to take iswhat the colleges you’re thinking of applying to require or recommend. Some schools want you to take Subject Tests in the area you plan on majoring in, whereas others want one Subject Test score from Math/Science and another from Literature/History to show that you’re well rounded. In addition, some schools require or recommend only one Subject Test score, whereas others expect two or three. Be sure to research this information before you begin studying so you don’t end up preparing for and taking a Subject Test you didn’t actually need to take! The other factor to consider is which subject areas you are best in and/or enjoy the most.For example, if you did well in your chemistry class at school and need a science SAT Subject Test, you might want to consider the Chemistry Subject Test. Finally, it’s often easier to do well on Subject Tests that are closely related to classes you've already taken, especially AP classes. If you just took AP World History and studied a lot for the AP exam, you might not need to do much studying at all in order to prepare for the World History SAT Subject Test, especially if you take it in May right after your class ends. How to Study for SAT Subject Tests After you’ve figured out which SAT Subject Test you’ll be taking, follow these five steps in order to prepare for the exam. These steps cover everything you need to do from the time you begin studying up until test day. Step 1: Take an Initial Practice Test One of the first things you should do istakea full-length practice exam for the Subject Test you’re planning to take.Once finished, complete and score your practice exam to see how well you did. For more tips on how to find high-quality practice exams and how to take a practice test most effectively, check out the "How to Use Practice SAT Subject Tests Effectively" section below. Aim to get higher than the average score for that SAT Subject Testfor the most competitive school you’re applying to.You can sometimesfind average Subject Test scores on the admissions page of a school’s website. If you can’t find this information, though, consider contacting the school directly. You can also check outthe average score for each Subject Test. Ourguide shows you how well test takers do on each SAT Subject Test. But ifyou’re applying to a particularly competitive school, you’ll likely have to aim higher than just the average test score depicted on the chart. Try to aim for the top 25% of test takers, or even the top 5% if you’re applying totop-tier schools. Step 2: Decide How Much You Want to Study Once you have your practice test score, see how far it is from the goal score you’re aiming for. If your practice test score is pretty close to the score you’re hoping to get on the real Subject Test, you might only need to do light studying between now and the exam. If you have some ground to gain, you’ll likely want to do some more serious preparation. Keep reading to find out exactly what you'll need to do. Step 3: Gather the Materials You Need Now, it’s time to start gathering the materials you need to prepare for your SAT Subject Test.Study materials can include class notes as well as review books specifically focusing on the Subject Test you're taking.There are a lot of review books out there, but some of the most popular are those produced by Barron’s, Kaplan, and The Princeton Review. The College Board also offersofficial study books for some of the more popular Subject Tests, such as Math Level 1, Math Level 2, US History, and World History. However, these books are mostly just practice exams and explanations of answers as opposed to thorough content reviews. Visit the College Board's online store for a full list of SAT Subject Test study guides(or scroll down to the next section!). Alternatively, you might want to buyThe Official Study Guide for All SAT Subject Tests, which (as you probably guessed) providesan overview of the Subject Tests, quality practice questions, and one full-length practice test per exam.At present, the book sells for around $10 on Amazon. Finally, we at PrepScholar have created specific study guides to help you prepare for the Biology, Chemistry, Literature, Physics, US History, and World HistorySAT Subject Tests. Step 4: Create a Study Plan Developing a prep plan is important because it helps you commit to study times and track your progress.Try to set aside the same time to study each week, such as 2-4 pm on Sundays or 5-6:30 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.This will make it easier to remember when to study and allow you to plan other activities around your prep sessions. You should also set weekly or monthly goals you hope to accomplish. This will help track your progress and ensure you’re where you need to be. Example goals include things such as "I want to understand properties of functions by the end of the week," or "I want to raise my score 20 points by the end of the month." Be sure to also schedule time to take practice tests and track your progress. Ideally, you’ll take at least two practice tests before the real deal, with one at the beginning of your studying and one at the end. If you’re studying a lot or over a long period of time, you might want to schedule one or more additional practice tests during the middle of your studying. Step 5: Start Studying! Now, it’s time to get down to business and begin studying! When you’re reviewing material, your best bet is usually to use your prep book as your main resource,and use your class notes for any topics you want more in-depth information on. Trying to review all your class notes for a subject can be very time consuming and possibly not that helpful if your class didn’t focus on the same topics the Subject Test focuses on. Prep books, on the other hand, are specifically designed to focus exactly on what the Subject Test covers.Below, we give you more information about how to use practice tests as well asfinal tips for studying for SAT Subject Tests. How to Use Practice SAT Subject Tests Effectively Practice tests are one of the most important tools in helping you reach your SAT Subject Test score goals, so you want to use them wisely. These three guidelines will help you do just this. Stick With High-Quality Tests Your practice test results are only as good as the quality of the practice test itself.If your practice test isn’t very similar to the real Subject Test, you won’t be getting an accurate idea of how well you’re scoring or what skills you should improve. Practice tests from the College Board are the best sources to use since you can be sure they’ll give you a good idea of the real exam. As I mentioned above, the College Board'sThe Official Study Guide for All SAT Subject Testsincludes one previously administered exam for each of the 20 Subject Tests. So if you’re planning to take multiple Subject Tests, this is a great resource to use. There are also official prep books for the seven following SAT Subject Tests: Math Level 1 Math Level 2 US History World History Chemistry Biology Physics Unofficial practice books that are still high quality include those produced by Barron’s, Kaplan, and The Princeton Review. There are other resources out there, too, so it can help to go to a bookstore and flip through a few books or read online reviews to decide which resource is best for you. Take the Test Under Real Test Conditions In order to get the most accurate idea of where you're currently scoring on your SAT Subject Test, you need to make sure your practice test conditions are as realistic as possible.This means taking the test in one sitting, timed (each Subject Test is an hour), and with no distractions. Track Your Progress Tracking your practice test scores over time is one of the best ways to see whether and where you’ve made improvements. Almost every practice test has instructions on how to calculate your score, but if you get confused, you can alwayscheck out our guide for a review.Unlike the general SAT, for SAT Subject Testsyou lose a fraction of a point for each question you answer incorrectly, so too many random guesses could very well bring down your score. Here's how scoring works for Subject Tests(all the Subject Tests except the foreign language tests have five answer choices. Foreign languages tests have four answer choices): You get 1 point for each correct answer. A fraction of a point is subtracted for wrong answers: 1/4 point is subtracted for five-choice questions. 1/3 point is subtracted for four-choice questions. 1/2 point is subtracted for three-choice questions. No points are deducted for questions left blank. If yourfinal score is a fraction, it's rounded to the nearest whole number - 1/2 or more is rounded up; less than 1/2 is rounded down. If you aren’t improving as much as you want to, try using different prep resources or changing up the way you study. It might be helpful to focus more on taking practice tests, study at a different time or day, or use other study methods such as flashcards. 3 Tips for Getting Your Best SAT Subject Test Score Now that we've thoroughly covered the basics of how to study for SAT Subject Tests, here are three advanced tips to helpyou get your best score. Know Your Learning Style There is no one-size-fits-all study plan, and the best way to see the results you want is to use your learning style to your advantage.Maybe you’re a visual learner and need to see diagrams, charts, and images for the information you’re learning to sink in. Or perhaps you’re an auditory learner and learn best with audiobooks or podcasts. You might already know what your learning style is, but, if not, try out different methods of studying and see which work best. You can also alter the day of the week, time of day, and length of time you study to see if that makes any difference. Don't Passively Study It might be easiest to let your eyes drift over the pages you’re studying, but this rarely gets you the results you want.Try to make your studying as active as possible. This might mean drawing diagrams, making flashcards, having a friend quiz you, or even just pausing every few minutes to review what you’ve read and ensure you’re actually retaining the information. The less passive your studying is, the more likely you are to see significant improvements. Zero In on the Areas and Skills You Need to Improve When preparing for an SAT Subject Test, make sure you’re spending most of your time on the areas and skills you need to improve the most. If you’re studying for the World History Subject Test and are solid on European history but struggle with Asian history, don’t spend an equal amount of time reviewing Europe and Asia. Instead, you’ll want to spend more time focusing on important Asian events, periods, and people, and only come back to Europe for a quick, occasional review to make sure you still remember everything. By spending the majority of your time on the areas where you have the most room to improve, you’ll likely see score improvements more quickly. Summary: How to Study for SAT Subject Tests If you want to get top scores, you have to understand how to prepare for SAT Subject Tests.Follow these five steps in order to be well prepared for any Subject Test: Take an initial practice test Decide how much you need to study Gather the materials you need Create a study plan Start studying! Additionally, remember to use your practice tests effectively, practice active studying, and focus most of your time on the areas you need to make the biggest improvements in. What's Next? Wondering how to register for an SAT Subject Test? Our step-by-step guide walks you through everything you need to know to get started. Which is more important: AP tests or SAT Subject Tests? Learn how the two tests compareand which examsyou should spend more time preparing for. Not sure whether to take the Math Level 1 or Math Level 2 Subject Test? Our guide explains the differences between the two exams and helps you decide which one to take. Need a little extra help prepping for your Subject Tests? We have the industry's leading SAT Subject Test prep programs (for all non-language Subject Tests). Built by Harvard grads and SAT Subject Test full or 99th %ile scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so that you get the most effective prep possible. Learn more about our Subject Test products below: