Comparison and Contrast of ANCC and AANP Certification Process and Research Paper

Comparison and Contrast of ANCC and AANP Certification Process and Board Certification Examination - Research Paper Example The present study focuses on a comparison and contrast of these two certification and board examinations. ANCC and AANP: Comparison and Contrast: The nursing practitioners are allowed to take both the examination. However, it is a choice of the candidate to take either one of the exams or both (Difference Between AANP and ANCC, 2012). The ANCC is credentialing body of the American Nurses Association (ANA).The exams for credential presently being offered to nurse practitioners are for the following fields: adult, family, paediatric, gerontology, acute care, adult or family psychiatric and mental health, and advanced diabetes management. The AANP is a branch of learning organization that caters to only nurse practitioners. It is at present contributing in three specialty exams: adult, family, and geriatric nurse practitioner (Leik, 2008, p.1). The American Nurses Credentialing Center is the biggest and most esteemed nurse credentialing organization in the world (ANCC Certification Cent er, 2012). In general, the ANCC revises their examinations for the nurse practitioner in every 2 to 3 years. The questions in the exam are mostly suggested from most important textbooks, national expert panel guidelines, papers, and official governmental reports and statistics. The suggestion sources for AANP exams are not recognized in public. The substance of their examinations is supported on the results of a responsibility description learning that was carried out by both the AANP and the Professional Examination Service. The examinations for both the certifications are now computer based thus being online conducted within a particular time frame. However, the number of questions varies for the two tests. For ANCC examination, the total number of questions is 175, while for AANP, 150 questions are in total for the test. Both the certifications are in the same way acknowledged as national specialty organizations, and credentials granted by them are acceptable to governmental bodi es such as Medicare, local state agencies such as the state boards of nursing (BON), and private corporations (Leik, 2008, pp.2-3). The AANP examinations have been organized and developed by AANP itself and the Professional Examination Service (PES).  On the other hand, it is the ANCC that organizes the ANCC certification examination. The range of programs covered by AANP is lesser in comparison to ANCC. ANCC provides further diverse range of programs including the Acute Care, Adult, Adult Psychiatric & Mental Health, Diabetes Management, Family, Family Psych & Mental Health, Gerontological, Paediatric, School, Ambulatory Care, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Cardiac Vascular, College Health, Community Health, High-Risk Prenatal, Informatics, Maternal-Child, and Medical-Surgical Nursing among others (Difference Between AANP and ANCC, 2012). To study and analyse accurately, there are not many differences in the two examinations except the wide range of subjects covered under the ANCC certi fication. As far as the examinations are concerned, taking any one of the examinations would provide the nursing practitioner with the opportunity to serve in their choice of fields in nursing. However, in order to qualify for the certification examination both the tests require that the nursing candidates hold an active current licence of Registered Nurses (RN) within a state or territory of

Linked in Case Essay Example for Free

Linked in Case Essay When attempting to determine the valuation of LinkedIn it helps to understand some of the issues involved. The most accurate way to value a stock’s price is using discounted cash flows. The problem with this approach is that it is nearly impossible to predict with any accuracy what the long-term cash flows are for a given company; especially a company that is young or that might be using an innovative and new business model. Additionally, knowing what long-term cash flows look like requires knowledge of the long-term growth rate, operating margin, weighted average cost of capital, discount rate and reinvestment rate. This makes using discounted cash flows especially difficult young companies. The discounted cash flow, in Exhibit #1 below, shows an imputed value of $109 per share versus the current market price of $246 per share. This calculation is based on an industry average weighted average cost of capital of 10% and a discount rate of 4%. However the key point is that the model assumes that revenues will grow from $972M in 2012 to $4,029M in 2018 or 415%. The fact that the market price is higher than $109 per share indicates that investors believe that the potential for revenue growth is even higher than 415%. Another potential valuation issue relates to LinkedIn’s revenue recognition method. LinkedIn recognizes its Hiring Solutions Revenue from job postings when the posting is displayed or over the contract period, whichever is shorter. This may cause revenues to be overstated in the current year if a contract runs into the next fiscal year. The overstated revenues would be extrapolated and multiplied into the future causing investors to over value the stock. In 2010 Hiring Solutions Revenue accounted for 42% of total revenues. There are many factors that can cause investors to increase or decrease their valuation of a company. One important characteristic that impacts a company’s valuation is competitive advantage. LinkedIn is believed to have high barriers to entry as it takes time for members to build their network which makes members reluctant to start over with a competing product. This creates a low membership turnover environment for LinkedIn. These two characteristics often cause investors to forecast steeper revenue growth rates and thereby assign a higher value to a stock. Another important characteristic that impacts a company’s valuation is gross margin. Companies like LinkedIn that have a high gross margin generate more  cash which causes a higher stock valuation using a discounted cash flow analysis. All things being equal, gross margin percentage should have a direct impact on the price to revenue multiple. As we can see from LinkedIn’s financial statements its gross margin increased from 75% in 2008 to 87% in 2012. EBITDA as a percentage of revenues has a similar effect on the discounted cash flow stock valuation. An increasing EBITDA to revenue ratio over time will cause a larger stock valuation. As we can see from LinkedIn’s financial statements its EBITDA to revenues ration increased from 8.9% in 2008 to 14% in 2012. The rate of growth in sales units is also an important characteristic considered during valuation. Obviously, the faster you are growing, the larger, and larger future revenues and cash flows will be, which has direct implications for a DCF. High growth also implies that a company has tapped into a powerful new market opportunity, where customer demand is seemingly insatiable. This is especially true when the company being valued has a very large customer base. A large customer base makes a company less dependent on any one customer for its revenue. The business model of LinkedIn is based on the revenues per user. Therefore the number of active people on this social network is the crucial factor in the company valuation. Still, the number of new members LinkedIn is adding each year is slowing. Membership increased 36 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier, down from 39 percent in prior period and 43 percent in the third quarter. LinkedIn is compensating for the trend by adding mobile and web services to keep users on the site for longer. The disposable income of a company’s customers can also impact its valuation. LinkedIn is sometimes described as Facebook for professionals. One important difference between Facebook and LinkedIn relates the disposable income of its members. Generally, professionals are easier to make money off of than consumers, so LinkedIn will presumably be able to make more money per user than Facebook. LinkedIn is still primarily a U.S. company, so it can presumably expand to Europe, Asia, Latin America, and other regions. However, the revenue per member is still much higher for U.S. members than members outside of the U.S. Competitors and market share also impact valuation. LinkedIns Talent Solutions group continues to win share from Monster.com. Sales increased  90% to $161 million last quarter while sales at Monster fell 10% to $211 million. LinkedIn shows signs of becoming the preferred recruiting tool. Increasingly, users are willing to pay for greater access as indicated by last quarter’s 79% increase in membership revenue which was $59 million. Also, the global expansion has pushed membership over 200 million users, up from 100 million in March 2011. After discussing the various issues and factors effecting the valuation of LinkedIn there are many reasons that I would not buy the stock. I believe that the current market price of $246 per share, which reflects speculated growth rate over 500%, is way too optimistic. Even at the $109 price reflect in the Exhibit #1 discounted cash flow the growth rate would have need to be over 400% which I feel is still too high. LinkedIn acknowledges they have a short operating history in a new and unproven market, which makes it difficult to evaluate future prospects and may increase the risk that it will not be successful. Linked in also acknowledges that even if it can achieve a 400% growth rate that it could still fail in its ability to build the infrastructure to reliably and securely meet this demand. I also do not like the risk of investing in a company like LinkedIn where management holds a controlling interest so that the minority shareholder cannot influence management. LinkedIn also has no plans to pay dividends so investors have no possibility to get any return on investment without selling their stock. Lastly, while LinkedIn is a market leader in professional networking it does have some large competitors including Viadeo, XING, Monster and even Facebook. Some investors worry that if Facebook decided to pursue the professional networking market that it would easily overcome LinkedIn. For these reasons I feel that LinkedIn represents a very high risk investment and many current investors are likely to lose money.

Culture as Social Legacy in Mirror for Man :: Mirror for Man Essays

In Clyde Kluckhohn's Mirror for Man, he explains the differences and similarities among the world's peoples by stating two important ideas: 1) People are similar because they have the same biological equipment and undergo similar life experiences "such as birth, helplessness, illness, old age, and death," but, 2) people are culturally different because of the way they were brought up and they may live in a different environment created by human beings, and acquire a distinct social legacy from their own people. Kluckhohn suggests that where a person lives is one of the factors that determines one's culture. In China, people have a strong dislike for milk and milk products. In the United States, a person drinks milk from the time of birth because American society has made a pattern for its people; Americans make milk a integral part of their meals because they are told it's the only way to remain healthy and develop strong bones and to avoid disease such as osteoporosis, a disease brought on by the lack of calcium (which is found in milk). Therefore, the Chinese may not understand why Americans drink milk so often, and Americans may wonder why the Chinese do not know the health benefits of milk. Kluckhohn implies that there are cultural misunderstandings between different sets of people because they are not aware that "each specific culture constitutes a kind of blueprint of all life's activities." I do support Kluckhohn's theory that culture is determined by a person's environment and their "design for living." I have been raised in Los Angeles and I have friends of varying ethnic backgrounds, languages, birth places, and cultures. My best friend came from Korea nine years ago and has assimilated to the ways of American behavior. Yet, I do not understand why Sandy remains stoic when she has a serious problem or why her parents never display public affection to her or to themselves. I asked my mother if Sandy's behavior was strange and she replied "no" because she said Sandy is from Korea where she was brought up in a different environment, where her culture taught her ethical and moral values that differ from values taught in the United States. I came to realize that although Sandy will remain in the United States for the rest of her life, she may never "give up" her Korean values or her Korean upbringing.

Dansk Minox Case Study Essay

Introduction My name is Kevin Chen and I am a senior consultant of the Boston Consulting firm. Per the request of the A/S Dansk Minox, a food products manufacturer, I am preparing this analysis to identify the existing problems within the business of A/S Dansk Minox and provide possible recommendations. As a consultant, I will present the analysis without bias and for the best benefits of A/S Dansk Minox. In the following analysis, I am going to answer the following question: Should A/S Dansk Minox bring the new product, complete meal, to the market?Company backgroundThis case is set in Denmark in 1967 when the â€Å"boom† in consumer food products was just beginning more working mothers, more disposable income, more choices in convenience food products. A/S Dansk Minox, a company in Denmark, specializes in manufacturing a variety of vacuum-packed meat and other products. DM has about 30 products and has a great position and brand in the market. A/S Dansk Minox provides the vacuum packed products and consumers combine the vacuum packed packages along with the homemade salad for their meal. Through consumer research, A/S Dansk Minox recently identifies that there is a huge market potential for vacuum packed complete meals. The meal contains a standard â€Å"sliced pork in gravy†, the product that A/S Dansk Minox is making, with 550 grams of red cabbage salad. Vacuum PackingVacuum Packing is a storage method that preserves variety of food. For example, pork, beef or vegetables. If properly refrigerated or frozen, vacuum packaging works well in keeping the food fresh for longer periods. The plastic bags are usually used to vacuum packaged. The air is removed creating a vacuum in the bag and the food is left in the bag. In order to maintain vacuum, the bag is sealed. By the researches from Fante’s Kitchen Wares Shop, there are a lot of benefits for vacuum packing:1. Longer storage life of foods. According to researches, foods maintain their freshness and flavor 3-5 times longer than with conventional storage methods, because they don’t come in contact with oxygen. Due to the elimination of air to absorb the moisture from the food, vacuum packing prevents dry out of moist foods,Because bacteria mold and yeast cannot grow in a environment without oxygen, foods maintain their original appearance. Insect infestation is eliminated because there’s no oxygen coming in the bag. The production process of vacuum-packed products can be illustrated by the flow chart 1) attached in appendix. Business environment:The current business environment that A/S Dansk Minox operates in can be analyzed as follows. Threat of New Entrants and Barriers to EntryAs the customer research done by A/S Dansk Minox revealed, there is still market opportunity for the vacuum packed products. In order to produce vacuum packed products, for example pork, vegetables, it is necessary for companies to purchase the production equipments for the procedure of vacuum packing, meat cutting, sorting and packaging. It is crucial to purchase the machines that reduce production time and cost, increase efficiency. Therefore, in order to enter into this market, the initial capital investment in purchasing equipment could be substantial and it creates barriers to entry. However, the equipments are relatively easy to operate, so the training cost and time to the workers could be minimal. Moreover, the food product manufacturing industry is not technology intensive and the equipment could be purchased in many distributors, this factor in turn makes the new entry easier. Also, once the initial machines purchased, it is relatively easy to introduce new product lines. Intensity of Rivalry Among CompetitorsThere are a number of vacuum-packed cooked products manufacturers also in the business. Certain competitors of A/S Dansk Minox are expanding aggressively and had already introduce the red  cabbage salad in vaccum-packed, canned or frozen form. There is low differentiation among competitors and price is the key factor in this particular industry. Due to the high initial investment, the potential exit barriers could be high in this diverse competitive industry. Product SubstitutesFor this particular product of vacuum-packed red cabbage salad, the Danish housewives very often make it on their own. Therefore, the family could choose make the salad or buy it from A/S Dansk Minox. The switching costs are fairly low and the family could have a choice of buying the products from other manufacturers if the price and quality match their standard. In term of food storing methods, the red cabbage salad could be in the canned or frozen form as well. They are the substitutes depend on the family’s preference and evaluation of price and quality. SuppliersThe suppliers of A/S Dansk Minox are the vendors that provide raw material of pork, cabbage and other possible material for the process of packaging. Since pork and cabbage are consumption goods, the price is affected by the demand and supply of the material. Luckily for A/S Dansk Minox, the suppliers will not have huge bargaining power since the material of pork and cabbage is wildly available in the market and the supply chain is considered to be relatively stable. BuyersSince the pork and salad are very popular food in Denmark, so the potential buyers of the product could be anyone in the country. Since people now have more disposable income to spend on food products, also the vacuum-packed products like pork and cabbage are wildly considered as more convenient products,More specifically, the women in the work force, working mothers, represent the increasing portion of the buyers. Since this salad is quite time-consuming to prepare at home, the working mother prefer to purchase pre-prepared vacuum-packed products. The complete meal products are the perfect products for them. Company Strategy:The strategy of the A/S Dansk Minox is Cost leader. A/S  Dansk Minox is operating in a large market and the potential customers could be any family in the country. The demand of vacuum packed product by is highly elastic, which means the demand of the products are highly influenced by the price. In order to maintain a competitive price and compete with the competitors, A/S Dansk Minox produces the products massively. Strength:Biggest strength of the organization is the brand loyalty that already exists. Having 30 products in the market, A/S Dansk Minox is wildly recognized by the consumers and is a trusted name. Once the new products introduced, it could enjoy the benefits of being a line of the company. Opportunity:By conducting a consumer research, A/S Dansk Minox recently identifies that there is a huge opportunity for vacuum packed complete meals, even the competitors already introduce the ready-made red cabbage salad to the market. The opportunity came from the facts that the disposable income of people increases, resulting in more spending on food products. More and more people prefer convenient food to making it by themselves. In addition, the ready-made combo of â€Å"complete meal† is especially to working mothers, who want to reduce their time on the time-consuming salad dish. The percentage of working mother in the work force is expecting to increase in the future, reflecting the great opportunity of introducing the new complete set product. The major problem that A/S Dansk Minox facing now is: Should A/S Dansk Minox bring the new product, complete meal, to the market? If yes, then how much the unit price should be?The price is uncertain due to the cost allocation problem raise by the new product, leading to long discussions between the marketing and finance departments. Company identifies the cost driver as ‘per kilogram’ of material and the new product price at D.Cr 8.20 is proposed by finance department. Marketing department suggests that the cost driver ignores the price of cabbage is way cheaper than pork, however allocating a similar overhead cost. Hence they proposed a price of D.Cr 6.85 for the combo pack. In order to find the solution for the problem above, I will examine the  following three alternatives:Summary of alternativesABCStatus Quo: Not introduce the â€Å"complete meal product†; abandon the new projectIntroduce the â€Å"complete meal product† at a consumer price of D.Cr. 6.85Introduce the â€Å"complete meal product† at a consumer price of D.Cr. 8.20Alternative A: Status QuoAlternative A is to abandon the new project of New Pack – not to introduce the â€Å"complete meal product†. As the new product will not be introduced, it will generate no additional profit to the company, i.e. the profit in 1966 will be the net profit without the introduction of the new product. Consequently, the pricing arguments between the marketing and finance departments of the Danish company will no longer exist. In addition, since the new product is not introduced into the market, the customers of the standard pack will stay with the products. Accordingly, th e sales of the old product will continue to rise in response to the increase in the market demand. Alternative A: Not introduce the â€Å"complete meal product† New PackSales:0Total variable costs0Allocated fixed costs0Profit0Alternative B: Introduce at a consumer price of D.Cr. 6.85Since there was spare capacity available for the production of the new â€Å"complete meal† product, the total amount of the fixed costs will not change due to the proposed production of the new product. Also because these fixed expenses are costs that have already been incurred and that cannot be recovered, they are considered as sunk costs. In business decision-making such as the decision to add or drop a product or service, only incremental costs (variable costs) are relevant to a decision. Therefore, the full costing method (the standard cost accounting) – the attempt to allocate the company’s fixed costs to the different products produced during a certain period of time, is not appropriate for this type of management decision making. The proper approach to support decision making to improve a company’s profitability is a contribution analysis:Revenue – Variable Costs = Contribution Margin per unit(Contribution Margin per unit x total units produced) – Total Fixed Costs = Incremental Profit/LossAs a result, the company’s profit in 1966 will be increased by $99,450 (See Table 1 for detail) if the new product is introduced at a consumer price of D.Cr. 6.85. Compared to Alternative A, A/S Dansk Minox is better off by the increase of $99,450 in profit. In the event that the company is not capable to produce 85 tons of new products, the profit increased above will not be achieved. From the table shown below, in order to achieve the profit by selling 30 tons new products at D. Cr 8.20, we need to at least sell 52 tons of new product at D. Cr 6.85. Contribution Margin for a consumer price of D.Cr. 6.85 x Minimum sales volume= incremental profit for introducing the product at a consumer price of D.Cr. 8.201.17X = 60,900 *X = 52,051* see alternative C for detailLong term decisionHowever, the contribution analysis is primarily useful for short-term decision-making. For the long-term purpose, the company still needs the full costing analysis to calculate the profit of each product. Within company’s capacity, the production Fixed Expense for the new â€Å"complete meal† will be the same as existing products as D.Cr. 0.54 per kilo. All other overhead will be the same as the existing product as well. In the event of exceed capacity, need to allocate additional Production Fixed Expenses. in order to get the correct number of profitability, A/S Dansk Minox needs to find an appropriate cost driver to allocate the production fixed expenses. As indicated by the marketing department, the total sales quantity (expressed in kilograms) may not be a proper way to allocate the fixed costs. A/S Dansk Minox could consider using the selling price of product as the allocation basis, since the consumer price is more relevant to the fixed overhead and better matching expense with profit. Therefore, from the following table, we proportional apply the Production Fixed Expense:new packStd.Pack6.854.85X0.54X=0.76Therefore, in the long run, 0.76 production fixed expense should be allocated to 1 Kg of â€Å"complete meal†. Please note that we assume selling price at D.Cr. 6.85. In the case of retail selling price as D.Cr. 6.85 and with an allocation of D.Cr. 1.20 for production fixed expenses, the total unit cost will be D.Cr. 5.22. Alternative C: Introduce at a consumer price of D.Cr. 8.20In spite of the marketing department’s arguments, company could decide to set the price at D.Cr. 8.20 so that the full fixed expense could be covered. In this case, the uncertainty of allocating fixed overhead is eliminated and the company ensure that the new product is making profit. However, the selling price is too high for the customer in turn decreases the competitiveness of the product. Therefore, the product could be sold at a lower volume than it is budgeted. In the following, we reasonably assume that the sales volume drop to 30 tons when the price is at D.Cr. 8.20. Please see table 2 at appendix for detail. The profit in 1966 will be increased by $60,900. Compared to Alternative A, A/S Dansk Minox is better off by the increase of $60,900 in profit. ConclusionsIn order to better evaluate and compare all the qualitative and quantitative alternatives we analyzed above, we need to take into consideration of certain key decision-making criteria:1.Improve profitability (measured by contribution analysis, short-term decision making)Increase profitability and improve shareholder equity is the primary goal of a company. By improving profit, the company’s cash flow is possibly increased, so that company’s ability of meeting liability is enhanced. In the event of possible investing opportunity arises, the company will be financially flexible enough to take it. 2.Consistent with the corporate strategyThe alternative we take should be consistent with the strategy of the company, so that the action will be towards the company goal and will be sustainable. 3.Lost of customers by the Standard PackTo better evaluate the alternatives, some important qualitative factors should be considered, potential lost of customer by standard pack resulting from the introduction of the new product is one of them. 4.Within capabilityAre the alternatives attainable? Or they are out of the capacity of the company and will not be able to achieve?The following table shows how we compare the different alternatives by applying these criteria:ABCStatus Quo: Not introduce the â€Å"complete meal product†; abandon  the new projectIntroduce the â€Å"complete meal product† at a consumer price of D.Cr. 6.85Introduce the â€Å"complete meal product† at a consumer price of D.Cr. 8.20Improve profitability using contribution analysis (short-term decision making) NoAssuming 85 tons of new products are sold at price of D.Cr 6.85, so the profibility will be improved by D.Cr. 99,450Assuming 30 tons of new products are sold at price of D.Cr 8.20, so the profibility will be improved by D.Cr. 60,900. Consistent with strategyN/AThe company’s strategy is cost leader, the price of D.Cr.6.85 is consistent with the company’s strategy and increase the competitiveness of the company.The company’s strategy is cost leader. the price of D.Cr.8.20 might be too high for certain customer, resulting in losing the competitiveness of the company. Lost of customers by the Standard PackNoIt is confirmed that there is still a great untapped potential for the new product so the customer will continue to buy both new and old products. Sales of standard pack will not be affected.Since there is still a great untapped potential for the new product so the customer will continue to buy both new and old products. Sales of standard pack will not be affected. Within capabilityN/AThere are spare capacity available for the company and the production will not exceed at this moment. If the new product keep increasing in the future, there is possibility of exceeding budgeted capacityThere are spare capacity available for the company and the production will not increase too much due to the high selling priceIn conclusion, by comparing the alternatives against the key decision-making criteria, alternative B, which introduces the â€Å"complete meal product† at a consumer price of D.Cr. 6.85 is the best option for A/S Dansk Minox. Since the main goal for A/S Dansk Minox is generating higher cash flow, improving profitability should be the primary criteria that we should consider in decision making. Alternative C improves profibility by D.Cr. 99,450, which is D.Cr 38,550 higher than alternative B and D.Cr 99,450 higher than alternative A. Moreover, alternative B is consistent with the company strategy. From the content that we demonstrated previously, the business strategy of the company is cost leader. A/S Dansk Minox produces the products massively in order to keep a low selling price and match with the competitors. Therefore, introducing the new product price at D.Cr. 6.85 does a better job in fitting in company’s strategy than the other alternatives. In addition, alternative B will not have huge impact to the existing products and it works within the capability of the company, comparing to other options. Recommendations A/S Dansk Minox is facing an exciting opportunity of introducing a new product line that could possibly increase the profit hugely. We highly recommend the company introduce the new â€Å"complete meal† at price of D.Cr. 6.85, also taking the following steps:1.Introduce the â€Å"complete meal† to the whole company and the public as soon as possible in order to let more people know about the new product. 2.Inform the production department and add the new product into production plan. Evaluate the difficulty of implementing the new product line. 3.Inform the marketing department. Ask for possible promotion theme and plan that could make the biggest sales impact. 4.Call retailers at each level of selling channel regarding the introduction of the new product. 5.after few months, conduct customer research in order to evaluate the success of the new product or possible commandsNot only alternative C is a solution that relatively easy to be implemented, it is also expected to generate highest cash flow to meet the company’s operating goal. By setting the price of new product at as low as D.Cr. 6.85, the demand of the product remains high and the company strategy of cost leader will be maintained. Introducing the new â€Å"complete meal† increase the competitiveness to utilize  the company’s strength and help company to survive in this highly competitive market. Appendices:Flow chart 1)Table 1Alternative B: introduce the â€Å"complete meal product† at a consumer price of D.Cr. 6.85New PackConsumer Price6.85Turnover Tax(0.76)Consumer Price Before Tax6.09Retailer’s Margin (1.31)Price to Retailer4.78Variable Costs:Material: Pork 1.67Labor: Pork 0.25Material: Cabbage 0.5Labor: Cabbage 0.25Packaging 0.26Transportation, Storage0.2Margins and Discounts to Wholesalers 0.38Sundry Variable Costs 0.1Total Variable Costs(3.61)Contribution Margin1.17Sales volume @ 85 tons 1x 85,000 kgIncremental Profit99,4501 Assume the actual sales volume of the â€Å"complete meal product† is the same as the sales budget when the â€Å"complete meal product† is introduced at a consumer price of D.Cr. 6.85. Table 2Alternative C: introduce the â€Å"complete meal product† at a consumer price of D.Cr. 8.20New PackConsumer Price8.20Turnover Tax(0.91)Consumer Price Before Tax7.29Retailer’s Margin (1.57)Price to Retailer5.72Variable Costs:Material: Pork 1.67Labor: Pork 0.25Material: Cabbage 0.5Labor: Cabbage 0.25Packaging 0.26Transportation, Storage0.2Margins and Discounts to Wholesalers 0.46Sundry Variable Costs 0.1Total Variable Costs(3.69)Contribution Margin2.03Sales volume @ 30 tons 1x 30,000 kgIncremental Profit60,9001 The actual sales volume of the â€Å"complete meal product† is 30 tons when the â€Å"complete meal product† is introduced at a consumer price of D.Cr. 8.20bibliographiesA/S Dansk Minox Gordon Shillinglaw, Columbia University ISBN 0-538-88967-5 to Accounting

Reservation Policy and Indian Constitution Essay

I. Introduction The spirit of equality pervades the provisions of the Constitution of India, as the main aim of the founders of the Constitution was to create an egalitarian society wherein social, economic and political justice prevailed and equality of status and opportunity are made available to all. However, owing to historical and traditional reasons, certain classes of Indian citizens are under severe social and economic disabilities so that they cannot effectively enjoy either equality of status or of opportunity. Therefore the Constitution accords to these weaker sections of society protective discrimination in various articles, including Article 15(4). This clause empowers the state, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in  Articles 15(1) and 29(2), to make special reservation for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Cast based reservation system in India An ordinary form of long-ago discrimination, inside humankind in India is the carry out of untouchability. Scheduled Castes (SCs) are the main targets of this medieval put into practice a practice which is banned by the Constitution of India (Basu, Durga Das (2008) an untouched human being is measured, contaminated or a lesser human. Though during the Vedic period a person’s ‘Varna’ (not ‘caste’) was clear by his/ her socio-economic duties these duties were either of your own accord performed or were assigned by the local superintendent , and ‘varna’ was originally not clear by one’s birth into any exacting family. Nevertheless, over the years Caste has been defined by one’s birth. The Government in recognition to the peripheral status of the marginalized social communities has consistently promulgated various legislations and statutes, which are influenced by two main considerations, namely: a. to overcome the multiple deprivations of the marginalized social groups inherited from exclusion in the past, and to the extent possible bring them at par with the others; and b. to provide protection against exclusion and discrimination in the present by encouraging their effective participation in the general economic, social and political processes of the country. Towards these ends, the Government of India had utilized two-fold strategies, which include: i) anti-discriminatory and protective measures; ii) development and empowering measures. The extension of the reservation policy in India to the marginalized social groups is primarily drawn from such considerations and is only applicable to the public domain. As such, the vast private sector, which comprises of a sizable section of the marginalized social groups, remains outside the purview of the reservation policy. Reservation in India is a form of affirmative action designed to improve the well-being of perceived backward and under-represented communities defined primarily by their ‘caste’ (quota-system based on ‘gender’ or ‘religion’) is a phenomenon that commenced with the coming into force of the Indian Constitution (the Constitution initially provided reservation to Christians, with the proviso that it would automatically reduce gradually with the efflux of time) – however, lately preferential treatment on regional basis has either been non-statutorily introduced in the educational institutes (e.g. eligibility conditions for candidates from outside the State are 5% higher than that for the ‘locals’, as per local rules prescribed by certain Universities) or is being advocated in both jobs and lowly professions like auto-rickshaw-drivers). The most important stated aim of the Indian reservation system is to boost the opportunities for improved social and instructive position of the underprivileged communities and, thus, allow them to take their equitable place in the conventional of Indian society. The reservation scheme exists to provide opportunities for the members of the SCs and STs to increase their representation in the State Legislatures, the executive appendage of the Union and States, the labor force, schools, colleges, and other ‘public’ institutions. (Financial Support†, 0ct 2011). The Constitution of India states in Article 15(4): â€Å"All citizens shall have equal opportunities of receiving education. Nothing herein contained shall preclude the State from providing special facilities for educationally backward sections (not â€Å"communities†) of the population.† [Emphasis and parentheses added. It also states that â€Å"The State shall promote with special care the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of society (in particular, of the scheduled castes and aboriginal tribes), and shall protect them from social †injustice† and all forms of exploitation.† The Article further states that nothing in Article 15(4) will prevent the nation from helping SCs and STs for their betterment [‘betterment’ up to the level enjoyed by the average member of other communities. ( Laskar, Mehbubul Hassan 2011). In 1982, the Constitution specified 15% and 7.5% of vacancies in public  sector and government-aided educational institutes as a quota reserved for the SC and ST candidates respectively for a period of five years, after which the quota system would be reviewed. This period was routinely extended by the succeeding governments. The Supreme Court of India ruled that reservations cannot exceed 50% (which it judged would violate equal access guaranteed by the Constitution) and put a cap on reservations. However, there are state laws that exceed this 50% limit and these are under litigation in the Supreme Court. For example, the caste-based reservation stands at 69% and the same is applicable to about 87% of the population in the State of Tamil Nadu. In 1990, Prime Minister V. P. Singh announced that 27% of government positions would be set aside for OBC’s in addition to the 22.5% already set aside for the SCs and STs.(The Struggle for Equality in India 2002). In the Indra Sawhney’ case, hon’ble Supreme Court also held that reservation in promotion is unconstitutional but permitted the reservation,for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to continue for a period offive years(From 16.11.92). Consequent to this, the Constitution was amended by the Constitution (Seventy-seventh Amendment) Act, 1995 and Article 16(4-A) was incorporated. This Article enables the State to provide for reservation, in matters of promotion, in favour of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The fact that the words â€Å"Backward class† used in Article 16(4) have been instituted in Article 16(4-A) by the words â€Å"SCs & STs†, itself precludes consideration of making reservation in promotion in favour of any other category of citizens. II. Constitutional Provisions The main objective of the Indian reservation system is to increase the opportunities for enhanced social and educational status (in the sense better than the previous — until it becomes equal to that enjoyed by an average member of other communities) of the underprivileged communities and, thus, enable them to take their rightful place in the mainstream of Indian society. The reservation system exists to provide opportunities for the members of the SCs and STs to increase their representation in the state Legislative, the Executive Organ of the Union (Centre) and States, the  labour force, schools, colleges, and other ‘public’ institutions. The exact necessities for the reservation in services in favour of the members of the SC/STs have been made in the Constitution of India. They are as follows: Article 15(4) and 16(4) of the Constitution enabled both the state and Central Governments to reserve seats in public services for the members of the SC and ST, thereby, enshrining impartiality of opportunity in matters of civic service. Article 15(4) states that: â€Å"Nothing in this Article shall prevent the State from making any provision for the reservation of appointments or posts in favour of any backward class or citizens, which, in the opinion of the State, is not adequately represented in the services under the State.† Article 16(4 A) states that: â€Å"Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from making any provisions for reservation in the matter of promotion to any class or classes of posts in the services under the State in favour of SCs and STs which in the opinion of the State are not adequately represented under the State†(Constitutional 77th Amendment, – Act, 1995). Article 16 (4 B) states that: â€Å"Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from considering any unfilled vacancies of a year which are reserved for being filled up in that year in accordance with any provision for reservation made under clause (4) or clause (4A) as a separate class of vacancies to be filled up in any succeeding year or years and such class of vacancies shall not be considered together with the vacancies of the year in which they are being filled up for determining the ceiling of fifty percent reservation on total number of vacancies of that year† (Constitutional 81st Amendment, – Act, 2000). The Constitution prohibits discrimination (Article 15) of any citizen on grounds of religion, race, caste, etc.; untouchability (Article 17); and forced labour (Article 23). It provides for specific representation through reservation of seats for the SCs and the STs in the Parliament (Article 330) and in the State Legislative Assemblies (Article 332), as well as, in  Government and public sector jobs, in both the federal and state Governments (Articles 16(4), 330(4) and 335). (Sukhadeo Thorat and Chittaranjan Senapati 2006). III. Impact of reservation policy on employment and education As may be evident from the particulars in the earlier paragraphs, the strategy of reservation had a helpful effect in conditions of induction of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes into public sector employment and in educational institutions. However, their accessible share in employment and educational institutions still falls short of the target in certain categories of jobs and higher education. The target in the case of Groups D and C are close to the population mark of 15 per cent for scheduled castes and 7.5 % for scheduled tribes but fall short in Groups A and B. As against this, the true position regarding the representation of other backward classes in central services is not available. However, as stated in para 6.4, in the All India Services and central services for which employment is made through the Union Public Service Commission, representation of other backward classes is very near to their share. With the growth in the share of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes in public services, it had positive multiple effects on the social and economic situation of these two disadvantaged groups. The data provided by the ministry of personnel indicates that in recent years the vacancies reserved for the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes are being filled fully even in the „elite‟ services at the centre. Reservation did not provide equal opportunities within each group/community to all beneficiaries. Consequently, different castes and tribes within a group/community have not benefited from reservation equally. Almost in all categories of beneficiaries among scheduled castes, scheduled tribes or other backward classes and minorities, there is a growing sense of deprivation amongst different categories, which is leading to internal dissension. For example*, in Punjab, the Valmiki Samaj is asking for a separate quota of reservations on the ground that Ramadasis and Mazbis have cornered the benefits. Likewise, Chamars in Uttar Pradesh and Mahars in  Maharashtra are said to have benefited from the reservations more than other castes identified in the schedule from these regions. Similar accusations have been made against the Meena community by other scheduled tribes. Problems of this kind are manifold in the case of other backward classes, as in each state there are dominant groups, usually with economic and political clout, who reap the benefits of reservations. There are Ezhavas in Kerala, Nadars and Thevars in Tamil Nadu, Vokkalligas and Lingayats in Karnataka, Lodhs and Koeris in Central India, Yadavs and Kurmis in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and Jats in Rajasthan, which, despite their dominant status, have been clubbed as backward classes eligible for benefits under reservations. For these reasons, reservation has become a contentious issue today, more so when it is applied to other backward classes. Reservations alone are not enough to mainstream the SCs and the STs to the levels of the other sections of the society. The system of reservations meant to uplift the weaker sections, has in fact, succeeded in the creation of creamy layers within the marginalized social groups to the extent that the percolation of the benefits have been marginal and differentially accessed. The vision of Ambedkar, Phule, Periyar, and Sahuji Maharaj, as initially envisioned under the aegis of the reservation policy and reforms in the structure of governance was to completely negate the deleterious impacts of caste-based discrimination and exclusion. The idea was to create fissures in the hegemonic hold of the immutable status of the higher castes over public services. Therefore, the historicity of reservations included firstly, the amelioration in the relative position of the lower castes, and two, restructuring of the institutionalized social relationships in the Indian society on democratic lines. Instead of giving power/authority to less efficient candidate, reservation should provide better opportunity of study to weaker/backward section of the society to compete with unreserved class by way of offering more resources to the weaker class so that they could defeat the Generals.

The primary purpose of the art essays

The primary purpose of the art essays The statement is truly an over simplification. That first thing that cannot be agreed to is that casting together of music, painting, drama and literature together. There that that convenient heading of calling them art they have little in common with each other. One of the purposes of music, painting and drama and literature may be entertainment but it is hardly justified to say that it is the main purpose In the world of music there are several sub worlds. There is music catering to the grossest of the tastes to the sublime and spiritual. Some musicians spend half their lifetimes learning to compose or play music properly. Is often in the later stages of their lives that they begin to play. To listen to some of them like Pundit Ravi Shankar or Yehudi Menuhin is nothing less than of music, which is composed, based on the popularity. They are composed based on the fads and following and quite often market surveys are conducted before recording. Such music may be called just entertainment, but certainly not all music. To call painting an entertainment borders on the ridiculous. Some painters have spent lifetimes in there lifetimes in there art and most often they paint without knowing whether their work will be welcomed by the public or just laughed at. Certainly artists do not mean to entertain, as most art shows are free. Perhaps we can point a finger at the artist to say that he is trying to make a living by painting to entertain as a main reason. Drama is certainly entertainment. But the question is , is it the mainly entertainment? To put a good play takes on enormous amount of energy and hard work. drama often makes a statement sometimes political sometimes societal. The playwrights, directors and actors want to say what they think world is as they see it. It is the joint expression of the souls of several people who have come together to express themselves. Of course it is entertainment to those who go to see the play. B ...

To what extent did primitive art inspire Brancusi essays

To what extent did primitive art inspire Brancusi essays Expressionism is a much less important current in sculpture than in painting, since the ethnographic sculpture by the Fauves might have evoked a strong response among sculptors Only one important sculptor shared in this rediscovery Brancusi, a Rumanian, moved to Paris to study advanced art around 1904 But he was more interested in the formal simplicity and coherence of primitive carvings than in their savage expressiveness; this is evidenced in The Kiss which was executed in 1909 Brancusi had a 'genius of ommission' - to Brancusi a monument is an upright slab, symmetrical and immobile - a permanent marker like the styles of the ancients and he disturbed the basic shape as little as possible The Embracing Lovers are more primeval than primitive They are a timeless symbol of generations - innocent and anonoymous Brancusi's 'primevalism' was the starting point of a sculptural tradition that still continues today Until now, African pottery, wooden carvings, and textiles had been viewed essentially as handicraft because, it was argued, the religious, military, sexual, or decorative functions of the works suggested that they had not been created as art, to be appreciated for their own sake It was the magical and mystical quality of the "Primitive" African art that inspired Brancusi; and the quality that counted most Because the appreciation of art in African sub-cultures is closely related to its use in everyday life, there is a distinct contrast with the Western concern with conservation/preservation and appreciation of art within a home, museum, or gallery setting This is one of the primary reasons that many objects of African art have been placed within the categories of artifacts, handicrafts, folk art, or primitive art In addition, it is essential to understand African art as it is appreciated, conceived, executed, and used within the African culture from which it originated In this respect, the artist has been ...