Business Plan Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business Plan - Term Paper Example We exhibit a more consumer friendly corporate persona, which makes us more attractive for an economy conducive to socially responsible business ethics. Hence we offer â€Å"green† products and services that are environmentally safe. This helps our company define further separate ourselves as an identity unique from our competition. The current market for our products can be easily converted to our firm because we offer competitive products that offer unique advantages for our customers, their customers, and the environment. We predict that we will be able to reach a global consumer base of satisfied and loyal customers that could permanently establish our company as a major shareholder in the industry. Business Description Clean Wheels has the potential to be one of the leading car wash companies in the area. The market is becoming increasingly stagnant as the market for stand alone brick and motor car washes dominate the industry. Our business structure utilizes a nationalize d networking system where we are able to independently contract workers in different parts of the U.S. to wash peoples cars on demand at their specific locations. These washes can occur while they are at work or at home. This makes access to convenient car washes more accessible. The most interesting aspect of this company is that it is able to outsource the major cost of equipment to the individual contractors who will fulfill the service. While the company merely maintains a website and call center to process the orders for washes, the network that the site leverages helps decrease the overhead cost. The internet is growing as a medium for individuals to shop through which poses a significant business opportunity to our company. By capitalizing on generating leads, we are capable of creating a new layer in the existing market which allows us to profit from the logistical centralization of the sales framework. Moreover, we are going to mandate that our drivers use specific soaps an d cloths in order to represent the overall branding strategy of going green. Consumers are increasingly loyal to companies that make attempts to respect the environment amid fears of reaching a point of no return. Industry and Market Analysis Market Summary: The national market for car wash companies is becoming increasingly competitive as the industry becomes consolidated in major markets and segmented where there are lower population numbers. Moreover, the internet is becoming a major destination for shoppers. Especially for affluent individuals who are likely to be the heavy users of the service that we provide. While our end user is the consumer who gets their car detailed, our direct customers are the contractors who are going to wash the cars. This makes our company increasingly dynamic in terms of our ability to create competition within different regions by allowing individuals to bid for our contracts. Market Demographics The profile for Soapy Rides' target customer consist s of the following geographic,   demographic, and behavior factors: Demographics Male:   female- 63%: 37%.   The reason for this discrepancy in the male to female   ratio is due to the fact that men on average care more about   their automobiles.   The data indicates that men are more likely to dedicate a portion of the budget to their cars with   accessories. Additionally they are more likely to

Study On The Applications Of Numerical Analysis Computer Science Essay

Study On The Applications Of Numerical Analysis Computer Science Essay It finds applications in all fields of engineering and the physical sciences, but in the 21st  century, the life sciences and even the arts have adopted elements of scientific computations.  Ordinary differential equations  appear in the  movement of heavenly bodies (planets, stars and galaxies);  optimization  occurs in portfolio management;  numerical linear algebra  is important for data analysis;  stochastic differential equations  and  Markov chains  are essential in simulating living cells for medicine and biology. Before the advent of modern computers numerical methods often depended on hand  interpolation  in large printed tables. Since the mid 20th century, computers calculate the required functions instead. The interpolation  algorithms  nevertheless may be used as part of the software for solving  differential equations. INTRODUCTION TO NUMERICAL ANALYSIS AND METHODS The overall goal of the field of numerical analysis is the design and analysis of techniques to give approximate but accurate solutions to hard problems, the variety of which is suggested by the following. Advanced numerical methods are essential in making  numerical weather prediction  feasible. Computing the trajectory of a spacecraft requires the accurate numerical solution of a system of  ordinary differential equations. Car companies can improve the crash safety of their vehicles by using computer simulations of car crashes. Such simulations essentially consist of solving  partial differential equations  numerically. Hedge funds  (private investment funds) use tools from all fields of numerical analysis to calculate the value of stocks and derivatives more precisely than other market participants. Airlines use sophisticated optimization algorithms to decide ticket prices, airplane and crew assignments and fuel needs. This field is also called  operations research. Insurance companies use numerical programs for  actuarial  analysis. The rest of this section outlines several important themes of numerical analysis. History of Numerical Analysis The field of numerical analysis predates the invention of modern computers by many centuries.  Linear interpolation  was already in use more than 2000 years ago. Many great mathematicians of the past were preoccupied by numerical analysis, as is obvious from the names of important algorithms like  Newtons method,  Lagrange interpolation polynomial,Gaussian elimination, or  Eulers method. To facilitate computations by hand, large books were produced with formulas and tables of data such as interpolation points and function coefficients. Using these tables, often calculated out to 16 decimal places or more for some functions, one could look up values to plug into the formulas given and achieve very good numerical estimates of some functions. The canonical work in the field is the  NIST  publication edited by  Abramowitz and Stegun, a 1000-plus page book of a very large number of commonly used formulas and functions and their values at many points. The function values are no longer very useful when a computer is available, but the large listing of formulas can still be very handy. The  mechanical calculator  was also developed as a tool for hand computation. These calculators evolved into electronic computers in the 1940s, and it was then found that these computers were also useful for administrative purposes. But the invention of the computer also influenced the field of numerical analysis, since now longer and more complicated calculations could be done. Direct and iterative methods Direct methods compute the solution to a problem in a finite number of steps. These methods would give the precise answer if they were performed in  infinite precision arithmetic. Examples include  Gaussian elimination, the  QR  factorization method for solving  systems of linear equations, and the  simplex method  of  linear programming. In practice,  finite precision  is used and the result is an approximation of the true solution (assuming  stability). In contrast to direct methods,  iterative methods  are not expected to terminate in a number of steps. Starting from an initial guess, iterative methods form successive approximations that  converge  to the exact solution only in the limit. A  convergence test  is specified in order to decide when a sufficiently accurate solution has (hopefully) been found. Even using infinite precision arithmetic these methods would not reach the solution within a finite number of steps (in general). Examples include  Newtons method, the  bisection method, and  Jacobi iteration. In computational matrix algebra, iterative methods are generally needed for large problems. Iterative methods are more common than direct methods in numerical analysis. Some methods are direct in principle but are usually used as though they were not, e.g.  GMRES  and the  conjugate gradient method. For these methods the number of steps needed to obtain the exact solution is so large that an approximation is accepted in the same manner as for an iterative method. Discretization Furthermore, continuous problems must sometimes be replaced by a discrete problem whose solution is known to approximate that of the continuous problem; this process is called  discretization. For example, the solution of a  differential equation  is a function. This function must be represented by a finite amount of data, for instance by its value at a finite number of points at its domain, even though this domain is a continuum. Different Areas And Methods under Numerical Analysis The field of numerical analysis is divided into different disciplines according to the problem that is to be solved. One of the simplest problems is the evaluation of a function at a given point. The most straightforward approach, of just plugging in the number in the formula is sometimes not very efficient. For polynomials, a better approach is using the  Horner scheme, since it reduces the necessary number of multiplications and additions. Generally, it is important to estimate and control  round-off errors  arising from the use of  floating point  arithmetic. Interpolation, extrapolation, and regression Interpolation  solves the following problem: given the value of some unknown function at a number of points, what value does that function have at some other point between the given points? Extrapolation  is very similar to interpolation, except that now we want to find the value of the unknown function at a point which is outside the given points. Regression  is also similar, but it takes into account that the data is imprecise. Given some points, and a measurement of the value of some function at these points (with an error), we want to determine the unknown function. The  least squares-method is one popular way to achieve this. Solving equations and systems of equations Another fundamental problem is computing the solution of some given equation. Two cases are commonly distinguished, depending on whether the equation is linear or not. For instance, the equation  2x  + 5 = 3  is linear while  22  + 5 = 3  is not. Much effort has been put in the development of methods for solving  systems of linear equations. Standard direct methods, i.e., methods that use some  matrix decomposition  are  Gaussian elimination,  LU decomposition,  Cholesky decomposition  for  symmetric  (or  hermitian) and  positive-definite matrix, and  QR decomposition  for non-square matrices.  Iterative methods  such as the  Jacobi method,  Gauss-Seidel method,  successive over-relaxation  and  conjugate gradient method  are usually preferred for large systems. Root-finding algorithms  are used to solve nonlinear equations (they are so named since a root of a function is an argument for which the function yields zero). If the function is  differentiable  and the derivative is known, then  Newtons method  is a popular choice.  Linearization  is another technique for solving nonlinear equations. Solving eigenvalue or singular value problems Several important problems can be phrased in terms of  eigenvalue decompositions  or  singular value decompositions. For instance, thespectral image compression  algorithm  is based on the singular value decomposition. The corresponding tool in statistics is calledprincipal component analysis. Optimization Optimization problems ask for the point at which a given function is maximized (or minimized). Often, the point also has to satisfy someconstraints. The field of optimization is further split in several subfields, depending on the form of the objective function and the constraint. For instance,  linear programming  deals with the case that both the objective function and the constraints are linear. A famous method in linear programming is the  simplex method. The method of  Lagrange multipliers  can be used to reduce optimization problems with constraints to unconstrained optimization problems. Evaluating integrals Numerical integration, in some instances also known as numerical  quadrature, asks for the value of a definite  integral. Popular methods use one of the  Newton-Cotes formulas  (like the midpoint rule or  Simpsons rule) or  Gaussian quadrature. These methods rely on a divide and conquer strategy, whereby an integral on a relatively large set is broken down into integrals on smaller sets. In higher dimensions, where these methods become prohibitively expensive in terms of computational effort, one may use  Monte Carlo  or  quasi-Monte Carlo methods  (see  Monte Carlo integration), or, in modestly large dimensions, the method of  sparse grids. Differential equations Numerical analysis is also concerned with computing (in an approximate way) the solution of  differential equations, both ordinary differential equations and  partial differential equations. Partial differential equations are solved by first discretizing the equation, bringing it into a finite-dimensional subspace. This can be done by a  finite element method, a  finite differencemethod, or (particularly in engineering) a  finite volume method. The theoretical justification of these methods often involves theorems from  functional analysis. This reduces the problem to the solution of an algebraic equation. Applications Of Numerical Analysis Methods and Its Real Life Implementations, Advantages Etc. NEWTON RAPHSON METHOD: ORDER OF CONVERGENCE: 2 ADVANTAGES: 1. The advantage of the method is its order of convergence is quadratic. 2. Convergence rate is one of the fastest when it does converges 3. Linear convergence near multiple roots. REGULA FALSI METHOD: ORDER OF CONVERGENCE: 1.618 ADVANTAGES: 1. Better-than-linear convergence near simple root 2. Linear convergence near multiple root 3. No derivative needed DISADVANTAGES 1. Iterates may diverge 2. No practical rigorous error bound GAUSS ELIMINATION METHOD: ADVANTAGES: It is the direct method of solving linear simultaneous equations. 2. It uses back substitution. 3. It is reduced to equivalent upper triangular matrix.: 1. It requires right vectors to be known. GAUSS JORDAN: ADVANTAGES: 1. It is direct method. 2. The roots of the equation are found immediately without using back substitution. . It is reduced to equivalent identity matrix. The additional steps increase round off errors. 2. It requires right vectors to be known. GAUSS JACOBI METHOD: 1. It is iterative method. 2. The system of equations must be diagonally dominant. 3. It suits better for large numbers of unknowns 4. It is self correcting method. GAUSS SEIDEL METHOD: 1. It is iterative method. 2. The system of equations must be diagonally dominant. 3. It suits better for large numbers of unknowns 4. It is self correcting method. 5. The number of iterations is less than Jacobi method. Real life Applications Area of mathematics and computer science. Applications of algebra Geometry Calculus Variables which vary continuously. Problems(application areas) 1. Natural sciences 2. Social sciences 3. Engineering 4. Medicine 5. Business.(in financial industry) Tools of numerical analysis Most powerful tools of numerical analysis à  Computer graphics à  Symbolic mathematical computations à  Graphical user interfaces Numerical analysis is needed to solve engineering problems that lead to equations that cannot be solved analytically with simple formulas. Examples are solutions of large  systems  of algebraic equations, evaluation of integrals, and solution of differential equations. The finite element method is a numerical method that is in widespread use to solve partial differential equations in a variety of engineering fields including stress analysis, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and electro-magnetic fields. In hydro static pressure processing In high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) processing, food and biotechnological substances are compressed up to 1000 M Pa to achieve various pressure-induced conversions such as microbial and enzyme inactivations, phase transitions of proteins, and solid-liquid state transitions. From the point of view of thermodynamics, Heat transfer leads to space-time-dependent temperature fields that affect many pressure-induced conversions and produce undesired process non uniformities Effects related to HHP processing can be studied appropriately by use of numerical analysis because in situ measurement techniques are barely available, optical accessibility is hardly possible, and technical equipment is expensive. This reports on two examples, where numerical analysis is applied successfully and delivers substantial insights into the phenomenon of high-pressure processing. Calculation E.g TSP problem (traveling salesman problem) to travel no. of cities in such a way that the expenses on traveling are minimized. à   NP-complete problem. à   optimal solution we have to go through all possible routes à   numbers of routes increases exponential with the numbers of cities. Modern Applications and Computer Software Sophisticated numerical analysis software is being embedded in popular software packages e.g. spreadsheet programs. Buisness Applications:- Modern business makes much use of optimization methods in deciding how to allocate resources most efficiently. These include problems such as inventory control,scheduling, how best to locate manufacturing storage facilities, investment strategies,and others. In Financial Industry Quantitative analysts developing financial applications have specialized expertise in their area of analysis. Algorithms used for numerical analysis range from basic numerical functions to calculate interest income to advanced functions that offer specialized optimization and forecasting techniques. Sample Finance Applications Three common examples from the financial services industry that require numerical algorithms are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Portfolio selection à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Option pricing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Risk management   In market Given the broad range of numerical tools available a financial services provider can develop targeted applications that address specific market needs. For example, quantitative analysts developing financial applications have specialized expertise in their area of analysis.

Religion and Belief in Bless Me Ultima Essay -- Bless Me Ultima

Religion and Belief in Bless Me Ultima   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After reading the book, Bless Me Ultima, I realized the integral importance of religion and need for religion and answers to life’s questions. At first, while reading this book, I thought it was just about relationships and the meaning in them but as the plot progressed I realized the book, is more than that, it questions the structures that decide the rules, morals and values that society is composed of. There were three types of religion that I identified in the book that young Anthony chose to pursue. The first was the paganistic rituals of Ultima. Ultima came into the life of Tony at a very young age and had great influence n the child. Ultima saved the life of Lucas through Tony’s strength. Physical pain was brought unto Anthony because of Ultima's ritual, showing actual validity of the rituals themselves, that they were had tangibility. She brought torment on the Tenorio’s family (he was the antagonist in the book-the bad guy) saving Luc as though using ritualistic dolls and chants. This showed her magic was not only good but bad as well. Ultima guided Anthony through all of the mental and social torment during his early years of grade school. So in away Ultima was a guide for Tony through his early years to make sense of all of the storms in his early life, but also was an instrument of religion to base his life on. But in the end of the book Ultima ultimately dies and the strength he once found in her is destroyed. She is ...

Valuation: Apv vs Wacc

The three approaches value the entire firm but they differ around the way they treat tax shields. We will first review the rational and the underlying assumptions behind each approach. We will then use a numerical example to illustrate the mechanics behind the three approaches and show under which assumptions they yield the same results. Enterprise Valuation According to Modigliani and Miller, the value of a company’s economic assets must equal the value of the claims against those assets.Enterprise valuation models value the sum of the cash flows to all claim holders, including equity holders and debt holders and discount them to the appropriate cost of capital. The cash flow available to all claim holders is called the free cash flow (FCF) from operations and is defined below: FCF = EBIAT + Depreciation – Capital Expenditure – Increases in Working Capital EBIAT is the income the company earns after tax without regard to how the company is financed. Non-cash exp enses such as Depreciation are then added.Because we are valuing a going concern we also take into account the cash flow management will retain for new capital expenditures and possible increase in working capital. The remaining is in effect the cash available to owners and creditors. By definition free cash flow is independent from leverage (and is often referred as un-levered free cash flow). Therefore the value derived from the interest tax shield (interest on debt is tax deductible) has still to be incorporated in the enterprise valuation.This is where the three approaches WACC, APV and CCF differ: †¢ The WACC approach values the tax shield by adjusting the cost of capital †¢ The APV approach values the tax shield separately from the un-levered free cash flow †¢ The CCF approach values the tax shield by incorporating it in the cash flow The Weighted Average Cost of Capital Approach To determine the value of the enterprise, the free cash flows from operations have to be discounted to present value. According to Modigliani and Miller’s proposition number one without taxes or financial market mperfections the cost of capital does not depend on financing so the weighted average of the expected returns to debt and equity investors equals the opportunity cost of capital regardless of leverage: Rd x D/V + Re x E/V = Ra = Constant independent of D/V Ra = Opportunity cost of capital = Un-levered cost of equity = Return on assets = pre-tax WACC Rd = Cost of debt, Re = Cost of equity, D/V and E/V = Target levels of debt and equity using market values Fabrice Bienfait IFM Final Paper Page 2 of 8None of the components of the cost of capital are directly observable and therefore need to be approximated using various models and assumptions. The cost of equity is derived from the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) while the cost of debt can be estimated from the firm credit rating and default risk or from yields on publicly traded debt. However inter est on debt is tax deductible so if we were to discount free cash flows from operations using Ra we would not take into account the value of the tax shield.Therefore the after-tax weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is used instead. WACC includes an adjustment to the cost of debt by the marginal tax rate (Tm): WACC = Rd x (1-Tm) x D/V + Re x E/V (= Ra – Rd x Tm x D/V) WACC is less than the opportunity cost of capital Ra because the cost of debt is calculated after tax as Rd (1-Tm). Thus the tax advantages of debt financing are reflected in a lower discount rate. The WACC equals the opportunity cost of capital when there is no debt and declines with financial leverage because of increasing interest tax shields.The WACC increases again when the debt level becomes significant relative to the value of the firm reflecting the main costs associated with borrowing, the costs of bankruptcy. Figure 1: WACC as a Function of the Debt Ratio Rates of Return Re R WACC Rd Debt to Equity Discounting all future cash flows using a constant WACC assumes that the company manages its capital structure to a fixed debt to value ratio (D/V).Therefore the company’s WACC is the right discount rate only if the company’s debt ratio (D/V) is expected to remain reasonably close to constant. However if the company is expected to significantly change its capital structure (i. e. Fabrice Bienfait IFM Final Paper Page 3 of 8 constant level of debt, LBO, recapitalization), the WACC would have to be continuously adjusted which makes the approach more difficult to apply.The Adjusted Present Value Approach The APV approach values the cash flows associated with capital structure independently by separating the value of operations into two components: the value of the firm without debt and the benefits and the costs of borrowing: Value of the firm = Value of the un-levered firm + Present value of interest tax shields – Costs of financial distress The value of the un-l evered firm is obtained by discounting free cash flows at the return on assets (Ra).If the company manages its debt-to-value to a target level (D/V=constant) then the interest tax shield is as risky as the firm and should be discounted at Ra. In this case the APV approach yields the same results as the WACC approach but is computationally less efficient. However if the debt is assumed to be a fixed amount (D=constant) the interest tax shield is less risky than the firm but as risky as the debt itself and should be discounted at the cost of debt.In this case the APV approach is not only the only correct approach, it is also computationally very efficient if the tax saving are considered as perpetuity since: Present value of interest tax shields = (Tm x Rd x D) / Rd = Tm x D The main risk in using the APV approach is to ignore the costs of financial distress, especially at very high debt ratios, which leads to an overvaluation of the firm.The Capital Cash Flow Approach Capital cash fl ows are simply derived from free cash flows by adding interest tax shields: CCF = FCF + Interest tax shield = FCF + Tm x Rd x D With this approach capital cash flows are then discounted at the return on assets. This implicitly assumes that interest tax shields are as risky as the firm and are discounted at the return on assets. This is true when debt is a fixed proportion of value. Under this assumption the capital cash flow approach will generate the same results as the WACC approach.Furthermore if the debt is forecasted in levels instead of a debt-to-value ratio the CCF approach is easier to use because the tax shield are simple to calculate and to include in the CCF. If the forecasted debt levels imply a change in the debt-to-value ratio, the CCF retains his simplicity since the discount rate, the return on assets, is independent of the capital structure and can be used for every forecast period. Therefore the approach is easier to apply in transactions involving change in capita l structure such as a LBO or a restructuring.However in this case discounting the interest tax shields at Ra is a simplifying assumption since the risk of those cash flows is not anymore the same as the risk associate with the firm. Fabrice Bienfait IFM Final Paper Page 4 of 8 Numerical Example Table 1 shows the financial assumptions underlying our numerical example. The firm is valued over a period of 5 years during which EBIT is growing at 5% per annum and depreciation, capital expenditure and increase in working capital are constant. However the firm’s capital structure changes significantly through the repayment of a major portion of its debt.Table 1: Assumptions (in â‚ ¬) Risk Free Rate Market Risk Premium Tax Rate Asset Beta Debt Beta EBIT Depreciation Capex Increase in NWC Debt Year 1 5% 7% 40% 1. 2 0. 4 100,000 50,000 60,000 10,000 100,000 Year 2 5% 7% 40% 1. 2 0. 35 105,000 50,000 60,000 10,000 50,000 Year 3 5% 7% 40% 1. 2 0. 3 110,250 50,000 60,000 10,000 25,000 Year 4 5% 7% 40% 1. 2 0. 25 115,763 50,000 60,000 10,000 12,500 Year 5 5% 7% 40% 1. 2 0. 2 121,551 50,000 60,000 10,000 6,250 We will start valuing the firm using the WACC approach (see table 2).This is the less appropriated and most complex methodology given the forecasted changes in capital structure. Indeed the WACC needs to be recalculated every year and an iterative calculation has to be used since the value of the firm for each year is required to derive the percentage of debt and equity. The firm value in year N is the value of the remaining cash flows. For instance the value of the firm at the beginning of Year 3 is the value of the remaining cash flow in Year 3, 4 and 5 discounted using the WACC in year 3, 4 and 5.Table 2: WACC Valuation (in â‚ ¬) EBIT – Taxes on EBIT = EBIAT + Depreciation – Capex – Increase in NWC = FCF Percent Debt Cost of Debt After Tax Cost of Debt Percent Equity Return on Assets Cost of Equity WACC Discount Factor PV Firm Value Year 1 100,000 (40,000) 60,000 50,000 (60,000) (10,000) 40,000 61. 3% 7. 8% 4. 7% 38. 7% 13. 4% 22. 3% 11. 5% 0. 90 35,878 163,178 Year 2 105,000 (42,000) 63,000 50,000 (60,000) (10,000) 43,000 35. 2% 7. 5% 4. 5% 64. 8% 13. 4% 16. 6% 12. 4% 0. 80 34,329 141,923Year 3 110,250 (44,100) 66,150 50,000 (60,000) (10,000) 46,150 21. 5% 7. 1% 4. 3% 78. 5% 13. 4% 15. 1% 12. 8% 0. 71 32,666 116,451 Year 4 115,763 (46,305) 69,458 50,000 (60,000) (10,000) 49,458 14. 7% 6. 8% 4. 1% 85. 3% 13. 4% 14. 5% 13. 0% 0. 63 30,979 85,196 Year 5 121,551 (48,620) 72,930 50,000 (60,000) (10,000) 52,930 13. 3% 6. 4% 3. 8% 86. 7% 13. 4% 14. 5% 13. 1% 0. 55 29,325 46,817 Fabrice Bienfait IFM Final Paper Page 5 of 8 The cost of debt is calculated using CAPM: The cost of equity is calculated using the M&M proposition I:Rd = Rf + ? d x MRP Re = (Ra – D/V Rd) / (E/V) Using the WACC approach we find a value for the firm of â‚ ¬163,178. Next we use the APV approach to value the firm calculating separately the value of the un-levered firm and the value of the interest tax shield (Tm x Rd x D). The approach is straightforward in this case since we are given a forecast of the level of debt. We find that the APV approach yields the same firm value (â‚ ¬163,178) as the WACC approach when discounting interest tax shield at Ra.We also illustrate that using Rd would yield a higher valuation of the firm (this is not the correct discount rate in this case given that the debt is not constant). Table 3: APV Valuation (in â‚ ¬) FCF Return on Assets Discount Factor PV Value of Unlevered Firm Interest Tax Shield Return on Assets Ra Discount Factor PV Value of Interest Tax Shield @ Ra Interest Tax Shield Cost of Debt Rd Discount Factor PV Value of Interest Tax Shield @ Rd Value of Firm with ITS @ Ra Value of Firm with ITS @ Rd Year 1 40,000 13. 4% 0. 88 35,273 158,491 3,120 13. % 0. 88 2,751 4,686 3,120 7. 8% 0. 93 2,894 5,121 163,178 163,613 Year 2 43,000 13. 4% 0. 78 33,438 Year 3 46,150 13 . 4% 0. 69 31,647 Year 4 49,458 13. 4% 0. 60 29,907 Year 5 52,930 13. 4% 0. 53 28,225 1,490 13. 4% 0. 78 1,159 710 13. 4% 0. 69 487 338 13. 4% 0. 60 204 160 13. 4% 0. 53 85 1,490 7. 5% 0. 86 1,286 710 7. 1% 0. 81 572 338 6. 8% 0. 76 255 160 6. 4% 0. 71 114 Finally we use the CCF approach. The calculation clearly shows how the interest tax shields are incorporated in the cash flows and then discounted at Ra.The CCF approach is equivalent to the WACC approach. Furthermore the approach also produces the same value as the APV method with interest tax shields discounted at Ra. Fabrice Bienfait IFM Final Paper Page 6 of 8 Table 4: CCF Valuation (in â‚ ¬) EBIT – Taxes on EBIT = EBIAT + Depreciation – Capex – Increase in NWC + Interest tax Shield = CCF Return on Assets Discount Factor PV Firm Value Year 1 100,000 (40,000) 60,000 50,000 (60,000) (10,000) 3,120 43,120 13. 4% 0. 88 38,025 163,178 Year 2 105,000 (42,000) 63,000 50,000 (60,000) (10,000) 1,490 44,490 13. 4 % 0. 8 34,597 Year 3 110,250 (44,100) 66,150 50,000 (60,000) (10,000) 710 46,860 13. 4% 0. 69 32,134 Year 4 115,763 (46,305) 69,458 50,000 (60,000) (10,000) 338 49,795 13. 4% 0. 60 30,112 Year 5 121,551 (48,620) 72,930 50,000 (60,000) (10,000) 160 53,090 13. 4% 0. 53 28,311 Conclusions The three enterprise valuation techniques considered in this paper are different in the way they treat interest tax shields. However we have seen that the WACC approach and the CCF approach are identical and that under certain assumptions the APV approach also yields the same valuation.The WACC approach is easy to use and efficient when the assumption that capital structure will not change in the future can be made (D/V= constant). If debt level is forecasted to remain constant in absolute term (D=constant), the APV approach should be used discounting the interest tax shield at the cost of debt. Finally the CCF approach is the appropriate and most efficient approach when forecasted debt levels imply a change in capital structure. In this case it is also equivalent to the APV approach discounting the interest tax shield at the return on assets. Fabrice Bienfait IFM Final Paper

Organisational Analysis

The aim of this essay is to explore and discuss the view that mechanistic and bureaucratic organisations will probably struggle to encourage organisational learning. The structure and learning perspectives of organisational analysis will be used as academic lenses to view and propel this discussion. Relevant theories will be applied to analyse my own organisational experiences (direct and indirect). Examples derived from case studies of organisational situations will be looked at so as to make the discussion more cohesive. To begin with definitions of the perspectives in question will be given as to make understanding of the different types of organisations clearer. According to Drummond (2000) mechanical imagery depicts organisations as static machine-like entities operating in a steady and predictable manner. Likewise, the metaphor of bureaucracy suggests that people in organisations are bounded by rules, job descriptions and organisation charts. It is important to note that Taylor’s philosophy is founded upon mechanical imagery. The key concepts in the structural perspective are based on Taylor’s principles of scientific management and Weber’s ideal bureaucracy. Taylor (1911) formalised the principles of scientific management into four objectives which are division of labour, one best way, scientific selection and training and monitor performance. In Taylor’s view, organisations need clearly articulated objectives, sharp divisions of labour, specified hierarchies and responsibilities and formalised systems of control. Taylor saw people as near-automatons (robots), potentially troublesome perhaps, but basically programmable given proper supervision and appropriate incentives. In Taylor’s eyes, the existence of contradiction and ambiguity in organisations were signs of managerial weakness, something which could and should be eliminated. His work is basically a recipe for clarity and control (Drummond, 2000). According to Taylor (1911), output could be increased not by requiring operatives to work harder, but by showing them how to work more efficiently. Taylor came up with scientific management for shop floor workers but I have realised that even the fast food industry has adopted the same kind of set-up. Whilst working in McDonalds on the BigMac grill there was a systematic approach to work and it was timed, 1 – place buns in toaster, 2 – after thirty seconds place burgers on grill, 3 – dress the buns, 4 – place burgers on buns. This routine was done by two people and we would do this all day. Steps 1 and 3 would be done by one person and steps 2 and 4 by another; this was done so that the person handling meat stayed there and not touch the buns. It was like an assembly line because the burgers moved from one employee to the other doing different things but to achieve the same outcome. Constant monitoring was in place as we were given stars according to progress or put simply as to how many different stations you can work at, e. g. a star for each station – tills, chips or chicken. The layout of the kitchen looked like one conveyor belt going round and round. Critics have mentioned that mechanistic approaches work well when the task is straightforward, stable environment, replication, precision and compliance. All these attributes are greatly present in McDonalds and the other fact was that we had to clock in and out we were expected to behave like machines to be predictable and efficient. Extreme forms of the machine metaphor of organisations are seen in the bureaucracies and mass production factories – of which McDonalds is a bit of both. Weber based his ideal bureaucracy model on legal and absolute authority, logic and order. In Weber's idealised organisational structure, the responsibilities for workers are clearly defined and behaviour is tightly controlled by policies, procedures and rules. To a certain extent organisations should have some sort of bureaucracy and there are a number of bureaucratic structures. Morgan (1993) mentioned that the types of bureaucracy are rigid (person at the top), bureaucracy with task forces and project teams (guided by strict procedures) and bureaucracy with senior management team. The main idea that Weber brought about was the rational type of bureaucracy which is characterised by specialisation, authority hierarchy, operating rules and procedures and impersonality. Now looking at Taylor the characteristics of his organisation are division of management and labour, scientification of work and specialisation of tasks. It is not difficult to note that Taylor was a big influence on Weber and we can conclude that in these types of organisations decision-making is based on fairness and strict procedures. Weber's theory of organisations reflected an impersonal attitude towards the people in the organisation. Indeed, the work force, with its personal frailties and imperfections, was regarded as a potential detriment to the efficiency of any system. Weber’s idea of rationality was best developed further by Ritzer and coined a new term for it â€Å"McDonaldisation†. According to Ritzer (2007), a society characterised by rationalisation is one which emphasises efficiency, predictability, calculability, substitution of nonhuman for human technology and control over uncertainty. The process of McDonaldisation takes a task and breaks it down into smaller tasks. This is repeated until all tasks have been broken down to the smallest possible level. The resulting tasks are then rationalized to find the single most efficient method for completing each task. All other methods are then deemed inefficient and discarded. McDonalds have standardised their product to make it more efficient, e. g. McDonalds is the same wherever you go – a big mac is still a big mac, we know what to expect in a McDonalds and we know how to behave as well because of that predictability. McDonalds’ environment is structured in a way that there are no surprises to customers. Efficiency is brought about by looking for the best route to getting the best output with least amount of resources and costs i. e. he grills in McDonalds cook meat within seconds and one person needed to operate a grill at any time. This brings us to the notion of control and calculability, there is great reliability on technology rather than humans and emphasis is on quantity rather than quality. Clearly these two approaches to viewing organisations are sort of out-dated and can be detrimental to the progress of an organisation in this day and age. Hence organisations are requi red to be flexible and evolve and also be able to cope with today’s pressures. Organisational learning (OL) is the way forward and aims at making sure that organisations are well equipped for the ever changing market place. Weick and Roberts (1993) mentioned that OL consists of interrelating actions of individuals, which are their â€Å"heedful interrelation† which results in a â€Å"collective mind†. Organisational Learning as the ability of an organisation to gain insight and understanding from experience through experimentation, observation, analysis, and a willingness to examine both successes and failures. Heedful interrelating is made possible via contribution, representation, and subordination. Organisational learning can be done and have a finite outcome. Organisations need to work faster and adapt quickly if they are to survive the current and turbulent environmental changes. Argyrils and Schon identified different types of organisational learning single and double loop learning. Single loop learning is sometimes referred to the lowest level because it only responds to change by detecting errors and then modifying strategies. Double loop learning is an advanced form of single loop learning meaning that it questions if operating norms are appropriate whereas in single loop there is embededness of culture and learned habits become resistant to change and learning. In other words double loop learning is concerned with the why and how to change the organisation while single loop learning is concerned with accepting change without questioning the underlying assumptions and core beliefs. In today’s organisational world knowledge has become really important. It is contributing to high value products and services. The rate of learning has to be greater than the rate of change and learning is the responsibility for everyone in the organisation. Organisational learning links nicely with learning organisations, this type of organisation continuously transforms itself and its context. â€Å"A learning organization is an organisation skilled at creating, acquiring, and transferring knowledge, and at modifying its behaviour to reflect new knowledge and insights. † (Garvin, 1993, p. 80. ) Fincham and Rhodes (2005) mentioned that knowledge management involves organisations developing practices and policies that reward, recognise and harness the storehouse of knowledge of its people continuously innovate and remain creative using brain power as a source of competitive advantage. With the latter in mind it is wise to judge that the old ways of analysing organisations notably the structural perspective hinders organisational learning in a number of ways. Taking McDonalds as the case study it is clear that employees are merely resources which are there for use to maximise profits. Deskilling of workers because of the monotonous and repetitive work which can lead to stress because of emotional labour. Boredom and disassociation with task will creep in leading to alienation and lack of commitment. More routine and rigorous structure limits a lot because it is not good in times of change. There is limited space for creativity, innovation and flexibility because of the fragmented problem solving approach and the disconnected roles and communication. Low level of commitment and loyalty has seen a high staff turnover at McDonalds. Organisations are made up of human beings not machines. Employee alienation and customer dehumanisation is not attractive in any organisation. Bureaucratic organisations will struggle to encourage organisational learning because of their hierarchical structure. Management seem to have all the decision-making powers and this might not sit comfortably with the rest of the employees as they are disempowered. This obviously leads to inefficient decision-making, slow response due to the chain of command and politics is rife. Several critics have noted that the learning organisation model implies that managers must become interested as never before in the process of learning, as well as the results. The central statement of the learning organisation is in two parts: (1) that a key success factor for any business in the age of global competition is its ability to innovate continuously, appropriately, and faster than its rivals, and (2) that can only happen through unleashing the untapped capabilities of all its employees. The learning organisation is definitely a new and significant paradigms shift from the traditional bureaucratic view because it emphasises process over structure and contains a number of components. These components include: a vision of better organisational life, a body management practice guidelines and a network of experts and advocates, a set of mental models regarding individual and social psychology, the sociology of organisations and change and finally a concern for values of wholeness (in preference to fragmentation) and respect for people (Wheatley, 1992). Cravens et al (1996) also noted that organisations need to shift away from the old structural perspective because of the new highly dynamic environments. Many corporations are reducing management layers and organisational bureaucracy in pursuit of rightsizing or the horizontal organisation, concurrent actions include re-engineering business processes followed by organisational redesign and greater use of multifunctional teams, central issues are obtaining precision, flexibility and speed in the execution of programmes and strategies. This shift has also seen the new approach develop powerful information systems and automated knowledge capture permit the empowerment of employees in the management of business processes, priorities are more customer satisfaction and retention through greater organisational responsiveness and competitive advantage for the reformed organisation comes from added-value, created through knowledge feedback and exploitation (Cravens et al, 1996). To be effective in the workplace, we must be better learners; we must become more open to alien ideas and more humble about our own limitations. Tools and techniques cannot be separated from the vision and the values of the learning organisation. (Kofman and Senge, 1995). The learning organization approach is not just about improving productivity and work satisfaction it is also about the fundamental ethics of the workplace and the marketplace. People’s needs have to be considered and should people not be seen as productivity factors; this holistic approach sure does improve conditions and output. A happy worker is a motivated worker. I only lasted six months at McDonalds and the reasons for that are outlined in the essay. References Argyris, C. (1993) On Organizational Learning. Oxford: Blackwell Business/Blackwell Publishers. Cravens, D. W. (1996) New organisational Forms for Competing in Highly Dynamic Environments: The Network Paradigm. British Journal of Management 7: p203-217 Drummond, H. (2000) Introduction to Organisational Behaviour. Oxford: Oxford University Press Encyclopaedia of Small Business (2007) Organization Theory. Encyclopedia. com [Accessed on 12 Dec 2011] http://www. encyclopedia. com Fincham, R and Rhodes P. (2005) Principles of Organizational Behaviour, 4th Ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press Garvin, David A. (1993) â€Å"Building a Learning Organization,† Harvard Business Review, July-Aug: p. 78-91. Kofman, F and Peter, S. (1995) Communities of Commitment: The Heart of Learning Organizations, in Learning Organizations. Sarita Chawla & John Renesch, (eds. ), Portland, Productivity Press. Morgan, G. (1993) Imaginisation, London: Sage Ritzer, G. (2007) The McDonaldisation of Society, 5th ed. London: Pine Forge Press Senge, P. (1990) The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organisation, New York: Doubleday. Senge P et al. (1994) The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook, New York: Doubleday Taylor, F. W. (1911) The Principles of Scientific Management. New York: Harper and Row. Wheatley, M. J. (1992) Leadership and the New Science. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.

Story Structure 3 Main Templates for Structuring an Unforgettable Story

Story Structure 3 Main Templates for Structuring an Unforgettable Story Story Structure: 3 Main Templates for Structuring an Unforgettable Story Your story structure does matter.Not only was Rome not built in a day, but it also wasn’t built without a plan. London was built without a plan.Hit some Google maps and look at an aerial view of both cities. You will see the difference.And your readers will definitely see the difference if your book doesnt have a cohesive structureand they will not be back for more.The three main types of story structure well cover are:3 Act StructureHeros JourneyThe 5 MilestonesNOTE: If you want a coach to help you plan out your story structure, check out our VIP Fiction Self-Publishing Program for that, and so much more. Learn more about it hereWhat is story structure?There are a few main types of story structure but overall, the structure of your story is how the events are laid out with an emphasis on using each part to further the story in an intriguing and cohesive structure.Structure, suffice it to say, is important. The structure makes all the difference in creating a narrative that is poignant and satisfying. More importantly, structure helps you, as the writer, keep track of all the events so that characters and story elements don’t fall through the cracks.Keeping track of story elements makes writing a lot easier. Like following a recipe, it keeps you from leaving out important bits or putting in too much of others. Even simple stories contain numerous smaller nuances that, when forgotten, lead to disaster.Watch any B movie from the 80s and you can see places where the editor, the script, and the director all lost the plotdont allow that when writing a novel yourself.Furthermore, readers expect certain structures within story. They have an emotional attachment to certain pacing. They start to feel anxious if an element they are expecting hasn’t yet occurred, or never occurs.Depending on the book genre, manipulating these expectations is a part of the style.If you want to keep track of all of this, weve put together all three of these methods into story structure templates for you.To gain access to all three, fill out the form below: Why focus on the structure of a story?Much like the streets of Rome, you want your story to get somewhere.You might enjoy meandering through London’s sprawling game trails turned roadways, but you want to get somewhere eventually.That is why a story structure serves as a map to guide you, the characters, and the reader to an eventual, and hopefully rewarding, destination. Some of the most famous stories out there have a very specific, replicable story structure that has served them well.Thats why we always recommend outlining your book using these methods for planning your novel. Story Structure: 3 Templates for Getting it RightNow that we’ve stressed the need for a story structure its time to learn about your options. Story structures don’t have to be confining, rigid, things.They work best when used as signposts and tentpoles, holding up the scaffolding and guiding you on your way. Note that a story structure is somewhat different than a story shape. The shape is more about the feel and thrust of a story over its arrangement.Story Structure #1 The 3 Act PlayThe most basic of story structures, very popular in Hollywood style films, is the 3 Act Play.Many world-famous novels use this structure, including:Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa TahirTwilight by Stephenie MeyerThe Hunger Games by Suzanne CollinsThis structure relies on a total of five elements which includes the acts themselves, composed of various scenes, and two key transitions, referred to as pinches here.Here is the three-act structure broken down:Act 1: Setup Were introduced to the main players as well as the main conflict. We understand the voice, tone, and direction of the story.Pinch 1 This is when the initial conflict arises (sometimes known as the inciting incident).Act 2: Confrontation Were in the thick of the main conflict here, along with some secondary conflicts. Were faced with difficult (seemingly impossible) odds to overcome.Pinch 2 The conflicts addressed in Act 2 come to a head, and decisions need to be made. This is often the moment where all hope is lost for your protagonist.Act 3: Resolution Everything boils down to this act. All of the conflict, subplots, and challenges arise and the climax kicks off, shortly followed by the resolution of the story.In the past, plays were structured with five acts, with two of the acts serving as long-form versions of the modern transitional elements of Pinch 1 and 2. These have faded, partially because audiences have adapted to storytelling tropes and don’t need them spelled out. Also, stage tech, at least in plays, has advanced, requiring less busy work on the fringes to enact scenery changes for the more crucial acts.Act 1 The SetupThe first act introduces the characters with some mild character development and sets up the conflict. Take Romeo and Juliet (a fine example because we can discuss both the play’s 5 act structure and the films 3 act version).The major players are all introdu ced in the first act and then attend a party. This gives us further information about each character in how they rep and participate in the party. We also see their conflicting social dynamics.We set up an additional set of character dynamics between Romeo vs Paris as parties interested in Juliet and Mercutio and Tybalt as loyal but antagonistic figures.Pinch 1 occurs at the end of the first act, introducing the conflict of the young couples’ love for each other. Act 2 The ConfrontationIn the play this is developed through the second act as the stakes for the lovers is spelled out. They marry in secret and that forms the end of the major plot point, the star-crossed lovers are not just passingly at odds with their society.Within the 3 act structure, this is a single plot point. We get that they love each other, and that love means marriage.Then, the middle act is the apprehension of their actions bringing about unintended, but not unforeseeable consequences.The second act is often the longest as it is the place where elements move and forces muster. Everyone has to get into further trouble, further develop their roles, and gain power toward a resolution.Act 2 ends shortly after a complication that brings the elements to a head. No longer able to maintain the secret, Romeo is confronted with a duel and his actions result in the death of his friend which then results in his banishment once he kills Tybalt.Act 3 The ResolutionAct 3 then begins with the fallout of these actions.With Romeo headed to banishment, Juliet seeks a drastic plan to keep him around. She fakes her death to bring out the true feelings of the interested parties.Since it is a tragedy, Romeo to get the clever reveal of the ruse and kills himself rather than being alone, though your story structure doesnt have to follow this specific tragic ending.Juliet then has to kill herself in turn and we end up with a high body count to bring the story to a close.Story Structure #2 Hero’s JourneyWhile the 3 Act structure works well for simple, straightforward stories, it doesn’t have the necessary oomph to underpin more nuanced tales.When the good guys and bad guys are less black and white, you need to reach for the ancient wheel that is the Hero’s Journey.The journey typically consists of 12 steps. It is the backbone of traditional storytelling, except it works and is a joy to take part in.Older versions of the structure had more steps, the Tarot stemmed from an early understanding of this story structure starting with the fool (our hero) and ending with the world (resolution or complete understanding).Here are the 12 steps of the heros journey:The Ordinary WorldCall to AdventureRefusing the CallMeeting a MentorCrossing the ThresholdTests, Allies, and EnemiesApproach the Innermost CircleThe OrdealSeizing the TalismanThe Road AheadResurrectionReturn with the ElixirThese steps explain, in detail, the trajectory of the story while leaving room to put in differing characters and pursuits of different ideals. While many contemporary stories still follow this structure, it is easiest to see it in the light of an epic.We’ll use Lord of the Rings as an example of this story structure. While the entire story follows the structure multiple times, we’ll stick to Frodo’s arc.Step 1 The Ordinary WorldThe Lord of the Rings story begins, rather appropriately, in the most banal land in Middle Earth. The Shire is a pure ordinary world where nothing too much happens, and everyone lives without any idea that better or worse things exist outside its borders. (Well, they have some idea, but go the cognitive dissonance route to ignore it.)Step 2 The Call to AdventureThe Call to Adventure comes when Gandalf shows up in search of the One Ring.He tells Frodo a quest needs to be taken up but doesn’t give the full details. T his bleeds into Refusing the Call as Frodo accepts part of the responsibility, without understanding the rest.Step 3 Refusing the CallRefusing the Call is about seeing what has to be done and deciding there has to be someone else.A good hero, like a proper Platonic philosopher-king, needs to reject the call first to be more worthy of it. Frodo will finish Refusing the Call later in Rivendell as he tries to bargain that others are more capable.Step 4 Meeting a MentorThough Gandalf served as a Mentor in The Hobbit, Aragorn (as Strider) is the Mentor here.Meeting him gets the four hobbits along the correct path and out of the shying away into the real journey. The Mentor often brings insight, training, or purpose to a hero.Step 5 Crossing the ThresholdCrossing the Threshold reflects the hero facing a challenge and realizing they can make a difference.For Frodo, this occurs twice, the first time as he faces the barrow wraiths and rescues his friends, the second is surviving the orc a ttack in Moria. Both thresholds show the power of gifts he received from Biblo but also hint at how friendship will play a role in his other tests.Step 6 Tests, Allies, and EnemiesTests, Allies, and Enemies is a larger middle section of the Hero’s Journey which winds through other elements.The gathering of the fellowship is a gaining of allies, their journey is a test, the fellowship mirrors the numbers of the enemy Ring Wraiths.This step might not necessarily be a solid, definable moment, but rather something that has been happening throughout the story until this point.Step 7 Approach the Innermost CircleApproach the Innermost Circle is a great danger, if not the greatest danger, a hero faces.Within Frodo’s journey, this is when he attempts to leave the rest of the group behind, going alone on the river because he fears what will happen if he keeps with the group.This moment in your story should be high tension, with consequences that impact the overall plot.Step 8 The OrdealThe Ordeal is what takes place inside the Innermost Circle.In the wastes of Mordor, Frodo must hold out against the weight of the One Ring. It is a prolonged Ordeal but well within the idea of the step.This is another step that can fall within a previous step.Step 9 Seizing the TalismanSeizing the Talisman is about gaining an object of power that will turn the tide for the hero.Tolkien has many of these for other characters, usually in the form of legendary or magical weapons they acquire. For Frodo, the specifics of the talisman are in his pity on Gollum.Step 10 The Road AheadThe Road Ahead takes the hero from the talisman to a final conflict.In this case, Frodo is betrayed by Gollum and nearly killed by Shelob, saved only by the friendship with Samwise.The consequences of Seizing the Talisman are usually a downward turn, comparable with Pinch 2 from the 3 Act structure.Step 11 ResurrectionResurrection often involves a person, or entity returning after being thought dead.Gandalf becomes the white, Luke comes back with a mechanical hand, Frodo fails to discard the ring and has to be attacked by Gollum.Frodo’s resurrection is being saved at the last moment by his previous good decisions, often a resurrection succeeds because of past decisions by a hero and rarely the actions they take in that moment.Step 12 Return with the ElixirFinally, the hero must Return with the Elixir, taking everything they have learned and accomplished back to the Ordinary World they once inhabited.Frodo and Sam arrive to take on Saruman, showing their knowledge and skill acquired through the Journey to return the land to peace.This is often the last chapter, showing your character/s returning to their life or beginning to create their new life.Story Structure #3 The 5 MilestonesIf the previous two structures seemed restrictive or overly elaborate (the Hero’s Journey is 12 freaken steps, after all) then the 5 Milestones structure is for you.This structure keeps it simple by focusing on five plot points, usually one or two scenes each, that create the scaffold of the story. These Milestones have to go in order, but the space between them can be adjusted quite a lot.Here are the 5 Milestones for this story structure:SetupInciting Incident1st Slap2nd SlapClimaxWe’ll use the Hunger Games to rundown this structure.Milestone 1 The SetupThe first Milestone works just like the 3 Act and the Ordinary World. It shouldn’t be surprising as beginnings all need to do the same thing.Collins sets her premise up by explaining the reason there are districts, why the Games exist, and introducing Katniss as the protagonist.We know, rather quickly, that the world is dystopian and unfair, and we know the main character has the skills to make an impact.Milestone 2 The Inciting IncidentThis leads to the Inciting Incident, the kickoff to the main plot and conflict in your novel.In this case, Katniss’ own sister is chosen to take part in the Games. A task she is not ready for and will likely not survive. Not only that, it will spell disaster for the rest of the District if or when she fails.That spec ific moment is the inciting incident because it leads to Katnisss next decision, which kicks off the entire point of the book: Katniss volunteers to be the tribute.This sets the rest of the plot in motion while also anchoring the reader to the motives of the hero.Milestone 3 The 1st SlapThe 1st Slap, much like Pinch 1, sets the stakes and introduces the larger plot.The Inciting Incident is often character motivating and motivated. The 1st Slap is usually external, a factor within the world that must be overcome. The opening of the Games sets the stakes and shows the danger Katniss will face. This parallels Crossing the Threshold in the Heros Journey story structure, where first blood is drawn and the hero, as well as the reader, see the reality of the dangers.Rather than simply being told â€Å"there be dragons†, they see one firsthand.The 1st Slap also makes good on the promise of adventure by putting the hero into the middle of a peril that they must escape. There is no tu rning back, only moving forward.Milestone 4 The 2nd SlapThis takes us into the 2nd Slap. Here, we see things get worse like a Pinch 2, but we see the hope on the horizon.We know the Talisman, as seen in the Heros Journey story structure, is out there to be seized.In The Hunger Games, this is seen by Katniss working out a plan to fake a relationship with Peta to get support from the outside; a means of survival. She needs to keep him alive for his sake, and for hers. He is dying from an infection and she is told there will be an item she needs at the feast.The feast is a huge risk, but it offers hope. She must take the chance. Things go badly, of course, and the hope teeters her on ruin.Milestone 5 The ClimaxAll of this creates the landscape for the final Milestone: The Climax.With the Games coming down to just Peta or Katniss, we go back to the events of the Inciting Incident and loop that motivation into how the hero wins.Frodo helped Gollum, who saves him in return (not out of g ood intent, but it gets us there). Katniss has a need to protect others, all her actions follow that desire.She sees a way to save Peta by threatening herself. This kind of character-driven resolution makes for a rewarding story and makes it easy to weave the details of your final victory throughout.Your readers stay looped into the triumph because they root for the character because they like them, not because the plot says that they win.The secret to making a story kickass is to make it come from within. A good reader can smell a set up a mile away. A good reader also loves to see a Milestone achieved.There you have it, three ways to get a story from ‘In the Beginning’ to ‘The End’ that will keep you focused and organized. The reader will know what you’re doing, following along through the peaks and valleys, the twists and turns, confident that your roadmap will lead somewhere promising.Start Your Story Off Right TODAYIf you have a writing prompt o r story idea and youre ready to write your book, dont do it alone.Check out this free training to help you go from idea, to outline, to finished book.

William Wordsworths Daffodils Poem

William Wordsworths Daffodils Poem William Wordsworth (1770-1850) was a British poet who is known, along with friend Samuel Taylor Coleridge, for writing the collection Lyrical Ballads and a Few Other Poems. This set of poems embodied a style that was a break from the traditional epic poetry of the time and helped to launch what became known as the Romantic era. Wordsworths preface to the 1798 publication includes his famous argument in favor of common speech within poetry so that they would be accessible to more people. Poems from Lyrical Ballads include Coleridges best-known work, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and one of Wordsworths more controversial pieces, Lines Written a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey. Wordsworths most critically-acclaimed work is the massive poem The Prelude, which he worked on throughout his life and which was published posthumously. But its perhaps his simple musing on a field of yellow flowers that became Wordsworths best-known and most-recited poem. I Wandered Lonely As a Cloud was written in 1802 after the poet and his sister happened upon a field of daffodils during a walk.   Life of William Wordsworth Born in 1770 in Cockermouth, Cumbria, Wordsworth was the second of five children. Both his parents died when he was young, and he was separated from his siblings, but later reunited with his sister Dorothy, with whom he remained close for the rest of his life.   In 1795 he met fellow poet Coleridge, beginning a  friendship and collaboration that would not only inform his work but his philosophical outlook as well. Both Wordsworths wife Mary and his sister Dorothy also influenced his work and his outlook.   Wordsworth was named Englands Poet Laureate in 1843, but in a strange twist of fate, ended up not writing anything while he held the honorary title.   Analysis of I Wandered Lonely As a Cloud This poems simple and straightforward language doesnt have much in the way of hidden meaning or symbolism  but reflects Wordsworths deep appreciation for nature. Before graduating from college, Wordsworth went on a walking tour of Europe, which inspired his interest in natural beauty as well as the common man.   Complete Text Here is the complete text of William Wordsworths I Wandered Lonely As a Cloud aka Daffodils   I wandered lonely as a cloudThat floats on high oer vales and hills,When all at once I saw a crowd,A host, of golden daffodils;Beside the lake, beneath the trees,Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.Continuous as the stars that shineAnd twinkle on the milky way,They stretched in never-ending lineAlong the margin of a bay:Ten thousand saw I at a glance,Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.The waves beside them danced; but theyOut-did the sparkling waves in glee:A poet could not but be gay,In such a jocund company:I gazed - and gazed - but little thoughtWhat wealth the show to me had brought:For oft, when on my couch I lieIn vacant or in pensive mood,They flash upon that inward eyeWhich is the bliss of solitude;And then my heart with pleasure fills,And dances with the daffodils.

French Passive Voice †La voix passive

French Passive Voice - La voix passive Voice is a grammatical term which indicates the relationship between a subject and verb. There are three different voices in French and English. In the passive voice, the action described by the verb is being done to the subject by an agent, which is usually introduced by one of two prepositions:1. When the verb expresses an action, the agent is introduced by the preposition par:Active voice  Ã‚  Ã‚  David fait le mà ©nage.  Ã‚  Ã‚  David is doing the housework.Passive voice  Ã‚  Ã‚  Le mà ©nage est fait par David.  Ã‚  Ã‚  The housework is done by David.Active voice  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lise lit le livre.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lise is reading the book.Passive voice  Ã‚  Ã‚  Le livre est lu par Lise.  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book is read by Lise.2. When the verb expresses a state of being,  the agent is either introduced by de or left out entirely:Active voice  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tout le monde le respecte.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Everyone respects him.Passive voice  Ã‚  Ã‚  Il est respectà © de tout le monde.  Ã‚  Ã‚  He is respected by everyone.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Il est à ©minemment respectà ©.  Ã‚  Ã‚  He is highly respected.Active voice  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mes amis aiment ma mà ¨re.   Ã‚  Ã‚  My friends love my mother.Passive voice  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ma mà ¨re est aimà ©e de mes amis.  Ã‚  Ã‚  My mother is loved by my friends. How to Conjugate the French Passive Voice The passive voice is formed with the conjugated verb  Ãƒ ªtre   the  past participle. The past participle has to agree with the subject, not the agent, in gender and number, just like  Ãƒ ªtre verbs  in the  passà © composà ©Ã‚  (more about agreement):  Ã‚  Ã‚  Le livre est à ©crit par des lycà ©ens.  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book is written by high schoolers.  Ã‚  Ã‚  La vaisselle est faite  par Henri.  Ã‚  Ã‚  The dishes are done by Henri.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Les enfants sont nourris  par Luc.  Ã‚  Ã‚  The kids are fed by Luc. To use the French passive voice in any other tense or mood, just conjugate  Ãƒ ªtre  accordingly: Active voice Passive voice prsent Anne fait la tarte.Anne makes the pie. La tarte est faite par Anne.The pie is made by Anne. pass compos Anne a fait la tarte.Anne made the pie. La tarte a t faite par Anne.The pie was made by Anne. imparfait Anne faisait la tarte.Anne was making the pie. La tarte tait faite par Anne.The pie was being made by Anne. futur Anne fera la tarte.Anne will make the pie. La tarte sera faite par Anne.The pie will be made by Anne. subjonctif Je veux quAnne fasse la tarte. I want Anne to make the pie. Je veux que la tarte soit faite par Anne.I want the pie to be made by Anne. How to Use  the French Passive Voice Now that you know about prepositions and agents and how to conjugate the passive voice, its on to more practical matters. The French passive voice may be used for two reasons:A)  To put more emphasis on the person or thing performing the action:Active:  Un enfant a à ©crit ce livre.  - A child wrote this book.Passive:  Ce livre a à ©tà © à ©crit par un enfant.  - This book was written by a child.B)  To focus on an action without identifying the performer:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jean a à ©crit ce livre.  - Jean wrote this book.  Ã‚  Ã‚  vs  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Il a à ©tà © à ©crit en 1927.  - It was written in 1927. How to Avoid the French Passive Voice The French passive voice has a slightly formal or  literary  tone and is used less frequently than in English. There are several alternatives to the passive voice (besides the active voice): A)  To focus on the performer, use  cest:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ce livre a à ©tà © à ©crit par un enfant. Cest un enfant qui a à ©crit ce livre.  Ã‚  Ã‚  This book was written by a child. Its a child who wrote this book.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Le record a à ©tà © battu par une femme. Cest une femme qui a battu le record.  Ã‚  Ã‚  The record was beaten by a woman. Its a woman who beat the record.B)  To avoid identifying the performer, there are two options:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.  On (impersonal subject pronoun)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ce livre a à ©tà © à ©crit en 1927. On a à ©crit ce livre en 1927.  Ã‚  Ã‚  This book was written in 1927.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ils ont à ©tà © pardonnà ©s. On les a pardonnà ©s.  Ã‚  Ã‚  They have been excused.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2.  Se (passive reflexive)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ce livre est souvent lu. Ce livre se lit souvent.  Ã‚  Ã‚  This book is often read.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Les mà »res ne sont pas vendues ici. Les mà »res ne se vendent pas ici.  Ã‚  Ã ‚  Blackberries arent sold here.

Costco's Five Forces Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Costco's Five Forces Analysis - Essay Example The focus in this paper is on Costco Wholesale Corporation (CWC) that operates a series of ‘cash & carry membership warehouses’ that trade high-quality, domestically branded as well as privately labeled merchandises at a low price range. It sells the products to businesses that purchase for the purpose of commercial use and also to the individuals as selected member groups. The business of the company is depended on the attainment of high sales volume along with inventory turnover by providing various ranges of products at low price. Costco Wholesale Corporation receives bulk purchase based inquiries from domestic as well as international markets in large volumes. Costco Wholesale Corporation possesses widespread worldwide buying power and it endeavors to satisfy any specific item related requirements beyond its everyday assortment. The innovative concept regarding warehouse retail has enabled the Costco Wholesale Corporation (CWC) to make vertical integration and provid e the products from manufacturers towards consumers. Porter Five Forces analysis facilitates to establish the strength of competition, profitability as well as the attractiveness of a company in the marketplace where it is operating. The five competitive forces that generate the framework of market and industry are ‘bargaining power of supplier’, ‘bargaining power of customers’, ‘threats of new entrants’, ‘threat of substitutes’ and ‘competitive rivalry between existing players’.... The other significant issue is the extreme focus related to capital, as type of inventories as well as warehouse facilities make it difficult for a firm to exist. Another noteworthy issue is that the retailers of warehouse strive to maintain brand loyalty and this effort is unique in comparison to usual customer loyalty based campaigns. In this aspect, Costco has captured the lead by means of proliferation related to tangible products as well as services (George et. al., 2004, pp. 8). Threat of New Entrants The threat of new entrants is low as there is high obstruction of entry in the market due to intense competition of Costco and its competitors. The new entrants may face enormous cost due to the inbuilt capital strength of the company. Costco already has developed good affiliation with suppliers as well as customers thus it would be a challenge for a new company to operate in the new market. Therefore, for Costco new entries are not a matter of great concern. The new entry may be important for two reasons: if the existing store in the market launches a product with greater expediency and low cost and if the competitors such as Target or Wal-Mart introduce warehouse retail chain with their capital resources. However, such situations have not occurred, as a result, for Costco the threat of new entrants has not become a major issue (George et. al., 2004, pp. 8). Threat of Substitute Products The threat of substitute of new products is considered to be low because the substitute of Costco’s multi product offerings is not available in the market. There is presence of substitutes of the products of Costco when there is disaggregation of the products across sub-industry parts. The mattress

Health and Women as Healers in the African American Culture Research Paper

Health and Women as Healers in the African American Culture - Research Paper Example African Americans have a long health tradition and practices of health that shape what they do to care for themselves today. According to Becker, Rahima, and Edwina (par. 9), the traditional medicine of African Americans can be traced back past enslavement in America to their native cultures in Africa. Fundamental facets of the African American culture are key self-care strategy development. There is a basic self-care approach that builds on extensive values and practices. These practices and values comprise of social support, spirituality and traditional medicine. Each of these practices of culture is vital in shaping the understanding of an individual of self-care. Together, they form the foundation for the activities of self-care that are cultured further so as to manage illnesses. Nonetheless, when the cultural approach to self-care was applied to particular health concerns, the establishment of additional self-care strategies was impacted by access to health care. Health care accessibility made a difference in how individuals managed their illnesses Healing has a long alliance with faith, spirit, family support and altered consciousness state. Women have traditionally been healers in the society in all cultures, as healing has been viewed as the natural duty of wives and mothers. Healing has also been regarded as a natural display of the feminine principle. Healing is the return toward the integrity natural state and individual wholeness. Healers facilitate the process of healing. The woman healer learns or inherits skills and abilities of healing from family, apprenticeships or spirits. The woman healer can holistically observe the intricate nature of the illness. Then, she treats the mind, body and spirit with stress in the spirit and practice prevention of disease. Moreover, their clients trust them. These women have a distinct connection to the spirit world that empowers them to heal. Additionally, they are wise to

The Pricing of Health Costs and its Effect on the Poor in the United Dissertation

The Pricing of Health Costs and its Effect on the Poor in the United States - Dissertation Example This part of the research paper focuses on reviewing relevant literatures about healthcare cost in the US and how it affects poor people who are relatively more needy to the healthcare-services than others. By reviewing various literatures, this part of the research develops a model presenting the relation between healthcare insurance claims and health risks. Healthcare pricing in the US According to Porter and Teisberg (2006), the US healthcare system is on a dangerous path due to toxic combination of high costs, uneven quality, frequent errors and peoples’ limited access to the services (p. 17). Out of these indicators, high cost seems to be a most challenging to the public, mainly to the poor. The healthcare services in the US are mainly delivered through private hands, but still, it is partially governed by free market forces. Healthcare service delivery and consumption do not meet the basic elements of a free market and is therefore often described as quasi-or imperfect m arket. In a free-market, there will be many patients- service buyers and many sellers, service providers who act independently. In such a situation, price is neither fixed by any external agency nor providers collude to fix it, but rather, prices are automatically governed by the forces of free-market due to the interaction of supply and demand forces (Shi and Singh, 2008, p. 12). But, when it comes to the US healthcare market, the consumers are general public with diseases who need quality medical services, payers are Medicare and Medicaid and sellers or providers are private or otherwise healthcare institutions. In such a marketing condition, prices are theoretically determined by the payers and not by market forces of demand and supply. Healthcare cost in the US has been rapidly increasing since 1960s, due to a number of factors including aging population, patient demand for high technology, need for best care available, technological advances, increasing therapeutic options and general economic factors like inflation (McCarthy and Schafermeyer, 2004, p. 649). A country can be said to spend in excess when it there is a differences between its spending per person on healthcare and its gross domestic product per person (Reinhardt, 2008). More specifically, the spending on healthcare in the US is more than that of other industrialized nations in the world and this cost increases surpasses the growth of various other important components of the US economy. most researchers found that Americans in general are highly dissatisfied of high cost of healthcare and its system as well (McCarthy and Schafermeyer, 2004, p. 649). How much does healthcare cost? Healthcare alone accounts to be one seventh of US national economy. The total spending on healthcare in the US in 1997 has been accounted to be $1,092 billion, which was twice as much as on education and three times as much as on national defenses. This spending also can be considered as one and half times as much a s on healthcare per capita spending of Canada (Heshmat, 2001, p. 67). The growth of healthcare costs has been slowing down dramatically since 1992, with 4.8 % in 1992, 3.1 % in 1993, 1.5 % in 1995 and so on. Healthcare cost growth, but in declining level, thus has been an unusual one in the recent history of US healthcare spending. Though there were greater advances in managed care and there were much efforts from

Business Intelligence Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Intelligence - Research Paper Example Staples (2009) explained that business intelligence is considered as the techniques to cut and dice the data to generate reports. One of the available tools for business intelligence reports is SAP Crystal Reports Solution. The main purpose of this tool is to provide a comprehensive and graphical representation of the data to organizations. Organizations can analyze their operational and service performance (with the help of these reports) to identify the weak and strong areas, as well as analyze the industry data to identify opportunities, market trends and threats in the environment. SAP Crystal Reports Solution provides an effective medium to create, securely share and manage data for effective reporting (SAP, n.d.). It is an affordable solution that facilitates faster decisions for the development of business and increased market shares. SAP Crystal Reports Solution offers scalability since it can be increased from a couple of users to 200 employees (working simultaneously), as p er need of the organization. The solution encompasses two technologies; SAP Crystals Reports and SAP Crystal Reports Server. SAP Crystal Reports provide the interactivity and viewing capabilities, while the Server provides features to share the reports in an organized manner. Server also provides the conversion of reports into document formats.

The Financial System and the Economy Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Financial System and the Economy - Coursework Example Various organizations that had invested in the organizations located in United States even suffered a huge loss as these organizations were on the verge of bankruptcy (The Economist, 2013). This depicts that organizations located in one region are highly dependent on organizations in other regions and thus there is a need to protect organizations in one nation to protect organizations in other nations. In order to avert and avoid future similar financial crises the regulators in the United States need to keep a close watch on the organizations in the United States and stop them from indulging in unhealthy practices due to which they may face losses and experience bankruptcy. This in turn will not only protect organizations in US, this will even protect organizations and economies throughout the world. 2. The five determinants that investors take into account while making any investment related decisions includes the expected return which is the return on investment that investors assume or predict they will receive through an investment. The return is the determinant which is the amount of money that a particular security has earned and evens the alterations in the price of the security in comparison to the value at which the security was initially traded. The third determinant is the capital yield which is the amount of money an investor is able to earn within a specific period of time and its comparison with the value of the investment that was experienced at the beginning of the specific period (Croushore, 2007). The fourth determinant is the capital yield which is a term used to refer to the elevation in the dollar based value of a particular investment over a specific period of time. The last factors is the capital gains yield which is the capital gains that a particular inv estment has offered in comparison with the value of the investment at the start of the period in which the capital gains is measured. The most important

Gramsci's Philosophy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gramsci's Philosophy - Assignment Example This is because any slight manifestation of intellectual activityin any language contains varied conceptions of the world. The diverse conceptions are necessitated by the fact that everyone is unique in his or her way. Thereafter, an individual may be compelled to move to the next level of conceptualization, which entails criticism and awareness. In other words, spontaneous philosophy gives people insights on how their world is; thus, they are presented with the opportunity to take part in everything that occurs in it. Spontaneous philosophy consists of three elements namely;common sense and good sense, language and religion. First, the language in spontaneous philosophy should not have baseless words, but concepts and notions that have content. Common sense as an element of spontaneous philosophy refers to the illogical set of held beliefs and assumptions common to any society; whereas good sense refers to the concrete realistic, common sense in the English meaning of the term. Gram sci’s intention in conceptualizing spontaneous philosophy aims at giving individuals an opportunity to criticize their own conceptions of the world. This in turn, makes the world comprehensible and raises it to a level that can only be reached by the utmost advanced opinions in the whole world. In addition to that, acquiring one’s own conception of the world puts an individual within the same social framework with other individuals who are likely to share the same philosophy. 2. Discuss in detail the passage from spontaneous philosophy to philosophy of Praxis. Engage the moment of critical awareness, which serves as a transition. What, then, is philosophy of Praxis and what sets it apart from spontaneous philosophy? Spontaneous philosophy begins with individuals viewing themselves as philosophers. This is magnified by the fact that everyone is unique in his or her own way; thus, they view the world differently. The varied conceptualization of the world makes one belong to a particular group where common thoughts are shared. In these groups, thoughts and conceptualizations of individuals are tailored to make them be at par with the world’s most advanced thoughts. This forms the starting point of one’s critical elaboration since he gets the opportunity to have knowledge of himself. After comprehension of oneself, individuals are supposed to have a better understanding of the philosophical history as well as the history of culture. Knowledge of one’s history of culture and philosophy puts one in a better place to have a clear and critical conception of the world. Understanding one’s language is also central in conceptualizing the world since it lessens the intricacy in comprehending things. Language understanding also enables the translation of one culture to the other; thus, producing a new culture with an extraordinary element of intellectualorder and harmonizationis made easier. The philosophy of Praxis denotes the soc io-practical activity whereby actions and thoughts are mutually determined. It cannot present itself at the beginning in a critical and polemical appearance, but as superseding the prevailing perceptible thoughts and the existing modes of thinking. First, it must be criticize the commonsense notion, basing its arguments that everyone is a philosopher in his or her own way. Then, it must criticize the philosophy of intellectuals, from which the history of philosophy developed. Having understood these criticisms, one may conclude that philosophy of Praxis leads to a higher life conception and does not leave simple details in their nascent philosophy of common sense. 3. Discuss the differences between the two great (in Gramsci’

The Financial System and the Economy Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Financial System and the Economy - Coursework Example Various organizations that had invested in the organizations located in United States even suffered a huge loss as these organizations were on the verge of bankruptcy (The Economist, 2013). This depicts that organizations located in one region are highly dependent on organizations in other regions and thus there is a need to protect organizations in one nation to protect organizations in other nations. In order to avert and avoid future similar financial crises the regulators in the United States need to keep a close watch on the organizations in the United States and stop them from indulging in unhealthy practices due to which they may face losses and experience bankruptcy. This in turn will not only protect organizations in US, this will even protect organizations and economies throughout the world. 2. The five determinants that investors take into account while making any investment related decisions includes the expected return which is the return on investment that investors assume or predict they will receive through an investment. The return is the determinant which is the amount of money that a particular security has earned and evens the alterations in the price of the security in comparison to the value at which the security was initially traded. The third determinant is the capital yield which is the amount of money an investor is able to earn within a specific period of time and its comparison with the value of the investment that was experienced at the beginning of the specific period (Croushore, 2007). The fourth determinant is the capital yield which is a term used to refer to the elevation in the dollar based value of a particular investment over a specific period of time. The last factors is the capital gains yield which is the capital gains that a particular inv estment has offered in comparison with the value of the investment at the start of the period in which the capital gains is measured. The most important

Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 19

Operations Management - Essay Example These two areas are among the objectives of operations management. The analysis of the company will use operations management tools and techniques that include standard operations positioning tools that are the 4vs, performance tools and transformation process. In addition, the report will look at capacity measurement techniques and operations improvement tools. Finally, the report will highlight the recommendations that can help improve the condition of RWE npower Company. Operations management is an art and a science of guaranteeing successful creation and delivery of goods and services to the customers (Collier and Evans, 2010, p.3). It involves managing inputs which are the resources through a transformation process to deliver outputs that are the goods or services (Rowbotham, Azhashemi and Galloway, 2012.p. 2). Processes refer to the many different ways of producing a product (Poonia, 2010, p.6). Operations management is the key to realizing competitive benefit for a company whether it is in manufacturing or service industry (Williams, 2012, p. 1). It addresses issues that an organization faces in its choices of products, production technology, utilization of capacity, preservation of quality, costing and sourcing of materials and client handling policies (Mahadevan, 2010, p 7). RWE npower is among the five leading electricity and gas companies in Europe. The company is number 3 and 5 in terms of sales in electricity and gas respectively. The company has other market segments in Czech Republic, Netherlands, and Germany and in the UK where it’s among the top suppliers of fuel. In addition, the company has leading positions Central Eastern and South Eastern Europe markets (RWE Corporate Website, 2015, p. 1). The company specializes in four business areas namely, RWE npower Company has a market positioning statement that reads â€Å"The Energy to Lead†. The company has

The Effect of Media on Young Girls

The Effect of Media on Young Girls The Effect of Media on Young Girls One of the most sensitive stages of a human being are their youth, whilst growing up one is faced with numerous transitions that transform one into someone mature. Our society has been swamped by endless media around us coming in different formats, i.e. magazines, newspapers, TV, Internet, etc. Each one of these has managed to flood dominating messages that put one’s self-image into question. Within the context of this essay, it examines the effect of media on young girls. The fact young girls are at a vulnerable phase they are most likely to be impacted by what they watch on TV, read in the magazines and get pumped by the current social media. Unfortunately the media has put a great deal of stress and pressure on the minds of sensitive young girls who are compelled to accomplish a so called ‘perfect image’. When we refer to the term ‘ideal image’, it directly includes supermodels, models, singers, actresses and icons who seem to be the ideal of young girls. Media is clearly responsible for promoting fake images of models who undergo an airbrushed and edited image of themselves when presented in magazines. Furthermore, these supermodels undergo strict and dangerous diets where their health suffers to an extreme. There are issues of self-image which are seen to be the biggest concern. Within self-image it results in three destructive effects, namely; depression (physical and mental) and eating disorders (Schlegel, n.d) York (2012) exposes the shocking figures from 2011 at 16% highlights there has been a boom in eating disorders. One of the biggest increase was mainly girls who were aged from 10 to 15 up at 69% in 2011. It could further be elaborated that eating disorders have the highest morality rates of any mental illness which were accounted at 20%. Interestingly, the depiction of the so called ‘ideal’ body kinds portrayed by Western media has been perceived as a major factor in inseminating eating disorders. It can be highlighted how social media has rapidly promoting these diseases. Shockingly, the research points out eating disorders were becoming widespread just like a virus due to social networks, whereas pro-anorexic websites would offer tips, guidance and an online community was designed for unhealthy weight management. One fine example demonstrating the widespread search conducted online on eating disorders and losing weight unhealthily is the case of Pinterest who have take n an initiative to put an end to search words, i.e. ‘thininspiration’ that would provide users a list of results which were linked to eating disorders. Pinterest offered users to read warnings that would refer to the dangers of eating disorders and how they weren’t a part of lifestyle choices but were simply a mental disorder which if they left untreated could possibly result in major health problems and even pose a major threat to one’s life. One of the other social networks that is notorious with promoting self-consciousness is Facebook. Facebook has been pro-actively promoting ‘self-consciousness as being an extremely important issue where body image and weight are center of attention. Maree (n.d) believes media has been compelling numerous youth to commit suicide, it has brought youth suicide to the front row where there has been a boom in youth depression that results in a high rate of suicide in the recent years. Maree refers to the statistics taken from the National Suicide Research Foundation (NSRF) back in 2011 which showed the suicide rates stood at four male to one female ratio. Furthermore, suicide amongst young girls was displayed in 2012 as a result of numerous tragic deaths. There were three major deaths that raised eye brows and outraged the public, the tragic deaths of Ciara Pugsley, Erin and Shannon Gallagher raised a very significant issue of why these deaths took place and scrutinizing the negative influence of media and promotion of self-image pushing these young souls to plunge to their own death. Their deaths resulted in organizations within the government along with the media instantly initiating work on fighting the lack of resources for the youth who were suffering from depression. It should be pointed youth depression has emerged due to numerous factors, where such a condition is simply complicated in nature. Self-esteem is said to be one of the main issues which emerge in youth depression. Unfortunat ely the media has been predominantly playing a negative role in promoting conflicting interest in itself also for the youth, where if bad exposure is restricted it can certainly make a major difference. The number of times the young girls view a super model, this makes them wonder if they could share a resemblance to their so called ‘media ideal’s and accomplish this by undergoing cruel diets at a tender age when their bodies are undergoing numerous kinds of changes. The fact the media is constantly flooding the TV channels, fashion magazines and social media with representing a so called ‘perfect woman’, this results in the creation of mental and emotional issues, this specially refers to the inability to remain joyful in their very own body. As per the comments by a counsellor, such a depiction clearly delivers a very impractical body image in the media which can have an extremely serious and deep impact on susceptible woman than one imagines. Sanders (n.d) emphasizes how media marketing has simply depicted a very fake image of models, actresses and icons that becomes an impossible objective for young girls to accomplish. The fact the youth are highly influenced by celebrities and pick up the latest fashion, hair-style and lifestyle trends from their ideals, this results in a trend of being a copy-cat where one is compelled to imitate their ideals and feel a sense of dissatisfaction if they are unable to do so. If one takes into consideration how popular media has been progressively promoting a thinner and thinner body image as the so called ideal for women, this has become more like a competition for the youth where they feel it is necessary to maintain a thin image. Being thin for today’s youth means being beautiful, here they are unable to distinguish between reality and what is digital editing in magazines, social media and online websites. Unfortunately, the youth are paying a heavy price at the expense of their health to be socially accepted by starving themselves on fad diets that will have a major side-effect on their health. In terms of self-confidence, the youth will feel out of place, lacking a sense of affinity and unable to confidently socialize if they do not fit the so called ideal criteria of being thin and beautiful. They feel their social group will reject them on basis of them being slightly fat or what is normal. There is this unpleasant bullying that comes into the picture where one is experiencing teasing from their counterparts on the basis of how they look like, i.e. fat. The fatter you are, the more unpleasant and disconnected you are from being a part of the popular group of girls. Heubeck (n.d) takes the example of American girls who are facing the burden of being model like thin which seems like a real aspiration for them, however this starts off at a very young age which is extremely disappointing. There are countless bombardments of TV adverts featuring models with perfect lips, body, hair-style and the entire attractive physical appearance that seems a must achieve for these young minds. Unfortunately these young girls seems to consider these celebrities as role models even if these role models have a cruel bad reputation. According to Renee Hobbs, EdD, Associate Professor of Communications at the Temple Univesity she found in her research the exposure an average teen gets to media is nearly 180 minutes with only 10 minutes of interaction with their parents on a daily basis. This view is shared by Elissa Gittes, MD- a pediatrician at the adolescent medicine at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, she believes young girls are obsessed with imitatin g the ideal image they watch in media, they end up taking harsh and desperate measures. There has been an increase in the number of young girls who comment on how unhappy they are with their body and are working obsessively hard to change this image of themselves. As per the research conducted by Nancy Signorielli from the Kaiser Foundation, Nancy discovered one in every three articles in leading teen girl magazines also consisted a key focus on physical appearance, where majority of the advertisements (reported at 50%) used an appeal to beauty to market and sell their products. Furthermore, the TV adverts and commercials which were targeted at female viewers depicted frequently were regularly watched by young girls where beauty was seen as the central theme for product appeal. When examining the figures on eating disorders, it points how 1,000 women died annually as a result of anorexia nervosa. Nearly, five percent of adult women and adolescent along with one percent of men were suffering from binge eating disorder, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. When comparing the figures on men to women suffering from depression and eating disorders, it clearly demonstrates it is young girls who are most affected and suffer from depression and eatin g disorders (Media’s effect on body image, n.d) It can be concluded from the findings within this essay popular media is certainly responsible for influencing young girls in a negative way by making them self-conscious about looking perfect. There has been an artificial imagery of icons created, flashed and swamped in different mediums of media that has caught the eye and attention of young minds who take it in a positive manner. The fact more and more young girls are driven towards looking like their ‘role models’ they take up unhealthy options to look physically perfect even if it means it is a life threatening one. The issue of self-image is an umbrella which entails issues of mental and physical depression along with eating-disorders that have multiplied and compelled young girls to commit suicide. More and more young girls are drawn to look perfect starting from as young as the age of 5. It is the responsibility of media, government, health organizations and parents to intervene and deviate these young girls from taking an extreme measure which would result in a complete chaos. There is a strong need to tackle this matter as the rapid flow of information available online and easily accessed by anyone at the click of a button, i.e. mobile device, tablet, etc., it is truly concerned as to how there is an endless amount of literature available that attracts more and more young minds to imitate their favorite celebrities, icons and become just like them. Governments and health organizations need to implement strict codes that would ban media from promoting an unrealistic picture of what is a perfect woman as these young minds are vulnerable and capable of believing what they see on TV. Parents should be actively involved in monitoring on the habits, patterns and changes in behaviors of their children. The fact we are living in a modern world has meant we are suffering greatly with a fabricated image of what is considered perfect by the media and what is truly perfect in the real world, which ob viously is a complete conflict. Schools and colleges should promote an awareness of accepting oneself rather hating one’s own image. Successful media campaigns conducted like the one by Dove was an impressive and attention grabbing one which demonstrated how beauty in women is not limited to any form of perfection of being thin but rather accepting oneself the way they are. It truly celebrates natural beauty and promotes this image by featuring a group of women in different colors, sizes, heights and empowers female beauty in a natural way. There is a strong need for more and more media campaigns similar to this that should be created and promoted to wash away the wrong image depicted of perfection into the young minds of girls.