Consultancy Report for Portsmouth Leather Company Essay

Consultancy Report for Portsmouth Leather Company - Essay Example Consultancy Report for Portsmouth Leather Company Portsmouth Leather is one of the renowned names when it comes to selling trendy and high fashion executive briefcase and travel case. The company portray strong financial outlook as during the last financial year the profit of the company increased by 10% to an impressive  £ 1,800,000. Following its marketing strategy of exploring new market, the company participated in the Frankfurt International Trade Fair. Eastern express, after being impressed by the quality of the company’s commodities in the fair, approached with an offer. The following report identifies the problems which the company is likely to face and the corresponding solutions to such problems. Portsmouth Leather needs to have additional finances in order to be capable of producing additional briefcases and travel cases. As per the cash-flow forecasted by the management, the company requires  £ 495,000 to finance the tender. The company has not incorporated, in the forecasted cash flow, the finance charges on the financing. Another problem that the company is likely to face is the fact that it does not have the additional production capacity to cater the tender. The company currently produces 2,000 units per month, but in order to acquire the tender, the company will be required to produce an additional 2,200 units per month for three months. The company needs to negotiate the overtime with the workforce. In addition, the company needs to bargain the cost of raw material with the supplier in order to increase its contribution margin.... The company needs to negotiate the overtime with the workforce. In addition, the company needs to bargain the cost of raw material with the supplier in order to increase its contribution margin. Negotiating the price of the tender is also significant. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS AND THEIR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES Solution 1 In order to finance the project, the company needs to acquire short term running finance facility from a bank or any other financial institution. Since the project is of a short term nature, obtaining a short terms running finance facility would be much beneficial rather than acquiring a long term facility. The plus point in acquiring a short term financing facility is that the company would be required to pay mark-up at a lower rate as compared to that if a long term facility would have been acquired. The company can also raise finance through issuance of shares in the market. The advantage of raising shares in the public market is that the company will avoid the finance charge, which it would have paid on the financing facility. Issuance of capital significantly improves the gearing of the company and strengths its equity. The disadvantage of raising finances through issuance of share capital is that it takes comparatively longer time for the existing and prospective share holder to subscribe to the shares and transfer their money to the company. Moreover, the statutory requirement regarding the floating of shares in the stock market is far more intricate as compared to the procedure involved in the sanctioning of a financing facility. Solution 2 The company’s current production capacity will not allow it to produce additional units unless it somehow increase its production capacity or shift its resources towards manufacturing items

UCAS application questionnaire - additional personal statement Essay

UCAS application questionnaire - additional personal statement - Essay Example Therefore, with the increasing human population, various issues arise like environmental degradation, overpopulation, poverty, and drought as well as human conflict, which need urgent attention as a way of preserving humanity and expediting it to keep in touch with the constant changes2. I also want to empower others after my training so that they can embrace education and knowledge. This degree will equip me with the necessary knowledge that is applicable in the outside world to solve real issues at the grass root level. This empowerment will pave way for innovativeness and knowledge that is a key factor in actualising the daily solution of problems that are recurrent and threatening to the existence of mankind. As the common saying goes, â€Å"Knowledge is power†, I am optimistic that by the time of completion of my course, I will have attained general and specific knowledge3. This automatically means that my whole perception of the world will have changed and hence my decision making will be rational. Apart from the knowledge acquisition, I will also improve my interrelation with others. Through the constant interaction with my classmates, who will be from diverse origins, I will be able to understand them more and empathise with them. This interaction will also foster inner understanding of others and in the long run lead to peaceful coexistence since all education and technological inventions will not be useful without peace. Technological improvements will revolutionise the whole concept of business. In the next decade, business activities will primarily be run through the internet since it bridges the gap between the producers and consumers4. Through the introduction of online buying and selling of goods and services, the world has become a better place as all the required business transactions that were initially manual will be fully computerised. Transport and communication will be swift and broadened in that many people will

Saint Augustine Research Paper Essay Example for Free

Saint Augustine Research Paper Essay Augustine was a bishop of Hippo Regius, a Latin philosopher and theologian. He was born in 354 in the town of Thagaste in Roman Africa. Growing up with a Pagan father and a Christian mother, Saint Augustine endured many experiences from which he produced a book of confessions. In this book he writes about his life and struggles with evil desires. He struggled with greed, gluttony and lust, which are three among seven of the deadliest sins. His main struggle was within faith and religion concerning sexual restrictions and church regulations. He overcomes these struggles when he finds his faith. The encounters of evil Saint Augustine battles with fluctuate throughout his life. In his book of confessions he states that committing greed and gluttony brought joy to him. He loved anything that would amuse him such as chariot racing, gladiator fights and theatre. He would venture in drinking; gambling, stealing and he participated in barbaric pranks on people. He focused more on his own pleasures other than helping others. What saved him was his mother, Monica, who prayed for Augustine’s wickedness to wither. Monica’s prayers were answered when she received a dream from God. During this time he became a teacher and over the years he saw that what he use to enjoy was dull and senseless. Slowly his immoral practices became nothing but regretful memories. His mother then started to persuade him to become a Christian in which he did. He found his faith and began a new life without sin. His most grueling struggle was the sin of lust. He was not chaste nor did he abide Christian precepts. In his book he describes that his actions were done to avoid mockery and to also be accepted by his peers. When his mother was directing him towards the good she proposed that he should marry. Augustine married a 10-year-old child and when waiting for her to evolve he had an affair. By overcoming this obstacle he finally converted to Christianity and refrained from any form of sexual pleasure. He states, â€Å"The evil was not in the sexual act itself but in the emotions that accompany it. He also considers lust to be an obstacle to obtain the virtuous life. Saint Augustine had a constant battle with himself towards church policy and restrictions. He struggled with the limitations towards sexual intentions, which included him to be faithful to his significant other and live a monogamous lifestyle. He disagreed with this because his number one struggle was his erotic desires. This was one of the reasons as to why he gradually con verted to Christianity. His struggle to adhere faith was one of the obstacles to find his identity. He overcame this with the help of his mother and her prayers and he soon came to realize that his past was full of sin so he cleansed himself and became who he is known to be today. Saint Augustine had a life of sin. He struggled with lust, gluttony, greed, faith and religion. He then found himself and became a Saint. Like anybody else Saint Augustine was human, he faced many obstacles concerning evil practices but in the end he overcame these struggles when faith prevailed.

To Sir With Love Book Review Education Essay

To Sir With Love Book Review Education Essay Edward Ricardo Braithwaite, one of the first black teachers in the British school system, recounts his first year as a teacher in the autobiographical novel, To Sir with Love. Unable to secure a job as a physicist in London, despite his many educational degrees, Braithwaite feels the sting of racial discrimination. He is persuaded to take a job as a schoolteacher at a unique school in Londons East End, a notoriously impoverished and tough part of 1940s Post War London. His students, mostly White European immigrants, are typically from unemployed families, have very little money, and are habitually filthy and malnourished. Students are sent to Greenslade Secondary School due to disciplinary problems. Despite their low socioeconomic status, and lack of basic academic skills, Braithwaite, a black man from British Guyana, sees his students as privileged simply because they are white. For their â€Å"underserved† privilege, and ignorance, Braithwaite resents and pities his students . Through the often tempestuous relationship between Braithwaite and his students, issues of racism and class discrimination are exposed. The struggle between teacher and student is a tutorial in critical pedagogy, and take the reader on a journey of internal examination, and individual accountability. In many ways, Braithwaites novel is a positive example of educational methodology, and the human connection needed between teacher and student. The overt message of To Sir with Love is the equal exchange between teacher and student. At Greenslade Secondary School, Braithwaite observes that students are encouraged to speak their minds, and are given regular opportunities to discuss what they are being taught. Teachers collaborate with fellow teachers, as well as with students, to decide the format in which lessons are delivered. Lessons are student-centered, and take into consideration the human-world relationship. Through his first person account, Braithwaite allows readers to follow his evolution from perceiving students as crude, belligerent, and unkempt, to viewing students as unique individuals deserving respect and compassion, resulting in a true paradigm shift. When given the opportunity to demonstrate their humanity, Braithwaite watches his students rise to the occasion in their own time, and in unexpected ways, a message all educators must recognize. From his experience working with students from disadvantaged and un derprivileged backgrounds, Braithwaite learns that all students have the potential to be successful when provided a teacher who believes in their ability. Throughout the novel, Braithwaite stresses the importance of teachers as team players. The commerce of ideas and advice from fellow teachers offers Braithwaite the support he needs to be successful in his classroom. Braithwaite focuses on the integral role faculty play, not only to Greenslades education program, but to student success as well. The enthusiasm for teaching and admiration for one another creates a supportive, successful, and positive school community. Alex Florian, head master of Greenslade Secondary School, seeks to create a school environment in which students feel safe and comfortable enough to learn and express themselves. Florian encourages teachers to discuss student progress with students in Weekly Reports, and encourages students to participate in school-wide Student Council reports, both of which are opportunities for students to have a voice. The educational methods implemented at Greenslade are valuable insights into alternatives to traditions modes of educat ion. To Sir with Love, proclaims to be a non-fictional account of Ricardo Braithwaites first year as a public schoolteacher during a notoriously racially divided period in British history. However, the miraculous and inspiring journey may leave some to consider the extent to which the author, Braithwaite himself, fictionalizes the novel version of himself. Braithwaite claims not to have been aware of racial prejudice until landing in London and searching for employment. The reader may find this notion hard to believe due to Braithwaites admitted service in the Royal Air Force. It is difficult for the reader to discern where autobiography ends, and fiction begins. Despite the apparent weakness in nonfiction voice, the strength of To Sir with Love lies in its message of forgiveness, understanding, and acceptance in the face of hate and prejudice. Braithwaite becomes a successful teacher only when he is able to see students as individuals. He is able to overcome his prejudice and â€Å"hate ful thoughts† ( p. 204) because he learns to love his students despite their shortcomings. Braithwaite learns the most important role he can play in the lives of his underprivileged students, is to provide them with â€Å"affection, confidence, and guidance, more or less in that order, because experience has shown that those are their most immediate needs† (p. 217). Braithwaites novel illustrates the importance of an equal partnership between teacher and student combined with the shared goal of learning.

US History Essays -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although the federal governments attitudes and actions towards blacks and Native Americans civil rights in the 19th century were very different they also had lots of similarities. Both blacks and Native Americans were treated poorly and did not have many rights. Blacks were slaves and Indians (Native Americans) were fighting to stay alive. All these negative actions were a bad look for a country that was growing bigger and bigger by the day to someday reach what the United States is today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Culture was a huge part of Indian life in the 19th century, from hunting buffalo and respecting and loving the lands that they lived on to amazing spiritual and religious ceremonies. Blacks did not have much culture because they were mostly all born slaves in the U.S.; except for the ones that were born in Africa and had good memories about they’re past culture. There were also elder slaves that had experienced the African culture who tried to pass it on to the American born slaves who didn’t have any sense of there culture. From the 1850’s all the way until 1924 the Indians were battling the U.S. militia, government and army. The Indians were being kicked off there land and forced onto reservations. Many battles such as Red Clouds war in 1863, Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 and even the Battle of Little Big Horn (Custer’s last stand) in 1876 are all examples of battles that the Indians fought against U.S. men. Many of these batt...

The Negative Impacts of the Harlem Renaissance Essay -- essays researc

The 1920’s were a period or rapid growth and change in America. After World War I American’s were introduced to a lifestyle of lavishness they had never encountered before. It was a period of radical thought and ideas. It was in this time period that the idea of the Harlem Renaissance was born. The ideology behind the Harlem Renaissance was to create the image of the â€Å"New Negro†. The image of African-American’s changed from rural, uneducated â€Å"peasants† to urban, sophisticated, cosmopolites. Literature and poetry abounded. Jazz music and the clubs where it was performed at became social â€Å"hotspots†. Harlem was the epitome of the â€Å"New Negro†. However, things weren’t as sunny as they appeared. Many felt that the Harlem Renaissance itself wasn’t so much a celebration of Black culture, but rather a regurgitation of White ideals. To these African-Americans, the Harlem Renaissance represented conformity and s ubmission to the White culture. Yet there were also those who were not even given the opportunity to be a part of the Harlem Renaissance. The poor Blacks in the South never received any of the racial tolerance up north. They lived in a world of racism and the Ku Klux Klan. The Harlem Renaissance did not redefine African-American expression. This can be seen through the funding dependence on White Americans, the continued spread of racism and the failure to acknowledge the rights of poor Southern African-Americans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harlem provided a source of entertainment for many people. With its Jazz Clubs and poetry readings it was the â€Å"hip† place to be. This was a shock to many African-American’s, who had never before had the opportunity to perform in such affluent surroundings. Oftentimes funding for these clubs or programs was provided by White Americans. This in itself was not a problem. However, the Harlem Renaissance became so dependant on the funding that when it stopped coming, there was no means by which to keep any of the clubs or literary cafes open. Some clubs in Harlem even discriminated against Black audience members. The popular Cotton Club, which featured solely Black performers, even went so far as to ban African-Americans’ from its audience entirely. Even in the Mecca of supposed racial equality, these sorts of discrimination were still prevalent. Advertisements for products produced by African-Americans were also skewed. Para... ...  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Harlem Renaissance was a time of growth and development in for African-Americans. They wrote novels, performed in clubs, and created the genre of Jazz. However, the Renaissance was imprisoned by its flaws. Rather then celebrating the unique culture of African-American’s, it oftentimes catered to what the White Americans would want to see and hear. Although racism seemed to be lower in Harlem and the Northern states, for many Blacks racism was at all time high. The Ku Klux Klan reached membership of astronomical proportions. They marched on Washington DC and handed out membership cards bashing minorities. Less educated Blacks, or those who couldn’t make it to Harlem, were often deemed ignorant. There was a barrier built between those Blacks with an education, and those without. And when the Great Depression hit, African Americans lost their jobs at a rate almost triple that of White Americans. Where was the equality Harlem had fought so hard f or? The Harlem Renaissance, although it did achieve some remarkable things, did not redefine African American expression. That ideal, would take many more years of strife, struggle, and segregation to achieve.

Lifespan Development and Personality

Oprah Winfrey’s development as an individual has a very unique and interesting perspective in terms of Psychological development. Ms. Winfrey is a product of an â€Å"accidental conception† by her parents. Her mother was a house maid and her father was a coil miner. At the age of 6 and 14, she was raped and sexually molested by her uncle and cousin. Her mother was often not around to help her and guide her. Ironically, even though she was having a hard time at home, she still excelled in school and had scholarship to support her education. As a growing child, she was used to poverty and hardships.After the incident of sexual molestations, she was forced to live with her dad. During these times, Oprah was helped by her dad to focus on her studies. At an age of 18 she won the Miss Black Tennessee Beauty pageant and then later on was given a job at a local radio station. Her exposure to media later evolved as she aspired to become a prominent figure in American Television years later. The forces that made big differences in her life are her childhood experiences and family as well as her experiences in her late adolescent years. The mixture of her bad memories and her successful life can be accounted on how she managed the anxieties and problems in which she might have encountered in the process of her maturity as a person.Oprah can be said to have a bad environment growing up. The way of life she lived in the poverty stricken places she grew up on might had opened her eyes on the realities of life even on   a tender age. She was not nurtured well also because her mother was irresponsible. Her father helped her to focus on her studies in her adolescent years but still had missed out a lot of important years in the childhood days. Fortunately, she overcame all adversities with her innate ability to be diligent in her goals.Even though she underwent a depressing phase in her childhood, she was also compensated later on by good education and support f rom her father. Emotionally, she might have chosen to become depressed and angry at life. In fact, she showed signs of rebellion at age 14 when she got regnant but eventually lost her baby. You can see the transition of her life as she was guided by her father. She became more focus and determined in life.There was less hostility in her environment as she entered the late adolescent and it helped her to become the person she is today. Today Oprah is known to be the good moral type of person. She is a philanthropist and helps the needy people in America as well as other parts of the globe. Her view of morality can be traced back to how she saw the injustices in her society in her childhood. The oppression of black people, the life her parents lived, and the way her classmates made fun of her due to her poverty opened her eyes on what’s right and wrong. Her ability today to empathize and sympathize is really a product of her first hand experience with the good and bad experienc es her had.Going back to her moral and emotional development, I want to focus more on the negative experiences she had in her childhood. We can see that Oprah went through a lot in her childhood. In Erik Erikson’s theory of development, she was at around stage three when her sexual molestation experiences happened. This stage is important since this is a stage where a crisis in a person’s development happens (initiative-guilt). The fact that family plays the biggest role in this stage makes her more vulnerable to level on more guilt than initiative. Instead of helping her feel purposeful and learn new skills, her family at that time mistreated her. In her next stage of development (industry and inferiority), she might had leveled on more inferiority than industry.This is where she was having troubles in school and starting to rebel on her family. She might have a sense of â€Å"inertia† or inferiority complex due to the fact that she had not strong support syste m in her family. When â€Å"inertia† happens, the child usually avoids doing something she was not able or failed to do properly (Boeree, 1997). In Oprah’s situation she might had given up on building good relationship with her family. Fortunately she was able to over come it as time went on and she stayed with her father. As she progress on to the stage five (ego-identity and role confusion crisis), she looked like she was successful in balancing out the crisis due to the fact her father offered social support for her and she was excelling in her studies.This might had giver her good amount of confidence to share herself to others and to be comfortable to be oneself. Her excellence in school and constant exposure to media might led her to develop a good social support system. Together with her father’s guidance, she had a healthy support system that helped her achieve many goals in her life. A good social support system of friends and family is vital in everyon e’s growth and security in life. After a turbulent childhood, she was able to find good connection to the world by her achievement. Later on in her life, she was one of the most powerful women in television and Hollywood. She helped people who needed help. She influenced politics. President Bill Clinton even singed an â€Å"Oprah bill† for the creations of a database of child abusers. She opened schools for people who can’t afford to go school. She directed her passion of helping other children and victims of catastrophe. She is said to be one of the most credible and influential Americans in history.Two theories of personality best apply for Ms. Winfrey. Abraham Maslow’s theory of heirrachy of needs can help us understand how Oprah’s traits and actions develop through her career and as a person. In her childhood, she was stuck on surviving on the first level of needs (physiological needs). As she grew older, she was given more and more support by her father, colleagues and friends. She was able to climb up the hierarchy of needs. By the time she was in her 20’s, she had already fulfilled the safety, belonging and esteem part of the hierarchy of needs. Today, she is seen to help others and use her past dispute in life as her tool to help and change other people’s lives.She is on a level in which she is self-actualizing and reaching out to help other since she had already fulfilled her own needs. Being in this self-actualization state, people who reached this usually has the continuous desire to fulfill his potential to become more and more of what you want (Boeree, 1997). In connection to this theory, Viktor Frankl’s theory of transcendence is a good approach in her case. Ms. Winfrey’s painful past could have destroyed her internally and made her a depressed person throughout life but instead she was able to transcend her experience to something useful to the world.She channeled her pain and suffer ing to counseling others in her show. She gave moral support to women who were abused and children who were in the same situation as her.   In comparing the two theories, Viktor Frankl stated that self-actualization is the side-effect of transcendence. In conclusion, the theory of transcendence of Frankl best accounts her behavior. Oprah’s actions and behaviors towards finding meaning in her life and helping others can be seen more of a spiritual and self less acts rather than Maslow’s theory in which people satisfy their own self-actualization needs thus resulting to helping others. Oprah over came a lot of adversities and trial in life and was able to overcome many â€Å"noogenic anxiety† that might have come in her way. She can be said to have found meaning in what she does today. She transforms her life’s experiences and lessons to something for the betterment of others.ReferencesBoeree, C. (1997). Retrieved on 24 April 2008 fromhttp://webspace.ship .edu/cgboer/perscontents.htmlBoeree, C. (1997). Retrieved on 24 April 2008 fromhttp://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/erikson.htmlBoeree, C. (1997). Retrieved on 24 April 2008 fromhttp://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/frankl.htmlBoeree, C. (1997). Retrieved on 24 April 2008 fromhttp://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/maslow.htmlDinh, M. & Murphy, J. (2008). Retrived on 24 April 2008 fromhttp://people.com/tag/oprah-winfrey/Unknown. (2008). REtrived on 24 April 2008 fromhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oprah_Winfrey