Traditional Chinese Family Analysis essays

Traditional Chinese Family Analysis essays Long before the industrialization and the rise of communism, Chinese civilization has been built peculiarly on the basis of family. The reason is that Chinese people have the unique family value system that would put family above their individual and personal needs; this is what we called familism. The value was implicitly shown in the Chinese word for family is the pictorial representation of several people under a roof, meaning possibly man, wife and children. According to the Chinese proverbs,  ¡If there are no families, there will be no country ¡, it seems that Chinese made familism even more central in that society than in most. However, Chinese families ¡ value system is gradually perished and replaced by a new set of family values under the effect of modern individualism. When compare my family to that of grandparents, indeed the two have a lot of differences, mostly manifest in their family structure, thinking, rituals, attitudes, and their name system. My grandparents have three sons and seven daughters. Until now, the grandparents ¡ family consists of three generations with at least thirty members. It is very interesting once the whole family had been traveled together on the plane I was shocked by the huge bunch of people bearing the same surname. Traditional Chinese people see this as a clan which is the root of Chinese civilization, larger the clan formed; meaning that the family is fortunate for the continuation of the surname and powerful. In the olden days in China, the richest people were always come from the most powerful clan, and only the most fortunate ones can continue their surname, for example: Deng Xiao Ping, the former Chinese statesman was come from the clan of  ¡Deng ¡, is one of the most fortunate surnames in China. While the Chinese names contain three characters, the seven daughters shared the same second character in their names, and the three sons shared another second character in the n...

An Explanation of Altruism in Primate Social Behavior essays

An Explanation of Altruism in Primate Social Behavior essays Altruism is one of the most mysterious social behaviors in the world. Altruism is defined as behavior that increases, on average, the reproductive fitness of others at the expense of the fitness of the altruist. Fitness simply means the expected number of offspring. When an organism gives up the advancement of its own fitness for the fitness advancement of another organism in the population, it seems somewhat illogical. However, from the articles Ive read, survival of the fittest and natural selection, in reference to an entire species or population, is often dependent on the altruistic actions of others in a population. Another concept learned from studying journals regarding altruism is that altruistic behavior is far more complex than normally thought. Altruism can be traced throughout the evolution of many species, especially primates. It has been a focal point in the research of many natural scientists, anthropologists and biologists alike. The four articles I chose to analyze and explain altruism in the realm of primate social behavior were A mechanism for social selection and successful altruism, Varieties of altruism - and the common ground between them, The pursuit of human nature in sociobiology and evolutionary sociology, and Unto Others: The Evolution and Psychology of Unselfish Behavior. These four journals each give a different perspective and different concepts on the behavior known as altruism. A mechanism for social selection and successful altruism was written by Herbert Simon and published in Science, a recognized academic journal. The journal takes a rational approach to analyzing and reasoning the reason for altruism in primate social behavior. It basically says that within the framework of Darwinism and natural selection, with its focus on fitness, it has been hard to account for altruism, behavior that reduces the fitness of the altruist but...

Theoretical physics questions answered Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Theoretical physics questions answered - Essay Example (see answer-3) The remaining questions are about the rest of the paper, it would be sufficient for me if you could quote a book and chapter where I could find an answer to the respective question: -page 5: what do you mean by "carry no energy or momentum however ha energy-momentum" This means that massless particles are meaningless in Newtonian mechanics because they carry no energy or momentum and cannot sustain any force. Now, the relativistic expression for energy and momentum which is: however allows for non-zero energy-momentum for a massless particle when and this requires |v| 1. Furthur, in order to relate the energy E and momentum p we can assume that the relation p2 = m2 is valid for m = 0, and so, a massless particle's energy E and momentum p are related by E = |p|. page 7: I do not understand the sentence: "mediator has to be given on-zero spin" This actually wants to say that in order to accommodate the observed properties of the long-range electromagnetic and gravitational interactions, we also need to give the mediator a on-zero spin. However, this is non-trivial. _ page 8: why does the P operator transform under the fundamental This is an intrinsic requirement in any space-time study dealing with real vector spaces. Here 'P' is the orthogonal parameter that is subject to fundamental representation whereas U(A) is the unitary parameter representing the Lorentz group. This stands for transformations of the vector space that preserve the length of vectors. There are two vectors having zero scalar product in one reference frame which will remain orthogonal in the rotated frame. Remember space-time is itself a fundamental dynamic variable. - page 9 : eq 14: it is not clear to me why it is sufficient to consider the... This means that massless particles are meaningless in Newtonian mechanics because they carry no energy or momentum and cannot sustain any force. Now, the relativistic expression for energy and momentum which is: however allows for non-zero energy-momentum for a massless particle when and this requires |v| 1. This actually wants to say that in order to accommodate the observed properties of the long-range electromagnetic and gravitational interactions, we also need to give the mediator a on-zero spin. However, this is non-trivial. This is an intrinsic requirement in any space-time study dealing with real vector spaces. Here 'P' is the orthogonal parameter that is subject to fundamental representation whereas U(A) is the unitary parameter representing the Lorentz group. This stands for transformations of the vector space that preserve the length of vectors. There are two vectors having zero scalar product in one reference frame which will remain orthogonal in the rotated frame. Remember space-time is itself a fundamental dynamic variable. The irreps corresponding to the massless particles are found using the irreps of the little group for the massless particles and thus this is a better option. This little group is actually isotropy group and is a subgroup of the Poincare. no "internal Yang-Mills index" ^a which in our case transforms under space-time SO(1,3) rather than internal

Budgeting db5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Budgeting db5 - Essay Example The company would have budgeted unwisely making the budget deficits occur due to poor budget plan. Poor budget plans are source to monetary crisis. The foundation need to assess the risk and re-strategize on the important issues that will assure the children’s summer takes place. The strategy should focus on the strengths of the company, which will help sustain the company in the crisis. Another way to go about the debacle is to share the expense of the evenly in the company endeavors so that every department has little to go around and finding the balance in the budget. The budget restructuring will make economic sense when the company has in place a strategic direction in the crisis period. The company must accept the crisis to move on quicker through tightening the use of money in the company. The expenditure needs to be trimmed to a sizable amount in order to make the company survive the hit. More caution on the use of funds should be placed with scrutiny monetary utility

Cvs Annual Report Essay Example for Free

Cvs Annual Report Essay Executive Summary/Company History/Products and Services CVS/Pharmacy has shown a consistent growth for the last three years. Three years ago CVS/Pharmacy has merged with Longs Pharmacy and Caremark to form the largest retail pharmacy chain in the United States. CVS/Pharmacy- CVS/Pharmacy began operations in 1963, and added the pharmacy department in 1967. In 2007, CVS merged with Caremark Rx, Inc. Finally, in 2008, CVS bought the Longs Drug Store chain. CVS has over 7000 stores(Cvs.com, 2010). At the end of 9 months of 2010, the company has lost 9. 25% against 2009 net income. However, the company has increased their assets and liabilities by .1% against 2009 figures(Cvs.com, 2010). As the company stands now in trends, Net revenues for this 7,100-store drugstore retailer were $23.9 billion for Q3 2010, down 3.1% from $24.6 billion in the prior years period. Poor performance by the companys Pharmacy Services segment—its revenues dropped 8.5%, to $11.9 billion—was a major contributor to the companys woes. CVS Retail Pharmacy segment revenues actually increased 4.1%, with total same-store sales climbing 2.5%(Trendwatch, 2010). CVS/Pharmacy is in the process of transitioning their leadership at CEO. Tom Ryan will be stepping down at the end of the year as CEO, and Larry Merlo will be promoted to CEO. Tom Ryan has been the CEO of CVS/Pharmacy Inc. since 1994, and it has been the consistency at the top that has lead to the expansion of CVS/Pharmacy as being largest retail pharmacy chain in the United States. Now that Toms tenure is coming to a close, a new dawn is  occurring for the corporation with Larry Merlo taking the helm. Competitor Analysis In the retail pharmacy industry, there are only three pure pharmacy firms: CVS/Pharmacy, Walgreens, and Rite-Aid. Pure pharmacy firms are pharmacy retailers whose business is built around the pharmacy. Wal-Mart, Kroger, and local grocery stores have pharmacies as an extension of their business plan, but it is not the focus of their company. CVS/Pharmacy and Walgreens have been battling over the top position for years, and Rite-Aid has been ranked at a steady third in the market place. Walgreens- Walgreens is CVS/Pharmacys chief competitor. Founded in 1901, Walgreens is considerably older. Unlike CVS/Pharmacy, Walgreens began with the pharmacy department. With 6000 stores, Walgreens is smaller than CVS. In 2010, Walgreens has increased sales against last year by 6.4%, and net earnings by 4.2%(Walgreens.com, 2010). Moreover, they have posted 36 straight years of sales gains, and 35 straight years of dividend payments(Walgreens.com, 2010). Finally, Walgreens has posted net earnings for 5 consecutive years. Despite Walgreens smaller size, it has a bigger market share at 31.2% compared to CVS/Pharmacys 25%(Wikinvest.com, 2010). The last 10 years has been the first decade that a Walgreens family member was not at the helm of the Walgreens Pharmacy chain. Charles Walgreens retired from the CEO position in 1998, but stayed on a member of the board of directors. Mr. Walgreens will officially retire for the company this year. Gregory D. Wasson is the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Wasson has worked with Walgreens for 31 years. In conclusion, Walgreens CVS/Pharmacy are the giants in retail pharmacy. Their strengths, weaknesses, successes, and failures have brought them to a virtual dead heat. The purpose of this research is analyze the financial strength of both to determine which is in the best financial health. Common Size Statements We will first compare CVS/Pharmacy and Walgreens through common size financial statements. Commons size financial statements allow for comparisons to be made between companies of different sizes and volumes in order to see the true performance. CVS/Pharmacy has over 7000 stores, and Walgreens Pharmacy only has 6000 stores. The difference in size will have an  impact on expense, revenue, and income. Every company plans to get the most out of every dollar spent. Consequently, we will be comparing the their financial performance from 2007-2009. From the beginning, Walgreens has yielded a better gross profit by an average of 8% over CVS/Pharmacy. Gross profit is the amount left over after cost of goods sold is taken from revenue. Although, both have been steady with their percentage gross profit, CVS/Pharmacy 21% Walgreens 28%, Walgreens has gained more. However, Walgreens celebration is short lived because the balance statement is more than gross profit. In fact the 8% edge in gross profit they gave back in operating expenses. Walgreens operating expenses took, on average, 22.5% away from their total revenue. CVS/Pharmacy operating expenses took only 14.5% away from their total revenue. Moreover, other indicators of return on investment to the company are higher for CVS/Pharmacy than Walgreens. CVS/Pharmacy has had a higher operating income than Walgreens since 2007. For the last two years CVS/Pharmacy has posted higher income before taxes than Walgreens. Finally, the biggest trend difference between the two firms is that CVS/Pharmacys net income has increased three years in a row, while Walgreens net income has steadily decreased three years in a row. As a company, CVS/Pharmacy received a 20% gross profit margin. The next biggest payment went to operating expenses at 14.12%. After the expenses, income before taxes and operating profit account for 13% and net income accounts for nearly 4%. In 2009 alone, Walgreens gross profit and operating expenses nearly cancel each other out. There is only a 4% variance between gross profit and operating expenses for Walgreens. Operating profit and income before taxes accounts for only 10% of the revenue, while Walgreens net income accounts for barely over 3%. On the key financial statements, Walgreens performance has been diminishing over the last three years, and CVS/Pharmacys performance has risen. The reason behind the growing strength of CVS/Pharmacy has been the general, consistent financial growth. This will be illustrated by the financial ratios. Liquidity is the firms ability to meet its current obligations(Marshall, McManus, Vielle, 2010). Working capital is the excess of a firms current assets over its current liabilities(2010). In this case, Walgreens has higher working capital than CVS/Pharmacy. On other tests of liquidity,  Walgreens out performs CVS/Pharmacy. Walgreens has a higher current ratio, acid test ratio, and they turn over their assets 8 more times a year than CVS/Pharmacy. Although Walgreens has yielded their lowest net income in three years, they have a high comparable liquidity. Moreover, the higher net income for CVS/Pharmacy has not translated into higher liquidity. However, the increased in income has translated into a higher inventory turnover for CVS/Pharmacy. Conclusion The findings of this paper are illustrating the transition in the marketplace between CVS/Pharmacy and Walgreens. For the last 20 years, these retail pharmacy firms have battled for supremacy in the industry. Over the last decade, CVS/Pharmacy has had one Chief Executive Officer, Tom Ryan. However, since Tom Ryan took over in 1999, Walgreens has had 3 CEO changes. The result of inconsistency in their leadership has translated to a lower return on investment. Walgreens has higher liquidity, but they have shown three years of decreasing net income. As a result, they are getting weaker as an organization. However, CVS/Pharmacy has shown consistent growth over the last three years. Their increasing strength has been represented by their purchases of Longs Pharmacy and Caremark. It is my conclusion that this trend will continue

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7) Knowledge Management and Six Sigma: Exploring the Potential of Two Powerful Disciplines, Paige Leavitt 1) Six Sigma should not be viewed as a quality program that is commissioned to reduce defects but as a methodology that helps companies better meet the needs of their business. KM shares this goal. 2) Voice of the customer in the DFSS process is also a potential area for a collaboration of ideas. â€Å"In Design For Six Sigma, knowledge of the customer-centric requirements is a key input †¦ to the design process,† said O’Dell. â€Å"And if you could use knowledge management tools to better understand what the customer is saying to sales people and service people, that information comes back to the folks who can make a difference in the design process.† 3) APQC's Lessons Learned "The problems, issues, and opportunities in organizations are not about reducing defects; they are about responding to new opportunities, using the voice of the customer knowledge," said O'Dell. "With both Six Sigma and KM, I’m telling you that you’re going to get more of what you want - if you begin to open the conversation to a different way of thinking about solving some of these problems over the long term. Because both Six Sigma and KM have tremendous power, they also have some issues that they need help with." Professionals in both arenas can learn from each other. Six Sigma can learn from KM how to recognize knowledge, as well as processes. Joseph Hofer-Alfeis from Siemens said, "Six Sigma is oriented to the quality of products and processes. If you think of a knowledge-intensive business, 'Six Sigma for knowledge quality' -- the quality of the proficiency, the quality of knowledge flows, and the quality of description knowledge -- should also be a ... ...nage the targeted process (e.g., an insurance sales agent or supervisor), while otherswork to support the process (e.g., an information technology expertwho provides support to the insurance claimsprocess).Unique project teamsare put together for each of the projects, and disbanded after these projects are completed, handing off resulting improvement-actions to process owners—people who routinely operate the processes. 5) Although each project has different objectives and specific tools employed, overall these projects follow a standardized, structured five-phase project management approach known as ‘‘DMAIC’’ for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control phases (Schroeder et al., 2008). 6) Project leaders are trained in the use of practices for collecting, combining, and synthesizing the knowledge of team members for use in process improvements (Hoerl, 2001).

Gaudi’s Remarkable Sagrada Familia

Barcelona is a beautiful microcosm of Spanish civic culture on the larger scale. Spain is a nation that has seen aggressive modernization in certain aspects of its metropolitan orientation, which are deeply accommodating to the influx of international businesses, the array of luxury living demands and the heavy flow of tourism that reaches many of its more popular destinations. As just such a destination, Barcelona is effectively illustrative of the type of growth that marks parts of Spain with massive high-rise buildings and state of the are technological provisions. Simultaneously though, Barcelona is a window into Europe’s remarkable and artful history, with castle walls, sprawling plazas and roughshod cobblestone offering a clear view of the city’s medieval grounding. The seamless integration of the preserved and the modern is a characteristic which identifies the city and its most celebrated architect, the mercurial and ambitious Antoni Gaudi. His works appealed to the grand and gothic ambitions of those architectural value systems which preceded him, but his vision also held fast to a dedicated experimentalism which ornamented his designs elaborate, complex and often shockingly liberal uses of image and color. This is an appearance which today can be seen virtually everywhere in the city of Barcelona, and most notably, in the wondrous and markedly incomplete masterpiece that is Sagrada Familia. A Roman Catholic Church of the most dramatically unique vision, the building which was begun in 1882 under Gaudi’s direct supervision is still under construction even today. Remarkably, a building that has been in a state of continuing development from its conception to present day, obstructed in the intervening years by the long bloody civil war which gripped Spain from the second World War through to the end of the Cold War, is one of the most magnetic tourist attractions in Spain. This is because there are few structures in the world which are as ambitions in their simultaneous detail and enormity. Sagrada Familia is essentially the ongoing manifestation of an architectural vision so complex and precise as to warrant a process of realization which far outlives its originator. Indeed, when Gaudi passed away in 1926, with the building understandably still quite far from finished, Domenech Suganyes would take over the post. (Wikipedia, 1) To date, Sagrada Familia has been the obsession of no less than six head architects. (Burry, 1) A view of the structure explains rather quickly why this is so. A piece which incorporates some aspects of baroque architectural intent, particularly in the heavy focus on religious symbolism through catholic eyes, the cathedral must be seen as something of a post-modern work. Its uniquely elaborate use of color and its bold towers are unlike anything in the Catholic tradition prior, seeming not just to indulge in the type of gilded excess seen in the Vatican of the preceding centuries, but also to aggressively pursue counter-traditional and disarming appearance and effect. The primary argument for this observation may be in the technology which helped to steer Gaudi. When commission for the cathedral, â€Å"he was aware that the works were complex and difficult and tried to take advantage of all the modern techniques available. And so, among other resources, he had railway tracks laid with small wagons to transport the materials, brought in cranes to lift the weights and had the workshops located on the site to make the work easier. † (Sagrada Familia, 1) This is the precedent, in fact, for the raging controversy presently engaged between a city which intends to run an underground metro route beneath the invaluable structure and a slew of neighbors, architects and historians who fear the impact of such as decision. In a manner, Sagrada Familia does look and feel precarious, and not because of its continuing construction but because of that which has already been accomplished. Namely, the dozen towers of varying heights which have already been completed taper sharply as they reach the heights of the city. Their collective facade is laden with precise sculptures depicting all manner of Catholic ephemera. According to our research, Gaudi originally used live models to capture the detailed visages, divinities and animals represented in dense array on the outside of the building. Perhaps most famously, â€Å"the northeast, or Nativity Facade, is the Sagrade Familia’s artisitic pinnacle, and was mostly done under Guadi’s personal supervision. You can climb high up inside some of the four towers by a combination of lifts and narrow spiral staircases—a vertiginous experience. † (Simonis, 294) This draws tourists from all over the world, with the photographed image of the coil shooting down the center of each tower a common vantage in travel guides on the country. Though construction crews, machinery and scaffolding are constant, the front portal of the building is an incredible sight to be hold. By day, the 20 foot entranceway, gauzed by Gaudi’s odd, spiderwebbing incongruity, gives view to a brilliantly colored stained glasss. By night, the building is lit from tower to foundation, giving off a stunning golden display. A single tower reaches up the center of the structure, providing it with its height. Flanked symmetrically by the other towers, it is said to symbolize Jesus, the evangelicals and the apostles. (Robinson, 24) Any speculation to the contrary might quickly be answered by the incredible variety of ways in which the architecture depicts the Christ, through birth, life, death and rebirth. Indeed, the story of Catholicism may well be told thoroughly by the collection of images literally blanketing the whole structure. We can see that ultimately, the design has emphasized detail. The structure’s hugeness and ambitiousness not to be dismissed, the longevity of the project is more directly related to the incredible, almost insane attention to detail which distinguishes the structure. To understand the extent to which Sagrada Familia defies the likelihood of classical or modern architecture in its ornately unfinished state, one must see it.