Culture anthropolgy on Aborigines of australia Essay

Culture anthropolgy on Aborigines of australia - Essay Example The first Aboriginals are believed to have arrived in this unique and isolated piece of land some 50,000 years ago, when they migrated from the South Pole as the sea levels generally fell and the last Ice Age saw its end. Experts believe that the race then traveled on canoes and rafts across the ocean in search of a peaceful land (Barnard, 1996). The activities of aboriginals of the area remained secret and restricted to its own lands, until outsiders from around the world intruded their territories for political, economical, and anthropological purposes. Before the invasion of the British into Australia, (first invasion 1788), about 200 years ago, there were about 300,000 inhabitants living in the area, which constituted of 500 tribes using 200 distinct languages amongst each other, of which most of them are found extinct now; with each dialect defining each tribe that occupied a definite area in the continent. Whereas, lands owned by no tribal form were left arid and unoccupied, under the title of ‘no man’s land.’ (Bartlett, 2002). Though the Aboriginals vary abundantly from their appearance due to the diversity seen between their groups; however, some of the common features that all of them share are their dark brown skin with wavy hair, developed onto slender bodies which are erect showing their hardworking capabilities. Anthropologists believe that variations in their appearances are due to their migrations at different points of time in history. Whereas some critics to this opinion believe in ‘homogeneity’ of the aboriginals, whereas any variations in them might be due to variation in diet and the environment they lived in, while as a whole, they lived in isolation from rest of the world (Ashley, 2009). This paper discusses the isolation of the Aborigines of Australia form the rest of the world; as when development and technology were taking the world up by storm, they remained a loaf of this

A Visit to the Holocaust Memorial Museum Essay Example for Free

A Visit to the Holocaust Memorial Museum Essay I could not express the solemnity that envelops the place. The atmosphere of the exhibits is obviously full of grief, but the stillness of the images somehow brought a certain kind of peace despite the bizarre scenarios they depicted. Hundreds and thousands of black and white photographs dominate the place, pictures that would forever serve as a memorial to the sufferings of the victims of the Holocaust under Nazi Germany. Everything was terrifying and I wonder what human being can commit such atrocities to others? What conscience do they hold in order to allow such evil to be perpetrated? How could an entire nation have elected a leader whose sole intention was to massacre and eliminate an entire race and how could people then have hailed him in his ideologies? What abyss has the human character fallen to at those times? Where was mercy, where was hope, and where was love? Those pictures were filled with hell that seemed incessant to those who witnessed it. Children, parents and grandparents were all victims in this Holocaust. Six millions Jews together with other races considered inferior by the Aryan regime were exterminated and burned in crematoria. Crematoria, how could one have conceived of the idea? Perhaps Fyodor Dostoevsky was right, men are no beast and it is an insult to the beast to be compared to humans. For no best can be so artistically cruel, of which man is so accomplished. How could one have thought of sending men and women to labor camps and make them work to their deaths? And how could one have had the idea of gassing innocent victims in chambers with carbon monoxide? No beast would have designed such an organized mass killing. No beast would have gone to the level of tearing a being beyond both flesh and soul. What man would want to witness the suffering of another? I could not fathom the crimes that happened during those years. Indeed it is true that reality is far less believable than fiction. Holocaust Memorial Museum 2 In an exhibition in the museum, I saw a wall mounted with pictures collectively entitled as Terror in Poland. It showed faces, actual eyes and nose of those who perished in the war. But these casualties did not fall in the fields of Europe equipped with rifles and mortars, they were weaponless victims rounded up by the Germans and were brought to their deaths. No wants to die because they were left defenseless. No one wants to face death without a fight. No eyes would want to be left opened when their spirits leave their bodies. Another wall showed pictures with people lining, hundreds of people in the streets awaiting something I knew not. When I looked at the caption it said, â€Å"Search for Refuge†. Who would have thought that this happened only half a century ago? Only a few generations away are we fortunate enough not to have experienced searching for solace in any place they could find. Back then for these people, freedom was not a right but a luxury and death is always just a few steps behind. No person ever deserves to be compelled to search for security and no person deserves to be threatened to face annihilation. In the museum I saw pictures where a number of men were digging a hole. It seemed normal except that German soldiers were supervising these men. Then it dawned unto me that the very hole they were digging was their grave. Another similar picture shows a man sitting before another pit with a German soldier holding a gun against his head. Other members of the troops stood as spectators to the event without disdain. These German soldiers were otherwise known as the Einsatzgruppe or the â€Å"Killing Squads†. Their name suits them, only murderers deserve such a title. The most depressing part of the exhibitions in the museum was the Tower of Faces. Thousands of images stand erect across a three-floor high museum segment commemorating the individuals massacred by the Germans and their collaborators. Children with such Holocaust Memorial Museum 3 innocent eyes were the primary victims of this operation. Massive shootings in a span of three days killed more than 8000 Jews, leaving only 29 members of the community who were able to escape. Those who survived were nonetheless casualties, for the wounds that such events bring can never become scars, they would forever be fresh and would forever bleed. I knew little of the idea of eugenics, but in the museum, I was able to see a glimpse of the consequences of this terrible belief. I have heard of mice and guinea pigs experimented on for the sake of scientific progress. To some the idea is already inconceivable for having animals tested on is a terrible act of cruelty. How then would they react on the German doctors who performed experiments on live prisoners of the concentration and death camps of the Nazi regime? Children, specifically twins, were the primary interest of Nazi doctors. I would never forget the story of the gypsy twins who were dissected alive and cried for days until they died. No guardian of life should ever take life. No amount of reason would justify the sacrifice of life for the advancement of science. In my tour of the museum, what attracted me the most was the exhibit on the Jewish resistance against the genocide that is threatening to eliminate their race for eternity. No one then would have imagined Jews fighting back on the Germans. Even if they were not successful in defeating the enemy, history would forever honor them for their valor. Man should never lose the strength to survive and must never lose the courage to stand against the tempest. Many forgotten faces of men, women and children would remain buried in the mass graves of the war. They did not fall in the trenches or beachheads. They instead were shot or gassed in such an organized manner. We must forever remind the generations to come of what happened on those fields during those years of hell. We must remember and forever strive to prevent such atrocities from happening again.

Critiques of TWAIL Perspective and Investment Law

Critiques of TWAIL Perspective and Investment Law CONSTRUCTIVE APPROACH TOWARDS INVESTMENT LAW CHALLENGING VIEWS OF THE THIRD WORLD APPROACHES The conventional view in western states among international legal scholars is that no comprehensible or distinctive Third World Approach is apparent in international law. While it remains undeniable that certain reoccurring issues trigger the same response from Third World states[1], per scholars the typical view expressed is that disparate strands do not weave together a sort of pattern.[2] Although they are grouped together beneath Third World rubric, it is a constitution of no more than ad hoc responses to discrete issues. The recognition of the Third World approach to any extent can only be categorised as reactive in nature. This is supported by Wolfgang Friedmann who argues that any difference in the approach taken by underdeveloped countries could be explained in terms of their lack of economic and political clout. Likewise, a couple years later the same perspective is argued that instead of challenging international laws fundamental assumptions, the third world scholars are st ill concerned with the responsiveness of international law focusing in regards to their interest.[3] Western scholars that are even sympathetic towards Third World approaches express similar views. For instance, Richard Falk has claimed that even explicit anti-Western works by third world scholars have been in reliance on western approaches in a moderately non-critical manner. Thus, Falk argues that the emergence of distinctive modes of thought and analysis failed to accompany the process of decolonization, or even to follow upon it.[4] Per Falk third world scholars are inclined to avoid any ideological imprint upon their work, as they want it to work scientific in a Western sense.[5] An analogy is created between third world scholars characteristics and Soviet scholars. Soviet scholars were pragmatically oriented towards enabling Soviet bloc participation in the prevailing debates in Western international law circles.[6] TWAIL scholar B.S Chimni supports Falk critique and argues that TWAIL has been stagnant as a critique instead of proposing practical alternatives to the issue. He makes this criticism clear in a passage from his work: While international lawyers from the Third World have challenged, often with success, Western perceptions of the history and content of international law and pointed to the inequitable nature of the body of rules bequeathed from the past, they have failed to propose and articulate an alternative approach which is inclusive and internally consistent. In fact, the matter has not received sufficient consideration. It is, therefore, not unusual to see a Third World scholar speaking of rejecting rules which are prejudicial to the interests of developing countries embracing a theory of international law and world order which seeks to justify and protect the status quo and has little to say about the developing world. This eventually leads him to assume positions which strengthen that which he had set out to fight.[7] A specific example where this perspective is mainly critiqued is from the failures of the NIEO. It is criticised for lacking breadth and Robert Rothstein claimed that short-sighted stance had been taken hence the reason the regime failed. Rothstein argued that instead of the regime being focused on how to create a clear strategy that will have both western and third world states mutual interests and consensual knowledge and technically sound proposals, the focus was on a strategy of confrontation and a demand for the acceptance pf biased and controversial principles[8] This shows that the TWAIL view is limited and has no practical alternatives to revolutionise the injustice upon third world states. Rather their methods are to flip the legal system and turn it into a bias third world system, which will not therefore lead to any justice and harmony within international law. This supports both Falk and Chimni claim of TWAIL lacking pragmatism and having a positive impact. TWAIL LIMITATION AND MORE CONSTRUCTIVE APPROACH TO INVESTMENT REGIME IN INTERNATIONAL LAW Even though the TWAIL critiques has been significant, nonetheless it has been flagged up to have several blind spots.[9] One of the fundamental blind spots flagged is the critique to suggest practical ways to remedy the deficiencies within international law (especially international economic governance). Although jurists do highlight theoretical arguments, it fails to suggest constructive solutions in improving the injustice upon third world states in the international system. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a constructive solution that will also take the third world states interests into account. The desires of the TWAIL perspective should go beyond being a mere instrument of system criticism.[10] It should have the ambition to form a constructive engagement; therefore, it should develop and lay out ideas that could be expressed in practical terms to improve the governance of international investment and economic law.   A key issue developing countries are faced with in international trade has been competitiveness of liberalization.[11] Refers to trade of western countries on preferential terms (PTs) with only chosen developing countries, which is incongruent with GATTs principle of only trading with your most favoured nation. Competitive liberalization is argued to have led to economic success to states such as South Korea (KORUS) and Mexico (NAFTA)[12] who benefited from regional trade agreements (RTA). But this was at the expense of neighbouring states who stayed relatively underdeveloped.[13]Evidentially competitive liberalization has a detrimental impact on other developing states ability to find markets that would give them a competitive and comparative advantage. In this sense TWAIL could be more effective and remedy this issue by spearheading the creation of geographically wider RTAs encompassing regional economic blocs in different parts of the developing world.[14] An example of the possible RTA could be between Economic Community of West African States and Mercado Comà ºn del Sur which would be valuable to both regional blocs. Thus, West African states will be able to supply the cotton, which is in demand in South America, due to the growth of the textile industry, while South Americans vice versa would have a market for electronic goods which is becoming essential in West Africa. This would be an approach that could be implemented to enhance the participation of developing states in international trade. TWAILs concern in the international investment regime is primarily related to the inequality of negotiations within arbitration treaty and International Institutional Agreements. Per TWAIL a practical approach could be implemented on IIAs, for instance with regards to BITs, developing states can create their own models. An example of this is apparent from the SADC (Southern African Development Community) BIT model. SADC BIT model consist of the same characteristics of a traditional BIT, just with the addition of striving more towards an equitable, fair and just participation within the foreign investment regime for third world states. The model is a representation of distinct efforts to enhance a sustainable development dimension of future BITs.[15] Such engagement with the foreign investment regime would create the welcoming environment that developing countries need to enhance participation in the foreign investment regime. Moreover, another unproductive approach from TWAIL within international investment law is the resistance towards investment treaty arbitration. Again, here there is a failure to suggest a constructive approach to rectify this problem that the third world are subject to. As apparent in the case of OCCIDENTAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION v REPUBLIC OF ECUADOR, the withdrawal of Ecuador due to its disregard to the unjust manners of the ICSID did not prevent the ICSID from awarding the largest damages to the investors which was a rough total sum of $1.7 billion plus 6% interest.[16] Consequently a more pragmatic approach for developing states is to implement their own arbitration centres equivalent to the AALCCs regional arbitration centres establishment within the African- Asian region.[17] But this should be done wi th a sustained participation within the current system. The establishments of these centres within the Afro-Asian region has been advantageous as it alleviates concerns of developing states in regards to participating in international arbitration. Besides that, it will promote better engagement in the foreign investment regime and facilitate more participation of developing states in the current system. CONCLUSION This chapter shows that there are flaws within the TWAIL theory and it is a critique perspective rather than a constructive one. Perhaps there are aspects of the investment regime that bring injustice within international law but constructive alternatives methods must be suggested to improve the system. This is where the TWAIL theory is limited and other perspectives such as first world scholars should be analysed before a conclusion can be made regarding the international law being unjust. CONCLUSION This thesis has discussed the accuracy of the TWAIL theory that investment regime in international law is used as another tool to support the domination of the Western world. This commenced by dating the emergence of TWAIL back to decolonisation era and ever since the aim of the theory has been to redirect international laws focus to the plight of developing countries.[18] TWAIL focuses on the significant paradigm shift from the historical relevance of the NEC and NIEO approaches to the regime bias. The regime bias theory has been emblematic of the entire system of international law and is even visible in International Institutions such as Arbitration. The regime bias critique illustrates developing countries sceptical attitudes towards the international economic governance which includes both international trade and foreign investment.   This is because, as Shalakany argues s the regime bias in international law empowers the investors, who come off as winners within the syste m at the expense of ignoring the Third Worlds interest. TWAIL argues that the international institutions increases the ideological gap to ensure that there is unequal participation in the system. Corporations being in control of resources in host states already provides constraints on a step towards a just investment regime. This is because it maintains colonial attitude which makes the Third World states passive rather than active participant in the investment regime. Likewise, the International Functioning Institutions have also helped to maintain the dominance of Western States in International Investment by promoting globalization, and making it a mandatory requirement to for Third World States to adopt privatization programmes to create more favourable investment climates for the investors.[19] Nonetheless a fundamental blind spot[20] of TWAIL critiques is that it fails to offer avenues for a constructive engagement of developing countries in the investment regime in international law. TWAILs shortcomings have highlighted the need for a pragmatic solution instead of just being a mere critique[21] tool of the international law regime. It has been criticised for being very repetitive and staying stagnant on the idea of l law responding to Third World interests instead of challenging the fundamental issues in international law. A more pragmatic approach for developing countries in the investment regime is seeking to alleviate their concerns and enhance their participation in the system. This would pave the way for a more constructive engagement of developing countries in the investment regime of international law and will also prevent the domination of the Western States, as the lack of participation is part of what has enabled the First World to be so powerful. I can conclude from this thesis that the investment regime in international law is subtle in the way it suppresses the developing countries and maintains the interests of the developed countries. Therefore, it makes it challenging to argue that the whole regime is unjust. However, although the TWAIL approach is rhetoric[22] in the nature of its arguments, I agree with the view that part of the key issues that supports the domination of Western States is the amount control they have in the key international institutions; for example, US being the largest shareholder in the World Bank. To constructively solve this issue, it could be argued that the starting point should be reconstructing the rules and process making of these institutions, in order for there to be a fair just and balanced participation between the less developed and developed states. There should then consist of a body who makes checks and balances to ensure that no states acts ultra vires. This would lead to an interna tional law that would reject bias and be based on mutual interests. [1] Karin Mickelson Rhetoric and Rage: Third World Voices in International Legal Discourse16 Wis. Intl L.J. 353 1997-1998 p. 353 [2] Karin Mickelson Rhetoric and Rage: Third World Voices in International Legal Discourse 16 Wis. Intl L.J. 353 1997-1998. p. 353 [3] Patricia Buirette-Maurau, La Participation Du Tiers-Monde , A LElaboration Du Droit International (1983)199-202 [4] Richard Falk, Preface to B.S. Chimni, International Law and World Order: A Critique of Contemporary Approaches 9, (1993). p.9 [5]Richard Falk, Preface to B.S. Chimni, International Law and World Order: A Critique of Contemporary Approaches 9, (1993) p.9 [6] Richard Falk, Preface to B.S. Chimni, International Law and World Order: A Critique of Contemporary Approaches 9, (1993) p.9 [7] Richard Falk, Preface to B.S. Chimni, International Law and World Order: A Critique of Contemporary Approaches 9, (1993) p19 [8] Robert L. Rothstein, Limits and Possibilities of Weak Theory: Interpreting North-South, 44 J. OF INTL AFFAIRS 159, (1990). p.174 [9] John D. Haskell, TRAIL-ing TWAIL: Arguments and Blind Spots in Third WorldApproaches to International Law (Mississippi College School of Law Legal Studies Research Paper No. 7/2014, 2014) pg.18. [10] Antonius R Hippolyte Correcting TWAILS Blind Spots: A Plea for a Pragmatic Approach to International Economic Governance.p.15 [11] C. Fred Bergsten Competitive Liberalization and Global Free Trade: A Vision for the Early 21st Century (Peterson Institute: Institute for International Economics. Working Paper 15/1996, 1996) [12] KORUS trade was an agreement between South Korea and US. NAFTA was a trade agreement between Mexico and North America. [13] Antonius R Hippolyte Correcting TWAILS Blind Spots: A Plea for a Pragmatic Approach to International Economic Governance.p.16 [14] Antonius R Hippolyte Correcting TWAILS Blind Spots: A Plea for a Pragmatic Approach to International Economic Governance.p.16 [15] Antonius R Hippolyte Correcting TWAILS Blind Spots: A Plea for a Pragmatic Approach to International Economic Governance.p.16 [16] 2012 ICSID Case No.ARB/06/11 at paras 824-25. [17] R Rajesh Babu, International Commercial Arbitration and the Developing Countries (2006) 4 AALCO Quarterly Bulletin 386, 398. [18] Antonius R Hippolyte Correcting TWAILS Blind Spots: A Plea for a Pragmatic Approach to International Economic Governance.p.18 [19] Antony Anghie, Time Present and Time Past: Globalization, International Financial Institutions and the Third World. p.256 [20]Antonius R Hippolyte Correcting TWAILS Blind Spots: A Plea for a Pragmatic Approach to International Economic Governance.p.18 [21] Antonius R Hippolyte Correcting TWAILS Blind Spots: A Plea for a Pragmatic Approach to International Economic Governance.p.18 [22] Karin Mickelson, Rhetoric and Rage: Third World Voices in International Legal Discourse (1998) 16 Wis. Intl L.J.

Polymerase Chain Reaction Lab :: essays research papers

Title: Polymerase Chain Reaction Simulation Propose: The propose of this lab was to understand how by running a gel electrophoresis on a batch of DNA we are able to see how many approximately cycles it has gone through. Methods: Casting the Agarose Gel In this experiment .8% solution was used. By using a 250ml flask the buffer solution was prepared. Using the equation to make enough solution for the entire lab class the equation had to be multiplied by four. The contents of this equation were added to the 250ml flask and swirled to evenly distribute it contents. Then a mark was placed on the outside of the flask to indicate the level of the solution before heating. The flask opening had perafilm placed over it so that there was little to no evaporation. The solution was then placed in the microwave and heated. The solution was then heated for one min and swirled for evenly dissolved Agarose. The Agarose was then cooled, so that it was not to hot and the plate would crack. Some water was added to the solution because of there was some evaporation during heating. Once the gel had cooled, it was poured into the plate between the rubber dams. The plate was filled about half way up the comb arms. These d ams are placed in the plate to prevent leaking. Then the gel was added and allowed to completely soiditify, which takes around 20mins. Preparing the Gel for Electrophoresis once the rubber dams have been removed (carefully), the comb was then removed. Then the buffer was made. The buffer was made by using the equation, but also multiplying it by four, for the three lab groups. Then the chambers around the gel plate is filled with the buffer, just enough buffer to cover the gel plate in a very small amount. Then the dyes were loaded to there correct wells. Once the gels were added (carefully) the lid was placed on the plate and system was turned on. The system ran for about 10mins. (Hint the system is running when there are bubbles occurring in the buffer solution. Once the gel had been run the exactly gel had been removed from the buffer, placed on tin foil and moisten with a small amount of buffer solution. Then the gel had a DNA Instastain sheet placed on top of it. The sheet was placed on the gel firmly and a beackr and gel casting tray were placed on top of the gel.

Small Business Plan

Small Business Plan m m C C Executive Summary Proposed Name of business: Chocolate Milk Proposed address: Prime function of the business: providing a variety of clothing to men Mission statement of the business: to provide Men with quality clothing, having a variety and a great location. Vision of the business: aim of the business is to expand and franchise to allow customers to purchase quality clothing Legal structure of the business: legal structure of Chocolate Milk is a private company that is an incorporated business with limited liability.Chocolate Milk has become a sole trader, positive highs of becoming a sole trader is that you are able to make your own decisions. If the business is interested in expanding in the future it will then become a franchise, doing so will expand the business so it then becomes well known and is a great marketing strategy. C C The products your business will sell: C C M M Casual T-shirts M M C C Dressy tops (club wear) M M C C M M Jeans pants (lon g /and shorts) Jackets / jumpers (ranging from all different materials) Swimwear (trending shorts) Accessories ( backpacks, sunglasses, bracelets)Financial goals of the business: Expanding into a franchise Having a variety of men’s clothing (shoes, hats, jewellery) To expand and produce chocolate milks own clothing line Social goals of the business: Personal goals of the business: Situation Analysis Target Market: the target market of chocolate milks business is targeting the ages of 17 to 26 these are the ages that continue to stay with the trend, the most popular clothing being casual but indie, meaning fashion that will stir the normal trend, and may even bring the old ones in. Key competitors:The key competitors of chocolate milk are a variety of high fashion trend stores that have become very popular are: These stores are high competitors because they have franchised and expanded their business. They have gone further to put up a online store for their brand, which has e xpanded them further, it is a good market plan that boosts up your business, and gets your name/brand known all over the world. These stores are a main threat to chocolate milk because they serve for the same age group and have the same fashion trends. The establishment stage of the business:Chocolate milk has many characteristics of the establishment stage of the business life cycle some are: Positive cash flow Creating name/brand of the business and registering it as your own Monitoring the business and evaluating the weakness’s and improving on it to then set a firm foundation for your business, for the future years, and continually improving Having a healthy customer base flowing in Benefiting your business by having a positive amount of profit Having high quality staff that will represent your business Continually staying on top of all the financial work within the business Swot Analysis  ¦| | | |Outline strengths(internal)| | Outline weaknesses (internal)| Outline opp ortunities (external)| Outline threats(external)| * Customer loyalty * Having popular products * Keeping up with fashions trends within the market * Having high quality staff that are continually proving themselves| | * Main weakness the business faces is that it hasn’t expanded to be an online store to further more opportunities * And having only one location is a very big challenge because advertising has to be very high * Only targeting men| * To target the online market sales * Having new technology to increase our customer base (advertising on high end sites that will gain interest of customers)| * Customers are continually using the online buying instead of going into stores which threatens chocolate milk. * People make cheaper clothes that look the same as chocolate milks brands. | Operations plan Key products that will sell: Key products that chocolate milk will sell are high new quality clothing all original and unique in their own way, the clothing brands we are to sell are what will bring the business to have a high product sales. Service offered: Chocolate milk is located in one of the high fashion places in Sydney, this gives us a variety of great customers, having a large store that operates with a large range of clothing, walking into the store gives males a variety they need. Equipment required:Equipment chocolate milk will need to operate the store and to be able to display all the products will be a variety of different shelves, racks, tables, dressing rooms, POS ( two, point of sale), a steam iron ( for the more delicate items that crease), those are the items needed. Laws and regulations: As any business they need to follow the laws and regulations that the Government put down, by doing this your bettering your business by having guidelines and rules, this really contributes to your business/workplace. Some of the laws and regualstions that chocolate milk needs to abide by are: * New South Wales Occupational Health and Safety Act 200 0 * Sex Discrimination Act 1984 * The Age Discrimination Act 2004 * Equal Employment Opportunity * Fair Trading Act * Fair Work Act * Australian consumer rights * NSW Tax laws and regulationsSuppliers and their location and what they are supplying: Levi – Levi home base is located in ‘San Francisco, the United States’ since the company’s founding in 1853. But through the years their headquarters have branched out and some of these locations are now in Brussels-Europe, Middle East and North Africa, Singapore – Asia Pacific Division Headquarters. This brand/label will supply Chocolate Milk with high quality jeans, ranging from all different types of denim material, and all having a unique design. Address/location/country/Telephone/Fax San Francisco, U. S. A| Europe, Middle East and North Africa| Singapore| Levi Strauss & Co. 1155 Battery StreetSan Francisco, CA 94111U. S. A.Tel: (415) 501-6000Fax: (415) 501-7112| Levi Strauss Europe, Middle East and N orth Africa (LSEMA) Avenue Arnaud Fraiteur 15-23 1050 Brussels, Belgium Tel: (32-2) 641-6011| 1 Kim Seng Promenade #16-01 Great World City East Tower Singapore 237994 Tel: (65) 735-9303 Fax: (65) 735-2923| Wrangler – Its headquarters is in Greensboro, North Carolina in the United States, with headquarters in a variety of locations throughout the world. Some of them are based in North America, Asia, Latin America, and Europe. This brand/label will provide chocolate milk with top of the range; jeans, T-shirt, Jackets, and accessories that will help your fashion trends throughout the seaons. Australian headquarters based in Victoria TRUE ALLIANCE 270 DAREBIN RD FAIRFIELD VICTORIA AUSTRALIA 3078 +61 3 9481 9999 Factors affecting choice of suppliers:Chocolate Milk has chosen these brand/labels for the purpose that they are well known all over the world, they have the trending fashion for men that is very popular, all the brands have high quality clothing they all brands appeal to target market being male men of the ages17 to 29. These labels are well known for the quality product they produce and with this comes affordable prices. Shop layout My shop layout is convenient in many ways not just to my business that is very high in advertising of the products but the way the public view it from the outside as well. I want my shop to be known as a well-respected business throughout the community. The way I’ve designed my shop is to bring customers in, hoping they’ll be intrigued by the displays and the whole cleanness of the shop, the environment is clean that I am in, so my shop shouldn’t ever be below standards.I have defined clear exits signs (emergency exits) making it easy for people to view and the shop is very open and spread out so there should be an obstacles in the way in case of an emergency, this also help my customers to walk freely throughout the shop not feeling confined. The theme of the shop is wild and free letting the young youth of our generation be shown through all the displaying furniture, having unusual displays to present the product this is how we intrigue our target market, by the unusual. Inventory Control: The way I will be able to monitor my inventory flow (stock), I will be coming into work on the day the business is closed ‘Wednesday’ being that day and I will be going through all the items my ‘inventory’ whether that be the clothes, accessories.I will be filling out how many items we have out on display and at the back (storage) and the sheet I have printed will tell me how many I should have in stock, and I will then count up how many we have displaying and out back in storage, and then come up with a final sheet to see if any of the stock is missing. Example inventory control sheet: Date: Wednesday 25th of July| Name: clothing stock take| Label| Item Code| Category| The quantity you should have in stock| Quantity you have:| Inventory lost | Levi| M308352929723 | Jackets- denim| 20| 20| | Wrangler| S934U935U2020| Original wrangler T-shirt -cotton| 15| 13| 2| Element| D9234834E0343| Hat| 5| 5| | Stussy| H2349743752H2| Singlet| 11| 11| | | | | | | | | | | | | |Quality control procedures- Depending on the flow of inventory that is getting sold, that will decided on the amount of stock that will be brought . Whether extra stock should be brought for a popular item (one that is getting sold out). Again buying more stock and new stock for the seasons depends on sales. Employment relations Plan: The levels of staffing in Chocolate Milk are: 1 full time 5 part time staff Recruitment process/ development program: The recruitment approach that chocolate milk uses is a 7 stage process, this process consists of: After this you will begin training, 5 training shifts where you will be shown through the procedures of the shop and POS.After this you will begin training, 5 training shifts where you will be shown through the procedures of the shop and POS. Website (www. chocolatemilk. com. au) Website (www. chocolatemilk. com. au) You will attend an introduction day going through the shop and answering any questions. You will attend an introduction day going through the shop and answering any questions. Options- career -fill out cover letter and resume plus availability (hours & days ) Options- career -fill out cover letter and resume plus availability (hours & days ) Then after the 5 shifts you are able to be on your own if needed, but you will be watched for a 3 month period Then after the 5 shifts you are able to be on your own if needed, but you will be watched for a 3 month periodIf you receive a call back again after the face to face interview you have been successful and received the job If you receive a call back again after the face to face interview you have been successful and received the job If selected you will receive a phone call, (an over the phone interview) If selected you will receive a phone call, (an over the pho ne interview) During face to face interview you will be asked a series of questions and fill out more application forms During face to face interview you will be asked a series of questions and fill out more application forms If selected again after the interview you will be called to have a face to face interview If selected again after the interview you will be called to have a face to face interviewNew employees go through a introduction day, this day will give them more insight on the business they will soon be working for. This day consists of going through the everyday procedures, and going through all the rules and regulations of the business. When rostered on they will be going through five training shifts, these training shifts will consist of learning: * Learning POS (Point Of Sale) ( greeting the customer) * Team work ( a successful business is only successful if everyone works together) * Floor duties ( moment of truth- be polite to customers by greeting them) * Decision making * Emergency exit meeting point Employee wages: * Full time staff – $ 20 an hour Part time staff – $ 16 an hour Days| Danielle| Jess| Mel| Stephanie| Nicole| Mechelen| Hours open| Monday| Danielle| Jess| | | | | 7hrs| Tuesday| Danielle| | | | Nicole| | 7hrs| Wednesday| Danielle (stock)| —–| ——-| ————-| ———-| ————| 2hrs| Thursday| Danielle| Jess| Mel| | | | 7hrs| Friday| | | | Stephanie| | | 4hrs| Saturday| Danielle| | | | Nicole| Mechelen| | Sunday| ———–| ——-| ——-| ————-| ———–| ————| ———–| Total worked hours during the week:| 30hrs| 14hrs | 7hrs| 4hrs| 14hrs| 7hrs| | On-costs for the business Some on-costs of Chocolate Milk are: * OH&S requirements Long service leave * Sick leave * Holiday pay * Maternity leave * Leave loading * Wages * Insurance Non-monetary benefits: Chocolate Milk has many non-monetary benefits for staff members that have done great work and have shown that they are following work procedures and guidelines; some of these are: * Retailer voucher * Movie voucher * Discount on products Worker appraisal process: * Promotions within the business * Rewards received ( extra benefits, for following working procedures) Marketing Plan Marketing objectives: Chocolate Milks marketing objective is to increase the business of the store (getting the name known) by 40% in the next 12 months.By doing this we will have a high customer base, and we will be able to add more features to our stores: e. g. Loyalty cards, giving our employees discounts and promotional offers. Competitive advantage of this business Chocolate Milk as a business has many competitive advantages such as; * Unique clothing * High up in all fashion trends * Staff continue to help the business grow * Targeting the young youth Product strategies| Pricing strategies| Promotion strategies| Distribution strategies| -great quality products-unique designs-the products that are sold are eye catching -| Chocolate uses Market price method of pricing-the products sold at Chocolate milk have a price mark-up of 2. (250%)| Upselling of business– staff tell customers the benefits of the storeA big promotional strategy are loyalty cards Advertising- advertising on high end sites or social networks for example Facebook, and magazines | The distribution method used for Chocolate Milk is:ProducerwholesalerretailerCustomer| Financial Plan Type of finance required: The owner equity is 20’000 to start up the business while the loan was 10’000. This was the best option of finance because Chocolate Milk needed this to start up the business and push through all the circumstances and challenges of the establishment stage of a business. Breakeven point – Breakeven point in ne eded to see the estimate amount of goods you need to sell to make a profit. Break even = total fixed costs Unit price – variable costs per unit 193508 40 – 15 = 7740. 32 000 $000 108 Breakeven6 Variable costs , Fixed costs4 Revenue20 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 1000$0000 $0000 | Revenue: Revenue Statement Chocolate Milk For year ending Sales 500 000 Less COGS 80 000 Gross Profit 420 000 Less Operating Expenses Selling expenses Advertising 2000 Wages 88608Deliveries 1000 91608 Aministrative expenses Rent 104000 Telephone 2000 Stationary 200 106200 Financial Expenses Insurance 1500 1500 199308 Net profit 220692 Revenue Statement Chocolate Milk For year ending Sales 500 000 Less COGS 80 000 Gross Profit 420 000 Less Operating ExpensesSelling expenses Advertising 2000 Wages 88608 Deliveries 1000 91608 Aministrative expenses Rent 104000 Telephone 2000 Stationary 200 106200 Financial Expenses Insurance 1500 1500 199308 Net profit 220692 This Revenue statement allows the business to be financially stable. Due to the high cost of rent and wages, the business may suffer through the year and not make a substantial amount of net-profit.Even though these expenses of the business are very high it is necessary and relevant, this revenue statement shows that needs to increase sales so the net profit will not be as affect when all the expenses are paid. Balance Sheet: This Balance Sheet shows that the businesses assets to liabilities and owners’ equity are balanced. This allows Chocolate milk to be financially stable. Balance SheetChocolate MilkAssets LiabilitiesCurrent AssetsCurrent Liabilities Accounts Receivable 19000Accounts Payable 900stock 3400 Non-current AssetsNon-current LiabilitiesEquipment 590Loan 2090Owner’s EquityCapital 20 0002299022990|

Kohls Corporation and Dillards Inc Essay

Kohl’s Corporation was organized in 1988 and is a Wisconsin corporation. The company operates family-oriented department stores that sell moderately priced apparel, footwear and accessories for women, men and children; soft home products such as sheets and pillows; and housewares. Stores generally carry a consistent merchandise assortment with some differences attributable to regional preferences. As of February 2, 2008, the company operated 929 stores in 47 states. (Source: Company 2007 Form 10-K) Originally founded in 1938 by William T. Dillard, Dillard’s, Inc., now operates 326 stores in 29 states. The company’s store base is diversified, with the character and culture of the community served determining the size of facility and, to a  large extent, the merchandise mix. In general, stores offer a wide selection of merchandise including fashion apparel for women, men and children, accessories, cosmetics, home furnishings and other consumer goods. Most stores are located in suburban shopping malls but customers may also purchase merchandise online. (Source: Company 2007 Form 10-K) Learning Objectives †¢ Read and compare financial statements for two companies in the same industry. †¢ Consider how different strategic choices lead to different financial statement relationships. †¢ Perform an analysis of financial information using common-size balance sheets and income statements, ratios, and other techniques. †¢ Critically evaluate two companies based on financial information. †¢ Evaluate a financial analysis to form investment recommendations. Refer to the 2007 financial statements and notes of Kohl’s Corporation and Dillard’s, Inc. Analysis a. Describe the industry in which these two companies operate and assess the competitive environment. What current economic factors affect the companies’ operations? Who are the main competitors in this industry? What threats do the companies face? What opportunities? How are the two companies similar? How are they different? b. Consider the income statements of both companies. Are there any unusual or nonrecurring items that need to be considered in your analysis? That is, are the earnings of high quality? Are the earnings persistent? c. Prepare common-sized income statements and balance sheets for each company for fiscal 2007 and 2006. To common size the income statement, divide each item by net sales. To common size the balance sheet, divide each item by total assets. A company’s financial performance can be analyzed in many ways. Return on equity (ROE) is a widelyused measure of financial performance that compares the profit the company made during the period (net income) to the resources invested and reinvested in the company by shareholders (stockholders’ equity). The DuPont model systematically breaks ROE into components. One form of the DuPont model is: Stockholders’ equity is reported on the balance sheet and excludes any reported minority interest or non-controlling interest. Note that once the common terms cancel in the second equation (the DuPont model), the right-hand side of the ROE equation collapses down to the first equation: Net income divided by the firm’s Stockholders’ equity. Reading from left to right in the second equation, the first right-hand side ratio represents the fraction of pretax earnings that the shareholders keep. One minus that ratio is the average tax rate so the ratio decreases as the tax rate goes up. The second ratio represents the fraction of EBIT (i.e., operating profit) that the firm keeps after financing costs so the ratio decreases as the net cost of debt increases. The third ratio represents operating return on sales or the operating profit earned on each unit of revenue. The fourth term is  the asset turnover ratio, a measure of overall efficiency in asset use. The product of the third and fourth terms is operating return on assets. The final ratio captures the leverage of the firm—a measure of how the firm has paid for its assets. The ratio increases as the firm takes on more debt (that is, for a fixed level of equity, more assets must mean more debt). Note that the final term is equal to 1 + (Average total liabilities / Average stockholders’ equity). Normally, analysis of the financial statements begins with operating return on sales and asset turnover (thus, operating return on assets). Then it turns to leverage (liquidity and solvency) and the cost of leverage. Finally, a review of the tax burden is conducted. The ROE analysis can be followed up with an analysis of the company’s cash flows. d. Compute return on equity (ROE) for both companies for fiscal 2007 and 2006. Calculate the five components of ROE and verify that their product equals ROE. Remember to use average total assets and average stockholders’ equity in your ratio calculations. e. Refer to the common-sized income statement you prepared in part c and your ROE decomposition from part d. Assess the companies’ asset efficiency. Which firm is more efficient in its use of assets? Consider efficiency in terms of total asset turnover, receivables turnover (and average collection period), inventory turnover (and average holding period), payables turnover (and average time to payment), cash conversion cycle (i.e., receivables days + inventory days – payables days), and fixed asset turnover. g. Assess the companies’ liquidity and solvency. Are the companies likely to meet their debts as they come due? Consider ratios such as the current ratio, the quick ratio, and the debt-equity ratio. Also consider interest costs and the times interest earned ratio. Is there any â€Å"off-balance-sheet† financing that will constrain future cash flow? You should explicitly consider operating leases at both companies. Assume that the discount rate implicit in the capital leases is the appropriate discount rate for capitalizing the operating leases. Further, assume that the lease payments due in 2013 and beyond will be paid evenly over 20 years for Kohl’s and paid entirely in 2013 for Dillard’s. h. Assess the cash flow of each company. Are cash flows from operations a source or a use of cash? How are operations and investments being financed? What differences do you note? i. As a potential investor, would you be interested in seeking additional information about either of these companies? What sort of information would you want? Would you invest in either company?