Impact of Corruption in Nigeria

Impact of Corruption in Nigeria CORRUPTION AND ITS IMPACT ON INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES (NIGERIA AS A CASE STUDY) (FEBRUARY 2014) Abstract Corruption is no news in the world today. We can see corruption in our daily lives, let alone in our businesses and the way economies as a whole deal with corruption every day. That is why discussing corruption and seeking ways on how to deal with it in International business is inevitable. I chose Nigeria as a case study for obvious reasons; I am Nigerian and unarguably Nigeria is the Giant of Africa vast in its natural resources but unfortunately Nigeria is still battling with corruption which is crumbling our already poor nation and taken a toll on our International Business relations pushing potential business and development further away. This paper seeks to attempt to show why corruption is predominant in developing countries, its impact on International Business in developing economies and possible recommendations. I will first start by giving you a brief picture into Nigeria’s biggest export and make an attempt to analyze corruption itself. Introduction International Business is all commercial transaction between two or more countries and the goal of the private business is to make profits while the government is motivated by profit or political reasons (Daniels, Radebaugh, and Sullivan 2007). Business has become more global, trading has become easier with different regional trading blocs. This only encourages companies and economies to engage in International Business to boost its economy. Several economic theories show how countries’ competitiveness with other and Nigeria certainly has an Absolute Advantage in the Oil sector. Nigeria is a country with diverse and enormous mineral resources like crude oil, coal, zinc, semi-precious stone and gold to name but a few. Nigeria exports petroleum, petroleum products, cocoa and rubber. Nigeria is also rich with great human resources hence a great destination for business. The sudden growth of Oil in the 1970s led Nigeria to the abandonment of its strong agricultural and light manufacturing bases in favor of an unhealthy dependence on crude oil. Oil and gas exports account for more than 95% of export earnings and over 80% of federal government revenue. However, the success story in the sector has lead it thus far making Nigeria, the United States largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa, supplying 8% of U.S. oil imports which is half of Nigerias daily oil production .The country is also the fifth-largest exporter of oil to the United States. Nigeria is a member of the functional Commodity Agreements in the world; Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and its current crude oil production averages over 1 million barrels per day with oil reserves are estimated to be 36 billion barrels; natural gas reserves are over 100 trillion cubic feet. (Source 21 Feb 2012: http://www.nigeria.gov.ng/index.php/2012-10-29-11-05-46/economy) Table 1.1 Nigeria Economic Overview 2014 Nigeria Economy Overview Region Sub-Saharan Africa Income Category Lower middle income Population 168,833,776 GNI Per Capita (US$) 1,430 City covered Lagos Doing Business 2014 Rank Doing Business 2013 Rank Change in Rank 147 138 -9 Doing Business 2014 DTF(% points) Doing Business 2013 DTF(% points) Improvement in DTF(% points) 46.62 46.33 0.29 (Source 21 Feb 2014: http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/nigeria/ ) Corruption â€Å"The world is a chain, one link to another† Maltese Proverb, and with the rapid pace of globalization and the increase in the volume of International trade and investment , coupled with ongoing corporate scandals, has escalated the importance of issues relating to Corruption, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Politics (Rodriguez et al, 2006). As foreign firms expanded into, and new firms were born within, developing and transition economies governments, managers and scholars grew more aware of the magnitude of corruption and the need to understand and address it. Corruption has been described by several authors using very fancy words but keeping it simple; it is a wrongful act that affects the well-being of the society. Corruption abuses power for private gain and it affects everyone who depends on the integrity of people in a leadership position. It can be manifested through bribery, illegal gratuity, extortion, conflicts of interest, kickback, and corporate espionage and through commissions/fees (Source 21 Feb 2014: http://www.sfo.gov.uk/briberycorruption/briberycorruption.aspx) In public offices several ardent writers relate corruption with the continuous malicious use for self-financial gain but this is not exclusively the case because corruption also exists in both (small and large) private enterprises and their gains arise because of embezzlement, conflicts of interest, abuse of power, exploitation, bribery and fraud. (Sikka, 2008). Corruption in Developing Countries Unfortunately, it is not news to our ears that Nigeria is headed to being completely destroyed by corruption if continuous effort to curb it is not pursued vigorously. Well, I’m of the opinion the root cause of the present Nigerian corruption problem is the overarching crude oil economy and politics over the years. Transparency International is has efficiently made available a Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) which ranks countries and territories based on how corrupt their public sector is perceived to be. The scale of 0 100, in the CPI is a s follows; 0 indicating that a country is perceived as highly corrupt and 100 indicating it is perceived as very clean. Please note the countries perceived as very clean and where those countries originate from compared to those perceived as highly corrupt further stressing my view that developing countries are highly corrupt due to the economic conditions thus affecting business. (Source 21 Feb 2014: http//www.transparency.org). Copy of CPI2013_GLOBAL_WithDataSourceScores.xls Nigeria is at 144, alarming! looking past tables in the Transparency International website in 2004, Nigeria was at 90. The last country on the list is an African one, Somalia. This goes without saying. If you look at the economic situation in Somalia, it is obvious. The poorer the nation the higher the corruption. But how can there be a balance? A nation needs Foreign Direct Investment to boost its economy. The Porter Diamond Theory (Daniels et al 2007) which naturally should help boost a nation may not work in a developing country like Nigeria, according to this theory companies’ development of international competitive product depends on their success in their home country, this theory is not feasible in most developing economies, these countries need foreign investors to set companies to harness the demands of the nation but with corruption as one of the factors affecting International Business, how will be nation grow strong enough to combat it? Sadly, Nigeria has no excuse for its failure so far, at present the problem of corruption issues has been saddled in into the laps of three government bodies: Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), with little or no success considering Nigeria is still falling below the world’s Confidence Interval year on year, so how can International Business be seamless? You can also find current shocking details about bribery/corruption in Nigeria on bribenigeria.com. Won’t a corporation or nation rather deal with another continent with a lower corruption issue than invest or trade with a nation who is known for corruption? If I were to answer, my answer will be no. I believe that developed countries in the world have a better advantage over the fight against corruption because developed countries do not face the several challenges that developed countries face, so third world countries or developing countries like Nigeria, still have a long way to go. Multinational Corporation’s interest in fighting Corruption in International Business It has been argued that governments and host communities  may be interested in eradicating poverty, promoting education, health care and  human rights, but corporations may not necessarily share such goals. They are  essentially ‘private’ organisation and are required by law to prioritise the welfare of  the shareholders (capital) above other stakeholders (Sikka, 2008). Corporations’ today  should to conduct their operations responsibly with accountability to wider  society and legitimise their social power corporations may acknowledge some social  responsibilities, but they most often times can’t buck the systemic requirement to increase profits  and dividends to the benefit of capital. Businesses and organizations are set up to create wealth, and so far it is a very highly  effective tool for doing so. No limitations, whether legal, ethical or moral limit  are set to what or whom corporations can exploit to create wealth for themselves and their  owners. According to Sikka (2008), ‘such practices seems to be part  of the ‘enterprise culture’ that persuades many to believe that ‘bending the rules’ for  personal gain is a sign of business acumen’ (pg. 270). Competitive  advantages is considered to be an entrepreneurial skill, especially when competitive  business environment link profit and market shares with meeting global business  target. We see that the use of bribery and inducement to secure competitive advantages is primarily a  matter of executive discretion rather than any legal or moral compulsion. It has been  argued that this discretion may be used to enrich directors since their remuneration  is influenced by the level of profits and return to capital. Markets therefore exert  pressure on companies to generate ever increasing profits and returns as capitalism  does not provide any guide to upper limits of accumulation (Sikka, 2010). Companies  can generate additional returns for finance capital, not only through competitive  advantages on products and services, but also through bribery and other  inducements to secure government contracts which are the big and guaranteed revenue even though payments are delayed .In an attempt to satisfy the corporate  goal unfortunately everybody else is put at risk. Generally, the codes of business conduct include statements rejecting the payment or  acceptance of bribes, collusion, pressure or illegitimate favour, either directly or  through third parties whether public officers or private individuals but are often not respected. Y their involvement in corrupt practices and other anti-social practices cannot therefore be  reconciled with their business codes of conduct (Sikka, 2008, 2010; Otusanya, 2012). Environmental turbulence and threats to their reputation are managed by publishing corporate social responsibility (CSR) statements and code of conduct that promise ethical behaviour, improvement of economic and social infrastructure and quality of life of all stakeholders (Phillips, 2003; Sikka, 2010). Looking at it critically even if one organization restrains itself, the superior profits of competitors and business environment exert pressure to explore ways of matching or exceeding that,  thus the tendency to increase profits through corrupt practices as a means of gaining competitive advantages remains embedded within the corporate enterprise culture. In the end, it is a â€Å"means† to an â€Å"end† or â€Å"we all want to make money† some would say. Impact of Corruption in the International Business world Without a doubt corrupt activity hinders development, contributes to the depletion of the public purse and distorts markets, furthering hindering local and Foreign Direct Investment. The growth of a nation depends on the redistribution of its wealth since the middle class and poor benefit is much greater than the affluent, who loss out of the re-distributional process. Countries suffering from corruption cannot implement sound re-distributional policies and are not expected to take benefit from sustainable economic development despite engaging upon economic growth from time to time for some reason or the other. No country or company would like to engage in business with falling economies. Another pitfall is it becomes a way of life. Corruption is like a way of life in Nigeria, from the secretary that sits at the office expecting to receive a â€Å"gift† before passing the cheque for signature to our leaders who can only award contracts by our wonderful saying â€Å" if you help me, I go help you† ( *pidgin English which means if you scratch my back, I scratch yours). There are other things to consider, for instance the level of poverty. Nigerians do not know any way out. Word on the street, is you have to be smart, so you can survive. And survival here is relative. The danger of this is that is rubs off on the nation as a whole. Our image and reputation is constantly taunted. Business people need to find out if they need to cut corners before making an investment in Nigeria and need to know the â€Å"Man at the top† before the contract is awarded It ridicule’s the concept of open and fair competition; hence the continual decline of the economy. *â€Å"Pidgin English† is the low class English spoken on the streets in Nigeria† Summary International Business as stated earlier involves all commercial transactions, private and governmental, sales, investment, transportation that takes place between two or more countries for developing countries to find a way to curb corruption to its minimum; it must first start from the sectors and the leadership. Not forgetting that the various modes of entry ranging from Imports and Exports, Tourism Transportation, Licensing and Franchising, Turnkey Operations, Management Contracts, Direct and Foreign investments need to be rid of corruption (Daniel et al 2007). In the case of Nigeria, it makes sense that any effort to eradicate corruption in must start with the oil sector, because of its all-encompassing effects on other sectors of the economy and move immediately to harnessing other natural resources, focus on production of resources that the economy has demand for thus providing job opportunities for several people. Secondly, the law enforcement would need to sanitize its own department because it is a pity that in developing countries they are the most corrupt. I’m not confident of the efficacy of the sanctions and restitution imposed and how is it been effective handled, however if sanctions from those found guilty of corruption can also be re enforced. Finally, as also noted earlier, unfortunately it has become a way of life. The biggest step will be sensitization. The media and institutions of learning will have to collaborate to ensure these morals are instilled. A full blast media campaign on the effects, combined with tutorials in classes will surely make an impact. The earlier an individual realizes that it is not a norm, the better. People should not accept or give bribe and not cut corners the better for the whole society. Corruption can be tackled, it may take forever but with collaboration and eyes on the bigger picture; when purely looking at it from a business perspective, it is indeed wiser to build a good reputation that bring a lifelong investment than engage in activities that will only provide solutions for short term needs. References/Bibliography Daniels, Radebaugh and Sullivan (2007) ‘International Business Environments and Operations’, 11th Edition. Olatunde Julius Otusanya, Sarah Lauwo, Gbadegesin Babatunde Adeyeye (2012)  Ã¢â‚¬Å"A Critical Examination of the Multinational Companies’ Anti-Corruption Policy  in Nigeria† (Accountancy and Public Interest 2012). (Online journal 9th Feb 2014: http://visar.csustan.edu/aaba/Otusanya2012.pdf) Otusanya, O. J. (2011b) ‘Corruption as an Obstacle for Development in Developing  Countries: A Review of Literature’, Journal of Money Laundering Control, 14 (4):  387-422. Phillips, R. (2003) Stakeholder Theory and Organisational Ethics, San Francisco:  Berrett Koehler. Rodriguez et al (2006) ‘Three Lenses on the Multinational Enterprise: Politics,  Corruption, and Corporate Social Responsibility’, Rensselaer Working Papers in  Economics, No. 0608 New York. Sam Ejike Okoye. How to tackle corruption Effectively in Nigeria:  http://www.gamji.com/article4000/NEWS4930.htm (9 Feb 2014) Sikka, P. (2008a) ‘Enterprise Culture and Accountancy Firms: The New Master of  Universe’, Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, 21(2): 268-295. Sikka, P. (2010) ‘Smoke and Mirrors: Corporate Social Responsibility and Tax  Avoidance’, Being Paper Presented at Essex Accounting Centre, Essex Business  School, University of Essex, UK http://www.essex.ac.uk/ebs/research/working_papers/WP2010-5%20PS%20CSR%20and%20Tax%20Avoidance%20Revised%20April%202010.pdf. (9 Feb 2014) Udelove (2010) ‘Why Nigeria Is Referred to as the Giant of Africa’. StudyMode.com: http://www.studymode.com/essays/Why-Nigeria-Is-Referred-To-As-449209.htm (21 Feb.2014) Yima Sen ‘Political Economy of Corruption in Nigeria’:  http://www.gamji.com/article9000/NEWS9136.htm(9 Feb 2014) Web. 9 Feb 2014 http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/nigeria/energy.htm> Web. 21st Feb .2014 http://www.transparency.org > Web .21 Feb.2014 http://www.nigeria.gov.ng/index.php/2012-10-29-11-05-46/economy> Web. 21 Feb 2014 http://www.doingbusiness.org/data/exploreeconomies/nigeria/> Web. 21 Feb 2014 http://www.sfo.gov.uk/briberycorruption/briberycorruption.aspx>

Problems of Process Control

Chemical Engineering Department Subject: Process Control for undereducated students Instructor: Dr. Karima Marogi Typical Questions & Answers Process Control Problems Problem (1) Solution a) Energy balance for the thermocouple, where m is mass of thermocouple C is heat capacity of thermocouple h is heat transfer coefficient A is surface area of thermocouple t is time in sec Substituting numerical values in (1) and noting that Taking Laplace transform, Problem (2) A thermometer having a time constant of 0. min is placed in a temperature bath and after the thermometer comes to equilibrium with the bath, the temperature of the bath is increased linearly with time at the rate of I deg C / min what is the difference between the indicated temperature and bath temperature (a) 0. 1 min (b) 10. min after the change in temperature begins. (c) What is the maximum deviation between the indicated temperature and bath temperature and when does it occurs. (d) plot the forcing function and the respo nse on the same graph. After the long enough time buy how many minutes does the response lag the input?Solution Consider thermometer to be in equilibrium with temperature bath at temperature (a) the difference between the indicated temperature and bath temperature Problem (3) Determine the transfer function H(s)/Q(s) for the liquid level shown in figure below Resistance R1 and R2 are linear. The flow rate from tank 3 is maintained constant at b by means of a pump; the flow rate from tank 3 is independent of head h. The tanks are non-interacting. Solution and balance on tank 3 gives writing the steady state equation Subtracting and writing in terms of deviation Taking Laplace transformsWe have three equations and 4 unknowns (Q(s),H(s),H1(s) and H2(s). So we can express one in terms of other. From (1) Combining equation 4,5,6 Problem (4) Determine Y (4) for the system response expressed by Problem (5) Heat transfer equipment shown in fig. consists of tow tanks, one nested inside the o ther. Heat is transferred by convection through the wall of inner tank. 1. Hold up volume of each tank is 1 ft3 2. The cross sectional area for heat transfer is 1 ft2 3. The overall heat transfer coefficient for the flow of heat between the tanks is 10 Btu/(hr)(ft2)(oF) 4. Heat capacity of fluid in each tank is 2 Btu/(lb)(oF) 5.Density of each fluid is 50 lb/ft3 Initially the temp of feed stream to the outer tank and the contents of the outer tank are equal to 100 oF. Contents of inner tank are initially at 100 oF. the flow of heat to the inner tank (Q) changed according to a step change from 0 to 500 Btu/hr. (a) Obtain an expression for the laplace transform of the temperature of inner tank T(s). (b) Invert T(s) and obtain T for t= 0,5,10, U Solution (a)For outer tank Substituting numerical values Now Ti(s) = 0, since there is no change in temp of feed stream to outer tank. Which gives For inner tank Problem (6)The input (e) to a PI controller is shown in the fig. Plot the output o f the controller if KC = 2 and XI = 0. 5 min Solution Problem (7) The thermal system shown in fig P 13. 6 is controlled by PD controller. Data; w = 250 lb/min; ? = 62. 5 lb/ft3; V1 = 4 ft3, V2=5 ft3; V3=6ft3; C = 1 Btu/(lb)(Â °F) Change of 1 psi from the controller changes the flow rate of heat of by 500 Btu/min. the temperature of the inlet stream may vary. There is no lag in the measuring element. (a) Draw a block diagram of the control system with the appropriate transfer function in each block. Each transfer function should contain a numerical values of the parameters. b) From the block diagram, determine the overall transfer function relating the temperature in tank 3 to a change in set point. (c ) Find the offset for a unit steo change in inlet temperature if the controller gain KC is 3psi/Â °F of temperature error and the derivative time is 0. 5 min. Fig. (1) (b) Problem (8) for the control shown, the characteristics equation is s 4 +4 s3 +6 s 2 +4 s +(1 + k) =0 (a) Determi ne value of k above which the system is unstable. (b) Determine the value of k for which the two of the roots are on the imaginary axis. Solution s 4 +4 s3 +6 s 2 +4 s +(1 + k) =0 For the system to be unstable

Prejudice in “Of Mice and Men” Essay

â€Å"Prejudices are the chains forged by ignorance to keep men apart.† – Marguerite Gardiner. In society, both modern and in the past, prejudice has been a tool of thinking and labeling a group of race, people, class and culture in order to distinguish ones superiority and dominance from one another, but is simply a way to judge without gathering valid facts. In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, we see that prejudice was just as rampant in the 1930’s. In the novel, prejudice is demonstrated on 3 different levels: racial, sexual and social. It is shown how these prejudices generate false perceptions that although meant to aid, do no such good as their end result is clouding the truth. Racial prejudice is most significant when describing Crooks, who happens to be the stable buck for the farm. Crooks is also a Black man with a back disability, hence the reason he is called â€Å"Crooks†. While most of the other workers live in the same area and attend to jobs that are quite similar, Crooks is forced to live by himself, work alone in the stables and is almost never in contact with any of the other characters. People such as Curly’s Wife go as far as to ridicule Crooks and even look down at him simply for the fact that he is a Black man with a disability who is a laborer. In one instance, Curly’s Wife threatens Crooks by telling him â€Å"Listen, Nigger, you know what I can do if you open your trap, I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t funny† (Steinbeck, 98). The open brutality of this comment shows that even a woman, who would normally not have much or any say during this time in the 1930’s, is still considered higher in social class than an African-American man. Nothing is known about him as a person by any of the other farm attendants, but the prejudices that in this case are completely false help propel a gap between them, when one does not need to be. Although he may be physically handicap, he is just as capable as any of the others. As a result of being an outcast at the farm, Crooks has become very isolated and disengaged with the other members. When Lennie enters Crooks cabin in order retrieve the puppies, Crooks lashes out and tells Lennie â€Å"I ain’t wanted in the bunk room and you ain’t wanted in my room† (Steinbeck,124). This comment shows that Crooks has become bitter and alone because of the prejudice constantly being aimed at him when there is no reason for the way he is treated. He is a great overall example of racial  prejudice in Of Mice and Men and society, both past and present, in which a African-American male, who is as capable as any man of another color is denied the same opportunities because of stereotypes and perceptions which can only be supported with biased false facts. Sexual prejudice is strong when Curly’s Wife is a part of a scene. Curly’s Wife also happens to be the only female that is currently occupying the place of work that the novel is set in. Curly’s Wife is presented as a character who tends to be very friendly with all the men on the farm and enjoys the attention she gets because her husband, Curly does not give her the amount of attention that she wants, so she finds it with others. Curly’s Wife is often avoided by all other who work at the farm because she is a woman who could get them in a lot of trouble. Curly is the boss’ son and Curly’s Wife being the daughter-in-law always gets her way and can have any man in the farm fired without reason. â€Å"She got the eye goin’ all the time on everybody. I bet she even gives the stable buck they eye. I don’t know what the hell she wants† (Steinbeck,51). Being a woman, there is already significant amount of sexual prejudice directed to her and the fact that she is very flirtatious with the other men further strengthens their perception of her. They all try to remain as calm as possible, careful not to give her the wrong idea cause they know the trouble that she could get them in. In actuality it appears that Curly’s Wife only craves attention from the other men and nothing sexual because of the lack of her husband to give her the attention that she wants. The idea of her wanting something only sexual and not spiritual shows the prejudice associated with gender in this novel and how its falsehood prevents a lonely woman from engaging and connecting with others on a mental level. Equally important is the Social prejudice towards characters such as Candy and Lennie in Of Mice and Men. Candy is very old and not capable of doing much around the farm but is still kept around to do the simple chores that the others are seen as more of a waste of time for others. These simple chores are envied by others and this jealousy helps create a division between Candy and the others. Candy also has a dog that in many ways is similar to him â€Å"[The] dog ain’t no good to himself. I wisht somebody’d shoot  me if I got old an’ a cripple (pg. 45).† They are both described as being old, withered, confused and in many ways more of a nuisance who would do more good dead than alive. Socially being hated by the majority of the men at the ranch shows the prejudice that is directed without any reason, but simply motivated by jealousy. In the instance of Lennie, social prejudice is strongest evident in the perception others have of him because in their eyes, all they see is a big oaf incapable of accomplishing anything intelligent and only kept around for his strength. Before meeting Lennie and even engaging him in conversation, his position has already been established at the Ranch. With Curly we see that â€Å"[He’s] like a lot of little guys. He hates big guys. He’s alla time picking scraps with big guys. Kind of like he’s mad at ’em because he ain’t a big guy† (pg. 26). Regardless of his ability to be of help at the farm, Curly already establishes his position on Lennie even though he has had no significant direct contact or enough time to accurately depict Lennie as a person and not just a big man physically. Not only Curly, but other members of the farm also have decided Lennie’s place at work before fully knowing him. He is left out of card games, left back at the ranch when George and the others go out to hand more important jobs. Being considered a simple minded men with little use who spend their days playing with and day dreaming about rabbits or sweeping after others, Lennie and Candy have become outcasts in the sense that one of them is perceived to be mentally unstable and added to the fact that he is physically strong, while the other one is a nuisance who many could live without, make them both isolated and all the more reason to be avoid and singled out. â€Å"Of Mice and Men† is a brilliant novel in demonstrating that prejudice is a tool that people use to become more familiar with other individuals in order to overcome the fear of uncertainty. However, the ending result is that it puts distance between the person and the one they judge because it is not fact, but perception that is completely untrue. Prejudice is simply the reasoning of a fool to make themselves feel secure.

ACT in 10th Grade

Should You Start Prepping for the SAT/ACT in 10th Grade SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Being successful on the SAT and ACT is all about the preparation you put into it.While you probably knowit'sa myth to think you can't study for these tests, you might not realize that the reverse is true - studying is exceptionally important for doing well on the SAT or ACT. That's why it's a really smart idea to prepfor the SAT/ACT as a sophomore. Let's talk about why prep is so important for these tests, what you can do in 10th grade, and what your most helpful study schedule should look like over the school year and beyond. First, when will you be taking the SAT or ACT? When Should You Take the SAT/ACT? When you should prep has a lot to do with when you're planning to take the SAT or ACT. Typically, many students choose to take the SAT or ACT for the first time in the fall of junior year. That way they can take it again in the spring of junior year to improve their scores. If they still have room for improvement, they can take it again in the fall of senior year. Since your college deadlines are probably in the fall or winter of senior year, that last test would be your last chance to improve your scores. That can put a lot of pressure on those three test dates. If you want to leave yourself more available test dates to improve your scores, or even get the tests over with before senior year, you might choose to take the SAT or ACT even earlier, like in the fall or spring of sophomore year. Whether you take the SAT/ACT for the first time as a sophomore or junior, you definitely want to take advantage of sophomore year and the summer after to prep for the SAT/ACT. At least 40 hours of test prep is a good idea to start, but working your way up to 100 or more hours of test prep will really benefit you and help you reach your target scores. Rather than pushing this off and cramming in the weeks before your first date, you'll be best served byspreading out this test prep over the course of sophomore year. Let's take a closer look at why prep is so important for these tests. Prep and the SAT/ACT The SAT/ACT are probably not like any tests you take in high school. While they relate to the skills and knowledge you've developed in your classes, like reading comprehension, math, and writing, they are unique in the way they word questions, present information, and impose strict time limits. These two tests also have some key differencesfrom each other. Focused test prep with official sample questions will help you in a number of ways, as well as raise your score hundreds of points above what it would be if you took the tests without prior studying. You can use SAT and ACT Questions of the Day, download official SAT and ACT practice tests, and try sample SAT and ACT online practice questions. PrepScholar customizes its online test prep for students at all grade levels and helps you with weekly progress reports and the added option of a one-on-one tutor. Finally, many students also use SAT books and ACT books to review concepts and try practice questions. Studyingwill help you master the content, learn vital time management skills, and identify and drill your weaknesses. All of this takes months to accomplish successfully, so the time to prep is sophomore year, if not even earlier. Let's go through what it takes to do really well on these tests. Prep to master the content. Master the Content As mentioned above, the SAT and ACTare unique in their timing and the way they word questions. Luckily, there's a ton of information out there explaining the content and format of the tests. By familiarizing yourself with the tests, you can know specificallyhow many Critical Reading questions you'll answer in how many minutes or exactly what you need to know for the ACT Science section. If you prep for 2 to 3 hours a week throughout sophomore year, then you'll be able to review the concepts, apply them to practice problems, and fix any patterns of mistakes or confusion. Besides reviewing content, test prep will also help you answer questions quickly and efficiently over time. Take Control of Time Besides the often tricky, unique wording and material on the tests, they also are challenging because of their strict time limits. You probably aren't accustomed to having such short time for math, reading, or writing. That's why taking practice tests under timed conditions can help you get better and better at pacing and answering questions both quickly and thoroughly. You can learn and try out the best techniques for drafting an SAT essay in only 25 minutes, or learn the best approaches to read and answer questions on 4 ACT Reading passages in only 35 minutes. As you prep throughout sophomore year, take the time to sit for a practice test under simulated timed conditions. Sit in a quiet space with no distractions, and make sure to abide by your time limits. Try out different strategies and figure out what works for you. As you determine your best strategies, you can also be on the lookout for your strengths and weaknesses. Assess Your Strengths All of the skills tested on the SAT and ACT take time to pinpoint and develop. Plus goodstudying involves a certain amount of self-reflection. Ask yourself, What am I good at? Where are my weaknesses? Do I keep getting tripped up over dangling modifiers, or do properties of triangles confuse me every time? Once you've taken the time to identify your areas of improvement, you can make sure to fill in any knowledge gaps and drill them with practice problems. Because this kind of thorough prep takes time and effort to undertake, it's definitely a good ideato start sophomore year. You won't be caught up in the rest of the college process, and you probably won't have a caseload of as challenging classes as you take junior year.Plus if you're taking the SAT/ACT in the fall of junior year, you don't want to walk into totally unprepared. A really low first score could look bad to colleges if you have to send them all your score reports, plus it could raise red flags to the College Board/ACT. Putting off preparing for a test only leads to more stress and pressure later on. Instead of procrastinating, you can get started on test prep now in 10th grade when it's not so urgent and you can take a more relaxed approach. Not only will prepping for the SAT/ACT help you perform well on the tests and not get overwhelmed in th grade, it also will likely reinforce your understanding of and dedication to your 10th grade classes. Let's take a look at how the SAT/ACT are connected to your sophomore year classes. Excel inYour 10th Grade Classes While these tests are unique, they do test a lot of the material you're learning in 10th grade. If you're in algebra or geometry, for example, both of those subjects will be on the tests. You also are almost certainly reading and analyzing works from various genres in English classes, as well as mastering the 5 paragraph persuasive essay. Practicing these skills in the context of the SAT/ACT could kill two birds with one stone. You'll reinforce your understanding in your classes, while at the same time get yourself prepared for these important tests. You could also try to get a headstart on concepts you'll tackle junior year. For instance, the ACT covers some trigonometry. By reviewing these concepts and trying practice problems, you'll be ready to dive into a trigonometry class in th grade. Preparing for the SAT/ACT in 10th grade will allow you to feel ready and confident when you take the test, likely in the fall of junior year. While I've touched on the reasons prep is so important, I'll also suggest a plan of attack for accomplishing all this - mastering the content, managing your time, identifying your strengths and weaknesses, and reinforcing the lessons you learn in class. Sophomore Year Plan of Action So you know prep is important, and you have a sense of when you're going to take your first SAT or ACT. How can you design a sufficient study plan, and how can you make sure you stick to it? At the bare bones minimum, students should devote at least ten hours of prep before taking the SAT or ACT. However, this won't give you much more than a basic familiarity with the format and timing of the test. As mentioned above, 40 hours is a good baseline for reviewing concepts, but 100+ hours will get you deeper into content and your own strengths and weaknesses. There are about 40 weeks in the school year, so if you are able to devote 2 to 3 hours of test prep a week, then you'll easily meet this goal of 100 hours. Of course, this depends on how busy your schedule is. Other students prefer to start slow, with an hour here or there, and thenramp up their test prep at the end of sophomore year and over the summer. This can work if you have extra free time over the summer and are able to keep up the discipline to study during summer vacation. The best way to stick to your study plan is to make it a part of your routine. Setting aside a specific time for test prep on a certain day every week and writing it down in your assignment notebook or planner will help you make it a habit. Plus an added benefit is that your time will really add up. Instead of getting overwhelmed with a ton of test prep at the last minute, you'll slowly build up your skills and knowledge and be able to approach the tests with confidence. To Sum Up... Sophomore year is the time for test prep. Most students take their first SAT/ACT in the fall of junior year. Since these tests require a good deal of prep to do well on, you can spread out your prep over the course of 10th grade and the following summer. Take the time to review concepts, keep up in class, and make SAT/ACT prep a part of your routine. Instead of procrastinating and running out of time, do Future You a favor and put in the effort now to meet your goals later. Dedication and commitment to your goals will help you improve on the SAT/ACT, as well as grow in otheraspects of your academic and personal life. What's Next? The best SAT and ACT practice questions come straight from the source. Download official SAT practice tests here and ACT tests here. Are you also taking the PSAT? We've collected free PSAT practice test pdfs for you to download and use for test prep. Are you aiming to become a National Merit Semifinalist or Semifinalist? Read how you can qualify for these outstanding distinctions here and here. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Free Essays on Consumer Behavior

Consumer Behaviour Consumers have so many choices to make compared to ten or even twenty years ago. Today as always, business growth depends heavily on loyal customers who return because they are satisfied with the product and/or service they have received. But first companies have to bring consumers into the stores. The companies bring consumers into the store by marketing their product. The average consumer would probably define marketing as a combination of advertising and selling. It actually includes a good deal more. Modern marketing is most simply defined as directing the flow of goods from producers to customers. In order to answer this question fully we must define consumer goods which means goods that are used or bought for use primarily for personal, family, or household purposes. The essay outlines the contributions of marketing through fast moving consumer goods. Promotion, which works hand in hand with marketing a product, allows the product to be relayed to the right consumer through cam paigns. Market research must be completed to find a target audience which is used for promotional and advertising reasons. The last part of the scheme is the actual advertising of the good which pulls the consumer into the store. Marketing has had an influential impact on fast moving consumer goods through abroad range of activities including, promotion, market research, and advertising. Promotion is used to communicate information about goods and services to target market audiences thereby facilitating the exchange process. Promotion plays an important role in informing, educating, persuading and reminding customers. The promotional mix is adjusted according to the organizations promotional objectives and its marketing situation. Generally, in consumer?s services, marketing and advertising will be by far the main component and the most expensive. Promotion is essentially about communication. Target audiences need to receive informatio... Free Essays on Consumer Behavior Free Essays on Consumer Behavior Consumer Behaviour Consumers have so many choices to make compared to ten or even twenty years ago. Today as always, business growth depends heavily on loyal customers who return because they are satisfied with the product and/or service they have received. But first companies have to bring consumers into the stores. The companies bring consumers into the store by marketing their product. The average consumer would probably define marketing as a combination of advertising and selling. It actually includes a good deal more. Modern marketing is most simply defined as directing the flow of goods from producers to customers. In order to answer this question fully we must define consumer goods which means goods that are used or bought for use primarily for personal, family, or household purposes. The essay outlines the contributions of marketing through fast moving consumer goods. Promotion, which works hand in hand with marketing a product, allows the product to be relayed to the right consumer through cam paigns. Market research must be completed to find a target audience which is used for promotional and advertising reasons. The last part of the scheme is the actual advertising of the good which pulls the consumer into the store. Marketing has had an influential impact on fast moving consumer goods through abroad range of activities including, promotion, market research, and advertising. Promotion is used to communicate information about goods and services to target market audiences thereby facilitating the exchange process. Promotion plays an important role in informing, educating, persuading and reminding customers. The promotional mix is adjusted according to the organizations promotional objectives and its marketing situation. Generally, in consumer?s services, marketing and advertising will be by far the main component and the most expensive. Promotion is essentially about communication. Target audiences need to receive informatio...

Individualized Education Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Individualized Education Program - Essay Example From the report it is clear that  the program depicts and portrays the aims and objectives along with the exceptional assistance that a child may need during the school curriculum. When a child necessitates with special care as he faces complexity and trouble in learning, implementing and executing task or activity, he is likely to fall under the category where a child needs IE program.As the discussion highlights  when the child’s unique and distinctive needs come under inimitable observation by the parents, teachers, school team and even the child himself, the productive and persuasive IE program is probable to develop that plays a great deal of assistance for the student to progress rapidly. The plan and the structure of the program entail deep awareness and understanding, practice and familiarity, and dedication from the declared people that will make the student engage, engross, improve and grow from the designed course of action. The goal setting come under preparati on as a foundation stone of IE program and has an aim to have targets that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time restricted.  The reflection and the picture that a person views, is created by the lens on the retina that gathers, assemble, concentrates, examine, consign and disseminate the light into the lens of the human eyes.  In other words, eyesight or the vision is one of the unique and beautiful gifts from God that a person has. The retina transforms the light that enters into the eyes of the humans into signals that travels to the brain via the optic nerve. When the signals do not reach up to the brains to communicate with the eye or a part of them come under damage, the person falls in the visual impairment disease. With the advancement of technologies, several medical treatments and surgeries come under performance to repair or bring back the vision of a person. The severe congenital visual impairment refers to the loss of eyesight that is present from birth; however, there can be various reasons that can cause this disease that may include inheritance or may have originated via some infection that the fetus catches during the mother’s pregnancy (Moore &  Graves & Patterson, 1997). The visual impairment transports few disabilities as well. Inadequate and narrow leaning skill or the incapability of learning from the surroundings is one of the side  effects and distinctive attribute that the children with visual impairment administer and experience. According to the studies, the evidence has come under the fact that much of the learning of students come under occurrence through their vision and the students who are disable with this gift gain knowledge through the signals of image (Roman-Lantzy, 2007). However, this impairment encompasses several complications to the children as an outcome of the injury. Students may have hindrance and interruptions in their growth and progress due to the reason that their brain may have had some injury. They may demonstrate signs of lacking in their concentrations to sight stimulus. These students when examine, search and seek for any material entity or things, their top priority changes to the sense of touch and feel over their sight. The consequence of the congenital visual impairment may have oscillation to the general health of the child, and may experience and may affect by the diseases

Discuss Strategies Adopted By Domestic or Foreign Firms in China to Essay

Discuss Strategies Adopted By Domestic or Foreign Firms in China to Reduce Turnover of Their Staff and Assess the Effectiveness of Specific Measures - Essay Example This essay stresses that the major factor driving the staff turnover rate to increase somewhat incessantly indicates to the demographic factors of the Chinese economy, which comprises of low cost Chinese labour and the behaviour of the employees, giving much emphasis on their salary structure. The fact was further justified when the HR professionals of China reported that in the early years of 2000s, around 73% of the employees on an average, in China, had resigned from their previous jobs and moved to the other because of a higher pay structure. This discussion declares that apart from stating the reasons for the Chinese employees to leave the job, the HR professionals of China have also stated that the implementation of strategies focused on high employee satisfaction is the best method to deal with the ongoing problem of increment in the staff turnover. The various organisations are also struggling hard to retain their employees by implementing effective organisational strategies for the reduction of staff turnover rate. The continuous increase in the employee turnover rates has evidently emerged as a major barrier to the effective performance of both domestic as well as the foreign firms of China. Although the problem’s epicentre is same, the strategies adopted by the two groups have been observed as quite different. The Chinese firms usually believe that the best strategy of retaining the employees is to provide them with the best deals in comparison to those offered by other employers.... In this essay, the key area of study have been concentrated on the identification of the strategies adopted by the domestic as well as the foreign firms in China for reducing their staff turnover rates and subsequently, assessing the measurable effectiveness of those strategies in the current scenario of the economy. Discussion Strategies Adopted by Domestic firms for Reducing Staff Turnover The continuous increase in the employee turnover rates has evidently emerged as a major barrier to the effective performance of both domestic as well as the foreign firms of China. Although the problem’s epicentre is same, the strategies adopted by the two groups have been observed as quite different. For instance, to ensure better retention of the productive professionals in the organisation and mitigate the issue of increasing staff turnover rates, domestic firms in China have adopted certain distinctive strategies at organisational level, which principally focus on pay structure design efficiency, better training and developmental aids to ensure performance satisfaction to the employees and enrich management-employee relations. The Chinese firms usually believe that the best strategy of retaining the employees is to provide them with the best deals in comparison to those offered by other employers (Ferreira & Alon, n.d.). Few of these strategies that the Chinese firms have adopted for reducing the issues of staff turnover have been explained below. Considering the fact that a majority of employees decide to leave their current job being influenced by the pay hikes they shall obtain from joining another organisation, domestic firms in China often tend to emphasise regular pay hikes and increments to be delivered to their employees. In many