Easy Guide to Learn How to Write an Informative Essay

Working on an informative essay? Don't know how to write an informative essay successfully? It is alright and, for many, it must be a new experience I agree. In this blog, we have added useful tips to help you write and format your paper properly and get ahead in your class. Quick Links 1. What is an Informative Essay? 2. How to Write an Informative Essay? 2.1 Brainstorming 2.2 Choosing the Right Topic 2.3 Making the Informative Essay Outline 2.3.1 Preparing the Introduction and Thesis Statement 2.3.2 Writing the Body Paragraphs 2.3.3 Closing the Essay 2.4 Editing and Proofreading 1. What is an Informative Essay? An informative essay does just what the name suggests. It informs the readers about a certain person, place, and event or anything that is the main topic of the essay. While writing an informative essay, the objective is to inform the reader with facts without persuading their opinion towards your point of view. Because of its descriptive and detailed nature, many college students feel that it is like the descriptive and narrative types of academic essays, however, do not be confused. It is different than those and have its own method and research material. Because an informative essay is more on informative side and you will have to be fully aware about the topic and know it inside out. When writing this essay, you main aim is to describe the topic in detail and convey the information in a clear, comprehensible, organized and easy to scan manner. These types of essays are generally written at high school and college level when students are working on their creative writing skills and learning to describe objects and things in detail. Students must learn to channel their thoughts and practice how to brainstorm and present the researched information in creative writing. 2. How to Write an Informative Essay? Writing an informative essay is just like writing any other type of essay, in terms of how the essay is divided. The sections and length is the same while the topics differ due to the nature of the paper. However, before you start writing, make sure that you have ample time and information to present in your paper. Consider having sufficient time as requirement because without sufficient time you will not be able to research the required data and add them into your essay. Following are the steps involved in writing an informative essay. 2.1 Brainstorming Brainstorming is key for a successful essay and paper. Strong writing, especially an academic assignment, needs strong and relevant data arranged and presented in well-structured way. Think about your subject, the person, place or thing, that you would like to write your essay about. Write everything down in a notebook and make important notes about how you will present this information. 2.2 Choosing the Right Topic Choosing the right topic is as important as writing the entire paper. The right chosen topic will steer your essay into the right direction and keep you focused. Most of the times, the teachers assign the topics themselves, but it is absolutely possible, that you get to choose the topics yourself. When choosing a topic for your academic paper, you should make sure that the topic has good scope. It should not be too narrow or broad. It should be interesting and engaging for your readers. Besides, you must also take care that you are presenting the facts in an appropriate design. 2.3 Making the Informative Essay Outline Making an outline is the most important step of any writing process. It is important because it directs the entire essay and keeps your focus narrow and strong. The outline must include everything and you should decide what you will discuss in your essay beforehand. 2.3.1 Preparing the Introduction and Thesis Statement An introduction is the first section of your essay. It is where the reader will know what they will get in the body of the essay. However, the introduction should not have any main ideas in it. It should present some background of the main topic and guides the reader to the thesis statement. The thesis statement is a brief one or two liner that summarizes the entire essay and present the main ideas briefly. Some students think that they can add all the details here, which is wrong. Summarizing the essence of the entire topic is important to write a strong thesis statement. It is a brief presentation of your essay and you must keep it short and to the point. 2.3.2 Writing the Body Paragraphs The body paragraphs have all the main ideas and interesting facts about the main topic. Usually, the body paragraphs are three in number but, based on the scope and requirements of the essay, the paragraphs could be increased. All the paragraphs should begin with a topic sentence and present one whole idea. All the information should be formatted and presented to help the reader understand what the essay is about. The information should be cohesive and directed to the target audience in an easy to understand language and way. 2.3.3 Conclusion The conclusion is probably the most important step in the writing process. Many students think that a conclusion does not matter. They are wrong. A conclusion is as important as an introduction. Pay attention to the main points of the essay and restate the thesis statement. Do not present any new ideas and thoughts here because you are closing your essay, not presenting new ideas here. Be brief and to the point. 2.4 Editing and Proofreading Editing and proofreading is the final and the most important step before the final submission. When writing something, it is possible that we overlook some minor mistakes. These minor mistakes lower the score. After you are done writing, go through the entire paper thoroughly. Check it for grammatical and spelling errors and plagiarism before you hand it over to your teacher. This step is important and you must not overlook it. If possible, have your friend or sibling read it for you and point out any errors. It is easier for a fresh mind to spot mistakes that you might have overlooked. Professional Essay Writing Help 5StarEssays is a professional essay writing service that specializes in providing high quality and affordable help to students. We want to help you get good grades without compromising on your lifestyle and other activities. Our aim is to help you with all your academic needs and with our writing services, we do our best to accomplish this aim.Place your order now to get a high quality paper within your deadline.

Broken Women in Paradise

Broken Women in Paradise Broken Women in ParadiseToni Morrison's Paradise reveals a portrait of four broken women - Mavis, Grace, Seneca, and Pallas. These women come to the Convent looking for something; however, none of them are aware of what it is they are searching for until it happens to them. All the women have been hurt by their past and they go to the Convent, mostly by accident, looking for help. At the Convent they receive the help they have been looking for, freedom from the past that haunts each woman.The women arrive at the Convent one at a time between 1968 and 1976 and Mavis is the first. Her story begins as she is running away from an abusive husband, dead babies, plotting children, and an intolerant mother. Her husband, Frank, is an alcoholic. He abused and raped her so much she reverted back to a child-like state being unable to care for herself.Mavis StaplesShe was also running away from the recent death of her twin daughters who had suffocated in a car while she was buying food for supper . The twins were not her only children; she also had Sal, Billie James, and Frankie. Mavis was convinced that her children, particularly Sal, were going to attempt to kill her at her husband's orders. At dinner the night after Mavis was interviewed for the paper about her dead twins, Sal has a shaving razor at the table; Mavis was convinced they were going to kill her. "She didn't think it would take them long, and seeing how they were at supper, enjoying each other's jokes and all, she knew Frank would let the children do it." (25). Once Mavis escaped her home and stole her husband's car - which was his pride and joy - she ran to her...

Forms of Human Communication through the Ages Research Paper

Forms of Human Communication through the Ages - Research Paper Example That freedom was not always available and human beings had to work hard to get to the level of communicational freedom that most people have today. That journey has been a long and fascinating one. The Cro-Magnon, a precursor to modern man, was the first to participate in cave and rock paintings. To date it remains the earliest form of actual primate communication, estimated at 40,000 years ago (Ayiter, 2014).The majority of cave paintings found throughout Europe show scenes featuring animals, like bison and bear. Experts believe that cave paintings were important to early man for few reasons. These animals were essential to the livelihood for survival; they may have signs to let hunters know what game was available in this territory. Another theory involves the concept of an early religion; they may have thought that the images had magical or medicinal powers and they, also, may have thought depicting them might improve the likelihood of successfully hunting and killing one. These cave painters did not have any forms of actual paint, there implements were likely berries of different colors and charcoal (Beacon Learning Center, 2001). Cave paintings were a form of visual communication to members of one or perhaps multiple groups. It is likely that this artistic and communicative format that paved the way for the traditions of storytelling, spiritual belief, and cultural identity all at the same time. Cave paintings continued for a long time before verbal communication became more common; in fact, even after the invention of languages certain forms of cave-paining arts remained relevant and not uncommon (Beacon Learning Center, 2001). Human beings began using their new found verbal abilities of, language as soon they realized that they could.

Integrated Seminar in Hospitality and Tourism Management Case Study

Integrated Seminar in Hospitality and Tourism Management - Case Study Example Riley (2012) states that the economic balance between exports and imports has been achieved gradually in the year 2000 due to increase in exports to the U.S.A, Europe, Africa and Asia. India’s contribution to world exports has risen from 0.6% in 1993 to 1.5% in 2010, symbolising 150% increase. In addition, India has balanced its trading in Asia, especially China. India’s major advantage is notably its large population and demographics. According to IMF population statistics, the number of working citizens from the age of 15-64 years has been increasing over the years due to rapid population increase. However, the fertility rate has decreased; therefore, leading to the workforce, increasing as the amount of dependants increase. If the low fertility rates persist, India will face an increased ageing population and the dependency ratio will rise. However, the demographic advantages will increase and continue until 2050 (Riley, 2012). The Indian government will continue to be cooperative to foreign investors since they are the main contributing factors for the economy. The government’s policies have created a business environment attractive to foreign investors. The government has taken initiatives in sectors such as telecom, securities exchange, defence, and oil refineries in a bid to encourage foreign investments. 2) Do the deeper pockets (cash and other resources) of international hotel chains give them a competitive advantage over domestic chains? If the advantage exists, is the advantage of deep pockets a sustainable advantage? Starwood Hotel and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has an added advantage over the local chains due to its capital and infrastructure. Over the years, the distress in India’s hospitality industry has crippled local hotel chains with debts. As a result, Starwood capitalised on this to save on costs by simply branding already existing hotel properties throughout the

Developing Language Skills Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Developing Language Skills - Assignment Example But only few can be used for a specific level or specific purpose of teaching. Before selecting a required material it is important to profile Students instructional needs and institutional goals. To make decision that what and how to teach a particular group of learners, the teachers should have some basic knowledge. Teacher should be directly informed about the learner population, student needs, and institutional goals. A systematic and ongoing needs assessment should obviously be a primary source of data for both course design and materials selection, so teachers can choose materials that best accommodate goals and objectives. Before evaluating textbooks, teachers should therefore study their students' backgrounds and the requirements of their programs and institutions, perhaps by reviewing the findings of a recent need assessment. After getting the basic information about the skills of learner it has become easier to select suitable resources for learners. As described above a vast range of published material is available that can be used for developing skills of learners. Following four very famous books were selected after thorough research and investigations. A lesson plan is a comprehensive and predetermined schedule of every activity of teacher in classroom for achieving optimal results. A lesson plan can be of many forms and types. It usually depends on time span, style of educator and type of subject to be taught. But the basic and main objective of any type of lesson plan is to provide teacher a pre-planned line of action for presenting materials and interacting with learners. The lesson plan should not be merely an action plan but it should provide a useful link between objectives of curriculum and material to be taught. As per instructions a detailed two-hour lesson plan is presented here for ESOL Curriculum Level I. First chapter of simple and attractive novel of Charlotte Bront Jane Eyre

Competitive advantage and the Dangote Group and MTN Nigeria

Competitive advantage and the Dangote Group and MTN Nigeria The efficiency and effectiveness of any firm is dependent on the activities of other companies, be it a competitor, a supplier of raw materials to the firm or the distributor of its finished goods. In an attempt for a firm to expand its growth and further improve on its performance, it seeks a means of gaining a competitive advantage in the market. As such the firm may want to gain more control of activities that leads to the creation and distribution of its product, delivery of services or the chose to merger with or acquire similar companies so as to curb the threat to which competing firms pose. For the purpose of this research, the study would shed light on the activities of two firms based in Nigeria Dangote Group MTN Nigeria Both companies have impacted greatly on the economy of Nigeria and are leading figures in their respective sectors. These companies have had to employ business Integration methods to further boost the products or services they provide. The primary aim of a firm that chooses to employing vertical, horizontal or conglomerate integration is for the company to grow and gain market power thereby increasing its market share and/or product and service range. The research will explore Integration, the types of integration. It will also provide insight into how the firms were able to exploit the various integration methods furthermore the benefits of integration to the firms and the disadvantages of employing these forms of organising production. Before analysing the various forms of integration adopted by both companies, the work will offer a proper understanding of the following What is Vertical Integration? What is Horizontal Integration? What is Conglomerate Integration? Vertical Integration Vertical integration can be referred to as the process by which a company or firm takes control of the activities that influence the production and/or distribution of its goods and services. This to gain more control of the activities related to production and distribution of company goods, for strategic reasons and also to cut cost by owning the sources to which it relies on for raw materials, intermediate or complimentary goods. At the completion of a product, the distribution of these finished goods to the final consumer in the most efficient and efficient manner is crucial to the company, the company can either delivers the goods to middlemen or retail outlet, it can also rely on the distribution companies such as Inter-Distribution Company in Nigeria. The control of activities for which a company relies on for the completion of its product or service is referred to as backward (upstream) integration, this means that the company tries to gain control of the services provided by its suppliers; these could be raw materials, intermediate goods and complimentary goods. An example of backward integration is when a company that manufactures Chocolate decides to start growing Cocoa. When a company takes control of close to sale post-production activities such as distribution, it is referred to as forward (downstream) integration. An example of this is how the Coca Cola Company distributes its products to numerous outlets. The firm can also opt to engage both backward and forward integration, this is referred to as balanced integration. Horizontal integration Horizontal integration can be referred to as an expansion of a firm either by the act merging or acquiring a business or businesses in the same industry that produce similar products and/or provide similar services. It is a course of action that allows companies that are competitors of the same products or services to come together as one, thereby broadening its activities, scope and market size. An example is the recent consolidation exercise that took place in the Nigerian Banking Industry, which saw Banks being acquired or merging with another Bank in trying to meet up with the N25 billion Naira minimum capital base set by the Central bank of Nigeria. Horizontal Integration can result in a company producing different varieties of the same product or different products that meet the same demand. Horizontal Integration is not without its setbacks, this will be analysed proper with particular reference to MTN Nigeria. Conglomerate Integration Conglomerate Integration can be referred as the coming together of diverse businesses to form as one, providing a wide range of services to different market segments. The businesses that come together are not rivals, as they do not produce the same goods or render similar services. This is in an attempt to create a solid corporate body that is able to reach out into different markets. DANGOTE GROUP The company started as a small cement trading business in 1981 and later diversified into a conglomerate with businesses located in Nigeria, Benin, Ghana and Togo. It is currently engaged in the activities listed below Sugar Manufacturing Refining, Packaging and Distribution Salt Refining, Packaging and Distribution Cement Manufacturing/ Importing, Packing and Distribution Noodles Manufacturing and Distribution Flour Milling, Packaging and Distribution Poly Products Manufacturing Pasta Manufacturing and Distribution Real Estate Logistics Port Management Logistics Haulage Dangote Group in itself is a conglomerate and it has employed the various forms of integration, a relationship exists between these businesses. It should be noted that figures quoted about Dangote Group are related only to their activities within Nigeria and were sourced from the information the firm made available to the public. DANGOTE CEMENT PLC Dangote Cement Plc (DCP) is made up of a combination of six cement terminals and three plants, including the widely publicized Obajana Cement plant, which is the largest cement plant is the sub-Saharan Africa. The company recently merged with Benue Cement Company (BCC), in previous years, the Dangote Cement Plc (DCP) owned shares in Benue Cement Company (BCC). The coming together of these two companies is a horizontal Integration. Cement is produced and imported in trying to meet demand, the transportation of these materials from the sea port to factories and distribution of finished goods is carried out by a company called Dangote Transport (DanTrans). The haulage business is run by Dangote Group and it provides freight services with a fleet of over 5,000 trucks. By controlling the movement of materials and finished goods, the firm has employed vertical integration. It has expanded in a way that it now controls downstream activities. This is also referred to as forward integration. The merger of Dangote Cement Plc and Benue Cement Company has presented enormous benefits. The merger has streamlined the management of both companies, giving the newly merged companies positional advantage which will in turn give the company the power to act effectively, thereby leading to a positive operational and administrative economies of scale. The merger will increase the production capacity, as the company will see its production capacity increase to 20 million metric tonnes annually. Obajana plant alone currently has an annual production capacity of 5.2 million metric tonnes which will increase product capacity by 5 million metric tonnes at the end of the first half of 2011. Benue Cement Company currently produces 3 million metric tonnes and is also expected to increase to four million metric tonnes by the end of 2011. The increase in capacity is made possible because the coming together of the two companies has led to better access to financing. Nigeria cement production is below demand, that is why Dangote Cement Company imports cement, so as to meet demand. A rise in production will see the companys dependence on import reduce which will in turn lead to an increase in turnover, this means that shareholders will reap greater dividend and also gain in share value. The merger will lead to greater operational integration between the two companies, because they will be able to share facilities, inventory and other resources. This is referred to as Synergies. Benue Cement Company will be able to benefit from the superior production technology of DCP and this will significantly reduce the cost of operation. As the company production increases, more profit is made. In line with the companys ambition to expand it will create more jobs, as there will be an increase in the demand for manpower. Dangote Cement Company is the highest producer in the country, it is not without competition. One of its core competitors is the Ashaka Cement Company located mainly in the northern region of the country. With regards to the threat posed by rival companies, the merger will further strengthen the company giving it a wider geographical advantage by the size of its market share. DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc manufactures Sugar and has its refinery located in lagos, Nigeria. It started production in 2000 and currently has an annual production capacity of 1.4 million metric tonnes. Its production capacity is currently being increased to 2.5 metric tonnes a year which will make it the largest sugar refinery in the world. Dangote Group operates a Sugarcane farming, processing and refining plant called Savannah Sugar Company Limited (SSCL) located in Adamawa, Nigeria. This company was established by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 1997 and was acquired by Dangote Group in 2003. Savannah Sugar Company Limited has a current production capacity of 50,000 metric tonnes per annum as such Dangote Sugar Refinery partly relies on the importation of raw sugar from Brazil, it intends to further reduce that dependency with its recent projection of cultivating 18,000 hectares a year, with approximately of 50,000 employees on board at the end of 2010 which will see raw material production increase to 200,000 metric tonnes annually The sugar cane farm is a backward integration supplying raw material to the sugar refinery, and the sugar refinery in itself is also a backward integration. This is because it supplies Dangote beverages (Dansa Food Ltd) with sugar. The company has two categories of customers Super industrial users who are largely blue chip Nigerian companies which account for about 18 per cent of its sales revenue. These include Nestle Nigeria Plc, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Seven-Up Bottling Company Plc and Nigerian Bottling Company Plc (NBC). The other group is the distributors who service the retail end of the market (i.e. household and micro industrial users). This group trades in wholesale white sugar and are responsible for near 82 per cent of Dangote Sugars sales revenue. Dangote Sugar Plc also enjoys the services of Dangote Transport (DanTrans) for movement of its raw materials and finished goods, this phase of vertical integration touches both forward and backward integration. Some of the benefit s of integration enjoyed by the Dangote Sugar Plc are listed below Growing Sugar has substantially given Dangote Sugar Plc more control over the source of its raw materials, thereby reducing its reliance on importation. Sugar farming has also reduced the general cost of production, this is because internally sourcing for raw materials does not match the cost of purchasing them from suppliers whose choice of profit can affect the company negatively and it does not attract extra charges that come with importation of raw materials. By adopting the services provided by DanTrans, there is better coordination of company activities and also a reduction in the cost of transportation. Dangote Flour Mills Plc Dangote Flour Mills Plc comprises of 3 factories located in Lagos, Kano and Kwara State with a combined production output of 2.7 million metric tonnes a year. The company imports wheat from the US and some of its products are semolina and flour. Dangote Group has two companies that are heavily dependent on the flour mills company, they are the Dangote Pasta Limited and Dangote Noodles Limited. These two companies rely on the flour mills for raw materials; the form of production adopted here is vertical integration which sees the both companies source for its raw materials from within. Dangote Pasta Limited and Dangote Noodles Limited also share various benefits mentioned earlier about other companies which are Lower cost of acquiring raw materials Better coordination of company activities Dangote Agro Sacks Limited A variety of Dangote Products like cement, salt, flour and sugar needs to be packaged before they are distributed, because of the large volume of sacks that will be needed for this purpose, Dangote Group introduced Dangote Agro Sacks Limited. The company produces polypropylene bags primarily for internal use, and is able to produce 500 million 50kg sacks a year. Agro sacks are able to meet the total packaging demand of Dangote Group. By vertically integrating the activities of Dangote Group, it saves the company millions of naira. Dangote Transportation Limited (DanTrans) With a total of 5,000 trucks, DanTrans is able to meet the transportation needs of Dangote group. These activities range from the transportation of bulk cement from terminals, distribution of finished goods like noodle, cement, beverages, sugar, salt and many others; and also the movement of raw materials to factories for processing. Movement of raw materials to factories are not a close to sale activity, therefore it is regarded as backward integration The distributions of finished goods are downstream activities referred to as forward integration, both are forms of vertical integration. Disadvantages The application of the various integration methods in company activities are not without their shortcomings. Trust Issues: The merger was put on hold for several years as properties of Benue Cement Company were vandalized and set ablaze by protesting workers who saw the merger from a religious and regional perspective. Judging that the Chief Executive of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote is a muslim from the northern part of Nigeria and Benue Cement Company is located in Benue State, with a predominantly Christian population in the Central part of Nigeria. A repeat of such an act will have a negative effect on the companys profit and growth forecast. Emergence of monopoly: The merger of Dangote Cement which is an already sound company with Benue Cement Company will put rival companies at risk of losing their share of the market. This is because competing companies will be restricted by their size, technology and borrowing power, this can lead to the emergence of a monopoly. Vertical Integration is Limited: Though Dangote Group has gained so much control of related inter-company activities, it is still dependant on other companies for materials, an example is Doy Packs Limited which packages Dansa Products. Sustenance: The introduction of new activities poses the question as to whether these companies can be sustained. The larger a company is, the more complex it is to manage. With particular reference to Dangote Flour Mills which also sells flour to consumers through middlemen. In trying to compete with other flour products which have established themselves in the market, Dangote Flour Mills give out goods on credit to middlemen with the hope that when the goods are sold, the middlemen will hold on to their profits and pay for the purchase. This is not the case because many middlemen refuse to pay up even after the goods have been sold, a recent attempt to involve the police in debt recovery has seen middlemen threaten to shift to rival products. Little or no competition: Some companies like Dangote Agro Sacks, which manufactures company sacks and DanTrans, which transports finished goods and raw materials primarily exist to satisfy company needs, as such these companies are less efficient in the areas of innovation and management as a result of the lack of competition. This can be seen in the behaviour of DanTrans truck driver who have continued to give Dangote Group a bad image in the eyes of the public by the manner in which the drive. They have been said to be responsible for accidents that have caused the loss of lives, this has resulted in the burning down of 3 DanTrans Trucks by angry sympathisers along lokoja road, Nigeria this year. Additional Expenses: The merger of the two cement companies will see the companies incur higher expense at Annual General Meetings, Board of Directors and Communication with Shareholders MTN NIGERIA MTN Nigeria is a Telecommunication company which got its license in 2001, it is a part of MTN Group. The company has a heavily rooted presence in Nigeria with an estimated 35 million subscribers and offers a wide range of products and services which include voice communication services, video calling, internet services, street cam service and tracking services. MTN Nigeria has made tremendous investments in Nigeria by rooting telecommunication infrastructure in all 36 states of Nigeria, the transmission has reached over 10,000 villages and over 223 cities. Any company which wishes to succeed aspires to grow, the telecommunication industry has been subject to stiff competition as there are other major players like Glo Nigeria, Etisalat, and Zain Nigeria. In trying to gain competitive advantage in the market, MTN Nigeria horizontally integrated by acquiring VGC Communications for 70 million US Dollars. VGC Communications also provided Telecom services such as fixed line and internet services but it was a relatively smaller company which had a little over 20,000 customers. It is a company that was unheard of in many parts of the country and had only established itself solidly in Lagos state. What used to be known as VGC communications is now known as MTN Hyconnect. MTN Hyconnect now provides broadband internet services and landline services, this is with the aim of tackling the poor internet speed that has plagued the country and also to provide voice services. This act of horizontal integration is targeted at homes, offices, small and me dium enterprises; this acquisition has provided MTN Nigeria with some benefits Cost Savings: Though MTN Nigeria paid $70 million to acquire VGC communications, it has benefited by the already existing structures, the goodwill the company had and also the existing customers. It has been able to save the time and money that would have been needed to start a company from scratch. Economies of Scale: MTN Nigeria has been able to provide similar services to a new range of customers by acquiring VGC Communications. By this geographical expansion it has grown in the number of its customers and the type of services it provides. Competitive Advantage: Once again MTN Nigeria has proven to be a pioneer in the Telecommunication industry as rival companies have continued their competitive onslaught by brings out competing tariff packages and lowering call cost. This brilliant move has seen MTN Nigeria venture into a terrain with lots of opportunities to be exploited. Diversification: By the acquisition MTN Nigeria has ventured into another aspect of telecommunication which is fixed network, this has seen the emergence of a new market with the telecommunication industry. Better access to financing: MTN Hyconnect has grown signifacantly in recent years, tthis is because the company now has access to more funds and has been able to grow ever since, MTN Hyconnect now exists in 3 other places which are Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Ibadan. It has not been a situation of smooth sailing all through, as the following disadvantages have emerged from the acquisition Restricted Growth: MTN Hyconnect is still trying to establish a strong footing, this is because companies like Starcomms provide similar services at relatively lower rates. The continues decline in the general standard of living has also seen homes embrace these services at a slower rate as some will see it as a luxury. Takeover of smaller companies: Acquisition of smaller companies has seen these companies vanish, thereby limiting the choices consumers have and also reduces competition in the industry. Another disadvantage faced by MTN Hyconnect is that, it was a small company at the point of acquisition and has left MTN Nigeria with the giant task of reaching out to the whole country, so far, it exist in 3 states and the federal capital, Abuja. For Hyconnect to succeed, it will require large sums and also a lengthy period of time. Summary Vertical, Horizontal and Conglomerate Integration are different forms of organising production which involves a company gain control of the activities of suppliers and distributors, acquiring or merging with companies that offer similar goods and services, and companies that offer totally different goods and services respectively. Dangote Group is made up of different companies that manufacture cement, salt, sugar, sacks, noodles, flour, beverages and over transport services for company use. It has adopted horizontal integration by merging with Benue Cement Company and has employed vertical integration by producing company sacks, transporting the firms raw materials and finished goods, growing sugar cane for the sugar factory, and sourcing flour for the production of noodles and pasta. With integration, Dangote Group has benefited from economies of scale, saved cost, gain more control of related company activities and has as gained a competitive edge. The application of vertical and horizontal integration has brought forward issues of coordinating larger company activities, incurring additional expense, trust issues, reduced competition in the industry and the fear of an emergence of a monopoly. MTN Nigeria provides telecommunication services ranging from voice communication services, internet services to tracking services. The bid to gain competitive edge has seen the company acquire VGC Communication, a fixed network provider which is now called Hyconnect. The acquisition which has seen MTN Nigeria diversify within the same industry has reaped competitive advantage, growth, cost savings, and the economies of scale that comes with a merger or acquisition. Hyconnect has not fully gain footing because of the activities competing companies and the general standard of living, acquisition has seen smaller companies fade away giving consumers lesser choices. Conclusion Adopting the various forms of organising production has seen the companies grow tremendous, it should also be noted that this has positively affects on the GDP of Nigeria. The fear of the emergence of a monopoly is evident, yet this has further strengthened the positioning of Dangote Group and MTN Nigeria in a very unstable economy.

Personal Narrative- The Lonely Middle-Aged Woman :: Personal Narrative Writing

Personal Narrative- The Lonely Middle-Aged Woman I got off the bus, not knowing where I had to travel in the cold night. I had a rough idea, but I’ve been having terrible luck trusting my rough ideas lately. I thought I’d ask someone for details. The passengers that had gotten off the bus with me obviously knew where they were going, because their strides were purposeful and quick. Looking for someone to help, I turned to a middle-aged lady in smart business clothes and voiced my question. She looked at me strangely for a second, as though I was speaking a foreign language, then just as quickly she snapped out of it and told me the direction I had to walk. Then she added "But I have to go that way. I can give you a ride if you’d like." When she said that my mind traveled years back to primary school, when they would sit us all down on the floor and try to convince us not to do stupid things. Don’t light fires. Don’t play with guns. Don’t trust anyone wearing a trench coat. Don’t accept rides from strangers. I’ve broken most of these, except the trench coat one, so I decided that I should accept her offer. The situation, statistically speaking, was more dangerous for her than for me. Newspapers are hardly littered with stories about middle-aged women kidnapping and torturing innocent teenage boys. We walked to her car. She pointed it out to me, and I wasn’t surprised to see that it was a little red two-door BMW. She opened the door for me first and I slipped into the leather seats, running my hands along the wood dashboard that contained an elaborate stereo system. I pictured her zipping along the road, humming happily along to a Brahms concerto. Or maybe some jazz. I didn’t ask her. Sitting in her car I was consumed by warmth, not just from the heating, but because of her. If men use cars as penis extensions, this was the female equivalent. We kept talking. It was on a different level to small talk, but neither of us said what we were thinking. I felt her quiet desperation- she told me of her divorce; or rather she talked enough to let it slip. She talked about her sons and their jobs and wives. I’ve never experienced any of it but I had an idea how she felt.

The once called beautiful Canadian Geese is now nicknamed the monster in Canada

The once called beautiful Canadian Geese is now nicknamed the monster in Canada. They are now the most widespread species of its kind in North America. They are turning into a continent- wide problem, which are causing people to be frustrated. The increase in their population is causing drastic measures. Their droppings are contaminating the environment. They are destroying plants and crops, and causing disturbances in the neighborhood. If no possible solution can be found to solve this problem, it can be a disaster. Canadian Geese were supposed to be an endangered species in the early 1900's due to the hunting of geese by hunters. (Shilts) There were hardly any geese left in the late 1970's until suddenly some were discovered again. Scientists were so overjoyed that they raised the geese in captivity and then let them go where they once lived. (Herbert) However this was a huge mistake. Their population had increased over the years. Not by a few geese more each year but 11, 000 to 70,000 estimated which was a noticeable dramatic increase. When the geese population stopped migrating, they began to double every five years. As a result, from 70,000 geese at the beginning, it has now increased to 3.5 million and more. (Herbert) The geese population had increased over the years because of a steady and large food supply and safely protected from the hunters. Another reason was due to decrease in predator numbers. The predators such as coyotes, cougars and smaller predators in cities and suburbs didn't usually attack Canada geese because of their large sizes. Secondly, hunting was also not allowed anymore in cities and suburbs so the geese could live for a long time and grow many healthy goslings. People also love feeding them and geese are not scared of humans anymore as they used to. (Herbert) As their populations increases, problems start to occur. They are contaminating our water supply with their filthy slimy green droppings. One goose poops 5-9 times a day, and imagine 80,000 geese contaminating the water supply, it could get pretty gross. Other problem with increased population is that geese love short grass near water. If the grass runs out, they go tearing up other people's lawns. Problems with the geese seem to get worse each year. The geese no longer fly in a V- formation, which is a sentimental symbol of the passing season. They now live as if they have adapted to life in our cities. They even forget how to migrate in winter. They have enjoyed their lives in the environment over the years, that they want to continue having a peaceful life, but would people allow it? The answer is probably not. That's what a lot of angry people are saying now. Farmers are mad at the geese for destroying their crops. Some countries have lost over 300,000 dollars in crops because of the Canada Geese. They eat all sorts of crops and in fact, they could wipe out a field in no time. (Herbert) People with nice lawns and yards definitely want the geese to move away. They pull grass out of the lawn leaving hideous holes on the ground, which do not please the homeowners. Angry drivers are not happy with geese causing traffic jams in the highways. When drivers honk the geese, they just ignore the drivers and even honk them back. Annoyed walkers are not thrilled to have droppings stuck to their footwear whenever they take a walk. A large number of citizens are not pleased with the geese. There are a lot of them around the cities and suburbs. People can't even have picnics without stepping on any geese droppings just like the joggers. School's sport teams sometimes have to cancel games since the field is too messy. People who love going to beaches can't go to them since the beaches are closed because of the droppings of the geese. (Herbert) In fact, if humans do not cut the numbers of geese, our water will one day be too sickening for humans to drink. Geese are now posing a health threat because they can carry germs like salmonella and giardia. (Springston) However, they don't pose as much threat as other wildlife animals. According to the rate for Canada geese, they are not measurable which means they aren't really dangerous. Nevertheless, they do make water dirty, which will still be a huge problem to humans. Lots of solutions are thought of to get rid of the geese without hurting them in any way. People try to make loud noises, spray the grass with some chemicals, and even make plastic owls to scare them. On the market, there are lots of deterrents to work against the geese. They make plastic alligators, chemicals, metallic, iridescent streamers and try to use swans. However, nothing lasted for long. Some thought of â€Å"shipping the geese off to a distant, remote the new home, clean up the dropping on the lawn and problem would be solved† (Bond). They even try to ship them elsewhere but it doesn't work at all. So now a broad, long-term strategy is being developed. However, there will have to be many more polluted lawns before geese and humans settle into peaceful co-existence. (Bond) Federal wildlife agencies, the companies who reintroduce Canada geese back to wildlife, want to trim the population which is 3.5 million and is still increasing by 1.16 million geese in the coming years. They will start at places where they allow permit lethal means, which means trapping, nest destruction and roundups. (Herbert) Some other companies want to increase hunting geese, which may be a solution but will need lots of money to do so. However, this creates lots of other problems because there are limits to killing geese. The geese are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty of 1916, which limits hunting seasons and the number of geese an individual hunter may kill. (Herbert) Companies who are trying to prevent harming the geese are now trying to train dogs to chase them away. â€Å"In fact they are the hottest thing in goose management,† says an urban biologist John George. Using dogs to chase the geese away will be a good temporary solution. However it won't work for long because geese are smart birds. They will eventually find a solution to not get scared just like humans try to find a solution to eliminate them. (Miller) So after all, reintroducing geese back into the society may be a regret to a lot of people. Yet it is also the humans' fault for not watching them closely and carefully enough. Their droppings are infecting the environment, and are destroying crops, and causing disturbances in the neighborhood. They are part of a human problem that has gone wrong but one day, a solution will overcome the geese problem, making both the geese and humans satisfied.

buy custom The Ease of Falling into Unhealthy Diet Habits essay

buy custom The Ease of Falling into Unhealthy Diet Habits essay Modern lifestyle is largely to blame for the failure by members of our society to adhere to a healthy diet. Instead, they have lapsed into a lifestyle that encourages fast food and overconsumption of sugar. Ours has become a lifestyle entirely devoted to the pursuit of money and pleasure with complete disregard for personal health and future prospects. It is a society that is so ignorant and indifferent to the catastrophic effects of regular intake of unhealthy diets; so much that some of the negative effects have gained significance as national crises. Obesity which has increased to a point of causing panic especially among children is one such catastrophe. Obesity has been blamed for the rise in obesity-related conditions like diabetes and insulin resistance thus putting a strain on our resources (Lustig, 43). Continuous consumption of unhealthy diet is also to blame for other conditions like strokes, which result from accumulation of cholesterol and failure to take vital nutrients like vitamins. Generally, it is easy to fall into an unhealthy diet due to the constraint of time, resources and the social setting of each individual. A typical day in the life of a working citizen contains several activities which are always competing for the attention of that individual. Most people live in suburbs far from their offices or factories and one has to wake up early in order to make it to work on time. This individual is expected to prepare breakfast depending on the duties each spouse plays in the household. This might be compounded by children who need to be prepared for school. It is easy to just ignore the advice of professionals which calls for a balanced diet and instead partake of foods which are easy to prepare and take lesser time to consume. This is just the beginning of an ordinary day and other meals are likely o be met with the same approach where lack of time pushes these people into a culture of unhealthy living. Most people are likely to give their children money which will likely end up in the counters of fast food joints. The demand imposed by firms on their employees to deliver certain work quotas under tight deadlines makes it impossible to allocate adequate time for food preparation or even time to worry about the lifestyle they have adopted. By the time these individuals get home, they are exhausted and cannot be expected to be in the right frame of mind to worry about the eating patterns of their family. The recession succeeded in highlighting the plight of most people within our society. This concern was financial constraint most people face due to high living standards, low wages and high debts due to many obligations. Such debts include mortgages, student loans, and credit card debts among others. But economists have made it clear that the cost of foodstuffs is unyielding and the cost of buying an adequate and balanced diet for a family is a considerable expense. Add this to the cost of cooking gas and the labor required to prepare this food and most people are likely to forego this option for cheaper junk food. Some might be willing to incur the lengthy time necessary to prepare healthy foods but face budget constraints due to low wages or lack of employment. These families or individuals will choose foods which are cheaper not knowing that such usually contain lesser nutrients. Their failure to take healthy diets is not their fault but an institutional failure which denies them this fundamental right by failing to provide them with decent incomes to cater for their needs. In addition, the social setting of any given society determines the attitudes and behavior of individuals. Developed societies have adapted a consumerism culture which drives people to consume more and more without any regard to the impact of their actions. A debate which has emerged in recent times is whether the impact of high fructose sugar syrup which is widely used to sweeten foods and drinks has fueled the consumerism of unhealthy food products. This sweetener has been proven to be sweeter than conventional sugar and has been accused by some lobby groups of causing addiction and hence increasing consumption of junk foods and such drinks (Lustig, 21). While many including governmental institutions have been calling for restraint in consumption of unhealthy diets, members of our society seem to be ignoring this advice and opting to continue their unhealthy eating habits without care or worry. Indulging in passive leisure is also a major cause of junk food intake as people prefer to order takeout food rather than prepare it themselves. Although some foods are packaged and advertised as healthy, the reality is very different (Beck, 1). It is necessary to point out that no one is singularly responsible for increased consumption of unhealthy diets. Several factors intervene to influence the attitudes and actions of members of a society. Many factors still remain important if a true understanding of the problem is to be achieved. These include advertisements, legal requirements for food processors and availability of certain food products. What is clear is the need to address this issue since an unhealthy diets lead to obesity and other health related conditions. To continue ignoring this issue is to keep compounding the problem and doing more harm to an already strained health sector which can be alleviated through prevention rather than cure. Buy custom The Ease of Falling into Unhealthy Diet Habits essay

T. S. Eliots The Wasteland

T. S. Eliots The Wasteland T. S. Eliot's "The Waste Land" has been named the most important poem ever written. Many have also said that it is the most influential piece of literature ever to come out of the Western Cannon. However, at the same time, there are those that claim that it is simply given too much meaning and yet others to claim that it is simply plagiarism because of the numerous references and allusions. There is one thing that no one can deny though, and that is the wonderful and very effective use of emotive imagery.Most of the imagery in the poem is very dark and gloomy. There is nothing but death and misery in Part I, The Burial of the Dead. The name itself implies death and the gravity of the situation. However, right away the reader is shown the opposite as well. There are, right away, images of vegetation and of growing.Eliot's BirthdayThis type of imagery evokes the emotions of hope and the feeling that not everything is lost after all. There is a strange mix of allusions in the third line of the poem: "Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing/ Memory and desire, stirring/ Dull roots with spring rain." (l. 3-5) The allusion in "Lilacs out of the dead land" is to the poem "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" by Walt Whitman. The original poem is about the death of Abraham Lincoln. Whitman's use of lilacs differs severely from the way that Eliot uses them. In Whitman's poem, images typically associated with life, the act of blooming and the season of spring, are immediately confronted by the narrator's mourning at the arrival of these events. Eliot, on the other hand, tells the reader, with the use of the lilac and other flower imagery,

Debt and Taxes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Debt and Taxes - Essay Example The study recommends that there be further research on the best ways of finding a balance between the two. Debt and Tax Introduction With increased concerns on the fluctuation of the world’s economy, governments have been on focus on the way they have handled these shifts. Borrowing and taxation have been largely used by various governments through fiscal policy to offset the imbalances that have been created by constant economic downfalls. Most governments have historically relied on domestic taxes for the facilitation of various expenditures. However, with pressure that arises from budget deficits, it is usually common to hear of governments borrowing to make up for the deficits in their expenditure plans. In addition, for an individual borrower, it is usually a general principle that the amount loaned out is considered to be part of income and therefore subjected to taxation. Consequently, it has been generally concluded by many researchers that taxation is the best way to ensure that firms utilize debt in their capital structure. Such is the complex relationship between debt and tax that there are various dynamics towards the two concepts as illustrated in economics. In view of the mentioned relationship between tax and debt, this paper will explore the various issues that come up as a result of the close examination of the two concepts. The economic implications, justifications of fiscal measures with relation to the two and other arguments on the relationship between the two concepts will be discussed. This will be done through use of available literature on the two issues. As a result, the paper will finally make conclusions with regards to the relationship and implications of taxation and debt policies by governments. In addition, the paper will identify and recommend the areas on the two concepts that will need further research. To begin, it is important to understand the significance and meaning of the two terms with respect to the underlying d iscussions. Taxes are the main fiscal policy instruments largely employed by federal governments to ensure that there are balances on earnings in particular areas of the economy as well as have a resource pool for the financing of public expenditure for the benefit of the citizens. Taxation is therefore a tool used by treasury to ensure that citizens and firms operating in the economy contribute to a larger pool where the government can draw funds for its smooth functioning as well as provide basic amenities and services like healthcare, education and security to all citizens (Simpson 4). There are various categories of taxes with respect to various economies. The United States’ economy, for instance, has three basic categories of taxation. Simpson (6) enlists them as progressive tax, regressive tax and proportional tax. On the other hand, debt is as a result of borrowing by the government, firms or an individual. Usually, the most debts attract interests which are paid on to p of the money borrowed for a specified period of time. As a result, taxation is connected with debt because the interest payable is classified as income and is therefore subjected to taxation. Taxation is used by government for fiscal policy measures that may be aimed at regulating the economy. For instance, in cases where there is a slow economic growth, governments may reduce taxation to some sectors to encourage borrowing and expenditure which therefore translates to growth.

Review of leterature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Review of leterature - Essay Example According to Thompson & Fox (2010), the challenges faced while screening for postpartum depression from mothers from diverse cultural background can be overcome by the employment of an appropriate screening tool which can be identified by an expert nurse. Scott (1992) observes that postpartum depression has substantially profound impacts on the social morbidity of the child. Besides social morbidity, postpartum depression affects the individual’s psychological wellbeing (Scott, 1992). Consequently when an individual has psychological as well as social challenges, through the ripple effect the larger society is affected. This indicates how profound the problem failure of early detection and intervention of postpartum detection has to the general population. A research conducted examining the resulting mother-child bonding at one year provides important findings related to this research. The mother-child bonding was examined from two factors which affects it in the first few weeks, postnatal depression and bonding (OHiggins, Roberts, Glover, & Taylor, 2013). According to OHiggins, Roberts, Glover, & Taylor (2013), utilizing the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression scale (EPDS) and the Mother Infant Bonding Questionnaire (MIBQ), the researchers were able to successfully detect postpartum depression and provide the intervention needed. From the findings of the research, there was the indication of postpartum depression contributing profoundly to the bonding problems (OHiggins, Roberts, Glover, & Taylor, 2013). Consequently, the bonding problem affected the child’s behaviors negatively to a significant extent (OHiggins, Roberts, Glover, & Taylor, 2013). Multiple screening tools used in the detection of postpartum depression improve the ef ficacy of its detection. According to OHiggins, Roberts, Glover, & Taylor (2013), an improved