...How Today’s Suburban Main Street Can Remain Relevant, A Case Study in Lexington, Massachusetts Group 6: Mohamed Al Khouri, Tomas Allen, Bridget Gioia, Jeffrey Quigley, Kenneth Ukaigwe, Paul Wolfenden Section 1 “Company and Product” Description The town of Lexington, Massachusetts is cemented in the minds of many Americans due to its profound historical significance. On this site, the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired, beginning the campaign for independence. On the morning of April 19, 1775, seventy-seven minutemen fought their first skirmish against the British (Tour Lexington, 2013). Today, Lexington continues to honor its place in American history with numerous statues, monuments and historical sites (Tour Lexington, 2013). Lexington’s historical significance provides an opportunity to capture tourism from both domestic and international visitors. Lexington is a mid-sized town of just over 32,000 people situated within the Greater Boston Area in Massachusetts (DemographicsNow, 2012). With families occupying 90% of all households within the town and a highly-ranked school system, Lexington attracts wealthy professional residents (Berg, Biedron, Bueller, Horst, 2011). Like many American towns, Lexington contains a central business district (CBD), a central area of the town where the majority of commerce takes place. Lexington’s CBD is the stretch of Massachusetts Avenue bordered by Clarke and Meriam Street and Winthrop and Woburn Street, as well...
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...HISTORICAL ESSAY #1 Confederation and Constitution The Articles of Confederation was agreed to by Congress on November 15, 1777 and was ratified and in force on March 1, 1781. By the year 1787, this new government had fallen short of the expectations of the people it was intended to govern. The weaknesses in The Articles of Confederation were numerous and had, in the thinking of many prominent men of that time, failed and would lead to a state of anarchy. There was such a sense of urgency to amend it that there seemed to be an atmosphere of panic among many of our Founding Fathers. John Dickenson and fellow members of the 2nd Continental Congress, weary of monarchy rule, had created the Articles of Confederation as a listing of twelve specific Powers given Congress by which to govern. Legislation required nine votes to pass. Each state had only one vote and this was problematic to the larger states, as their problems, more often than not, were based on a larger population and it was not unusual that the smaller states didn’t understand or want to pay for the solutions. Some lesser acts did not require nine votes to pass, but simply a majority of those present. Acts of Significant Consequence did require nine votes. The trouble with all of this was that even if nine votes could be achieved, there was no enforcement of law to be implemented by Congress. Congress could make law but not enforce it. It could charge states for their share of national...
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...Legislating the Family: Heterosexist Bias in Social Welfare Policy Frameworks Amy Lind University of Virginia Studies in Women and Gender Program This article addresses the effects of heterosexist bias in social welfare policy frameworks on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals and families in the United States. It discusses the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), federal definitions of family and household, and stereotypes about LGBT individuals. It argues that poor LGBT individuals and families lack full citizen rights and access to needed social services as a result of these explicit and implicit biases. Key words: Welfare reform; family policy; civil rights; gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT); heterosexism Welfare reform is fundamentally about family policy—about promoting and privileging particular kinds of families, and about penalizing and stigmatizing others. (Cahill and Jones 2002: 1). Two pieces of legislation were passed in 1996 that set an important tone for family policy in the United States: The 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), an act that expanded welfare-to-work programs throughout the country, restricted people’s access to public assistance, and crystallized the broader restructuring of public-private boundaries; and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage as a legal union between a man...
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...“Bricks-and-Mortar” vs. “Clicks-and-Mortar”: an Equilibrium Analysis Fernando Bernstein Jing-Sheng Song Xiaona Zheng The Fuqua School of Business The Fuqua School of Business Guanghua School of Management Duke University Duke University Peking University Durham, NC 27708 Durham, NC 27708 Beijing, China 100871 Forthcoming in European Journal of Operational Research The Internet has provided traditional retailers a new means with which to serve customers. Consequently, many “bricks-and-mortar” retailers have transformed to “clicks-and-mortar” by incorporating Internet sales. Examples of companies making such a transition include Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Barnes & Noble, etc. Despite the increasing prevalence of this practice, several fundamental questions remain: (1) Does it pay off to go online? (2) Which is the equilibrium industry structure? (3) What is the implication of this business model for consumers? We study these issues in an oligopoly setting and show that clicks-and-mortar arises as the equilibrium channel structure. However, we find that this equilibrium does not necessarily imply higher profits for the firms: in some cases, rather, it emerges as a strategic necessity. Consumers are generally better off with clicks-and-mortar retailers. If firms align with pure e-tailers to reach the online market, we show that a prisoner’s dilemma-type equilibrium may arise. Keywords: Supply chain management, Game theory, E-commerce, MNL model...
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...Alaska Brand Audit Brand Inventory History Alaska has been a unique brand for many years. Originally known as Russian America because it was owned by Russia, the origin of the name Alaska is a misconception from the first Russian explorers to venture into Alaskan waters (the original Aleut word "alaxsxaq" literally meaning "object toward which the action of the sea is directed"[Alaska]). When the United States bought Alaska, even though the price was only two cents an acre, it was known for many years as “Seward’s Folly” or “Seward’s Icebox”, after William Seward, the Secretary of State who was primarily responsible for pushing the purchase from Russia through Congress. In the early days Alaska’s brand image was mostly negative. It was known as the “Frozen North”, the “land of ice and snow”, the “land without summer”. Many of these images are from the stories and poetry of Robert Service, Jack London and their contemporaries. A good example of this writing is the poem “Cremation of Sam McGee”— see appendix II, (Service). All these extreme brand images dominated perceptions of Alaska prior to the discovery of gold in the Klondike in the late 1800s. After gold was discovered these negative perceptions were softened somewhat, though they remained rather negative—in large part due to the difficulty of living in the far north. Our Brand Survey We did a brand audit of Alaska to see how well Alaska has worked past these harsh criticisms. To accomplish this we surveyed...
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...Company report on cross border offshoring management, cultural dimensions and gamification Table of Contents Table of Contents Executive Summary | p.5 | Chapter I – Introduction1.1 Purpose of the Report1.2 Effects of Globalization on Businesses’ 1.3 Company Background1.4 Outline of the Report | pp.6-7 | Chapter II – Cross Border and Offshoring Management 2.1 Introduction2.2 Defining culture2.3 Defining management and cross cultural management 2.4 Offshoring2.5 Key problems in cross cultural teams2.6 Conclusions | pp.8-11 | Chapter III – Analyzing and Explaining Cultural Dimensions3.1 Introduction3.2 Analysis of cultural dimensions and Country Comparisons 3.2.1 Power Distance 3.2.2 Uncertainty Avoidance 3.2.3 Long term orientation 3.2.4 Indulgence 3.2.5 Individualism 3.2.6 Masculinity 3.3 Limitations of Hofstede’s Dimensions | pp.12-17 | Chapter IV – Gamification4.1 Introduction4.2 Defining and Explaining gamification4.3 Gamification’s effects on business4.4 Examples of gamification4.5 Criticism – The dark side of gamification | pp.18-20 | Chapter V – Corporate Social Responsibility5.1 Introduction5.2 Defining and explaining CSR 5.3 The Foxconn and Apple scandal5.4 Recommendations and Actions | pp.21-22 | Chapter VI – Recommendations to Management | pp.23-24 | Chapter VII – Conclusions | pp.25 | References | pp.26-27 | Executive Summary Executive Summary This report provides an analysis and evaluation of...
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...FUN IN THE WORKPLACE: TOWARD AN ENVIRONMENT-BEHAVIOR FRAMEWORK RELATING OFFICE DESIGN, EMPLOYEE CREATIVITY, AND JOB SATISFACTION By ALEXANDRA M. MILLER A THESIS PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF INTERIOR DESIGN UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2005 Copyright 2005 by Alexandra M. Miller ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First, I would like to thank my committee chair, Dr. Margaret Portillo, for her direction and guidance throughout the entire research process. I would also like to thank Dr. M. Joyce Hasell for her support and valuable expertise. Additional thanks go to Dr. Larry Winner for his indispensable assistance as a statistical consultant. I would also like to thank PUSH for providing an excellent example of a fun workplace. In particular, I would like to thank partners John Ludwig, Chris Robb, and Rich Wahl for allowing me to conduct a case study of their business. Additional thanks go to Ron Boucher, Jourdan Crumpler, and Gordon Weller for taking the time to participate in interviews. I would also like to express my gratitude to Kathryn Voorhees for her help, humor, and friendship as she accompanied me throughout the research process. Finally, I would like to thank all of my friends and family for their support. In particular, I would like to thank to my parents for their constant support and for helping me to achieve my dreams. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..........
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...Teacher Salaries, State Collective Bargaining Laws, and Union Coverage Barry T. Hirsch, Georgia State University David A. Macpherson, Trinity University John V. Winters, University of Cincinnati Initial draft, June 2010 Current draft, December 2012 Abstract What are the causal effects of collective bargaining (CB) on teacher salaries? This seemingly simple question is difficult to answer because (a) national data measuring school district salaries and collective bargaining is limited in scope, while individual teacher data from the CPS mismeasure CB coverage; (b) union wage effects depend not only on coverage but also on an array of CB law provisions difficult to quantify; (c) union coverage and state CB laws are endogenous since each has been influenced by union sentiment among workers and voters; and (d) OLS estimates of the wage effect of CB coverage and laws may be biased by measurement error and endogeneity. We attempt to address these issues using measures of historical labor sentiment, by creating indices of CB law strength, and by using alternative national data sets containing information on teacher salaries and coverage. As in prior studies, we find modest union salary effects for teachers using standard methods, albeit smaller than found for the private sector. A union benefits premium estimated from SASS substantially exceeds the salary premium. Estimates of CB law and coverage effects using IV (with historical data measuring labor sentiment...
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...Journal of Multinational Financial Management 11 (2001) 17 – 37 www.elsevier.com/locate/econbase Diversification strategy and capital structure of multinational corporations Imed Eddine Chkir a,1, Jean-Claude Cosset b,* Faculty of administration, Uni6ersity of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier Street, Ottawa, Ont., Canada K1N 6N5 b Departement de finance et assurance, Faculte des sciences de l’administration, Uni6ersite La6al, ´ ´ ´ Quebec, P.Q., Canada G1K7P4 ´ Received 3 April 1999; accepted 22 October 1999 a Abstract This study examines the relationship between the capital structure of multinational corporations (MNCs) and their diversification strategy. Both the international market (multi-country operations) and the product (multi-industry operations) dimension of diversification are integrated into the analysis and a switching of regression regimes methodology is employed that accounts for the bi-dimensional nature of the diversification strategy pursued by MNCs. The model identifies four types of diversification regimes. The results suggest that leverage increases with both international and product diversification. It is also found that the combination of both types of diversification leads to lower levels of bankruptcy risk. Although the role of the determinants of MNC capital structure varies with the diversification strategy, there seem to be common determinants. In particular, profitability and bankruptcy risks are negatively related to the debt ratio of MNCs. © 2001 Elsevier...
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...Exploring the imperative of revitalizing America’s electric infrastructure. the SMART GRID: an introduction. How a smarter grid works as an enabling engine for our economy, our environment and our future. prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy by Litos Strategic Communication under contract No. DE-AC26-04NT41817, Subtask 560.01.04 DISCLAIMER This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor Litos Strategic Communication, nor any of their employees, make any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof, or Litos Strategic Communication. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. PREFACE It Is A ColossAl tAsk. But It Is A tAsk thAt must BE donE. The Department of Energy has been charged with orchestrating the wholesale modernization...
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...English Language Proficiency Assessment in the Nation: CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE PRACTICE Edited by Jamal Abedi U N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , D AV I S • S C H O O L O F E D U C A T I O N Copyright © 2007 The Regents of the University of California The work reported herein was supported in part by the National Research and Development Centers, PR/Award Number R305A050004, as administered by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES). The findings and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of the Institute of Education Sciences, or the U.S. Department of Education. T his study required the participation of all fifty states, their assessment directors, particularly those involved with the NCLB Title III assessments. Their cooperation and patience is much appreciated, and their dedication to educating young people is greatly admired. We cannot thank the states enough for their collaboration with this project. Many people generously contributed to the development of this report. We are especially indebted to the chapter authors for their invaluable contributions and for their patience throughout this process. Sue Rigney from the U.S. Department of Education contributed greatly to the quality of this work by providing excellent comments and suggestions. We are so grateful for her support, advice and contribution to this report. Kathleen Leos of the U.S...
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...New Medical Devices in the US August 13 2010 Table of Contents 1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………2 2. Background and Framework……………………………………………………………………………………………………………4 2.1 Priority Medical Devices for the Netherlands…..……………………………………………………………………4 2.2 The US Vision: From see and treat to predict and prevent……………………………………………………6 2.3 Conclusions…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..7 3. Medical device sector in the US………………………………………………………………………………………………………8 3.1 Economic Impact…..………………………………………………………………………………………………………………8 3.2 The Sector by State…..…………………………………………………………………………………………………………10 3.3 Key Institutes: Patent Applications in the Cluster Areas…..………………………………………………….13 3.4 Conclusions…..…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….20 4. Turning research into novel medical devices………………………………………………………………………………….22 4.1 The Medical Device Development Process…..……………………………………………………………………..22 4.2 CIMIT: A Structure for Medical Device Innovation…..………………………………………………………….23 4.3 Stanford Biodesign: Innovation as a Discipline…..………………………………………………………………..26 4.4 Conclusions and Recommendations…..……………………………………………………………………………….28 5. Summary and Conclusions…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….30 6. Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….32 7. References…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….33 Appendices A1 Selection of Key Institutes A2 Results Patent Analysis A3 Research...
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...Search by keyword: wind Sort By: Go Your search returned over 400 essays for "wind" 1 2 3 4 5 Next >> These results are sorted by most relevant first (ranked search). You may also sort these by color rating or essay length. Title Length Color Rating Wind Power and Wildlife Issues in Kansas - ... Turbines can produce electricity at wind speeds as low as 9 miles per hour, reach their peak of production at 33 miles per hour, plus shut down and turn sideways at wind speeds above 56 miles per hour. An average wind speed at the site of a turbine is 20 miles per hour. Because of these features on the towers, they rank Kansas the 3rd in the US for wind energy potential. The Gray County Wind Farm in Kansas, powered by Florida Power and Light Energy, has collected data from 2001-2009 on electricity production.... [tags: kansas, wind energy, wind turbines] :: 1 Works Cited 1537 words (4.4 pages) $29.95 [preview] Analysis of Wind Turbine Designs - Abstract Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and one of the most philanthropic men in history giving over 28 billion dollars to charity so far, states his number one wish for the world wouldn't be to rid the world of aids, vaccinate kids around the world, or feed every starving children; instead, it would be to invent and utilize a cheaper emission-free source of energy. My research aims to cut through the vast amounts of wind turbine designs and analyze the two most promising types. The first type is Small Vertical...
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...Norges Handelshøyskole Bergen, Spring 2011 Master Thesis within the main profile of International Business Thesis Advisor: Professor Svein Ulset Title: International Modes of Entry Subtitle: The Case of Disney By, Carlos Gonzalez Hernandez This thesis was written as a part of the master program at NHH. Neither the institution, the supervisor, nor the censors are -through the approval of this thesis- responsible for neither the theories and methods used, nor results and conclusions drawn in this work. International Modes of Entry: The Case of Disney 1 Abstract The case of Disney’s theme parks represents an opportunity to test major internationalisation theories in a setting of large investments with little chance for reversal of commitments. The purpose of the research is to study the benefit of different entry modes dependent on Disney’s Theme Parks value-generating resources and capabilities while conditioned to certain local industrial and institutional conditions in foreign markets. Five major theories and frameworks were used to analyze all four Disney’s ventures abroad. This resulted in 20 individual hypotheses analyzed. Results indicate that Disney followed a predictable internationalisation process in the cases of Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai, but that it went off-path in the Paris one. In successful cases Disney followed a cautious approach, involving local partners to transfer and adapt the “Disney Experience”. In the case of Paris the company decided to enter...
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...base on current market trends and company’s growth prospect/opportunity during the investment timeframe. Finally, there will be an evaluation of the portfolio by using expected return rates to understand whether it meets the needs and preferences of the investor. Investor Profile and Policy Statement Investor Profile Mr. Donothing is 50 years old and single. The most important is that Mr. Donothing does not work at all but he inherited $10 million. He is an amphibious person, which means he spends his time in cruise lines. Furthermore, he needs $550 per day throughout the year for cabin charges and food. And he needs another amount $25,000 for secretarial services and incidental expenses. He wants to settle in Pompano Beach, Florida at 55, and then get married and have a child. The house he wants to buy is selling for $500,000. His cash needs would remain more or less unchanged after he settles on land. Prerequisites Necessities of life: Mr. Donothing needs $550 per day and $25,000 for secretarial services and incidental expenses per year in 5 years. $550 × 365 = $200,750 Total (per year): $200,750 + $25,000 = $225,750 After 5 years when he gets married, the total cost for his family will increase to around...
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