Signode Industries, Inc

Signode Industries, Inc Recommendations Mr. Gary Reed should increase the price of Steel Strapping Consumables by 3.6% and tie the salesperson's compensation to gross margin instead of sales revenues. He should Maintain the loyalty of existing customers in National and Large segment by providing value added services like providing custom sizes, grades, tools and machines. He should also focus on stimulating further volume growth by taking actions to convert nonusers into users, to increase use frequency among current users, or to expand into untapped or underdeveloped markets.Pricing Decision Pricing decision in this case involve an inherent conflict between (1) the need to win customers and (2) the need to maintain/increase profit margins to satisfy the firm's financial need to generate as much capital as possible for further expansion. The complete analysis for arriving the pricing decision was shown in the Exhibit 1. The revenue generated by steel consumables is $133 millions. Its existing margins percen tage is 36.5.Bentley's winged "B" badge and bonnet (hood) ornam...The 6.8% increase in material cost resulted in $4.8 million burden on Signode. Signode either have to pass on this burden to customer in the form of price increase or absorb the burden by reducing its margins. Signodes past experience showed that the introduction of price increases and substitute products like plastic-strapping materials resulted in 10% drop in market share. So it is assumed that the price increases would result in 10% reduction in revenues. Gross revenues are calculated for the three options: ‚Â · Increasing price ‚Â · Keeping the price constant ‚Â · Price Flex It is evident from Exhibit 1 that "Increasing price" option provides greater gross margin compared to "Keeping the price constant" or "Price Flex" options. So Gary Reed should increase the prices to maximize the gross margins for Signode.Sales personnel Compensation Current sales personnel compensation is tied to the...

Causeway - Ancient Man-Made Ritual and Functional Roads

Causeway - Ancient Man-Made Ritual and Functional Roads A causeway is a human-constructed functional and/or ceremonial roadway or a set of roadway fragments. In ancient history they are made of earthen or rock structures that typically- but not always- bridged a waterway. Causeways may have been constructed to cross defensive structures, such as moats; irrigation structures, such as canals; or natural wetlands, such as marshes or fens. They often have a ceremonial element to them and their ritual significance can include symbolic passages between the mundane and the sacred, between life and death. Key Takeaways: Causeways Causeways are early types of human-made roads which have practical and ritual functions.The oldest causeways are about 5,500 years old, built to cross ditches and provide access to peat bogs.The Maya people created causeways up to 65 miles in length, crossing miles of forests in a nearly straight line. Causeways are remarkably different in function. Some (like those of the classic Maya) were almost certainly used for parades for diplomatic visits between communities; others such as the 14th-century Swahili coast were used as shipping lanes and ownership markers; or, in the European Neolithic, as trackways assisting navigation through uncertain landscapes. Some causeways are elaborate structures, elevated several feet about the ground such as at Angkor civilization; others are built of planks that bridge peat bogs, those of the Irish bronze age. But all of them are human-constructed roadways  and have some foundation in the history of transportation networks. Earliest Causeways The earliest known causeways are Neolithic bridges, constructed in Europe and dated between 3700 and 3000 BCE. Many Neolithic enclosed settlements had defensive elements, and some had concentric ditches or moats, generally with one or two at most bridges with which to cross. In some special cases, more causeways were built across the ditches then seems necessary, usually at the four cardinal points, allowing people to cross into the interiors from several directions at once. Since such configurations would not be easily defended, enclosed settlements with multiple causeway entrances are considered likely to have had a ceremonial or at least a shared communal aspect. Sarup, a Funnel Beaker site in Denmark occupied between 3400–3200 BC, had a ditch that encircled an area of about 21 acres (8.5 hectares), with several causeways which allow people to cross the ditches. Bronze Age Causeways Bronze Age causeways in Ireland (called tochar, dochair, or togher) are trackways which were built to allow access across and into peat bogs where peat might be cut for fuel. They varied in size and construction material- some were built as a line of planks laid end to end, flanked on each side by two round timbers; others were made of flat stones and gravel laid on a foundation of brushwood. The earliest of these date to about 3400 BCE. Early Dynastic and Old Kingdom pyramids in Egypt often were constructed with causeways connecting the various temples. These causeways were explicitly symbolic- there was no obstacle to be crossed- representing a route that people could use to travel from the Black Land (the land of the living and a place of order) to the Red Land (a place of chaos and the realm of the dead). Beginning in the Old Kingdoms 5th Dynasty, pyramids were built with an orientation following the daily course of the sun across the sky. The oldest causeway at Saqqara was paved with black basalt; by the time of Khufus rule, causeways were roofed and the internal walls were decorated in fine relief, frescos that depicted pyramid construction, agricultural scenes, craftsmen at work and themes of battles between Egyptians and their foreign enemies, and the pharaoh in the presence of gods. Classic Period Maya (600–900 CE) The sacbe (white lane) that leads to the Palacio, Labna, Puuc, Yucatan, Mexico. Mayan civilisation, 7th-10th century. De Agostini / Archivio J. Lange / Getty Causeways were a particularly important form of connection in lowland areas in North America such as those settled by the Maya civilization. There, causeways (known as sacbeob, singular sacbe, connected Maya cities for distances up to about 63 miles (100 kilometers) such as the Late Classic Yaxuna-Coba sacbe. Maya causeways were sometimes built from the bedrock up and can rise as high as 10 feet (3 meters; their widths range from 8 to 40 ft (2.5 to 12 m ), and they connect major Maya city-states. Others are barely above ground level; some cross wetlands and have bridges constructed to cross streams, but others are clearly only ceremonial. Medieval Period: Angkor and the Swahili Coast Short round pillars support the causeway leading to the Baphuon, in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Jeremy Villasis, Philippines / Moment / Getty Images At several sites of the Angkor civilization (9th–13th centuries CE), elevated causeways were constructed as later additions to the immense temples by king Jayavarman VIII (1243–1395). These causeways, perched above the ground atop a series of short columns, provided walkways connecting the major buildings of the temple complexes. They represent only one part of the enormous Khmer road system, a network of canals, pathways and roads which kept the Angkor capital cities in communication. During the height of the Swahili coast trading communities on the east coast of Africa (13th–15th centuries CE), numerous causeways were constructed out of blocks of reef and fossil corals along 75 mi (120 km) of coastline. These causeways were pathways, elevated just above sea level, that extended out perpendicularly from the coast into lagoons at Kilwa Kisiwani Harbor, ending in circular platforms at the seaward side. The fishermen today call them Arab Roads, which is a reference to the oral history which credits the founding of Kilwa to the Arabs, but like Kilwa itself the causeways are known to have been African constructions, built as navigational aids for ships plying the trade route in the 14th-15th centuries and complementing the Swahili urban architecture. These causeways are built of cemented and uncemented reef coral, up to 650 ft (200 m) long, 23–40 ft (7–12 m) wide and built up above the seafloor up to 2.6 ft. (8 m) high. Selected Sources Abdallatif, T., et al. Discovery of the Causeway and the Mortuary Temple of the Pyramid of Amenemhat Ii Using near-Surface Magnetic Investigation, Dahshour, Giza, Egypt. Geophysical Prospecting 58.2 (2010): 307-20. Print.Abramiuk, Marc A. The Discovery of an Ancient Maya Causeway System in the Southern Maya Mountains of Belize. Antiquity 91.357 (2017): e9. Print.Chase, Arlen F., and Diane Z. Chase. The Ancient Maya City: Anthropogenic Landscapes, Settlement Archaeology, and Caracol, Belize. Belize: Institute of Archaeology, NICH, 2016. Print.Chinchilla Mazariegos, Oswaldo Technologies of Urbanism in Mesoamerica: The Pre-Columbian Bridges of Cotzumalhuapa, Guatemala. Antiquity 92.362 (2018): 456-71. Print.Pollard, Edward. Safeguarding Swahili Trade in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries: A Unique Navigational Complex in South-East Tanzania. World Archaeology 43.3 (2011): 458-77. Print.Uchida, E., et al. A Reconsideration of the Construction Period of the Cruciform Terraces and the Elevated Causeways in the Angkor Monuments, Based on the Magnetic Susceptibility of the Sandstone Blocks. Archaeometry 55.6 (2013): 1034-47. Print.

The effects of child abandonment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The effects of child abandonment - Essay Example Child abandonment is a situation where a parent agrees to have no role in his childs life. This doesn’t only involve the failure to support a child from financial point of view but from emotional side as well. It is quite obvious that a child needs both of this parents to grow with self-confidence and self-esteem and that’s why abandonment leaves a child with so many questions. These questions create an extremely bad impact on the life of a child and sometimes it becomes difficult for him to get rid of the resonance of his excruciating memories of the past even in the old age. Divorce is getting quite common in todays world but if divorce results in abandoning parent, it can have huge impact on a child. Many children start to think that they are left alone. That’s true for children between the ages of 3-7. In this situation a child starts taking him as a reason for divorce and separation. This can further aggravate the situation and can prove to be obliterating for mental and emotional growth of a child. It is also relevant to mention that a child starts to think that if his parents can leave one another then one of them can leave him as well. That proves to be a real shock to the system and a child becomes more introverted. The problem is that children don’t become able to understand that different dynamics are associated with spousal relationship as compared to child-parent relationship. Now it is clear that there are certain effects of abandonment and a child has to face those implications for most part of his life. But, the question is that whether or not something can be done to save a child from having a bleak future. That’s the statement of purpose for this particular research paper and the answer will be found by exploring the comments made in previous researches and other sources. The effects of abandonment are multifold. But, the purpose of this research

The effects of high player turnover on marketing of minor league Thesis Proposal

The effects of high player turnover on marketing of minor league baseball and the perceptions of the fan experience - Thesis Proposal Example Meanwhile, observers normally reveal the baseball players’ inherent or innate ability over time (Rosner & Kenneth 199). Learning and revelation of intrinsic ability are commonplace in almost all sporting activities and occupations. The relationship between player turnover and marketing of minor league baseball underscore the importance of outstanding performance. Many baseball teams lose a significant amount of talent and revenue when high caliber players leave the baseball league. Such teams would, therefore, need a meticulous spring camp to prepare adequately for the next season. As a result, the marketing of minor league baseball is notably compromised, as well as the perceptions of the fan experience (Armour & Daniel 342). High player turnover not only affects the team’s performance during subsequent seasons but also impact its marketing approach, as well as that of the league in entirety. A positive effect on the baseball league will arguably improve its marketing approach and competitiveness. If the high player turnover negatively impacts the minor league baseball, the league consequently suffers a massive decline in its marketing goals and perceptions of the fan experience. Meanwhile, the minor league baseball could also attain considerable benefits from a high player turnover. For instance, many baseball teams in the league could still maintain their winning percentages despite high turnover differential (Fried et al. 49). Player experience also increases the batting average of minor league baseball players. The experience and reputation of incoming players would particularly influence baseball fans to rethink their arguably waning support for the league in the wake of high player turnover during a given season. Similarly, the quality and competence of players leaving the minor baseball league will positively or negatively affect their perceptions of the league (Fried et al. 49). Most

Identity and Culture Essay -- Cultural Identity Essays

When we think about our identity we often think about the way we look. Such features as hair color, eye color, skin tone, height and weight come to mind. Whilst these features are part of our identity, there are many more complex factors that make us who we are. Whilst psychological issues are paramount to the formation of our identity, I will be addressing the nature of our identity in relation to socio-cultural factors (Austin, 2002, p.9). During the course of this essay I will be discussing the term of Identity and some of the axes of identity, including Race, Class and Gender. It is important to understand some of the significant issues of identity so that we have more of an understanding of who and what we are, which in turn may help us to begin to better understand others. Identity The New English Dictionary (1999) defines identity as "the distinguishing characteristics of a person." Our identity makes us who and what we are. It could be described as a sense of belonging and about having things in common with others (Weeks, 1990, cited in Austin, 2002, p.1). "Identity is a dynamic feature of social life. That is, it is something that is constantly evolving and changing. For some people, identity can change rapidly and dramatically, of course, but for most of us our identities evolve slowly and imperceptibly" (Livesey, n.d., p.1). There are many factors to consider in understanding the process of identity formation. Structuralists believe that we are the product of our society. Therefore there are many environmental and social factors that go into the formation of an identity. For example children that grow up in the bush will have different influences in their lives to children that grow up in the cit... ...d.). "A" Level Sociology, Teaching Notes for Students. Culture and Identity, 6. Sources of Identity. World Wide Web: http://freespace.virgin.net/chris.livesey/cculture.htm [2002, July, 24]. MÃ ¡rquez, C (1999). Empowering Chicanos Through Self-identity. Faculty Mentor: Olga Vasquez, Ph.D., Department of Communication. World Wide Web: http://www.communication.ucsd.edu/LCM/ectsi.html [30 July, 2002]. Weeks, J. (1990). The value of difference. In J. Austin (Ed.), Culture & Identity (pp.1-3). NSW: Pearson Education Australia. Woolfolk, A.E. (1998). Educational Psychology. Seventh Edition. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. McDonald, Kevin (2000). Pressing Questions: explorations in sociology. Issue two. Pearson Education Australia Pty Ltd.

Annie Dillard’s The Chase Essay

Annie Dillard’s essay, â€Å"The Chase†, uses many rhetorical elements in the thesis to reach her audience; some of these include parataxis, climax, and hyperbole. In the essay Dillard states that â€Å"The point was that he had chased us passionately without giving up, and so he had caught us. † This helps clarify the thesis as, childhood is a playful time and adults should maintain a playful spirit. â€Å"The Chase† is about the author and her neighborhood friends throwing snow balls at cars one winter day. The day was going well and without trouble, no adults were bothering their fun, until someone hit a black Buick that was driving down the street. The man in the car then stopped the car and got out and started to chase the children. The man chased them through hedges, down streets, every backyard and block after block. At this point it was only Dillard and her friend Mikey running from the man because the other children when their separate ways. Eventually the man caught them because the children grew tired. The man only said â€Å"You stupid kids. † Dillard describes this statement as â€Å"redundant, a mere formality. † Dillard believes the point of the chase was that the man chased them passionately, without giving up, and all he did was say those three words she will never forget. Dillard uses many rhetorical elements to help prove the thesis, one of these is climax. She uses this element to keep a suspenseful mood for the reader wanting and waiting to see what happens next. An example of this in the story is when the black Buick was coming down the street and when the car makes it to them they unleash snowballs at the car. The example of climax in this part of the story is when the driver starts to open the door; this is a climax because the reader is waiting to see what happens and starts asking questions in their head like what is the driver going to do? is he going to hurt the kids or is he just going to yell at them? Another example of climax occurs as the driver finally catches the kids on the top of the hill by their jackets. This is an example of climax because the author builds up the essay by adding suspenseful phrases and because the reader is asking questions again such as is the driver going to hurt the children or is he going to bring them back to their parents. Both examples help the audience comprehend Dillard’s thesis by conveying to the reader that adults should have a more childlike spirit. Another rhetorical element that Dillard uses in her essay is hyperbole; she uses this element to exaggerate parts of the story to keep the reader interested. An example of this is when Dillard is talking about what would have happened if they ran all of the way to the Panama Canal and what the man would have done if the man caught them. Dillard says, â€Å"He could have fried Mikey Fahey and me in boiling oil, say or dismembered us in piecemeal, or staked us to anthills. Another example of a hyperbole is â€Å"If in that snowy backyard the driver of the black Buick had cut off our heads, Mikey’s and mine, I would have died happy, for nothing has required so much of me since as being chased all over Pittsburg in the middle of winter—running terrified, exhausted—by this sainted, skinny, furious red headed man who wished to have a word with us. † In this quote, Dillard is exaggerating the fact that the man would have cut off their heads and that she would have died happy because the man had committed to chase them all day, meanwhile, all the man wanted to do was scold them. Dillard also uses a third rhetorical element in her essay, parataxis. Dillard uses this to help her story by writing independent clauses to emphasize what she is writing. An example of this in Dillard’s essay is after Mikey and she get caught by the man. Dillard writes â€Å"We three stood staggering, half blinded, coughing, in an obscure hilltop backyard; a man in his twenties, a boy, a girl. He had released our jackets, our pursuer, our captor our hero: He knew we weren’t going anywhere. This helps in explaining the thesis that this experience was just like a playful game of tag between the man and the two friends. Another example of the rhetorical element is â€Å"It was a long time before he could speak. I had some difficulty at first recalling why we were there. My lips felt swollen; I couldn’t see out of the sides of my eyes; I kept coughing. † This example shows how tired they were from running around the community that almost seems like a childish game of tag, explaining the thesis. Throughout â€Å"The Chase,† Dillard utilizes rhetorical elements that serve as a function. They help her convey meaning and purpose in her writing. Three examples that I found evident were climax, hyperbole and parataxis. The use of all three of these elements made the story interesting and ultimately leads the reader to a better understanding of the thesis because it creates a more lifelike feel to the story by the reader being able to relate to it.

The Life of Theodore Roosevelt - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 710 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2019/08/05 Category People Essay Level High school Tags: Theodore Roosevelt Essay Did you like this example? In 1858 a boy named Theodore Roosevelt was born in New York, New York. His mother, Martha Bulloch Roosevelt, along with his father, Theodore Roosevelt Sr., not only challenged but inspired Roosevelt to become one of our countrys most reformative presidents. As a child Roosevelt was fascinated by nature and history. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Life of Theodore Roosevelt" essay for you Create order His father advised Roosevelt You have the mind but not the body and without the help of the body the mind cannot go as far as it should. You must make your body, so Roosevelt began to practice boxing, wrestling, and jujitsu. He believed keeping his body fit allowed him to maintain a fighting edge. Roosevelt was always a curious student and excelled academically. He decided to continue his education at Harvard University, originally, intending to become a scientist. With his fathers death in 1878 Roosevelt had a change in heart and decided to attend Columbia University where he found his passion in politics and historical writing. After marrying his first wife, Alice Hathaway Lee, Roosevelt began his political career as a republican in the New York State Assembly in 1881. He quickly became known as a reformer due to his opposition in corruption. His political career took a break after his wife died only days after giving birth to his first-born daughter, Alice, along with his mother dying the same day. Heartbroken, Roosevelt moved out to Dakota where he spent the next couple years hunting and writing. It was during this time that Roosevelt found his passion for nature. In 1886 Roosevelt moved back home to New York and married Edith Kermit Carow. It wasnt until several years later that Roosevelts military interests unveiled when President William McKinley appointed him as assistant secretary to the navy. Roosevelt pushed to strengthen the fleet and fight the war against Spain. When war finally began Roosevelt resigned his position to join Colonel Wood in organizing a volunteer cavalry of men know as the Rough Riders. A group best remembered for their valiant efforts against Spain in the battle of San Juan. Roosevelts name was once again anticipated in politics. In 1900, delegates secured Roosevelts nomination as vice president for McKinleys party. Roosevelt didnt want to run because vice president usually meant the end of a mans political career. Nonetheless, McKinley- Roosevelt defeated William Jennings Bryan. Just one year later, in September of 1901 an assassination attempt was made on McKinley who died a week later from an infection. Roosevelt then became the youngest President of the United States. As a president, Roosevelt made movements against big corporations he felt were attempting to monopolize an industry, he soon became known as the Trustbuster. He also pushed businesses to improve labor conditions, implementing workers compensation and child labor laws. In 1906 Roosevelt passed the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act. All these regulations remain in place today, but it was Roosevelts conservationist movements that he is most remembered for. He became the first president to speak out against the exploitation of our natural resources and claimed 150 million acres of land to be used as national parks. In 1906, Roosevelt became the first American to win a Nobel Peace Prize due to his efforts in acting as a mediator in the midst of the Russian- Japanese war. When election time came in 1904 Roosevelts Square Deal policy to the common man allowed him to easily defeat his democratic opponent Alton B. Parker. Roosevelt then announced he would not run again next election and chose William Howard Taft as his successor, who won in 1908. Roosevelt spent the next year traveling the world but couldnt seem to stay away from politics. In 1912 Roosevelt ran against Taft as the republican nominee but after losing he abandoned the republican party and created the progressive party, a party that promoted strong government regulation over businesses. Roosevelt ultimately defeated Taft but came in second to Woodrow Wilson. In the election of 1916 Roosevelt rejected the progressive party when they nominated him to run against Wilson. Roosevelts motivation died with his sons passing in World War I. His health soon began to decline and in January 1st of 1919 Roosevelt passed away in his sleep in Oyster Bay, New York. He later on joined George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln when he was enshrined on Mount Rushmore.