My Favourite Car

My Favourite Car My favourite car If I had to choose a car I liked the most, I would definitely pick Cadillac Escalade. SUVs are my favourite cars in general, but no SUV is more stylish than the Cadillac Escalade. Even though it has all of the roomy features that make SUVs a popular choice for families, its design, chrome trim and wheels and overall style make it attractive to the youth as well. The design elements of the Cadillac Escalade are all made with style in mind. The mirrors are angled and blend into the curves of the vehicle. The windshield angle flows into the roof line seamlessly. The tall headlights have standard High Intensity Discharge (HID) lighting with an option to add the â€Å"IntelliBeam† system, which automatically adjusts the brightness of the headlight beams. The Cadillac Escalade comes standard with 18 inch wheels, but also has the option to add 22 inch chrome wheels to the vehicle. The interior of the vehicle continues the theme of comfort combined with a highly stylized design. The dashboard and consoles are made of high quality vinyl, with instrument panel displays located in perfect vision lines for the driver. Seams for the assembly of the dashboard are constructed tightly and barely visible. The true beauty of the Cadillac Escalade, however, comes in its power. It features a standard 6.2 litre V-8 engine that allows for quick acceleration. Traction control, four wheel drive and four wheel disc brakes allow for a comfortable and powerful driving experience. The Cadillac Escalade is well equipped to handle driving off road but versatile enough to be an effective city driving vehicle as well. The Cadillac Escalade is also versatile in its capacity. A third row seat allows the vehicle to transport up to seven passengers. The seat is also removable, maximizing the vehicles cargo space. The Cadillac Escalade has also earned a four star safety rating from the U.S. government. Safety features include anti-lock brakes, front side airbags, side curtain airbags, stability control, rear parking sensors, a rear view camera and a blind spot warning system. The Cadillac Escalade is superior to other SUVs because it combines all of the practicality of a traditional SUV with the style of a luxury car.

Financial forecasting & planning Essay

Financial forecasts are, quite simply, your forecast of how your business will perform financially over, say, the year ahead. Preparing forecasts will help you to assess your likely sales income, costs, external financing needs and profitability. Financial forecasts are essential if you need to raise money from a third party, such as a bank. But they also provide you with the means to monitor performance on, say, a monthly basis and thereby exercise effective financial control – arguably the second most important management function in running a business. Objectives The aim of this section is to help you to prepare financial forecasts. It will enable you to: †¢Understand costing and pricing; †¢Use break-even analysis as a way of setting sales targets; †¢Understand financial forecasting; †¢Assess working capital requirements. Assignment The purpose of these assignments is to ensure that you are able to prepare the necessary financial forecasts for your business. Satisfactory completion of the set of assignments will demonstrate that you know and understand how to: †¢Identify and calculate the financial outlines it will be necessary to prepare. †¢Calculate your own personal survival budget. †¢Determine the funding/materials requirements of starting in business. †¢Consider how you will take and keep effective financial control of the business. †¢Consider and plan to deal with alternative scenarios. 1. Personal budget How much money do you need for yourself. Think about food, clothes, holidays, personal travel, etc. Draw up a personal budget. Don’t skimp. You may be in business to have fun – but you need to make money as well. Use this budget in calculating your costs and prices. Of course you may not have enough sales at the start to be able to take that amount of money, so you should also calculate the minimum requirement that you must take from the business. 2. Costing and pricing Calculate all your costs and determine a suitable price for your product or service. Think about your raw material requirements as part of your direct costs; think about your likely overhead costs. 3. Break-even Now that you have calculated all your costs and set a price, you should be in a position to prepare a break-even chart. Is your forecast of sales above or below break-even? Do you have a reasonable margin of safety? How much profit will you make if you achieve your sales forecast? 4. Forecasting profit and loss You should have all the figures that you need to prepare a forecast of profit and loss. What is your anticipated gross profit margin? What is your operating profit? How much money will be retained in the business? 5. Cash flow forecasting You should have all the figures that you need to prepare a cash flow forecast. Remember to think about everything shown on the profit and loss account, expenditure items not shown on the profit and loss and, in particular, to think about timing or receipts and payments. You will also need to think carefully about your stock holding requirements and your capital expenditure. The first time you prepare the cash flow, ignore any investment or borrowing other than that required for capital equipment. The worst cumulative deficit will indicate the minimum level of working capital required. 6. Forecasting your balance sheet Once you have completed the profit and loss and cash flow forecasts, you  should be able to prepare a balance sheet forecast. What level of working capital requirement is suggested by the balance sheet? 7. Sensitivity analysis Have another look at your profit and loss and cash flow forecasts. What happens if sales are 15% less than you have forecast? Do you still make a profit? What happens if raw material prices go up by 25%? What does this do to your profitability? Can you pass on such increases to your customers or will they switch suppliers? 8. Effective financial control You should now be in a position to exercise control over your business. Will you use a simple manual book-keeping system or a computerised one? As a brief reminder, write down the key reasons for keeping effective financial control. What are the critical numbers at which to look to ensure you retain effective financial control? Break Even Analysis Break-even analysis identifies the point at which your business starts to make a profit. You can work out the break-even point using any timescale, e.g. weekly, monthly, yearly, etc. To calculate the break-even point you need to know the following: †¢The total fixed costs of your business – these include rent and rates, your drawings, loan repayments, etc; †¢The total variable costs for producing your product – these include labour, materials and packaging; and †¢The selling price of your product. Once you have these figures, you can work out your break-even point using four simple calculations and plotting the findings on a graph. Example: Ron from Widgets ‘R’ Us want to work out how many widgets he needs to sell in order to break-even every month. He works his fixed costs out as follows: †¢Rent –  £167 per month †¢Salary –  £834 per month †¢Rates –  £70 per month †¢Loan repayment –  £100 per month †¢Total –  £1,171 ( £1 = Rs.84) (Note: It is better to round figures up rather than down, as this will increase your safety margin.) This figure can be plotted as follows: Ron then works out his variable costs for the production of each widget: †¢Materials –  £9.00 †¢Packaging –  £1.00 †¢Labour –  £11.00 †¢Total cost –  £21.00 per widget ( £1 = Rs.84) He selects a value on the ‘number of widgets’ axis (in this case, 250) and does the following calculation: †¢250 widgets x  £21.00 per widget =  £5,250 Ron plots this figure on the graph and draws a straight line from it to zero. The next step is for Ron to work out his total costs. To do this, he adds his fixed costs to his variable costs:  £1,171 +  £5,250 =  £6,421 ( £1 = Rs.84) He plots this figure on the graph and draws a straight line from it to  £1,171 on the ‘Pounds’ axis. Ron now needs to work out his revenue line. To do this, he simply multiplies his products’ selling price by the example number of widgets he chose earlier (250):  £32.50 x 250 =  £8,125 ( £1 = Rs.84) He then plots this figure on the graph and draws a straight line from it to zero. Ron can now find his break-even point simply by locating the exact point where the revenue line disects the total costs line. In this case, Ron must sell 100 widgets each month if his business is to break-even. If he sells more than 100, he makes a profit; if he sells less he makes a loss. Costing And Pricing Costs Although accountants define costs in several different ways, there are, effectively, just two types of cost. The first cost is that which is directly attributable to the product or service. Direct costs include, for example, raw materials and sub-contract work. If you make desks, for example, the cost of wood will be a direct cost. Within reason, the cost will be the same for each desk, no matter how many desks you make. When you make a sale the income first has to cover the direct costs relating to that sale. Whatever is left is called gross profit or contribution. All other costs are overheads. These include, for example, staff salaries, marketing, rent, rates and insurance. They also include depreciation; that is, an allowance for wear and tear on capital equipment. Overheads are often called fixed costs because, generally, they are fixed for the business. Interest is often regarded as a deduction from net profit rather than an overhead cost. You need to include it as an overhead in your costing calculations, even though it varies with the size of your overdraft or loan. If you are self-employed, you will take drawings from the business. Whilst, strictly speaking, drawings are an advance against profit, include them (and an allowance for income tax) as an overhead when calculating total costs. The contribution is so-called because it contributes towards covering the overhead costs. Each sale generates a contribution. When enough contributions have been made, and all the overhead costs are covered, they start to contribute to net profit. Price The price at which you sell your product or service clearly needs to exceed the total costs of providing it. But the price should also reflect what the market can stand. If you are selling a differentiated product or have  adopted a strategy of market focus then you may also be able to charge a premium price. If you are pursuing a cost leadership strategy you will need to be ruthless in keeping your costs down and under control. In calculating your price you will need to follow a number of steps: †¢Estimate your likely sales for a period, say, one year; †¢Calculate the total direct costs and divide by the sales volume to give direct costs per unit (say per product or per hour of service); †¢Calculate your total overhead costs and divide by the sales volume to give overhead costs per unit; †¢Add direct costs per unit and overhead costs per unit to give total cost per unit; and, †¢Add a further profit margin (to allow for reinvestment, etc). If necessary, add VAT as well. You now have a first stab price. How does that compare with your competitors? Will customers buy at that price? Do you need to reduce costs? Can you achieve a higher profit margin? What happens if you fail to achieve sales at the determined price? Remember that the overhead costs are fixed, so if sales fall the overheads will be spread over fewer items and the unit cost effectively increases. The converse is also true. Increasing the volume of sales means that the overheads are spread over more units, so the unit cost falls. This means that you can, if you choose, reduce the price. And reducing the price might increase your level of sales. It’s a fine balancing act. Depreciation Depreciation is an allowance for wear and tear on the equipment used in your business. As time passes, your equipment will usually lose value, and this can be considered a cost to your business. You need to think about how long you expect your assets to last. For example, if you purchase a computer system, you may forecast that in 5 years it will be obsolete. That means the depreciation rate is 20% per year. If you determine it to be 2 years, then it will be 50% per year. This does not have any effect on cash flow, just on how profits are calculated. Deprecation is an accounting cost that must be included to give a Profit & Loss account more relevance. Finance Action Planner (FAP) The Finance Action Planner (FAP) is a learning tool that will help you to: †¢Develop your all-round financial skills †¢Learn more about a range of financial issues †¢Identify suitable sources of finance †¢Create a set of financial forecasts †¢Test out different financial scenarios Financial forecasts Once you have an idea of your likely costs and an idea of how much you need to sell to make a profit you are in a position to prepare financial forecasts. There are three basic financial statements (the profit and loss account (P&L); the cash flow statement; and the balance sheet) that describe the activities and financial state of any business. These can be prepared on a historical basis – to show how a business performed during a defined period – or as forecasts – as estimates of how the business will perform in the future. 3 steps to forecasting 1. Businesses often start by forecasting their cash flow and then aim to derive other forecasts from it. It makes more sense, however, to start by forecasting the income and expenditure of the business, which will indicate whether you will make a profit, then worry about when money will be received or paid out – to discover if you will have enough cash when it is needed. Income and expenditure is summarised in a profit and loss account. 2. You will also need to look at your likely sales for, say, the year ahead. This needs to relate back to your market research and, if you are already in business, to previous performance. The direct costs can then be estimated (usually as a percentage of sales) to give gross profit. 3. The next step is to estimate the likely overheads. Deducting these gives an operating profit forecast. If the net profit is too low you will either need to assess whether you can achieve higher sales or whether you can reduce the overheads. When preparing your forecasts, remember to allow for increased costs, for instance, due to inflation or future pay awards. If you do need a loan, then you will also need to allow an amount for loan interest. If you use equipment, remember to allow for depreciation. Whilst depreciation is  not included in the P&L, you may need to allow for the replacement or repairs of machinery, so you may wish to include a contingency. The P&L forecast will show whether you are likely to achieve your first key financial requirement: making a profit. Preparing cash flow forecasts In preparing your forecasts, you will need to think carefully about all your costs, about your price and likely sales at that price and about the timing of both receipts and payments. As mentioned above, the first forecast that you set out should ideally be a P&L, summarizing income and expenditure for, say, the year ahead. You might do this monthly or annually. The P&L is important for demonstrating profitability; over the very short term, however, the key requirement is to generate cash and know the business’s working capital requirements. This can best be done by preparing cash flow forecast which should set out all the information, month by month, regarding cash inflows and outflows. The cash flow forecast should include: †¢Receipts of cash from customers; †¢Payments for raw materials; †¢Payments for all other expenses; †¢Drawings and wages; †¢Capital expenditure; †¢Capital, loans or grants introduced; †¢Loan repayments; †¢VAT receipts and payments (if VAT registered); and, †¢Tax payments. All of these items should normally be shown separately and in the month into which the money will be received, or paid by, your business. For businesses with a modest turnover and that demonstrate profitability in the year, it is normal only to forecast one year ahead, with a monthly cash flow. Larger businesses, especially those seeking equity investments and/or which do not show profitability in the year, may need to prepare forecasts  for two or three years. The first year cash flow is usually shown monthly, the second year quarterly and the third year just a single annual figure. It is often helpful when preparing cash flow forecasts initially to ignore any finance that is available from the bank or other lenders. The cash flow forecast then shows the true position of the business. It can then be used to decide if the budget is viable and can be adjusted to reflect the true position and to assess the total funding requirement. If you do not have sufficient money of your own, then you will need to seek loan finance or an equity investor. Most small businesses simply look for loan finance. Aim to match the term of the loan to the life of the asset for which it is required. It would be normal to look for a short-term loan, for example, to purchase equipment, or a long-term loan to purchase premises. You will also need to buy stock and pay overheads whilst awaiting payment from your customers. The money required is called working capital and is typically funded by an overdraft. When preparing your cash flow forecast, you may like initially only to include personal investment or loan finance for fixed assets and to ignore funds for working capital. The worst cumulative deficit will then give an indication of your total working capital requirement. Of course, the amount that you need to borrow can be reduced if you have more available to invest yourself. If you have a term loan, the capital repayments will not figure in your profit and loss account – they are not a business expense – although the interest portion of the repayments will be charged as an expense. However, the repayments do need to be included in your cash flow forecast. Balance sheet The money in a business can only come from three sources: capital introduced by the owner(s); loans (whether from the bank or, effectively, from creditors); and, retained earnings; that is, profit which has been generated by, and retained within, the business. That money is used to finance the fixed and current assets of the business. Current liabilities include: †¢Creditors †¢Overdrafts †¢Loans due within one year †¢Money owed under hire purchase agreements †¢Any amounts owed in VAT or tax, etc. In larger businesses, loans falling due in more than one year are usually shown separately. You will, however, have a better idea of your business’s performance if you show all loans as current liabilities. Current assets less current liabilities show your working capital requirement. Since the balance sheet is merely a snapshot, however, it may be better to deduce your working capital requirement from the cash flow forecast. The net assets are always equal to the capital introduced plus reserves; that is, the net finance, sometimes known as net worth or the equity of the business. The net finance, together with any long-term loans, is called the capital employed. All borrowing should be included when calculating capital employed. Pricing strategies The greatest danger when setting a price for the first time is to pitch it too low. Raising a price is always more difficult than lowering one, yet there are great temptations to undercut the competition. It is clearly important to compare your prices to your competitors’, but it is essential that your price covers all your costs. There are a number of possible pricing strategies from which you might choose. These include: 1. Cost based pricing – total costs are calculated and a mark up is added to give the required profit. 2. Skimming – you charge a relatively high price to recover set up costs quickly if the product is good or new. As more competitors enter the market, you lower the price. 3. Individual – you negotiate prices individually with customers based on how much they are prepared to buy. 4. Loss leaders – if you wish to sell to a particular market then you might sell one product or service cheaper to gain market entry. You balance this by selling other products or services at a higher price. This can be risky as the danger is that everything becomes a loss leader. 5. Expected price – what does the customer expect to pay? If you are selling a quality product, do not under price. Often the customer expects to pay a lot as the product or service has a certain ‘snob’ value and this may be diminished if you under price. 6. Differential pricing – you charge different segments of your market different prices for the same service. For example, offering discounts to certain people like pensioners or the unemployed, or charging lower rates for quiet periods. If, after working out your costs, the price you charge is much greater than your competitors’ then you will have to look at ways of reducing costs. Sensitivity analysis It is important to know how sensitive your forecast is to changes. Sensitivity analysis looks at ‘what if?’ scenarios. What happens to your cash position, for example, if sales fall by 10%? What happens if your main supplier increases raw material prices by 12%? Financial institutions when considering propositions for a loan particularly use sensitivity analysis. If your business is particularly susceptible to small changes, then you probably do not have a sufficiently large profit margin. You will thus be less likely to receive the loan required. You may find it difficult to cut costs. You may not be able simply to increase prices to improve your margins – that might deter customers. Are there other ways in which you can push up the margins, e.g. by increasing output? Having undertaken your sensitivity analysis, you may need to review elements of your forecast. Sensitivity analysis can help in making decisions. You may want to consider, for example, the effect of increased raw material, labour or overhead costs; of reducing prices, with constant volumes, to counteract competitors; or reducing volumes, with constant prices, due to over optimistic forecasts. Furthermore, if you are about to spend a large sum of money on equipment, you may want to look ahead several years, if at all possible. Including a sensitivity analysis in your business plan will demonstrate that  you have thought about some of the potential risks – and that is half way to avoiding them. VAT (Value Added Tax) VAT is tax paid on the value added at each stage of delivery of a product or service. It is a method whereby businesses act as tax collectors for the Government. If you are registered for VAT, by submitting a VAT return you can claim back what you have paid in VAT, and hand over what you have collected. Not all goods are taxable – for example, insurance, some education and training, and postal services are exempt. If items are VAT-able, then, ignoring VAT on fuel, there are two rates – standard (currently 17.5%), and zero-rated. Zero rated items are different from exempt items. It is only necessary to register if your output is taxable. If you do register, you will be able to recover VAT on your purchases including materials, capital equipment and overheads. You will, however, have to charge VAT on your sales. The difference between what you collect and what you pay out in VAT is passed on in due course to Customs & Excise. There is more paperwork involved if you are VAT registered – you need tax invoices showing your VAT number, an analyzed VAT account, and VAT return forms. It may, however, be advantageous to register voluntarily if your sales are below the turnover limit, because VAT paid on purchases can be reclaimed. You may also reclaim VAT on capital equipment, raw materials and stocks bought before registration, provided the business still owns them. If you are selling to VAT registered businesses, it is likely to be more attractive for you to register. If you are selling to the general public, it probably will not be. This is, however, an area where you should seek professional advice. CASE STUDY Brian’s Book-keeping Business Brian runs a book-keeping service for several small businesses. His overheads are as follows: Costs £ Per year ( £1 = Rs.84) Office costs5,000 Advertising 1,100 Insurance550 Telephone650 Vehicle running costs900 Other3,000 Brian works 40 hours per week. He spends 8 hours per week on administration, marketing, etc. He works 45 weeks each year allowing for holidays and illness. Brian draws  £200 out of the business each week. Brian has been asked to undertake a specific task and estimates he will need to spend 12 hours on it. What is the cost of providing the service? How much should he charge? Solution: What is the cost of providing the service? 1. Total hours worked per annum = 32 hours per week x 45 = 1,440 hours 2. Total drawings = 200 x 52 =  £10,400 3. Total fixed costs =  £11,200 4. Total costs =  £21,600 5. Costs per hour = 21,600/1,440 =  £15 6. For a job lasting 12 hours, the cost is  £ 180 ( £1 = Rs.84) How much should he charge? Brian has decided that he should also add a further 20% profit margin in case his costs go up and to make a little extra for reinvestment. 180 + 20% = 216 He is also registered for VAT and needs, therefore, to add VAT at the standard rate (17.5%) 216 + 17.5% =  £253.80 So the price he charges to his customer is  £ 253.80 Useful tips: 1. Some readers of your business plan will regard the financial forecasts as the most important component. It is where you summarise the expected income, dependent on your market research, and where you set out your expected costs. 2. The forecasts need to demonstrate that the business is viable and that there is a sufficient margin of comfort to allow for fall in demand or increase in costs. 3. Take care to prepare your financial forecasts as accurately as you can. Then compare your actual results with your forecasts and, if necessary, take corrective action at an early stage to keep yourself on course.

Nice Guys Always Finish Last

Nice guys is a term in the popular culture and general public discourse describing a male, young or adult, with friendly yet unassertive personality traits in the context of a relationship with a woman. Nice guy is said to be who puts their interest aside and out others first, avoids confrontation, does favors, gives emotional support, tried to stay out of trouble and generally be nice towards women. Although many people would agree with the generalization of â€Å"nice guys always finish last† I would disagree and side with nice guys because bad guys may get the girls and sleep around but in the end of the day they end up with the nice guy. There is a discrepancy between preference and the actual action of women in choices in men. They say that they want â€Å"nice guys† but in reality, they go for â€Å"bad boys† or â€Å"jerks† in the end. Stephan Desrochers claims, in a 1995 article in the journal Sex Roles, that many â€Å"sensitive† men, based on personal experience, do not believe women actually want â€Å"nice guys†. Desrochers, 1995). And Urbaniak & Kilmann write that, â€Å"Although women often portray themselves as wanting to date kind, sensitive, and emotionally expressive men, the nice guy stereotype contends that, when actually presented with a choice between such a ‘nice guy' and an unkind, insensitive, emotionally-c losed, ‘macho man' or ‘jerk,' they invariably reject the nice guy in favor of his ‘so-called' macho competitor. † (Urbaniak & Kilmann, 2003). They all both say that what they want and what they actually do is totally different. Women say they want â€Å"nice guys† but they want nice guys to be attractive, well built but those guys are either taken or jerks. Then they go for the jerks, who are attractive and challenge themselves to make them to become nice guys but that rarely happens. Nice guys do not always finish last. The difference is how one defines or take word â€Å"last† as. Bad boys or jerks do always get the girls because they know the game and most of them are attractive in different ways but when one looks at long-term, many can see that women tend to choose nice guys. Herold and Milhausen claim that â€Å"while ‘nice guys' may not be competitive in terms of numbers of sexual partners, they tend to be more successful with respect to longer-term, committed relationships. † (Herold & Milhausen, 1999). No women wants to be treated badly or be used and that what bad boys or jerks do. Thats is why they prefer nice guys and be will to go out on second date or go in a relationship with them. McDaniel constructed vignettes of dates with a stereotypical â€Å"nice guy† vs. a stereotypical â€Å"fun/sexy guy,† and attempted to make them both sound positive. Participants reported a greater likelihood of wanting a second date with the â€Å"nice guy† rather than with the â€Å"fun/sexy guy. † (McDaniel, 2005). People may think that nice guys finish last but for to them the â€Å"last† is the goal for the women. The women may take a detour but most of them reach the goal to the nice guy. It is like the story of the rabbit and the tortoise, the rabbit is the jerk and tortoise the nice guy. My best friend is a bad boy who gets all the girls he wants and I was always the nice guy. He always told me to be like him but I could not and never be someone who I am not and comfortable with. I always thought that generalization was true until recently but not anymore. It took me three years but I am finally in a relationship and I am happy. From past to present, the women's preference has not changed and that means something. Women do and always will desire nice guys because they care and think about them. Thats is what women is looking for at the end of the day. Nice guys does not finish, they finish first.

Hall of Fame Steroids Paper - 3060 Words

David Haynes Mrs. Szabo ENG – 102 5 December, 2012 Hall of Famer? Major League Baseball (MLB) has always been one of the worst offenders of players engaging in questionable behavior. With the MLB featuring as a key example in the steroid debate, how can the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) electors decide which players are eligible to be inducted into the Hall of Fame? Located in Cooperstown, New York, the National Baseball Hall of Fame is in anticipation for new members. An election is held each year, no later than January 15th, for players to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The electors from BBWAA consist of retired baseball players, which have been active writers for the BBWAA for at least ten years. These†¦show more content†¦These candidates should not get the benefit of the doubt for playing during a time where steroids were commonly used. Taking steroids is a choice; any player willing to take steroids is giving up the honor of being inducted into the Hall of Fame (Shipigel B17). A prime example of s teroid controversy on the Hall of Fame ballot is Mark McGwire. McGwire (pictured left) hit 583 home runs, including what was once a record of 70 in the 1998 season for the St. Louis Cardinals. McGwire’s career was tainted when he was caught with Androstenedione in his locker during the 1998 season. Androstenedione better known as Andro, is a steroid precursor which is banned from baseball. When McGwire was questioned about steroid use at a Congressional hearing on March 17, 2005, he repeatedly said, â€Å"I’m not here to discuss the past† (qtd. in McGwire Unlikely). This damaged McGwire’s candidacy for the Hall of Fame ballot by raising the suspicion of drug use, influencing BBWAA writers not to vote for him. McGwire has received close to a 25 percent vote on the ballot the three-years running up to 2012. Not nearly the 75 percent needed for induction. Several BBWAA writers discussed their stance on McGwire’s silence at the Congressional hearing; that it was a tacit admission that he used steroids while playing. McGwire needs to clarify his past and explain whether or not he used steroids, in order to maintain his integrity and character. When evaluating McGwire’s 16 yearShow MoreRelatedRace to the Hall of Fame for Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa Essay1127 Words   |  5 PagesHall of Fame In the summer of 1998, every baseball fan, critic, and writer watched Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa race to break Roger Maris’ record of 61 home runs in one season. The two players both seemed to hit a homer every day of that summer. When the season came to the end of that summer of 1998, both Major league Baseball stars were tied at fifty-five home runs. McGwire and Sosa both surpassed Maris’ record within the first couple weeks of September. The Fans thought this was a once in a lifetimeRead MoreBaseball in America Essay1555 Words   |  7 PagesStates had a professional baseball team. Theres been many different things in the past and current history that has impact baseball majorly. Some of them are Pete Rose when he bet on games back in 1983, The 1994 Baseball Strike, and the usage of steroids or PEDs. Pete Rose was born in 1941 in Cincinnati, Ohio and while he was growing up a young kid he cheered for the hometown team which was the Cincinnati Reds. Once he retired from the game of baseball in 1986 he was the all-time leader in hitsRead MoreUse Of Performance Enhancing Drugs1338 Words   |  6 PagesMatthew De Cesare May 19th, 2014 Research Paper Final Draft The Use of Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports According to NPR.com, the argument over the use of performance-enhancing drugs by professional athletes has been at the center of an international ethical debate for many years (Katz). Many people argue that these drugs should be allowed, while others argue that these drugs should be banned from professional sports. Professional sports athletes should avoid the use of performance-enhancingRead MoreThe Baseball Hall Of Fame1814 Words   |  8 Pagespiece of paper and the opportunity to cap off the storied career of a former Major League Baseball player by allowing him to reach the pinnacle of the game. Being voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame is the highest honor a player can achieve. But reaching what seems to be the culmination of a career is not at all an easy feat. For a player to even be considered for the honor they must meet the requirements proposed by the hall of fame. According to the National Baseball Hall of Fame websiteRead MoreA Research On Scandals Of Bas eball3731 Words   |  15 PagesAbady, David Mr. Laub Research Paper on Scandals in Baseball 4-30-15 Introduction For this paper, I will be researching the controversial topic on whether athletes or coaches, especially in baseball, should be recognized for their achievements if they were involved in any sort of scandals during their tenures. This subject is hotly debated due to the fact that some find it wrong to reward people who have committed major wrongdoings or even cheated the game they were a part of. On the other handRead MoreSteroids Should Not Be Banned1857 Words   |  8 Pagesexample, if an athlete uses steroids to enhance their performance but does not get caught then it is not considered cheating at all. This topic of cheating and the use of steroids can be linked together because steroids help a person â€Å"cheat† on their performance abilities and physique, specifically for athletes of modern day. There has been an increase of the use of steroids in order to enhance the performance of many athletes and including some put in the Hall of Fame. It has become a big topicRead MoreAlex Rodriguez Broke Into Spring Camp With The Seattle Mariners850 Words   |  4 Pages After almost immediately stepping into a Major League baseball field he became a household name. Within two years, he was an All-Star. Within five, a regular 40-homer player. By the turn of the century, many were already putting him into the Hall of Fame discussion. On August 12, 2016, Rodriguez played what will be his final game as a New York Yankee after an incredible 12 years in New York. Considering the 41-year-old’s lack of playing time and declining production after a resurgent effort inRead MoreMy Favorite Player Of All Time Torii Hunter1995 Words   |  8 Pagessport today. The first day that I realized how significant an impact steroids have had in the sport is when I heard that Sammy Sosa did not make the hall of fame. This was curious to me, because Sosa had put up some historic numbers that baseball had never seen before. Then it came out that more and more players had been using steroids, and that the numbers they put up are flawed, so they will probably never make the hall of fame. Following that, I did not understand why that was such a enormous dealRead MoreLarge Salaries of Pro Athletes Negative Effects on Athletes and Sports1574 Words   |  7 PagesLarge Salaries of Pro Athletes Negative Effects On Athletes and Sports Abstract This paper will explain the effects of the luxury contracts of athletes on sports as well as the athlete. The debate is whether the effect is a negative effect or not. This paper will aim to show how the contracts of athletes have changed significantly over time. It will also show how the pro athlete affect the sport of college in different aspects and if that helps or hurt the college athletics or influencesRead MoreEssay on Professional Athletes and Steriod Use2158 Words   |  9 PagesSteroid is a name given to drugs that are manufactured from testosterone, a reproductive hormone found in men. Some athletes normally use anabolic steroids because these drugs improve one’s capacity to compete and train, yielding high results. Steroids work by reducing exhaustion during training, and also reduce the length of time an athlete needs to recover from exhaustion. In addition, steroids enable the growth of tissues and muscles in an athlete’s body by instructing the body to produce extra

Sample Persuasive Message - 1105 Words

Sample Persuasive Message Judy Robertson COMM 470 May 23, 2011 Dr. Janice Carter-Steward Sample Persuasive Message In this paper the subject to identify is three behaviors inherent in e-tailing, explain how each medium enables e-commerce, and analyze each behavior using the communication process. The three behaviors to be discussed are independent variables, intervening variables, and dependent variables. Two types of independent variables are personal characteristics and environmental variables (Turban, King, McKay, Marshall, Lee, amp; Viehland, 2008). Personal characteristics refer to the demographic factors, internal individual factors, and behavioral characteristics (Turban, King, McKay, Marshall, Lee, amp; Viehland,†¦show more content†¦The buyers and sellers must trust the e-commerce’s computing environment and the infrastructure. If they do not feel comfortable or trust security of the infrastructure he or she will not buy the product he or she was looking to buy (Turban, King, McKay, Marshall, Lee, amp; Viehland, 2008). There are two ways to increase trust in e-commerce the following are: 1.) Affiliate with an objective third party. This builds trust by putting hypertext links on their website to other trusted reputable companies. 2.) Establish trustworthiness through these key elements integrity, competence, and security (Turban, King, McKay, Marshall, Lee, am p; Viehland, 2008). The organizational behaviors are similar, to individuals with a few differences, the individual is more the business-to-consumer where family and Internet communities can have an influence. The organizational is more the business-to-business concept where family and Internet communities have no influence on purchases (Turban, King, McKay, Marshall, Lee, amp; Viehland, 2008). Marketing and advertising processes for organizations are different. The traditional way to market goods was through trade shows, magazines, newspapers, and salespeople calling. With the digital world or e-commerce an organization could use online directory, matching, the marketing and advertising service of exchanges, co-branding or alliances, affiliate programs, online marketing, or e-communities (Turban, King, McKay, Marshall, Lee, amp;Show MoreRelatedSample Persuasive Message1623 Words   |  7 PagesSample Persuasive Message Your Name COMM 470 Instructore March 29, 2012 Sample Persuasive Message Most people have ventured onto the world wide web. Some enter the online world to check email from family members far away. Other people enjoy the web to watch videos on YouTube of babies doing the weirdest thing. Some log online for social media websites that let them know what their friends, family and celebrities are doing that day. Most people who have ventured online have shopped onRead MoreSample Persuasive Message1116 Words   |  5 PagesSample Persuasive Message Rodolfo G. Garcia Jr. COMM/470 August 22, 2011 Margarette Chavez Sample Persuasive Message E-tailing, short for electronic retailing is the sale of retail merchandise over the internet. There are many factors that beckon different behaviors in e-tailing ( Searchcio.com, 2011 ). It is the new wave of the world today. As technology steers our habits toward electronic commerce, it affects different behavioral aspects for both e-tailers and their customers. E-commerceRead MoreSample Persuasive Message1317 Words   |  6 PagesSample persuasive message COMM/470 Communicating In The Virtual Workplace Electronic commerce has become a part of everyday lives. Many retail choices available through the Internet, which can save time, effort, and provide a greater selection. Electronic retailers (e tailers) realize this has become an increasingly competitive environment. These retailers must not only find new customers but also retain the existing customers. As with any retail-company, business research isRead MorePersuasion Is The Act Of Changing Individuals1357 Words   |  6 Pagespersuasion attempts fail. This suggests that a persistent attempt to persuade can actually backfire, because the individual feels that the persuasive message is directly threatening their personal freedom. This threat to their personal freedom will often produce a defiant response which is called the boomerang effect. The individual reacts against the intended message and takes on a totally different attitude because they become irritated and their reaction is to go against the persuader , especially ifRead MoreImpact of Persuasive Advertisements on Consumer Buying Behavior Towards Health Related Products.1296 Words   |  6 Pages  Ã‚   | RESEARCH PROPOSAL FORMAT |   Ã‚  Ã‚   | Research Title: |    |   Impact of persuasive advertisements on consumer buying behavior towards health related products. | Introduction: |   Ã‚   | This thesis is about the study of consumer buying behavior towards health related product and their perceptions after watching advertisements and then make their decisions whether to purchase the product or not. This will help to find out the most important factors which can affect the buying behavior of the consumerRead MoreThe Potential Influences Of Attitude And Attitude Change1715 Words   |  7 Pagesenables this study to either prove or disprove whether individuals can be influenced by what they hear from a professional, or through word of mouth. According to Calder, Insko Yandall (1974), more arguments favouring a certain position are more persuasive than having less arguments. Although perhaps valid, this view cannot be extrapolated to this study, as it will aim to uncover new evidence using a different method (see method section) and the research is potentially out-dated. As previously mentionedRead More3 Inherited Behaviors Essay1581 Words   |  7 Pages In this discussion I will explain how each medium enables e-commerce. This essay will explain the analysis of each behavior using the communication process, which will explain the purpose, sender, receiver, message, environment, noise, technology, and feedback. At the end persuasive message focused on virtual audience will be developed and included in this essay. When a customer starts to search for a product or service on the Internet, there are many factors taken into consideration. In most casesRead MoreSample Message Essay1345 Words   |  6 PagesSample Persuasiv e Message COMM/470 Sample Persuasive Message The Internet has created many choices for consumers to shop within the privacy of their own home. The world of e-tailing has many competitors, striving to make a sale each and every time a consumer visits their website. In order to persuade the consumer to purchase a product, a business must effectively communicate the message about their product to the consumer. The primary purpose of a persuasive message is to have the receiverRead MoreA Research Study On Anti Smoking Campaign1494 Words   |  6 Pagesare in inducing higher levels of understanding and commitment to not smoking. Subjective quantitative data will be collected via self-reports. A Visual Analogue Scale (V.A.S.) will measure the audiences’ understanding of the message by asking â€Å"To what extent were the messages easy for you to understand?† wherein a point will be marked on a 100 millimetre (mm) scale ranging from 0, â€Å"not at all,† to 100, â€Å"a very great extent.† The numerical score will be determined through measuring the distance ofRead MorePersuasion Is The Process, And Motivation1322 Words   |  6 PagesPersuasive Speech â€Å"Persuasion is the process, and motivation is the compelling stimulus that encourages your audience to change their beliefs or behavior, to adopt your position, or to consider your arguments, (McLean, 2012)†. Persuasion is an act or process of presenting arguments to move, motivate, or change your audience,†. This involve observation of available means in a public speaking for persuasion, for remember persuading my husband to buy a car for my 40th birthday even that’s not he wants

The Lottery Symbolism Essay - 992 Words

One of most interesting parts of The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is simply trying to understand what the symbols in the story mean. These symbols included the lottery, the tools used in the lottery and even the people of the town. Within the first few lines of Shirley Jackson described a picture of a clear, sunny, fresh and warm summer day. She continues this sense of comfort by adding small children playing after being released from school for the summer, and the townspeople gathering calmly for the annual â€Å"Lottery†. Jackson leads us into believing that the story is going to be a happy cheery one just as the summer day that she initially described. Man, where we mislead! Through the use of symbolism, Shirley Jackson reveals to the us,†¦show more content†¦This shows Mr. Summers lack of empathy for his fellow townspeople, even thou their fate rests in his hands. Another great name in this story belongs to Mr. Summer’s assistants. His name is Mr. Graves, which does not become meaningful until the end of the story. Old Man Warners character represents the stubborn, closed minded, old traditional way of thinking that supports this mindless type of rituals. His answer to the comment mad e that some places up north giving up the lottery was, Pack of crazy fools listening to the young folks, nothings good enough for them. His reasoning was, Theres always been a lottery. He had been involved in the lottery for 77 years, which has him believing that the town was still doing the correct thing, it is tradition after all. The method of execution at the end of the story is certainly not random. Stoning is one of the oldest and most common forms of execution, but it is also one of the most symbolic. It has strong connection to many people due to its use throughout The Bible. One reason, that stoning was used in the past as well as the reason that it is important in this story is that there is no single executioner. This means that there is not a single person that has passed judgment or has to carry the guilt for taking a life alone. This is important for the story of â€Å"The Lottery because it helps to make clear who the enemy inShow MoreRelatedLottery Essay Symbolism1249 Words   |  5 PagesSymbolism Essay Symbolism is a sign that has been used by literary authors to represent a larger idea into another more specific concept or belief. Symbolism can be used to represent an action, an idea or a person’s archetype as well. The term symbolism is the practice of representing things by symbols, or of investing in things with a symbolic meaning or character (â€Å"Symbolism†). Examples of symbolism are: an eagle representing freedom, a dove representing peace, and the color green can symbolizeRead MoreThe Lottery Symbolism Essay908 Words   |  4 PagesAll around the world today thousands of people die from murder and the numbers increase every year. Our world is filled with violence and tragedies that keep increasing, just like in, Shirley Jacksons story â€Å"The Lottery.† The characters in a small village choose someone to stone to death each year because of tradition. As this tradition continues, more and more people die as time passes. All of the towns folk grow mo re and more nervous, hoping not to get picked. They gather in the town square toRead MoreSymbolism in The Lottery Essay802 Words   |  4 PagesTo a first time reader, Shirley Jacksons â€Å"The Lottery† seems simply as a curious tale with a shocking ending. After repetitive reading of Jacksons tale, it is clear that each sentence is written with a unique purpose often using symbolism. Her use of symbols not only foreshadow its surprise and disturbing ending but allows the reader to evaluate the communitys pervert traditional rituals. She may be commenting on the season of the year and the grass being â€Å"richly green† or the toying with theRead MoreThe Lottery Symbolism Essay804 Words   |  4 PagesThe Lottery by Shirley Jackson is a short story based on a fictional village that holds a macabre ritual. Although the regularity was not stated within the tale, the story speaks of a regular gathering of the village folk to conduct some form of lottery. In a disturbi ng twist of the tale, the winner of the lottery doesn’t get to receive a prize, but instead, suffer the indignity of being killed by getting stoned to death by friends, family, and neighbors. Mrs. Hutchinson is the unfortunate soul,Read More Symbolism in Jacksons The Lottery Essay1039 Words   |  5 PagesLottery: A Terrifying Trip Symbols can be used to convey a special meaning to the reader by association, especially when a material object is used to represent something abstract. Throughout the years, American writers have been using their works as a way to describe society to their broad audiences. As time periods change, writers as well as readers change their view about society. Several factors affect how readers view society in a piece of literature. To get a better understanding ofRead MoreSymbolism in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson Essay example1173 Words   |  5 PagesWhen most people play the lottery today, they think about having wealth. Generally, people who win are happy about it whether they win one dollar or a million. The lottery in our society has grown to support education and it is often worth several million dollars. Usually, the winner of the lottery gains a lot of recognition for the money they win. But what would happen if there was a small town where people held a yearly lottery in which the â€Å"winner† was the member of the town who was not sacrificedRead MoreEssay on Symbolism and Characterization in Jackson’s The Lottery726 Words   |  3 Pagespassed on, from previous generations in Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery†. Traditions, which have been lost in time, but seemingly enough the stones have not been discarded. Set on a village in a warm summer day, the story begins with several boys gathering stones for the lottery. The rest of the villagers gather in the square. The fate of the villagers is determined by a slip of paper chosen from the black box. Symbolism and characterization, from the beginning to the end, work togetherRead MoreSymbolism in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson Essay748 Words   |  3 PagesThe Lottery: Symbolism In her story â€Å"The Lottery†, Shirley Jackson manages to catch the readers’ attention and ultimately shock them with an unexpected ending; all of which help her emphasize her critique toward the dark side of human nature and the evil that resides, sometimes, in those who we less expect it from. Jackson uses symbolism throughout the story that helps her set the mood and also makes the readers wonder and analyze the senseless violence and cruelty in their own lives. It all startsRead More Symbolism and Setting in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay1118 Words   |  5 PagesSymbolism and Setting in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson ?The Lottery? by Shirley Jackson is a short story that without the symbolism of its characters, would amount to little more than an odd tale about a stoning. However, because of what each character represents and the way the setting helps to magnify those representations, it becomes a short story that is anything but short of meaning. The first character is probably the most obviously symbolic character of the story. Every wordRead More The Use of Symbolism in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay938 Words   |  4 PagesThe Use of Symbolism in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Within the first few lines of Shirley Jacksons The Lottery we are faced with such adjectives as clear, sunny, fresh and warmth. She goes on to paint a picture of small children just out of school for the summer, as the townspeople gather for the annual Lottery. This leads us to believe that the rest of the story is as cheery as the summer day initially described. We as the readers are virtually unaware of the horrible senseless events

Task Delegation in Time Management

Question: Discuss about theTask Delegation in Time Management. Answer: Introduction Research shows that 50% of time management is spent in information processing whereas 80% of that information is of no use or value to the organization (Mancini, 2003). Therefore, effective time management is crucial to meeting organizational goals. Moreover, it helps create a chance to perform other tasks, especially for managers. The purpose of the paper is to conduct a research on task delegation as a component of time management. It highlights the importance of task delegation as a tool for time management and how managers can utilize it to improve delivery. It also outlines ways of performing task delegation for the success of business operations. Reason for Delegation As a business manager, one needs to allocate much time as possible to boost development of the service and business. Such requires one to dedicate a significant amount of time to planning for both long and short-term needs of the organization. Therefore, if one can minimize the amount of time spent on everyday operational task, then they will be able to dedicate more time planning and growth of the organization (Leucke, 2009). One of the best ways to achieve such is through task delegation where a manager can pass such disruptive operational responsibility to an equally capable individual. Ideally, the primary purpose of delegating is to ensure that it is allocated to the right person for the excellent outcome and reduced risk as the manager's time is organized efficiently. Furthermore, a manager has the opportunity to develop his/her team members by boosting their motivation and morale. When to Delegate A manager needs to have the bigger picture in mind of the ultimate organizational goals. Therefore, a belief that one could perform better by doing a task by themselves cannot justify the reason for not delegating a task. However, there are important factors to be considered when delegating the task. First, one should determine whether delegating the task would allow them to focus on higher value tasks involving organizational planning (MindTools, 2016a). One of the main purposes for task delegation is to create time for important tasks. Thus, a manager needs to recognize a higher value task at hand that requires their attention before delegating routine tasks. However, delegating task to another person when the manager had ample time to handle it would be a waste of time hence a loss to the organization. Second, the manager should determine whether by allocating the task to particular team member will help improve their experience in the area. As mentioned earlier, task delegation is also important for boosting the morale of team members through team development. Therefore, the manager should consider the importance of task to experience or expertise of an employee. He/she should determine whether the job will help enhance the experience of the worker. Such can be achieved by considering the relationship between the task and expertise or experience of the employee (MindTools, 2016b). Finally, the manager should determine whether the member can develop new innovative ideas towards the task. Successful execution of a task is vital to the overall performance of the organization. However, allocating routine tasks to the usual individuals results in similar outcomes. Therefore, there is a need to explore new ideas and ways of accomplishing the task. Thus, the manager should consider assigning the task to employees with new ideas. Stages for Successful Task Delegation Task delegation involves a logical process that allows the manager to clearly define the requirements for every stage to ensure optimized productivity (Tracy, 2014). The process also requires the manager to practice complete clarity when communicating the needs at every stage to ensure task completion. The stages include: Selecting the Right Individual for the Task A manager should often have an accurate picture of every member of his or her team. Such includes understanding their know-how concerning their duties, their skill in accomplishing a task and their attitude towards the job (Julie, 1998). One can obtain such information by observing and evaluating the behaviors and competencies the employees display in diverse situations. The manager can identify the right individual by selecting those that exhibit the required behaviors to perform the task. Such can be assessed by the way such employees handle unexpected circumstances or how they deal with other team members. Moreover, the selected team member must feel that the task commensurates with their level of authority and role description. Thus besides giving them an opportunity to improve, they are also able to apply their skills and initiative. Providing a Clear Goal The manager has the responsibility to provide all the information required by the team members to accomplish the task successfully. Moreover, the manager should instill a clear sense of the importance of the work and how it will impact the organization. Such can be achieved by clearly defining the expected outcome of the task being delegated which includes how the members and managers success will be measured. It will enable the team members to clearly understand the goal and expectations (Stephen, 1989). Furthermore, it can be achieved by engaging the team members through question and answer forum to facilitate their understanding. Task Delegation to a Single Team Member Delegating a task to more than one individual not only consumes time but causes considerable confusion to the team members. When many people are involved in performing different portions of a task, it becomes difficult for them to determine the beginning and end of their responsibilities. As a result, some aspects of the job are left unperformed or become duplicated as some think it is others' responsibility. Therefore, is important that an individual understands that the whole task is their sole responsibility to guarantee success. Furthermore, assigning the entire work to a person gives them the ultimate authority to ensure that it is accomplished to the expected standards. However, when the task is split and allocated to many people, everyone will feel disengaged and leave the responsibility to anyone else involved in the project (Cook, 1999). It thus results it reduced seriousness by which the task is handled hence low performance. Set Realistic Deadline Deadlines act as a motivation and a push to accomplish a task within a given period. Therefore, it is important that the selected team member knows the timeline as well as understanding the reason for it. The team member needs to understand the reason for a particular timeframe as an assurance of their acceptance of the task. However, circumstances, where a third party is involved, may be challenging for providing an appropriate deadline. Moreover, understanding the reason for a timeframe helps boost the motivation of the team member. For instance, a challenging or strict deadline may negatively affect a team member especially when they start doubting their ability to finish on time leading to losing of motivation. Deadlines should also be flexible to give room for exploring all the available options to accomplishing a task (Rivera, 2007). The set timeframe should allow the team member to explore other options or develop new ideas of performing a task. Strict deadlines are set based on previous encounters or performance of a particular task. However, it does not provide room to or ample time to explore other ideas thus compromising the outcome. Moreover, it does not allow a team member to develop their knowledge and experience as they are restricted to the conventional methods of performing the task. Conduct Periodic Reviews It involves identifying the key points regarding the work and the relevant dates for submitting feedback about progress. By carefully monitoring the job a manager can know the potential issues the team member may experience and resolve them before they become catastrophic. The manager should often ensure that the task is on track and is ready to intervene in significant changes in the project's direction. Furthermore, it is through spaced, pre-defined, and regular review that a manager will get timely information and act accordingly before they escalate to serious levels. Reviews can be carried out by performing task debrief regarding task completion to enable both the team member and the manager have the honest appraisal of the project. It also helps the manager recognize his or her personal development as a way of gauging their potential. Also, a debrief will also assist the Manager measure performance regarding what went poorly, what went well, and areas that require improvement. Recognizing those who Completed the Job Giving credit to the team member who completed the task offers them personal recognition at both corporate and team level for their achievement (Tracy, 2013). Therefore, the manager should come up with a way to recognize and appreciate the effort devoted to the task by the team member. However, they should assume responsibility if the project results in failure and learn from such experience for efficient delegation in future. Conclusion In conclusion, effective time management allows a manager to reflect organizational and personal decisions to improve performance. Moreover, a manager can set priorities more efficiently to focus mainly on the important tasks. As a component of time management, task delegation enables the manager to accomplish such. He/she can have enough time to handle important organizational responsibilities while allocating the job to equally capable team members. Further, task delegation also helps improve team members' morale, skills and experience hence increased productivity. Reference Tracy, B. (2013).Delegation supervision. Mancini, M. (2003).Time management. New York: McGraw-Hill. Cook, M. (1999). Streetwise Time Management. Avon, MA: Adams Media Corporation. Smith, P.M. (1998). Rules Tools for Leaders. New York: Perigee Books. Julie M. (1998). Organizing from the Inside Out, Henry Holt and Company, LLC, New York. Alec M. A, (1972) The Time Trap.New York Rivera, C. (2007).Time management. Chandni Chowk, Delhi: Global Media. Stephen R. Covey. Fireside, (1989). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, https://www.quickmba.com/mgmt/7hab/ Luecke, R., McIntosh, P. (2009).The busy manager's guide to the delegation. New York: AMACOM/American Management Association. MindTools.com. (2016a). Prioritization: Making the Best Use of Your Time and Resources. https://www.mindtools.com/ pages/article/newHTE_92.htm MindTools.com. (2016b). To-Do Lists: The Keys to Efficiency. https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_05.htm Tracy, B. (2014).Time management.