Handstar Inc Essay

Handstar Inc. was created a little over four years ago by two college roommates to develop software applications for handheld computing devices. It has since grown to ten employees with annual sales approaching $1. 5 million. Handstar’s original product was an expense report application that allowed users to record expenses on their handheld computers and then import these expenses into a spreadsheet that then create an expense report in one of five standard formats. Based on the success of its first product, Handstar subsequently developed three additional software products: a program for tracking and measuring the performance of investment portfolios- a calendar program, and a program that allowed users to download their email messages from their PC and read them on their handheld computers. The two founders of Handstar have recently become concerned about the competitiveness of their offerings, particularly since none of them has been updated after their initial launch. Therefore, they asked the directors of product development and marketing to work together and prepare a list of potential projects for updating Handstar’s current offerings as well as to develop ideas for additional offerings. The directors were also asked to estimate the development costs of the various projects, product revenues, and the likelihood that Handstar could retain or obtain a leadership position for the given product. Also, with the increasing popularity of the Internet, the founders asked the directors to evaluate the extent to which the products made use of the Internet. The product development and marketing directors identified three projects related to updating Handstar’s existing products. The first project would integrate Handstar’s current calendar program with its email program. Integrating these two applications into a single program would provide a number of benefits to users such as allowing them to automatically enter the dates of meetings into the calendar based on the content of an email message. The directors estimated that this project would require 1250 hours of software development time. Revenues in the first year of the product’s launch were estimated to be $750,000. However, because the directors expected that a large percentage of the users would likely upgrade to this new product soon after its introduction, they projected that annual sales would decline by 10 percent annually in subsequent years. The directors speculated that Handstar was moderately likely to obtain a leadership position in email/calendar programs if this project were undertaken and felt this program made moderate use of the Internet. The second project related to updating the expense report program. The directors estimated that this project would require 400 hours of development time. Sales were estimated to be $250,000 in the first year and to increase 5 percent annually in subsequent years. The directors speculated that completing this project would almost certainly maintain Handstar’s leadership position in the expense report category, although it made little use of the Internet. The last product enhancement project required enhancing the existing portfolio tracking program. This project would require 750 hours of development time and would generate first-year sales of $500,000. Sales were projected to increase 5 percent annually in subsequent years. The directors felt this project would have a high probability of maintaining Handstar’s leadership position in this category and the product would make moderate use of the Internet. The directors also identified three opportunities for new products. One project was the development of a spreadsheet program that could share files with spread-sheet programs written for PCs. Developing this product would require 2500 hours of development time. First-year sales were estimated to be $1,000,000 with an annual growth rate of 10 percent. While this product did not make use of the Internet, the directors felt that Handstar had a moderate chance of obtaining a leadership position in this product category. The second new product opportunity identified was a Web browser. Developing this product would require 1875 development hours. First-year sales were estimated to be $2,500,000 with an annual growth rate of 15 percent. Although this application made extensive use of the Internet, the directors felt that there was a very low probability that Handstar could obtain a leadership position in this product category. The final product opportunity identified was a trip planner program that would work in conjunction with a PC connected to the Web and download travel instructions to the user’s handheld computer. This product would require 6250 hours of development time. First-year sales were projected to be $1,300,000 with an annual growth rate of 5 percent. Like the Web browser program, the directors felt that there was a low probability that Handstar could obtain a leadership position in this category, although the program would make extensive use of the Internet. In evaluating the projects, the founders believed it was reasonable to assume each product had a three-year life. They also felt that a discount rate of 12 percent fairly reflected the company’s cost of capital. An analysis of pay-roll records indicated that the cost of software developers is $52 per hour including salary and fringe benefits. Currently there are four software developers on staff, and each works 2500 hours per year. Which option should they choose?

Intervention on Mary’s Crisis

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (1994) says that those who are in crisis need immediate intervention through emotional first aid and support. Crisis intervention aims to improve health or resolve a personal conflict through an immediate, short-term psychotherapeutic approach. Mary is just the right person who is in need of immediate intervention. Her problems began when she discovered that she could not conceive a child due to some biological reason. She suffered from this because â€Å"she is incapable of doing something that is a simple biological function of being a woman† (Vasudev, 2005). This could be the reason why she thought she was a failure because she could not give her husband a child. In our society today, those who cannot bear a child are a laughing matter. Even during the times of our ancestors, a woman’s auspiciousness is measured by the number of children she has. This was considered an asset, especially when her children are male. Vasudev (2005) considered children as important for survival and for economic and social situations. He said, â€Å"People did not experience life to any depth with any other aspect except by bearing children. It’s as if you have not experienced life† (Vasudev, 2005). But he added that so many factors are involved, such as social, economic, emotional, physical and biological aspects. What has been embedded in the history of humans about child bearing is still observed today. A woman who cannot bear a child is considered unfortunate or outcast in our society. This was probably how Mary felt with the dilemma she was facing. To make matters worse for her, her inability to produce a child precipitated the bitter divorce between her and her husband. This only made her feel inadequate. This situation proved hard for Mary, especially when her second husband also wanted to divorce her. She blamed herself for losing her husband and his child because she thought she was not a better wife, despite her efforts in devoting herself to them. This indicated that she was crisis prone, as shown by her tendency to feel overly depressed by unfavorable events in her life. Greenwald (undated) explained that depression is caused by many factors, one of which is biological. Mary had problems with eating and sleeping. Another factor is psychological. Greenwald noted, â€Å"If you fail to live up to some internal standard of who or what you are supposed to be, some internal watchdog notes your failures and begins to let you know that you haven’t been all that you could be† (Greenwald, undated). Moreover, people tend to feel depressed because they think they haven’t done what they think they should have. This results to low self-esteem, as is the case with Mary because she could not conceive a child. She also blamed herself for the bad things in her life. Dr. Greenwald added that when important people fail to understand or recognize or appreciate, it could result to depression. Sometimes, this made a person feel that she is not good enough. Mary was sensitive to this since she had a history of divorce. Mary’s condition after learning of her husband’s plans showed that she was in a crisis. She was undergoing a strong, reactive depression, which is not normally experienced by someone who is upset. Moreover, it involved her health, her job and her self-esteem. She also indicated that â€Å"it would be better to be dead†¦Ã¢â‚¬  which showed that she was considering suicide as an option to end her dilemma. This is an indication that should not be ignored. It is important to let Mary know that someone cares for her, and that is me and it is why I’m there to help her solve her problem. I will use Roberts’ Seven Stage Crisis Intervention Model (2000) in conducting the intervention. After gaining her confidence and trust, I will conduct crisis assessment, including lethality. Is she depressed, lonely or suicidal? Is she safe or alone? Does she mean to harm herself? These questions should be asked with sensitivity. Assessment of danger must be throughout the intervention. I must establish rapport and make her feel at ease in telling me her problems. I will listen for important events and persons so that I know who and what are important to her. I will listen for significant changes, losses, disappointments and failures to identify the major problem/s. I will find out the trigger events so that I can think of strategies in helping her. Through active listening, I will ask about the feelings surrounding the people or events as she tells me her history. Questions include: â€Å"How did you feel about that?† â€Å"What were your feelings?† â€Å"What do you think about this situation?† â€Å"You might have been angry?† â€Å"Were you hurt about that?† It is also important that I listen for problems about anger. I should help the person discover if her depression was to do with unexpressed anger. â€Å"It sounds like you have problems expressing your anger.† â€Å"How do you vent your anger?† If anger is not the issue, I will look for other possibilities. If Mary tells about her depression on her first divorce, I can refer her to psychotherapy. I can also give support through validation. I will convince her that what she is feeling is ok and that she is not alone. She is worthy and can overcome her problems. She is stronger than she can imagine. I can tell her â€Å"I’d feel the same way if I were in your shoes† or â€Å"Of course I’d feel depressed; I think anyone would.† Then I will ask her the areas where she considers she excels. I will tell her that she is not a failure. She just needs to explore her feelings, ideas, skills and accomplishments. I can convince her to join any club or activities where she can use her talents, or to try calling her sister and family because I’m sure they care for her. I will point out resources that she may have forgotten. I can give her the power to make choices and opportunities for herself, and take charge. Mary found out that despite what happened, she can move on because she is strong. The time of feeling down is past; she must look for the brighter things and dedicate her energy to more important things. She felt thankful that she called that crisis hotline; although her problems were not over yet, she felt as though her burdens were lifted. REFERENCES Crisis Intervention and Domestic Violence National Resource. (undated). Roberts’ Seven Stage Crisis Intervention Model. Crisis Intervention Network. Retrieved on September 16, 2007 from http://www.crisisinterventionnetwork.com/intervention_roberts.html Greenwald, Barry. (undated). Loneliness, Depression, and Suicide. Retrieved on September 17, 2007 from http://www.uic.edu/orgs/convening/depress.htm Vasudev, Sadhguru Jaggi. (May 3, 2005). Barren Woman. Chennai Online. Retrieved on September 17, 2007 from http://www.chennaionline.com/health/yoga/2005/04yoga45.asp

Ai WeiWei Essay

Ai WeiWei blurred the lines between the aesthetic and the political. According to the internet, aesthetic is defined as concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty. Ai WeiWei used art to â€Å"protest† against the Chinese government. Ai Weiwei was a creative man who thought of ideas how to represent the names of all the children who were killed in a deadly earthquake. A commentator in the movie claimed that Ai WeiWei was doing a job that the government should be doing. A deadly earthquake collapsed many buildings including homes and schools. Thousands of children were killed and were left unrecognized. Ai WeiWei wasn’t going to let this go. He assembled a project, full of volunteers to help him search for the names of the children who were killed in the disaster. He placed every individual name on his wall. The project inspired him to create more pieces of art work to revolt against the Chinese government. Ai WeiWei was a fearless man. Ai WeiWei was very involved with social media. He used twitter to share to the world how corrupt China’s government was. He left China when he said â€Å"Fuck You Mother Land. † Cameras are sometimes forbidden in China. Ai WeiWei was assaulted by a police officer, but that did not stop him from taking pictures in front court houses or of an officer who was at the scene when he was attacked. Ai WeiWei created a wall full of back packs to make other individuals aware of the children that died in the earthquake. During the 2nd anniversary, Ai WeiWei asked his followers to pick a name and record it on tape and share it to the world. Ai WeiWei was sharing his experience in China of the corrupt government with thousands of people around the world. Ai WeiWei made people aware of what was going on in China. Ai WeiWei became well-known through his work of art. He expressed his ideas through his work. Not only did his art make him well-known, Ai WeiWei captured many supporters to revolt against the corrupt system. Ai WeiWei was a man with no selfishness. He looked out for others and he was always looking and searching for ideas that would help him and his followers. Ai WeiWei was not afraid of the consequences, as long as he knew it was for the good.

Sainsbury Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Sainsbury - Assignment Example J Sainsbury is not expected to distribute cash, pay dividend to shareholders or share repurchases over the next five years as it expects to expand its activities and invest in all positive net present value (NPV) projects by opening more shops in Moscow and its environs. One of the priorities will be, creating an online database for customer's interaction, queries, purchases and free-draw. Consequently, all profits will be re-invested into its expansion program (Opening of new stores, extending its product line) as well as any profitable venture that the company may come across supported by the shareholders. Based on feasibility studies, the partners, I have targeted the heart of Moscow, to be used as the country head office; hosting the first shop and serving as a warehousing, and dispatch unit for online purchases. This area is unique because of its accessibility to other cities, and European countries. The partners intend to use the London Olympic to promote some of their brand such as insurance and banking options, and to benefit from ancillary auxiliary activities and industry. Rent for the building stands at $100000 per annum for the first two years. Initial funding for the project is expected to be $1000,000. ... Initial funding for the project is expected to be $1000,000. Of this amount, the parent company will contribute40%, that is, $400,000 while local shareholding will contribute 30percent; a bank loan of $300,000 has been secured to cover the remaining 30% of the funding requirements. Sales for the first year are expected to amount to about $2000,000 and are expected to grow at an annual rate of 30%. Gross profit is expected to be $475,102 against which expenses for rents, depreciation of factory equipment, wages and salaries, overhead expenses and miscellaneous expenses will be charged. Expenses during the second, third, fourth and fifth year are expected to witness increases as the company plans to increase expenditure on advertising, research and development, staff, and office and factory equipment. More stores will be created within this period, to facilitate dispatch of goods and services. About 80% of sales will be generated online. To minimize theft, customer loyalty card will be provided, to facilitate online purchases. 1.0 Introduction Globalisation, the new information technology, and deregulation of financial markets has eased the provision and search of finance. Millions of shares are traded every day on the world's stock markets. (Penman, 2003). Investors who trade on these stocks are often forced to ask themselves whether they are buying or selling at the right price. (Penman, 2003). They often attempt to provide answers to these questions by turning to various media including internet chat rooms, printed press, "talking heads" on television and financial networks, who often voice opinions on what they feel the stock prices should be. (Penman, 2003). In addition, investors consult investment

Discussion Board 2 EDU 626 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Board 2 EDU 626 - Essay Example All the materials and physical objects that an instructor might use to deliver the information to the students or participants are called instructional media. Formally, it can be defined as "the physical means via which instruction is presented to the learners" (Reiser and Dempsey, 2007- pg 18). For instance usage of a text book, computer or even the in-class physical demonstration of an instructor can be labeled as an instructional medium. In any Instruction System Design (ISD), instructional media is used to make the audience understand the delivered material. It may be used to get the participant’s attention, to invoke the imagination of the students, to or to explain the explicit/implicit instructional goals. A research-based theory or a model is termed as Instruction System Design or Development (ISD). Such a model is designed after repeated experiments with different set of conditions (Merrill & Boutwell, 1973). It is important to note that each model is entirely dependa nt on its designer’s perceptions and ones understanding of the requirements for the instructional process. Once it is decided that an instructional medium is helpful in the process, there are number of factors to be considered before selecting a particular medium. Selection should be made after careful analysis of cost, availability, and the practical implementation of the entire course syllabus.

Mental Health and Mental Disorders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mental Health and Mental Disorders - Essay Example He worked out Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. This author stated that emotions derive from "an interaction between events in the environment and beliefs and expectations which we have". (qtd in Clark, p. 130) Sometimes these beliefs are so powerful that they affect person's emotional conditional. The purpose of emotive behaviour therapy is to make these emotions less powerful and not badly influence person's emotional condition. (Clark). According to the concepts of cognitive theory, specialists counseling in mental disorders, should focus on mental condition of the client and investigate his identity, rather than treat his physical body with the help of medicines that may have side effects. Another famous author who worked in the field of cognitive therapy was Aaron Beck. He worked out a special methodology and strategies to treat depression and anxiety that were based upon the conceptions of cognitive theory. Clients are to perform a dialogue within his inner world to define the patterns that are to be changed to improve client's condition. Treatment strategies worked by Beck help a client to find out depressive beliefs and change his way of thinking. The commentators describe the essence of Beck's approach as following: "According to Beck and Emery, the way we process information is governed by structures called schemata. These schemata are made up of rules for explaining incoming information, and for retrieving what we have already learned. They are capable of exerting powerful effects on how we experience and relate to the world. For example, the schemata of a person with a social phobia cause them to become anxious and avoidant by explaining incoming information a nd memories in terms of social threat. Treatment consists of correcting faulty or illogical thinking by repeatedly confronting cognitive schemata with discrepant information from role-playing and homework assignments." (Abela, p.117) Modern medicine includes treating depression and anxiety with psychotherapy or medications, or combining both these treatments. The experiments and researches show that a combination of these two methods is mostly effective, especially because antidepressants rarely result in dependence. Companies that produce medicine encourage doctors to prefer medical treatment to psychotherapy, but there are cases in which referring to a specialist in psychotherapy is necessary. In case the person takes antidepressants and this brings no results, a visit to professional in mental health may be more effective. (Clark) Cognitive theory and therapy based upon it provide for a theoretical basis allowing specialists better understand the reasons for anxiety and depression to appear, to treat them effectively. This theory is regarded as effective even in comparison with other popular theories. To better understand the impact of cognitive theory into modern psychotherapy it is necessary to observe its perspective on mental illnesses and anxiety in particular. According to the cognitive theory, the reasons for depression, anxiety and worries appear due to several reasons: Sometimes it is enough just to see a model of behavior to take it over, when a person expresses intense fears or nervous condition. Sensitive people often answer such behaviour the same way. Sometimes a person inadequately estimates the situation and interactions with people

Carrer alternatives analysis report Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Carrer alternatives analysis report - Case Study Example Job prospects 11 Salary 12 Actuarial profession 13 Job responsibilities of an Actuary 13 Working Conditions 14 Educational qualification 14 Licenses and other qualifications 15 Job prospects 15 Salary 16 Recommendations and Conclusion 16 References 18 Executive Summary The role and scope of a finance professional in the present economic conditions includes pricing of new products, price classification, forecasting challenges and issues in the operating environment, planning strategic moves, estimating the size and extent of loss distribution, establishing loss reserves, monitoring solvency, calculating premium levels, and assessing the credibility of projects and transactions. The existing business environment has presented the organizations with numerous complexities that act as constraints in implementing new policies and strategies while at the same time presenting increased opportunities to expand and grow. The exposure to risk has increased manifolds that require efficient model s for rating and assessing the feasibility of operations (beanactuary.com, 2009). The report provides an in-depth assessment of two career alternatives – Finance Controller and Actuaries. Introduction A career in finance and accounting is gaining popularity. In any company or an organization the study of the numbers or finance is the most crucial and important decision. This is used to gauge what and where the company is heading to. This guides the management to take further actions pertaining to the interest of the company. The study of the market, investment plans, investment brokers etc are some of the arrear which a person can opt for in the field of finance. The increasing range of products and services offered by financial services today and the growing complexity of the operating... According to the research findings the role and demand of the financial controllers and the actuaries is a continuous process. The job seekers are likely to face competition in the field of accounting. For the financial controller, the knowledge of finance, a complex financial instrument etc is a mandate and for the Actuarial a strong foundation in mathematics is essential. Both the roles are of utmost importance to a company or an organization. The difference is the nature of work. A financial controller is expected to regulate, guide the financial condition of an organization. An Actuarial helps the companies to develop health and long term insurance policies by their calculations and predictions. A Finance Controller will help the company by calculating and evaluating the numbers obtained and by predicting the performance based on these measurements. An Actuarial helps both the company and the consumer as it keeps a check on the number of the occurrence of a disease and helps the companies by calculating the premium based on which the company itself can survive even in any odd situation. The emerging times that are characterized by tough economic conditions and financial challenges will witness an increasing demand for actuaries. Monetary and fiscal policies are highly instrumental in regulating the country’s economy and creating market stability. The impact of these changes on the Actuarial profession is visible in the increasing demand for individual practitioners and consultants who can provide adequate support to organizations and managers in the decision making process.