Write About the Ways Hosseini Opens the Story in Chapter 1

Write about the ways Hosseini opens the story in chapter 1 Chapter 1 opens with a unknown first person narrative. We are not introduced to the narrator until the end of Chapter 2, Amir. The effects of this remaining unnamed makes us concentrate on what the narrator is introducing us to. He is the central character of this story is coloured by Amir's personal reactions and emotions. It opens with â€Å"I became what I am today† and ending with the same focus. The result of this referring back to the first line exposes a situation that has happened between the past and the present. It has changed him in a substantial way. Hosseini doesn't let us know what has made him his way but he alludes this with the imagery and brief information of the past of which Amir already foreshadows, building dramatic tension. Hosseini uses dates to open the story â€Å"December 2001† to locate the present as he immediately refers back to the past in flashbacks. We know this because he says â€Å"in the winter of 1975†. It's been twenty-six years since the event that he has been referring back to, so there has been time for Amir to think everything over. Hosseini uses pathetic fallacy to open the story â€Å"on a frigid overcast† which mirrors the mood of the character and the scene. The imagery of this helps us understand that something unpleasant has happened because of the weather is also unpleasant. Flashbacks mostly fill the whole story underlining that somewhere after the event, Amir already knows what has happened which he is telling us. In chapter 1, we are immediately pulled back to a more recent time â€Å"last summer† where he got a call from Rahim Khan from Pakistan. He knew it wasn't Rahim Khan but his â€Å"un-atoned sins† of his past. The call from the past makes it seems like something dead coming after him. In the first paragraph in chapter 1, the past is personified. Amir can â€Å"bury it† but it â€Å"claws it's way out† like the call, he can't hide from the past as it comes to haunt him. Hosseini uses personification to exaggerate the past of Amir that invokes imagery of something dead rising from it's grave. It also shows that Amir has been hiding from his past but on this very day, he can't really escape from it. Back into the present Amir takes a walk at the Northern edge Golden Gate park, San Francisco where he saw 2 blue kites which reminded him of Afghanistan, his past. The juxtaposition is clear here of USA and Afghanistan which are two very opposing countries. A city with a Golden Gate Bridge with miniature boats in the lake. At night, sparkling lights cover the bridge. Compared to the memories of Afghanistan now war torn, corrupt and run by the Taliban. Hosseini purposely displays this juxtaposition to reveal the massive differences between them. Hosseini introduces Hassan as â€Å"the harelipped kite runner† This identifies Hassan as the Kite Runner of the title showing the significance of this character against all the other characters been mentioned. He also mentions kites in the story reinforcing the Novel's Title; The Kite Runner. The effect of him seeing these kites is what triggers his memories of Afghanistan and Hassan. Hassan's voice is heard by Amir â€Å"For you, A thousand times over†. Hassan would do anything for Amir. Hosseini shows this to represent his kindness and how Amir feels about him, portraying comradeship. The language that Hosseini uses in chapter one is informal mimicking a real life person in the story. This is also a reflection of a biographical fictive story as the character is going through his life in flashbacks which are embedded for the stories to come. An after thought comes into Amir's mind from the phone call â€Å"There's a way to be good again† the phone call being displayed as the past that is claws it's way out and then the call saying there's a way to be good again makes us think of his sins he's left behind that needs to be atoned. It displays the narrator as guilty and sorry for his past. Also, it invokes the theme of this story of Redemption and something that revolves around his friend, Hassan. Hosseini writes chapter 1 short and brief but sets the scenes, dates and introduces characters. Also, addressing the massive themes played throughout of this story. Friendship and Redemption.

Peter Pan- Coming of Age

PETER PAN- COMING OF AGE Coming of age can be simplified as the stepping stones that path our way to adulthood and intellectual maturity. It is a period of change experienced by a young person when they face a new way of understanding and accepting new ideas and views. The time when this transition occurs is different in everyone. Certain individuals reach this stage through a tragic, painful event which affects them to such extent that they are completely changed. Other individuals reach this time by simply growing older and having a better understanding of the world around them. J.M Barrie’s Peter Pan is a touching portrayal of a young girl who grows up through various events. The main protagonist Wendy first encounters Peter in a nursery where she was brought up. Along with her two brothers, John and Michael went to the enchanted island Neverland which is the home to Peter. It is also there where Wendy encounters love for the first time, and is forced to reconcile the vario us facets of her emerging womanhood. Family relationships can influence the way we come of age quite drastically. In the Victorian era, parents believed in strict conformity in their children, to set them right from an early age. Forget them, Wendy. Forget them all. Come with me where you’ll never, never, never have to worry about grown up things again. † Quoted Peter. Repetition is used here to emphasise Peter’s desperate need of a mother. Wendy chose to go to Neverland with Peter not because of rebellion but she wished so much to become a mother to Peter, without even hesitating of leaving her parents behind. The way she thinks is a consequence of the education given to Victorian girls. To learn how to become good wives and good mothers. After a period of time in Neverland, Peter and the lost boys experiences what it’s like to have a mother.This turns out to be very significant, because after having a mum. All except Peter wants to come back to reality, to the stage where you grow up. Wendy also misses home and her parent’s love. Being the elder sister, she knows she has the responsibility, not only to take care of the boys but to realise that the most important thing in the real world is to have a mother. Decision making is a process both the lost boys and Wendy had to go through. Making the right decision to leave their childhood once and for all and take their first step into adulthood.The author describes Wendy’s thoughts and feelings throughout this decision making process. The internal view of the character enables us to relate to her and understand her better. The ‘window’ is symbolic in Barrie’s book. It was through this window that the dream of living in Neverland came true, as the fulfilment of an incredible adventure, and it was again through the same window that all adventure came to an end and the children came back home. The whole cycle of coming of age begins at the window and ends a t the window.Wendy finally understands the full meaning of looking at things from a different perspective; as they say â€Å"One never really knows a man until one stands in his shoes and walk around in them. † Just taking on the role of being a mother to Peter and the lost boys was enough. Coming of age is inevitable; it isn’t about choice or obligations. It is a process that we all must face at one stage or another. When one learns to put oneself in different perspective, one sheds the irresponsibility of childhood. It is then when one truly matures into a young adult from a child.

Herman Miller Inc Essay

From the headquarters of Herman Miller Inc. , Curt Pullen talks amid the unmistakable pounding sounds and commotion associated with a construction work site about his company’s plan to rebound from the recession. Pullen, the firm’s executive vice president and president of North America, says the workers are installing new lower-height Herman Miller workstations designed to accommodate a growing trend in offices toward more open, collaborative environments. The new product, called Canvas, is part of the company’s market-shift strategy after the demand for office furniture fell hard during the economic downturn. The plan also involves diversifying into the health care and academic furniture markets and more emphasis on emerging economies. The plan appears to be paying off. For the first time in nearly four years the company reported two consecutive quarters of double-digit percentage sales growth after releasing its second-quarter earnings statement on Dec 15th. Orders in the second quarter rose 34% to $462 million. CEO Brian Walker noted the company’s expanded market reach as a contributing factor to growth. Significant increases occurred in international markets where sales rose 33%. In 2010 the company acquired UK-based ergonomic workstation manufacturer Colebrook Bosson Saunders and purchased assets from Australian furniture maker Living Edge Group. In 2008, the company announced a partnership with China’s Posh Office Systems Ltd. to expand in the Asia-Pacific region. The company attributed a year-end surge to gains in its international, health care, learning and retail vertical markets. The expanding health care industry has become one of the company’s key growth targets. One of the more recent expansions into the health care field came on Jan. 31 when Herman Miller completed its acquisition of health care furniture manufacturer Nemschoff Chairs LLC based in Sheboygan, Wis. Herman Miller designed the Canvas workstation at a lower height than traditional workstations to facilitate a workplace trend toward more collaborative environments. The design also allows more light into work areas and saves space, the company says. Including sinks and headwalls, to be reconfigured to meet patient needs. 2. Business Strategy: Broad Differentiation Strategies This strategy pursues the buyer’s needs and preference to make them satisfied with the product. And to be different from other rivals, the product must have unique product attributes that a wide range of buyers find appealing and worth paying for. The strategy achieves its aim when an attractively large numbers of buyers find the customer buyer value proposition. Herman miller is pursuing this strategy as we refer to the case study that their products are based on the design which is designed according to the people who use the furniture. Like the president of Herman Miller said: ‘people are important not the furniture. Furniture should be useful’. Besides, this company emphasizes on product design and environmental friendly, these are two basic things that they have been practicing for many decades. Furthermore, they also invest more in research and development for product innovation. Take an example of office design product, Herman Miller’s Insight and Exploration team observed various workplaces to analyze how people collaborate and the ways in which their interactions vary over the course of a day, and throughout the life of a project by differentiating the subtleties of how, when, where, and why people connect independent of content or industry. Senior Researcher Shilpi Kumar notes that, â€Å"outlining these collaborative work behaviors will empower designers and decision makers with a greater understanding for how people really work, and will enable more informed choices in regards to office spaces. Herman Miller takes advantage of the growing desire for green products to create a better world and increase ergonomic furniture, because the consumers are willing to pay a premium for such quality and social responsible product. Since the designer of Herman Miller emphasized quality, excellence, and the continual improvement of their products, obviously one of their product which is designed by Charles and Ray Eames since its launch in 1950 had developed from plastic chair to wood chair in 2000. She also confirmed that this wood chair is 100 times recyclable since Herman Miller is concerned about environmental friendly, and Eames Molded Wood Side Chair earns â€Å"Gold† award at NeoCon 2013 in the Guest Seating category. 3. Functional strategy: Research and Development (R&D) This category focuses on strategy that is concerned with the actions in managing particular functions within a business especially in R&D. In terms of Herman Miller R&D, they invested in research and development (R&D) financially. Although there was downturn in financial, Herman Miller still invested tens of millions of dollars in R&D. The investment in R&D was code named Purple. A result of investment in R&D was an outgrowth of project Purple. The goal of this project was to spread beyond the boundaries of normal business. Herman miller created a special team called the accessories team in which the team-identified a potential growth area. This team is made to recruit people with different disciplines needed to support that goal. In addition, this team focuses on contributing ideas to the success of the team from all resources and also to develop a particular product as it goes through that piece of work. This project is in line with functional strategy of R&D in which a company’s product development represents the plan for keeping the company’s product in accordance with what buyers are looking for (Thompson et al, 2014). In the case of Herman Miller Inc, they began with research in every real design solution in which the exploitation and insights of the best research leads to human-centered design and problem solving. Herman Miller Inc is doing many things for R&D in the case of education, sustainability, performance, healthcare, manufacturing, architectures design and ergonomics. Herman Miller Inc has its major R&D activities and projects, i. e. its way to support and develop a company’s product. According to Herman Miller’s financial statement for fiscal years 2006-2011, there was a decline in design and research in 2009 due to the ongoing economic downturn. Figure 1. 1: Spending on Design and research So far, they have done some research projects regarding education such as; student’s research work behaviors behind innovation spaces. In the fall 2012, there was a project Herman Miller funded as a way of investing in the next generation of workers by giving students the chance to apply what hey learn in a real-world setting. Herman Miller wanted them to look at the business objective of the company. Besides Herman Miller providing the funds, the employees of the company also participated in the project. After the field research, the goal of this project was that the students shared what they had learned from going to the company for a workshop. The company also wanted to discover more about places that encourage creativity and the places of creative people. Besides Herman Miller providing the funds, the employee of the company also participated in the project. In regarding with the research in technology, the research starts by understanding which technological trends are creating new behaviors in the workplace. So from that, they can produce new design solution. Over the last three years, a group of designers, engineers, and researchers, the Insight Herman Miller and Exploration Team (I & E) has focused on emerging technologies and how they alter social behavior in the workplace. Herman Miller’s goal is to identify the technology trends that are relevant to the office and also understanding new behaviors that allow the designers, architects and manufacturers to bring new workplace design. For healthcare, Herman Miller Healthcare saw the opportunity to study and analyze by doing the research from the discussion of Bluewater health in which prior to design development and also the satisfaction and safety of patients and staff members. Herman Miller Healthcare is sponsoring a research project that will explore how changes in the built environment have affected staff in three important areas: Ambulatory Care, Intensive Care Unit and Emergency Department. 3 4. Functional Strategies: Marketing Marketing is one of the strategies used under functional strategy. First and foremost, Herman Miller products were sold internationally through wholly owned subsidiaries in countries including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Australia, Singapore, China, India, and the Netherlands. Hence, they use the international strategy to compete its products in each country. In other words, they use the foreign subsidiary strategies because it seemed that they prefer to have a direct control over all aspects of operating in a foreign country that is the reason why they established wholly owned subsidiaries. As a result, this strategy was successful as their brand was recognized by customers and increased customer base spreading over 100 countries. Moreover, they used green marketing strategy to sell their products. This is because they mainly focus on environmental friendly such as Mirra chair, one of their products which was made of 45 percent recycled materials, and 96 percent of its material were recyclable. Therefore, the chairs used 100 percent renewable energy. Due to this strategy used, Mirra chair was recorded as one of the Top 10 Green Products by Architectural Record and Environmental Building News. Hence, this can indicate the success of using this strategy. In addition, Herman Miller engaged in cooperating advertising with strategic partners. As the example of Hilton Garden Inns which they equipped the Mirra chair in some room and on the desk in the room, was a card that explain how to adjust the chair while also providing the advertisement of Herman Miller’s website, how to purchase the products. Likewise, this is one of the advertising used to promote their products by using the strategic partner. As a result, they can reduce the advertising cost and gain more brand awareness. . Operating Strategy: Lean Production Initially, at Spring Lake, Herman Miller had invested in a giant robot assembly that welded supports inside file cabinet housings, including a tractor-trailer-length automated welding line with 1,000 sensors to drive labor completely out of the process. Unfortunately, big customers like Hewlett-Packard and AT&T were pulling their orders of 100 instead of 500 and some wanted file cabinets in two weeks instead of six with much higher quality. The Spring Lake plant could not deliver, and certainly not for the lower prices customers demanded. 995, they adapted Toyota’s leading-edge formula for plant-floor management into an approach they called the Herman Miller Performance System (Booz&co. , 2010, para 20). Based on the above quote, it depicted that Herman Miller’s decision to employ Herman Miller Performance System (HMPS); lean production, was to maintain efficiencies and cost savings by minimizing the amount of inventory on hand through a just-in-time process. To ensure a fluid flow on the order – driven production, Herman Miller collaborated with reliable and strategic suppliers. HMPS created competitive advantage through large assembly – manufacturing based. For example, direct materials and components purchased as needed to meet the demand and some suppliers delivered parts to Herman Miller production facilities five or six times per day. This resulted in a standard lead time of 10 to 20 days for majority of the products and low inventories on hand. Interestingly, HMPS managed to increase the variable costs rather than fixed costs while retaining proprietary control over manufacturing process. It was reported that â€Å"the plant managers across Herman Miller have learned that the best-run plants rely on people, not machines. Only people can solve problems to make assembly lines go faster, run cheaper, and deliver higher quality† (Booz&co. , 2010, para 25). Therefore, it can be concluded that labor intensive approach tend to outperform machine intensive approach especially when the products demand further customization with limited time and the majority of industry products are built to each customer’s unique order. Question 2: Culture at HMI: healthy and largely supportive of good strategy execution. Herman Miller had codified its long-practiced organizational values, intended as a basic for uniting all employees, building relationship, and contributing to society. Herman Miller started in 1905 with the Star Furniture Company and created the Herman Miller furniture company with his son in law named Dirk Jan De Pree. From the beginning, De Pree committed himself to treating all workers as individuals with specials talents and potential. This was part of Herman Miller’s corporate culture which continued to generate respect for all employees and take advantage of the diversity of skills possessed by all. This is one of the functional strategies in corporate culture in Herman Miller Inc in which included the company’s approach to people management, procedures and operating practices that provide the guidelines for the behavior of the company. The impact of this culture became one of the competitive advantages that make strong management and employee satisfaction in the company. The business principles and ethical standard of Herman Miller are the management practices as the key of company’s culture. Herman Miller was one of the furniture company named to Fast Company’s â€Å"Most Innovative Companies† in both 2008 and 2010. Herman Miller had pursued a path of reinvention and renewal. Herman Miller has many ways to develop their products and its culture is also unique. Through the growing of the company, Herman Miller maintains the relationship with the employees. Herman Miller’s commitment to innovation included sharing ideas and opinions from the employees. On January 1979, Herman Miller established new organization structures that included all employees were to be given the opportunity to discuss new plan in small group settings. In addition, Herman Miller also established a plan in which all employees became shareholders. Herman Miller Inc. also focuses on more efficient and environmentally friendly by taking a major initiative in 1981. It is in line with a better world value which is pursuing sustainability and environmental policy. They established environmental quality action team whose goal was to coordinate environmental programs worldwide that involves many employees. A Herman Miller’s culture is grounded in and resides to certain core value and some sets for ethical behavior. Herman Miller had long practiced organizational values that were still used in 2012. The values are as basis for uniting all employees, building relationship, adapt the implied attitude, behaviors and work practices. The company adopted inclusiveness which means they include all the expressions of human talent and potential that society offers. As mentioned before, Herman Miller corporate culture continued to create respect to all employees and looking for and utilizing the skills possessed by anyone. The second value is design in which it is important to Herman Miller Inc. in order to make innovative products. It is the way for them for looking at the world and how it can work. The results of this value are Herman Miller established many innovative products and designs. In 1971 and 1984, they introduced products based on ergonomics principles such as the Ergon chair and Equa chair. For another groundbreaking design, it introduced the Aeron chair which was almost added to New York Museum of Modern Art’s permanent design collection in 1990. Other important values are based on Herman Miller’s best performance that focuses on enriching the lives of employees, customers and create value for the shareholders. The result of this value has made Herman Miller share the gains and pains with the employees especially about the compensation. All employees received a base pay and they also participated in a profit sharing program where they received stock in accordance to the company’s financial performance. The company also offered to the employees the employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), retirement income plan, offered annual bonus to all employees based on company’s performance, and in regard to profit sharing both the employees and executives have same calculation of bonus potential. High performance culture In Herman Miller Inc. there is a strong sense of involvement on the part of company personnel and emphasis on individual initiative and creativity. Two of the greatest strengths lie behind our heritage of research-driven design. Respecting and encouraging risks, exploring new ideas and freedom of speech. Owners actively committed to the life of the community called Herman Miller, pride in doing things right, sharing in its success and risks. The strengths and payoff really comes in when engaging in people’s own problems, solutions and behavior. Performance is required at the highest level possible. Herman Miller enriches employees’ lives, delight its customers, and create value for its shareholders. Herman Miller includes all the express human talent and potential, everyone should have a chance to realize his or her potential regardless of color, gender, age, sexual orientation. It believes that skill; different educational background could bring the company uniqueness. Adaptive Culture Herman Miller always keep innovating its products to serve their customers better. Herman Miller’s corporate culture, which continued to generate respect for all employees, had fueled the quest to tap the diversity of gifts and skill held by all. The company designs products according to what people want the most, and it is a way of looking at the world and how it works or does not. To design a solution, rather than simply devising one, required research, thought sometime starting over, listening and humility. Manager and employees support each other in dealing with working environment. Herman Miller designed the Canvas workstation, at a lower height than traditional workstations to facilitate a workplace trend toward more collaborative environments. The design also allows more light into work areas and saves space, the company says. Additionally, the company also keeps changing its production designs from time to time according to the needs of the people and follow ergonomic system. Herman Miller hired much expertise to design its furniture, and it is costly to spend on R;D but company the company was willing to take risks on new innovation. Financial performance Year 2008 2009 2010 2011 Revenue ($ millions) $ 2,012. 1 $1,630. 0 $1,318. 8 $1,649. 2 R;D to Sales Ratio R;D/Sale 51. 2 / 2,012. 1 = 2. 5 % 45. 7 / 1,630. 0 = 2. 8 % 40. 5 / 1,318. 8 = 3. 1 % 45. 8 / 1,649. 2 = 2. 8 % Table 2. : HMI’s Revenues and R;D to Sales ratio from 2008 to 2011 Figure 2. 1: Research and development (R;D) to Sales ratio from 2008 to 2011 The above graph shows the trend of R;D sales ratio which increases from year 2008 until 2010. However, it decreased slightly in 2011 due to low R;D investment because of recession. However, it is not clear whether measuring the R;D ratio is a good metric to represent its efficiency towards a company. This is because it takes into consideration the R;D expenses rather than R;D investment thus it is easy to manipulate the number by lowering the R;D expenditure. Even, in the balance sheet of Herman Miller, the R;D investment is not disclosed under assets. If R;D is capitalized as asset, then it depicts the efficiency of R;D towards business revenues. In brief, due to that constraint, we assume that at least the R;D sales ratio increases and contributes positively towards Herman Miller’s business structure as Herman Miller invests heavily in R;D to create the furniture. Figure 2. 2: HMI’s Revenues from 2008 to 2011 The above graph illustrates that the trend of sales revenue decreases from year 2008 until 2010. However, it started to increase in year 2011. Thus, in brief, Herman Miller is improving in their sales through investment in Research and Development and produces competitive design. Question 3: HMI’s Financial situation: prior years and its competitors 1. HMI’s financial situation In order to measure the financial performance of Herman Miller Inc, we have used different ratios, such as liquidity, profitability, leverage and activity ratios. Besides, we also compare the financial performance of HMI in relation to its competitors – HNI and Steelcase Inc from 2008 until 2012 based on the above mention ratios. For our case, we have used the current ratio to measure the extent to which the three companies (HMI, HNI and Steelcase) can meet their short term obligations as shown in the figure below. Figure 3. 1: HMI’s current ratio versus its competitors’ ratio The figure above shows the current ratios for the three manufacturers’ of office furniture and equipment for five consecutive years. In the case of Herman Miller Inc. , their current ratio showed some slight increase of about 1 percent from 2008 to 2009. However, a drop of about 21 percent was xperienced in 2010 but they were still able to maintain a current ratio of greater than 1. In the year 2011 and 2012, there had been a tremendous increase in their current ratio to 1. 76 and 1. 81 respectively. This current ratio of greater than 1 provides additional cushion against unforeseeable contingencies that may arise in the short term. In the case of HNI, their current ratio showed a moderate increase of about 7 percen t from 2008 to 2009. However, for the subsequent years, HNI experienced a decrease in their current ratio of approximately 10 percent from 2010 all the way to 2012. Nonetheless, they were able to maintain a current ratio of at least 1 to ensure that the value of their current assets covers at least the amount of their short term obligations. As for Steelcase, their current ratio showed a moderate increase of about 8 percent from 2008 to 2010. On the other hand, the company experienced a decrease of roughly 8 percent in the year 2011 but they were still able to maintain a current ratio of greater than 1. However, Steelcase managed to have an increase in their current ratio from 1. 37 in 2011 to 1. 52 in 2012. Overall, Herman Miller Inc. as shown a significant increasing trend in their current ratio as compared to the other two companies. This may suggest improved liquidity of the company or a more conservative approach to working capital management. ii. Profitability ratios: Profitability ratios measure management’s overall effectiveness as shown by the returns generated on sales and investment. There are a number of ratios under profitability but for our case, we have used the Return on Assets (ROA) to measure the after-tax profits per dollar of assets and Gross Profit Margin which measures the total margin available to cover operating expenses and yield a profit. These two ratios have been used to evaluate the three companies (HMI, HNI and Steelcase). Figure 3. 2. 1: HMI’s return on asset ratio versus its competitors’ ratio The figure above shows the Return on Assets for the three manufacturers’ of office furniture and equipment for five consecutive years. In the case of Herman Miller Inc. , there has been a decreasing trend of ROA in the year 2008 to 2010 from 19 percent to 4 percent respectively. This shows that the profitability of the company is deteriorating. Nevertheless, rom the year 2010 to the year 2012, the company has shown some slight increasing trend of ROA from 4 percent to 9 percent respectively. This indicates that the company’s profitability is quite improving over the years. When it comes to HNI, it has also shown a high decreasing trend of ROA in the year 2008 to 2011 from 5 percent to -0. 6 percent respectively. This shows that the profitability of the company is extremely deteriorating. However , in the year 2012, there was an increase of about 4 percent as compared to the previous year. The company was able to move from -0. 6 percent to 3. 8 percent. This signifies that the company’s profitability is slightly improving. Lastly for Steelcase, there has also been a high decreasing trend of ROA from the year 2008 to 2010 with about 6 percent and -0. 8 percent respectively. This shows that the profitability of the company is extremely deteriorating. However, there was a slight increasing trend of ROA in 2011 and 2012 of 1. 02 percent and 3. 33 percent respectively. This means that the company’s profitability is somewhat improving. Overall, Herman Miller Inc. has shown a considerable increasing trend in their ROA over the years as compared to the other two companies. This may imply effective use of assets and creation of high margins by the company as well as gauging how well the company uses its financing from borrowing and bonds. Figure 3. 2. 2: HMI’s gross profit ratio versus its competitors’ ratio The figure above shows the Gross Profit Margin for the three manufacturers’ of office furniture and equipment for five consecutive years. In the case of Herman Miller Inc. , there has been a slight decrease of the Gross Profit Margin in the year 2008 to 2009 from 34. 72 percent to 32. 37 percent respectively. However, from the year 2010 to the year 2012, the company has shown some slight increase in their Gross Profit Margin from 32. 49 percent to 34. 26 percent respectively. This indicates that the company can make a reasonable profit. For HNI, there has been an increasing trend of the Gross Profit Margin from the year 2008 to 2011 with about 33. 66 percent and 34. 6 percent respectively. However, in the year 2012, there was a slight decrease of about 1. 3 percent as compared to the previous year. The company’s Gross Profit Margin moved from 34. 86 percent to 34. 39 percent. This also signifies that the company can make a reasonable profit. Lastly for Steelcase, it has shown a slight decreasing trend of Gross Profit Margin from the year 2008 to 2010 with 32. 12 percent and 28. 35 percent respectively. However, there was a slight increasing trend of Gross Profit Margin in the subsequent years amounting to 29. 5 percent in 2012. This means that the company can still make a reasonable profit. Overall, HNI has shown a steady increasing trend in their Gross Profit Margin over the years as compared to the other two companies. This may indicate how efficiently the company is using its materials and labor in the production process and gives an indication of the pricing, cost structure, and production efficiency of the company. iii. Leverage ratios This ratio is used to determine the companies’ financing methods, or the ability to meet the obligations. There are many ratios to calculate leverage but the important factors include debt, interest expenses, equity and assets. In this section, we will examine two ratios which are debt to assets and debt to equity ratios. Figure 3. 3. 1: HMI’s debt to asset ratio versus its competitors’ ratio The debt to asset ratio gives us a quick measure of the amount of debt that the company has on its balance sheets compared to its assets. In general, the debt to asset ratio for Herman Miller fluctuated over the years as compared to its competitors – HNI and Steel case. In 2008, the debt to equity ratio for Herman Miller was above 80 percent and rose approximately to 100 percent in 2009, whereas this ratio was just about 61 percent and 57 percent for HNI and Steel case respectively in 2008; and about 58 percent in 2009 for both competitors. This indicated that almost 100 percent of Herman Miller’s assets were financed by debt or creditors which implied that the Company has high level of leverage and risk, while its competitors had roughly 50 percent of their assets financed by the owners. However, Herman Miller’s ratio significantly dropped in 2010 to about 40 percent which was below its competitors who almost maintained their position over the years. In 2012, 70 percent of Herman Miller’s assets were financed by debt. In general, although the company debt to assets ratio is still high in relation to its competitors, the financial performance of the company is improving after the financial crisis. However, the Company needs to further reduce the amount of debt resulting to the reduction of risk; this is because it may affect the company’s survival in the long-run. Figure 3. 3. 2: HMI’s debt to equity ratio versus its competitors’ ratio A debt-to-equity ratio measures the amount of debt a company uses to fund its business for every dollar of equity it has. In other words, it is a measure of a company’s ability to repay its obligations. Generally companies with less debt equity ratio are less risky than the companies with high ratios. As we can see from the graphs, Herman Miller Inc. has the highest ratio over the year in relation to the other companies. For instance, its ratio fluctuated significantly over the years which were at 32. 7 and 94. 91 in 2008 and 2009 respectively. This might be due to the effect of the financial crisis, which caused the company to increase its debt financing heavily. Also, this indicates that the company had substantial high amount of debt as compared to equity which can endanger the long term survival of the firm since the company may not be able to generate enough cash to satisfy its debt obl igations. Meanwhile, debt to equity ratio for HNI and Steel case was roughly lower than 2, which was acceptable for large public companies. For Herman Miller, however, this ratio sharply dropped over the next years to just about 8. 62 in 2010 and 2. 37 in 2012. In contrast, its competitors still can maintain their ratio below two over the next years. In order to improve this ratio, Herman Miller had sold its common stock and tried to lower the mount debt financing, this can be seen by the amount of long-term debt decreasing. This implies that the company’s financial performance has been improving after the financial crisis. In terms of leverage, overall, it can be said that the performance of the company has been improving over the years and regaining its position in the furniture market after the economic downturn. Although it may not do well as compared to its competitors in terms of financing the debt and equity, there is a sign of improvement and effort in positioning its self in the market industry in U. S. iv. Activity Ratios Figure 3. 4. 1: HMI’s Inventory turnover ratio versus its competitors’ ratio The inventory turnover is commonly used to measure the operational efficiency in managing its assets. Based on the figure 4. 1 illustrated above, in 2009, Herman Miller Inc. has the highest ratio compared to other years. This high ratio could indicate two conditions, such as; whether the company has strong sales during the year or it has an ineffective buying activity. However, it is perceived that the company did have strong sales proven from the lowest level of inventory and high sales revenue which are seen in the annual report during the year. While in 2010, Herman Miller Inc. ’s turnover ratio drops significantly compared to the other years. Its cost of sales for the year has the lowest and showed a decrement of 24% from previous year which simultaneously contribute to low ratio as well as indicating the lack of effectiveness particularly in turning its inventory into sales. One of the reasons is that it could be due to the recession which highly affected the company, and hence making them to reduce the cost of sales. However, Herman Miller Inc is getting better in turning its inventory into sales proven from the increment of its ratio by year. Additionally, compared to competitors, the position of the ratio shown for Herman Miller Inc. is located somewhat in the middle. Steelcase is somewhat faster in turning their inventory into sales compared to others. In contrast, HNI has the lowest rate. This proves that Steelcase is more effective in managing its operational assets. Figure 3. 4. 2: HMI’s Average collection period versus its competitors’ ratio Average collection period is the number of days it takes a company to collect its account receivables. As illustrated from the figure 4. 2 above, Herman Miller is getting better in obtaining its receivables shown by the average days taken which was from 58 days in 2008 and 34 days in 2012. This demonstrates that Herman miller Inc. onstantly improve its credit policy effectiveness confirmed by a dramatic slump by years. Comparing to other competitors, originally HNI was the most effective company in managing its credit term policy, as the company only took 38 days in collecting its account receivables compared to Steelcase or Herman Miller. However, the company ended up to be the highest rate at 2012 showing that it is not effective in evaluating company’s credit policy. As a result, when a company possesses a lower average collection period, it is seen as optimal as it indicates that the company does not take very long to turn its receivables into cash. . HMI’s current strategies: an issues of need to change its strategies during poor economic conditions The current Herman Miller strategy which focuses on growth strategy, through innovative products and related diversification made the company to survive the Great Depression early in its history, multiple recessions in 20th century and in early 21st century the company recovered from the dot-com bust and was able to continue expanding overseas. The furniture industry is an economically volatile industry. The office furniture segment of the industry was hit hard by the recession. Industry sales decreased 26. 5 percent during the 2009 economic downturn. However, because of the innovative and diversification, Herman Miller was able to outperform its competitors in terms of sales and profitability, during that time Herman Mill’s sales dropped by 19% which is relatively low in comparison with its competitors HNI Corporation and Steelcase which had dropped by 33 percent and 28% respectively. The furniture industry is at its maturity stage, thus Innovation is crucial to the company’s survival. If Herman Miller continues to successfully innovate, it will enable them to compete in the market strongly. The industry had been negatively impacted telecommunication which had reduced the need office furniture. Yet, more employees were spending more hours in front of the computer screens than ever before. Because of Herman Miller’s effective innovation, they were able to respond to the need of ergonomically correct office furniture that had helped to decrease fatigue and injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome. In summary, the company does not need to radically alter its main strategy which focuses more on innovation and diversification as it’s the reason they were not dramatically hit by recessions and competitions among the rivals. 3. Recommendation: i. Reduced current benefit and incentive schemes There are several incentives that had been eliminated by Herman Miller’s management due to the economic downturn in 2009. The suspend of 401(k) contribution plans (saving contribution plan), cut-off 15 percent of current workforce and 10 percent reduction in salary for remaining workforce had been implemented during the crisis. However the pay cuts was discontinued because of Herman Miller’s quick turnaround. The company was stable starting the year 2011, but the selling, general, and administrative were the highest contribution of the operating expenses. Specifically, â€Å"†¦$3. million and $16. 6 million of additional operating expenses during fiscal 2011 due to the reinstatement of all of our employee benefits and employee incentive expenses† (Herman Miller’s Annual Report, 2011). The company believed that the large benefit and incentives had created motivated and skilful employees which are the key of its competitive advantage. Even though the company has increased in sales as compared to the year 2010, it is important to cut the costs by eliminating some of the less important incentives schemes and benefits such as $100 rebate on a bike purchase, concierge services and one-site services to name a few. Previously, the company had eliminated the 401(k) contribution plan so that they could stop providing some percentage on the employees’ contribution. It is crucial since it could allow the company to save a significant amount of money in the long run (Richardson, 2009). It can be done by communicating the problems and issues which need to be addressed to the staff before they get out of hand. Address the problems proportionately and regular communication could make the staff be aware on their role to support the company throughout the economy downturn. By having it, the staff might accept the decision positively and provide effort to help the company to fully recover after the recession (‘Recession Business Cost Cutting†, 2013). ii. Reduction in company’s cost of sales According to Herman Miller’s Annual Report (2011), the increase in cost of sales for the year 2011 was due to the increase in sales volume that was driven primarily by cost leverage on higher production, which was partially offset by deeper discounting, higher employee benefit and incentive costs, and higher costs of key direct materials, most notably steel and steel components. Besides that, the cost of direct material increased as compared to previous years which there was increase in the cost of commodities and the increase in discounting, which has the effect of reducing net sales The costs of certain manufacturing materials used in producing finished products are sensitive to the volatility of commodity market price. The cost of direct labor and overhead were increased due to increase in product volume while the cost of freight expenses had increased during the year because of increase in product volume as well as increase in fuel costs in 2011. First recommendation to cut the cost of sales in terms of direct material is substituting lower cost material where possible to replace the expensive one and each angle should be considered for better decision. For example, the substitution of carbon steel to replace expensive stainless steel could reduce the cost but the corrosion protection might not last longer. This method should be applied if only the benefit from the substitution is higher than the cost of reduction in quality (Lewis, n. d. ). Second recommendation is by eliminating unnecessary product features to reduce cost. The company should produce a product that really suits customers’ preferences in buying their products. For example, the company should identify whether customers are purchasing its products because of their unique looks, lower price or high quality. If customers buy the products because of their lower price, unique features may not be needed (Lewis, n. d. ). Third recommendation which is the most effective one is by hedging the price of the steel through futures contract. According to Herman Miller’s Annual Report (2011): The company believes market prices for commodities in the near term may move higher and acknowledges that over time increases on its key direct materials and assembly components are likely. Consequently, it views the prospect of such increases as an outlook risk to the business† (p. 34). By locking the price in the contract, it could eliminate any risk of price volatility (â€Å"Hedging in Practice†, 2013). For example, if there is a huge possibility that the price of steel will increase in a certain period of time. Due to that, the company will engage in future contract and lock-in the price for a specific period in the future. Regardless of increase in steel price, the company is eligible to buy the commodity at a lower lock-in price as stated in the agreed future contract. Conclusion Herman Miller Inc. has implemented different strategies in order to improve its performance and expand its self in furniture market, such as diversified strategy, broad differentiation strategy, green marketing, product development and innovation. In addition, besides focusing on those strategies to achieve the business goals, the company also concerns about how it communicates and treat its employees. â€Å"All workers as individuals ith special talents and potential† can be considered as one of the healthy culture at Herman Miller since 1927 and the Company continued to generate respect for all employees and fueled the quest to tap diversity of gifts and skills held by all. According to one of the verse in chapter 42 of the Qur’an: â€Å"Those who hearken to their Lord, and establish regular Prayer; who (cond uct) their affairs by mutual Consultation; who spend out of what We bestow on them for Sustenance† (Quran 42:38) The verse above explains the importance of mutual consent in making a decision. Islam encourages Muslims to decide their affairs by consulting with those who will be affected by the decision. Thus, in the case of Herman Miller, it empowers its employees and nurture participative decision making so that the employees feel as part of the company. Surviving in matured furniture industry and the economic volatility such as recession, demand full cooperation from the whole organization. It is not easy to integrate the diverse nature of employees with different backgrounds and behaviors to achieve goal congruence. Thus, Herman Miller’s healthy culture leads to its employee’s readiness to accept any relevant decision by Herman Miller such as cutting their salaries as the employees work with Herman Miller and not just work for it. Furthermore, in term of design value, the designer team of Herman Miller always emphasized on quality, excellence, and the continual improvement of their products. â€Å"At Herman Miller the products we made decade ago are still sold after today, and products we make today we will do for a decade to come. † All in all, Herman Miller should pursue its current strategies and continue to expand those strategies such as product innovation, diversification and so on. We believe that these strategies have made and will make Herman Miller one of an outstanding and award winning Company. They will continue to provide the Company with the ability to renew and reinvent itself in the furniture market and outperform its rivals in the future. From the explanation above, it gives us a broad view of how the company’s long-term strategy and objective affects all their business: from product design to decision-making process to the culture of the Company.

Supply Chain Management of Lowe's Home Improvement Stores Research Paper

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Socialization - Essay Example The U.S. has, in the space of five years, become a nation that ignores the very precepts of its founding and international law as well. Young persons that do not fully understand what freedoms they are losing and what this country originally stood for will believe that this type of activity by the government is considered acceptable. That is a frightening prospect as their generation will be more willing to continue the present trend of giving away freedoms for the sake of security until they no longer enjoy the freedoms that their forefathers intended for them and their fathers and grandfathers fought and gave their lives for. In addition, young persons in the U.S. will never have the pride in their country as did their fore-bearers because the country has lost its respect throughout the world and rightfully so. President George Bush characterized the ‘War on Terrorism’ as a prolonged battle against those that would employ terrorist actions along with the nations that enabled them. In addition, the U.S. Congress gave formal authorization to the president on September 18, 2001 to â€Å"use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons† (U.S. Code Collection, 2002). The ultimate culmination of the rhetoric and selective legal reasoning regarding the ‘War on Terror’ was Bush’s order of the U.S. military to invade both Iraq and Afghanistan, an illegal act on many fronts. According to the United States Constitution Article One, Section Eight, only Congress has the exclusive authority to declare war. Presidents do not have this authority (U.S. Constitution). However,

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Family Counseling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

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Types of Matrimonial Regimes in Quebec Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Eternal Light Essay Example for Free

Eternal Light Essay Another â€Å"wayfarer† is Victor Frankenstein, who is striving for â€Å"eternal light,† but in another aspect. He is the â€Å"Modern Prometheus,† longing to â€Å"pour a torrent of light into our dark world,† while creating a human being – a deed, which is intrinsic to God (26). His creation is the third participant in the â€Å"journey† to â€Å"eternal light. † He is unnamed, or more often called the creature, the monster, the wretch, or the one with â€Å"unearthly ugliness† (55). Victor’s creation also dreams for â€Å"eternal light† in the meaning of pure love or happiness, but he is compelled to follow the contrary direction – to â€Å"darkness and distance† (134). 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I had begun life with benevolent intentions, and thirsted for the moment when I should put them in practice, and make myself useful to my fellow-beings† (50). Moreover, as Prometheus, he gives the world â€Å"a spark of being† (28). Furnishing the world with such extreme power Frankenstein should take the responsibility of creator and help his gift be useful not destructive. However he mishandles it. When he is fifteen, he witnesses â€Å"a most violent and terrible thunderstorm,† which â€Å"utterly destroys† an â€Å"old and beautiful oak† (18). This event could be interpreted as an allusion to how pestilential this â€Å"spark of being† could be. As Miglena Nikolchina contends, the â€Å"serious ailment† is â€Å"in the man alone, undertaking the ‘godlike’ function to be a creator, but in many respects immature for it† (57). The concrete reason for the creature being â€Å"spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on† is his physical ugliness (133). Why Frankenstein’s creation is ugly? According to Cvetan Stoyanov, â€Å"Ugliness is in fact alienation, drifting away from the vital principle – organic could not be ugly, transgressing and killing it is ugly† (206). Something, often cited in connection to Shelley’s work is a sentence in which the perfect artist is described as a morally perfect man, as a â€Å"second creator, faultless Prometheus under the sky of Jupiter† (Shaftsbury 207). In this respect Miglena Nikolchina considers Frankenstein as an untalented artist, because he is not â€Å"morally perfect† and shows this as a reason for the monster’s ugliness. She claims that the Frankenstein’s morality is not one of a creator, but one of an ordinary man. â€Å"Frankenstein has not even fancied that love – namely love and only love his creation wants – is the first characteristic of creator. † â€Å"Ugliness turns out the sign, left behind by the creator who infuses life, but does not manage to come to love it and thus calls forth death, for it is not possible the fated for living to be made without love, and has no vitality what is deprived of the mercy to be loved† (Nikolchina 79-82). Victor’s blindness about the monster’s innocent nature is more harmful than the physical blindness. The blind De Lacey is the only man who perceives the monsters good resolutions. About the structure of the novel Nikolchina offers an interesting definition. It is â€Å"constructed as if of concentric circles of ice. The sailing to the North Pole is the outer circle, which serve as a frame of Frankenstein’s story. The conversation between the monster and Frankenstein among the sea of ice near Chamounix is the frame of the monster’s story, which is the core of the novel† (Nikolchina 86). The central part of his story is when after burning down the cottage of De Lacey he wonders: â€Å"And now, with the world before me, whither should I bend my steps? (80). Hereafter he starts hunting for his creator and begins alienating from his natural innocence. The creature wends his way toward â€Å"darkness and distance. † The changing nature corroborates his moral collapse: â€Å"I travelled only at night, fearful of encountering the visage of a human being. Nature decayed around me, and the sun became heatless; rain and snow poured around me; mighty rivers were frozen; the surface of the earth was hard, and chill, and bare, and I found no shelter† (81). â€Å"Advancing into experience,† Miglena Nikolchina explains, â€Å"is entering into a core of cold as well† (87). She suggests two aspects in analysing the role of ice. First it could be seen as â€Å"a supreme, unapproachable, unsusceptible to changes reality. It elevates Frankenstein ‘from all littleness of feeling,’ it fills him with ‘a sublime ecstasy that gives wings to the soul, and allows it to soar from the obscure world to light and joy’† (Nikolchina 87). Such an eternal and infinite is the picture before Robert Walton too: â€Å"†¦the region of beauty and delight. †¦the sun is for ever visible; its broad disk just skirting the horizon, and diffusing a perpetual splendour. The explorer’s hopes are so great that they turn out fantasies – he imagines an absolutely unreal North Pole: â€Å"†¦there snow and frost are banished; and, sailing over a calm sea, we may be wafted to a land surpassing in wonders and in beauty every region hitherto discovered on the habitable globe† (2). The Modern Prometheus chooses the â€Å"wi ld and mysterious regions† to â€Å"the tamer scenes of nature† (11). He goes beyond the potentialities of ordinary people, however, aiming not at admiring of the Great Nature, but at gaining the divine secrets. While Elizabeth contemplates â€Å"with a serious and satisfied spirit the magnificent appearances of things,† Victor delights â€Å"in investigating their causes. † Elizabeth follows â€Å"the aerial creations of the poets† and â€Å"in the majestic and wondrous scenes† she finds â€Å"ample scope for admiration and delight,† while Victor is â€Å"capable of a more intense application,† and is â€Å"more deeply smitten with the thirst for knowledge† (15). He elevates his intellect, but not his soul. He does not realize that new born (for his creation emerges in a completely unfamiliar world) needs love and attendance. Striving to eternal light,† he encounters â€Å"impenetrable darkness. † Night is closing around,† †dark are the mountains,† â€Å"heavens are clouded† (40-41). The â€Å"spark of being† turns out a hideous abortion. â€Å"Thick mists hide the summits of the mountains† (54). Frankenstein falls into â€Å"deep, dark, deathlike solitude† (50). Suffering â€Å"the eternal twinkling of the stars weighed upon him,† instead of delighting â€Å"eternal light,† he exclaims: â€Å"Oh! stars, and clouds, and winds, ye are all about to mock me: if ye really pity me, crush sensation and memory; let me become as nought; but if not, depart, depart, and leave me in darkness† (87). The magnificent scenes give way to appalling â€Å"dusky plain† (124). The other aspect of the ice, according Nikolchina, is â€Å"something barren and lifeless; like a power, which is hostile to life; like muteness† (88). Longing revenge, Victor departs from land and â€Å"pursues his journey across the sea in a direction that leads to no land,† â€Å"†¦the snows thicken and the cold increases in a degree almost too severe to support†¦ The rivers were covered with ice and no fish could be procured† (123). The nature seems to be inspirited and acts against Frankenstein: â€Å"Immense and rugged mountains of ice often barred up my passage, and I often heard the thunder of the ground sea which threatened my destruction† (124). It seems he has stepped on some unseen border that can not be crossed. â€Å"When he appears almost within grasp of his foe, his hopes are suddenly extinguished, [ ]. The wind arises; the sea roars; and, as with the mighty shock of an earthquake, it splits and cracks with a tremendous and overwhelming sound. The work is soon finished: in a few minutes a tumultuous sea rolls between him and his enemy, and he is left drifting on a scattered piece of ice, that is continually lessening, and thus preparing for him a hideous death† (124). â€Å"Walton is also surrounded by mountains of ice which admit of no escape and threaten every moment to crush his vessel† (127). The situation with the â€Å"unearthly† creature is however different. The stream of his spiritual development is contrary to the ones of Frankenstein and Walton. Through the epithet â€Å"unearthly† Shelley differentiates him from mankind. While Walton and Victor aim â€Å"wild and mysterious regions,† the creature seeks an intimacy with common world. The monster is â€Å"immaculate in a quite literal meaning – he is empty, tabula rasa† (Nikolchina 72). Every scene and every feeling he touches to are admirable for him. Everything is for the first time. He is a child. The monster meets the civilization, for the first, through the agency of fire, which is an allusion to a new Promethean deed. However he encounters some strangers’ fire. The â€Å"new born† learns everything from the outside world, from accidental circumstances. There is no one to guide him, no one to show him what is worth learning. According to A. A. Belskee, Shelley displays â€Å"the destructiveness of individualism, the tragedy of compulsory desolation, the intangibility of happiness without associating with others† (Belskee 303). Every approach to human society brings a lot of suffering to the creature, notwithstanding he sees â€Å"the future gilded by bright rays of hope and anticipations of joy† (65). Despondently speaking to Walton he describes himself as â€Å"the miserable and the abandoned, [†¦] an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on† (133). The only possible interrelation with the surrounding world is violence. His crimes are a natural reaction, a rebel against the complete solitude. Otherwise the monster â€Å"could not conceive how one man could go forth to murder his fellow, [†¦] when I heard details of vice and bloodshed, my wonder ceased, and I turned away with disgust and loathing† (68). He clearly declares: â€Å"I was the slave, not the master, of an impulse which I detested, yet could not disobey† (132). The wretched interprets his lot as worse than Satan’s from Milton’s Paradise Lost, for â€Å"Satan had his companions, fellow-devils, to admire and encourage him; but I am solitary and abhorred† (74). He is the only one of the tree, the only one in the world, who completely rejects society with its gall, the only one who crosses the â€Å"border,† laid by society, and fades in â€Å"no land. † He fades for there will be no one to see him. The â€Å"eternal frosts† have frozen all the hatred into his â€Å"ice-raft† and he is â€Å"soon borne away by the waves and lost in darkness and distance† (143). The hopes of â€Å"poor† Frankenstein also fade with his death. He remains at the icy border, between â€Å"eternal light† and â€Å"darkness and distance. † The only thing he succeeds in is revealing these two possibilities for the future human nature: â€Å"Seek happiness in tranquillity and avoid ambition, even if it be only the apparently innocent one of distinguishing yourself in science and discoveries. Yet why do I say this? I have myself been blasted in these hopes, yet another may succeed.

Access To Prisoner Education And Correctional Education

Access To Prisoner Education And Correctional Education Prisoners receiving an education will always be opposed by some people. Most prisons offer inmates the opportunity to pursue educational courses, including basic adult education, secondary education, college courses, special education, vocational training, and study release programs. Such programs teach inmates new skills and equip them for life when they complete their sentence. Today, over ninety percent of the federal and state prisons offer some form of educational program to inmates. Prisoners obtaining an education while incarcerated should not be an option, it should be mandatory. Some of the prison population would not be in prison, if they received proper support early in life. Over half of the prison populations have a reading and writing skill level at or below an eleven year old child. With proper education support, a portion of the prison community would never return to prison. they are still human beings that need a purpose to their lives in order to be productive people is the single most effective tool for reducing recidivism. Mandating correctional education would make it much easier for a parolee to find and hold a decent job, and unlike drug users or any other addition, there are no relapses for those who escape illiteracy. In 1991, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act was created by an Office of Correctional Education. This act was intended to increase the quality of education in the United States prisons. In 1994, Congress passed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act which would make convicted felonies ineligible for the Pell grants. The studies showed that for every dollar spend on education, two dollars that would cover the cost of re-incarceration are saved. The societys welfare is positively impacted when inmates acquire education. Misconduct is also effectively reduced by these programs because emphasis on personal responsibility, respect and tolerance of others are being taught. The Inmate Education enables inmates to acquire pro-social values and life skills. The Department of Education study on prison education is significant because it quantified the reduce in recidivism among inmates due to attending classes or training while in prison. Read more at Suite101: Education in Prison: Benefits of Inmate Education Program http://www.suite101.com/content/education-in-prison-a94395#ixzz0zgMpxRoz States budget cuts have taken away educational opportunities in prisons. Teachers were laid off. College correspondence courses and vocational trainings have been cut drastically. All of these changes signify fewer opportunities for inmates to educate themselves and become more productive citizens when released back into society. A big reason why the current budget crisis in California exists is because of the numerous prisons that were built and then filled to overcapacity. That resulted in having to pay for more correctional officers salaries, more food, more clothing, and more medical attention for inmates. Prisons then wouldnt be so overcrowded. When inmates leave prison with a G.E.D., college degree, or vocational training skills, they have a better chance at making it in society. the progress we made in education to convince the parole board when it came time for release. Without schooling, this opportunity to show our aspiration and tenacity through education has been taken fr om us. When you release people from prison who didnt get the opportunity to further their skill set or education, youre sending people home to where they were before coming into prison. If the public doesnt take note of the fact that the success of inmates in prison will eventually help our society and communities in the long run, it shouldnt expect the crime rate or the amount of money they pay in taxes for housing prisoners to go down If a prisoner received an education while incarcerated, the prisoner has something to offer society. If the prisoner has nothing to offer, it is most likely that the person will end up in jail. prisoners are mandated to being educated while in prison, once released they can find employment and have a home. The crime rate will decrease as a whole. Most people feel they have no other choice in life, but to become criminals. Although it is in fact prison, the treatment they receive is nothing short of easy. With free meals, free exercise equipment, free religious services, free counseling, and free college education, prison seems ideal. Some argue that privileges offered in county prisons are too abundant and defeat the purpose of serving ones actual sentence, while members of the opposite belief say that these offerings are needed to keep the inmates sane. Education does change minds, teaches people how to think better, [and] how to find alternatives to the way they used to do things, said Stephen Steurer, executive director of the Correctional Education Association. The main argument erupting in the minds of American citizens today, however, is: should inmates receive a free college education? The opinion can go either way. For some, they feel free college education is a privilege taken way too lightly by the inmates who are receiving it. Hard-working American citizens fight everyday to be their best, striving to succeed as far as they can. Why is it fair that inmates, citizens who have committed crimes, are able to receive a college education for free? Inmates who have caused their families and communities harm are being given an education that they most likely take for granted. If one is in prison, chances that they are aiming to better their education while serving their time are slim. If a murderer is convicted, does society really believe that their first thought when they arrive at their vacant jail cell will be when does school start? No. Counseling and help is what they really need. If somebody is creating chaos and destruction, an education should not be their first priority to making things better. Those who have chosen to commit a crime have chosen to limit their opportunities and freedoms. Providing inmates with a college education also means that tax payer money is going to said programs. Why should innocent, law-abiding citizens be forced to pay for those who have done wrong? The professors and instructors employed at prisons are taking time out of their schedules to provide for those who have done wrong. These people are taking a risk and could be caught in serious danger if the students are not watched carefully. The information and knowledge that they gain could also be used negatively. If one is in prison because of a crime that involved deep knowledge and planning, providing them with an education may only better their success rate if they choose to again commit a crime. Another topic of concern; why should death row inmates or felons who have received a life sentence be given free education? Death row inmates can take some classes, although they are not allowed to leave their cells. A teacher delivers instruction to the prisoner through the bars. They will not be able to use the knowledge they gain because they will always be in jail. So whats the point? Many continue to ask; should repeat offenders still receive a free college education? Obviously they have been given a second chance to better their lives and make things right again, but they still continue to make mistakes. Why do these felons deserve this right, when law-abiding citizens still must pay the fee for higher education? From the other end of the spectrum, however, many will argue that education in prison is what inmates need to keep them sane and alive. Providing them with an education will offer the knowledge that they can have a successful life after prison. Some believe that what inmates are taught in jail should be based on a personal level and that the curriculum should focus on individual effort. On March 14, 2006, a group of educators began their work at a local prison in Worcester, Mass. The experience they gained not only gave them a great sense of self accomplishment, but allowed them to learn along with their students. They know how to translate educere, which in this context means enlightenment or to enlighten, into a meaningful practice and thus transform education into practical knowledge, the kind that leads not only to a better job but also to a more meaningful and creative life. Its rejuvenating, said Antonio Rivera, 23, of the Cheshire Correctional Institution, who is less than halfway through a 12-year sentence for drug dealing. Another example of schooling in prisons occurs in Hagerstown, Maryland. The prisoners, who are held at the Maryland Correctional Training Center, a medium-security facility, recently earned their Master of Theology Studies degrees through the Prison-to-Pulpit program from Covenant Theological Seminary of Tallahassee, FL, a training school that has a Maryland branch. Personally, I believe inmates should not receive free college education while incarcerated. They have obviously committed a crime or a series of crimes, and need to be punished for their actions. While some argue that serving hard time is enough punishment, I believe that, as a prisoner, they have lost every right as a free man. If the education they were receiving was not at a collegiate level and had volunteers providing the material, it would be different. But for them to receive free college education is ridiculous. Students work hard to gain a college education, and it is not fair that one receives it for free, especially if they do not truly want it or appreciate it. People today argue about the temptations that society must face and overcome. In these hard times, it is tough to be a well-rounded individual. Obviously, there is no excuse for committing a crime, but there has to be somebody to blame. I truly do not understand why these criminals are given the education that hard-working men and women must compete for. The issue of inmates receiving free college education is a touchy subject that has obviously stirred controversy. American citizens are free to believe what they feel and, as a strong-minded country, it would be difficult to change their opinions Whether you are for or against inmates receiving free college education while incarcerated, one is entitled to their own opinion. In the words of Voltaire: I may not agree with the words you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. I completely disagree with you. The American justice system is supposed to focus on rehabilitation and not be a penal system. I DO think there must be more therapy in prisons, but I also think there must be an opportunity to get an education or else you are setting these offenders up to fail when they are released from prison. As most individuals know, you must have a college degree to get anywhere in America these days. If offenders are released from prison and try to find a job with their criminal history, lack of recent experience, and no education they are not very likely to find a decent job, that is if they find a job at all. They leave the prison with nothing, you have to give them the foot hold of an education if they want it. Chuck on March 26th, 2010 11:07 am http://www.mhsroundtable.com/wp-includes/images/blank.gifAngie, There are good people who havent ever been arrested who cant afford to go to college, why should inmates get something law abiding people dont [for free]? Law abiding citizens shouldnt even get a free ride to college from the government anyway. You have to think things through logically and dont base your decisions off of your emotions. This is a good article. julian on April 6th, 2010 8:59 pm http://www.mhsroundtable.com/wp-includes/images/blank.gif chuck, I disagree with you. To say it isnt fair is based on emotion. Logically, if inmates do earn a college degree, it helps us benefit in the long run, because we wont have to spend more money sending them back to prison. Second they will also help by paying taxes. Chuck on April 8th, 2010 11:09 am http://www.mhsroundtable.com/wp-includes/images/blank.gif Im sorry Julian, youre wrong. First off, I never used the word fair, so if youre referring to me, youre misquoting. Anyway, my comment is completely logicalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ people shouldnt be rewarded for a crime, therefore, people in prison shouldnt get free education. Logically, if inmates do earn a college degree, it helps us benefit in the long run, because we wont have to spend more money sending them back to prison. Second they will also help by paying taxes. This isnt logical, its not logical to assume a convicted criminal will automatically become a normal citizen. About 62% of people arrested will be arrested again. So you really believe that as soon as they get an education their ways will change? But again, you shouldnt be rewarded for committing a crime. barney on April 9th, 2010 11:18 am http://www.mhsroundtable.com/wp-includes/images/blank.gif I dont really agree with this article. Its based to much on the naive stereotypes of prison. Stereotypes such as every man in prison is guilty, they get everything for free, ect.. First off, educating criminals is probably more beneficial to the safety of them and others, making them educated is better than leaving them as violent apes. Lets say a man who has been in prison twenty years has just been released. He has nothing. No money. No friends, nowhere to live. Hell end back up in jail in less than 2 years. Give him an education, maybe it wont end up like that. Not every man in prison is guilty, thats just a sad fact. The justice system is not perfect and never can be. So unless you have been in those shoes, you could not possibly understand how important thing like an education can become to a man. Also, to be fair, if an inmate doesnt want an education, i dont think they would force it upon them. It is probably only going to be given to those who want it. TONY on April 13th, 2010 11:13 am http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/42b0a9829ced240740cbe3105a4e5ec8?s=70d=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mhsroundtable.com%2Fwp-includes%2Fimages%2Fblank.gifr=G To all who read this article, I am the reason that the masters of theology program that came to MCTC in Hagerstown MD . I am a former armed robber and I never believed I deserved anything free. As a matter of fact I am grateful that I live in a time of mercy, Had it been 2000 years ago, I would have been on that roman cross myself, even 100 years ago I would have been hanged so, I can express with certainty ,as a former inmate, and now living a productive, taxpaying life with a wife and 2 kids and a member of my Church for many years now, that I never felt I deserved anything but punishment. And to the saying there are innocents in prison I didnt run into anyone trying to say that but to mention in one case a guy said he was innocent of the crime he was serving time for but guilty for others he didnt serve time for. To get back on my point, the program was started because God had put in my Heart to first , help converted Christians that were guilty felons to be able to defend their F aith against Islam and its recruiting of inmates, nationwide problem by The way, and 2 when they went back to their communities they would be a force for good and change their communities( In Baltimore city 8 out of 10 black men go to jail once in their life). Now, that being said Covenant theological seminary of Tallahassee is NOT FREE! We held Golf tournament fundraisers and also require inmates to pay (inmates make about 28 dollars a month from duties inside prison) so they feel invested and are less likely to drop out . Also this inhibits lazy inmates from undertaking something because its free then realizing its hard work to get that degree. The reason felons go back to jail is they have no credentials for a job, we wanted them to have some so they can take their place as ministers and pastors in a Church community that has mostly women in these positions(most black men in Baltimore city are in jail). I hope Kara reads this and hears that I do believe that when I committed my c rimes I deserved to lose every right as a free man. I deserved it then, I live with it now. I cant vote, I cant own a gun, I cant get a good govt job. Im a carpenter, I make poverty level wages. And I am grateful that I have this second chance. -Tony Chuck on April 14th, 2010 10:51 am http://www.mhsroundtable.com/wp-includes/images/blank.gif Youre a good man Tony. Patricia on April 21st, 2010 9:44 pm http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/2bc5a371e133586e0676c8a5d4733b72?s=70d=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mhsroundtable.com%2Fwp-includes%2Fimages%2Fblank.gifr=G Im doing some research on a speech, a study (in the 80s) showed that prisoners who began but did not complete the college course work available at the time re re-arrested at a rate of about 44%, compared to those who attained a degree being re-arrested at 24%, thats huge! Especially when the cost of housing, feeding and clothing an inmate for one year today in a county Hailie about 32,000 a year. I work full time -40 hrs a week and still dont make that much. Also, Im getting college for free through a federal pell grant but convicted felons are not eligible b/c of tough on crime raegan policies. Why shouldnt people with a desire to learn who just didnt have the opportunity within their community be denied the option now simply because of a bad choice? If you can give them the tools to avoid finding themselves in the same situation over and over, why not John on April 22nd, 2010 11:56 am http://www.mhsroundtable.com/wp-includes/images/blank.gif Patricia, You are missing the point. What if a good person doesnt have the same oppurtunity as someone else? By giving criminals and people who cant actually afford college free rides, we are punishing people who work hard and pay for college because college spots are taken up and colleges raise prices to make up for the people who are given it free. Not only that but by giving it to everyone for free, it eliminates the value of college. The value of college is to gain an education to give you an advantage in the work force, if everyone has the same advantage you might as well not go to college. Besides, college is not a right, period. If you can find somewhere in the Constitution where it says everyone should get free college, let me know. Patricia on April 27th, 2010 4:47 pm http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/13001d190535f20f9bdf96ebd05f050c?s=70d=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mhsroundtable.com%2Fwp-includes%2Fimages%2Fblank.gifr=G College isnt a right, but when people are released from prison and cant get a job, what do they do? They go back to committing crimes (again), you go back to what you know. There are federal grants and scholarships for people who cant afford it, Im a receipient of such a program. If it has been proven through research and actions that you can DROP the rate of people re-entering the prison system, and DROP the amount of TAX MONEY that is being spent on housing/clothing/feeding/hospitalizing criminals and put them to work to pay the taxes back once they finish some type of higher education, why would you not want to? I cant see why you feel that in that case college isnt an advantage but when our country can benefit from lower crime, better educated citizens and more people working, why wouldnt we want to see that? Tina on April 28th, 2010 2:40 pm http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/df04c4c3a4cddae7a874a685b466fdd5?s=70d=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mhsroundtable.com%2Fwp-includes%2Fimages%2Fblank.gifr=G I cant believe where some of you making comments on here are coming from? I understand this is the United States of America and everyone is entitled to free speech, but really? Are you serious? PRISONERS ARE IN PRISON FOR VIOLATING OR TAKING THE TOTAL AND COMPLETE RIGHTS FROM ANOTHER PERSON!! Should they receive a free college education while there? NO, NO NO and I say NO again! I am a hard working citizen, My husband and I both work 40+ hours a week, We have 2 children to provide for and I go to college full-time as well. Do I get college paid for me? NO, I have to pay for it myself. My son is preparing to go to college next year as well, does he get college paid for him? NO, he will have to pay for it himself. I am also the victim of a horrible crime, my Father was murdered by a man that was out on parole for slicing someones throat! Where is the justice? Why does he deserve a free college education and I my family dont? Are prisoners going to change there ways, most likely not. There are a select, and I mean a very select few that may change. That is great for them! However, there are thousands of people, good people not in prison searching for jobs everyday cant find or get one. When a prisoner is offered a free college education, gets out of prison and finds a job because of the education he received while in prison, what kind of a system is that? Criminals getting a job over a good upstanding non-criminal citizen because of an education offered free while in prison? Prisoners should not get anything paid for, they should have to work for each and everything that they do get. They did the crime, they should PAY serve the time. They shouldnt have any rights that will better them in any way. They should suffer just as their victims have and do! An education is a privilege, not a right for a prisoner! In which, they DO NOT deserve at all! hi, i am a high school student but i completly disagree with them recievig an education that the rest of us has to pay for or file for a grant to be abaile to reciieve. I feel that you cant set someone up for failure! That they do this themselves when tthey make the choices that they have. If someone cared enogh then they wouldnt have dropped out or commited the crime. they find it a privilage and want to go more than stay out.. so why offer what is drawing people to jail? I may be just a high schoo, student but it seems ridiculous for us to waste our tx dollers on this!!!! Come on, mindy. With that little error-filled rant, you are undermining our point that prison inmates should NOT receive an education. Having recently completed my freshman year in college, I am already $5000 in debt. I have three more years, if you dont include medical school, to accumulate even more debt. From this viewpoint, I do not think that inmates should receive free education. I have never broken a law in my life, but I am going to graduate with a debt that I have to pay off while paying for my house, car, etc. Its not a matter of what is fair, but rather what is just. It is not justice that they receive free college education. They should pay for their choices to break the law. I agree that they should not receive free education beyond high school or GED. Its not fair for hard working people to have to struggle to send one of their family members to college. I do think that Tony has a good idea, I live in Maryland, tomake them pay for the education to let them know they are not being rewarded for their actions. They should be being molded and prepared to be able to function in the real world and learn how to obtain an education through their hard work and paying for it. I understand that life throws challenges sometimes beyond your control but just like the people that get them same kind of problems they learn to work through it and not go to jail, doesnt get a free education or get it handed to them. They have to work hard and then they are recognized for their accomplishments. Even though prisons are supposed to be for rehabilitation it is also punishment. So beyond them receiving the basics I dont hink that they should receive free college education. The y also take away jobs from people that shave been working towards their degrees for so many years and then someone that has committed a crime gets out and gets the opportunity first. I have family thats incarcerated and my views are the same. They should promote people striving to get an education when they get out and they can even help them but they should not be allowed to obtain degrees. Tina, I have to disagree with your assertion that PRISONERS ARE IN PRISON FOR VIOLATING OR TAKING THE TOTAL AND COMPLETE RIGHTS FROM ANOTHER PERSON!! The violent ones, robbers, murderers, thieves did, but I did not. I was convicted of selling marijuanna and I took no ones rights. The money being spent to educate a child in elementary school in 2008/2009 was just a little over $10000. http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=66 The money being spent to keep a prisoner in jail ranges from twice that: http://www.dc.state.fl.us/pub/statsbrief/cost.html to 4 1/2 times: http://www.lao.ca.gov/laoapp/laomenus/sections/crim_justice/6_cj_inmatecost.aspx?catid=3. Thats your hard earned tax dollars at work. Lets imagine for just a moment that the education an inmate receives in prison actually helps him stay out of prison. Thats the case with me. The government is NOT paying 10 to 30 thousand dollars a year to keep me in prison à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and they can use that money for another purpose. Perhaps to upgrade the Governors office bathroom. I might be in the minority, but I cared about and valued highly the educational opportunity I was afforded. It didnt make me a smarter criminal à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ it made me a smarter citizen that pays taxes. Instead of blaming The Man for putting me behind bars, my education showed me how I was the one that put myself behind bars. I have no interest in going back there and will do whatever I can to stay out of prison. Someone mentioned a statistic that over 60% of people released go back to prison with 2 years. That may be true. I submit, however, that an education earned in prison reduces that percentage by a significant amount. This URL has an interesting statistic à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ http://www.bard.edu/bpi/pdfs/crime_report.pdf Most strikingly, the State of Texas reported the extraordinary recidivism impacts of postsecondary education: [T]wo years after release, the overall recidivism rate for college degree holders was as low as 12%, and inversely differentiated by type of degree. The exact figures indicating these inverse recidivism rates for degree recipients were: Associates (13.7%); Baccalaureates (5.6%); Masters (0%). In other words à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ that 60+% recidivism rate applies to uneducated inmates. Allow a prisoner to earn an Associates and the rate drops to 13.7%. If they are incarcerated long enough to earn a Masters the likelihood of their return drops to zero. Every person that stays out of prison and rejoins society like I have, earns a wage and pays taxes. Part of those tax dollars go to pay for childrens education and part goes to pay for inmates incarceration. I know where I would rather spend my money and its not on keeping people in jail