What is critical read in g Essays - Learning, Philosophy, Argument

What is critical read in g Study guide Critical reading is an important precursor to critical writing. This Study Guide explains why critical reading is important, and gives some ideas about how you might become a more critical reader. Other Study Guides you may find useful are What is critical writing? Using paragraphs and The art of editing. What is critical read in g? The most characteristic features of critical reading are that you will: exam in e the evidence or arguments presented; check out any in fluences on the evidence or arguments; check out the limitations of study design or focus; exam in e the in terpretations made; and decide to what extent you are prepared to accept the authors' arguments, op in ions, or conclusions. Why do we need to take a critical approach to read in g? Regardless of how objective, technical, or scientific the subject matter, the author(s) will have made many decisions during the research and writing process, and each of these decisions is a potential topic for examination and debate, rather than for blind acceptance. You need to be prepared to step into the academic debate and to make your own evaluation of how much you are willing to accept what you read. A practical starting point therefore, is to consider anything you read not as fact, but as the argument of the writer. Taking this starting point you will be ready to engage in critical reading. Critical read in g do es not have to be all negative The aim of critical reading is not to find fault, but to assess the strength of the evidence and the argument. It is just as useful to conclude that a study, or an article, presents very strong evidence and a well-reasoned argument, as it is to identify the studies or articles that are weak. Evidence Depending on the kind of writing it is, and the discipline in which it sits, different kinds of evidence will be presented for you to examine. At the technical and scientific end of the spectrum, relevant evidence may include information on: measurements, timing, equipment, control of extraneous factors, and careful following of standard procedures. Specific guidance will be available within specialties on what to look for. At the other end of the spectrum is writing where there is clearer scope for personal interpretation, for example: analysis of in dividuals' experiences of healthcare; the translation of a text from a foreign language; or the identification and analysis of a range of themes in a novel. In these cases the evidence may include items such as quotes from interviews, extracts of text, and diagrams showing how themes might connect. The nature of the evidence presented at these two extremes is different, but in both cases you need to look for the rationale for the selection and interpretation of the evidence presented, and the rationale for the construction of the argument. Broaden in g the def in ition of evidence This Study Guide takes a broad view of evidence: it maintains that all that you read can be considered as evidence, not purely the actual data collected/presented. This encompasses: the report of the context with in which the data we re collected or created; the choice of the method for data collection or selection; the audit trail for the analysis of the data i.e.: the decisions made and the steps in the analysis process; the rationale for the in terpretations made and the conclusions drawn; the relevance of, and the use made of the theoretical perspective, ideology, or philosophy that is underp in n in g the argument. L in k in g evidence to argument On its own, evidence cannot contribute to academic debate. The interpretation and presentation of that evidence within an argument allows the evidence to make a contribution. The term argument' in this context means the carefully constructed rationale for the enquiry, and for the place of its results within the academic arena. It will explain for example: why the authors considered that what they did was worth doin g; why it was worth doin g in that particular way; why the data collected, or the material selected, we re the most appropriate; how the conclusions drawn l in k to the wider context

The bounce of a ball Essays

The bounce of a ball Essays The bounce of a ball Paper The bounce of a ball Paper The balls will always be dropped from the chosen heights. E. g. 1 metre, 0. 8 metres, etc. After releasing the ball we will then measure the maximum height it reaches after bouncing. The ball I will test is: Bouncy ball it will be made of rubber. The heights I will drop the ball from are: 20m 40m 60m 80m Another factor, which I will be testing, is the surface I drop the ball on to. These will be: Wooden surface Cork surface Carpeted surface The equipment we will be using is: Retort Stand and Clamp Nail Metre ruler Bouncy ball Wooden surface Vernier Calliper Electronic Weighing Scale Diagram 1: Diagram 2: Method: 1. Collect all required equipment. 2. Set up as shown above. 3. Make sure it is safely set up, and that the nail is secured in position. 4. Draw out a table to write the results in. 5. Take the bouncy ball and drop it from your first fixed height three times. 6. Record the results that you gain 7. Repeat the process for the remaining heights. 8. Record these results. 9. Change the surface. 10. Repeat experiment with same heights. 11. Record the results. 12. Change the surface again. 13. Once again repeat the experiment. 14. Record these results as well. 15. Work out the averages of all your results. Prediction: I predict that the bouncy ball will bounce furthest on the wooden surface. This is because wood is the smoothest surface out of the three, meaning that less energy will be lost as heat/friction and so more will be put in to the actual bounce of the ball. I also think that Carpet will be the worst surface of the three, as it is a very rough surface, which is likely to make the ball lose a great deal of heat/frictional energy. I think the Cork surface will come between the two, because it is rougher than wood, but smoother than carpet. Another thing that I predict is that when the Drop height is reduced, the rebound height also is reduced. Results Analysis: Using my results, I found out many things: The bouncy ball bounced most on the wooden surface. The bouncy ball bounced higher as you increased the drop height. More Gravitational Potential Energy is stored in the ball when the drop height is increased. I got these facts by looking at the line graphs shown previously. It was easy to spot which surface made the bouncy ball bounce highest. To prove that the best surface is wood I worked out the gradient of each line. Formula: Gradient = x/y Line of best fit Graph of drop height vs rebound height: Carpet Surface: As you can see from these sums, Wood has the greatest gradient, whereas carpet has the worst. The reason for wood being better as a bouncing medium is because it is much smoother than the other surfaces. Carpet is extremely rough in texture causing more friction when the ball hits it, which in turn causes more energy loss. Both of the graphs I have drawn are very similar in shape. They look absolutely identical but there are minute differences. I also noticed a relationship between the drop height and the surface used. As I increased the drop height, the ball bounced a considerable amount higher. This was the case for all surfaces. Never did the rebound height remain constant when if the drop height was changed. Conclusion: There are many reasons to why I got the results I did. There are many factors that a ball may have to influence its bounce. Some examples are: size, weight, material, etc. These characteristics as well as the bounce surface influence how well or badly a ball will bounce. The wooden surface, being the smoothest of the three, proved to make the bouncy ball bounce highest. The reason for this is because less energy is lost as heat/frictional energy. This means that there is more kinetic energy, which would mean that the ball would bounce more. The cork surface, being in between carpet and wood I terms of roughness, turned out to be second best. More energy than the wooden surface is being lost by heat/sound energy, but less is being lost than the carpet surface. The carpet surface was the worst. The ball just died out as soon it hit the carpet. This is due to its roughness and material. Carpet makes the ball lose the most heat/sound energy. The loss of more heat/sound energy would mean that there is less kinetic energy available, so the ball will not travel very far. As these were proven in my results, that would mean that my Prediction was absolutely correct. The best surface was wood, and the worst was carpet. The rebound height did decrease when the drop height decreased. Evaluation: On the whole I think that the experiment went quite well. I obtained sufficient results needed for a good experiment write up. I took three results for each drop height of each ball. By doing this, I was able to average the three and also exclude any results that did not fit in with the others. I think that my results were fairly accurate. The theories that I predicted were right. My graphs look fairly good, however there are a few anomalous points here and there. The method I did was not excellent, and most certainly did not give me the most accurate results I was capable of betting. In the time I was given, and the equipment I was restricted to, I would say that my method was fairly good. The Method was enough for the results we needed, but if I was to do more research and was to get more accurate results, then it could be improved hugely. The experiment had far too much space for human errors. For example, the wooden surface we used was just our workbench. Due to this there were dents and scratches in the table. Also, we had to make an accurate guess to where the rebound height was by placing our heads in level with the maximum place the ball bounced up to. After looking at the graphs with best-fit lines, there were only a few odd results. This is expected due to the conditions we were in. As the drop height increased the rebound height increased. There were some factors, which we did not take into account, which could have affected the experiment slightly: There could have been a some wind which affected the bounce of the ball The temperature could have increased or decreased from room temperature in which case the bounce of the ball would have been affected. The ball could have hit a dent in the workbench in which case the bounce of the ball would have been affected. The ball could have not been measured properly. I dont think that I had enough evidence to draw a suitable conclusion, as there is always space for improvement. The results I took could not be necessarily that accurate. I could have performed more than three trials on each surface, in which case my average would have become very accurate. If I had better equipment, then my results would be extremely accurate, and the graphs would give would show an extremely positive correlation. If I was given the chance to do this experiment again, I would want to use more high-tech equipment, to get more accurate results. If I could repeat it again, I would want to time the drop, so that I could calculate the velocity (velocity (m/s) = distance(m) / time (sec)) Doing this would have given me the chance to calculate the loss in Kinetic Energy. Another factor I would like to investigate if I could do this experiment again is to see how the bounce between different balls differs. I could take three different balls for example and bounce them on different surfaces, which would give me a good set of results. I think I have overall found out the main factors that affect the bounce of a ball considering the situation that I was in. Rahul Krishnan 11T Physics Coursework MR Inger 26/09/01 ScD4 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Electricity and Magnetism section.

Computer Antivirus Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Computer Antivirus - Research Paper Example One of the most notable disadvantages of using a free antivirus is the lack of technical support from companies developing them. Whereas the majority of paid antivirus companies provide some online and phone support to their clients, freeware users normally must look after themselves. Some freeware providers such as Avast provide email support that is sometimes said to be ineffective and slow. Considering how close both categories of products are with regard to effectiveness and speed, the two most fundamental elements are customer support and software features. Given some exceptions, a paid product has better customer support systems and better-enhanced features as compared to free computer antivirus software. Comparing Top Paid Computer Antivirus vs. Top Free Computer Antivirus Avast Free Antivirus Software Avast, Free Antivirus combines highly rated all round freeware virus detection with a well-designed and speedy package. Avast has an easy installation process, minimum effect on the performance of the system as well as smooth interface design. Studies have shown that in customary signature-based virus tests, Avast scored highly by detecting approximately 95% of sampled malware, which according to analysts is neither bad nor good. The software additionally recorded a decent performance when tasked with the detection of real-world viruses by successfully detecting and, blocking completely about 75% of virus attacks and partially thwarting about 5% of virus attacks, a performance that was categorized as average.

Performance Evaluations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Performance Evaluations - Research Paper Example Center of discussion in this paper is performance evaluation as one of the crucial factors in enhancing the performance of an employee and in stimulating growth in the organization. However, the organizations that do not have a proper performance appraisal system may face difficulties in retaining and sustaining their workforce. It harms the organization as well as the well-being of the employees. Performance evaluation can be described as the process of providing feedback to the employees regarding the job efficiency as well as career guidance. It can be considered as a fair and balanced examination of the performance of an employee. Performance evaluation tends to structure the relationship with the employees of the organization thus providing legal protection to the companies. The morale and also the performance of the employees tend to improve with the help of the performance evaluation. It is because of good evaluation system the poor performers in the organizations can be ident ified and therefore various suggestions can be provided in order to improve the performance. One of the significant problems faced by the employees in the organizations is related to the performance evaluation. The workplace faces with myriad workplace problems with the employees in relation to time, money and loss of productivity. This tends to increase the overall cost to the organization. Therefore, it is significant for the organizations to prevent such problems from occurring from the very beginning. It is the performance evaluation of the staffs that assists in dealing with the complex problems related to the employees. By instilling good employee evaluation system in the organization and if used constantly with all the employees most of the problems can be prevented from cropping up in the near future. Despite the best efforts of the organizations, difficulties with the employees are bound to occur. It is during such circumstances, performance evaluation has a role to play to identify and thus deal with the complex problems. It also brings discipline at the workplace to a great extent (Delpo & Guerin, 2009). One of the challenges that the supervisors at the organizations face is the performance related problems. The supervisors who are into the profession for a longer period of time have mentioned that the performance evaluation is one of the toughest and most complex issues. However, it is worthy of mentioning that identification of the performances of the employees at the organizations is one of the main responsibilities of the supervisors. Failure to identify the poor performances at the organizations may have a negative impact upon the overall organization thus leading to lower productivity and morale of the staffs. The supervisors at the organizations need to be tactful at handling the poor performances of the employees in the organization by means of performance evaluation system. A few of the preventive measures can be taken in order to prevent s uch issues from happening. It is significant for the supervisors to communicate the set performance standards and what is expected from the employees clearly. If the employees are unaware of the expectations of the employers from them, they might not be motivated to work as per the expectations. It is not required to produce as written document

ECDIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

ECDIS - Essay Example MMSI: Maritime Mobile Service Identity NAVTEX: Navigational Information Telex SOLAS: International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea Transas: Transport Safety Systems UAIS: Universal Automatic Identification System ECDIS ___________________________________________________________________ Abstract Although ECDIS is popularly defined as a standard for the elimination of paper charts, the mentioned definition hardly encompasses the capabilities and potentials of this tool. Indeed, the functionality of ECDIS systems have extended beyond the mere elimination of paper charts to the provision of an Integrated Bridge whose primary function is the interconnection of all of a vessel's sources of information. This paper shall review and evaluate an ECDIS implementation paradigm forwarded by Transas Marine (TRANsport SAfety Systems). The primary criterion for evaluation is compliance with the IMO standard. Following that, additional implementation features shall be critically analysed. The paper will conclude with a set of recommendations for improvement based upon the researcher's own evaluation of Navi Sailor ECDIS. 1.0 Research Approach 1.1 Aim The primary aim of the present research is the evaluation of an ECDIS system against manufacturer claims, for the determination of whether or not the system satisfies its supposed purposes and executes its defined functions. 1.2 Research Question Can the selected ECDIS system act as a replacement for a chart navigation system 1.3 Methodology As a strategy for responding to the selected researched question and satisfying the research's articulated aim, an in-depth investigative exploration of the chosen ECDIS system's features shall be undertaken. The results...The paper will conclude with a set of recommendations for improvement based upon the researcher's own evaluation of Navi Sailor ECDIS. The primary aim of the present research is the evaluation of an ECDIS system against manufacturer claims, for the determination of whether or not the system satisfies its supposed purposes and executes its defined functions. As a strategy for responding to the selected researched question and satisfying the research's articulated aim, an in-depth investigative exploration of the chosen ECDIS system's features shall be undertaken. The results of he investigation shall determine whether or not the examined ECDIS system can, indeed, function as a replacement for a chart navigation system. An Electronic Chart Distribution Information System (ECDIS) is specifically designed to replace nautical charts with electronic navigation charts. It must be stressed, however, that the purposes of ECDIS exceed the stated insofar as the system's functionalities include the systemic collection, storage, processing and presentation of navigation-related and route-planning information.

Similarities And Differences Between Solar And Wind Environmental Sciences Essay

Similarities And Differences Between Solar And Wind Environmental Sciences Essay At present, human beings are living in a society which is developing rapidly, facing a severe crisis of energy. As the population is increasing in a high speed, the ecological environment has been damaged by human activity. At the same time, with industry highly developed, the environment has been polluted seriously. Therefore, other alternative energies should be found instead of fossil fuels, which is green, efficient and renewable. Thus, people began to discover the importance of renewable energy sources, for instants, solar, biogas and water. In fact, the majority of renewable energy sources come from the solar energy, which means they can be exploited for centuries and even millennia. In this essay, wind energy and solar energy are put in a comparison. Both of them are clean energy and environmentally-friendly, although they differ in cost and efficiency. The first important similarity of wind energy and solar energy is that both of them are renewable. Solar energy is the most abundant energy resources that human can make use of. It is estimated that during the past thousands of years the sun consumes only 2% of its own energy (Duncan, 2002). In the next few billion years there will not be significant changes to the sun, so the sun can be used as a permanent source of energy. Likewise, wind energy is also unlimited. Because it is generated by air flow on the Earths surface. Wind is everywhere, no matter it is in the vast grasslands or mountains. Wind power can be extracted by wind mills. As the wind makes wheels rotating, it is changing the wind power into electric power. Obviously, these two kinds of energy both come from the nature, which are totally recycled. Another similarity is that both wind energy and solar energy cause almost no pollution to the environment. Compared to the environmental effects of traditional energy sources, the environmental effects of solar energy and wind energy are relatively minor. Coal, oil and other fossil fuels emit harmful gases and residue, while the use of solar energy will not bring about pollution. Moreover, it will not produce any adverse effects on the environment, which is a clean source of energy. Meanwhile, after the extensive use of solar energy, the temperature will be slightly increased, although this temperature will not cause adverse effects on the environment and the ecological balance (Friis-Christensen and Lassen, 1991). Wind power consumes no fuels, and emits no polluted air. Wind energy is abundant, almost endlessly used, widely distributed and clean. Furthermore, both of them dont produce carbon dioxide, which do not cause the greenhouse effect. All in all, both of them bring peace to t he environment. In spite of these similarities, wind energy and solar energy are different in some aspects. At present, the use of solar energy technologies has the disadvantage of high cost. Topfocus (2007) stated that the cost of generating electricity by solar power is about 7-12 times higher compared to the normal electricity, and 6-10 times higher compared that of generating electricity by wind power. Furthermore, in many rainy areas with short period of sunshine, it is very difficult to completely rely on solar power supply. This means unless there are a large number of solar panels or there is a more sophisticated solar energy technology, it is still difficult to produce a large number of power supplies to meet the daily needs. In addition, solar panels have a limited lifespan, which is about 10-20 years. This means the cost to deal with the technical problems is extremely high (Brignall, 2010). In contrast, the wind turbines have longer lifespan, although it requires a lot of land to build. As long as the turbines have been built, it can be used for hundreds of years. In the short term, the base costs of wind turbines are relatively cheap. (Alvesta, n.d.) Another difference exists in the efficiency. Using solar energy is more efficient than wind energy. According to Duncan (2000), about 70% of sun energy can be received by the earth. In order words, more power can be collected by the solar panels. Furthermore, the materials used on the solar panels are silicon, which has less resistance in the power generation process (Ffbing, 2009). Compared to the solar energy, wind energy has short effective time and need to be built near the sea. When wind power is transformed into electric power, the efficiency is only about 20 % (Chapo, 2006). In conclusion, after comparing solar energy and wind energy, both of them have advantages and disadvantages. The solar energy solve the problem that human will not afraid there are no energy to use. However, the technologies still need to improve. Using wind energy is cheaper and more direct, although it needs high technology to be more efficient. At present, Chinas environmental pollution problems highlight the fragility of ecosystems. A large number of mining and the use of fossil fuels make a great impact on the environment, especially in Chinas energy consumption structure. The high proportion of coal, carbon dioxide emissions growing faster, which has a great impact on climate change. Development and utilization of renewable energy plays an important role in optimizing energy structure and protecting the environment, which reduces greenhouse gas and cope with climate changes. In my opinion, the renewable energy will play an important role in peoples life and let human have a bet ter future.

Free Glass Menagerie Essays: The Destruction of Laura :: Glass Menagerie essays

The Destruction of Laura in The Glass Menagerie In Tennessee William's play, The Glass Menagerie, the character of Laura is like a fragile piece of glass. The play is based around a fragile family and their difficulties coping with life. Laura unable to survive in the outside world - retreating into their apartment and her glass collection and victrola. There is one specific time when she appears to be progressing when Jim is there and she is feeling comfortable with being around him. This stands out because in all other scenes of the play Laura has never been able to even consider conversation with a "Gentleman Caller." Laura's mother and brother shared some of her fragile tendencies. Amanda, Laura's mother, continually lives in the past. Her reflection of her teenage years continually haunts Laura. To the point where she forces her to see a "Gentleman Caller" it is then that Tom reminds his mother not to "expect to much of Laura" she is unlike other girls. But Laura's mother has not allowed herself nor the rest of the family to see Laura as different from other girls. Amanda continually lives in the past when she was young a pretty and lived on the plantation. Laura must feel she can never live up to her mothers expectations. Her mother continually reminds her of her differences throughout the play. Every time the family comes to a confrontation someone retreats to the past and reflects on life as it was back then, not dealing with life as it is for them today. Tom, assuming the macho role of the man of the house, babies and shelters Laura from the outside world. His mother reminds him that he is to feel a responsibility for his sister. He carries this burden throughout the play. His mother knows if it were not for his sisters needs he would have been long gone. Laura must pickup on some of this, she is so sensitive she must sense Toms feeling of being trapped. Tom dreams of going away to learn of the world, Laura is aware of this and she is frightened of what may become of them if he were to leave. Laura feels she will never find someone that will take care of her. This is very upsetting because it is obvious that it is very important to everyone in the family.

Othello and the Outisder Essay

The play Othello by William Shakespeare, the book A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess and the visual representation enrich understanding of the concept of the outsider through their use of both visual and literary techniques to depict outcast characters. The book A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess enriches and explores the concept of the outsider through its use of first person narrative, motifs and rhetorical question and enriches our study of the outsider through its portrayal of Alex, the protagonist, as an outsider. â€Å"So I waited and, O my brothers, I got a lot better munching away at eggiwegs† A Clockwork Orange is written entirely in first person narrative, effectively making readers sympathetic towards Alex’s character and by repeatedly addressing the audience as â€Å"O, my brothers† as shown in the above quote, we are implicated in the actions taken by Alex. But in addressing the audience Alex separates himself from the action in the novel and presents himself as an outsider. Nadsat is a form of slang, a motif in this novel, created by Burgess solely for the novel. The effect of its use is a disjointed one, readers begin the novel feeling disoriented and confused. In turn, this alienates the audience. However as we begin to understand the language, it becomes a distinctive trademark of Alex, and thus estranges him from everyone else in the novel, as we begin to associate its use solely with him. â€Å"Like some bolshy gigantic like chelloveck, like old Bog Himself (by courtesy of Korova Milkbar) turning and turning and turning a vonny grahzny orange in his gigantic rookers† This quote is taken from the end of the novel. The use of nadsat at the end of the novel, when it has been discovered that his fellow droogs no longer use it, further alienates Alex. â€Å"What does God want? Does God want goodness or the choice of goodness? Is a man who chooses the bad perhaps in some way better than a man who has the good imposed upon him? † In this quote, Burgess uses rhetorical question to make the audience think about the reconditioning that Alex has been subjected to and how, because his ability to make choices has been taken away from him, his actions become meaningless. Forcing the audience to consider this highlights Alex’s outsider status. Using these literary techniques, Burgess establishes Alex as an outcast which in turn enriches our understanding of the outsider as in this novel we are able to explore the characterisation and actions of an estranged character. William Shakespeare’s Othello makes use of repetition, soliloquies and juxtaposition to depict Othello and Iago as outsiders, consequently enriching our study of the concept of the outsider. The repetition of racial epithets throughout the play cement Othello’s outsider status. Examples include: â€Å"a Barbary horse† and â€Å"an old black ram† The animalistic nature of these insults are a reflection of the racist attitudes that were commonplace in the society Shakespeare has created. Additionally, use of these epithets throughout the play continually degrade Othello and highlight his outcast status. Shakespeare uses soliloquies throughout Othello to reveal Iago’s plan. However, the use of soliloquy by Iago as a means to communicate with the audience casts him as an outsider as he connects more with the audience rather than his fellow characters, effectively ostracising himself. An example of this can be seen in Iago’s soliloquy in Act 2, Scene III: â€Å"And what’s he then that says I play the villain? When this advice is free I give and honest†¦ †¦ And out of her own goodness make the net That shall enmesh them all. † It is soliloquies like these, wherein Iago explains his actions, which also assist in estranging him from the audience, as the reader is never given a otive for Iago’s action – only what they entail. Shakespeare also makes use of juxtaposition to illustrate Othello’s alienation from society. In the quote: To fall in love with what she feared to look on? Shakespeare juxtaposes the ideas of love and fear to describe Brabantio’s disbelief that his daughter, Desdemona, would marr y a man like Othello. It highlights the racist attitudes of the Venetian society Shakespeare re-creates in his play, and emphasises Othello’s outsider status. Shakespeare’s use of a variety of literary techniques to portray estranged characters enriches our study of the outsider as we are able to study and analyse these characters and therefore understand the nature of the outsider. The visual representation uses visual techniques such as: gaze, motif, colour and tone and texture to depict the outsider. The use of direct gaze forces a connection between both the character and the viewer, influencing the viewer. The use of colour, or lack thereof, places emphasis on the window frame – hinting that the frame itself has a deeper meaning. The framing itself becomes a motif, as it is a depiction of how the way an alienated persona sees the outside world in the exact same way, no matter whether or not the person and surroundings change. In the visual representation, the use of colour on the framing only emphasises this feature giving it salience and it points out the fact that the framing is the only element that is repeated.. Additionally, the variety in tone and texture has a confusing and chaotic effect, reflecting the nature of the outsider. The visual produced, together with the original image, enriches study of the outsider as it passes comment (the nature of the outsider is perplexing and chaotic, yet is relatively the same no matter who is outcast) on the nature of the outsider, thus we develop a deeper understanding of this concept. The play Othello, the book A Clockwork Orange and the visual representation make use of both visual and literary technique to enrich the study of the outsider. The use of these techniques assist in the exploration of characters that have been alienated, hence we are able to learn more about the concept of the outsider.

Outback Steakhouse Case Study Essays

Outback Steakhouse Case Study Essays Outback Steakhouse Case Study Essay Outback Steakhouse Case Study Essay Overview of the Outback Case Study Analysis The authors of the Outback Goes International study, (hereinafter the â€Å"Study† or â€Å"Case†) depict a restaurant company, Outback Steakhouse, (â€Å"Outback†, the â€Å"Business†, or the â€Å"Company†) that by 1995 had experienced significant growth over the prior seven years. The Case addresses how management identified international expansion and product diversification as the principle elements of a strategic plan formulated to continue rapid expansion. This report will evaluate Outback’s strategies of international expansion and restaurant diversification in light of alternative means of achieving enhanced shareholder value via growth. Several uncertainties and challenges, which management acknowledged and the Case documents, faced Outback. The methodology used by the Company to consider its strategic options will be addressed by this report as well. The analysis contained herein will evaluate issues pertaining to those challenges, relying on the comparative performance of the Company’s publicly traded stock as the ultimate measure of management’s success or failure. This report will first evaluate the fundamental elements of the companies’ strategic plans, incorporating published academic research regarding strategic decisions, risks and the basis for management’s decisions. Additionally, further evaluation of the opportunities and competitive achievements in the international arena will be conducted. Finally, this report will attend to and appraise the ultimate financial performance achieved by the Company since the establishment in 1995 of its strategic plans and subsequent preparation of the Case being analyzed herein. Comments from Outback’s legendary C. F. O. Bob Merritt, will serve to punctuate the conclusion of this analysis; Outback’s strategies of product diversification and international expansion did not pay off for shareholders. Strategic Planning Methodology In evaluating Outback’s strategic plan this report adopts the fundamental assumption that management has as its primary objective the creation of shareholder value. Presumably, strategic decisions of management are designed to support this value proposition. A number of alternatives exist for companies to create value and Outback’s challenge was to weigh potential returns of alternatives against their inherent risks. Adrian J. Slywotzky and John Drzik of Mercer who document seven classes of strategic risk in their April 2005 article Strategic Risk Management published in the Harvard Business Review, set forth that in managing strategic risks there are an, â€Å"array of external events and trends that can devastate a companys growth trajectory and shareholder value. † It is evident that Sullivan, Outback’s chief executive, was aware of risk when he stated, â€Å"†¦the world is becoming one big market, and we want to be in place so we don’t miss that opportunity. † Management can react to risk through five generic responses as addressed in A framework for integrated risk management in international business, published in 1992 by Dr. Kent Miller in the Journal of International Business Studies . Miller’s five responses are identified as avoidance, control, cooperation, imitation, and flexibility. Sullivan and his management team’s plans reflected their primary concerns over two of the strategic risks identified by Slywotzky and Drzikclear; stagnation and competition. Stagnation is characterized as flat or declining sales volumes; in the case of Outback slower growth. The risk of competition is characterized by emerging competitive threats; in the case of Outback this strategic risk was represented by restaurant competitors in their markets. These were appropriate concerns and priorities given the facts of the Case. In responding to these threats, management’s reaction reflected four of Miller’s five categories of risk responses including control, imitation, cooperative responses and organizational flexibility . Sullivan and his team sought to control uncertain variables rather than passively treat the uncertainties as constraints by continuing to gain market power via growth in units. In addition they resorted to imitation of rival organizations strategies to cope with uncertainty by pursuing a â€Å"multipronged† strategy that both encompassed new restaurant concept development and international expansion; a strategy that had been adopted by other competitors including their former employer and competitor Brinker International. Outback also intended to utilize joint venture and franchise agreements as a cooperative response by creating partnerships that produce interdependence. Finally, as Miller points out, the Company adopted organizational flexibility by embracing, â€Å"the most widely cited example of flexibility in the strategy literature†¦product or geographic market diversification. † International expansion and new restaurant concept development certainly fulfilled this documented organizational flexibility response to risk. Absent from the Case and potentially excluded from Outback’s strategic considerations was the alternative response of expansion and diversification through a merger or acquisition. While the Company did acquire an Italian concept, Carrabbas Italian Grill, for development purposes, the business was very small at the time and as a result did not generate synergies or make significant near term contributions to revenue and profits. While Outback may have evaluated acquisition or merger alternatives, the Company did not integrate this strategic alterative into its plans. In fact, in June of 1999, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse was available for sale . This company represented several hundred million in annual revenues with obvious synergies. However, despite in-depth discussions, Outback avoided making an offer to acquire the business and Ruth Chris was sold to the private equity firm of Madison Dearbourn Partners. Ironically, Ruth Chris went public in August of 2005, raising $235 Million that represented, â€Å"the richest IPO from a restaurant firm since Dominos Pizza (DPZ) kicked off in July, 2004 with proceeds of $337 million†, according to Thomson Financial. This was an opportunity the Company missed, and reflects an error in not considering acquisitions as a prong in its â€Å"multipronged† plan. In reviewing the Case, and researching the basis for Outback’s evaluation of strategic alternatives in 1995, management’s decisions appeared prudent at the time and reflected established theories in strategic thinking, planning and risk evaluation. Expanding internationally and diversifying through new restaurant concept development represented sound direction at the time. To further support the basis for the aforementioned strategic direction of the Company, one can look at the growth trajectory of the business. At the end of 1994, Outback had 214 locations in operation. Its annual sales growth from inception in 1988 until its fiscal 2004 year end averaged 53. 91%. Since 1992 the company had more than doubled revenues, growing from $189. 2 Million in 1992 to $415. 9 Million in 1994. As the Study notes, Chairman Sullivan described this growth, expressing that, â€Å"we can do 500 to 600 restaurants (domestically)†¦ over the next five years. † In the year 1995 had Outback maintained its averaged unit growth rate of 53. 91% over the prior three years the Company would have reached U. S. market penetration of 600 locations in a matter of a few years. In fact the Case notes, although somewhat more conservatively, â€Å"At the rate the Company was growing (70 units annually), Outback would near the market’s saturation within 4 to 5 years. † Therefore Sullivan had to explore alternative methods of growth to continue to create value. The business had, according to the Study, a â€Å"multipronged strategy† that included the expansion of its Italian chain â€Å"Carrabbas Italian Grill† and the development of new dining themes. Interestingly, by 1994 Brinker International, a key competitor of Outback, had already achieved a degree of international expansion and planned to continue its pursuit of this strategy. According to Brinker International’s 10K filing with the SEC dated September 27, 1994, â€Å"During the past two years, the Company entered into several international franchise agreements, which will bring Chilis to Australia, France, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom in the next 12 months. In fiscal 1994, the first Chilis restaurants outside North America opened in Singapore and Malaysia on February 4, 1994 and June 15, 1994, respectively. The third, fourth and fifth overseas Chilis locations opened in Egypt, Australia and Puerto Rico on July 19, 1994, August 28, 1994 and September 6, 1994, respectively. The Company intends to continue pursuing international expansion and is currently contemplating development in other countries. † In addition to Brinker’s international expansion, it also had amassed 458 locations that included six different restaurant concept brands. It is apparent that Brinker International had already pursued the plan that Outback ultimately adopted, further confirming Outback’s adoption of Miller’s imitation response to risk referenced previously. Restaurant competitors of Outback that served the casual, full-service dining segment generally had not expanded internationally like fast food restaurants. This is confirmed by the Case, which lists T. G. I. Friday’s and Applebee’s, the only direct competitors of Outback on the list, as having only 39 international locations as of 1994. The Case failed to include Brinker International in its data, but given the documented expansion, the number of casual dining chains engaged in international expansion was relatively limited in 1994 at the time Outback was considering its plans. Obviously an opportunity existed for international growth; but would this growth add value to shareholders? Recall that this report addresses the strategic decisions of the Company in the context of appreciation in shareholder value, which represents the ultimate measuring stick of performance. A June 2005 report in the Outlook Journal titled Getting a Truer Picture of Shareholder Value, concluded that, â€Å"there is a limited and diminishing correlation between those measures (net income and earnings per share) and share prices. A company’s income statement usually accounts for only about 4 percent of market value for a stock with a typical price/earnings ratio of 25, while the balance sheet covers about 25 percent. The remaining 70 percent of market value consists of intangible assets and expectations of future growth. † Pushing continued expansion to support or further promote publicly traded share prices is common. However, as Motley Fool’s Brian Green attests in a February 2000 article commenting on then popular P. F. Chang’s, a recent star in the domestic casual dining segment, stock, â€Å"Its at this point in the script when the customer lines are stretching out the door and the national expansion plan is gearing up that so many hot restaurant operators of yesteryear have screwed up everything. † In fact, the notion that international expansion is an intelligent strategic option for a business in the service sector, such as Outback, is questionable. While it is generally understood that a firm’s financial performance improves with a greater multinational presence, empirical studies have rejected this notion. Instead, becoming an international business has been shown to have, â€Å"Both a U-shaped relationship (which suggests an initially negative effect of international expansion on performance, before the positive returns of international expansion are realized) and an inverted-U-shaped relationship (which suggests that international expansion beyond an optimal level is again detrimental to performance, and results in a negative slope). Meaningful analysis of expansion in the international marketplace by restaurant companies and the related financial performance of such companies is not readily identifiable. However, the Case does address many issues that created great challenges for international expansion, including location, distribution, local appeal, and other factors. Undoubtedly, if a proven financial model exists for a restaurant brand domestically, this does not mean that the same formula is applicable in foreign markets. Regardless, over the past decade Outback has expanded to 123 units internationally and developed six new restaurant concepts including Carrabbas Italian Grill, Lee Roy Selmons, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Bonefish Grill, Paul Lee’s Chinese Kitchen, and Flemings Prime Steakhouse Wine Bar. The Company also has a joint venture development relationship with Roy Yamaguchi, the chef and creator of Roys Restaurants located in Hawaii, the U. S. , and Japan. These accomplishments are in line with the strategies management outlined over ten years ago. However, despite achieving their goals, the ultimate judge of the strategic plan should be defined by the financial performance of the Company and finally the enhancement of shareholder value. Outback Financial Performance – The Results As mentioned in the introduction, increasing shareholder value is a primary objective of management. The results of a businesses’ profitability, growth prospects and returns contribute to investors’ valuation and ultimately judge management performance over the long haul. Share prices of public companies are objective reflections of market value and serve to compare Outback’s performance during the past ten years to a number of its main competitors. It should be noted that each of the competitor companies included in the comparison are large chains, with significant revenues, market capitalization of several billion dollars, managing multiple concepts and having significant international operations. These restaurant chains are identified as the â€Å"four big players† , in the restaurant industry. For additional evaluative purposes, the broad S 500 index is also included. (THIS SPACE LEFT BLANK FOR FORMATING PURPOSES ONLY) Graphic of Competitive Stock Price Appreciation From 8/26/95 through 8/26/05 Graph 1 Outback Steakhouse = OSI, EAT = Brinker International, APPB= Applebee’s, DRI = Darden Foods sp500=S 500 Of the four companies depicted in Graph 1, Outback has generated the poorest appreciation in stock price during the past decade. Darden Foods experienced the greatest appreciation, rising nearly 400%, Brinker International appreciated nearly 250%, Applebee’s nearly 150%, and Outback, below the performance of the S 500, appreciated 100% over the past decade. These are disappointing results and would not reflect the optimism demonstrated in the Case performed on Outback regarding its plans in 1995. What is the cause of this poor performance in shareholder value appreciation? Regrettably, financial disclosure documents submitted by Outback and its competitors described in this report do not provide adequate evaluation and disclosure of international operations to ascertain the relative financial performance of its international business. While Outback has successfully opened 123 units internationally since its strategic decision a decade ago, the specific financial contributions from these ventures are indeterminable. However, the appreciation of the Company’s stock is irrefutable. An interesting development pertaining to the financial performance of Outback is the recent surprise retirement of its CFO, Bob Merritt. Highly regarded and referenced extensively in the Case, it would be interesting to learn of Merritt’s perspective. Perhaps these observations would provide clues as to Outback’s performance issues. Thankfully, in a June 2005 interview with Chain Leader Magazine written by David Farkas entitled, Parting Shots, Merritt is rather candid. The article first substantiates Merritt’s stature as described in the Case. â€Å"Bob’s legacy will be as the pre-eminent CFO in our industry over the past two decades,† says investor and former Brinker International CFO Jim Parish. SG Cowen’s Paul Westra, who has followed Outback since 1994, considers Merritt to be â€Å"the granddaddy† of CFOs. While Merritt cites frustrating changes in financial accounting standards as a motivation for his abrupt departure from the Company, his thoughts are not limited to this point and he provides some keen insights to what has gone on in the halls of his former employer. When asked about his perspective on the casual dining segment, Merritt opined, â€Å"It’s going through a fundamental change. You now have four big players†, these are the companies included in this report’s stock price comparison, â€Å"and they are all net generators of cash. He added, â€Å"It’s also the most competitive environment and the worst cost environment. † Merritt makes an interesting point that goes to the heart of the issue of growth in the industry when he says, â€Å"There is an inflection point in the development of any restaurant concept. The cost to build the incremental restaurant escalates faster than the ability to raise prices. The consumer doesn’t care that the cost to open a restaurant in 2005 is 50 percent higher than the cost of the one five miles away that was built in 1995. They are not going to pay proportionately more to eat in the new unit. As a result, returns go down. At some point the incremental return doesn’t justify the incremental investment. † Finally Merritt points out, â€Å"Will they (management) do what they have historically done and continue to mindlessly expand these concepts well past this inflection point and destroy capital, or will they change and become more concerned about generating real shareholder value and how to grow it? A number of companies in this industry are destroying capital by continuing to grow even though incremental returns don’t exceed their risk-adjusted capital cost. † Was Merritt referring to Outback’s expansion strategy, given its relatively dismal performance during the past decade? It certainly sounds like it based on the review of share price appreciation of his former employer, Outback Steakhouse. Conclusions Outback’s plans as described in the Case and reviewed in this analysis seemed quite prudent at the time. However, if the objective of management is to maximize shareholder value, given Mr. Merritt’s commentary, is this best accomplished by expansion that might not fundamentally provide adequate financial returns? Judging by the results and Mr. Merritt’s thoughts, Outback’s expansion plans have not been successful. Outback’s results as compared to its competition fail to reflect a business that achieved what it had hoped to. While adding many units, it is clear that the incremental benefit from its expansion did not enhance value in a manner that compares to its competitors. Perhaps the results of the strategy had more to do with poor execution.

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