Financial Policies of Westpac Banking Corporation Essay

Financial Policies of Westpac Banking Corporation - Essay Example The bank is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange and has made a satisfactory performance over time. Financial Policies of Westpac Banking Corporation related to Capital Structure In 2008, Westpac went into a strategic alliance with St. George Bank Limited in a merger operation. In that merger, the exchange ratio of St. George Bank Limited to Westpac Bank was 1.31. This means that the valuation of the assets of St George was at a higher level than that of Westpac, and therefore the shareholders of St George have got a better valuation as compared to the shareholders of Westpac. The bank went into a merger policy because it wanted to make more use of its resources and have a better financial health (Rosenbaum and Pearl, 2009, p. 36). This would also help the bank to survive in the long run. At this juncture to retain the positive sentiment of the investors, Westpac announced a special dividend of $ 1.25 per share. This has a positive impact on the prices of the shares and the prices seem to go up; therefore, it is a deliberate step on part of the company to keep a stable position in the securities market. Dividend Payout Policies of Westpac The financial history of the company reveals that dividend has been paid by the company bi-annually in the month of July and at the end of the year, December. The dividend yield for the stockholders had ranged from 0.56 to 0.86. The returns that the shareholders have got by investing in the company is well understood by the dividend yield paid ever time (Gallagher, 2003, p. 194). The mean and the standard deviation of the yield have been calculated. Mean 0.736666667 Standard Deviation 0.108857705 The average yield of the dividend has been 0.736. A dividend payout ratio of 70% per share would encourage the shareholders to invest more money in the stock and to hold the stock for a longer period of time. These dividends are directly transferred to the accounts of the shareholders. The company generally adopts any of the two di vidend payout policies- the Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRP) in which the retained earnings that the company generates are capitalized by the company instead of being distributed (Modigliani and Miller, 1958, p. 282). This is often known as the growth schemes by which the company acquires more assets or uses the money for productive purposes. The second option that the company takes is to distribute the dividends to the shareholders. The shareholders who look forward to short-term investments and do not want to engage their money in the long term in the stocks of Westpac would prefer the second option because they would be getting a dividend yield of an average of 70% within 6 months time. For example, in the year 2010, the company paid out dividends at a ratio of 64.9% (Westpac Group, 2012). The share price of Westpac that time was at an average of 23.24. Thus it is lucrative stocks for the investors who would hold the stock for a minimum period of 1 year. Buyback of Shares by West pac Most of the companies in Australia goes for a share buyback for avoiding the risk that any bigger firm may take over the business (Doan, Yap, and Gannon, 2011, p. 69). Westpac followed on the similar line to keep the capital structure fundamentally strong. The company announced the buyback of shares as a strategy for successful management of its finances. The cash profit of the bank from interest income and other supplementary services got increased by 10% during this time.  

A Modest Proposal for holding Fathers Equally Essay Example for Free

A Modest Proposal for holding Fathers Equally Essay Traditionally, the concept of abortion, child-rearing, home management, prostitution and even pornography are all attributed to women – women as subject. In the issue of abortion, women are more likely judged as immoral or not good parent for either aborting or not aborting her child (for certain reasons). In Child-rearing, the mothers are the very ones who are blamed if it happened that her children grew rebellious and defiant. Home management is in all likelihood tagged as women’s function. In the issues of prostitution and pornography, women are the central subjects for judgment. They are more seen as immoral as compared to how men are treated. In short, there are still unresolved problems regarding gender roles and gender biased structure of society. This essay addresses the issue of making fathers or men also accountable for the occurrence of such societal conflicts. Traditional Gender Roles By tracing our history, we could arrive at an evaluation that women and the mothers were discriminated in the society. Having a patriarchal structure of society wherein men or the fathers are labeled as superior over women or the mothers. The traditional structure inside the house was that the father was regarded as the head of the house whom has the highest authority. He has the final say in all things concerning the family. His well-established role as father was providing the needs of the family. Consequently, given such structure inside the home, the community and even the whole society became attached to that particular belief that only men or the fathers have the right to be the head or the bearer of the highest authority otherwise conflict would arise. Because of this traditional conception women and mothers were viewed as the destroyers of order and peace in the society if they would insist themselves as equal as or higher than men and the fathers. Recommendation According to Katha Pollit, the fathers should also be accountable for all the conflicts that arise inside the house, in the community, and in the society. (Barnet Bedau, 2004) They (the fathers) are not really attributed with perfect characteristics. They have also the predisposition of doing wrong things just like the mothers. When the marriage relationship failed, the mother should not the only one whom should be blamed. The father has also part in that failed relationship. When a child grew up as disobedient and rebellious, the mother is not the only one who is responsible for disciplining her child. The father, being also a parent of his child, has the responsibility of disciplining and molding his child’s attitude. In the case of abortion, mothers are not the only persons who make the problem. The father has also a responsibility towards the pregnancy of the mother. In this contemporary period, women are asserting and fighting for their equal rights with men. They are consistent with their campaign of establishing laws that would make them equal with men. In cases of parenting and marriage relationship, it is really unintelligible to say that only women have this responsibility of taking care and disciplining the children and working out their marriage life. The father has also such responsibilities toward his children and his wife. As a conclusion, all must be enlightened with the fact that everyone has a responsibility towards each other and towards the society. Men and the fathers are not exempted from this kind of responsibility. Women or the mothers cannot manage the home without the assistance and aid of her partner, the father or her husband. Both of them are responsible for molding and guiding their children. And truly, it takes two to tango. Reference: Barnet, S. , Bedau, H. (2004). Current Issues and Enduring Questions (7th student ed. ). Bedford/St. Martins.

Do white males have anything to fear from Affirmative Action? Essay

Do white males have anything to fear from Affirmative Action? Affirmative Action can be defined as policies used in the United States to increase opportunities for minorities by favoring them in hiring and promotion, college admissions, and the awarding of government contracts. Depending upon the situation, â€Å"minorities† might include any underrepresented group, especially one defined by race, ethnicity, or gender. This action constitutes a good faith effort by employees to address past and/or present discrimination through a variety of specific, results-oriented procedures. This is a step beyond equal opportunity laws that simply ban discriminatory practices. There are four main types of affirmative action that an employer may use. They include:  · Aggressive recruiting to expand the pool of candidates for job openings;  · Evaluating and updating selection tools and criteria to ensure their relevance to job performance;  · Revising traditional measures of merit to more fully recognize talent and performance under varying conditions;  · Establishing goals and timetables for hiring underrepresented groups These are not the only ways that employers use to complement the affirmative action but they are the more favorable ways to attack the problem of discrimination in the workplace. From its beginnings in the United States in the 1960s, affirmative action has been highly controversial. Critics charge that affirmative action policies, which gi...

Business Applications of Measure of Central Tendency

Measures of Central Tendency â€Å"Measures of central tendency (averages) are statistical constants which enable us to figure out in a single effort the significance of the whole.† (Prof Bowley) The main objectives of measure of central tendency are:To reduce data in a single value. To make easy comparisons between data. There are different types of averages; each has its own business applications.1. Arithmetic Mean 2. Median 3. Mode 4. Geometric Mean 5. Harmonic Mean 1.1 Arithmetic Mean 1.1.1 DefinitionMost important measure of location is the mean or average value, for a variable. The mean provides a measure of central location for the data. If the data are for a sample, the mean is denoted by; if the data are for a population, the mean is denoted by the Greek letter ÃŽ ¼. (David R. Anderson et al) 1.1.2 Business Applications of MeanArithmetic mean is considered a deal average. It is frequently used in all the aspects of business i.e. number of items produced per day on a l arge assembly line, number of orders received per month for a firm. further In economic analysis arithmetic mean is used extensively to calculate average production, average wage, average cost, per capital income exports, imports, consumption, prices, etc. (www.publishyourarticles.net)1.1.2.1 ExampleSay we want to find the average annual salary of all secretaries. We believe we can do this on the basis of our knowledge of annual salaries of 6 particular secretaries, who each earn $.10400, $34000, $14000, $25800 respectively.Our result is a sample mean because we are interested in finding the mean annual income of all secretaries on the basis of the annual income of a smaller sample consisting of only 6 secretaries. (Cheng F. Lee et al, 1993)1.2 Median1.2.1 Definition The median is another measure of central location. The median is the value in the middle when the data are arranged in ascending order .With an odd number of observations, the median is the middle value. An even number of observations has no single middle value. In this case, we follow convention and define the median as the average of the values for the middle two observations. (David R. Anderson et al) 1.2.2 Business Applications of MedianMedian is positional measures of central tendency. The median salary gives a value close to the average salary commonly paid, without taking the extreme values into consideration. There are mainly used in the qualitative cases like honesty, intelligence, ability, etc. These are also suitable for the problems of distribution of income, wealth, investment, etc. (www.publishyourarticles.net)1.2.2.1 ExampleThe U.S. Census Bureau finds the median household income. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, â€Å"median household income† is defined as â€Å"the amount which divides the income distribution into two equal groups, half having income above that amount, and half having income below that amount.† (www.ehow.com) 1.3 Mode1.3.1 DefinitionThe mode is d efined as the element that appears most frequently in a given set of elements. Mode can also be defined as the element with the largest frequency in a given data set. (www.wyzant.com) 1.3.2 Business Applications of ModeThe mode is the most important when an analysis is looking for what happens most often. In analyzing prices, most of the sales occur at a particular list price or possibly at a reduced, sale price. While there may have been sales at other prices, very few customers will have paid an average or a  mean price. Those values are therefore less important when setting pricing in terms of what most customers paid. (www.publishyourarticles.net)1.3.2.1 ExampleMode is used to calculate the ‘modal size of a collar', ‘modal size of shoe', or ‘modal size of ready-made garments' etc.The mode may be beneficial for a manager of a shoe store. For example, you would not see size 17 shoes stocked on the floor. Why? Because very few people have a size 17 shoe size. Th erefore, store managers may look at data and determine which shoe size is sold the most. Managers would want to stock the floor with the best selling shoe size. (www.ehow.com)1.4 Geometric Mean1.4.1 DefinitionGeometric mean is well defined only for sets of positive real numbers. This is calculated by multiplying all the numbers (call the number of numbers n), and taking the nth root of the total. (ww.easycalculation.com)1.4.2 Business Applications of Geometric MeanGeometric Mean is used in the construction of index number. The averages of proportions, percentages and compound rates are computed by geometric mean. The growth of population is measured in it as population increases in geometric progression.1.5 Harmonic Mean1.5.1 DefinitionHarmonic mean is used to calculate the average of a set of numbers. Here the number of elements will be averaged and divided by the sum of the reciprocals of the elements. The Harmonic mean is always the lowest mean. (ww.easycalculation.com)1.5.2 Busi ness Applications of Harmonic MeanHarmonic mean is applied in the problems where small items must get more relative importance than the large ones. It is useful in cases where time, speed, values given in quantities, rate and prices are involved. But in practice, it has little applicability.

Application Letter Essay

I am writing to apply for the position of fireman in the Bureau of Fire and Protection. As requested, I am enclosing a completed job application, my certification, my resume and three references. The chance presented in this listing is very interesting, and I believe that my strong practical experience and education will make me a very competitive candidate for this position. The key strengths that I possess for success in this position include: I am magnificently physically fit and capable in order to sustain the job’s high level of emotionally, mentally and physically demanding activity. I am always ready to jump into action despite the down periods in my job. In addition to attempting to put out fires that might need to help treat victims and perform other vital life-saving or public functions, I provide exceptional contributions to safety of those involved in a fire and offering medical aid to the injured. With a BS degree in Computer Technology and a Civil Service Exam passer last  October 2013, I have a full understanding of the full life cycle of being a fireman. I also have experience in learning and excelling at new technologies as needed. Please see my resume for additional information on my experience.

Law Term Paper Topics

Law Term Paper Topics A term paper implies – that you have studied for a specific term, and have obtained enough knowledge on the subject, enough to write a term paper, and incorporate the obtained knowledge and add additional information obtained by individual education and personal research. A law term paper is one of the most complicated term papers there is, as in a law term paper you will have to be asked to write specific things taught during the semester. In order for a student to be able to write a good law term paper on any topic – he will have to use 100% information provided during class as well as implement absolutely innovative knowledge from various books, journals, publications. If that seems impossible – there are always custom term paper writing services, such as CustomWritings.com for you to order a law term paper and forget about writing it. Using custom writing services is an easy and effective way to avoid problems with your law term paper. Using a CustomWritings.com is very easy and convenient, as all you have to do is provide clear and understandable instructions for writing the law term paper and possible law term paper topics you would like the writer to choose from. If you have managed to accomplish all that – getting a paper done is only a matter of time. If you wish to write the paper yourself – you will surely need a guidance of some sort, to understand what is expected of you, and to write an appropriate law term paper. The whole law term paper writing process can be divided into several stages. In these stages you have to: 1. Revise everything you have learnt during the education process. This is by far the most important stage, as here you have to remember everything you have learnt over the semester and sort thing out a specific way which you will use in the law term paper 2. Choose an appropriate law term paper topic. Topic may vary, but be careful no to pick a very easy topic. If you do that – the professor might have an idea that you are trying to pass his course with minimum effort. There are millions of law term paper topic examples over the internet. Try using one of those topics, but be careful not to plagiarize anything, as you can easily get in trouble with the academic administration. 3. Collect mandatory information, additional material, sources for writing the law term paper. Always write down the sources you have used. Referencing and citation is mandatory. If you fail to do so – you will have to explain your professor why your paper has appeared to be plagiarized. 4. Formulating the research hypothesis, narrowing the law term paper topic to a specific aspect he would like to discuss in your law term paper. There is nothing worse then a vague term paper. Try to be specific as possible, and try to include as many examples as possible. 5. Develop a quality and detailed outline, which will help you structure the information and write an excellent text to the law term paper. 6. Write the first draft of the law term paper and perform a critical analysis. Afterwards you need to revise and make amendments. 7. Print the final copy of your paper. If a student will be able to follow these simple stages – he definitely will write a good law term paper and prove to his professor Ð µÃ'€Ð µ he obtains some knowledge and is able to apply it in an appropriate field. Here is a list of the most popular law essay topics: 1. European Supremacy Law 2. The complex relationship of UK law and European Law has given UK litigants  access to legal remedies in a wide variety of situations further illustrating the extensive impact of the former legal system on the latter 3. Philosophy of Law 4. International Law and the Gender equality principle 5. International Treaties in Australian Domestic Law 6. Aquinas and Aristotle’s View of Law 7. The 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act 8. How a Bill Becomes a Law 9. Law and Morality 10. Megans Law in Australia 11. Evaluate the extent to which the English law of contract addresses inequality of bargaining power 12. Employment Law Sexual Orientation 13. Where does the impetus for law reform come fromand which bodies could reform the law? 14. Defamation Law on the Internet 15. Law of E-Commerce 16. Minimum Wage Law 17. EU Law: Educational organisation and policy are not as such included in the spheres which the Treaty 18. Trade Secret Law 19. Law Relating To Children 20. History of Constitutional Law 21. Evaluate Parliament as a Lawmaker 22. Sources of EC Law 23. Copyright Laws In Canada 24. The Mandatory Seat Belt Law 25. How effective is international law in dealing with military conflict?

The Lion King Essays

The Lion King Essays The Lion King Essay The Lion King Essay â€Å"The Lion King† is thought to be one of the most favorite childhood movies of all time. Many people tend to think about â€Å"The Lion King† as an uplifting and inspirational movie with amazing characters and a wonderful story line. However, there are many parts of the movie that include violence and racism. But because the film is an animated movie and is thought to be for children these aspects are not directly noticed when watching it. In the movie there are a variety of symbols that illustrate racism, residence, and power. Beginning with the fact that while watching a children’s movie features such as color of the characters does not seem to have a great deal of meaning. However when analyzing these types of movies the color of each character plays a huge role in what the author was trying to portray. In â€Å"The Lion King† the main example of this is the colors of Simba and Scar. Simba is a golden bright color while Scar is a dark grey and black color. It is also clear that throughout the movie Simba is the protagonist whereas Scar is the antagonist. The bright yellow and golden color of Simba reinforces the fact that he is the hero and the loved character during the movie. Children are often taught from a young age that most dark colors associate with something that is fearful. And when thinking of how dark and dull Scars colors are people automatically think about how bad and evil of a character he is. Scar and the hyenas are both dark colors representing the poverty and disadvantage people in Africa. Additional characteristic of â€Å"The Lion King† is the residency of the different animals. When watching â€Å"The Lion King† many people do not associate the area of which the different type of animals live with the area that different type of people live. In Africa the upper class people all live in areas of plentiful resources. In the movie the pride land represents the area with all the resources; it is an area that seems cheerful and full of life while the elephant graveyard is the exact opposite. During the movie the lions and other dominant animals such as elephants and giraffes are the ones who get to live in the pride land symbolizing these animals as the upper class. While the scavenger animals such as the hyenas or lower class have to live in the elephant graveyard which represents the outskirts of the African pride lands. The elephant graveyard represents the poor and poverty filled areas of Africa. Finally, in â€Å"The Lion King† there are examples of power and hierarchy. At beginning of the movie there is scene of all the animals bowing to the new king. This scene shows that the animals know who their king is and that baby Simba is next in line for the thrown. This example reflects aspects of today’s society because it follows the type of power system many cultures have. Mufasa, Simba’s father, says â€Å"everything the light touches is our kingdom,† this statement shows that the animals also have an understanding of where their ruling territory ends just as kings, presidents and rulers do today. In conclusion, the movie â€Å"The Lion King† may seem as though it is a simple animated movie with no characteristics resembling the real world. However racism, residency and power are just a few noticeable aspects when analyzing this movie. These different examples portray diverse meanings depending on who the audience is. For young children the most important thing during the movie is how cute and loveable the characters are but for an adult these hidden meanings and messages are important.

Characteristics of a 21st-Century Teacher

Characteristics of a 21st-Century Teacher What does a 21st-century teacher look like to you? You may have heard this popular buzzword thrown around your school or on the news, but do you know what a modern-day educator really looks like? Beyond the obvious of being up-to-date on the latest in technology, they can have the characteristics of a facilitator, a contributor, or even an integrator. Here are six more key characteristics of a 21st-century educator. Theyre Adaptive They are able to adapt to whatever comes there way. Being a teacher in todays world means that you have to adapt to the ever-changing tools and changes that are being implemented in the schools. Smartboards are replacing chalkboards and tablets are replacing textbooks and a 21st-century teacher needs to be okay with that. Lifelong Learners These educators dont just expect their students to be a lifelong learner, but they are as well. They stay up-to-date with current educational trends and technology and know how to tweak their old lesson plans from years before to make them more current. Are Tech Savvy Technology is changing at a rapid pace and that means that a 21st-century teacher is right along for the ride. The latest technology, whether its for lessons or grading, will allow the teacher and student to be able to learn better and faster. An effective teacher knows that learning about the latest gadget can truly transform their students education, so they are not just current on the new trends, but really know how to master them. Know How to Collaborate An effective 21st-century educator must be able to collaborate and work well within a team. Over the past decade, this important skill has grown quite rapidly in schools. Learning is deemed to be more effective when you can share your ideas and knowledge with others. Sharing your expertise and experience, and communicating and learning from others is an important part of the learning and teaching process. Are Forward Thinking An effective 21st-century educator thinks about their students future and is aware of the career opportunities that may arise from them. They are always planning to ensure that no child gets left behind so they focus on preparing todays children for whats to come in the future. Are Advocates for the Profession They are an advocate not only for their students but their profession. Todays teachers are being watched with a close eye because of all of the changes in curriculum and the Common Core. Instead of sitting back, a 21st-century teacher takes a stand for their themselves and their profession. They pay close attention to what is going on in education and they address these issues head-on. They also advocate for their students. Todays classrooms are filled with children who need someone to look out for them, give them advice, encouragement, and a listening ear. Effective teachers share their knowledge and expertise and act as a role model for their students. 21st-century teaching means teaching as you have always taught but with todays tools and technology. It means utilizing everything that is important in todays world so that students will be able to live and prosper in todays economy, as well as having the ability to guide students and to prepare them for the future.

Marketing - crises and problems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing - crises and problems - Essay Example These factors, which may be supportive or constraining to the future development of the organization, provide the backcloth' against which the future strategies and plans must be formulated (Bennet, 1996). The model analyses the environment into four areas of focus. It should be used flexibly to reflect the nature of the relevant country/market environment. This means that for a large corporate, with a significant spread of operations, it is appropriate to separately map the different environments in which the various parts of the organization operate (Howe, 1986). The facts are normally identified by the senior management of the business from their personal knowledge and experience. Naturally this assumes that they have sufficient background in the environment to generate accurate data. If this experience does not exist external information sources would need to be used to supplement the existing knowledge of the business (Aaltonen and Ikavalko 2002). Even where knowledge is strong' it is prudent to validate key facts/assumptions and to compare alternative views of the future. The analysis should be used to identify: The issues that are dominant and are likely to exert the most pressure or influence on the future direction and prospects of the corporate. This is often achieved by using H/M/L (High/Medium/Low) categorization of each factor. Five Forces Model Industry mapping is a model that enables the competitive environment in which the organization operates to be analyzed. It was developed by Michael Porter and is often referred to as the Porter 5 Forces' model. It helps to identify the strength of the competitive forces that impact on the industry (Kotler and Armstrong 2005). Environmental Mapping' examined more generally the wider commercial context affecting all industries, this approach is focused on the specific industry in which the organization operates. Competition among existing firms - this is the natural competitive rivalry which exists between the various businesses operating within the industry marketplace (Bennet, 1996). Threat of new entrants - this is the potential likelihood of, and ease of, entry for new firms into the market. An example would be the entry of Japanese contractors into the UK construction market. Threat of substitute products or services - this is where a product or service, perhaps produced through a different technology, enters the market. An example would be the entry of compact discs into the audiotape/record market - providing the same product, music', through a different technology. Bargaining power of suppliers - this examines the relationship between businesses in the industry and the suppliers to those businesses. Where suppliers have a unique or restricted availability product they can exert a strong influence over prices and conditions of supply, therefore potentially putting pressures on the businesses purchasing their product/services. Bargaining power of buyers - this examines the relationship between businesses in the industry and the customers of those businesses. The purpose is to identify the relative strength of the business in the customer relationship (Bowman 1998; Porter, 1980, Appendix

Customer Relationship Management in the Business-to-Business Market in Assignment

Customer Relationship Management in the Business-to-Business Market in Brazil - Assignment Example Research has identified that development of trust in B2B marketing is imperative, especially when there is a cultural or geographical disparity between both partners (Moment 2001; Burkert 1994). Trust is the most critical value-added constituent in this business relationship. Companies that engage in B2B marketing, especially when working with international partners, must focus on establishing conviction and reliance in order to progress forward and experience the long-run synergies provided by successful partnership development. This report focuses on business-to-business marketing in Brazil, a country in which there are established hierarchies of business relationship development that actually do take into consideration the dynamics of interpersonal relationship development in order to build the necessary trust between partners. The report also focuses on the tangibles of customer relationship with Pfizer, an international pharmaceutical company operating in B2B environments. Pfizer believes that value-added activities are critical to establishing an appropriate customer relationship management system to ensure long-run sustainability of the marketing relationship. The majority of these activities include reliance on technology to support interactivity between trading partners. Vendors that have been pre-approved are granted access to Pfizer’s technology systems, allowing them to track their own invoice movements and also submit orders through Pfizer’s e-business website (Pfizer 2013). This not only adds convenience but sets the foundation for the vital trust required. According to Starnes, Truhon and McCarthy (2010) trust is only established over time and building this relationship is a cyclical process of reciprocal acts.  

Terrorism Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Terrorism Case - Essay Example Its international relations with the Arab world would change immensely after the war as America tried to identify the perpetrators of the violence. Presently, the US Congress faces the challenge of how to protect, finance, and adequately respond to terror threats on airlines across the United States. Ideally, terrorist attacks tend to interfere with commerce and travel industry in that investors develop fear pertaining to the consequences of the launched attacks. Evidently, the terror attacks of September eleventh in 2001 have made airlines adopt stringent policies that have enabled the airline companies to reassure passengers of their safety abode their airplanes. With the attacks, Congress moved swiftly in a move to prevent future attacks on American soil as it passed the Act on Aviation and Transportation Security that saw the establishment of the Transportation Security Administration. With this act in place, security screeners had the authority to inspect the luggage of their prospective clients as part of the routine security checks (Conser, Paynich, & Gingerich, 2013). As per the act, airline security personnel had an entitlement to advanced screening equipment that could detect any security threat at any distance. As part of the checks, passengers also had to submit their identification details for scrutiny against the terrorist database as a way of limiting the ferrying of terrorists to other destinations and on terrorism. Cargo also did not fall short of the screening aspect in that cargo had to undergo intense checks to prevent the ferrying of terrorist merchandise. With this, the security levels in aircrafts and airports in general have strengthened although not to the highest intended level (Lee, 2013). Ideally, land, air, and marine systems of transport are the systems that have witnessed intense utilization in both America and other developing economies. They

Developing Leadership Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Developing Leadership Skills - Essay Example For this assignment, I observed my friend Carl who is a soccer captain and Jenny who is the head pharmacist at my local drug store. On this day, Carl had fallen out with his teammate Mark and it had escalated to a physical fight. Tensions had been brewing between the two because Mark had consistently challenged the captain’s decisions in front of his teammates. Mark is a very talented and hardworking player but has a high temper and is generally stubborn. He could have actually made captain but his mean tempered streak and sense of individualism stood in the way. Carl is also a talented player and a team player but is generally passive aggressive. He barely shows any emotion and has generally ignored Mark’s negative comments and public jabs to avoid fueling his anger. However, Carl had resulted to benching Mark during practice when the coach was not around to alienate him, decision that Mark had not taken kindly after missing out on several practice sessions. Constant a rguments had a cold war had gone on between the two till Mark finally confronted Carl and a fight ensued. The two now sat before the coach pleading their case and explaining what happened. Carl argued that Mark had constantly disrespected him and did not heed the advice of his peers during practice. Therefore he had been forced to make him sit out during practice and work with teammates who followed his lead. Mark on the other hand argued that he did not mean to be disrespectful and was only trying to have his voice heard. Being a good player and an avid reader on how to improve the way they played was only trying to get the captain to incorporate a few plays during practice. Carl interpreted this as a threat to his authority and hit back by alienating him from the team. Mark kept insisting that even though he has a short temper and sometimes speaks his mind in an assertive manner, he did not mean to fuel a feud between him and the captain. Carl appeared insecure about his abilities as a leader and did not act objectively. As a leader, he had identified that there was a problem based on how Mark behaved towards him. However, he did not deal with it effectively. Alienating him only fueled a feud between them and drove the team to take sides making it harder to work as a team. They had never evened out their differences and sat to talk about how they felt about each other. Luckily, this was an avenue to settle old scores and agree to work together as a team. Carl accepted that as the captain he could have stimulated participation and teamwork and allowed Mark to try some plays. Accepting Mark’s suggestions was not a threat to his authority. Carl used the paternalism leadership approach where anyone appearing question his authority was punished by being forced to sit out, a leadership style which drew the team apart and let to a physical fight. Jenny is the head pharmacist at the largest local retail pharmacy and has been lauded for her management and lead ership skills over the years. As the head of the largest pharmacy she has earned respect and is considered a mentor and role model among professional women. However, it has not always been an easy task as pharmacists can easily fall prey to the lure of money due to conflict of interest. On this day jenny sat before the owners of the pharmacy after a decision she had made to change drug suppliers from Hadleys pharmaceuticals to Clavam pharmaceuticals led to a crisis. The suppliers enjoyed a cordial relationship with the store owners and had been supplying drugs to the store since its inception. Jenny had recently signed a new contract with a different drug supplier and the old suppliers had reached out to the store owners to

International Aspects Of Business Law Coursework - 1

International Aspects Of Business Law - Coursework Example One of the event was several boxes were dropped by the crane during loading of the consignment. It occurred due to overloading of the net through which the boxes were lifted. Secondly, the carrier during the course of voyage also encountered rough weather conditions. Now the matter of concern for the buyer namely, Nee Soon Wat was the extent of damage of materials in the dropped boxes. But after inspection of the dropped boxes he found that the objects were intact. So he formally accepted the goods and paid Sefton Toys for the consignment. But at the time of unloading of the consignment it was discovered that rest of the uninspected shipment got affected largely due to shifting during the rough weather of the voyage. The improperly stowed cargo was the reason for shifting of the boxes. Furthermore, some serious mistake in the date of the paper works related to bill of lading is also present. Some information regarding the shipping terms are also provided in this case study to resolve this problem. Those are: firstly, during this transaction shipping terms were under Incoterms 2000. Secondly, the contract made by them expressed to be subject to the UN Convention on Sales 1980 (Vienna Convention). Findings from the statements of law The contract between Sefton Toy’s and Nee Soon Wat was based on two contractual laws; Incoterms 2000 and UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods. According to, UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods the obligations of buyers and sellers are given below which will help to resolve this case. Obligations of the seller According to this Convention generally the obligations from seller’s end is the delivery of goods along with documents in conformity with the contract. This Convention also made supplementary rules which can be used in absence of agreement of contract. These rules states how, when and where the obligations should be performed by the sellers. It also provides numer ous rules about the seller’s obligations regarding quality of the commodities being sold. It suggests the seller must convey the commodities matching to the quality, quantity and description which are requisites of the buyer defined in the contract. The goods to be also packaged and marked according to the requisites of the buyer described in the contract. One significant rule which involve seller’s obligation is that the delivered merchandise should be free from third party rights or claims. There is another rule which is connected with the buyer’s obligation that is to inspect the goods. If any lack of conformity is discovered by the buyer in accord to the contract he must serve a notice within a rational period. It must be within 2 years from the delivery date of the consignment. (United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International, p.38) Obligations of the buyer According to this convention the obligations from the buyer’s end are making the payment for the goods and accepting the delivery in accordance to the contract. During making payment it also includes performance of duties

James m. mcpherson crossroads of freedom antietam Essay

James m. mcpherson crossroads of freedom antietam - Essay Example McPherson lay out a chronological account of this battle starting with the events that prompted the war, how the battle was fought, and its aftermath. This paper seeks to explore how the battle of Antietam changed the course of America’s Civil War in accordance with McPherson views. The battle of Antietam is indeed remembered as the deadliest and bloodiest day in America’s history. However, this day also has a lot of significance in civil war since it changed the course of the war completely as pointed out by McPherson (2). This is seen right from the first chapter where McPherson lays out shifting fortunes witnessed during the early years before the conflict. Here, McPherson reveals how both the Union and Confederate and European powers were affected by the events of the first years of the battle. In this regard, McPherson Juxtaposes the success of Union forces in the early months of the conflict to Lincoln government’s poor handling of ‘Trent Affairâ€⠄¢ and failure of Union forces to conquer the Southern Army. Reflecting the failed Union efforts in the ‘Trent Affair’, McPherson argues that the failure of Confederates to use King Cotton to mount a blockage marked the turning point of the war in its early years of 1862. This is because it gave the Union soldiers the opportunity to repel the Confederate invasion of the north. In this regard, McPherson mentions the usual sources, which included Mary Boykin Chesnut, John B. Jones, Charles Francis Adams, and Elizabeth Blair Lee (McPherson 6). Chapter two of the book gives accounts of the increasing southern fortunes and the tensions that resulted thereof. McPherson titled this ‘Taking off the Kid Gloves, June-July of 1862’ (McPherson 17). In this regard, McPherson gives an account of how growing support for the views of Confederates among European powers turned the course of the battle. McPherson argues that failure of Federals to succeed increased the commit ment level of Union forces to wage a different war. This is because the failure by the Federals pointed the weakness of the confederates thereby increasing the morale of the Union forces to continue waging a strong battle, according to McPherson (19). In fact, McPherson noted that the battle of Antietam gave signs of Union’s victory in the war with many Confederate forces perishing in the war. McPherson argues that the battle of Antietam also changed the course of the war since it marked the point where the European powers began seeking for diplomatic recognition, which later resulted in a negotiated settlement leading to the recognition of independence. McPherson also argued that the victory of the Union soldiers in the battle of Antietam also changed the course of the war in the sense that it resulted to the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Lincoln, which changed the war into a war against slavery (McPherson 26). According to McPherson, Emancipation Pr oclamation increased the need to re-ignite Northern enthusiasm through radicalization the war. In fact, McPherson argues that the establishment of an army under Union General John Pope was a move towards a total battle on the interest of the Southern, particularly property. McPherson noted that this entirely changed the course of the civil war to war against slavery and property (McPherson 41). McPherson explains this giving an account of the events that took place in the

International Aspects Of Business Law Coursework - 1

International Aspects Of Business Law - Coursework Example One of the event was several boxes were dropped by the crane during loading of the consignment. It occurred due to overloading of the net through which the boxes were lifted. Secondly, the carrier during the course of voyage also encountered rough weather conditions. Now the matter of concern for the buyer namely, Nee Soon Wat was the extent of damage of materials in the dropped boxes. But after inspection of the dropped boxes he found that the objects were intact. So he formally accepted the goods and paid Sefton Toys for the consignment. But at the time of unloading of the consignment it was discovered that rest of the uninspected shipment got affected largely due to shifting during the rough weather of the voyage. The improperly stowed cargo was the reason for shifting of the boxes. Furthermore, some serious mistake in the date of the paper works related to bill of lading is also present. Some information regarding the shipping terms are also provided in this case study to resolve this problem. Those are: firstly, during this transaction shipping terms were under Incoterms 2000. Secondly, the contract made by them expressed to be subject to the UN Convention on Sales 1980 (Vienna Convention). Findings from the statements of law The contract between Sefton Toy’s and Nee Soon Wat was based on two contractual laws; Incoterms 2000 and UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods. According to, UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods the obligations of buyers and sellers are given below which will help to resolve this case. Obligations of the seller According to this Convention generally the obligations from seller’s end is the delivery of goods along with documents in conformity with the contract. This Convention also made supplementary rules which can be used in absence of agreement of contract. These rules states how, when and where the obligations should be performed by the sellers. It also provides numer ous rules about the seller’s obligations regarding quality of the commodities being sold. It suggests the seller must convey the commodities matching to the quality, quantity and description which are requisites of the buyer defined in the contract. The goods to be also packaged and marked according to the requisites of the buyer described in the contract. One significant rule which involve seller’s obligation is that the delivered merchandise should be free from third party rights or claims. There is another rule which is connected with the buyer’s obligation that is to inspect the goods. If any lack of conformity is discovered by the buyer in accord to the contract he must serve a notice within a rational period. It must be within 2 years from the delivery date of the consignment. (United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International, p.38) Obligations of the buyer According to this convention the obligations from the buyer’s end are making the payment for the goods and accepting the delivery in accordance to the contract. During making payment it also includes performance of duties

International Business Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International Business - Term Paper Example Toy industry is one of the growing industries of the world. It encompasses both electronic and non electronic toys and games. The global toy industry is not just associated with games and fun, rather it is dubbed as one of the hypercompetitive industries. The sector is characterized by secret product development practices and occasional indictment of corporate surveillance. Some of the major players in this industry are Hasbro, MGA Entertainment, Matteland, LEGO, Namco Bandai, Sanrio, Barbie and Steiff among others. In addition, the gaming hardware division sometime also comes under the toy industry. In this segment, Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft are the major players. The industry is driven by product innovation and strategic licensing. The reason behind strategic licensing acting as one of the key drivers of the industry is because most of the revenue of the toy industry generates from exporting or overseas marketing activities. On the other hand, product innovation is the only tool through which thousands of toy manufacturing companies differentiates themselves from the others. The surge in the population of children of below 12 years of age is playing a decisive role in increasing the demand for toys across the globe. As a result of that, the industry is growing at a steady pace. According to reports, in the year 2012 the toy industry was estimated to be at a value of 84 billion U.S. dollars. Out of the total industry value, around 20 billion is attributed to the US market only. Hence, it is obvious that in terms of total turnover USA is the leader of global toy industry. However, majority of the toys being used in the country is imported. Apart from the US, another major player in the toy industry is China. Some of the cheaper plastic toys that are found in stores, restaurants, daycares centers, fairs, homes and cereal boxes that are found across the globe are mostly manufactured in China. In terms of production, the Chinese toy industry is the largest in t he world. The industry generates billions of dollars and also employs millions of people across the globe. Hence, from the points made above it is believed that the scenario of the global toy industry is clear to the reader. (Source: Pierstransportation, 2012) In this report, a comparison of the South African toy industry and Seychelles toy industry will be carried out and do to the same, the study will make use of the different strategies and frameworks proposed by Michael E. Porter. Once a comparison between the two countries is drawn, the report seeks to provide a summative conclusion and recommendations pertaining to the caveats of investment and the business activity required to operate efficiently in that market place. South African Toy Industry Overview The overall scenario of the toy industry in South Africa is pleasant for the business owners as well as the government. The high turnover of the industry is playing effective roles in strengthening the national economy of Sout h Africa. The toys and games section witnessed a strong growth in terms of the value achieved. However, during the year 2009 when the country suffered a major economic downturn, the toy industry was negatively impacted. As per reports, the sales of traditional toys reached US$72.4 in the year 2009, thereby reflecting a decline of 3% from the previous year. One of the reasons for this is the shifting trends of consumers. The construction toys and activity toys accounted for the largest share of 18.5%. On the other hand, the sales figure of dolls and figure toys declined by 5%. In the similar way, the sale of indoor games also declined by 3% (Euromonitor, 2009). Furthermore, the recovery rate was also extremely slow due low spending of consumers in such products. As a result of that the industry is still in the process of recovery. The secondary research about the South African toy industry has shown that the country has been a major toy exporter (Hill and Jones, 2012). Furthermore, r eports have also suggested that the

Internationalising Porters Diamond Essay Example for Free

Internationalising Porters Diamond Essay This article Internationalising Porters Diamond argues that Porter underestimates the significance of the globalization of production and markets in his work about competitive advantage of nations. Dunning says that there is increasing interaction and networking cross-borders. He argues that the cross-border value added activities by multinational companies have influence indirectly and directly on each of the components of the diamond of national competitive advantage. In the article Dunning tries to analyse how globalization of economic activity affects the competitive advantages of individual nation. The article also explores the nature and form of networking and how recent technological developments and regional interactions have increased the interdependence of economic activity between the leading industrial nations in the world. Dunning thinks that the significance of globalization for individual country will depend on how important international transactions are (compared to national transactions), the kinds of assets and products are traded and the modality of international economic involvement. He distinguishes six features of the global economy, which are the following: 1. In global economy value generating assets are increasingly taking the form of created assets (e. g. human capital). The competitive advantages of countries are coming to depend on the countries ability to effectively use and increase these assets. 2. These assets are intangible and firm or ownership specific and do not belong to country. 3. The role of multinational enterprises (MNEs) is increasing. This is because it is in the interest of domestic domicile firms to use the created assets and to generate new assets in a foreign country, or to acquire assets e. g. by acquisition or alliance, by using foreign domiciled firms. 4. Increasing part of the assets of firms of a particular country is either acquired from or are located in another country. The crowing cross-border networking through strategic alliances, international subcontracting and other cooperative arrangements is further undermining the concept of national firm specific diamonds. 5. The role of government needs to be re-evaluated as a result of globalization of the world economy. 6. Increasing competition between countries over the same resources and markets. Considering these points almost all the factors in on Porters domestic diamond have to be reconsidered. The pattern of the diamonds of countries will differ according to the extent and form of the involvement of the country in question in the global economy. Dunning argues that Porter put too little emphasise on the international influence and underestimated the influence of the MNEs. Dunning suggests that the national diamond should be replaced with supernational diamond because of the increasing integration between countries. In this case, national political borders become meaningless and the competitive advantage of a country can be influenced by factors outside a countrys home diamond. The principle is the same, but the geographical constituency has to be established on different criteria when taking about the supernational diamond. 2. 4 The Double Diamond Model of International Competitiveness: The Canadian Experience by Alan Rugman and Joseph DCruz The point of view in this article is that Porters diamond framework explains the success of US, Japanese, and EC-based multinational corporations, but it is not applicable to small, open, trading economies. Rugman and DCruz show that Porters home country diamond does not explain Canadas international competitiveness. Also some other researchers have noticed this problem when trying to apply Porters model to e. g. New Zealand, and Korea. Rugman and DCruz argue that the over 90 % of the worlds nations potentially cannot be modelled by the Porter diamond. The authors suggest that substantial modifications of the Porter framework are required to analyze the nature of Canadas successful resource-based multinationals, foreign subsidiaries and institutional arrangements, such as the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement. In order to do this Rugman and DCruz present a new double diamond framework. In this model Rugman and DCruz propose that since Canada in already economically highly integrated with U. S. , it should use The North American diamond when trying to determine or improve Canadas international competitiveness. This means that Canadians should view the U. S. market as a home market, not just an export market. Canadian owned multinationals have competitive advantages derived from attributes of the U. S. or other foreign diamonds, rather than the Canadian diamond alone. It is also said in the article that each country needs to set its own home-country diamond against the relevant triad diamond. In general, most Asia-Pacific nations will set theirs against Japan. Canada, Mexico, Latin America, and most Caribbean countries will consider theirs against the US diamond. European nations outside of the EC will set theirs against the EC. The authors also criticise that the elements used in Porter model are hardly new or unexpected. The only contribution is bringing them together. Rugman and DCruz criticise the data and how it is presented. The main points were Porter flaws according to Rugman and DCruz is the narrow definition that he applies to foreign direct investments (FDI) and the flawed understanding of the nature of two way FDI (ignoring the role of inbound foreign direct investment). They also criticise how Porter handles imports and exports and multinational activities. According to them their double diamond framework would treat these above-mentioned attributes more correctly. 2. 5 Porters Competitive Advantage revisited by Nicholas J.   Shaughnessy The article, Porters Competitive Advantage revisited, written by Nicholas J. Shaughnessy gives new views to Porters book Competitive Advantage of Nations. The author agrees on some issues with Porter but he also presents criticism. According to  Shaughnessy, the key criticism of Porter is his inattention to the cultural dimension, which the author sees as a significant omission. The author argues that Porter i s work is overly facile in its willingness to fall in with the national stereotypes without the type of empirical support necessary for statistical generalization. In the article Oi Shaughnessy sarcastically says that Porter views national culture as changeless artifact. He continues by saying that even though Porter credit national culture with certain amount of explanatory power; Porter tends to avoid discussing it in any depth. Shaughnessy also discovers that the role of history in a specific country is neglected. The second significant criticism covers developing countries. Oi Shaughnessy says in the article that Porters arguments are formed almost entirely with reference to developed countries. The author argues that, for instance, university education is not very significant factor in countries where most of the population is illiterate. He continues by addressing that the real problems in developing countries are located in politics and culture. The third point of criticism is the role of government. The author argues that in the Porters work lacks of specificity. While some contributors to competitive advantage e. g. university research are well defined, Porter disregards others. From Oi Shaughnessy point of view it seems that Porter wants to remove government from direct arbitrament in industry as far as possible. He also thinks that Porter seems to ignore the nature of the many political imperatives that lead away from state spending on key factors that might have aided in the creation of competitive advantage. As an example of this Shaughnessy uses agriculture, which is in many cases heavily subsidized directly from government and indirectly by customers. He argues that governments are often pressured by lobby groups. That is a reason why governments are sometimes incapable of making the strategic choices necessary to support and sustain competitive advantage. Shaughnessy sees that Porters book is a significant piece of work, but it also has its limitations. According to the author of the article the subject is so extensive that it cannot be covered in one book. He also says that the criticism of Porters book is not that Porter has made an error, but that his thesis is incomplete. Shaughnessy is worried that any populist universalist explanation is accepted uncritically and applied mechanically. He thinks Porters view encourages the belief that problems are soluble exclusively through economic policy measures. Oi Shaughnessy wants to reverse that view by emphasizing the role of history, politics and culture in determing competitive advantage.

The Lonely Toiling :: Philosophy Money Papers

The Lonely Toiling My favorite book has always been A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. This work has an element of self-reinvention that I find attractive. Few themes are as interesting for me as the theme of a man or a woman, by strength of will, changing his or her stars and defying the convoluted schemes of the Fates. In this regard, I feel a special appreciation for Charles Dickens’ work because Ebenezer Scrooge is not reinventing himself for the sake of material gain; the sole purpose of Scrooge’s transformation is redemption. Dickens constructs a dichotomy in Scrooge’s situation that is unrivalled among literary characters. Ebenezer Scrooge is a man whose driving motivation is to cultivate affluence and wealth, yet these seemingly beneficial things are what cause him to lose his humanity and suffer boundless misery and loneliness. As such, the story of Scrooge is a paradox in kind, where the striving for money and the attainment of happiness are not synchronous. Perhaps the reason that I feel so drawn to the character of Ebenezer Scrooge is that I also suffer greatly from this paradox. I stand at the forefront of those about to join the Investment Banking workforce; security and power are the guaranteed welcome mats. However, I cannot help but ponder all the personal sacrifice that this entry shall entail. The hundred-hour workweeks and the burgeoning pressure from superiors will make it all but impossible for me to foster a family or retain any semblance of a social life. Thus, as for Robert Frost, two paths have converged in the woods for me, and I need to choose the one that I shall travel by. To help guide me in this reconciliation between the personal and the professional, I am visited by my own respective literary ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. I. The ghost of Christmas past arrives to me in the guise of Karl Marx. A short, stocky German man with a thick beard and ruddy eyes, he takes me back to nineteenth century Belgium at the onset of the Industrial Revolution. I view workers toiling over produce that is ultimately taxed out of their hands. I witness the extent to which man is degraded as I look upon the rampant cannibalism caused by the extreme disparity between poverty and wealth. As I struggle to grasp the reasoning behind these sights, Marx explains: The worker becomes poorer the more wealth he produces, the more his production increases in power and extent.

Death Penalty-Correct choice? :: essays research papers

Although thought to be a problem in the past, the death penalty in today’s world has been proven to be an injustice and an immoral sentence for the people convicted. I believe that we do not have the right to kill anyone as a consequence for his or her past choices or actions. Just because a person murdered another, does not mean we have to also put another human being to death. It is God's decision what their fate should become, not ours. Perhaps we should try to make the person who did the crime be punished in another way for their crime. By placing the convicted murderer in prison for the rest of their life, we would be showing a humane punishment rather than inhumane. We could have the criminals be a part of a prison work program. Through work, the convicts can pay back the loss of a human life in some way and yet will be able to think about the harm and grief they have caused others because of their terrible deeds. The victim’s family will always remember their terrible loss of their loved one. By placing the killer in a high-security prison for the restof his/her life, the family will feel that justice is served. The convicted killer will be unable to physically hurt the family or come in contact with them for as long as the murderer is alive. Although some believe that the death penalty may make the family feel better to have the murderer killed, it does not bring their loved ones back. By using the death sentence, it not only affects the murderer and the victim’s family, it also affects the Jury. Not only does the Jury need to give up their time and money, but the decision to put another human to death could be a hurtful responsibility that will not be forgotten by those who had to make a decision like this. Sometimes people on Death Row are wrongfully killed. These people may have been mistaken for another and an innocent man or woman might be put to death. We may not be 100% sure it is the guilty person we are sending to their death. No one deserves death, no matter what they did. By putting them to death, we are just as guilty for putting another to death. We cannot make that choice.

Harry Harlow

Compare and contrast research by Harry Harlow and Mary Ainsworth on understanding attachment This essay is looking at the similarities of two researchers into attachment. The aim is to present their work so as to compare and contrast the different approaches and techniques used by both Harry Harlow and Mary Ainsworth. Even though they both had their different techniques in carrying out their experiments, the conclusion of their findings was very similar and this essay will be showing these findings by contrast.Both psychologists wanted to find out the underlying mechanics of attachment of mothers and their young. Firstly an American psychologist namely Harry Harlow who almost by accident started the most influential work in understanding attachment, fortunately discovered he was unable to carry out his original study regarding intelligence in rats, so he turned to the abilities of monkeys after seeing strange behaviour portrayed by the monkeys as he cleaned their cages. Subsequently he realised the fuss was being made from the extraction of the soft sanitary towels that were used in lining their cages.With this in mind he set out to prove the affection these monkey had for the sanitary towels was in fact â€Å"contact comfort† seeing as all their other needs were catered for and there was only adverse behaviour on the removal of the towels. He used rhesus macaques a medium sized monkey, which shares 94% DNA with humans â€Å"yet one must not be very careful how one interprets this genetic similarity. We share 50 per cent of our DNA with a banana†(Discovering Psychology, p. 204,2010). Harlow constructed two surrogate mothers for these babies to show affection or need. wire cylinder that provided milk, also in the cage was a structure made of wood covered in foam with a layer of towelling(also known as terry cloth in America). On viewing the action of the baby monkeys Harry Harlow confirmed his theory of â€Å"contact comfort†. He witnessed t he baby clinging on to the terry cloth mother for comfort and only reaching for the wire surrogate for food then returning back to the terry cloth mother. â€Å"In another experiment he showed that the babies treated the terry cloth mother as a â€Å"safe base† (Discovering psychology, p. 07,2010) On displacement of the mothers the only distressing reaction came about on removal of the terry cloth mother with no reaction to the removal of the wire mother which produced food. Upon this observation â€Å"Harlow hypothesised that the tactile qualities of stimuli were more important for infant monkeys bonding then the provision of food†(Discovering psychology, p202,2010) So the previous assumption of the cupboard love theory was superseded by Harlows observation of contact comfort.However this conclusion was reach in monkeys and does not automatically prove the same in humans but does give a basis for the t In looking at Marry Ainswoth's work on attachment it is seen ther e is a great difference in the subject and in the condition surrounding the research. Unlike Harlow who conducted his experiments in the controlled conditions of a laboratory, Ainsworth observed young babies from Ugandan families where she moved with her husband in 1953. Through the observation of the babies over â€Å"two hours every fortnight over a period of nine month†(Discovering Psychology, p. 16,2010) She witnessed that upon the mothers showing comfort to their young, the affection that was shown calmed them and stopped them crying, Ainsworth arrived at the conclusion similar to Harlow that the babies needed tactile stimuli or â€Å"contact comfort† the findings she reached coincided with the work of Harlow. She discovered that the displays witnessed and the validation of contact comfort showed infants became more confident to explore as long as the mothers were present, acting as a safe base in the same way the monkeys reacted to the terry cloth mother.This was shown through Harlows placing the monkey in an unfamiliar playroom, using both surrogate mothers. The positive reaction only came when the terry cloth mother was present, acting as a safe base â€Å"allowing infants to go off and explore or play, but also to rush back to if they felt threatened† (Discovering psychology,p. 207,2010) In comparison to Harlow's work Ainsworth because of ethics could not separate the baby from its mother due to the damage to their emotional and psychological well being.So upon which she used the technique of observation to seemingly reach the same result as Harlow in that attachment is based on â€Å"contact comfort†. Also realising in her study the importance of a â€Å"safe base† to infants, as in the observation research carried out on the Uganda families â€Å"if the mothers were unresponsive and emotionally detached, their infants seem to cry a lot more and often seemed clingy or insecure†(Discovering psychology, p. 216, 2010). We see the advantages of Ainsworh's study in wanting to find out about attachment in humans, by studying humans.As well as showing more credibility into the mechanics of human attachment it also provided Ainsworth with the opportunity to develop a highly influential procedure called the strange situation because of the complexity of humans. This procedure consisted of a series of seven episodes involving three participants, namely mother, baby and a stranger. Page 3 personal identifier: C3257246On completion of the procedure in the highly controlled environment (which limited the amount of emotional upset to the child on encountering and being left alone with the stranger that was constructed in one of the episodes) Ainsworth identified four different types of attachment in the infants used in the observation. While benefiting from the conclusion reached it was only on the basis of a single observation and did not take into account important factors such as the mood of the in fants and how well they slept.The study also produced a further problem when the research was carried out in different countries revealing a great difference in the four types of attachment witnessed in her strange situation. This begs the question of ecological validity and how a controlled observation with a set of episodes is not the same for mothers and infants where these circumstances never arise, as in Japan the strange situation procedure never took place as it seemed to be inappropriate since â€Å"those mothers never left their babies in a room alone with a stranger† (Discovering psychology, p. 20,2010). However Harlow had his advantages too. The behaviour in non-human animals that Harlow used can be easier to interpret and to explain the results as unequivocal. Like Ainsworth Harlow carried out further experiments to strengthen the theory of a safe base now that contact comfort was established. In one of the further experiments â€Å"Harlow found that when the bab ies were placed in a large room full of toys they would curl up in a terrified ball if there was no mother or just the wire surrogate present†(Discovering Psychology, p. 07,2010) So even though we cannot be sure of the degree of findings on non humans and how applicable they are to humans, we see that the findings of at least â€Å"contact comfort† are shared with the observations of Mary Ainsworth. In contrast to the different approaches taken by both the physiologists we understand that ethics plays a major role. In the case of Mary Ainsworth we see the question of ethics need not be approached, even In her later research the strange situation. ll necessary procedures were put in place so not to cause suffering to the infants. The view on ethics taken by Harlow was quite inadequate and became cruel and inhumane which was not a surprising as Harlow did not have too much love for animals. He once said that all he cared about was â€Å"whether a monkey will turn out pro perly I can publish. I don't have any love for them. I never have† (Discovering Psychology, p. 212, 2010)unlike Ainsworth who morally complied and stopped her experiment immediately when the infant showed any sign of distress.Although there was not any ethical guidelines in place upon Harlow carrying out his research, the British psychological society states that â€Å"psychologists must be able to demonstrate that the benefits of a study justify the cost to the animal in terms of suffering†(Discovering Psychology, p. 211,2010) So the influential work carried out by Harlow could be argued â€Å"the suffering was justified because human society benefits greatly from the knowledge†. (Discovering Psychology, p. 212,2010)In conclusion this essay has shown the different approaches both psychologists took, By doing so the essay showed the similarity and differences of both studies. The essay showed that the main underlying issue in the two studies was of ethics and bec ause of this the approaches were very different. However the influential work of Harry Harlow proved that â€Å"contact comfort† was the mechanism for attachment by showing systematically â€Å"that contact comfort was more important than food in the formation of attachment†. Discovering Psychology, p. 206, 2010) This essay also found the similarity in Mary Ainsworth's studies without approaching the question of ethics, and like Harlow came to a similar conclusion of â€Å"contact comfort†,Also appreciating the safe base theory Finally this essay appreciates the discoveries made by both Harry Harlow and Mary Ainsworth on producing relevant information through there respective studies. Word count 1518 References: Brace, n. and Byford, j. (eds)Discovering Psycology(2010), Milton Keynes, The Open University. *

Dickens & education in Hard Times Essay

In Hard times we see two versions of the world of education. The first view is that of Thomas Gradgrind’s and his â€Å"model school†. A place where facts are valued and imagination is regarded as unimportant. This is the utilitarian view. The second view is contrasted with the utilitarian view and is that of Mr Sleary’s circus. This is a place with much knowledge valuing both imagination and education. A place without the wealth of the Gradgrind’s but much in humanity. This is the â€Å"fanciful† world. I think Dickens is telling us that there are many different ways of bringing up and educating children. It is about getting the right balance between education and imagination. For example Sissy was brought up by her father and didn’t go to school but was quite well educated as she â€Å"used to read to him,† but her father let her use her imagination as she read the â€Å"wrong books† from Gradgrind’s point of view. Which were about â€Å"Fairies †¦ and the Hunchback and the Genies. † But when she went to Gradgrind’s house to live there she was cut off from having an imagination, as so was struggling to learn facts. The reader knows this as Sissy says, † I am – O so stupid! † when really she isn’t stupid at all, it is just that she has been forced to be brought up the utilitarian way, which is the wrong way for her, as she is used to having a balance between education and imagination but Gradgrind hasn’t allowed it. She â€Å"became low – spirited, but no wiser. † This is because she has an emotional memory and so she can’t learn the facts because she is being taught with a utilitarian view and so she can’t attach a feeling to what she is being taught. This is how Dickens implies that different people learn different ways and at different rates. For Gradgrind it could be argued that it was the right way for him as he was educated by his father the utilitarian way. He became a model pupil and owned a school. The reader knows that he was a model pupil as Dickens tells us â€Å"five young Gradgrinds †¦ were models everyone. † And â€Å"They had been lectured at from their tenderest years. † And in Gradgrind’s eyes this had worked so â€Å"He intended every child to be a model†. But what Gradgrind doesn’t realise is that all children are different and need to be brought up different ways, which is what Dickens is suggesting to the reader.

Kellogg’s Risk Assessment Essay

Many inventions are discovered by accident and that is the case of Kellogg’s. In 1898, W.K Kellogg and his brother Dr. John Harvey Kellogg attempted at making granola and failed but their failure led to flaked corn which then became Kellogg’s Corn Flakes. Kellogg’s Company engages in the manufacture and marketing of ready-to-eat cereal and convenience foods. The company’s success is due to the continuous improvement in the product line to adapt to changes in consumers’ taste. The company’s purpose is to do more than simply offer products beneficial to the consumers. The company is always seeking ideas to improve the customer’s experience of consuming the product through the packaging, graphics, and labels. Kellogg’s’ vision is to â€Å"enrich† and offer products that are more environmentally friendly and satisfy the world through foods that matter. Kellogg’s’ activities in the United States are subject to regulations. Some of the government agencies that regulate Kellogg’s include the Food and Drug Administration, Federal Trade Commission and the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce and Labor. The company’s facilities are subject to various U.S. and foreign, federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding the release of material into the environment and the protection of the environment in other ways. Kellogg’s has an Emerging Issues Team that helps keep their Executive Leadership Team up-to-date of evolving health, nutrition and food safety issues that could potentially impact the consumers and business. In addition, the Crisis Incident Management Team evaluates and manages incidents that can have a high impact on the business such as natural disasters, product recalls and health epidemics. Kellogg’s has a Social Responsibility and Public Policy Committee whose duty is to oversee all aspects of their corporate responsibility approach. The audit Committee is composed of four non-management Directors and they meet with management, internal auditors, and the independent registered public accounting firm to review accounting, internal control, auditing and financial reporting matters. To help prevent fraud and other unethical practices, the board and senior management set the â€Å"tone at the top†. It is important for the company to have a corporate culture that promotes ethical conduct. Kellogg’s has an Office of Ethics and Business Conduct that clarifies company policy or reporting issues related to ethics and business conduct. The Ethics Office provides online training and basic information on legal and regulatory requirements, policies and standards of the Global Code of Ethics. Each year the employees are given a questionnaire that asks about information of relationships or activities that may lead to a conflict of interest and about any known violation of policies or practices. The ethics office support the internal controls that are put into place to ensure employees obey the personal and professional standards. The internal audit program evaluates the appropriateness and effectiveness of these internal controls. In order to have a better understanding of the company’s financials, the ratios give an insight as to how the company is doing compared to the industry. The current ratio can give a sense of the efficiency of a company’s operating cycle or its ability to turn its product into cash. Kellogg’s’ current ratio of .7 compared to the industry ratio of 1.2 suggests that the company would be unable to pay off its obligations if they came due at that point. Companies that have trouble getting paid on their receivables or have long inventory turnover can run into liquidity problems because they are unable to alleviate their obligations. When comparing Kellogg’s’ return on assets ratio of 8 to the industry’s ratio of 10.8, we see that Kellogg’s is not being too effective in converting money it has to invest into net income. Management needs to make clever choices in allocating its resources so that they can make a large profit with little investment. As for the company’s inventory turnover of 6.8 compared to the industry average of 2.9, the ratio shows that Kellogg’s has greater sales efficiency and a lower risk of loss through un-saleable stock. Kellogg faces a potential risk with their long-term debt. Kellogg’s’ long-term debt to equity ratio of 2.49 compared to the industry’s average of .68 indicates that the company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. This can result in unstable earnings as a result of the additional interest expense if the company cannot maintain lower interest rates on their long-term debt. The long-term debt from 2010 went from 4,908 million to 5,037 million in 2011. On February 15, 2012 Kellogg’s’ entered into an agreement to acquire Pringles, owned by Procter & Gamble’s, for $2.695 billion. The purchase comes with some risks for Kellogg’s shareholders since the transaction is intended to be funded by international cash and issuance of about $2 billion of short and long-term debt. The company’s strategy to pay down the debt requires limiting share repurchases to employee option exercises for the next two years. To ensure that the employees provide long-term performance, the company uses stock-based compensation, including stock options, restricted stock and executive performance shares. When comparing the operating profit from 2010 of $1,990 million to 2011 operating profit of $1,976 million, there is a decline which was negatively impacted by the supply chain investments and reestablishment of the incentive compensation program as a result of the company’s strong pay-for-performance orientation. The table below shows the $6.4 million increase in key executive compensation from 2010 to 2011. The increase is mainly due to salary increase and restricted stock award and securities options increase. The management compensation plan that is tied to profit results may cause management to provide erroneous numbers. It seems today everyone is going â€Å"green† and therefore consumers are paying close attention to how their food is made and where it is sourced. With that in mind, Kellogg’s has begun to use only sustainably grown palm oil in Europe. The company has invested in Green Pal sustainable palm oil certificates to encourage the expansion of more responsible palm oil farms. Kellogg’s’ faces a challenge in addressing the growing concern against destructive agricultural practices that has alarmed many companies into ensuring their ingredients are environmentally friendly. Kellogg’s’ faces growing urgency as more consumers shy away from products containing palm oil if they cannot verify the source. Kellogg’s’ has to keep up with the â€Å"green† mentality and do what it takes to educate their consumers about their environmentally friendly products. In conclusion, Kellogg’s appears to be an acceptable client. There are several areas of the company that require attention for example the long-term debt and the acquisition of Pringles. Also, going â€Å"green† is an issue that can be challenging to the company since they have to address the concern against destructive agricultural practices. Overall, I look forward to working with Kellogg Company and being of assistance. WORKS CITED Kaye, Leon. â€Å"Kellogg’s Commits to Sustainable Agriculture and Water Stewardship.† 24 April 2012. 18 Jan. 2013. < http://www.triplepundit.com/2012/04/kelloggs-sustainable- agriculture-water-stewardship-2011-corporate-responsibility-report/>. â€Å"Kellogg Company† DailyFinance. 17 Jan. 2013 . â€Å"Kellogg Company.† Morningstar. 18 Jan. 2013 . Kellogg’s. 2012. 18 Jan. 2013

Harlem Hellfighters - The 369th In World War Ii Hawaii Essay

Harlem Hellfighters - The 369th In World War Ii Hawaii - Essay Example The case of Hawaii during World War II demonstrates racial discrimination that the African Americans were subjected to even as they strove to play a key role in the war. Even the United States president at the time questioned the ability of the African Americans to deliver at the battlefront. The article greatly contributes to the historical accounts of World War II and how it played a key role in advancing racism in the United States. THE MAKING OF DISNEYLAND BY GEORGE LIPSITZ According to the author, the Disneyland that forms a major entertainment hub in the United States was created in an effort to enable the American people to forget the negative evils that had transpired in the country such as poverty, racial discrimination, slavery and political struggles. Walt Disney wanted to come up with a place where the visitors would be blocked from the view of the outside world so that they could concentrate on the things that brought joy to them as well offered them a chance to live and feel accepted in the world The creators of Disneyland wanted the American society to be free of the past events and forge ahead as a happy nation (Lipsitz, 210-211).. Visitors at the park were greeted with fantasy and were told to dress accordingly or risk being sent away from the park. The people who visited the park by then according to the author were expected to forget about the worries of the world and personal challenges but instead concentrate on the things that brought them joy and delight.

CAN ALERTNESS OF EMPLOYEES SAVE ORGANISATIONS FROM HACKERS USING Essay

CAN ALERTNESS OF EMPLOYEES SAVE ORGANISATIONS FROM HACKERS USING SOCIAL ENGINEERING FOR CYBER ATTACKS - Essay Example In their actions, hackers in the contemporary society use the most sophisticated of malware to attack information systems and networks in ways never seen before. Nevertheless, the initial role of social engineering in these attacks is core and cannot be overlooked due to the technologies used. Social engineering is hackers’ equivalent of a con or a trick, which makes the target people or systems to think someone, something or an action, is safe, trustworthy and familiar while in reality it is not (Kiountouzis & Kokolakis, 2011). The most common of social engineering con tricks often involve the hacker sending an e-mail to the target person or system. This e-mail if first tailored so that it appears to have come from a trustworthy sender. However, these con e-mails often contain links that when opened or clicked, directs a computer to a malware, which is in turn downloaded by the user on the target computer or system (Kiountouzis & Kokolakis, 2011). At this stage, the hacker em ploys the Remote Access Tool (RAT) to search through the computer network and/or infect other computers or networks. Social engineering is today exploited by hackers to bring down or access others’ computer/information networks and obtain information in the comfort of their homes provided they are sure their target will most likely be sitting at their computers (Kiountouzis & Kokolakis, 2011). ... This paper explores the various types of cyber and security threats to which information and technology companies and there ISs are exposed and the role of employee alertness in averting these threats, particularly those originating from hackers’ using social engineering. In this regard, the paper is a case study of an information security breach at one of the most renown IT security firms in the United States, the RSA. After addressing how RSA responded to the breach, the paper explores the role of employee alertness in averting such threats in the future. However, it is of the essence to first have a general understanding of the various techniques that hackers use to breach information security systems and obtain information illegally. The Protection Motivation Theory This paper will employ the protection motivation theory to explain the role and importance of employee alertness in assisting IS firms in detecting and preventing security breaches via social engineering techni ques. According to this theory employees will always protect themselves based on certain core factors. These factors include but are not limited to the probability of the occurrence of a security threat or breach, the suspected or expected severity of the threat, the vulnerability of the possible victims, the efficacy of the response/preventive mechanisms or behaviours. The motivation to protect oneself and property emanates from the evaluation of threats as well as the ability to cope with the threats or its effects. In the threat assessment context, employees of IS and IT companies are expected to be able to appraise the severity of possible social engineering threats and the seriousness of the situation once it occurs. On the other hand, the coping

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Managing Business Projects - Case Study Example At times, co-ordination between employees was a problem and communication gaps following this clustered spaced out location offices could be an issue. It has thus important to address the problem and seek a viable solution to the situation in hand. To address this problem, it has become important for Sekroob to accommodate its entire staff on just one floor. It was decided to rent and utilize a new floor of out of town accommodation. The flowed would ensure that the entire call center is housed on one floor alongside many a floor operational advantages. An increase in efficiency was expected, staff motivation to rise, faster inflow and outflow of business products, lesser chaos and a more smooth running business atmosphere. Initially it was decided to use a professional re-location company by the director Ron Black for acquisition and equipping the new work space. But one need to realize that a professional relocation company to relocate the company over the weekend would mean expenses would increase manifold. I could relocate the office, and the staff which could be far more beneficial compared to hiring a professional relocation company to do the same. My focus of the project would be to do it at a cost which is less than half of what would be spent on a professional relocation company. It would focus on quality control as I have worked with the organization and I am more aware of the internal environment of the office. Moreover, it is also guaranteed that the work would finish will before the coming weekend and by next Monday; the entire staff would be working in the new location. Facts discovered after some research: A current situation analysis under taken has revealed that there was 78 staff including 6 section leaders and one director in the company. The office was located on various floors of the town center office, each of which could be accessed by 2 service lifts or stairs. It was only the call center director who had an individual office otherwise open plan offices were scattered all over. The workers were present in 6 work stations which combined had 13 cells. 6 cells were located on the 4th floor while the remaining 7 stood scattered over the lower floors. The equipment in these work stations involved the presence of a desk, a lockable desk pedestal and over head hanging storage cabinet, cabinet telephone equipment with networked computer, monitor and laser printer. There were 3 cupboards in each of the 4 cells. Plan: The relocation would involve relocating the call center department to the second floor. The plan is to relocate the call center department to the second floor. For this new office furniture would be purchased and fit in by the manufactures. This will be followed by the use of vacated office space would then be used by other departments shortly after the move. So the vacated work stations had to be in a usable condition. The department had created a plan of where everyone was to be located (seated) in the new office. The trial shift: To figure out how long each activity would take, a trial shift was planned over one weekend. In this trial run, a working cell was moved into a van, driven to another office and unpacked so that it could be used again. The idea behind this was to figure out how long the whole process would take and to figure out any potential problems that would be

English 251 (World Literature) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

English 251 (World Literature) - Essay Example The Bible itself is an exemplary of mixed culture as we have the Hebrew Bible, Christian Bible. The Gilgamesh is not a discourse on religion but it there are theological elements in the book. It is really difficult to trace the real origin of all the religious dictums. The three books are similar in certain spheres and differs in a many a grounds with the basic similarity of punishment. Early Muslims perceived that the Quran and the forerunner biblical texts and figures. Intertextuality is evident of the fact that each culture owes something to the other. The cross cultural influence is definitely responsible for these similarities. The cross cultural studies are a branch of literary or cultural studies dealing with the writings and the scriptures by the authors associated with more than one culture. The Great Flood in the three books brings out the issue of cross cultural influence. The Great Flood is mentioned in the religious books of the Bible, the Quran and the Gilgamesh. The basic ground of all theologies is the Almighty and is related to sin, retribution and redemption. The books also bear the message that God’s warnings should not be ignored and the judgment of the God should be done in the form of destruction to purge the world of sins. In other words, the books depict to show that the wages of sins are punishment, death and destruction. In Bible the story of the flood appears in Genesis (6:9-8:22).There are three motifs shown for this flood. It aims to show God as the judge of the whole world. He is the entity who has the supreme authority to distinguish between right and wrong. The second motif intends to say that God has made provisions for the recipients of His grace. To be explicit to receive the grace of God one must follow the path of righteousness. The third is significant for Israel. Through the flood the God judged the wicked Egyptians and brought them to the Red Sea to lie in humble

Movie Analysis Supersize Me Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Movie Analysis Supersize Me - Essay Example Culture of the Spanish influenced to build up the behavior of the persons engaged in that drama. The documentary ‘supersize me’ is a behavioral oriented and cultural oriented movie with much impact on the current prevailing US culture. The region where the story takes place is in United States and the culture affecting the hero of the story was the American culture of having fast food from the posh restaurants, in the movie context the starring character finds his 5 time daily food in Mc Donald restaurant. The environment which describes here is the food experimenting intention by the hero ,where he also wanted to establish that the outside junk foods are good for health and it will cause no effect on the health, there he doesn’t follow the principle’when health is lost something is lost’. The values mainly depicted in the movie are the cultural values which were priorly stated and the family values where the utmost care taken by the family in bringi ng back to normalcy. Personality: Personality of the person is the self-concept. That is, they offer a structure for the person so that a reliable pattern of behavior can be build up. It is the particular amalgamation of attitudinal, emotional, and behavioral reaction patterns of a human being. At the same time as there are various different theories of personality that explain the relevance and components of the personality traits of the individual. A short definition would be that personality is made up of the attribute patterns of belief, approach and behaviors that create a person unique. Besides to this, personality arises from inside the human being and remains reasonably reliable throughout life. Some of the basic individuality of personality consists of: Psychological and physiological, multiple expressions, Consistency and finally the It impacts behaviors and actions. This particular drama Biutiful follows the personality traits of the people. Story is usually talks about t he relationship between the father and his children’s. The unique personality of the father, children develop their own culture and attitude to react with the certain situations. Motivation: The motivation is a widely described behavior of individuals, where they are the tendency for the doing the particular actions due to external or internal stimuli. The internal factors of the motivation are the within the individual as they arise due to the basic need fulfillment of the person,or to achieve a particular goal.There can also be the motivation due to less-apparent causes like the altruism and selfishness,the motivation is indirectly related to emotion. Non-behavioral psychologists observe motivation to have two proportions, intensity (strength) and direction (behavior focused) As the Maslow’s hierarchy of the needs is considered; there are four kinds of needs for an individual. The hierarchy model of Abraham Maslow is in the pyramid form, from the bottom. It states th e psychological need of a person where the person is more selfish in his own ways and he gives priority to his personal comfort than considering the needs and wants of others. The main constraints of the psychological needs are the breath, food, finance and the other essential resources. The second is the safety need which mainly emphasis on the safety and security of the family, finance, resources and the security of oneself from any other calamities and robbery. The next step in the pyramid shows the necessity for the love and care