Corporate Structure

Demand for disclosure has been spurred by information asymmetry and agency conflict between management and investors. Good corporate structure principles are the foundation upon which trust of investors and lenders is built, corporate governance is a philosophy and mechanism that entails putting in place better structures and processes through which the affairs of a company are directed and managed to enhance long term shareholders value through transparency and accountability. Previous empirical studies on the association between cost of equity capital and voluntary disclosure have documented confusing results, Botosan and Plumlee (2002) found a positive association exists between voluntary disclosure and cost of equity capital while Gietzmann and Ireland (2005) found a negative relationship between disclosure and cost of capital. Increased application of corporate governance all over the world has risen after major corporate scandals due to lack or improper corporate disclosure, this has resulted to investors and lenders lose confidence in the traditional financial reporting. Transparency and disclosure creates and sustains confidence of investors, stakeholders and the winder society and provides opportunity for continuous improvement of business structure and processes this has resulted to re-examination and scrutiny of the existing corporate disclosure thus spurring the need for expanding the existing disclosure policy. Voluntary disclosure, being one key pillar of corporate governance is regarded as an external mechanism for the control of the management, protection of the shareholders and a decrease of the agency costs resulting from information asymmetry between the management and shareholders. Botosan (2002) observed that firms which disclose more information in their annual reports enjoy the benefit of lower cost of capital. The current growing trend towards increased corporate disclosure will soon transform into a veritable river of additional information.Although the purpose of disclosure is to provide adequate and sufficient information to the various stakeholders, managers may choose not to disclosure certain information in orders to protect competitive advantage Kavitha and Nandagopal,(2011). Studies have shown that public firms are careful about disclosing information that might lead to competitive disadvantage, example, information about technological innovations, strategic and specific operation data Elliott and Jacobson (1994). The decision on the optimal level of disclosure is thus affected by the interplay between the costs and the benefits of disclosure. 1.2 Voluntary Disclosure Elements of voluntary disclosure will be classified into four classes of information disclosure as forward-looking, financial, corporate social responsibility and board size. Voluntary disclosure is regarded as an important economic tool that aids communicating information to different market players in an industry with an aim of providing clear view about business's long term sustainability. Information disclosure conveys company's information to the owners, stakeholders and general public about the quality and value of the company Hamrouni et al.,(2015).Corporate disclosure falls into two categories, mandatory disclosure and voluntary disclosure covering all types of information, both of financial and non-financial in nature. Laws, regulations and accounting standards stipulate mandatory information disclosure whereas voluntary disclosure is the information reported beyond the statutory requirements. Meek el al, (1995) defines voluntary disclosure as the free option on the part of the company management to provide accounting and other information deemed pertinent to the decision needs of users of their annual reports. The extent and type of voluntary disclosure is dependent of the industry, size, governance structure, ownership structure and geographic region. Boesso and Kumar (2007) claimed that one of the determinants that led to the emergence of voluntary disclosure was the inadequacy of financial reporting as claimed by investors and shareholders . Investors increasingly demanded openness and disclosure of information relating to performance and strategies. Organizations gains some benefit by virtue of disclosing sustainably over and above the statutory required information. Li and McConomy (1999) found that firms in better financial conditions are more likely to voluntarily adopt new International Financial Reporting Standards (IRFS) on environmental disclosure and hence become more profitable and reduce the cost of compliance. Spanheimer and Koch (2000) noted the primary motive for adopting informative accounting as the access to global funding, worldwide comparability of financial statements, increased transparency and pressure from capital markets. Ross (1997) found that companies that provide more information disclosures reduced the occurrence of information asymmetry between the owners and manager, subsequently get to enjoy low cost of capital. The benefits of disclosure are for example, increased share price will lower cost of capital resulting from a firm's full disclosure Nayak, (2012). Investors and creditors are better informed with a high level of disclosure making them understand the economic risk of the investment Elliott and Jacobsom, (1994). Disclosure is generally done in the company annual report either through the statements or notes accompanying the statements. The disclosure elements in the study for measuring the level of voluntary disclosure will include forward-looking information, financial and capital information, corporate social responsibility information and board size information. Forward-looking information represents one form of corporate disclosure. It provides a confidence signaling power to the stakeholder in the management capability to foresee the future prospects of the business. According to Celik et al. (2006) forward-looking information helps to predict the future of a company in terms of performance and strength of the management. Management credibility is gained by accurately predicting company future forecast over and over. Even though the shareholders frequently question the management about what is going to happen to the company in future, the management cannot predict or gives a certain answer to what is going to happen but they observe market trends and then present the shareholders with explanations about what the company future prospects. Companies that wish to access external sources of finance may tend to disclose more forward-looking information to enable them gain investors confidence Clarkson, Kao and Richardson (1994). Jenkins Report (AICPA, 1994) formulated a number of key recommendations to increase the quality of corporate reporting, which included increasing the attention for and provision of forward-looking information. Financial information disclosure helps stakeholders to evaluate company performance before making any investment decisions about the company. Improved information disclosure does not only bridge the information asymmetry between management and shareholders but also facilitate the functioning of the financial and economic systems. Adequate disclosure is used as a mean of attracting new investors in addition to supporting and building company reputation. To reduce vulnerability, information disclosure should be comprehensive, timely, informative and credible in nature. Financial information is derived from the financial reports prepared from the books of accounts and analyzed in various categories such as the income statements, balance sheet, statement of cash flows and statements of changes in equity. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) interpreted as the way firms integrate its social, environmental and economic concerns into their value, culture, operations and strategies. Carroll, (1999) noted CSR as an evolving concept. Centre for corporate governance (2005) issued guidelines which encouraged companies to disclose information on CSR, ownership structure and board size (Barako, 2007). CSR efforts translate into improvements in firms' financial performance. Corporate social reporting disclosure enhances company reputation by gaining trust and support from the stakeholders (Woodwar, Edwards and Birkin, 1996), additionally it helps assess congruence between the social value and social norms (Dowling and Pfeffer, 1975). CSR enables firms to access huge sum of finance that might difficult to obtain.Board size is the total number of directors on a corporate board. The board of directors is the apex organ of a company whose central role being the formulation of polices and strategies to be followed by managers in managing firms operations. Board plays an important role in maintaining effective corporate governance. It is the Board that determines the amount of information disclosure by making strategic decision on the level of voluntary disclosure. Chen and Jaggi (2000) noted that greater number of directors on the board may reduce the likelihood of information asymmetry. It is believed that the size of the board affects the ability of the board to monitor and evaluate management. Increase of directors in the board will consequently increase director's ability to control and promote value creating activities. Larger board bring with them a collection of experience and expertise, therefore expanding the need for higher information disclosure, it is also argued that larger board size may find difficulty in arriving at a consensus in decision which can ultimately affect the quality corporate governance while small board size encourages faster information processing . Brudbury (1992). 1.3 Cost of Equity CapitalThe cost of equity is the return that an investor expects to receive from an investment in a business. This cost represents the amount the market expects as compensation in exchange for owing the stock of the business, it consist of dividends and capital gains. From an investor's perspective, cost of equity capital is the return he expects for a share of stock he keeps in his portfolio. Fama and French (1993) found risk growth and size as the factors that influence the required rate of return by investors. When making decisions which affect the firm, Cost of equity plays a crucial role because it affects the discount rate at which expected future cash flows are valued. In archiving an effective strategic decision making and performance evaluation, the cost of equity should be estimated with accuracy. According to Beneda (2003) the cost of equity is a vital base of comparing investment opportunities. Invertors use the concept of cost of equity as an investment opportunity in a company. Cost of equity is one of the methods used to evaluate investment decisions, example capital budgeting analysis, choice of capital structure and firm valuation. Larger firms are associated with lower cost of capital when compared with the smaller firms since they are in a better position to raise funds from external sources on favorable terms. Equity capital plays a fundamental role in the development of a firm due to its advantages when compared to other financing forms. The cost of equity capital is an important component with significant input in calculating the cost of capital Cotner and Fletcher (2000). It is detrimental to apply less appropriate model to estimate cost of capital, this can result to underestimation or overestimation. Underestimation may result in value destructive investments while overestimation may lead to rejection of promising investment opportunities. The cost of equity capital is a key indicator of operations in the financial markets and is used by managers and financial resource providers. Clear financial statements reduce uncertainties associated with shareholders' equity lending to decrease in the cost of equity while incomplete and unclear financial statements increases uncertainty hence causing information risk to shareholders who hence demand higher return. The cost of equity capital is of importance in two folds: securities valuation models are based on the cost of equity capital and without cost of equity capital it is impractible to invest company money as it is difficult to determine capital structure hence unable to determine investment priority (Ahmend, 2007). Manager being agents of the shareholders try minimize the cost of equity hence maximizing shareholders wealth at this same time improving the value of the company. In most financial decisions, cost of equity is an effective determinant factor. Cost of equity is used in capital budgeting decisions, setting optimal structure and working capital management. Implementing corporate governance practice, the high cost of equity capital problem is overcome. The higher level of voluntary disclosure the lower investor uncertainty, with lower uncertainty investors will be willing to accept lower dividend payouts. A lower dividend stream would decrease the cost of equity capital because of a lower risk premium expected by the investors. Lower risk premium demanded by investors translate into a lower cost of equity capital of the firm. Voluntary disclosure reduces the cost of equity capital in two ways which are based on enhanced stock market liquidity and on the reduced non-diversifiable estimation risk. More voluntary disclosure reduces investor uncertainty and attracts long term investments. Determinants of the cost of equity capital can be categorized into two: variables measured on accounting information only (accounting based) and variables measured on relations between market data and accounting data (market based).

Company Analysis of General Electric Essay

Running a company often centers on the idea of considering both positive and negative factors in order to then hand down executive decisions accordingly. To best understand the strengths and weakness of any given company, one must understand its base operations and the scope of industry in which the firm exists. In doing so, one would have a bigger picture of how the company operates and how success has been fostered in, as well as highlight in areas in which the organization could stand to see improvement. In this vein, a full analysis of General Electric was conducted, which includes an overview of the company including background and position in the manufacturing industry, as well as insight into the company’s management structure. Additionally, the company’s financials will be examined so that a recommendation can be made. Overview of Company According to the company website (2014) General Electric’s slogan is â€Å"Imagination at Work† and to this extent, the organization has been fostering in imagination for quite some time. According to the research, the company was founded in 1878 by Thomas Edison in Menlo Park. Edison is most notable for inventing the light bulb, and as such, this corporation is one of the largest companies on Earth more than a hundred years later (General Electric, 2014). After getting its start in the 1800s the company, being a leader in the industry of manufacturing and resting solely on the idea of innovation and inventions, began to manufacture different items across a wide variety of industries. According to the GE company website (2014) these inventions were primarily Edison’s own, and by the early 1900s the company, even against the Great Depression, the organization continued to make appliances for the home, delved into aviation technology, and began to further expand into new markets. As the research notes, because of this the company began to break up into several subdivisions such as GE Consumer Finance or GE energy in order to fully control its wide scope of offerings (General Electric, 2014). By the 2000s, the corporate website notes that the company further expanded into new markets, both online and for various infrastructures and industries around the world. Today, the company has  also delved into clean energy technology and pulls in an estimated $2 billion for electronics and home appliance sales alone (General Electric, 2014). Management Structure Looking to research conducted by Abetti (2011) one can see that the organization has one of the most complex management structures of all major conglomerates. In addition, as the company website (2014) points out, this structure has been in effect since the 1920s and instead of reevaluating this system; the company has only expanded upon it. According to Abetti (2011) at the top of the management structure, governing all areas is the Chairman and CEO, as well as the board of directors. Next, according to the research are two specific divisions: external and internal company functions. Internally, the company has global research, human resources, and its finance department, while externally; the company has commercial and public relations, business development, and its legal department. As noted by the company website (2014) next the company has its specific divisions or sectors, which this breakup is most notable for. These are as followed: Global Growth and Operations, Energy, Capital, home and Business Solutions, Healthcare, Aviation, and Transportation. It should be noted that each of these organizations exist as their own subdivision and entity, following the GE name. For instance, there is GE Energy, GE Home & Business Solutions, and so forth. This kind of management structure is beneficial to the company in two different ways. To start, it allows the organization to have each subdivision hand down its own division and be more or less contained within its own scope of industry, however, it also ensures that a high level of guidance will still ensure that upper-management is still well aware of what kind of decisions and operations these subdivisions will invest into. In this vein, according to research that has been conducted by Souraj (2010) each of these divisions utilize a lean manufacturing type of approach in order to ensure that all waste is eliminated and the sectors are utilizing the resources to the fullest. This ensures that the company is being cost effective in its approach and it allows the company to be innovative, without creating the potential problem of being extremely wasteful, which would then cut back on the organization’s profitability (Souraj, 2010). Moreover, each division also utilizes a six sigma approach in order to achieve near perfection. Essentially, this process rests on considering how each sector is doing in its own industry. For instance, despite the fact that GE Energy has seen slowed economic growth, this does not mean that GE Home & Business Solutions has as well. As such, utilizing a six sigma approach will allow the organization to consider the needs and goals of GE Energy before planning for solutions accordingly. Financial Overview According to research that has been drafted by Abetti (2011) by the year 2000 â€Å"General Electric was the world’s most valuable company with a market capitalization of $520 billion.† However, as the research points out, by 2008, after the U.S. recession led to a national economic downtown this figure had fallen 69% percent to $163 billion (Abetti, 2011). In addition, the global financial system has been equally a cause of concern and if one can consider the U.S. economic downturn the cause of the decrease in market capitalization, the world’s economy is the factor that has kept the company’s overall financial state lower than usual (Abetti, 2011). Although, the research points out that the organization has began to see a small increase, and thus, the company has hopes that these numbers will turn around, growth and expansion has not been seen as it had prior to 2008 (Abetti, 2011). This is largely attributed to the belief that the world’s financial system will see an upwards swing as a natural flow and with the idea that expansion can be considered a way for the company to cut back losses in some areas, while gaining them in others. According to research conducted by Abetti (2011) this line of thinking will not lead to the company to success and instead the company should â€Å"go back to GE’s traditional core competencies and divest non-core businesses.† Moreover, the company should also expand its globalization efforts, rebuild trust between employees and the company, strengthen financial and auditing function authority, and continue to invest in R & D. Although, many of these considerations are subjective, they bear a great deal of consideration when examining the company’s financials going forward. Conclusion General Electric remains one of the largest companies in the world, despite some of the misgivings mentioned previously. The company has a number of strengths including a diverse portfolio, existing in a wide range of industries, and its ability to be industry-leaders when it comes to innovation and gauging what products will be a success in the future. With this in mind, however, one recommendation that can be made to the company, based on the available research is for the organization to focus on current offerings, rather than continue to seek after non-traditional competencies. Moreover, the company must consider R & D efforts in order to continue to be the forbearers in innovation and creativity. Doing so will open the company to new markets, rather than the company attempting to slip into them and then compete with others in the market as a smaller entrant. If the company commits to these factors than there remains little doubt that General Electric will go back to being one of the world’s most valuable and innovative companies. References Abetti, P.A. (2011). General Electric at the crossroads: the end of the last US conglomerate? International Journal of Technology Management, 54(4), 345-368. General Electric. (2014). From Inspiration to Industry. Retrieved from http://www.ge.com/about-us/history/1878-1904. Souraj, S. (2010). The integration of Six Sigma and Lean Management. International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, 2040-4166.

Junaid Zia

What did Hannah do to make first cut in the list of potential countries? How did he get from 200 to less than 35 potential new markets? Which variables seemed more important in his decision making? Which variables used might be useful? Hannah Gathered information from several reliable U. S government and related websites and come up with the data to represent the variables related to the particular countries. It includes per capita beef consumption, population, urbanization rate, Affinity to US brands, high Disposable Income, do people go out to eat, per capita GDP etc.Average per capita GDP is not an ideal measure, but rather identifying your customer segment population in a given area. As the extreme wealth and poverty gap can be incredibly wide, creating an unrealistic per capita GDP for any country. Moreover per capita beef consumption is not as such important but rather frequency of people to go outside for having beef feast is vital. However high disposable income of people is good variable and people can create an appropriate pool of potential customers. What would be your choice for top five opportunities?What equation did you use to reach that conclusion and why? It is apparent that Ruth’s Chris has the capability to expand, and we feel that a â€Å"Penetration† strategy would be a possibility, perhaps through increased presence in existing markets or offering a new menu items that would appeal to a wider variety of consumers. However, if they want to move overseas than they can evaluate the cities rather than the country. For example they can target the Paris upon France because it is famous for tourists and Ruth’s Chris can certainly capture appropriate market.Hannah was focused on franchising as his mode of entry. Do the critical variables change if a different mode of entry is employed? Franchising is a good option. But if Ruth’s Chris think about the joint-venture option that it is totally out of context. When your part ner suddenly opens up a budget steakhouse down the street with the same cooking style, flavor and half the price, you’ll find yourself out of the country in no time. Company-owned restaurants also require a great investment along with great knowledge about their culture, the political environment etc.What are some of the internal and external challenges Hannah will face in moving from a list to actually opening restaurants? Hannah selects the beef-eating population. However, no concession made to regional taste for menu items. Even McDonalds changes its menu in other countries, so why is Ruth’s Chris so afraid? More importantly, would the risk of jeopardizing their core competencies through menu alteration outweigh the potential profit, this is the biggest internal challenge for them. Outsourcing USDA prime beef has to be expensive.Shipping it halfway across the world in freezers seems almost extravagant and inefficient. Could Ruth’s Chris evaluate local sourcin g of their produce? It’s very important to think upon. External challenges could include the people’s reluctance towards American brand, high expenses on franchises than decided in agreement, political instability, lack in flexibility according to the situation: like people prefer to take beef-meals at lower prices or ever-changing consumer preferences can be the biggest external challenges.

Politics of the Developing World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Politics of the Developing World - Essay Example On the other hand, the south comprises of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Political Economy This is a term used to describe the relationship between the state, the legal system, and the economy. In general, terms it captures the interplay between the three facets in a way that determines the stability of countries and the economic structures. Development refers to the growth of a country in terms of matters of economy, governance, and human development. The term embraces such areas as the growth of GDP, economic growth in relation to the improvement of infrastructure, healthcare, education systems, and other indicators of growth. New International Economic Order The term describes a combination of proposals created by developing countries in the 1970s with the objective of improving their economies. The proposals included the improvement of trade terms through favorable tariffs and enhancing development assistance. Walt Rostow (1916-2003) He was a renowned American economist and an acclaimed political thinker. Rostow was a staunch defender of capitalism and policies of a free enterprise in the twentieth century. Rostow played a significant role in determining US foreign policies particularly with regard to Asia. Raul Prebisch (1901-1986) Prebisch was a renowned economist from Argentina remembered for contributing to the development of structuralist economics. He developed a trade-focused approach on matters of development and recommended preferential treatment for some countries in trading matters. Hans Singer (1910-2006) Singer was a German development economist. He believed that terms of trade generally do not play to the advantage of primary producers. He advocated for the increment of foreign aid to poor countries. Hegemonic Stability Theory The theory was developed for understanding international relations. The leadership of a hegemon in whatever form eventually results in the deployment of its influence on economic systems. The theory is largely attribut ed to Robert Keohane although various theorists who gave it varying interpretations developed it. Joseph Stiglitz (1943-Present) Stiglitz is an American economist well known for his strong support of globalization and the creation of free market economies. Much of his contribution in economics are in the areas of income distribution, international trade, corporate governance, and other areas that relate to modern economies. Section B 1). Different Interpretations of Poverty The United Nations approach to poverty was largely focused on the aspects of unemployment, equality, and poverty. On the other hand, the Bretton woods institutions focussed largely on the aspect of economic development as the key driver of development or the elimination of poverty. The United Nations was cognizant of the fact that economic growth does not necessarily translate into development. The difference between the two systems is mainly focused on the human factor at the core of the developmental initiative s. The IMF and World Bank kind of development was largely hinged on the development of free-market economies, which would spur economic growth and eventually lead to the elimination of poverty. 3). Realism, Institutionalism, and Structuralism The realist view, as understood within the framework of the International Political Economy (IPE) was based on policies that supported the use of tariffs to shield weak and infant economies.

Week 4 Forum Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Week 4 Forum - Assignment Example They lived in poor neighborhoods famously known as ghettos, suffered indignities of racism, for example, whites segregated them in the industrial workplaces, and were mainly deployed in dangerous and labor intensive tasks. They were united and created communities within the big northern cities, and it was common to find several families from a southern state living in one northern state, for example in Chicago today. Economic effects included; Factory wage in the north was generally three times that of the south. Even as housing was a bit expensive in the north, they still had better living standards. On the other hand, dwindling workforce led to economic struggle in the south (Gunnar, 2009). 5. African American activist used religious language to encounter injustices and racism, they came up with movements that drew its members from different backgrounds and classes and were also keen on political organization such as voter registration. There was the Congress of Industrial Organization (CIO) which planned many number of black workers into labor unions for the first time ever. Job discrimination against blacks compelled A. Philip Randolph, leader of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, to give threats of mass action on Washington. This caused Roosevelt to issue an Executive Order 8802 banning discrimination in the employment of black workers. To investigate any violations, a Fair Employment Practices Committee (FEPC) was

Identifying and explaining the various types of crime control Essay

Identifying and explaining the various types of crime control strategies in which law enforcement agencies are utilizing today in the United States of America - Essay Example Extreme violence is also an emerging concern as crime advancement (Astorga, Luis and David, pp 56) The international crime has also been reported to be so prevalent. International criminals, borders are not this to be considered, until when it is time to seek a hide out from a criminal act. Substantial amounts of money tend to be passed through international financial systems. The amount of money transferred tends to be so substantial which further undermines the economy of the entire globe as it opens up channels for money laundering. The criminal gangs tend to be very organized in a series of crime businesses which they operate. In addition, they capitalize on the growth in the international communications and transportation, in order to advance their criminal operations, further forming potential alliances (Bush, p.11). On the international scene, international criminal’s corrosive activities of the post-Cold War era are now a threat to all countries and regions alike. In this case, the United States of America is not an exception. The international crime must now be looked at not only as a law enforcement problem or failure, but also as an increasingly formidable threat to both national and international security concern (Koops, Bert-Jaap, et al, 2009, pp.1-24). International crime is a threat to the United States and as a result, the interests that are posed by these international crimes have to be looked at in a three dimensional and interrelated categories. Those categories include threat to the American people and the communities in general, as a threat to the American financial institutions and businesses, finally threat to the international security and stability as a whole. With these three dimensions, the United States law enforcement agencies can then formulate the right strategies in place to make sure that crime is well taken care of in the form of

Consumer Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Consumer Psychology - Essay Example The main purpose of the survey was to observe the impact of its advertisements on the people so that the organization could identify the target market and at the same time inject fresh ideas into its advertising strategy. The positive information that has come out of this survey is that significant percentage of people above the age of 20 gave clear indication that their buying decision is swayed by the visual and textual content of the advertisements. The company too, needs to target people above the age of 20 years to market its products. The beer and ale are popular amongst the youth and Arran must target this group primarily because they are open to new ideas and products. By targeting this segment, Arran can strengthen its market position. Another major target markets are the retailers and hotel industry. While retail market would need ales and beers in the bottles, the hotel industry can also have it in cask format. The advertisements should be versatile in their approach to attract clientele from diverse segment of the market. Consumer psychology and analysis of database of customers are important part of market strategy which helps one to know the changing preferences of the customers in the rapidly changing times. Prices may not be very important part of the strategy with the old customers but competitive pricing helps to bring in new clients. Whenever new products are to be launched, it is important that trend in the customers’ needs and requirements are studied in advance so that appropriate strategy could be developed. While the growth and the future prospects of the business depend on the input data as they are able to divulge vital information about the products and the customers, strategic marketing through widespread appealing advertisement is a vital factor that helps to bring in new clientele. Arran Breweries was conceptualized by Richard and

Proposal Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Research Proposal Example The research will study the impacts of mobile devices on cyber security in Banda town that is located in the United States. This town is expected to have numerous users because it is located in the US, which has a high population of about 312 million (Shabtai, Fledel, Kanonov, Elovici, Dolev, & Glezer, 2010). The study will concentrate on colleges and universities in the region, because these institutions have numerous students who use mobile devices both at school and at home. The school administrators also use mobile phones to communicate with teachers and other supporting staff. Gaoyue (2013), the senior colonel of Nautilius Institute for security and sustainability, argues that the common uses of the internet include purchasing items in online stores, downloading music, sharing information oN social media platforms such as Face book, Twitter, and LinkedIn, paying electricity and water bills, and accessing television networks. These uses indicate that consumers post their personal information such as name, income, location, and credit card number on the cyber space. This information is personal meaning that it should only be accessed by the owners and other authorized people. However, since mobile phones perform functions that are similar to those of computers, it means that the information of consumers faces the threat of lack of privacy due to cyber threats. The cyber threats include viruses, malicious software, hacking, exposure of secrets, and network fraud (Wright, Dawson, & Omar, 2012). These cyber threats have impacts on consumers and companies that use the mobile devices to share information and purchase goods. Therefore, it is essential to study the impacts of the threats that mobile device users face; this will help in advising companies and consumers on how they can protect themselves from the hazards. The results of the study will enable teachers and students to identify the

Human Resources & Diversity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Human Resources & Diversity - Research Paper Example Diversity is not only a problem but also an opportunity for the human resource management. Diversity has a broader definition than that generally accepted; it is not only related to race, ethnicity and gender. Devoe (34) defined diversity as: â€Å"otherness or those human qualities that are different from our own and outside the groups to which we belong to, yet present in other individuals and groups.† Diversity has multiple dimensions, which include race, ethnicity, gender, ancestry, age, sexual preferences, physical qualities or abilities, demography, education, marital status, income, religious beliefs, military experience, work experience, parental status, etc. These dimensions of diversity influence behaviour, interactions, motivation, performance and success of the workforce. The human resource management teams have the challenge to examine the effects of these dimensions of diversity and exploit them to improve the performance of the organization. Introduction The bus iness world is changing fast to meet the challenges posed by increasing competition and the organizations are searching for the best talents to gain a competitive edge in the market. They are recruiting the best talents from all across the world and this practice is increasing the diversity in the workplace continuously. The talent – hunt of the organizations are met by the universities like Saint Leo University and the core value of integrity of Saint Leo University states, â€Å"Animated in the spirit of Jesus Christ, we value all individuals' unique talents, respect their dignity, and strive to foster their commitment to excellence in our work. Our community's strength depends on the unity and diversity of our people, on the free exchange of ideas.† The core value of Saint Leo University has helped in the development of talents in the campus. The human resource management of organizations needs to understand, acknowledge, accept, value and celebrate the differences among the workforce in order to manage diversity in the workforce.

Education Sector Essay Example for Free

Education Sector Essay In a globalized economy with a high degree of competition among countries, the success of a nation depends on the educational level of its workforce. Technology has rapidly transformed education by extending learning space beyond the four wall of a classroom. Even though school plays the main role of education, technology offers verities of opportunities to learn more. Such as, Distance learning, online learning communities and access to vast resources and databases, etc. with the help of Information and communications technology (ICT), it allows to improve quality of teaching and learning worldwide. (Bokova, 2013) There are both positive and negative impacts due to technological advancement in education sector. Affordability: Even though developed counties are able to afford this, most of the developing countries struggle to equip the basic ICT devices. However there are things which they can afford, such as mobile phone, it would help to connect teachers, students, parents and administrators. Capacities: National policy-makers sometimes may lack to formulate ICT in educational policies. In some developing counties teaching institutes frequently lack to trainer the teachers with ICT education practices. Which would lead to less ICT education in school levels. Inclusion: People who live in rural area, disabled people typically receives low quality educations, even though they have special educational needs. Introduction of ICT would favour inclusive education and reduce inequalities. Content: there are more teaching modules available by the help of ICT. Open Educational Resources (OERs) hold significant potential to accelerate free access to knowledge and facilitae the adaptation of content to local needs and languages. Quality Assurance: ICT can help the education system to be much easier, but some developing countries still haven’t been duly reformed to embrace these new learning outcomes. And issues such as quality of ICT-based learning and safety of children online needs to be addressed. (Bokova, 2013).

Social Classes Of The 19th Century Sociology Essay

Social Classes Of The 19th Century Sociology Essay What would it be like to live in a world where everyone is put into separate groups based on nothing more than gender, what family you were born into and how much money you make (Victorian England: An Introduction 3-4)? Theories of social class were not fully recognized until the nineteenth century from that point forward the idea of social classes has been discussed by many famous philosophers and theorists (Social Class 1). In England, long before the Victorian Age, Aethelberht set down a code of laws known today as social class (United Kingdom 1). In many parts of the world throughout history social classes have been commonly broken down into three groups, but in the British Empire of 1814 there were as many as eight (Jane Austens World 1-2). Social groups were usually divided by race and stereotypical by gender (Turpin 1). One of the most common means of dividing people into social class is financial income (Scott 2). All social groupings regardless of location and era are based to some degree upon gender, kinship and economic status. The history of social class in England began before England was even a country when Aethelberht reigned over the Anglo-Saxons (United Kingdom 1). He set down a code of laws where the most important bond was kinship; every freeman depended on his kin for protection (United Kingdom 1). Since then philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau further elaborated on the idea by discussing the issues of social inequality and stratification (Social Class 1). These ideas were later passed on to Henri de Saint-Simon, who put forth the argument that a states form of government corresponds to the system of economic production (Social Class 1). Later his successors introduced the theory of the proletariat, or working class, as a major political force, which greatly influenced the development of Karl Marxs theory of class, which has dominated later discussions of the topic (Social Class 1). Social class has been divided into three different groups in many countries and governments throughout history (Victorian England: An Introduction 3). Those three are usually upper, middle and lower or working class (Victorian England: An Introduction 2). The upper class in the Victorian Age were the royalty, lords spiritual and temporal and great officers of state many of whom did not work and received most of their wealth from there inheritance (Victorian England: An Introduction 4 and Jane Austens world 1). Middle class men did most of the white collar work such as business, commerce, and politics they were paid monthly or annually (Victorian England: An Introduction 4). Now, last and unfortunately least, the lower class men and women did the physical labor and were paid daily or weekly wages (Victorian England: An Introduction 3). Men and women were also separated in society (Victorian England: An Introduction 4). The women were assigned the private sphere and the men were assign ed the public sphere of business and commerce (Victorian England: An Introduction 4). A majority of the time there are three social groups but some have found there to be up to eight specific groups in England during the nineteenth century (Jane Austens World 1-2). There were the highest orders which are put into the generic upper class of royalty and the rich, the second class which seems to be a mix between the upper and the middle class in that they are prestigious but not of royal blood (Jane Austens World 1). Also the third class which contained the doctors, clergy and merchants which can be put into the middle class, the fourth class consists of many of the same people as the third class just on a lesser scale (Jane Austens World 1). Fifth class is where the shopkeepers were placed along with the publicans and people with miscellaneous occupations (Jane Austens World 1). The sixth class is where the lower or working class of people are found (Jane Austens World 2). Members of this class included working mechanics, artists, craftsmen and farmers or agricultural l aborers (Jane Austens World). The people that were in the seventh group were either a paupers, vagrants, gypsies and criminals (Jane Austens World 2). The army and the navy had their own social class, which includes officers, soldiers, marines and pensioners (Jane Austens World 2). Economic status also played a big part in the development of the social classes because of the economy the people were grouped by their income (Victorian England: An Introduction 4). The upper class or aristocrats usually had about 30,000 pounds of annual income, which is around 41,000 dollars in America (Victorian England: An Introduction 4). Bankers and merchants made around 10,000 pounds a year while the middle class including doctors made anywhere from 300 to 800 (Victorian England: An Introduction 4). Head teachers, journalists and shopkeepers who were considered to be lower class at this point in time only made 150 to 300 pounds per year (Victorian England: An Introduction 4)! Skilled workers and domestic staff made even less than the teachers with only 40-75 pounds a year and soldiers scraped the bottom of the barrel with a grand total of 25 pounds annually and that rounds out the list (Victorian England: An Introduction 4). From the late eighteenth century, class has been seen as the key to understanding modern society (Scott 1). This idea went virtually unchallenged, despite the fact that people have been arguing what defines it ever since it was introduced, until the last third of the twentieth century (Scott 1). Challenges to the class system have grown even stronger due to the fact that some have argued that social class was made extinct by the postmodern social process (Scott 1). Nevertheless some have interpreted social class to be a powerful and active variable today but a common factor is found in both sides of this argument (Turpin 1 and Scott 1). Both agree that the social class analysis is not thorough enough and that it should be based on more specific things than just money and gender (Scott 1 and Turpin 1). Apparently the social system wasnt perfect then and it isnt perfect now because it is a futile human attempt to categorize people by trivial earthly possessions (Turpin 2). So what would it be like to live in a world where everyone is put into separate groups based on nothing more than gender, what family you were born into and how much money you make (Victorian England: An Introduction 3-4)? Other than the obvious, like technology and entertainment, the same way it was in the Victorian Era, everyone would be separated into groups by things that dont necessarily matter and that wouldnt change until someone questioned it (Victorian England: An Introduction 3-4 and Scott 1).

Diffusion Of Responsibility Is A Phenomenon English Language Essay

Diffusion Of Responsibility Is A Phenomenon English Language Essay Do the following: Do emotion and our instinct to conform to society and authority affect our ability to think critically? View the following video on the Milgram Experiment: http://youtu.be/W147ybOdgpE Why did about 50% of the subjects, normal everyday Americans, deliver lethal doses of electrical shocks (it was really only an actor pretending to be electrocuted)? To be successful in this assignment, evaluate the following social biases (write one (1) page in Microsoft Word or WordPad): Evaluate the Milgram experiment from the perspective of group pressure and conformity. 1. Using Chapter 4 of the textbook, describe of how group pressure and conformity affected the outcome of the experiment. Your answer should be about two paragraphs (4-5 sentences each) in length. 2. For each example, include at least one quote (citation) from the book that supports your evaluation. Evaluate the Milgram experiment from the perspective of diffusion of responsibility. 3. Using Chapter 4 of the textbook, describe how diffusion of responsibility affected the outcome of the experiment. Your answer should be about two paragraphs (4-5 sentences each) in length. 4. For each example, include at least one quote (citation) from the book that supports your evaluation. *Be sure to include citations from the textbook using the following format- Quote from the book (Boss, 2010. Pg #) Use MS Word or WordPad to complete your assignment. Your teacher wants to know: how conformity affected the outcome of the experiment, with quotations from your text to back it up. Then they want you to explain how diffusion of responsibility affected the outcome, with more quotes from the text to back it up. Diffusion of responsibility is a phenomenon that occurs when we take credit for our successes but blame others for our failures. Taking credit for our successes and blaming others for our failures is a type of self-serving bias. Diffusion of responsibility occurs in groups of people above a certain threshold, where responsibility is not explicitly assigned to particular individuals, and where people subsequently tend not to regard those responsibilities as their concerns, or conceive of those responsibilities as belonging to others. While the specifics of whom we assign to the out group is learned, our brain seems to be wired to see the world in terms of one of us/one of them. Group pressure and the urge to conform are so strong in humans that it can cause us to deny evidence that is right before our eyes. (Boss, 2010. Pg #120) This the e-book In Chapter 4 we will: Learn about the nature and limitations of human knowledge Distinguish between rationalism and empiricism Learn about different types of evidence Set guidelines for evaluating evidence Look at sources for researching claims and evidence Study different types of cognitive/perceptual errors, including self-serving biases Learn how social expectations and group pressure can lead to erroneous thinking Finally, we will examine the evidence and arguments regarding unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and what type of proof would be necessary to establish their existence. Group Pressure and Conformity Group pressure can influence individual members to take positions that they would never support by themselves, as happened in the Stanford Prison experiment described in Chapter 1. Some religious cults exploit this tendency by separating their members from the dissenting views of family and friends. In many cults, people live together, eat together, and may even be assigned a buddy. Group pressure is so powerful in shaping how we see the world that it can lead people to deny contrary evidence that is right before their eyes. In the 1950s, social psychologist Solomon Asch carried out a series of experiments in which he showed study subjects a screen containing a standard line on the left and three comparison lines on the right. One of the comparison lines was the same length as the standard line and the other two were of significantly different lengths.40 In each case, an unsuspecting study subject was introduced into a group with six confederates, who had been told by the experimenter to give the wrong answer. The group was then shown the lines. The experimenter asked one of the confederates which of the three lines on the right they thought was the same length as the standard line. The confederate, without hesitation, gave a wrong answer. The next few confederates gave the same answer. By now, the naÃÆ'Â ¯ve subject was showing puzzlement and even dismay. How can six people be wrong? Page 121 After hearing six wrong answers, 75 percent of the naÃÆ'Â ¯ve study subjects, rather than trust the evidence of their senses, succumbed to group pressure and gave the same wrong answer. Even more surprising is the fact that when questioned afterward, some of these study subjects had actually come to believe the wrong answer was correct. The desire for agreement is normal. However, this desire, when combined with our innate tendency to divide the world into one of us and one of them, can lead to the exclusion of those who disagree with the majority, since people tend to prefer being around people who agree with them. In the corporate world, disagreement is often tacitly discouraged. Outliers or nonconformists who do not agree with group members may be excluded by committee chairs from further discussions or even fired.41 Because of our inborn tendency to conform to what others think, we cannot assume that agreement leads to truth without knowledge about the manner and conditions under which the agreement was arrived. Indeed, the current emphasis on seeking group consensus in decision making may be unreliable. In consensus seeking, the majority in a group is often able to sway the whole group to its view. http://textflow.mcgraw-hill.com/figures/007742168X/bos38200_ta0414b.jpg ASCH EXPERIMENT In Aschs experiment, the naÃÆ'Â ¯ve subject (left) shows puzzlement when the other subjects give what is obviously a wrong answer. http://textflow.mcgraw-hill.com/figures/007742168X/bos38200_ta0427.jpg DISCUSSION QUESTIONS What do you think the naÃÆ'Â ¯ve subject in the picture above is thinking? Think back to a time when you were in a similar situation where you thought you were correct, but everyone else with you thought something else. How did you respond to the discrepancy between your belief and theirs? http://textflow.mcgraw-hill.com/figures/007742168X/bos38200_highlighter_recto.jpg As with other errors in our thinking, we need to develop strategies to recognize and compensate for our human inclination to conform to groupthink. When a group comes to a decision, we need to mentally step back from the group and carefully evaluate the evidence for a particular position rather than assume that the majority must be correct. In competitive ice skating and diving, because of the danger of a judges scoring being contaminated by what other judges say, scoring is done individually, rather than as a group decision. Page 122 Diffusion of Responsibility Diffusion of responsibility is a social phenomenon that occurs in groups of people above a critical size. If responsibility is not explicitly assigned to us, we tend to regard it as not our problem but as belonging to someone else. We are much more likely to come to someones aid if we are alone than if we are in a crowd. We are much more likely to come to someones aid if we are alone than if we are in a crowd. This phenomenon is also known as bystander apathy or the Kitty Genovese syndrome. In 1964, twenty-eight-year-old Kitty Genovese was murdered outside her New York City apartment building. Her killer left twice, when people in the building turned on their lights, before he came back a third time and killed her. In the half hour that lapsed during the attack, none of Genoveses thirty-eight neighbors, who had heard her repeated cries for help, called the police. More recently, in June 2008, an elderly man was struck by a hit-and-run driver on a busy street in Hartford, Connecticut. The man lay in the street paralyzed and bleeding from his head while bystanders gawked at or ignored him. Motorists drove around his body without stopping. No one offered any assistance until an ambulance finally turned up. Diffusion of responsibility can also occur in group hazing at fraternities where no one comes to the rescue of a pledge who is clearly in distress. As social beings, we are vulnerable to the one of us/one of them error, social expectations, and group conformity. When in groups, we also tend to regard something as not our problem unless responsibility is assigned to us. Although these traits may promote group cohesiveness, they can interfere with effective critical thinking. As good critical thinkers we need to be aware of these tendencies, and to cultivate the ability to think independently while still taking into consideration others perspectives. Errors in our thinking also make us more vulnerable to falling for or using fallacies in arguments. Well be studying some of these fallacies in the following chapter. http://textflow.mcgraw-hill.com/figures/007742168X/bos_38200_ta0428.jpg The phenomenon of diffusion of responsibility was regrettably illustrated when no one came to the aid of a seriously injured man lying in a busy street in Hartford, Connecticut after being struck by a hit-and-run driver in May 2008. The victim, Angel Torres, later died from the injuries he sustained. Page 123 EXERCISE 4-4 http://textflow.mcgraw-hill.com/figures/007742168X/bos38200_stop.jpg 1. Whom do you define as us and whom do you put in the category of them? Discuss how you might go about widening the us category to include more people who are now in your them category. 2. Humans seem to have inborn biases toward particular types of people. According to a University of Florida study, when it comes to hiring, employers have a more favorable view of tall people. When it comes to earnings, every extra inch of height above the norm is worth $789 a year. In fact, nine of ten top executives are taller than the typical employee.42 Given this cognitive error and its impact on hiring practices, discuss whether or not affirmative action policies should apply to very short people. Relate your answer to the discussion in the text of the effect of this cognitive error on our thinking. 3. Think of a time when your social expectations led you to misjudge a person or a situation. Discuss strategies for improving your critical-thinking skills so that this is less likely to happen. 4. Think of a time when the public got caught up in a witch hunt. Identify the worldviews and social expectations that supported this witch hunt. Which critical-thinking skills would make you less likely to go along with a witch hunt? Discuss what actions you could take to develop or strengthen these skills. 5. Polls before elections can influence how people vote by swaying undecided voters to vote for the candidate who is in the lead. Analyze whether election polls should be forbidden prior to the election itself. 6. The democratic process depends on social consensus. Given peoples tendency to conform to social expectations and what others think, is democracy the best form of government? If so, what policies might be put in place to lessen the effect of social biases? Be specific. 7. Think of a time when you failed to speak out against an injustice or failed to come to someones aid simply because you were in a large group and felt it wasnt your responsibility. Discuss ways in which improving your critical-thinking skills may make you less susceptible to the diffusion of social responsibility error. 8. Computers (AI) programmed with an inductive logic program can, after sufficient experience working with the ups and downs of the financial market, predict the market with greater accuracy than most experienced financial planners. Given that these computers are not as prone to cognitive errors as are humans, critically evaluate whether we should rely more on AI to make decisions about such issues as college admissions, medical diagnoses, matchmaking, and piloting an airplane. 1. What are some of the sources of knowledge? Ã ¢-Â   Sources of knowledge include both reason and experience. Experience encompasses direct and indirect experience, expert testimony, and research resources such as printed material and the Internet. 2. In what ways might experience be misleading? Ã ¢-Â   Experience can be distorted through false memories, confirmation bias, and reliance on hearsay and anecdotal evidence, as well as perceptual, cognitive, and social errors in our thinking. 3. What are some of the types of cognitive and social errors in our thinking? Ã ¢-Â   Cognitive and social errors are in part the way our brain interprets the world. They include misperception of random data, memorable-events errors, probability errors, self-serving biases, self-fulfilling prophecies, one of us/one of them error, social expectations, group pressure and conformity, and diffusion of responsibility. http://textflow.mcgraw-hill.com/figures/007742168X/bos38200_sa0423.jpg Why is it so many people obey when they feel coerced? Social psychologist Stanley Milgram researched the effect of authority on obedience. He concluded people obey either out of fear or out of a desire to appear cooperativeeven when acting against their own better judgment and desires. Milgrams classic yet controversial experiment illustrates peoples reluctance to confront those who abuse power. It is my opinion that Milgrams book should be required reading (see References below) for anyone in supervisory or management positions. Milgram recruited subjects for his experiments from various walks in life. Respondents were told the experiment would study the effects of punishment on learning ability. They were offered a token cash award for participating. Although respondents thought they had an equal chance of playing the role of a student or of a teacher, the process was rigged so all respondents ended up playing the teacher. The learner was an actor working as a cohort of the experimenter. Teachers were asked to administer increasingly severe electric shocks to the learner when questions were answered incorrectly. In reality, the only electric shocks delivered in the experiment were single 45-volt shock samples given to each teacher. This was done to give teachers a feeling for the jolts they thought they would be discharging. Shock levels were labeled from 15 to 450 volts. Besides the numerical scale, verbal anchors added to the frightful appearance of the instrument. Beginning from the lower end, jolt levels were labeled: slight shock, moderate shock, strong shock, very strong shock, intense shock, and extreme intensity shock. The next two anchors were Danger: Severe Shock, and, past that, a simple but ghastly XXX. In response to the supposed jolts, the learner (actor) would begin to grunt at 75 volts; complain at 120 volts; ask to be released at 150 volts; plead with increasing vigor, next; and let out agonized screams at 285 volts. Eventually, in desperation, the learner was to yell loudly and complain of heart pain. At some point the actor would refuse to answer any more questions. Finally, at 330 volts the actor would be totally silent-that is, if any of the teacher participants got so far without rebelling first. Teachers were instructed to treat silence as an incorrect answer and apply the next shock level to the student. If at any point the innocent teacher hesitated to inflict the shocks, the experimenter would pressure him to proceed. Such demands would take the form of increasingly severe statements, such as The experiment requires that you continue. What do you think was the average voltage given by teachers before they refused to administer further shocks? What percentage of teachers, if any, do you think went up to the maximum voltage of 450? Results from the experiment. Some teachers refused to continue with the shocks early on, despite urging from the experimenter. This is the type of response Milgram expected as the norm. But Milgram was shocked to find those who questioned authority were in the minority. Sixty-five percent (65%) of the teachers were willing to progress to the maximum voltage level. Participants demonstrated a range of negative emotions about continuing. Some pleaded with the learner, asking the actor to answer questions carefully. Others started to laugh nervously and act strangely in diverse ways. Some subjects appeared cold, hopeless, somber, or arrogant. Some thought they had killed the learner. Nevertheless, participants continued to obey, discharging the full shock to learners. One man who wanted to abandon the experiment was told the experiment must continue. Instead of challenging the decision of the experimenter, he proceeded, repeating to himself, Its got to go on, its got to go on. Milgrams experiment included a number of variations. In one, the learner was not only visible but teachers were asked to force the learners hand to the shock plate so they could deliver the punishment. Less obedience was extracted from subjects in this case. In another variation, teachers were instructed to apply whatever voltage they desired to incorrect answers. Teachers averaged 83 volts, and only 2.5 percent of participants used the full 450 volts available. This shows most participants were good, average people, not evil individuals. They obeyed only under coercion. In general, more submission was elicited from teachers when (1) the authority figure was in close proximity; (2) teachers felt they could pass on responsibility to others; and (3) experiments took place under the auspices of a respected organization. Participants were debriefed after the experiment and showed much relief at finding they had not harmed the student. One cried from emotion when he saw the student alive, and explained that he thought he had killed him. But what was different about those who obeyed and those who rebelled? Milgram divided participants into three categories: Obeyed but justified themselves. Some obedient participants gave up responsibility for their actions, blaming the experimenter. If anything had happened to the learner, they reasoned, it would have been the experimenters fault. Others had transferred the blame to the learner: He was so stupid and stubborn he deserved to be shocked. Obeyed but blamed themselves. Others felt badly about what they had done and were quite harsh on themselves. Members of this group would, perhaps, be more likely to challenge authority if confronted with a similar situation in the future. Rebelled. Finally, rebellious subjects questioned the authority of the experimenter and argued there was a greater ethical imperative calling for the protection of the learner over the needs of the experimenter. Some of these individuals felt they were accountable to a higher authority. Why were those who challenged authority in the minority? So entrenched is obedience it may void personal codes of conduct.

Analysis of Birches Essay -- Robert Frost Birches Essays

Analysis of Birches  Ã‚   The discursive blank-verse meditation "Birches" does not center on a continuously encountered and revealing nature scene; rather, it builds a mosaic of thoughts from fragments of memory and fantasy. Its vividness and genial, bittersweet speculation help make it one of Frost's most popular poems, and because its shifts of metaphor and tone invite varying interpretation it has also received much critical discussion, not always admiring. The poem moves back and forth between two visual perspectives: birch trees as bent by boys' playful swinging and by ice storms, the thematic interweaving being somewhat puzzling. The birches bent "across the lines of straighter darker trees" subtly introduce the theme of imagination and will opposing darker realities. Then, almost a third of the poem describes how ice storms bend these trees permanently, unlike the action of boys; this scene combines images of beauty and of distortion. Ice shells suggest radiating light and color, and the trees bowed to the level of the bracken, suggest suffering, which is immediately lighte...

Hmos: Making A Killing Essay -- essays research papers

FACT: Currently 46 million Americans live without any health care insurance whatsoever. FACT: The United States is the only industrialized nation in the world that does not provide health care insurance for all of its citizens. FACT: The United States spends more money per person on health care than any other nation in the world. FACT: The World Health Care Organization has ranked the United States 37th in the world regarding the health care a country provides for its people. FACT: No country in the history of the earth has provided universal health care coverage for all its citizens under a private health care insurance system. The facts stated above are not only embarrassing and frightening; they are simply unacceptable. How our country, which takes great pleasure in calling itself â€Å"The World’s Only Superpower†, is unable to provide health care for all its citizens is unfathomable. The citizens of countries in Western Europe have benefited from universal health care polices for almost 40 to 50 years now. Why can’t all of the citizens in America enjoy the same benefits? Especially, at a time our country is in the midst of its greatest economic boom to date. The answer is simple enough. What stands between the citizens of America and a fair, equal and effective national health care policy is one basic human emotion, or lack there of, greed. There is a huge disparity in the distribution of health care in America. Most notably between rich and poor but also between the races. 11 percent of the white population lives without health insurance. That is already a troubling number but it pales in comparison to the 21 percent of African-Americans, 21 percent of Asian-Americans and 33 percent of Hispanic-Americans that lack proper health care insurance. Lack of coverage is not the only problem in our current privatized health care system. There are also huge problems in the coverage for prescription drugs, dental, vision and hearing care, mental health care, preventive care for children, and treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. Health care in our nation should be provided directly by the federal government under what is known as a â€Å"single-payer† health care system. It is a program that would cover Americans from â€Å"the cradle to the grave†. In our current system, hundreds of billions of dollars go to insurance company overheads, unnecessary administrati... ...hat come along with any extended stay at a medical facility. Vice President Gore says he is in favor of â€Å"step by step† movement towards universal heath care; the same universal health care that he and President Clinton both promised to provide to all Americans 8 years ago in 1992. Since 1992, there has been an 11 million person increase in Americans without any health insurance at all. Sounds more like a step backwards than a step towards universal care for all. The only candidate that stands firmly behind a single-payer system, the only candidate who stands courageously in the destructive path of Big Business, the only candidate who is willing to take a stand, draw a line in the sand, and declare once and for all that health care is a basic innate human right is the Green Party Nominee, Ralph Nader. The Declaration of Independence states that all people have the rights to â€Å"Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness†. Do you think that our founding fathers who didn’t have available to them the amazing health care treatments and techniques that we now have available to us would want us to reserve their benefits only for the rich? If asked the same question what is your response?

The Role of Mythology in A Tale of Two Cities

â€Å"A Tale of Two Cities† by Charles Dickens is one of the most debated and criticized novels of his career. This novel was produced in Dickens' transition stage and is considered to be trivial, poorly written, and structured. Dickens would go on to write â€Å"Great Expectations† and â€Å"Our Mutual Friends†. These novels were highlights in the bulk of his work and continue, today, to inspire authors and readers. A close reading of â€Å"A Tale of Two Cities† reveals a number of intricacies and themes which are overlooked during the initial reading.One of the most interesting of these motifs is the present of myth and more specifically the extremes of human nature. Dickens, in â€Å"A Tale of Two Cities† uses mythology, duplicity of the motherly matriarch, and symbolism to demonstration the universal human experience of good versus evil. Setting is of incredible importance in â€Å"A Tale of Two Cities† and takes place in the cities of Lo ndon and Paris. It is London which is represented as the hub of new thought and freedom. London contrasts strikingly with Paris which is overrun by the cruel aristocracy.It is within Dickens' articulate and vivid descriptions of both cities that the true them of this novel is revealed. This can been seen in the opening dialog of the book which shows images of â€Å"Light†/†Darkness,† â€Å"Heaven†/Hell, â€Å"good†/†evil† (1). Each city represents an extreme, good or evil, that has existed in the world since the beginning of time. This duplicity is continued in the two female characters through which much of the action within the novel is inspired. Lucie Manette and Madame Defarge are female characters that represent one of the two motherly matriarchs.Lucie Manette is benevolence personified and her double, Madame Defarge is malevolent. It is the struggle between these two women which brings about the good and bad that occur in the story. Just as this universal conflict has brought change throughout history. Dickens uses two specific mythologic imagery to support this motif – weaving and knitting. In the title of the second book, The Golden Thread, is when Lucie becomes associated with with weaving. Lucie is said to have golden hair and is the â€Å"thread† which holds her family together.She is dedicated to the greater good of her family and society. She nurtures all the people in her life and through this profound commitment she brings about one of the greatest transformation in literature. Carton begins this novel as an indolence and indifferent man with no direction and no values. However, through the love of Lucie he finds his purpose in life and dies a hero who will forever be embedded in the hearts and minds of those he died for. She nurses her father back to health both mentally and spiritually.She is ultimately responsible for creating a new country, building France into a strong nation with i s based not on oppression but the open sharing of ideas and the inclusion of all people. Weaving has always been associated with women, throughout history. It is implied that women weave the web of life. The Fates, the sisters who were said to determine fate in mythology were weavers and Dickens' does a good job of making the parallel to good mothers like Isis and Demeter, The second extreme of female matriarchs is that of Madame Defrage. She does not weave but she does knit.She wishes not to nurture but to destroy. Madame Defrage knits a list of the people she thinks should die when the new powers are established in France. She is so dedicated to the cause that she wants to win at any cost. She is associated with The Furies from mythology who were women who applied tortures to condemned souls. They were associated with vengeance and The Furies are personified in Madame Defrage. Through the characters of Lucie and Madame Defrage Dickens' links universal struggle of good and evil, an d mythological matriarchs through imagery.Lucie and her weaving is associated with light, life, and warmth. While Madame Defrage and her knitting are associated with darkness, death, and revenge. Through the integration of these images Dickens' makes â€Å"A Tale of Two Cities† not just a novel for entertainment but a real literary work which takes on one of the most universal themes known to mankind. I agree with this criticism. One of the first things I noticed was the mythological hints within the text. Madame Defrage is definitely evil and this is represented in her knitting.Knitting involves â€Å"cutting†, â€Å"pointing†, and â€Å"tearing†. â€Å"The fingers of the knitting women were vicious, with the experience that they could tear† (220). Madame Defrage even yells at her husband because he feels kindness toward to Lucie. Lucie is again and again seen as good. â€Å"Ever busily winding the golden thread that bound them together, weaving the service of her happy influence through the tissue of all their lives, and making it predominate nowhere, Lucie heard in the echoes of years none but friendly and soothing sounds† (209). During Darnay's trial Lucie is seen as a golden angel.I think that critics were extremely hard on Dickens for this novel. It was a book that was overlooked for many years as being badly written, poorly structured, and a literature for the masses. However, as you can see, after you really take the time to read and understanding the text there are several complex themes and motifs that Dickens takes on in a very subtle way. Perhaps Dickens wanted a novel that was both fun and also profound. He was comfortable enough with his writing skills to understand that for his messages to get across to the reader that he must first interest the reader.

Supporting Change

The organisation this report is based upon is NCO Europe Ltd (NCO) their European Head Office is based within Preston’s City Centre and the organisations head office is based in Pennsylvania US. NCO is part of a much larger group of companies namely Expert Global Solutions (EGS). The EGS Group is a business process outsource market leader employing in excess of 43,000 employees in 118 contact centres around the globe currently in 14 countries, with an annual turnover exceeding $2 Billion. EGS is a recognised tier one player in both Customer Relations Management (CRM) and Accounts Receivable Management (ARM) whose clients include 40% of the fortune 500. At the European Head Office, NCO currently employs approximately 500 employees at this site and is currently undergoing a rapid expansion program.An explanation of why your organisation needs to change identifying at least 6 internal and external factors that drive or influence the change.Over the last few years, businesses with in the UK have needed to adapt and change to the economic challenges posed by the long lasting recession that hit the financial markets back in the 2nd quarter of 2008. A major part of the organisations income stream is from debt recovery also known as ARM. The economical downturn had a direct impact on the organisations strategic objectives as this impeded revenue collected from those who fell into arrears. The organisation implemented a change in business strategy a new department was created to solely deal with debt management companies (DMCs) and customers in financial difficulties, as a result an increased revenue stream was created.The increase in business has resulted in a huge expansion both in the capacity of new employees required but also it has seen the organisation needing to relocate to a newly refurbished building along with investment in new technology to ensure they have both the capacity and the capability of fulfilling the client’s requirements. Change can be described as being inevitable, and those organisations who do not keep up with change may become unstable, with long-term survivability in question. There are events, or situations that occur that affect the way a business operates, either in a positive or negative way such as; Out-sourcing, Internal Reviews, Resignations, Mergers, The Recession or even Employee / Client expectations can all lead to change needing to be implemented within an organisation.Explain how change can impact an organisation’s businessChange can impact an organisation in numerous ways such as;I.Size – This is frequently a driving factor for a company’s structure. Smaller businesses won’t usually have a vast structure as the owner is usually responsible for all tasks. Larger organisations usually require a more intense framework for their organisations structure.II.Business Strategies – These can be a factor in a company’s organisational development structure. High -growth companies usually have smaller organisational structures so they can react to changes in the business environment quicker than other companies.III.Profitability – A positive effect of companies generating operational profits is the ability for companies to expand and grow their operations. Companies often reinvest a certain amount of profits earned from current operations into new business opportunities or expanding current operations to increase business output.Explain the main factors involved in the change process.There are a number of factors involved in an organisations change process such as; 1.Selling the benefits of change –Identifying potential threats and develop scenarios presenting what could take place in the future. Examining opportunities that should be, or could be exploited.2. Communication – Talk about the change vision, if people have anxieties then address these openly and honestly. Tie in the vision to all areas of the business from training to performance reviews3. Planning the change – Ensure that all research has been completed; examine the organisational structure, job descriptions, and performance and compensation systems to ensure they are in line with the vision.4.Analysing progress – After progress has been made analyse what went right and what needs improving. Set goals to build on the progress further to ensure that this is measurable this can be completed by using either a SWOT or PESTLE analysis.A comparison between at least 3 different approaches to managing changeK, Lewin is responsible for introducing force field analysis, which examines the driving and resisting forces in any change situation. The underlying principle is that driving forces must outweigh resisting forces in any situation if change is to happen. The second is about moving to a new state through participation, involvement and internalisation. The third focuses on refreezing and stabilizing the new state of affairs by setting policy, rewarding success and establishing new standards. Driving forces – These are forces which push in a direction that causes change to occur, facilitating change as they push the person in the desired direction. Restraining forces- They are forces that counter driving forces, these hnder change as they push the person on the opposite direction. Equilibrium – This is a state of being where driving forces equal restraining forces and no change occurs. Equilibrium can be raised or lowered by changes between the driving and restraining forces.Describe 3 behavioural responses seen when change occurs in an organisation.Fear Of The Unknown – Change often brings with it substantial uncertainty. Employees facing a technological change, such as the introduction of a new computer system, may resist the change because it introduces uncertainty into what was once a comfortable environment. Fear Of Loss – When change is about to occur, some employees may fear losing their jobs, especially where there is a merger or takeover about to happen. Employees may be worried that their operational site will be closed down and the work relocated to another site to save costs or they may fear their roles will become redundant.Poor Communication – Changes within an organisation start with key decision makers. It is up to them to pass along the details to team members and ensure all questions are answered before changes go into effect. Unfortunately, as news of a change spreads through the senior management, details are sometimes skewed and managers end up receiving second – hand information. Poor communication can therefore cause resistance to change.Explain at least 3 ways that HR can support individuals during change.At NCO the HR function is described as being a support function that assists with the operational running of the organisation. Whenever change occurs, the HR function acts as a role model for change, demonstrating th e behaviours that create a climate for change which includes communicating clearly any plans for change and developing a change strategy that aids with the implementation. It is also supportive to create a shared vision for the future of change within an organisation, employees are better placed to conform if they understand the benefits of any change which is implemented and understand exactly how this will affect them in there day to day interactions whilst being within their workplace. Encouraging discussion is another way the HR function can support employees, when the change process is implemented team members may experience negative feelings towards this such as surges in anxiety or fear of the unknown.Opening the lines of honest and open discussion can assist employees put their negative feelings or emotions aside? Employees who have had their voices heard and have had chance to ask questions surrounding the impending change are better placed to conform to change. Communicati on can also have a positive effect; it has the ability to instil excitement and create the acceptance once the change is fully understood and any questions posed have been answered fully and honestly.

Administration of Justice: Rich vs. Poor

People with money have a greater chance to win or get lower sentences compared to poor families. In today’s society we see all kinds of unfair cases coming in and out if the courtroom. People who have enough money to go hire a top of the line lawyer to protect them from being accounted guilty. All the while in the poor community people struggle to survive just to pay their rent, and when they commit a crime it’s hard for them to afford a top of the line lawyers.Every day you turn on the TV or the radio and hear about these celebrities that constantly get in trouble for drugs, guns, and fighting but yet when the judge sentences them it’s like they get a smack on the hand or receive the minimum sentence available. This even happens in a reoccurring basis with the same people in and out like a revolving door. The lower income communities get arrested and go to court and unless they receive a plea bargain they usually are looking at the maximum amount of sentencing w hen it comes to chronic offenders.Even those low income first time offenders can be hit hard when it comes to sentencing unless the crime committed isn’t at high risk. I will discuss some celebrity cases as well as regular civilian cases in today’s courts. Celebrity Lindsey Lohan is considered a repeat offender in and out if the court room for cocaine possession. On July 6th 2010 she was sentenced to 90 days in jail and remained free until July 20th 2010 when she had arrived at the Beverley Hills court house to turn herself in to start serving her sentence.Upon release she had to also serve a 90 day impatient rehabilitation sentence due to violating her probation from a prior DUI case. According to the spokes person Steve Whitmore of the Sheriff’s Department stated she would only serve 23 days behind bars since it was a non-violent crime. Regularly the sentence for Recidivist is if a misdemeanor is one year it goes up to two years, if it is a felony can be incre ased by four additional years. Convicted â€Å"crack† offenders are usually African Americans and â€Å"cocaine† offenders are usually white.The disparity in punishment evoked images of low-income blacks sitting in jail for crack longer than affluent whites caught with the same amount of cocaine, but in powder form. By the crack offenders being mostly poor black people they been receiving higher sentencing and a unfair trial, seeing as white people get caught with cocaine most of the time the sentencing isn’t as harsh due to their color of skin and if they come from wealth. I Washington as of the 1st of November, 2007 they are passing a federal rule that will shorten time for new crack offenders regardless of race, to be able to decrease the thought of racial issues.Of the nearly 20,000 federal prisoners whose sentences could be reduced, 86 percent are black and 6 percent are white, according to the commission. Speaking with a Chronic offender Benito Garibay who I interviewed he stated that while being charged for drug cases he always received the maximum sentence that was set against him in disregard to his home life. He also stated he had two prior drug cases before catching the third one were they charged him with a class X felony, which is a sentence of a minimum of six years in a state penitentiary and a maximum of thirty years.He was sentenced to the minimum and involved himself in classes for his diploma as well as a work study to help reduce his sentence for what is called â€Å"good time†. Weapon cases on the other hand are the same issue depending on the person’s race and economical status. For instance I have two examples of celebrities caught with guns and served less time than the average offender, even though they are black males, they both still have the money for good lawyers and in a political issue people can assume they also have paid off officials revolving around the case to receive lighter sentences.In t he case of T. I. a well known rapper whose real name is Clifford Harris Jr, was caught with numerous types of guns in his home ranging from hand guns to semi-automatic weapons in October 2007. He was arrested and posted to bail to be released until hearings took place which ended up being a very long process. His suppression hearing was scheduled for February 19, 2008 when the performer admitted guilt to possession of U. S. federal weapon charges.He was sentenced to serve one year and one day in prison, one year of house arrest, and 1,500 hours of community service. He also had to pay $100,300 for the federal weapons charges. The performer went in to serve his sentence May 26, 2009 and was released on March 26, 2009. After being released the performer already has new charges brought up against him for the possession of methamphetamines. With this case coming soon after being released from prison on the weapon charges, the media speaks about how harsh the charges may be this time.I t hink that’s just the media assumption and my assumption would be looked at differently and he will get off easy yet again. Dwayne Carter also known as Lil Wayne a very successful rapper ran into trouble on the streets of Manhattan in 2007. The police had pulled over the tour bus after the performer was smoking marijuana at a concert he did at the Beacon Theatre. During the search the police found and seized a . 40caliber loaded semi-automatic gun. During Wayne’s initial appearance he stated he was innocent and the gun did not belong to him.Trial was then set for January 20th were a controversial DNA profiling technique had tied the performer to the weapon. From January to February 2010 the performer was scheduled for his possible sentence of 8 to 10 months. Just like T. I. he is also scheduled to go to trial in Arizona on felony drug possession and weapons charges, stemming from a January 2008 arrest at a U. S. Border Patrol checkpoint. Interstate 9 is known for illega l drug trafficking and illegal aliens trying to get over.During the border patrol’s common evenings the performer’s tour bus was pulled over and searched when, they found three guns, $22,000 in cash, and drugs. The authorities discovered 105 grams of marijuana, 29 grams of cocaine, 41 grams of ecstasy and various drug paraphernalia. While we are currently unaware of the sentence he is looking at for this case in Arizona Lil Wayne must first get past his sentence being held in Riker’s Island Penitentiary where he was placed on close surveillance due to a rumor of himself trying to commit suicide.The scheduled release date was November 11th but ended up getting out Thursday morning on November 4th 2010. This goes to show that higher class people and celebrities get off more easier then poor families who have nothing. Just because someone or someone’s family member are drug addicts doesn’t mean they don’t deserve just as much as a fair trial ju st like someone that can afford the great lawyer or have connections with in the politics of the court house.

Elderly Drivers Outline

Elderly Drivers Specific Purpose: We want our audience to agree that the physically disabled elderly people need to retake their test or prove that they can drive before actually getting behind the wheel of a car. Thesis Statement: These elderly drivers, who are physically disabled, should not be driving without retaking the test or doing something to prove they are still capable to drive. I. Elderly are terrible drivers. A. The elderly are an increasing population of bad drivers, because of their health. B.Those include medical conditions like diabetes, having heart problems, having poor eyesight and being delusional. C. People with health risk or even something simple as just wearing glasses should â€Å"renew† their license, and to pass should have to take a small series test as simple as an eye exam. D. Overall, people over the age of 70 should have to perform a simple test to renew their license. II. Problem: According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the population of drivers 70 and older is expected to increase from 27. 8 million in 2010 to 51. 7 million in 2030 and 67 million in 2050.The rapid increase in the older driver population has led to concerns about the potential effects on traffic safety associated with this trend. A. Based on data reported by states to the Federal Highway Administration, there were approximately 22. 3 million licensed drivers 70 and older in 2010. B. A NHTSA study of 1995 FARS (Fatal Accident Reporting System) data reports that senior citizens accounted for: * 5% of all people injured in traffic crashes * 13% of all traffic fatalities * 13% of all vehicle occupant fatalities * 18% of all pedestrian fatalities C.If the elderly continue to drive as their health problems increase, they will not only be putting their selves at risk, but the rest of the population as well. III. Criteria for Solution: The solutions cannot be physically, mentally, or emotionally harmful to the driver. It has to be fair, affordable, and feasible. I V. Possible Solutions: There are a number of solutions that could help prevent harm to drivers of old age. A. Re-test the people over the age of 70+ in every state. B. Give mid-year health check-ups on the elderly to check their capability to drive an automobile. C.On the license plate of an elderly driver, have an identifier on it to signify that it is an elderly driver. D. Make it mandatory to have a passenger with a license to ride in the car with them. E. Check for any diseases, and health risks that would put the driver at risk or being hurt. F. Make sure the person knows the area they drive in. It has to be familiar to them. V. Best Possible Solution: Re-Test the elderly after a certain age. A. Maryland state law allows police, doctors, and residents including relatives to refer potentially unfit drivers to the Motor Vehicle Administration's Medical Advisory Board.B. A 2004 Florida law requiring that older drivers pass a vision test before getting a license renewed has helped cut the death rate among drivers 80 and older by 17%, according to researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Conclusion: In conclusion, we believe people should have to retake a driving test and vision and hearing test every few years to prove they are still safe and capable drivers. Reflective Thinking Sequence 1. Elderly drivers cause younger drivers to have road rage and put their self at risk. We can limit the problem by making drivers at the age of 70 retake the driving test. . The causes of the problem are the elderly’s vision and hearing getting bad. As they get older, they face more problems. 3. The effects of the problem are people getting hurt or put into danger. The driver puts their self into danger and then gets hurt by other drivers or other drivers hurt them. 4. The criteria in which the solutions should be judged are: Health checkups every few years, have another responsible driver in the car with the elderly, and/or retake the driving test at th e age of 70. 5. A possible solution is to have the driver retake the driving test at the age of 70.A strength would be better drivers on the road. A weakness is they may not want to retake the test. 6. The best solution is to make it mandatory for drivers at the age of 70 to retake the test. 7. We can put it into effect by making the retest a requirement at the age of 70. It’s not illegal because some states already put this into effect. Citations â€Å"Elderly Driving. † Elderly Driving. N. p. , n. d. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. ;http://www. stritch. luc. edu/depts/injprev/Transprt/tran3. htm;. â€Å"Fatality Facts: Elderly. † Fatality Facts: Elderly. Transsaftey Inc, n. d.Web. 29 Nov. 2012. ;http://www. usroads. com/journals/rilj/0101/ri010102. htm;. Copeland, L. (2009, July 6). States seek tests for older drivers. . Retrieved from http://usatoday30. usatoday. com/news/nation/2009-07-05-older-drivers_N. htm Taira, E. D. , M. Maynard, and M. J. Madigan. Assessing the dr iving ability of the elderly, a preliminary investigation. Binghampton, New York: Routledge, 1991. 215. Print. Rothe, John, Peter Cooper, and Brian De Vires. The Safety Of Elderly Drivers: Yesterdays Young, Todays Traffic. Transaction Publishers, 1990. 435. Print.

Have neoliberal policies benefitted people in the developing world Essay

Have neoliberal policies benefitted people in the developing world since 1980 - Essay Example If more foreign products came in, the home producers would be forced to improve their production quality and quantity, to survive in the market. Second, reformers believed that it was the key to higher investment in technology from abroad to boost their production. For a developing country to compete in the same field with the industrialized nations and survive, it had to offer the best products and services in the market. This was a strategy for most marginalized corporations to allow them access to foreign technology in the wake of trade liberalization. However, the outcome had variations between nations. Despite trade liberalization in different parts of the developing world, the trend in the 1990s indicates that â€Å"the results of trade reform have varied and sometimes fallen short of expectations† (Worldbank, n.d., p. 133). Considering the crisis in the Korean economy in 1980, the government had to effectively seek a solution to it, before things got out of hand. There was a lot of pressure for the industries, especially the heavy and chemical industries (HCI), which had no option but rationalize or merge to survive. The Korean government implemented import liberalization in two faces, which were centred on reduction of tariff rates. The mid 1990s had seen imports in Korea rise by approximately 18 per cent, compared to the tariff rates for the manufactures that declined by almost 6 per cent (Yang, 1999). The Korean move to imports liberalization, which was an existing trend among developing nations was the trigger for the pressure in the domestic markets, especially in the manufacturing sector. As the import restrictions reduced, more imports as compared to exports weakened the economy. The domestic prices reduced, which resulted to reduced profit margins not only for the economy as a whole, but includ ing business people. Trade liberalization led to one problem after the other,