External consultant for staffing services Case Study

External consultant for staffing services - Case Study Example Therefore, it is highly advised that the company adopts the culture of both acquisition and development of talent. This is the case because since all employees, full time or part time, are part of the workforce, there will always be vacancies that can never be filled by someone already present in the company. That is why the company human resource has to source from the external professionals. After acquiring this talent, it is highly recommended that the company develops this talent to the level of operation required. This is the only way to develop the culture of the company because Saari, Lise and Timothy (2004) indicated that employees tend to be part of a company culture when they are developed within the company. Top managers like the regional managers should therefore never be acquired but developed from within. Lag or Lead System The company should strictly continue with the lead system. Human resource experts indicate that customers tend to be part of a company when all its stores are operating in a homogeneous way. Tanglewood is experiencing a situation where some branch HR managers are adapting their own way of running their branches. It is this lack of uniformity that creates customer confusion among the different branches (Cooper & Burke, 2011). No doubt the company had to hire a consulting firm to help develop the missing team work. Given the competitive industry that the company is operating in, it is easy for huge companies like Wal-Mart to acquire Tanglewood one day. Another advantage of leading is that the company president is able to easily co-ordinate all the branch activities since there is a high rate of cognizable and unified operating systems. With the company operating 243 stores in 15 divisions, lack of homogeneity can create a drop in communication between the stores. Moreover, the company elements were taken from those of the other firms in the industry. A strong counterproductive initiative by any of the competitors based on these e lements would be extremely dangerous to the company. External or Internal Hiring The company organizational structure is said to be that which a familiar hierarchy. It is said to be a deceptive structure in that most of the decisions come from the subordinates. Moreover, there is always a directive that assistant store managers should always give instructions to their juniors. Therefore, owing to this, the company is supposed to create two hiring avenues. The first avenue is where the senior management teams are never hired from the external setting. Secondly, the very junior management teams like the store and operations associates are hired from the external setting. This is important to making sure that the culture of the company is developed. In view of Wilton (2010), when a vacant position opens aup at the top management, there is need to promote someone in the repective lower position to cover up for that. The resultant view will be that each employee in the respective lower p osition will be promoted leaving the lowest position vacant. This is the position that would involve external hiring. Core or Flexible Workforce From the case information, the company is said to maintain a core work force, whether temporary or permanent. From a professional perspective, much as it is the will of the company to develop a core

English Coursework on Miller Essay Example for Free

English Coursework on Miller Essay Alfieris speech at the beginning begins by introducing a lot of concepts which are explored upon later in the play. He begins with a speech on lawyers and the distrust that originates from it, You see how uneasily they nod to me? Thats because I am a lawyer a lawyer means the law, and in Sicily the law has not been a friendly idea. We can see later in the play that both Eddie and Marcus turn to the law for help, but the law lets them down, You mean to tell me that theres no law that a guy which he aint right can go to work and marry a girl and. These two parts of the play link to show us that the law will often clash with loyalty, and when something interferes with loyalty, one often has to turn to the law for help; however, the law may often deal with the problems too severely. We can see this by the drastic action that Eddie has to take to remove Rodolpho from the scene. However, the idea of justice is introduced. It is possible to deduce that the law governing Italy is not the law that is written as we can see from what Alfieri says about justice Justice is very important here and what Marco says about the law, All the law is not in a book, later in the play. This may be suggesting through authorial intention that something greater governed Italy than the written law, which controlled justice in its own right. We can see throughout the play what this other law may be: loyalty. One of the first major mentions of a sense of loyalty begins with Eddie, And they spit on him in the street, his own father and his brothers. This suggests that the law is secondary to loyalty within a family, and if the law is acted upon when there is a problem in a family, the loyalty is broken and the one who broke it is punished in another way. This is a premonition of what happens to Eddie later on. Eddie speaks his own fate in this small anecdote, He was crazy after, I tell you that, boy. At the end of the play, after Eddie has broken his loyalty, we see him grow crazier as Beatrice confirms, Hes crazy now, you know the way they get, what good is it! and we see in the stage directions, He is incensing himself and little bits of laughter even escape him as his eyes are murderous. This completes the anecdote, and suggests that the play was futile from the beginning and an inevitable turn of events towards the end of the play, making the play a tragedy. This is reinforced by Alfieris beginning speech, in which he says, heard the same complaint and sat there as powerless as I, and watched it run its bloody course. This also shows Alfieris futile attempts to help the situation and the inevitable bloody course towards the ending. As well as demonstrating the anecdote, Eddie may also represent affectionate emotions between members of a family. It could be interpreted that Eddie feels a love for Catherine, Hi Eddie! [Eddie is pleased and therefore shy about it ] near the beginning of the play. Miller maybe exploring the effects of such forbidden love, as it were, on a marriage. We can see the effects on Beatrice, When am I gonna be a wife again, Eddie? as Eddie fights his possible love for Catherine within him. Eddie tries his best to suppress his other feelings until he has to warp the past in order to cope with his relations with Beatrice by putting the blame on her, I want my respect, Beatrice what I feel like doin in the bed and what I dont feel like doin. This suggests that Eddie does not want this unwanted love for Catherine as he attempts to change history to cover it up and put it behind him. Beatrice reacts differently however in her discussion with Catherine, If it was a prince came here for you it would be no different. This suggests she is fighting against Eddie to get Catherine out of the house so that her relationship with Eddie can return to normal. Along with Catherines love for Rodolpho, this can show that love for another person can overcome a strong attachment with another and break bonds to allow the love to flourish, in this case, Beatrice is severing the ties between Catherine and her home. However he also has trouble letting go of Catherine, Hes stealing from me! . This quote suggests that he sees Catherine as his own personal property and not a woman of her own right. This idea of owning Catherine is reinforced by the way he is unable to stop giving her orders even when he was trying to right their relationship, Suppose I told her to go out. This suggests that Eddie does not fully understand the situation and cannot ever be trusted to ever completely understand the freedom he has to give Catherine. To focus more on his relationship with Catherine, we can see a protection around Catherine and a wish to hold her down as a baby which is shown in the first scenes. I think its too short, aint it? Through this Miller may be suggesting that if the one a person loves changes, the other will strive to keep that person as how they were even though they can never return. There is, however, a tenderness when it comes to critisizing Catherine, Yeah, its nice. This shows he cannot bring himself to hurt Catherine at the beginning and only wishes for her to feel good. However Eddie may be loving a Catherine that no longer exists, and so he strives to hold Catherine down, Youre a baby, you dont understand these things,. This will in turn hurt Catherine as she is unable to be free whilst continuing her relationship with Eddie. We can see how Catherine reacts to these restrictions Eddie places on her. She is upset by his disapproval of her skirt, [almost in tears because he disapproves] which suggests she has great respect for Eddies opinions about her. As Eddie exerts his dominance over her,Listen, I could tell you things about Louis which you wouldnt wave to him no more and she tries to get out of it [trying to joke him out of his warning], we can see this as another premonition as how she tries to get away from Eddie later in the play. Beatrice poses the question in her mind, Look, honey, you wanna get married, or dont you wanna get married? of whether she should break the bonds and be free, or stay with Eddie and never become a woman. At this point, Catherine is unable to decide I dont know B. and these quotes show us that she has not broken away the ties between herself and Eddie. However later on, her love for Rodolpho and to live her own life overcome her love for Eddie, Hes a rat! He belongs in the sewer! . This suggests that throughout the play we have seen Catherine become a woman from being a child, and Miller might be telling us, through the dramatic changes in her affections, that becoming a woman from a child is a traumatic experience for many. From this Miller has introduced most of the main ideas in the rest of the play from the scene at the beginning. Because they have been set in motion from the beginning, and are carried through right to the end, we get more of the idea of inevitability and tragedy within the play. What is more, because they reach fruition right at the end, they remind us of a cyclic pattern in which we are reminded of the beginning of the play. This suggests to the audience that the whole event was futile as it will do nothing to help such situations in the future.

Robert Mapplethorpe: Photography, Homoeroticism, and Senator Jesse Helms :: Photographer Robert Mapplethorpe Papers

Robert Mapplethorpe: Photography, Homoeroticism, and Senator Jesse Helms No medium or arena is free from political assimilation. Perhaps this is why the term "the personal is political" is so reverberant in such a multitude of communities. In the fine arts community, every art piece reflects a personal decision or touch; what medium to best describe a subject or idea in, or the physical shape and making of art by an artist, for example, are ways in which each artist has ownership over his or her own work. When art is displayed for an audience, the very act of placing a personal piece into the public sphere creates a forum for interactive and political dialogue and judgment. To present artwork in a public arena authorizes the audience to construe interpretation and assess that art. The policies and politics that dictate the arrival of art for the public purview are not immune to the authority and judgment making that occurs once the art is on display. In order for galleries, museums, or universities to display artwork, their high level officials must appro ve the works. Furthermore, when the work is on display it reflects back on the institution it is in, the leaders of that institution who approve it, and ultimately the artist who made the work herself. There are foundations and organizations that are funded by the government for the promotion and distribution of fine arts, which of necessity are bound by the legal dictates of the governing bodies and the public it represents for these reasons. When artwork or an artist is controversial, it becomes a political issue due to governmental involvement in funding of --and thus universally approving-- the contentious art or art-maker. For artists who work in the photographic medium, controversies arise more readily due to the realism of the images. Homoerotic photographic art in particular is the site of political and social stigmatization, as exemplified by Robert Mapplethorpe's life and work. Mapplethorpe's photography was the catalyst from which conservative senator Jesse Helms was able to symbolize the misinterpretations of visual representation for "real" or authentic action and criticize his work as "obscene" due to its homoerotic content. Robert Mapplethorpe (1946-1989) was a gay male artist who died at the age of 43 of AIDS. His technically brilliant and stylistically disreputable images sparked both controversy and contemplation. He was equally praised and derogated by his stark and honest appraisal of the erotic male nude, his depiction of sadomasochistic culture and practices, and his own and others' homoerotic and multiracial portraits.

Comparing Hitler and Napoleon Essay -- Compare Contrast Hitler Napoleo

Comparing Hitler and Napoleon There were differences between Hitler and Napoleon, however I feel there were more similarities. They were both immigrants in the country they ended up ruling, both conquered most of Europe, both had radical views about fighting, and both were very quick in their fighting. However, the most significant similarities between the two leaders is how they were accepted as monarchs in a previously democratic society, and what they did for the countries after becoming monarchs. Hitler and Napoleon were accepted as monarchs for three major reasons. Both countries were hoping for the returning strength of the monarchy. The people of Germany and France were tired of inflation, and threats of invasion, and both militaries preferred aggressive patriots at their head instead of a politician. Both countries needed someone because they were both in economic chaos. Both men were intent in building a new type of state with a new social order. Both enjoyed the advantage of more or less unlimited power, yet they assumed this power very carefully and legally. When they assumed power they did much for their countries. They both pursued vigorous economic plans that balanced each countries' budgets, which had not been done in years. Napoleon balanced the budget in 1802, the first time it had been balanced in over seventy years, and Hitler managed to balance Germany's budget by 1938. Both men ended unemployment in their countries with nationwide projects, ho...

Education and Happiness Essay

Mosley refers to the status quo in a negative way and I do agree with his points of view. Americans just don’t seem to have some happiness in their lives anymore, and we should wonder why that is the case. The educational system doesn’t seem to be any better when it comes to helping us out with our own happiness there are just too many restrictions going on. The students can’t be themselves. Employment has become a need rather then people wanting to wake up every morning and looking forward to going to work. There is just so much going on, like economic problems, job cuts and people can’t find happiness anywhere. A person’s wellbeing should always be first especially when it comes to there happiness. It seems that the American government has put aside what their first responsibility to Americans is, which is making sure that the people are happy. In â€Å"Get Happy† Mosley says, â€Å"But our potential for happiness has lagged far behind,† and what I’m getting from this is that our citizen‘s wellbeing isn‘t put first, rather it is being put to the side and not being an important element of people‘s lives. The government isn’t doing their job in making sure we’re happy. They seem to be doing the bare minimum and just worrying about what is necessary to â€Å"help† the people in every way they can, but they don’t show any interest in their happiness. Education is now a big issue as well, for the fact that now schools are being referred to as being â€Å"prisonlike.† What I’m getting from all this is that there are just too many restrictions on students, and there is no sense of freedom at schools. Schools are being built in a prison like manner and just like in prison there is always someone of higher authority watching over everyone which might make people feel like they can’t be themselves and express how they might feel about certain things. Americans just aren’t happy with anything that’s going on around them because they’re being treated as is they were insignificant. We have the right to be happy, but its like no one is pursuing that goal anymore. They are settling for what they have. In other words, they’re just learning to live their lives the way they are. Jobs now have become so meaningless, and the only reason people stick around at their jobs is because they have to in order to be able to provide for their families. We are now just being controlled as if we were puppets. The government’s priorities have changed so much and happiness for Americans isn’t important to them anymore. In the reading it says, â€Å"Citizens are not treated like members of society but more like employees who can be cut loose for any reason large or small,† this just goes to show that people don’t seem to be important, especially them being happy. Citizens just feel the need to work because that’s one of the only way they can make it in life, and be able to provide for their family, even if it means waking up every morning and not looking forward to going to work. Citizens are unhappy because they have to take labor intensive jobs that enslave them. People even think that the more money they have that they have the happier they will be, but the reality is that money does not buy happiness. It might buy you what you want like a huge television, but doesn’t mean you’ll be happier. If a person has a good empowering education they might be more confident and want to accomplish many goals. This will bring them more happiness because they know they were able to take control of their own lives and get to where they want to be. For example, when someone has a job they hate and don’t look forward to going to work its because they might not of had the same opportunities as someone else. No one should have to settle for what they have, if a person keeps trying they can reach their happiness. If the school system is bad then of course the students won’t feel encouraged but rather feel forced to be there since most of the times there is no other choice. Of course having a dull job and bad school system will lead to a person’s unhappiness. When a person sets their own goals and doesn’t give up no matter the obstacles, and later make their goals come true a person will be a lot happier. Just knowing they accomplished what they set their mind will show them that they don’t have to settle for a meaningless job and especially being an unhappy person. A person’s happiness should always come first like it was set out to be by the government.

Communication Essays

Communication Essays Communication Essay Communication Essay On the basis of your reading of book â€Å"Media effect† explain and elaborate the theory of agenda setting. Also highlight the agenda setting role of media with examples from Pakistani setting. Introduction: This theory puts forth the ability of the media to influence the significance of events in the publics mind. The media set the agenda for the audiences discussion and mentally order and organize their world. The theory is consistent with a use and gratification approach. McCombs and Shaw  assert that the agenda-setting function of the media causes the correlation between the media and public ordering of priorities. The people most affected by the media agenda are those who have a high need for orientation. Agenda Setting Theory: The  agenda-setting theory  is the theory that the  news media  have a large influence on audiences by their choice of what stories to consider  newsworthy  and how much  prominence and space to give them. Agenda-setting theory’s main postulate is  salience  transfer. Salience  transfer is the ability of the  news media  to transfer issues of importance from their  news media  agendas  to public  agendas. Through their day-by-day selection and display of the news, editors and news directors focus our attention and influence our perceptions of what are the most important issues of the day. This ability to influence the  salience  of topics on the public  agenda  has come to be called the  agenda  setting role of the  news media. Foundation The  media  agenda  is the set of issues addressed by  media  sources and the public  agenda  which are issues the public consider important. Agenda-setting theory was introduced in 1972 by  Maxwell McCombs  and  Donald Shaw  in their ground breaking study of the role of the  media  in 1968 presidential campaign in  Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The theory explains the  correlation  between the rate at which  media  cover a story and the extent that people think that this story is important. This correlation has been shown to occur repeatedly. In the dissatisfaction of the  magic bullet theory,  McCombs  and  Shaw  introduced agenda setting theory in the  Public Opinion Quarterly. The theory was derived from their study that took place in Chapel Hill, NC, where the researchers surveyed 100 undecided voters during the 1968 presidential campaign on what they thought were key issues and measured that against the actual  media  content. The ranking of issues was almost identical with a correlation of . 97, and the conclusions matched their hypothesis that the  mass media  positioned the  agenda  for public opinion by emphasizing specific topics. Subsequent research on  agenda-setting theory provided evidence for the  cause-and-effect chain of influence  being debated by critics in the field. One particular study made leaps to prove the cause-effect relationship. The study was conducted by Yale researchers,  Shanto Iyengar, Mark Peters, and  Donald Kinder. The researchers had three groups of subjects fill out questionnaires about their own concerns and then each group watched different evening news programs, each of which emphasized a different issue. After watching the news for four days, the subjects again filled out questionnaires and the issues that they rated as most important matched the issues they viewed on the evening news. The study demonstrated a cause-and-effect relationship between  media  agenda  and public  agenda. As of 2004, there were over 400 empirical studies examining the effects of  Agenda  Setting. The theory has evolved beyond the  medias  influence on the publics perceptions of issue  salience  to political candidates and corporate reputation. Functions The  agenda-setting function has multiple components: ? Media  agenda  are issues discussed in the media, such as newspapers, television, and radio. ? Public  agenda  are issues discussed among members of the public. Policy  agenda  are issues that policy makers consider important, such as legislators. ? Corporate  agenda  are issues that big corporations consider important. These four  agendas  are interrelated. The two basic assumptions that underlie most research on  agenda-setting are that the press and the  media  do not reflect reality, they filter and shape it, and the media concentra tion on a few issues and subjects leads the public to perceive those issues as more important than other issues. Levels of  agenda  setting ? The first-level  agenda  setting is most traditionally studied by researchers. Simply put, the focus is/was on major issues/objects and the transfer of the salience of those objects/issues. From these broad issues,  agenda  setting evolved to look not only at the major issues/objects, but to attributes of those issues. ? In second-level  agenda  setting, the  news media  focuses on the  characteristics  of the objects or issues. This transfer of attribute  salience  is considered second-level effects or attribute agenda-setting. The second dimension refers to the transmission of attribute  salience  to the minds of the public. More specifically, each object has numerous attributes, or characteristics and properties that fill out the picture of that particular object. As certain perspectives and frames are employed in news coverage, they can draw public attention to certain attributes and away from others. In this level the media suggest how the people should think about the issue. There are two types of attributes:  cognitive  (sustentative, or topics) and  affective  (evaluative, or positive, negative, neutral). Additionally, there are several theoretical concepts that fall under the umbrella of attribute  agenda  setting. Some of these include:   priming, gate keeping (which happens in both level) of primary importance, the concept of framing. 1. Priming: There are perspectives as to what  priming  actually is, but the primary concept is such: According to the  priming  theory,  news media  exposure presumably causes the activation of related knowledge, which is more likely to be retrieved and used in later judgments because it is more accessible in memory and comes to mind spontaneously and effortlessly. Iyengar and Kinder,  define  priming  as â€Å"changes in standards that people use to make political evaluations. 2. Gate-keeping: The concept of  gate-keeping  attempts to answer the question of who sets the  news media  agenda? Mccombs,  states that we need to look at three key elements: major sources who provide information for news stories, other news organizations, and journalisms norms and traditions. Mccombs  notes that journalists validate their sense of ne ws by observing and the work of their colleagues. Local newspapers and televisions stations note the news  agenda  offered each day by their direct competitors for local attention. Finding stories that are  newsworthy  can be difficult, but most journalists look for these characteristics throughout the information they collect. These generally are:  impact,  proximity,timeliness,  prominence,  importance,  conflict,  contradiction,  contrast,  novelty, and  human interest. 3. Framing: Although many scholars have differing opinions of what exactly  framing  is, Mccombs  defines it as, the selection of and emphasis upon particular attributes for the news media  agenda  when talking about an object (the fact of cutting and trimming news stories in order to filter it and shape it as the sender wish) . In other words, it is not just is said in news reports, but how they are characterized and presented. It is through this unique characterization/portrayal of issues/objects that communicates certain meanings to audiences apart from just stating facts and figures Usage: The theory is used in political advertising, political campaigns and debates, business news and corporate reputation,  business influence on federal policy, legal systems, trials, role of groups, audience control, public opinion, and  public relations. Strengths and weaknesses of theory It has an explanatory power because it explains why most people prioritize the same issues as important. It also has predictive power because it predicts that if people are exposed to the same  media, they will feel the same issues are important. Its meta-theoretical assumptions are balanced on the scientific side and it lays groundwork for further research. There are also limitations, such as  news media  users may not be as ideal as the theory assumes. People may not be well-informed, deeply engaged in public affairs, thoughtful and skeptical. Instead, they may pay only casual and intermittent attention to public affairs and remain ignorant of the details. For people who have made up their minds, the effect is weakened. Another limitation is that there is limited research in the realm of non-traditional forms of  news media  (i. e. Social Media, Blogs, etc ) and it’s  Agenda  Setting Role. Q-2Describe in detail the major features and concepts of the Cultivation effects hypothesis? Compare research of this tradition with traditional television effects research. Cultivation theory: Cultivation theory in its most basic form, then, suggests that exposure to television, over time, subtly cultivates viewers perceptions of reality. This cultivation can have an impact even on light viewers of TV, because the impact on heavy viewers has an impact on our entire culture. Gerbner and Gross (1976) say television is a medium of the socialization of most people into standardized roles and behaviors. Cultivation Effects Hypothesis: Stated most simply, the central hypothesis explored in cultivation research is that those who spend more time watching television are more likely to perceive the real world in ways that reflect the most common and recurrent messages of the television world, compared with people who watch less television, but are otherwise comparable in terms of important demographic characteristics (Gerbner, Gross, Morgan, Signorielli, Shanahan, 2002). Gerbner  et al. 1986) go on to argue the impact of television on its viewers is not unidirectional, that the use of the term cultivation for televisions contribution to conception of social reality (Does not) necessarily imply a one-way, monolithic process. The effects of a pervasive medium upon the composition and structure of the symbolic environment is subtle, complex, and intermingled with other influences. This perspective, therefore, assumes an interaction between the medium and its publics. Cultivation Theory ( George Gerbner, 1960’s) is a top down, linear, closed communication model. It regards audiences as passive, presenting ideas to society as a mass with meaning open to little or no interpretation. The ideas presented to a passive audience are often accepted, therefore influencing large groups into conforming behind ideas, meaning that the media exerts a significant influence over audiences. This audience is seen as very vulnerable and easily manipulated. Cultivation Theory looks at media as having a long term passive effect on audiences, which starts off small at first but has a compound effect, an example of this is body image and the bombardment of images. An advantage of this theory is that it is easy to apply to a wide range of texts and to a wide range of audience members, a disadvantage however is that it doesn’t look at the background, ethnicity, gender etc. of audiences. In 1968 Gerbner conducted a survey to demonstrate this theory. From his results he placed television viewers into three categories; Light viewers (less than 2 hours a day) Medium viewers (2–4 hours a day) Heavy viewers (more than 4 hours a day) He found that heavy viewers held beliefs and opinions similar to those portrayed on television rather than the real world which demonstrates the compound effect of media influence. An advantage to this study is that surveys are able to ask specific detailed questions and can be applied over different demographic groups. Disadvantages to this study is that survey questions can be interpreted incorrectly resulting in inaccurate answers and that participants of the survey may or may not be doing the survey voluntarily which could influence how they respond to the survey and the type of people being surveyed. Gerbner created the cultivation theory as one part of a three part research strategy, called Cultural Indicators. The concept of a cultural indicator was developed by Gerbner in order to be a more common idea of a social indicator. The first part of this strategy is known as the institutional process analysis. This investigates how the flow of media messages is produced and managed, how decisions are made, and how media organizations function. The second part of this strategy is known as message system analysis, which has been used since 1967 to track the most stable and recurrent images in media content. This is in terms of violence, race ethnicity, gender, and occupation. The final part of the research study is the cultivation analysis. METHODOLOGY The first stage in cultivation analysis is a careful study of TV content in order to identify predominant themes and messages. Since 1967, Gerbner and his colleagues have been meticulously analyzing sample weeks of prime time and day time TV programming. Television’s world is populated by a preponderance of males. Moreover, in portraying occupations TV over emphasizes the professions and over represents the proportion of workers engaged in law enforcement and the detection of crime. Lastly the TV world is a violent one. Step two examines what viewers absorb from heavy exposure to the world of TV. Respondents are presented with questions concerning social reality and are asked to check one of two possible answers. One of these answers (the TV answers) is more inline with the way things are portrayed on TV; the other (the real world answer) more closely resembles situations in actual life. RESEARCH FINDINGS Most findings suggest that among some people TV is cultivating distorted perceptions of the real world. Results from a national survey of adult viewers indicate that cultivation is not limited to children. In this survey heavy TV viewers evidently felt that TV violence and crime presented an accurate depiction of reality, since they also were more fearful of walking alone at night and were more likely to have bought a dog or to have put locks on windows and doors than were light TV viewers. Research has shown that content other than crime and violence might also demonstrate a cultivate effect. One study (1981) found that heavy soap opera viewers were more likely than light viewers to over estimate the number of real life married people who had affairs or who had been divorced and the number of women who had abortions. Not all researchers have accepted the cultivation hypothesis. In particular, Hughes (1980) and Hirsch (1980) reanalyzed the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) data using simultaneous rather than individual controls for demographic variables, and they were unable to replicate Gerbner’s findings. Gerbner responded by introducing resonance and mainstreaming, two new concepts to help explain inconsistencies in the results (Gerbner, Gross, Morgan, Signorielli, 1986). These concepts take account of the fact that heavy TV viewing has different outcomes for different social groups. Resonance: When the media reinforce what is seen in real life, thus giving an audience member a â€Å"double dose,† the resulting increase in the cultivation effect is attributed to resonance. Mainstreaming is a leveling effect. Gerbner says mainstreaming occurs when heavy viewing leads to a convergence of outlooks across groups. The addition of mainstreaming and resonance to cultivation theory is a substantial modification of the theory. The theory no longer claims uniform, across the board effects of Television on all heavy viewers. It now claims that TV interacts with other variables in ways such that television viewing will have strong effects on some subgroups of persons and not on others. COMPARISON OF CULTIVATION EFFECTS HYPOTHESIS WITH TRADITIONAL T. V EFFECTS RESEARCH Traditional effects research is based on evaluating specific informational, educational, political, or marketing efforts in terms selective exposure and measurable differences between those exposed and others. Scholars steeped in those traditions find it difficult to accept the emphasis of cultivation analysis on total immersion rather than selective viewing and on the spread of stable similarities of outlook rather than on the remaining sources of cultural differentiation and change. Cultivation theory is based on the results of research findings a persistent and persuasive pull of the television. Mainstream on a great variety of conceptual currents and counter currents. The focus on broad communalities of perspectives among heavy viewers of otherwise varied backgrounds requires a theoretical and methodological approach different from traditional media effects research and appropriate to the distinct dynamics of TV. Cultivation analysis is not a substitute for but a complement to traditional approaches to media effects. Traditional research is concerned with change rather than stability and with processes more applicable to media that inter a person’s life at latter stages (with mobility, literacy, etc. ) and more selectively. Neither the â€Å"before and after exposure† model, nor the notion of â€Å"predispositions† as intervening variables. So important and traditional effects studies, apply in the context of cultivation analysis. TV enters life in infancy; there is no â€Å"before exposure† condition. TV plays a role in the formation of those very â€Å"predispositions† that later intervene (and often resist) other influences and attempts at persuasion. Cultivation analysis concentrates on the enduring and common consequences of growing up and living with TV. Those are the stable, resistant, and widely shared assumptions, images, and conceptions expressing the institutional haracteristics and interests of the medium itself. Q-3Explain the concepts of Framing and Priming with examples? Also briefly describe Mainstreaming effects. Priming and Framing: Priming (mass media research), often cited next to Framing and  Agenda-setting theory, is a cognitive process, in which media information (Primes) increases temporarily the accessibility of knowledge units in the memory of an individual, which makes it more likely that these knowledge units are used in the reception, interpretation and judgment for the following external information. Framing Although many scholars have differing opinions of what exactly  framing  is, Mccombs  defines it as, the selection of and emphasis upon particular attributes for the news media  agenda  when talking about an object (the fact of cutting and trimming news stories in order to filter it and shape it as the sender wish) . In turn, as we know from attribute  agenda  setting, people who frame objects, placing various degrees of emphasis on the attributes of persons, public issues or other objects when they think or talk about them. In other words, it is not just is said in news reports, but how they are characterized and presented. It is through this unique characterization/portrayal of issues/objects that communicates certain meanings to audiences apart from just stating facts and figures; the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Entman, 1993 not only defines  frames  as â€Å"involving selection and salience. To  frame  is to select some aspects of a perceived reality and make them more  salient  in a communicating text, in such a way as to promote a particular problem definition, causal interpretation, moral evaluation, and/or treatment recommendation for the item described.    But also goes on to describe these four functions: 1) Defining problems-determining what a causal agent is doing with what costs and benefits, usually measured in terms of common cultural values; 2) Diagnosing causes-identifying the forces creating the problem; 3) Making moral judgments-evaluate causal  agents  and their effects; and 4) Suggesting remedies-offering and justifying treatments for the problems a nd predict their likely effects. It is through these four functions that the  news media  can highlight/characterize certain issues/candidates/problems/attributes and/or choose to ignore others. Furthermore, many other defined  news media  framing as the central organizing idea for news content that supplies a context and suggests what the issue is through the use of selection, emphasis, exclusion and elaboration.   When the news media  supply the context, select what to emphasize or exclude information, they show us how to think about an object/issue/candidate. In order for this to be effective the audience must be able to internalize the information and â€Å"individual’s therefore apply interpretive schemas or â€Å"primary frameworks† Priming: There are perspectives as to what  priming  actually is, but the primary concept is such: According to the  priming  theory,  news media  exposure presumably causes the activation of related knowledge, which is more likely to be retrieved and used in later judgments because it is more accessible in memory and comes to mind spontaneously and effortlessly. , its the actual act of link two different elements in order to generate a general known idea. The concept of  priming  is supported by the  accessibility bias argument  as well as the principle of resonance as some attributes may resonate longer with individuals than others. Iyengar and Kinder,  define  priming  as â€Å"changes in standards that people use to make political evaluations. † The premis e of political priming is that public evaluations of political leaders are made on the basis of issues that are on the top of citizens’ mind. This study investigated the impact of a national referendum campaign about a European integration issue on the evaluation of the incumbent government, the Prime Minister as well opposition leaders. Drawing on a content analysis of news media and a two-wave panel survey, the results showed that as the topic of the referendum (the introduction of the euro) became more visible in the media during the campaign, the importance of the euro issue for formulating general evaluations of political leaders increased. The incumbent government that was seen to handle the referendum poorly was penalized by the referendum. Exposure to news media outlets that covered the referendum extensively and offered negative evaluations of political leaders boosted the decline in overall performance rating of political leaders for politically less involved respondents. These results stress the necessity of considering the campaign and the specific content of the media to understand fluctuations in public opinion during a referendum campaign. MAINSTREAMING EFFECTS: Gerbner and his colleagues define mainstreaming as the sharing of that commonality among heavy viewers in those demographic groups whose light viewers hold divergent views (Gerbner et al. , 1980, p. 15). Gerbner and his associates look for mainstreaming effects by selecting groups of light viewers that differ strongly in their answers to a particular question (such as the estimate of the proportion of law enforcement officers in the total workforce). They then look at the heavy viewers in those same groups. If the variation in the answers of the heavy viewers is significantly smaller than the variation in the answers of the light viewers, the researchers speak of a mainstreaming effect of television, or a relative homogenization, an absorption of divergent views, and a convergence of disparate viewers (Morgan Signorielli, 1990, p. 3). Related to acts of violence depicted in programming, viewers are de-sensitized to the violence and become less empathetic to the suffering of others. Likewise studies of other social issues indicate that television cultivates assumptions we label stereotypes. Thus notions of gender roles are reinforced by television content when viewers see women in th e kitchen and men in the workplace. An interesting result of mainstreaming is that heavy viewers tend to label themselves as â€Å"moderate† instead of â€Å"liberal† or â€Å"conservative,† despite the actual positions they take on a number of political issues. Mainstream does not mean ‘middle of the road’† (Gerbner et al. , 2002, p. 57). Mainstreaming has influenced the heavy viewer to consider himself as conforming to the dominant viewpoint rather than be counted among those who are outside of the norm. Q-4: What do you understand by social Cognitive theory of mass communication? Give examples from your own society. Mass communication is something were all affected by in one way, or another. Directly, or indirectly, information transmitted by todays communication mediums shape and directs a societys expectations and behaviors. The impacts of mass communication exert a cognitive effect on us as individuals, and as a social group. The cognitive theory examines how repeated exposure to the media changes human behavior. Values: Valuesboth personal and societalare the focus within the cognitive theory of mass communication. The methods used to relay information are based on how values are formed, structured and directed within our minds. Research within psychology, marketing and communications all combine to give us an understanding of how media interacts with a societys value system. Based on structured methods that work on values, attitudes, emotions and behavior, the effects of mass communication can be pre-determined, and put to use. Features: A persons value system is built on pre-learned patterns of how to identify people and things in her environment, and how to interact with them. Patterns that carry an emotional overtone have the most impact on a persons value system. Cognitive theory refers to these patterns as Exemplars. These are the building blocks that make up a value system. Exemplars represent accumulated information blocks within a persons psychological make-up. Mass communication mediums like television and newspapers affect us on a daily basis. Cognitive theory views the information passed along through these sources as seeded with exemplars. Over a period of years, or decades, the medias portrayal of exemplars becomes a means by which value systems can be changed. Function:   Media advertisers make use of exemplars within their advertising campaigns. Cognitive theory calls this the Priming method. Based on whats called a Landscape Model, advertisers can determine where best to promote a product within a television show, a newspaper, or a movie. Product placement within the framework of a story is based on where the product will most impact the viewers. Social cognitive theory is a subcategory of  cognitive theory  that focuses on the effects that others have on our behavior. It is a form of  learning theory, but differs from other learning theories such as  behaviorism  in several important ways. Tenets of Social Cognitive Theory: Expert opinions differ on exactly what separates social cognitive theory from the more general social learning theory. In general, however, these principles can be used to define social cognitive theory. . People learn by observing others, a process known as vicarious learning, not only through their own direct experiences. 2. Although learning can modify behavior, people do not always apply what they have learned. Individual choice is based on perceived or actual consequences of behavior. 3. People are more likely to follow the behaviors modeled by someone with whom they can identify. T he more perceived commonalities and/or emotional attachments between the observer and the model, the more likely the observer will learn from the model. 4. The degree of self-efficacy that a learner possesses directly affects his or her ability to learn. Self-efficacy is a fundamental belief in one’s ability to achieve a goal. If you believe that you can learn new behaviors, you will be much more successful in doing so. Social Cognitive Theory in Daily Life: Social cognitive theory is frequently used in  advertising. Commercials are carefully targeted toward particular demographic groups. Each element of the commercial, from the actors to the background music, is chosen to help that demographic identify with the product. Notice how different the commercials shown during Saturday morning cartoons are from those shown during the evening news or a late-night movie. And who hasnt at one time or another realized the power of  peer pressure? We all want to belong, and so we tend to change our behaviors to fit in with whatever group we most strongly identify with. Although we often think of peer pressure as solely a teen phenomenon, how many of us drive a particular car, live in a specific neighborhood, or have our hair done at a certain salon simply because it is expected of someone in our social class or peer group? Social cognitive theory  is a  learning theory  based on the ideas that people learn by watching what others do and that human thought processes are central to understanding personality. While social cognitists agree that there is a fair amount of influence on development generated by learned behavior displayed in the environment in which one grows up, they believe that the individual person (and therefore cognition) is just as important in determining moral development. People learn by observing others, with the environment, behavior, and cognition all as the chief factors in influencing development. These three factors are not static or independent; rather, they are all reciprocal. For example, each behavior witnessed can change a persons way of thinking (cognition). Similarly, the environment one is raised in may influence later behaviors, just as a fathers mindset (also cognition) will determine the environment in which his children are raised.

Free sample - BOCHK Risk Management and Financial Performance. translation missing

BOCHK Risk Management and Financial Performance. BOCHK Risk Management and Financial PerformanceBank of China (Hong Kong) Limited (BOCHK) The Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited (BOCHK) is among the largest commercial banking groups in Hong Kong. The Bank has over 300 branches. Despite the Bank’s magnitude and systemic risk management, it witnessed a decline in operational income and suffered a negative shock in 2008. Thus, it is critical to analyze the Company’s risk management policies, the measurement and management risk, and comparing the 2008 results with the previous year’s results. The annual comparisons will utilize the Company’s calculated ROE, and will be critical in understanding the Bank’s performance relative to the earlier periods.  Ã‚  Ã‚   I. Overall Risk Management The Bank for International Settlements (2004) provides guidelines for conducting interest risk management. Additionally, it provides the measures that can be used in managing the overall risk to a financial institution. The analysis of BOCHK will be based on the standards provided in the above book. The aim of the analysis will be to determine whether, the company adheres to the international standards of risk management. BOCHK’s 2008 report indicates that BOCHK’s risk-management governance structure is structured to cover the entire operations of the business. The Bank adopts a swift and prudent manner in managing its various risk exposures. The risk management structure meets the standards stipulated by BIS. Initially, the report indicates that to align the management strategies with the corporate strategies the Chief Risk Officer (CFO) reports directly to the Risk Committee and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). CFO’s responsibilities are to ensure the proper implementation of policies and procedures and oversee the effective management and control of risk. The Bank publishes reports on a regular basis; this guarantees a timely assessment of the effectiveness of the risk control strategies. The determination of the effectiveness of the risk control measures lies with the Board of Directors. Additionally, the independent operation between the business units and the risk assessme nt units complies with the principle of segregation of duties. Independence is both sufficient and necessary for risk management (Khambata , Dara 2006). However, BIS requires that risk control functions report directly to the Board of Directors. Otherwise, there is a risk that the CRO and CEOmay conspire to fake the risk management reports; this would impair the objectivity of the risk management system. Secondly, BOCHK’s principal banking subsidiaries Nanyang and Chiyu, execute their risk management strategies independently. They adopt similar risk management strategies with their parent company and report to BOCHK’s management on a regular basis. Additionally, the company’s 2004 report indicates that the Bank utilizes stress testing. Stress testing is a risk management tool used in estimating risk exposure under stressed conditions, which arise from extreme but plausible macroeconomic conditions.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Bank’s information systems are well established to provide timely reports within different levels of management. The CRO stipulates specific procedures concerning the promotion of new products and activities. In addition, BOCHK prudently enacts and administers operating limits so that risk exposures are consistent with internal policies. However, the mere existence of risk management mechanisms does not guarantee sufficiency or effectiveness. Enforcement of risk control policies should be applied to ensure an efficient risk management system. II. Measurement and Management of Credit Risk According to note 4 of BOCHK’s 2008 financial statements, BOCHK manages two broad classes of assets: loans and advances, and debt securities and derivatives. The Company’s overall assets exposure to credit risk in 2008 was HK$1,364,462 million. This figure includes HK$1,111,073 million on-balance-sheet exposures and HK$253,389 million off-balance-sheet exposures. To safeguard its corporate interest, BOCHK should manage the credit risk that is related to these assets in a prudent manner, especially during a financial crisis. This part of the report will investigate how BOCHK measures and manages credit risk of these assets. To minimize the credit risk BOCHK adopted credit approval policies and procedures (BOCHK, 2008). These measures are evaluated and updated by the risk management department and other relevant departments. Regarding the loans and advances, BOCHK adopts different credit control procedures and credit grading systems depending on the level of risk exposure to the customers. Additionally, the Company utilizes bank scorecard for financial institutions, credit-scoring system for retail credit transactions, and small business credit scorecard for small firms. BOCHK identifies credit concentration risk by industry, customer, geographically, and counterparty risk. For instance, the Bank’s â€Å"classified or impaired† advances are HK$1,792 million in Hong Kong, HK$323 million in Mainland China, and HK$23 million elsewhere. Besides, loans and advances are classified in five categories to improve the Bank’s ability to identify and assess credit risk: â€Å"pass,† †Å"special mention,† â€Å"substandard,† â€Å"doubtable,† and â€Å"loss.† For example, the total assets marked as substandard or below the high-risk category, accounted for 0.08% (HK$379 million). As for debt securities and securitized assets, the 2008 report indicates that BOCHK adopts external credit rating systems, such as Moody’s, to manage the Bank’s credit risk. Moody’s ratings for 2008 showed that 19.34% of BOCHK’s debt securities rated as â€Å"AAA† compared to 2.36% â€Å"lower than A3† debt securities. Particularly, BOCHK applied a comprehensive methodology to establish whether a certain asset/mortgage backed security, (ABS/MBS) is impaired. This was determined based on such factors as the mark-to-market price, external rating, and delinquencies. In addition to these factors, ABS/MBS are further required to pass the credit enhancement coverage ratio set by BOCHK. To manage credit risk in a dynamic market environment, the Bank has established policies, procedures, and appropriate credit risk limits. The corporate organization structure should define a clear line of authority and responsibility for supervising compliance with relevant rules (Khambata , Dara 2006). BOCHK’s Credit Risk Assessment Committee takes charge of assessing all credit-scoring facilities and reviewing reports submitted by risk management units independently. In addition, Khambata , Dara (2006) argue that collateral is another key element to manage credit risk. An independent appraiser determines the value of collateral for acquiring a new loan. Thus, the value of collateralized loans is determined based on the loan-to-value ratio limits. Additionally, BOCHK revalues and manages its collaterals periodically. BOCHK documents the acceptance criteria, the validity of collateral, and the revaluation of collateral on a regular basis. This is done to watch the status of co llateral. III. Financial Performance Comparison According to the 2008 reports, BOCHK’s ROA and ROE were 0.26% and 3.56% in 2008, and 1.48% and 16.64% in 2007 respectively. Additionally, BOCHK’s Profit Margin declined in 2008 to 5.97% compared to 24.24% in 2007. These were substantial declines within a year; they were attributed to the increase in impairment charges on the US non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities and other securities investment. Furthermore, a significant increase in Provision for loan losses/Total operating income from 2.22% to 24.95% and a dramatic decline in the investment-related commission income produced a negative impact on the Company’s profit in 2008. The sluggish investment environment that resulted from the global financial crisis led to increments in the provision for loan losses. As customers steered clear from the investment products, the investment, and insurance fee income decreased by 34.3% to HK$2,964 million. Note 12 shows that the net charge of impairment allowances increased from HK$1,448 in 2007 to HK$ 12, 573 in 2008. Despite the bleak financial environment, the ineffective credit risk management was still to blame for the sudden increase in loan impairment losses. From the perspective of overall risk management, it can be suggested that BOCHK should undertake more strict stress testing measures and scenario analysis to predict the sensitivity of risk factors with various degrees of severity. References Bank for International Settlements. (2004). Triennial Central Bank Survey: Foreign  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Exchange and Derivatives Market Activity in 2004. BOCHK. (2008). Financial Report 2008. Khambata, M., Dara, Y. (2006). The Performance of Multinational Banking: Macro-Policy  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Issues and Key International Concepts. (2nd ed.). New York: Quorum Books.

How to Make Polite Requests in Spanish

How to Make Polite Requests in Spanish Telling someone what to do can sound rude or impolite. So in Spanish, just as in English, there are a variety of ways of asking people to do something or of making what might be called mellow commands. For example, in English, instead of telling someone, give me a cup of coffee, it would be far more polite to say something like I would like a cup of coffee. Add a please to that with a friendly tone of voice, and nobody will be able to call you rude! Following are some of the most common ways of making polite requests, the equivalent of something such as I would like, in Spanish. Any of these ways will likely be understood wherever you go in the Spanish-speaking world, although usage varies with region. Querer (I Would Like) Although it may seem grammatically illogical, the imperfect subjunctive form of querer (usually translated in this context as I would like), quisiera, is a common colloquial way of stating wishes and making polite requests. The normal sequence of tenses applies, so when quisiera is followed by a conjugated verb, the following verb must be in an imperfect subjunctive form. Other forms of querer including the present and conditional tenses also can be used in either statement or question form. Quisiera unas manzanas. (I would like some apples.)Quisiera comer ahora. (I would like to eat now.)Quisiera que salieras. (I would like you to leave.)Quiero dos manzanas. (I want two apples.)Quiero comer ahora. (I want to eat now.)Quiero que salgas. (I want you to leave.) ¿Quieres darme dos manzanas? (Do you want to give me two apples?) ¿Querrà ­as darme dos manzanas? (Would you like to give me two apples?) Gustarà ­a in the Conditional Form The verb gustar (which can be translated as to be pleasing) can similarly be used in the conditional form, gustarà ­a, to make gently worded requests. Me gustarà ­a que estudiaras. (I would like you to study.)Me gustarà ­a que ambos observasen el comportamiento de su hijo. (I would like both of you to observe the behavior of your son.)Me gustarà ­an dos manzanas. (I would like two apples.) ¿Te gustarà ­a darme dos manzanas? (Would you like to give me two apples?) Note how in the first two examples the second verb (the one after gustarà ­a) is translated as an infinitive in English. Poder (To Be Able) This verb meaning to be able or the auxiliary verb can can be used as a question in the conditional or imperfect indicative tense.  ¿Podrà ­as darme dos manzanas? (Could you give me two apples?) A Ver Si as a Gentle Request The phrase a ver si, sometimes misspelled as haber si, which is identical in pronunciation, can be used to form the gentlest of requests. Although it is close in meaning to the English lets see if, it can be translated in a variety of ways. A ver si estudias ms. (Perhaps you could study more.)A ver si comamos juntos un dà ­a. (Lets eat together some day.)A ver si tocas el piano. (Lets see if you can play the piano.) Saying Please The most common ways of saying please are the adverbial phrase por favor and the verb phrase hgame el favor de (literally, do me the favor of). Although you are unlikely to be criticized for overusing por favor, its usage does vary with region. In some areas, its use is expected, while in others it might not commonly be used when asking someone to do something that he or she is expected to do, as when ordering a meal from a restaurant server. And remember, ​too, that tone of voice can have as much to do with how a request is received as its grammatical form can. Por favor usually is placed after a request, although it can also come before: Otra taza de tà ©, por favor. (Another cup of tea, please.)Quisiera un mapa, por favor. (I would like a map, please.)Por favor, no dejes escribirme. (Please, dont quit writing to me.)

Social-Cognitive Perspective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Social-Cognitive Perspective - Essay Example It emphasizes the role of biology and gene transmission across generations to explain current behaviors. Social Learning Perspective: Stresses the importance of unique experiences in family, school, community, etc. According to this viewpoint, we learn behaviors through observing and mimicking the behavior of people around us. Social-Cognitive Perspective: demonstrates an information processing model of social behavior, where we notice, interpret, and judge the behavior of others. New experiences may either be assimilated (using already held beliefs to interpret the event), or accommodated (which involves changing existing beliefs in response to the event.) By understanding the processing of information, we can better understand how patterns of thoughts impact behavior. One of the most important features of the social constructionist perspective is that much attention is given to the influence of the specific dialogues on the possible meanings. For example, to do justice to the self-understanding of the believing community, we cannot avoid the language of revelation. For practical theological discourse about revelation, this means that we have to consider the various dialogues in which different sets of criteria function. We encounter other branches of theology and engage in conversations with the social science and also connect with the church and the society in the process. A second important aspect of a social constructionist perspective is the emphasis on the performative dimension of language. Instead of asking what revelation is, what content is revealed, and how we can evaluate competing claims to revelation, a social constructionist practical theology will delve into what it means when someone invokes the language of revelation. This is not to be confused with relativism. The psychodynamic perspective originated from Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis and lays emphasis on the unconscious components such as conflicts and instinctual energies. "psychodynamics" is a general term which incorporates all the components but keeps the unconscious as a primary element. The reason why scientifically oriented psychologists dismiss this perspective is its emphasis on the unconscious which can neither be observed nor measured. A language-centered perspective toward the social-rhetorical construction of knowledge can be constructed by juxtaposing Kenneth Burke's philosophy of language with Thomas S. Kuhn's philosophy of science. Kuhn's Structure of Scientific Revolutions has "had a wider academic influence than any other single book of the last twenty years" (Gutting v). In particular, Kuhn is honored as "father of current social constructionist thought" in a variety of disciplines (Bruffee 779). Therefore, a cross-fertilization of these two important thinkers' viewpoints should be a fruitful endeavor. Recently, J.E. McGuire and Trevor Melia have argued against opinions regarding "rampant rhetoricism" in rhetoric of science scholarship ("Rhetoric"). They argue that while the form and validation processes of science display rhetorical qualities, the "content" of scientific discourse ( which scientific language is about) is ontologically different from that of other forms of discourse, and, hence, in an important sense, science qua science is non-rhetorical ("Some" 97). Those who describe rhetoric as epistemic emphasize that language "embodies and generates knowledge" that is relative to specific

Logistics in context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Logistics in context - Essay Example At present, the total strength of the company employees’ stand at a robust 5600 figure spread over 30 countries in international destinations.   The sea food restaurant chain has been able to sustain the market glitches due to its consistent performance and desire to lead the industry with exhilarating new techniques to attract and help out people enjoy more fish. The development of the Grimsby town and the Humber region was eclipsed till the 19th century. However, the business activities initiated with the building of new ports and docks which led to the sharp rise in the export / import activities of the Humber region. At present, the Grimsby Port and Immingham possess the largest tonnage capacity in the UK, and the deep waters of the Humber playing a perfect host to the largest shipping companies across Europe, thereby being the main promoter of the region’s economy. The far reaching effects of Globalization have already transformed the sefood industry across the globe. Young’s seafood, Grimsby is not an exception. Globalization has assisted the company to reform its production methods, expand its distribution area, and venture into the previously unknown territory of retail marketing of seafood industry. The company is looking at new ventures and investments along with some acquisitions in the Humber region so as to support the rising needs of its clients. Also, the power of Globalization has revealed an all new territory of clients to the company who are willing to pay more for better quality, rather than paying less for more quantity. Therefore, grasping this opportunity, Young’s seafood has been able to legally source better quality product to clients worldwide and as a result command a larger market share with higher profit margins. Youngs sea food has been able to attract a lot of attention from its customers as well as competitors. In

Contemporary Issues in Accounting and Finance Essay - 1

Contemporary Issues in Accounting and Finance - Essay Example They consider all this to create an enabling environment that favors their objectives (Jaiswal, 2013). The Standards of the Auditors Ready Ratios (2013) asserts that in the 21st century the European Union came up with an outline of how the auditors should conduct themselves. The outline consisted of the law that stated and guaranteed matters concerning the freedom of the assessors of the law (Kumar & Sharma, 2006, p.134). This was similar to the laws that govern the accountants. It is said that the accountants were given their laws that govern their operations. They were given by the internal profession of the accountants (Knapp, 2010, p.204). In order to promote the equality in the people and all the other professions the European Union issued a framework that was to govern the legal analyst (auditors) and ensure that they were in line with their operation, expectations and their rights. Even though, this did not concur with some stipulations from the international federation of acc ountants. This is because the accountants were entitled to some fundamental freedom and rights that ought not to be compromised. And each accountant had an obligation of independence and doing the right thing. The directives the European Union gave, differed with the directives the international ethics for accountancy (Buijink et al., 1996, p.66). According to Sharma (2012, p.14), the differences were seen and they did expect the law auditors to operate within their stipulations. In giving their outline, the union for accountants had in mind the idea of public interest. They were interested in the good of the people. But in essence the European Union found the laws quite strict for the auditors to withstand (Puttick et al., 2008, p.56). So it was a two way drive. If the law analyst happens to execute their duties within the provisions of the international accountants, the result will be a stronger system in the operation. This is because there were quite stricter provisions. And if they do there duties in the boundaries of the stipulations of the European Union, they will be bound to some freedom (Basu, 2010, p.134). Discussion According to Greene (2005, p.11), a debate about the freedom of the person when conducting and assessing the legal issues forms the basis of the story. It is from this that the general theme of the work is, â€Å"the obligation of auditing†. This discussion is majorly rotating about this question. The title about the auditor being independent comes out from the following discussion (Morris et al., 2009, p.309). Some of the good principals are now in place and should be in mind of the any auditor or accounting profession. Whenever the auditing is to happen, the outstanding statute is the objective of the auditor. In order to show the public, the people moderating and using the audit opinions in particular, the auditor is supposed to be independent. Before entering an agreement with the client; the auditor should ensure a peaceful environment and his independence (Volosin, 2008, p.14). According to Gupta (2004, .1247), the European Union argues that, by defining the key audit partner, it does not

Educational Policies in Britain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Educational Policies in Britain - Essay Example Copyright Higher Education Statistics Agency Ltd. 2005 From HESA, accessed 2006-04-26 Data for figure 6.5 Students' expenditure by type, 2002/03 England & Wales Percentages Living costs 68 Housing costs 19 Participation costs 14 Source: Student Income and Expenditure Survey, South Bank University 1997 1998 1999 2000 Current expenditure /98 /99 /00 /01 Universities .. .. .. .. Other Higher, Further and adult education .. .. .. .. Higher Education Funding Council 5,693 4,726 5,166 5,813 Further Education Funding Council 3,718 5,064 5,216 5,167 2001 Continuing Education 1,960 .. .. .. /02 Other education expenditure 1,355 4,611 4,278 3,861 .. .. .. 5,813 5,628 5,167 6,810 .. .. 3,861 3,989 From HESA, accessed 2006-04-26 The government expenditure on education in terms of higher education funding has remained stable since 1997 receiving up to 5628millions in 2001-2002. Comparatively further education funding council received funding of 6810 million and other education expenditure of the government was at 3,989 million (HESA, 2006). Percentage of students opting for loans seems to have risen considerably and the data show that students seeking funding have risen from 41% in 1992-93 to 64% in 1997-1998. The table below shows the percentage of students who depend on funding for external or state sources, loans or grants 1992-93 41 1993-94 47 1994-95 55 1995-96 59 1996-97 62 1997-98 64 From HESA, accessed 2006-04-26 The tables that we have considered could be analyzed comparatively for government expenditure against student requirements. As we see from the statistical data on student... The government expenditure on education in terms of higher education funding has remained stable since 1997 receiving up to 5628millions in 2001-2002. Comparatively further education funding council received funding of 6810 million and other education expenditure of the government was at 3,989 million (HESA, 2006). Percentage of students opting for loans seems to have risen considerably and the data show that students seeking funding have risen from 41% in 1992-93 to 64% in 1997-1998. The table below shows the percentage of students who depend on funding for external or state sources, loans or grants The tables that we have considered could be analyzed comparatively for government expenditure against student requirements. As we see from the statistical data on student expenditure, student borrowing, financial requirements and expenditure have gone up considerably since 1992-93 when borrowing for instance was only at 41% compared with 1997-98 with at least 64% of students depending on external funding. The chart on student expenditure shows living costs and education costs at 68% of total expenditure for students.

The Picture of Dorian Gray Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Picture of Dorian Gray - Essay Example There are so many parallels that can be drawn between Dorian’s character and today’s generation and particularly youths. For instance, just as today’s youth are generally innocent in the initial day of their life, their innocence eventually disappears mostly under the influence of today’s ‘role models’ who ironically worship vices instead of virtues. This is perfectly in line with Dorian’s character and especially the influence of Lord Henry Wotton, who influences Dorian in entering a â€Å"life of sensual indulgence (Wilde, 1908).† In fact, the path that he takes in his life is perfectly in line with today’s youths from similar background. Hailing from a dysfunctional family, where Dorian maternal grandmother conspires to have his father murdered because of his displeasure with the marriage, Dorian like majority of today’s youths from such dysfunctional family had no inspiration in life and hence his subsequent rio tous nature in life. In fact, his story is a common feature in our ghettoes today where kids in care of their maternal parents are increasingly embracing violence and all sort of extreme vices. Put in the context of today’s life, the overall picture of Dorian life and especially that of murder in the most part, makes him a perfect example of a child growing without any emotional support not only in his generation but in any of the subsequent generations. There is no doubt that Dorian would behave exactly the way he behaved if he found himself living in the 21st century. Dorian picture represent that found in the ghettoes. The murder of Basil for instance, which can be blamed in most part on his emotional build-up can be likened to majority of today’s violence and senseless murders that are being perpetuated by youths of his age in poor neighborhood where the family institution is no longer existent. Dorian life of vices instead of virtue seems to be consistent with the desires of the youths of today, a desire that is particularly driven by the pop culture propagated by the entertainment industry. His life of extremes particularly makes the character Dorian appealing to today’s youth if today pop culture is anything to go by. This appeal is also manifested in Hollywood’s effort since the 1900s at integrating Dorian character and lessons in a good number of their films. Even the struggles that Dorian undergoes in asserting his character to his contemporaries are synonymous with today’s youth obsession with bad-boy image, a classic example being rapper Eminem, who has made a career out of bashing his mother. Another example of the elevation of Dorian character can be found in both the film and print version of the movie The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Today extreme obsession with sensual beauty and youthfulness, which informs the growing list of beauty products and even cosmetic surgeries, borrows a lot from the book†™s theme on the worship of beauty and youth. There is no doubt that just like Dorian’s obsession with beauty, the modern man and women will spend large amount of resources (time and money) on maintaining the perfect mirrored image of him/herself. This feeling about reality of the 21st century man and woman is consistent with Dorian’

Educational Policies in Britain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Educational Policies in Britain - Essay Example Copyright Higher Education Statistics Agency Ltd. 2005 From HESA, accessed 2006-04-26 Data for figure 6.5 Students' expenditure by type, 2002/03 England & Wales Percentages Living costs 68 Housing costs 19 Participation costs 14 Source: Student Income and Expenditure Survey, South Bank University 1997 1998 1999 2000 Current expenditure /98 /99 /00 /01 Universities .. .. .. .. Other Higher, Further and adult education .. .. .. .. Higher Education Funding Council 5,693 4,726 5,166 5,813 Further Education Funding Council 3,718 5,064 5,216 5,167 2001 Continuing Education 1,960 .. .. .. /02 Other education expenditure 1,355 4,611 4,278 3,861 .. .. .. 5,813 5,628 5,167 6,810 .. .. 3,861 3,989 From HESA, accessed 2006-04-26 The government expenditure on education in terms of higher education funding has remained stable since 1997 receiving up to 5628millions in 2001-2002. Comparatively further education funding council received funding of 6810 million and other education expenditure of the government was at 3,989 million (HESA, 2006). Percentage of students opting for loans seems to have risen considerably and the data show that students seeking funding have risen from 41% in 1992-93 to 64% in 1997-1998. The table below shows the percentage of students who depend on funding for external or state sources, loans or grants 1992-93 41 1993-94 47 1994-95 55 1995-96 59 1996-97 62 1997-98 64 From HESA, accessed 2006-04-26 The tables that we have considered could be analyzed comparatively for government expenditure against student requirements. As we see from the statistical data on student... The government expenditure on education in terms of higher education funding has remained stable since 1997 receiving up to 5628millions in 2001-2002. Comparatively further education funding council received funding of 6810 million and other education expenditure of the government was at 3,989 million (HESA, 2006). Percentage of students opting for loans seems to have risen considerably and the data show that students seeking funding have risen from 41% in 1992-93 to 64% in 1997-1998. The table below shows the percentage of students who depend on funding for external or state sources, loans or grants The tables that we have considered could be analyzed comparatively for government expenditure against student requirements. As we see from the statistical data on student expenditure, student borrowing, financial requirements and expenditure have gone up considerably since 1992-93 when borrowing for instance was only at 41% compared with 1997-98 with at least 64% of students depending on external funding. The chart on student expenditure shows living costs and education costs at 68% of total expenditure for students.

Corporate Finance Assignment ( Questions ) Essay

Corporate Finance Assignment ( Questions ) - Essay Example The Enron scandal and Arthur Anderson case has been the witness of this testimony. If the interest of organisation and individuals are not aligned then there are classical cases like Arthur Anderson and Enron comes up in the public world. This case tries to highlight how a corporation like Arthur Anderson came to such demise. 80 years of legendary innovative history in Corporate America that was created by Arthur Anderson was washed up in a matter of 8 years. Internal divisions came up in the company and the world started to look at Corporate America with shame. To align the principal agent theory in practice, Sarbanes Oxley came into operation in 2002. The act tried to align the best interest of the shareholders and the agent i.e. Management in the same mould. The objective of the act was to reduce the ever growing gap between the two of the main functions of the organisation. There are two main functions of any organisation which decide the fate of the organisation as a whole. The first one of them is the shareholders (Principals) who elect the Management (agent) to represent them as the owner of the company. The objective of the principal is to maximise shareholders wealth while that of Management can be the same or it can be different also. If the objectives are aligned by using good compensation strategy and urging responsibilities over the management then agency cost of the company will be reduced. If that is not the case agency cost will always increase. With this background let us have a look at the classic case of Arthur Anderson. Management of the company which was looking after the AA division of the company was less compensated compared to their counterparts in AC. This is itself a contradiction to the principal agent theory. Arthur Anderson has grown from the roots as a major auditor and the consulting division came into picture very late when they started automating the book keeping systems. AC was very successful and the compensation was not in a lignment with the kind of success they achieved. Hence the companies were separated and consulting division was now separate from auditing division. After the separation AC kept growing fast with their own set of compensation strategy while AA started facing challenges. This challenges are advent from the number of lawsuits AA faced during 1990s and 2000. Employees at AA were resenting and finding other ways to get paid and rope in extra money for the organisation and themselves. This is when they started realigning shareholders interest with theirs. This was visible in the biggest corporate scandal of America- Enron. Enron was the worst corporate scandal which shook American Corporation. Auditors at Arthur Anderson signed the financial statements of Enron without cross checking the stated facts. This was done just to rope in extra money from this big ticket client. Somewhere this is an also a case where organizational structure should be questioned. The reason for this is because f or a big ticket client like Enron, Arthur Anderson compromised its corporate hierarchy. They allowed their premier groups to go and reside at the client’s headquarter. There was no proper check on what was happening within employees and the client. 2- (Goal of financial Management )Why is the goal of financial management to maximize the current share price of the company‘s stock? In other words, why isn’

Ethical dilemmas Essay Example for Free

Ethical dilemmas Essay Any field of study has its dilemmas and nursing is no exception. The dilemmas in question tend to take a higher dimension and involve the nurse educators as well. Their dilemmas range from ethical or legal to moral. Some of these dilemmas involve trying to meet the needs of the community around you. Trying to address environmental issues is another dilemma. Dealing with challenges form your students is also another dilemma, and many more (Foot, 2002,). A close tool at the whole topic shows that the educator in question may be faced with the dilemma of not having enough content for his students. This may make him feel threatened and frustrated, because he may end up teaching the wrong thing to the students who may end up endangering the lives of the patients, they will be handling, after college (Foot, 2002). If contents is not enough the educator may feel threatened by producing half-baked students. This should be well considered and ensure it does not happen. However it is normally common especially when the educator is still fresh with his work (Foot, 2002). The educator in question may also be faced with the dilemma of early preparations. This normally happens when he does not know how to prepare or when to prepare. In the process students end up not getting enough information form their educator (Scott, 1998). On the side of the communities needs is another problem, especially if the educator does not know them. Since the educator is someone with his or her professional then it is very obvious and possible not to understand the needs of the community better. This normally leads to a lot of misunderstanding and frustrations (Cohen, 2003). The dilemmas in question also tend to be challenges, especially form students. This is true, especially when the students come for advice. The nurse educator will normally not know what to tell his students when he himself has no enough knowledge of their needs. It is a serious issue as some students ignore the departments of guiding and counselling and prefer to seek the advice of their educators. Unless the higher authorities know better how to address this issue there will always be a problem (Cohen, 1998). Other challenges that face the most nurse educators are class preparations, how to keep in touch with the current affairs, cases of students lying or cheating in exams, dealing with death cases, and also wanting to be a role model (Rodin, Collins, 1991). As for class preparations, this is true when the nurse educator tries to prepare enough or adequately for the classes. It is more serious if the educator is involved with students who normally ask very hard questions. This can always make the educator feel inadequate, and that does not know how to prepare for classes better, it normally becomes another problem (Denhardt, 1988). Keeping in touch with the current affairs is important and enjoyable when the nurse educator tries to keep in touch with the current affairs; there is always the problem of maintaining himself in his profession. This is a very big dilemma; unless the higher authorities address it properly then it is still a major problem for the nurse educator (Cohen, 2003). Another problem is that of trying to be a role model to his students. This is also a big dilemma since it involves knowing at first hand how to go about it. The educator should be provided with enough information about it. This is to say they should be taught early enough in colleges or universities (Scott, 1998). The higher authorities must change their attitude from the non- supportive one to a more positive and responsive one. The ethical dilemma faced by the nurse educators are worrying especially this one of catching a student cheating in the examination. This should always be handled very sensitively. Unless the higher authorities understand the educator’s needs then misunderstandings will always come in even in such a case (Denhardt, 1988). The governments should think hard on how to address these dilemmas. They are serious ones, and should not be allowed to happen in any way. Once they are properly handled this will promote and give morale to the educators in question and also improve the stands of living of people (Rodin, Collins, 1991).

Transience And Eternity In The Elegy Theology Religion Essay

Transience And Eternity In The Elegy Theology Religion Essay Old English poetry can be divided into two main types: heroic poetry and Christian poetry. Christianity, as the most widely spread religion, is present in most literary works, including some of the heroic poems, although heroic poetry is considered separate from Christian poetry. There are many analogies to Christian themes in the poetry of the Old English period, since religion played a major part in peoples lives at the time. The Seafarer is an Old English poem which was recorded in the Exeter book, or Codex Exoniensis, a collection of Old English poetry, including The Wanderer and The Descent into Hell, which dates back to the tenth century. It is a poem which describes the lonely, full of hardship and suffering life of the seaman. It can be logically divided into two parts. The first is a typical elegy the speaker remembers his dismal life at sea, which he has chosen to the disturbing life on land. He knows he is alone, and he constantly has this internal conflict about choosing the sea to the land. The second part is more moralistic, or didactic. The speaker talks about the transience of wealth and fame on Earth, and how nobody will manage to outwit death and God, no matter how glorious a life they have led. Eventually all people will die, life will end for everyone at a certain point, and no amount of money will help them avoid their fate. In the beginning of the poem the seafarer makes a song about his travels and experiences at sea. He begins grimly with a description of the troublesome times and lonely life while hes sailing. This is a life which common people in the city know nothing about. They are safe on the land while the seaman risks his life at sea. The weather is cold and stormy, the terrible tossing of waves rock the ship, the seaman will soon freeze. He has to endure the fierce storms, the snow and the hail. The beginning of the poem is not only a description of a fierce weather. It is a description of the inner state of mind of the seaman the inner struggles and conflicts he has. He is not homesick, but he realizes he is alone in the sea. His troubles are represented as being caused by the sea, but in reality the sea only represents what is already inside him, in his soul. The seafarer feels grim sorrow at heart. He is unable to feel any pleasure from the surroundings; he does not enjoy it because of the darkness in his soul and heart. There are moments in which he holds life at sea in contempt. Yet there is something which draws him back to the sea. He can choose the safe life on land, at home, where there are his fellow men, possibly his family, and where food and warmth are ensured. However, he feels this constant urge to travel, to go back to the sea. The sea is mysterious it is wide and infinite; it holds many secrets; it offers a different lifestyle it draws one away from everything familiar and safe, and throws them into a new, different world the world of danger, uncertainty, constant change; a world with no boundaries or limits. This is what the seafarer seeks, this is why he constantly returns to the dangerous travels he needs the challenge of the hard life at sea; he needs the struggles either physical or emotional. His journey in the sea is not only a journey on the physical level. It represents the journey which his soul takes on the path to God. He has to go through hardship and struggles; he has to fight with the difficulties which God sends him; he has t o welcome the challenges of the sea as challenges which God sends to test his soul. He is sailing in the sea which suggests that he is going forward. His soul is, symbolically, about to walk the path which leads to God, passing through severe trials. His kinsmen, who live on land, stay where they are, they havent moved from their place not only physically, but figuratively as well their souls have not taken the path to God, but they simply enjoy the transient goods in life while they have them. They live a stable, secure life with no dangers or trials. They strive for the goods and the glory which earthly life offers, and never think of their spirituality and morality. They dont realize that everything on Earth is fleeting and that life as they know it wealthy, glorious and bountiful will only last until their death and not in the afterlife when their souls will meet God. This is a light transition to the second part of the poem which is a moral criticism of the people, especially the rich, who rely on their wealth and glory only. They may lead a sinful life, they may oppress the weaker or the poor people, but their deeds are the only thing which will accompany them in the afterlife, not gold or money, not friends and kinsmen. There is a similar concept in the English morality play Everyman, in which wealth and fellow men abandon Everyman on his journey to death, and only good deeds stay with him until the end. There is the Christian influence, which is present in almost every piece of work in the medieval literature. According to the Christian religion God is the only truly eternal and lasting thing in the Universe. The speaker strongly criticizes the sinful life of common men instead of living a good, honorable and humble life, they only rely on wealth and bounty, and they think these earthly goods will help them or benefit them in some way in the afterlife. They never challenge their souls, and they never even pray to God. The speaker tries to imply that the rich need to change their lifestyle but he realizes that they will not, because they do not understand how their sins and idleness will only harm them later. They dont realize that wealth is transient and they will not be able to take it with them after death. God will not take in mind how powerful a man was on Earth or how much money did he possess, but will only consider his good and brave deeds and his sins. Life in Heaven is eternal and Heaven is a sort of reward for leading a faithful, honorable life. The seafarer claims that earthly happiness will not endure. He mentions that age comes upon him eventually, which suggests that glorious life is only there for some time and then one gradually loses everything they possess, including their vitality, and outer things like their friends and kinsmen. The way one spends their life on Earth determines where they will spend their afterlife. The speaker urges people to think carefully what afterlife they would like to have and then decide what the right path to there is. He tries to explain to them that they will all be equal after death, no matter how wealthy some were and how poor the others were on Earth. Moreover, they all are equal even now in Gods eyes. It does not make a difference to God whether one is rich or poor; whether one is famous or not. What will differentiate them after death is how they led their life, what they did and what their deeds led to. This is the point at which some will be sent to Heaven and others will be sent to Hell. Afterlife will be eternal, that is why people have to think now how they want to spend it. The seaman has given up on all earthly goods and bounty because he has realized that they are not important, they will be lost in time and in the end nothing will remain, only memories of the glorious days and consequences from the deeds, good or bad. The Seafarer is not only a poem about life and death. It concerns transience in life and eternity as a concept mainly in the afterlife. It suggests that life on its own has no other meaning but to praise God and to prove that one is noble enough to go to Heaven. Moreover, life is a test for the soul whether it has to be sent to Heaven or to Hell. Life after death is what really matters, because it will be for eternity, in contrast to life on Earth which lasts only a few decades. The concept of eternity is important for the moral to reach the common people. If the common man does not fear God, or does not at least consider what will happen to him after his death, he will not try to live a better, noble life, but he will only keep in mind his earthly matters, and this will lead him to impious, even ignoble deeds. Thus The Seafarer can be considered a moral poem which teaches man how to live and how to save his soul, so that he deserves afterlife in Heaven.

John Donne Essay -- John Donne Biography Poets Poetry Essays

John Donne John Donne had a rich life full of travel, women and religion. Donne was born in 1572 on Bread Street in London. The family was Roman Catholic which was dangerous during this time when Catholicism was being abolished and protestant was taking over. Donne’s farther was an iron monger who died in 1576. At 11 Donne and his younger brother went to university and studied there for three years then he went to Cambridge for a further three years. He left without any degrees because as a Catholic he could not swear the ‘Oath of Supremacy’, which made you swear an oath declaring Henry VIII as head of the Church of England, Donne refused to swear this. In 1592 Donne joined a law practice and a legal career seemed ahead of him. In 1593 Donne’s brother Henry died of a fever in prison after being arrested for sheltering a catholic priest, John Donne then started to question his faith and wonder why his brother who was doing g-ds will would be allowed to be arrested and die in jail. As both his farther and brother had now passed away Donne inherited a considerable amount of money, which he spent on women, travelling and other pleasurable pursuits. In 1596 Donne joined a naval expedition against the Spanish Armada. One year later he sailed to the Azores. Often in John Donne’s poems they include his travels and experiences for instance in the poem ‘To his mistress going to bed’ he says ‘license my roving hands and let them go†¦ O America! My new found land[1] Donne possibly means that the woman in front of him is a new land waiting to be discovered and explored. In 1598 Donne was appointed Private Secretary to Sir Thomas Egaton. This meant he was on the road to a promising career. Later in 1601 John Don... ...is writing and how he thought also how he was conflicted throughout out his life about whether he should convert or not and risk a lifetime in hell and eternal damnation to further his career. I hope you enjoyed my essay. --------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] To his mistress going to bed, by John Donne, John Donne â€Å"Everyman’s poetry† [2] The Flea, by John Donne, â€Å"Complete English Poems†, Everyman [3] The Canonisation, by John Donne â€Å"Complete English poems† Everyman [4] ibid. [5] Hymn to g-d the Father by John Donne, ibid. [6] ibid. [7] ibid. [8] The Good Morrow, by John Donne ibid [9] The Sonne Rising by John Donne, â€Å"John Donne† Everyman’s Poetry. [10] A Valediction Forbidding Mourning, by John Donne, ibid [11] To his mistress going to bed, by John Donne, ibid. [12] ibid [13] ibid