Northern Rock Plc

Northern Rock Plc Contents Page 1Report2 1. 1Audit Committee and Auditors2 1. 2Experience:4 2Comparison5 2. 1Chief Executive and Chairman5 2. 2Audit Committee5 2. 3Risk Management Committee6 2. 4Remuneration & Nominations Committee6 3Chance of another failure6 4Conclusion:8 5References8 Report In this report I am going to highlight the weaknesses in the corporate governance code of Northern Rock that lead to its downfall. Audit Committee and AuditorsAccording to the UK Corporate governance code the board should set up formal and obvious arrangements bearing in mind how to apply the corporate reporting internal control, and risk management rules for keeping the right relationship with the company`s auditors. The board should make up an audit committee of at least three non executive directors in the case of smaller companies at least two NEDs. The chairman can be a member in smaller companies but cannot chair the committee unless he or she was considered independent on appointment as chairman.The board should make sure that at least one the member should have recent and relevant experience in the audit committee. The board’s responsibilities are to lay out all the terms in writing and monitor the financial statement of the company, to review the financial performance and reporting. It should also review internal financial control, risk management system if not in place separately to check the effectiveness and internal function of internal audit.The board should also be review and monitor the external auditors work their appointments and re appointments, their remunerations, and more importantly the non audit services should be checked very closely. In the case of Northern rock the board and the audit committee failed to implement the above mentioned guidelines. In July 2007 the chief executive published on the website that operationally Northern rock’s first half of 2007 was a good one. He mentioned that mortgage lending in particular was strong.I f that was the case then how did Northern Rock end up being nationalised in just over 7 months? Was someone checking and verifying the statements of the chief executive. The external auditor’s complacency was another issue. In their report of 2006 they gave a clean bill of health. This was later investigated by the House of Lords economic affairs committee which found that the auditors had performed their job carelessly. An effective audit committee could have spotted these problems well in advance.The reason for PWC’s complacency might either be because of the presence of Rosemary Radcliffe on the audit committee who was previously a partner of PWC or maybe they were providing other non audit services to the company and did not want to upset the board. As per the corporate governance code the number of audit committee’s members was according to the code but none of the NEDs had any financial experience. Nichola Pease had experience of fund management but not in the banking industry even that experience was not a recent one as required by the code.It seems that at Northern Rock the audit and risk committees were not taken very seriously as Rosemary Radcliffe only attended two out of four audit committee and one out of three risk committee meetings. Experience: Northern Rock appointed a Senior Independent Director with over half the board being non-executive directors- following the combined code 2 and Basel 2 recommendations. However none of the directors were experienced enough in the field of banking not even building society.This in fact does not support the idea of having good corporate governance as it does not ensure failure or success. The above factors raised questions as to why the company’s shareholders did not question the risky business model or was it because of outstanding profits seen as the reward for taking such risk. The remuneration committee can also be held responsible for the failure as both the chief executive and the company took on the gamble for the high risks which in turn questions the values of the shareholder and executive. As mentioned above there were so many factors involved . i. e. he lack of experience, the chairman of the board and nominations committee Dr Ridley had no prior financial experience and even the subject that he has studied is far different to the role he was responsible for. The other four non executive directors Fenwick, Gibson, Pease and Queen also did not have recent relevant experience. Sir Derek Wanless with a good education background but unfortunately with some negative history while working in NatWest where he got paid ? 3M having lead a disastrous acquisition strategy. If the company was aware of the history then why was he appointed as a chairman of the Audit and risk committee?All of the above points indicate that it was really poor corporate governance in place which neither of the committee paid attention or lack their experience in the case of chi ef executive`s appointment cannot be said that much as he was internally promoted it is sometimes good so he knew about the company from scratch to the top but in some case it is better to have an experience person from a different companies so that they can bring new ideas and innovation. The audit committee had to review what they have been there for the monitoring of the internal financial control, the services, remuneration, re appointments of the external auditors.If the corporate governance were strong in the company there would not be any mis representation of the financial reporting neither by the chief executive nor by the external auditors and also they would have known the consequence of the failure before it had happened. Comparison In this question I am going to compare the governance arrangements noted in the case study with the current version of the UK corporate Governance code. Northern rock had applied most of the governance code but there were some weaknesses in s ome of the areas. Chief Executive and ChairmanAs per the UK governance code the chief executive and the chairman should be separate, their re-appointment and remuneration will have to be approved by the board. In Northern Rock the above codes were applied properly. Chief executive and chairman were two different individuals and their appointment and re appointment were also approved by the board. Audit Committee As mentioned above Northern Rock’s audit committee failed to comply with the UK Corporate Governance code on more than one count which led to the auditors not performing their job properly. Audit committee should act as a watch dog in an organisation.Risk Management Committee UK corporate governance says that the board should conduct a review of the risk management committee’s effectiveness at least on a yearly basis. The review should cover almost everything including financial, operational and compliance controls and should be presented to the shareholders. L ooking at the timeline of collapse of Northern Rock it seems that the risk committee was not very effective in identifying risks faced by the organisation and hence failed to perform its duty properly which led to the collapse of UK’s 5th largest lender in within one year.Remuneration & Nominations Committee According to the UK corporate governance code the company should have a remuneration and a nomination committee which should determine the salaries of the board members and should nominate suitable individuals for appointment. The nomination committee should be made up of non executive directors who should be independent members of the committee. The chair or non executive director should chair the committee but he or she should not chair the committee when appointing the successor to the chairmanship.The committee should also evaluate the skills, experience and knowledge of the candidate when making recommendations. It seems that northern rock’s nomination committ ee failed in doing their job properly according to the UK corporate governance code. If they had fulfilled the above requirements in accordance to the UK code then the inexperience of the NEDs would have not been an issue. Chance of another failure Generally, organisations with relatively poor governance don’t succeed as uch as those with high standard corporate governance aided by investors. Northern Rock proved this statement when worries about corporate governance resulted in poor performance. This came about 4 years before it was nationalised when shareholders were concerned in the kind of bonuses which were being paid to executives. This develops another understanding about the theory that governance drives performance rather than performance driving governance. Non-executives improve performance and the balance between executives and non-executives is very vital.Considering both the internal and external factors affecting the failure of northern rock it was mainly cause d due to its internal disability of managing crisis. It was the very flawed legal regulation and the poor corporate governance of Northern Rock that let itself down during the tough mortgage crisis in the US. The business model of the company worked for a number of years but despite the risk involved the non-executive directors cared less of the actual risks to the company’s model.Lesson can be learnt from the Northern Rock fiasco by other businesses regardless of their size or profitability. If any business does not implement the corporate governance codes properly they are guaranteed to have problems sooner or later. Similar failure happened to the fourth largest American bank Lehman brothers due to poor corporate governance as their systems were very weak. The key areas of the failure were Corporate risk management, Board of directors, remuneration committee and nomination committee.The board of directors included nine retired four of them 75 years old one a theatre produc er and another navy admiral with no banking industry experience. In the board of directors the directors were paid well for their work each in the range $325,000 to $397,000 even after getting high return from the company they were not seriously taking care of the company due to having other responsibilities. Their risk management were also a failure because their executive committee the CRO and the CFO meeting were every week but instead they meet only twice in both 2006 and 2007 which was very outrageous.The failure of the remuneration committee was that only $1 billion were paid in cash bonuses in just matter of 8years which is a big failure. Other than that $500 million was paid to the chairman. Out of the ten board member four of them were 75 years old and only one had the recent knowledge of financial sector. If in the future any other bank or business will not make their corporate governance strong I am afraid there will be more cases like in the future. Conclusion: After all I have mentioned above it was a poor corporate governance that led the bank to failure.Northern rock had all sort of weaknesses in their corporate governance code it will be a good lesson for the other banks to learn if they have any sort of weaknesses in their corporate governance they should amend those before it will be too late. References 1. Treanor, J. (2008). Poor governance reduces profits, says ABI. Available: http://www. guardian. co. uk/business/2008/feb/27/executivesalaries. insurance. Last accessed 09 Feb 2013. 2. Roman A. Tomasic . (2009). Corporate Rescue, Governance and Risk Taking – Northern Rock and Its International Context.Available: http://papers. ssrn. com/sol3/papers. cfm? abstract_id=1417953. Last accessed 09 Feb 2013. 3. The Financial Reporting council. (2012). The UK Corporate Governance Code. Available: http://www. frc. org. uk/Our-Work/Publications/Corporate-Governance/UK- Corporate-Governance-Code-September-2012. aspx. Last accessed 09 Feb 2013. 4. Agha, M G and Qatinah, A. (). Lehman Brothers and Corporate Governance Failure. Available: http://www. slideshare. net/adnanqatinah1/lehman-brothers-case-study2. Last accessed 09 Feb 2013.

Hiv/Aids and Social Support Essay

HIV/AIDS and Social Support Essay The role of social Support in coping in HIV/AIDS As South Africa has a very high rate of HIV infections. The government has increased the availability of antiretrovirals to the individuals who have been diagnosed with this disease. Whereas the availability of the treatment increases there is a great amount of stressors that come with the diagnosis of this virus. Therefor there are other aspects that play a role in the treatment of HIV/AIDS such as environmental factors, stigmazation and social support.This essay will be discussing the role that social support plays in people with HIV/AIDS, the effects of social support and the theories on social support. This essay will also be discussing the role of social support after an individual has been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. The related health decline and the stigma attached to this diagnosis. The diagnosis of HIV/AIDS leads to enormous amounts of stress to the individual that has been diagnosed with this c hronic illness.Solomon (1987) as citied in Green (1993) hypnotizes that stress, psychological and social support can influence the pace at which HIV replicates and progresses to AIDS; therefor there is an indirect link between HIV/AIDS and social support. According to Carver (1989) as cited in Koopman, Gore-Felton, Marouf Butler, Field, Gill, Chen, Israelski & Spiegel(2000) the lack of expression of motions, the withdrawal of one’s behaviour and the mental detachment to the world are the three most used coping tactics that are associated with the increasing levels of stress among people living with HIV.There are a lot of stigmas associated with HIV such as that it infects only certain kinds of people. Stigma refers to be bias, negative attitudes, abuse and mistreatment directed at people living with  HIV  and  AIDS. The consequences of stigma are widespread: being rejected by family, friends and even the community. â€Å"Stigma remains the single most important barrier to public action. It is a main reason why too many people are afraid to see a doctor to determine whether they have the disease, or to seek treatment if so.It helps make AIDS the silent killer, because people fear the social disgrace of speaking about it, or taking easily available precautions. Stigma is a chief reason why the AIDS epidemic continues to devastate societies around the world. † (Moon, 2010). HIV/AIDS is a life-threatening illness, and therefore people react to it in strong ways. HIV infection is connected with actions (such as homosexuality, drug addiction, prostitution) that are already stigmatised in many communities many of this stigmatisation is caused by not being informed and the misconceptions that go along with HIV.The effects of the ARVs may cause individual to change appearance which may lead to discrimination based on appearance. HIV/AIDS is a very stressful life event with due to the diagnosis of the chronic event therefore one needs stable social s upport. According to Friedland, Renwick and McColl (1996) social support reflects on the following types of supports: The kind of support in which  the individual is provided with adequate services and goods and financial stability.The second support is where the individual who has HIV/AIDS is provided with all the information she needs regarding the condition she has, the third one is emotional support which is according to House (1981) the feeling that the individual is being cared for. Emotional support strengthens the feeling of self-worth and belonging and is also regarded as the most important one in terms of social support. Friedland et al. (1996) suggests that health professionals could meet the needs of people with HIV/AIDS more by developing semi-formal social support so that the burden from friends and family can be decreased.People with HIV/AIDS can be encouraged to attend counselling sessions provided by health professionals. Many communities prove that support provid ed by AIDS survivors, buddy-systems, support centres have decreased the gap between formal and informal social support significantly. Even if these kind of semi-formal support does not provide the closeness that friends provides, it provides a higher level of trust for the individuals with HIV/AIDS. Schreurs and Ridder (1997) emphasizes that close relationships are unique therefor they cannot be replaced.According to Broadhead et al. (1983) in Green (1993) there is a positive association between social support and psychological assets which helps the individual who has HIV/AIDS cope with the illness and also promotes recovery. Green(1993) argues that the is no proof that show the concrete proof that show social support has an effect in the development of HIV. Riello (1990) states that it is more likely for death to occur in an individual who has been diagnosed with HIV in the past 12 months with no social support.When the diagnosis is in its initial stages it is where the rate of it s progression is the fastest and the individual who is being diagnosed is at his/her most vulnerable stage because they are still coming to terms with themselves having the disease. Based on these statements social support plays a big role in the physical health of an individual with HIV. Constructed on the research done by Persson (1991) there is an association between social support and an HIV positive individual’s low CD4 count.There are also symptoms during the duration of the illness that are linked to weak social support. Social support is divided into two categories. The kind that is beneficial for the individuals who are experiencing stress. According to the buffering theory, social support protects people from the unhealthy effects of traumatic events by influencing how people think about and  handle these kinds of events. According to stress and coping theory,  events are stre ssful to the extent that individuals have negative thoughts about the events and cope unproductively.This theory is called the buffering hypothesis. Willis (1985). The main theory is the one that is health improving to everyone. This theory is found when social support is intellectualized. Apparently this is not due to better coping actions but it promotes self-worth and the feeling of stability. In conclusion, it is debatable that there is a link between social support and the health improvement status in individuals living with HIV/AIDS even if it is minimal. As discussed above social support can have a negative effect when it comes to coping strategies.Even if social support help people with HIV deal with the illness it does not play a significant role in the physical well-being of the individuals but it has a big considerable emotional impact. It can be concluded that social support increases the quality of life and self-esteem in people living with HIV/AIDS. Therefor it can be concluded that more research needs to be conducted to prove the definite correlate bet ween social support and the diagnosis of HIV. References Green, G. (1993). Editorial review: Social support and HIV. AIDS Care, 5(1), 87. Koopman, C. C. , Gore-Felton, C. C. Marouf, F. F. , Butler, L. D. , Field, N. N. , Gill, M. M. , & †¦ Spiegel, D. D. (2000). Relationships of perceived stress to coping, attachment and social support among HIV-positive persons. AIDS Care, 12(5), 663-672. Friedland, J. J. , Renwick, R. R. , & Mccoll, M. M. (1996). Coping and social support as determinants of quality of life in HIV/AIDS. AIDS Care, 8(1), 15-32. Schreurs, K. M. G. , de Ridders, D. T. D. (1997). Integration of coping and social support perspectives: Implications for the study of adaptation to chronic diseases. Clinical Psychology Review, 17(1), 89-112. .

Coaching and Leadership in the Workplace Essay

According to Mike Noble in his article, Transform Managers into Coaches: Five Steps for Coaching Success, an effective manager is a coach and not just a boss. The most effective managers are those who can coach and collaborate. If one is able to coach their employees effectively then they are able to create sustainable long-term results for themselves and their company. Coaching is action of helping others to perform better, whether it is through feedback, demonstrations, or teaching. It is investing in the people within a company and shaping them into better employees so that they can not only perform their tasks better, but also better qualify for promotions. Mike Noble’s article breaks down the five steps necessary for successfully becoming a coaching leader and the benefits of becoming one. By coaching your employees, you become a transformational leader who enhances as well as generates new experiences for employees, thus gaining a stronger level of commitment from them. The first step to transforming a manager into a coaching leader is to build a personal case for coaching. The manager has to want to develop their coaching skills and see the relevance of developing them. Once a manager understands that they can achieve better results through coaching instead of taking a command and control response to management, they will be willing to develop their skills as a coach. Managers are more inclined to seize the opportunity when they realize that many successful leaders and executives are coaches in their respective disciplines. Next, firm expectations need to be set regarding coaching. By clarifying the expectation that coaching is the primary responsibility of each manager, you are creating a coaching culture. If a firm or organization has a strong corporate culture of coaching, it creates a positive environment that employees want to be a part of and participate in within that firm or organization. Coaching should be a part of every manager’s job description. For the third step, one should teach coaching skills and put them into practice. Coaching does not come naturally for everyone and core-coaching skills can be taught in a variety of ways. The key to developing good coaching skills is being able to put them to use in real life situations when coachable opportunities occur. If you want a manager to transform into a good coach, there is no better way than to give them a coach of their own so they can experience things hands on. The fourth step in the transformation process is to be assigned a coach. By assigning them a coach, it enables a manager not only to experience the benefits of coaching but provides an effective model for coaching others. The final step to developing a coaching manager is to reward the best coaches with the best jobs. Those with the strongest coaching skills are potentially the strongest performers and therefore the best candidates for important manager and executive roles in an organization. The benefits of becoming a coaching manager are career advancement and overall benefits to the organization with strengthened skills in their employees. Right now, I have an authoritative style of leadership, but I strongly want to develop my coaching skills and modify my behavior. My store manager is a strong coaching manager who I admire greatly and she is my coach from whom I learn all my lessons. I have all the habits of a strong ethical leader in that I have strong personal character and a passion to do what is right. I always try to consider the interest of the stakeholders, be proactive, and model the values of my company. All of these qualities make me a good manager, but I do not just want to be good, I want to be the best. If I am to be the best, I have to develop the strongest team and I can only do by coaching them to be better. Right now, I am just an assistant restaurant manager with McDonalds, but I intend to move up and desire nothing more than to move through the ranks quickly. McDonald’s focuses its training on coaching and improving performance, so that is why I find this article so relevant to leadership styles. You can coach someone to make decisions that are more ethical and do the right thing. If developing a coaching leadership style means I will build a stronger team at my restaurant, then that is what I want to do. I want to be able to share my strong ethical culture with others and the best way for me to do that is to coach them. I want to foster long-term success among my people and create a positive climate where people want to work. As of right now, I have gone through four of the five steps in developing myself as a coaching manager. I have identified my personal case for coaching and I know what is in it for me. I want to move up and that is my motivating factor. My store manager at work has set firm expectations for me in becoming a coaching manager. She has set goals for me and I am working on achieving them. At work, I bring the skills I am developing onto the floor and implement them into situations as they occur. I learn new things daily from my coach, my store manager Jessica, and I try to share those things with the people I am coaching. At this point in my career, I can only hope that the things I am learning and bringing onto the floor are effective and I will soon see myself reap the reward of becoming a first assistant manager at work and one day becoming a store manager.

Design awareness 101 homework 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Design awareness 101 homework 3 - Essay Example The logo, according to one of the interviewees was created in the 1960s. It is evident that the ability to adjust and attain a more integrated perspective, and the contributions of others has been acknowledged in backing the design process (Hustwit, 2014). It is normally believed that every typeface is good, valuable and unique with the ability to self- realize the objectives of the designer. In considering this, designers observe that the beauty of typeface is motivated by the need to remain relevant. Care and attention to self-concept, uniqueness of designers, and the fact hat designing is art the reason transformative learning leans towards humanistic philosophy. Designing is practical form of education is normally related to hypothesis testing and deductive reasoning. The use of participatory forums helps in building and equipping designers with necessary expertise. This way, they are able to acquire skills and improved knowledge that enhances innovations and competitiveness. The Helvetica platform gives designers a chance to further their goals in arts. The analysis on how designers acquire knowledge and develop skills through their work experiences has helped in the growth of the Helvetica. Contextual information of a given typography the viewer to develop a perception of the purpose and intention of the piece of work presented. One’s ability to interpret, explore, and evaluate a piece of art is enhanced through identifying the social, personal, historical, cultural, artistic, educational, spiritual, and political, among other contexts that influence the understanding and creation of typography. By distinguishing how specific contexts typeface together with theme and form, one can be able to identify how proper balance of qualities creat es layers of meaning, thus providing the nature, relevance, and significance of any given design. As such, one would be able to develop an in depth engagement, appreciation and

Sustainability with Different Energy Sources Research Paper

Sustainability with Different Energy Sources - Research Paper Example It is therefore necessary to implement measures aimed at sustaining the energy under consideration. This paper takes a stand that energy is a very important element that helps in sustaining life, and making it easier. The term sustainability has a wide reaching effect on the various disciplines that are associated with it. The term sustainability refers to a variety of changes that occurs within a given population and this population is able to maintain these changes over a given period of time. Energy is a very important element that helps in sustaining the life and activities of human beings. People use energy in their day to day activities, and this includes firewood, electricity, solar energy, etc (Beggs, 39). Energy can be used for purposes of lighting homes, cooking food, and even in the manufacturing sector. Another term that directly relates to sustainability is sustainable practices. These are activities, which are responsible for the conservation and utilization of energy products and substances. Sustainable practices is not only limited to energy products, but it also involves other aspects such as protection, and preservation of the environment, health, etc (Simon, 39). Sustainability of energy refers to the methods and ways of preserving the productive capacity of the energy, for purposes of using it to the foreseeable future. This aspect of sustainability includes all the activities that human beings initiate for purposes of preserving energy. This includes the prudent use of natural resources that have the capability of producing energy. These resources are firewood, rivers, and the solar system. The activities that human beings can initiate for purposes of sustaining and preserving energy includes the enactment of laws that prevent illegal logging, and cutting down of trees. This is because trees are an important source of energy, and they help in the

Behavior modification for children with ADHD Essay

Behavior modification for children with ADHD - Essay Example This is a significant number that makes ADHD one of the most common learning and behavioral disorders to date. The number of American children and adults diagnosed with ADHD has significantly increased from over the years (Frame, 2003). ADHD is a medical term and as it is a problem related to children, that educators and researchers in education should learn its explanation and the symptoms that help identify the problem. It is necessary to clarify the term ADHD because it is not a single behavior but a mix of complex patterns that it is sometimes called an â€Å"assemblage† (Marcus &Saka, 2006 cited in Goodwin, 2010, p.2). It is a condition that the National Institute of Mental Health (2012) explains as â€Å"one of the most common childhood brain disorders and can continue through adolescence and adulthood† (p.1). The most obvious symptoms are â€Å"difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behavior, and hyperactivity (over-activity). These symptoms can make it difficult for a child with ADHD to succeed in school, get along with other children or adults, or finish tasks at home† (ibid, p.1). In order to be diagnosed, symptoms include inattentiveness, disruptivene ss, as well as social and academic discrepancies in the child’s school or home settings. For example, this includes poor interactions with their parents, teachers, and classmates and a decrease in academic achievement. Children with ADHD endure these difficulties chronically and persist into adolescence and adulthood, negatively impacting their lives and the people surrounding them (Jones & Chronis-Tuscano, 2008). Many children are losing their battle with ADHD without the much needed help from their surroundings. ADHD cannot be categorized as a medical problem, but it is a behavioral and learning difficulty that needs to be effectively managed in the classroom by teachers and at home by the parents, because â€Å"there is currently no cure

Analyze the Slave Petitions in light of the key changes taking place Essay

Analyze the Slave Petitions in light of the key changes taking place in this new American society - Essay Example They campaigned for equality and recognition of their rights and racial acceptance among other Americans, who still embraced unjust treatment through slavery. This compelled blacks in new American society to lobby for recognition through petitions that they submitted to congress and senate for redress despite the open hostility that they faced from their white counterparts. Slave petitions were vital in the campaign for the rights of blacks, mostly slaves, in new American society. This is what later resulted to the 1963 match to Washington. During the match, Martin Luther delivered his renowned speech advocating for the rights of black slaves in new America. Besides King and his proponents’ efforts, there several other slave petitions were praiseworthy for the changes attained in new American society. They brought recognition for Black Americans, enhanced justice and appreciation. Before the petitions, the nation’s culture and societal set-up was one that could not withstand the face of revolutionary changes. As such, the culture, societal set-up and political landscape of the U.S. changed significantly and subsequently during the course of the journey. The America revolution began during the 18th century during when it attained its independence from the British. The declaration of independence rendered Americans including blacks free and independent (Williams 21). Essentially, slave petitions in the new American society sought to restore black Americans’ sovereign and the recognition of their rights (Main, Mark and John 226). Slave petitions propagated for liberty and self-representative and were an awakening during the revolutionary war. Proponents of slave petitions opted to pursue the representative way. In 1774, blacks submitted the petition of "A Grate Number of Blackes". Through the petition, enslaved Americans advocated for freedom as a fortune of the revolution (Dorsey 152). It is during this time that the slaves also took

Statement of the Problem for my dissertation Research Paper

Statement of the Problem for my dissertation - Research Paper Example A number of research studies about the RET programs have shown variations in changes and radical improvements relating to the teachers. There is some form of agreement that RET programs are excellent for the instructors as it broadens the intellect during study and empowers the teachers with sufficient acquaintance on how to work on research. The NGSS practices have been established to be the best to educators and students since they enhance learning through students’ engagements such as enabling them to vigorously explore the scientific knowledge. This knowledge is supposed to be acquired in class by practicing actual scientific or engineering research (NGSS Lead States, 2013). Most of the findings put forward that science teachers are required to go through comprehensive assessment to establish if they have embraced research as an imperative factor that improves their teaching practices. (Musante, 2006). Background on RET programs What are RET programs? In the course of RET programs teachers discover the way scientists do research in STEM fields. In addition, teachers play a role in the environment of scientific research (Grove, Dixon, Pop, 2009, Ononye et al., 2007). RET programs more often than not distribute teachers in research laboratories for a period that ranges from six weeks to two months to make possible their participation in scientific research in the true world (Pop, Dixon & Grove, 2010). The (STEM) fields as well as faculty of computer science and engineering in colleges to make information and acquaintance associated to these fields accessible to students. Features of RET programs Teacher participation in the RET program is very important in terms of teachers’ knowledge and scientific research. Research Experiences for Teacher (RET) has stirred up professional development amongst teachers and students themselves. In effect, it has improved the teaching and learning practices in classroom. RET programs vary considerably depending o n the specialization of the teachers. Moreover, other research methods such as discussions, observations and interviews are geared toward improving the understanding of scientific research practice while some focus on basic skills of solutions for mathematical and scientific problems (Schulte, 2009). Research on RETs As in every profession, research and experience still remain a fundamental characteristic in the field of education. Research in this case comprises the knowledge and skills bestowed by observation and proceedings gained by exploring a given aspect. Most of the findings suggest that science teachers are required to go through comprehensive assessment to determine if they have embraced research as an important factor that improves their teaching practices. This is because most teachers are conversant with class tests in contrast to research practices, which are perceived to expose them to many skills needed during actual professional exploration (Goreham, 2010). Effects on teacher’ practice Several studies have shown that teachers who used an online support system are at an advantage of translating their research experience into their own classroom teaching after participating in the RET (Hardre, Nanny, Refai, & Slater, 2010). It is worth noting; however, after the teachers had research

System Safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

System Safety - Essay Example One of the biggest challenges faced by the development team is management of hazards in critical software implementations for control systems and automation. The objective of this paper is to present a detailed analysis of challenges of System Safety, analysis of hazards, techniques of implementing System safety and global best practices followed. Mueller in 1968 described System Safety Engineering as an "organized common sense" (Leveson, 2003). Quoting this comment in her paper on safety engineering, Nancy Leveson (2003) stressed on the need for a disciplined and systematic approach to identify, analyze and control the hazards throughout the life cycle of a system (Leveson, 2003). She proposed a systematic approach of safety engineering in this paper. The steps of her approach will be taken as benchmark and mapped with the modern approach to System Safety in developing Software for Critical Systems in this paper. Risk Management: Nancy Leveson emphasized the need for Risk Management as one of the major disciplines in Safety Engineering (Leveson, 2003). ... viating from the System Requirements or becoming vulnerable to hackers & unauthorized modifications in production environment if improper controls are practiced in the development environment. Example, If the software is supposed to control electro-mechanical devices then vulnerabilities and unauthorized modifications in the software system may lead to hazards, accidents, loss of property and loss of mission in the operating environment. There can be many approaches to Risk Management in developing Software for critical systems. The most appropriate Risk Management approach applicable in the modern Software Development environments is defined in the Risk Management guide by National Institute of Standards & Technology, US Department of commerce (Stoneburner, Guguen, et al, 2004) and the BS ISO/IEC 27005:2008 standard (www.bsi-global.com). The approach presented herewith (Figure 1) can be very easily mapped with a software development project. This process is an intelligent mix of qua litative as well as quantitative analytical processing. The first step is to collate a list of all assets planned to be used in the software environment and then carry out their characterization. Risk Assessment Workflow Figure 1 The assets used in a software controlled critical production environment are: Software Workflows, Software Components (Units, Modules, Connectors, etc.), Servers, Desktops/Laptops, RDBMS systems, Middleware, Interfacing devices, Control devices, High Availability components, Underlying Network Architecture, Alerts & Alarm systems, Network Integration components (example, TCP/IP to RS232 converters), etc. The characterization of these assets essentially requires proper identification (asset tagging), asset ownership, purpose of asset and location of asset. Post

Marketing in the Information Age for Specialty Recored Music Store Research Paper

Marketing in the Information Age for Specialty Recored Music Store - Research Paper Example joys reasonable amount of foot fall Weakness Lack of Digital Presence Lack of shop branding Product line offered is relatively narrow Opportunities The store owner has 50% ownership in a local bar that specializes in- house music. This provides an opportunity to promote the offerings of the store Reasonable demand of the offerings as the store enjoys relatively good foot fall Threats Presence of larger firms like HMV Customers are switching to the bigger firms trough online medium. Store Diagnosis Based on the back ground of the study and the SWOT analysis it can be understood that the shop has entered in to a viscous circle. Customers are visiting the shop; but due to the organized nature of the shop, people are losing interests, People are switching to other firms like HMV through the online medium. Add to that the firm has no online presence. Creating Digital Presence The first step towards making the digital presence is to have a website. As mentioned earlier having a business wi thout a website is like having a business without face. If the store owner does not have the expertise, then it can be outsourced to any SEO company. The website must have product sections clearly mentioning the products offered by the store. It must be made sure that the website visitors have the opportunity to buy the products online. Once the website is created the next step would be to make people aware of the web presence. Again that can be achieved by using SEO techniques. Online medium can also be used to promote the store location by using advertisement on Google Maps. Web presence should be complemented by presence on Social Media; especially on Facebook and Twitter. Social Media is a great place to engage people and get personal with the users. Studies have revealed that small... This report approves that there exists a music store on Queen Street West in Toronto containing theme based CD's, records and DVD's. The collections are based on the cultural interests of the shop owners. The store does not have any online presence. Store enjoys reasonable amount of foot fall. But, due to the unorganized nature of the shop very few people actually buy the collection. Based on the back ground of the study and the SWOT analysis it can be understood that the shop has entered in to a viscous circle. Customers are visiting the shop; but due to the organized nature of the shop, people are losing interests, People are switching to other firms like HMV through the online medium. Add to that the firm has no online presence. This essay makes a conclusion that Due to the rise of digital technology internet has become the most popular medium to get information for the customers. There just like any other business the music store should also have digital presence in the form of website as well as presence on social media. This will provide the store stop the leaking of customers. Add to this the store needs to get the act together when it comes to store operations which is pretty unorganized to say the least. Store ambience, standard operating procedure in the form of organizing the products based on certain parameters, knowledge of the store staff is going to be the key to success. Also the bar can be used to promote and generate awareness about the store. The thin looking product line can be also being broadened adding new products to target new customer segments.

A California Thanksgiving Essay Example for Free

A California Thanksgiving Essay In November 2012, my dad and I traveled to San Francisco for the Thanksgiving holiday. We had already done both of our family Thanksgivings, so it was the perfect opportunity to get away. Even without many plans, we were able to take a drive down the coast to Monterey, explore San Francisco, and see the beautiful college town of Palo Alto, all at our own pace. Our trip started with a morning flight from Little Rock to Dallas. After a two-hour layover, we departed Dallas for San Francisco and arrived around 8:00 pm. A full day of flying, navigating airports, and finding a rental car wore us out. We didn’t even get a proper dinner the first night before we went to bed. The next morning, we decided to drive down the coast on Highway 1, the Pacific Coast Highway, to Monterey. It was an amazing drive! I was surprised that California was so beautiful. Towering redwood trees lined much of the drive, along with farms for almost any fruit or vegetable I could imagine. When we could finally see the coastline, it was breathtaking. We passed through a few small coastal towns and saw countless fresh produce stands on the side of the highway. We stopped for lunch at a Thai restaurant in Moss Landing, CA. The food was amazing, and we could see the ocean from our table! The day was already a success in my book. When we arrived in Monterey, we drove down to Cannery Row and parked the car. We strolled around all of the different shops for a couple of hours, and then we headed even farther down the coast. We stopped at a parking area that overlooked quite possibly the most scenic place I had ever seen. There were huge waves crashing on giant boulders in the ocean. We just sat there and watched the waves crash for at least an hour. The salty smell of the ocean, the noise of various birds, and the sound of the waves just overloaded your senses in the best possible way. We headed back to our hotel in Palo Alto. See more:  Mark Twains Humorous Satire in Running for Governor Essay Before we made it back, I spotted my favorite fast food restaurant, In-N-Out Burger and to my dad’s dismay, that was dinner. We crashed not long after making it to the hotel; we were exhausted after driving and exploring all day. The next morning, we woke up refreshed and ready to explore some more. We headed into San Francisco early. I was surprised that there wasn’t very much traffic; I guess we were after the morning rush hour. The drive north was almost as pretty as the drive down the coast. California should be â€Å"The Natural State†, not Arkansas! Once we made it into the city, we had to cross the Golden Gate Bridge. As we emerged from Golden Gate Park, the goliath appeared before us. We just crossed it both ways, but I was in awe of how big the bridge actually was. I had never appreciated it until I saw it with my own eyes. When we came back into the city, we drove around to many of the different neighborhoods. San Francisco is incredibly diverse. We drove through â€Å"Little Japan† and â€Å"China Town†, and we parked in North Beach. North Beach is where an established population of people with Italian heritage lives and work, â€Å"Little Italy† in any other big city. We were craving some good Italian food, and we definitely found some. The restaurant didn’t have a name on their sign, but we risked it and stopped there to eat. It was authentic Italian food from scratch. They made their own noodles, sauces, bread, and dressings. The dish I had was the best Italian food I’d ever eaten. My dad felt the same way about his dish as well. After our delicious lunch, we decided to drive around the city a little while longer, and then head back to the hotel so we didn’t get stuck in rush hour traffic. Our final two days in California were spent in Palo Alto. My dad’s good friend from high school, Mark, lives there, so we met up with him at a local Mexican restaurant. We all caught up over margaritas and salsa, then we went to his house to help with Thanksgiving dinner preparations. I had never been to another family’s Thanksgiving dinner, but they welcomed us with open arms like we were part of their family anyways. Their family has a tradition of biking around Palo Alto after Thanksgiving dinner. I decided to go with them while my dad stayed back at the house with Mark. Palo Alto was very biker friendly. We rode around the Stanford University campus. It was the most beautiful college campus I had ever seen! We returned to the house after an approximately an hour. It was the best way to see the city! Our last day was spent packing, then heading to the airport for an afternoon flight home. We used our Thanksgiving break a little differently than most, but I wouldn’t have traded the experience for anything. I’ll always remember the drive down to Monterey, exploring San Francisco, and getting a local view of Palo Alto as one of the best Thanksgiving holidays.

Human Sexuality Paper Essay Example for Free

Human Sexuality Paper Essay When I was assigned this paper, I wanted to choose a paraphilia that I misunderstood the most. People who have sexual sadism disorder have frequent fantasies about sexual arousal results from inflicting psychological or physical suffering on a sexual partner, even humiliation and pain. This isn’t just a common act of rough sex. In the worst cases sexual sadism involves rape, torture, and even murder, the death of the victim produces sexual excitement. People who take their sexual addiction to these levels need psychiatric help or to be jailed. The arousal for these people is the terror in which they see in their victims. However, not all cases of sadism are so serious. Some are also people who do not torture so bad. This is known as sadomasochism. With this disorder, people are incredibly aroused by being tied up by their partner. Many normal couples use spanking, tying up, and a bit of force for fore play. This is not to be mistaken with sadism.. This is actually very common and kind of a fad now. There are sex stores that sell the type of products for this type of foreplay such as collars, whips, and all types of toys. There are a number of psychological theories about sadism. Most are based off of cases studies. Freud had two different views on the sadism. First he thought that aggressiveness with sexuality was urges. But he also thought that early in life children may have witnessed a sexual act or sex of their parents when they were just children. There were also psychologists that though that children developed sadism when their caretakers bring sexual pleasure and deny it when initiating toilet training or prevent asturbation. Psychologist sometimes believe that a person develops a psychological imprint during some earlier sexual experience at times.. Others believe that it is a slow process that relates back to when the individual becomes aroused and they then remember and reinforce it later in life during sex. A lot of men when asked are able to remember incidents in childhood or early adolescent that triggered them to become aroused. Treatment Someone with sexual sadism may never become known to the public, treatment or law enforcement. If people can limit their sexual sadism to istinct levels in a relationship, it is very controllable and not harmful if the partner is willing, which often can happen. For the ones who are brought to the attention of police officials the sadism has usually made itself into dangerous activity that have harmed others Conclusion In my thoughts, I feel that many and most people have sexual impulses that they are ashamed of. Most of which are not harmful, however, I do believe that individuals that are harmful to others need other resources and help with their condition to prevent the damage that is possible. Some hold in urges for so long that they are just simply uncontrollable in the heat of the moment. I feel any individual with these feelings need to seek counseling and try to pin point reasons and ways of subsiding their urges right off the bat. If the person affected is a serious danger to society then society needs to take serious measures to assure everyone’s safety. People who choose not to seek treatment could be just your average next door neighbor who looks and acts completely normal. And then suddenly one day they snap and become a danger to who ever is around them. This is concerning for everyone in society.

Environmental Impact On London Restaurant Industry Tourism Essay

Environmental Impact On London Restaurant Industry Tourism Essay This modern city is vast but its history of growth has left distinct villages that lend it human scale. Each neighbourhood and city of London itself is nearly one having its own restaurant, theatre, gallery and many other attractions. (http://www.secret-london.co.uk/Welcome.html ) London is a cosmopolitan city and there are many historic places to visit in London. There are many businesses running in this historic place. But the business of restaurant is one of the biggest and busiest business in the world. There are Five thousand five hundred seventy restaurants in London. This business has changed the peoples daily life style. Now people want to eat out than they were used to in previous years. Now people like to dine out rather than dine at home. Dining style has been changed with the changing the business of restaurant. In this paper I will discuss how economic recession has affected the London restaurant industry and how boldly and strategically their entrepreneurs have managed to come out of this recession. I will also explain the current and future economic impact on London restaurants. Further, I will describe the role of investments how far they have increased in the presence of tremendous risks. I will also analyze the impact of social and cultural t raditions in this paper. Social life of London has entirely changed. I will also include and scrutinise the social status of the London inhabitants. So Increased congestion and population, rapid growth in factories burning various types of fuel, automobiles spreading poisonous gases and thus polluting the whole atmosphere of London. so all factors responsible for spoiling the London environment will be discussed and the ways and means to rectify will be considered. When to eat and when to sleep: The time for breakfast in London restaurants start from 7:30am but this is only at Workmens Cafes and sandwich bars for office workers. The big restaurants serve breakfast only from 9:00am and continue up to 10:30am. Serving of lunch takes place between noon and 2:30pm and the restaurants serve it only during that period. Tea is served as a separate meal between 4:00pm and 5:30pm and supper is served between 7:30pm and 9:30pm. Only some ethnic restaurants especially Indian, serve meals till midnight. The expected tip is between 10 and 20 percent of the food bill, but there is no tipping in the bars. The wise thing is to avoid eating beef in restaurants, or choose only items which have a low risk of contamination. Many restaurants are closed on Sundays. During Christmas period, the whole city shuts down and meals (The Food Time Line History). Current Restaurants in London: London is a capital city of United Kingdom. In recent decades it has established itself a renowned and most successful city in the world. It has overtaken New York as the worlds most important financial centre. It won the competition to host the 2012 Olympic Games which promoted the restaurants. London has proved to be a world leader in combating economic environmental climatic and social issues. It is the first major city in the world in which restaurants and hospitality has progressed tremendously. Change in consumer style has also compelled the restaurants entrepreneur change their business and cut down their crises and improve their designs to attract new customers. For example Peter Ilic, owner of the Little Bay restaurant group will not present a single food bill to diners at his Farringdon Road restaurant during February. Its entirely up to each customer whether they give  £100 or a penny, he says. All Im asking is that they pay me what they think the food and service is worth. Peter has run restaurants in London for more than 26 years and owns four Little Bay eateries the others are in Kilburn, Battersea and Croydon. Other London restaurants have stuck to the more traditional method of cutting prices to lure out cash-strapped diners. Arbutus, a smart bistro in the West End, has won several awards since it opened in May 2006 but still offers a set lunch for  £15.50, while Kensington-based Tom Aikens offers a lunchtime menu costing  £29, despite possessing a Michelin star. London is a multicultural city according to the different ethnic groups many new restaurants have established. For example Chinese restaurants in china town, Arab or Lebanese restaurants in Edgware road and many Indian Sirilankan and Pakistani restaurants in Tooting and South hall London. (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23633384-pay-what-you-like-restaurants-recipe-to-beat-the-crunch.do) Current Economic impact: Britain makes it out of recession but chancellor warns to struggle. Growth was described as very weak say shadow chancellor George Osborn. 20 Jan 2010 London Standard Evening. After financial crisis 2008 and worst recession restaurants in London along their entrepreneurs are struggling hard to progress and come up to meet the wants of new customers and guests. Despite recent challenges, confidence among restaurant owners is high with 89% saying that they intend to either maintain staffing levels or even increase staffing levels in 2010, with the majority (57%) e These are the latest results from Business Link in Londons Restaurant Barometer. (http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk ) Sustainability of restaurant market: Renewal review of their monetary support: Cut down prices Offer discounts: Employee demands because of chilly financial climate: Future Economic Impact: Current Investment Impact: To know or asses the gains, profits and estimate rate of investment growth in restaurant sector in London I have selected Luke Johnson. Best known name in restaurant investments.In1993 Luke took control of Pizza express with partners and subsequently became chairman. He promoted business from 12 to 250 restaurants and the share price from 40p to over 900p in 1999 and after selling he started new chain of restaurants which he sold in 2005.He started the new concept of Strada restaurant from scratch and took the chain into 30 units and sold it in late 2005 After total proceeds from these two disposals were 90 million pounds. ( http://www.lukejohnson.org/bio.php) Peter Harden of celebrated Harden restaurant Guides stated when commenting on History of London restaurants There are few people who have had more impact than Luke Johnson. In 2010 he was awarded DEAL OF THE YEAR prize at RETAILERS RETAILER award ceremony. AFTER recession it was very hard time for investment in restaurant industry although press releases showed sign of recovery in restaurant sector in London. October 2009 press release London Festival 8to 13 October. However they still felt chill, of recession wanted increased capital restaurants support. Ashley adviser to Business Link has two advices to restaurant industry. Restaurateurs should be watching costs very closely. They should be exercising a great deal of caution in their forecasting over the next six months and doing as much marketing as possible. The poll found that only half of the respondents have a website. Developing a website and enabling people to make bookings online are vital tools to help restaurants succeed.   Events such as Londons Restaurant Festival are also great ways to garner local support for the industry and market a business. Although there are many hurdles to cross over to bring resigned restaurant industry in same previous booming state they will have to take certain steps . (Eating and Drinking December 31, 2009,12:17PM ) Social Impact on London restaurant Industry: London is fantastic city to live in. It provides sports social clubs and restaurants for all status and class. Whenever you want to meet your friend or, new, strange people and want to learn a new hobby, wish to meet like minded persons restaurants and social clubs will provide. London is a multicultural city; you will see people of different Religions tolerating each other amicably. Britain is a secular country. People in London are not very religious. Very few go to churches. Smoking is banned in public places, in trains and transports. Drinking is very common above 18. It has some limitations. One can make friends with any sex. You can see couple kissing each other anywhere they like without any fear and enjoying their lives. There are also social meeting places in London like clubs and pubs. Multiculturalism: Big Society Concept embraces London: Upgrade restaurant design: Environmental Impact on London Restaurant Industry: There is a very much high environmental impact on London restaurant industry but on the other hand historically London has had low environmental quality but it has also always been a centre for trade and wealth creation. The environmental quality is affected not only by economic activity but also by geographical and weather conditions in London. London is the most densely populated region of England. Population density is around 14 times the average for all other regions. The Cavendish hotel is the best example of environmental impact on London restaurant industry. The Cavendish hotel was the first hotel in London which has been awarded a Gold Accreditation by Green Tourism for London by London development agency (LDA). The aims of the Green Tourism for London scheme is to improve the environmental performance and green credentials of hotels, venues, guesthouses, and many attraction across the capital. Also the Green Tourism for London was launched in 2007. http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2009/02/13/326189/Cavendish-is-first-hotel-in-London-to-win-Gold-environmental.htm Conclusion: Bibliography: Lashley C. Morrison A., In Search of Hospitality, Butterworth Heinemann, 2000 Current News: Evening Standard, Ep Magazine, Eating and Drinking, London Time Out 201l, The Times

Summary and Analysis of The Physicians Tale Essay example -- Canterbu

Summary and Analysis of The Physician's Tale (The Canterbury Tales) The Physician's Tale: As Titus Livius tells us, there was once a knight called Virginius who had many friends, much wealth, and a loving wife and daughter. The daughter possessed a beauty so great that even Pygmalion could not create her equal. She was also humble in speech and avoided events in which her virtue could be compromised. There was a judge, Appius who governed the town who saw the knight's daughter, and lusted after her. He believed that he could take the daughter by force. He plotted against the daughter with a churl named Claudius. In Appius' court Claudius accuses Virginius of stealing his servant (the daughter), and Appius immediately decides that Virginius must hand over his daughter to Claudius. Vir...

congressional reconstruction- civil war :: essays research papers

The governments established under Congressional Reconstruction made notable and lasting achievements. One positive outcome that resulted was the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which extended citizenship to African Americans and listed certain rights of all citizens such as the right to own property, bring lawsuits, and testify in court. Another major outcome was the Fifteenth Amendment, which prohibited the states from denying the right to vote because of a person’s race or because a person had been a slave. This finally granted African Americans the right to vote and marked an important change in the history of our country. A negative outcome resulted politically from congressional Reconstruction. Many of the federal laws concerning reconstruction led to the strengthening of the federal government at the expense of the states. These new laws often placed significant restrictions on state actions on the ground that the rights of national citizenship took precedence over the powers of state governments leading to an increase in sectional bitterness, an intensification of the racial issue, and the development of one-party politics in the South. Stemming from this â€Å"infringement† of states’ rights and intensified by the election of 1868 was another negative outcome. Fierce activities were stirred up by groups such as the KKK- violence became prominent, and terrorists and mobs attacked many people- mostly Republicans and blacks. The end of slavery brought new expectations for all African Americans, whether they had been slaves or not. Taking advantage of the new choices that freedom opened, they tried to create independent lives for themselves, and they developed social institutions that helped to define black communities. African Americans also expected political and economic equality. Few were able to acquire land of their own- a significant constraint on their economic choices- and most became either wage laborers or sharecroppers. Having no land, no tools, and no money, the freed slaves had only their personal labor to sell.

The Importance of Recycling :: essays research papers

The Importance of Recycling Have you ever wonder what can you do about the bottles and cans you find around you? People that doesn?t care about the world being clean is littering the place. It makes things very difficult to put up for. Recycling cans and bottles can help save the earth form waste and trash buildup and can make new things. I think that recycling should be mandatory and there should be recycling cans in various locations at school and everywhere else. One reason is that recycling can help save the earth from waste and trash build-up. For example, fifty percent of roofing and construction on houses is made from recycled aluminum cans. Using recycled materials to produce new products costs less money and less energy than new materials. It can also save valuable landfill space. People have trash everyday. Pretty much anything is recyclable. If you throw them away, it?s a waste of natural resources, a waste of energy, and a waste of money. Instead people should take the time collect these things and put some effort into helping in the world we live in. If you are desperately trying to find a way to make money, recycling can solve that problem. You?ll be paid back for the effort. You can earn money from recycling. Many recycling centers pay CRV for cans and bottles. Many people wouldn?t want to miss out on a moneymaking opportunity. It?s a good way of fundraising, too. Most importantly, it saves lives. We should all learn the importance of recycling. For example, some sea lions won?t get stuck in plastics if we recycle. We would also breathe better air. We can recycle and aluminum can and put it back on the shelf for something useful. If we just leave it in the landfill, it?ll decompose and it?ll be of no use. It?ll also reduce pollution or else it?ll make a new one.

Difference between cost accounting and financial accounting Essay

?In recent years, the range of accounting application is expanding rapidly, along with the increasing demand of economic market. As is well known, accounting is a key aspect of business. And in the accounting profession, there has been already existed interpenetration and overlapping among the different kinds of accounting. Cost accounting and financial accounting are two main components of accountancy. The former one is a part of accounting. In cost accounting, it dramatically researches the variable cost, fixed cost, overheads and capital cost, which is beneficial to calculate the cost and control the cost. And in another part of accounting, financial accounting, we record the business and make the financial statements through this kind of approaches. There are lots of similarities and differences between these two methods. Meanwhile, each of them has its own scope of application. People use different accounting methods to solve different financial problems. Cost accounting refers to the total cost of the products. It is a mixture of financial accounting and management accounting, and it is a method to analyze the cost information. The former method is a procedure of gathering, calculating, concluding and evaluating various alternative courses of action, (Vanderbeck, E. J. 2013), while the latter one is a field of accounting, which is considered to be the provision of financial statements prepared for decision makers and other stakeholders. (Wikipedia, 2013). The latter method is the process of integrating financial data that taken from an organization’s accounting records and issuing in the form of statements for the advantages of people outside the organization for an interval time. (Weil, R. L. 2012). More and more differences are appeared in cost accounting and financial accounting. Firstly, we use them for different purposes. Cost accounting aims at calculating cost of production or service in a scientific way and then facilitating cost control and cost reduction. The main purpose of cost accounting is to analyze, determinate and control of the total cost. The purpose of financial accounting is to find out the results of an accounting year in the form of Profit and Loss Account and Balance Sheet. The main function of financial accounting is to record financial transactions, find out profit or loss and identify financial position. Next, they are different in recording. In cost accounting, both actual transactions record and estimations are used. For example, when we mentioned budgetary control and variance analyze, we set the standard cost which is based on the estimations on previous data. And these estimations may differ slightly from actual cost. While in financial accounting, since the recording is limited to use actual transaction, the estimation is not allowed to prepare income statements and balance sheets. In addition to the above, their control aspects are also diverse. For the cost accounting, we focus on the techniques of controlling the cost. For instance, a company is planning to generate three products, A, B and C. If the percentage of C is 40%, product A and B are produced at only 10%. We will intend to manage the cost of product A and B by means of different approaches. However, in financial accounting, we just ensure to record the transactions correctly, but are not concerned with the controlling of cost. (Kumar, V. 2012). At last, their forms of reference are different. In cost accounting, it is possible that there is no reference following. Regulation can be had only from a body of conventions followed by cost accountants. Nevertheless, in financial accounting, references can be made in case of difficulty to the company laws and case decisions. It is also a challenge for the canons of sound professional practice when to devise or operate a system of financial accounting. Although there are a number of differences between cost accounting and financial accounting, they still have something in common. One of the similarities is that they both based on the financial reports. Management accounting and financial accounting are two major branches of accounting. Therefore financial accounting belongs to the second level. Cost accounting is in the third level, as a branch of accounting information system, it provides record of cost and reports the number of information, and all these information is for the financial accounting. Financial accounting is used to produce financial reports and statements, including the balance sheet, income statement and statement of cash flows. Their financial reports are supported by each other. Moreover, both of them focus on ways to improve company performance. Even though one concentrates on parts of company, the other one focuses on the entire company. According to the financial statements, it can supply information of profitability and financial status to the interested outsiders. Useful information not only can be provided to the businessman for making decisions; also the reports can be used for cutting cost and acquiring more profit and wealth of business. The final objective is to take measures to understand their finances and enhance the performance through the financial report analysis. Accounting brings a great deal of help to us, at the same time we have to take into account the limitations of different accounting methods. One of the limitations facing by the cost accounting is that its inapplicability. Cost accounting is normally to accounting for the cost of industries. It is significant to identify the different categories of expenses and allocation of expenses, which is considered as a complicated system for accounting. In order to collect the data and prepare for the reports, different forms and formulas are needed. It is true that cost accounting cannot be applied with advantage to trading concerns and concerns of small size. As claimed by Nigam Lal B. M. et al. (2004), â€Å"There is no ready-made system of cost accounting applicable to all industries irrespective of their nature or the nature of the article produced or service rendered. The system should be adapted to the industry concerned. † Hence, it becomes complicated and it cannot apply to all types of industry. What is more, financial accounting also has some limitation such as its untimely information. This method is defined to supply information in the form of statements which always include Balance Sheet and Profit and Loss Account for a period, once a year as usual. The information of expenditures is provided on the basis of historical transactions. So the information which merely indicates the past action is only concerned with historical interest and previous analysis. According to Siyanbola, T. T. (2012) said, â€Å"the business requires timely information at frequent intervals to enable the management to plan and take corrective action. † For example, during the current year, if a corporation has budgeted ? 240,000 sales for a year whereas the exact budget of every month is difficult to be recognized. In other words, the information about a relatively short period time can hardly be produced to some extent. Furthermore, financial accounting also lacks analysis of losses. It does not provide complete assessment of losses because of defective material, idle time, idle plant and equipment. Besides, it is difficult to analyze the distinction between avoidable and unavoidable wastage. People will not know the information about losses. In summarize, both of the two accounting methods are good techniques for ascertaining profitability and helpful for decision making. Cost accounting is an essential aspect of accounting information about the problems of core managerial control while the object of financial accounting, which is different from the former one, is to identify the profitability and to give information about the financial position of the business. Even though there are some distinguish and approximation between them, we regard different accounting methods as guidance in the office, so long as more attention should be paid to their limitations.

Pest Analysis of Italy

PEST analysis of Italy 1) Political Environment From the political point of view Italy is an ideal country where to export our product. It has good international relationships, especially with other EU countries where we are already present and with the USA. There are no restrictions to the importation or the exportation of capitals and goods. The accounting system follows the International Accounting Standards (IAS), the same adopted by all EU countries, and quite similar to the American’s General Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).There is a stable political regime with a multi-party system, which can ensure the certainty of law and the respect of contractual rights. However lawsuits tend to be lasting and expensive, and this could represent a risk in case of a contractual breach. 2) Economic Environment The Italian Economic Environment is also quite good for our project. Italian economy is based on services and industry. The per capita GDP is $30. 200, that is not high a s in the United States ($44. 00), but which is however enough to ensure the population with the possibility to save some of their budget for the acquisition of expensive products. In addition income is better distributed than in the US: looking at the Gini Index, Italy has a 36 and US have a 45 (where 0 means equally distributed and 100 means unequally distributed). If we bear in mind the different dimensions of the two countries all the other economic indicators can be considered similar. Just the Unemployment rate is a little bit higher in Italy, 7% against 4. 0%, but it is not very relevant. 3) Cultural and Social Actually Italy has a population of 58. 147. 733 inhabitants. The 98. 4% of them are literates, and the 66. 4% of them are aged between 15 and 64 years. It must be highlighted the fact that in Italy are present 72. 200. 000 mobile telephones: Italians have a strong culture of always being locatable, and for this reason they in average hold 1,25 mobile phones. 4) Technolo gical Environment We are not interested in assembling our product directly in Italy, but just n importing it from the countries where we have already established some plants. For such reason, from a technological point of view, we are mainly interested in the level of transportation and telecommunication infrastructures, rather than in the research intensity or in the university system. Italy actually has 19. 459 km of railways (16th in the world), 484. 688 km of roadways (11th in the world), and 133 airports distributed on the territory. The telephone system is modern and well developed, fax is widely used and mobile signal covers almost all the italian territory.

The Most Ethical Course

I believe the most ethical course of action in the story of Felicia Robinson is to wait it out because her opponent may seem guilty at the time but he could also be an innocent man and she wouldn't want to have the stigma that she's a liar because of a mistake she has made. 3a. ) When coming across a survey showing majority of people in my state that oppose my position, I should point out those shortcomings that came my way during my the process because it will show that I'm a honest person, the people love honesty ! b. ) In my opinion,I believe the most ethical course of action when listening to an informative speech that is given by a classmates that has plagiarized is to talk with the speaker as a individual and inform them that I'm aware of their actions and strongly insist that they do not do it again, because I believe everyone deserves a second chance also I wouldn't want my fellow classmate to get hit with serious consequences over stupidity. 3c. I should not include a quotat ion from an article that is not supporting the policy I'am advocating for even if it's an article by a highly respected expert, because it will hurt the main point that I'm trying to make in my speech. *KEY TERMS (chapter 2) Ethics- the branch of philosophy that deals with issues of right and wrong in human affairs. Ethical decisions- sound ethical involve weighing a potential course of action against a set of ethical standards or guidelines. Name-calling- the use of language to defame, demean, or degrade individual groups.Plagiarism- presenting another person’s language or ideas as one’s own Bill of rights- the first 10 amendments to the United States constitution. Plagiarism- presenting another person’s language or ideas as one’s own. Global plagiarism- stealing a speech entirely from a single source and passing it off as one’s own. Patchwork plagiarism- stealing language from two or three sources and passing them off as one’s own. Increme ntal plagiarism- failing to give credit for particular parts of a speech that borrowed from others. Paraphrase- to restate or summarize an author’s ideas own words. Fist ten amendments Amendment I – Freedom of Religion, Speech and the Press; Rights of Assembly and Petition. Amendment II – Right to Bear Arms The amendment was adopted so that Congress could not disarm a state militia. Amendment III – Housing of Soldiers Grew directly out of an old complaint against the British, who had forced people to take soldiers into their homes. Amendment IV – Search and Seizure You may not be searched or have property seized without probable cause and/or a search warrant. Amendment V – Rights of the accused (Self-incrimination, Double Jeopardy, Due Process, Just Compensation)Amendment VI- Rights to a Fair Trial (Speedy and Public Trial by Jury*, Tried in state where crime was committed, Informed of charges against accused, Witnesses, Right to a lawyer) A mendment VII- Rights in Civil Cases (Trial by jury in civil cases over $20) Amendment VIII – Cruel and Unusual Punishment Bails, fines and punishments must be humane and fit the crime committed Amendment IX – Rights Retained by the People Any rights not listed in the Constitution are still protected Amendment X – Powers Retained by the States and the People States or people have all powers not given to national government. (ie: marriage)

Love and Patriotism Essay

Patriotism is a frame of mind in which one loves one’s country and is proud of it. It is a vigorous feeling of love, loyalty and support for one’s country especially in defense against its enemies. It means that one should give more value and importance to one’s country than to one’s own self. It makes one bound for certain responsibilities, and these responsibilities are ideological commitment and dedication to the defense and prosperity of one’s country. â€Å"Only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country. (Nathan Hale) Man is a social animal. It is hard for him to breathe in isolation. Contact with his fellow beings is inevitable for mutual growth and economic development. Patriotism creates unity among the people for a noble cause and trains them to tolerate one and other and sacrifice for the country. â€Å"Soldiers die not in hatred but in love.† (Anonymous) Patriotism is a virtue that converts a mob into nation. Nations rise and prosper if their individuals are united by a cord of love, sympathy and sincerity. People learn to honor the freedom and independence of their country. They learn that they can prosper and progress if they have a deep natural relation with their country. Birds fly towards their nests, children rush to take refuge in the lap of their mothers and human beings move towards their homes for peace and shelter, and so is our country that gives us protection and peace. It is a sort of heaven for us. We should try our best to make it beautiful, secure, strong and peaceful. Our existence definitely depends on the existence and survival of our dear homeland. We can do so if we have an ultimate faith in our country. We must not undermine our relationship and association which we have with our homeland by birth. â€Å"Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.† (Mareus) Disciplined armed forces, hardworking and skillful craftsmen, diligent and committed women, and ambitious students have only one aim and that is to serve their country. They believe that their personal achievement will benefit not only themselves but also their country. They want to raise the flag of their country because they have a strong sense of patriotism. Love works wonders. Miracles are not beyond us if we are fired with the passion of patriotism. Patriotism fills us with a magnetic force which overcomes all our petty differences of languages and creeds.

Cyber-security Essay

The internet is no man’s land. The whole world has been melted into a global village as the Internet pervades the homes, offices and even phones. The internet has become closer to our thoughts and feelings every day as chat engines can now express feelings and depict thought patterns. Information about self, plan of work, career, and family are also speedily available and sent via the internet. Most, if not all, companies own a website where the clients/customers can access their information. In fact, financial institutions run transactions through cyber space. Security outfits have private and confidential data on Networks that can easily access the Net. All these point to on pellucid fact: the cyberspace cannot be ignored. It cannot be ignored because of the risk associated with such move. This underscores the need for cyberspace security. The responsibility of government is not just for the internal and border security of her people; it also includes security across the internet. Although the internet belongs to no one, government can take certain steps to promote her people from Internet fraud, spyware and other security threats. As the world shrinks, the Internet will definitely be a means for evil doers and enemies of progress and freedom to use to perpetuate their obnoxious. This is another reason why the government must take the issue very seriously. This is why the collaboration between Symantec and National Cyber Security Alliance is commendable. This provides statistics about security issues on the Internet: it postulates that only about one-fifth of computer and internet users have adequate security protection although most believe they are protected. This means there is a gap: most believe what is not. Bridging the gap is an important aspect of the work of Department of Homeland Security and NCSA. It is not enough to have statistics although they are fundamental facts upon which decisions are based. I believe these figures are even worse than what is said. The report does not show how many users were used for the research and how reliable that percentage can be. If this is the case, vigorous mass publicity and campaigns will help. This will involve state and federal agencies, and private organizations that provide internet and computer service. The article titled ‘Americans confused as ever over cyber-security’ gives a clear picture of what the challenge is. The question is who is responsible for this confusion? The users of cyberspace have a big chunk of this confusion as they need out information about how to safeguard themselves from internet threats. It is likely they would have tried but the information is not accessible. This means that information on cybersecurity is not user-friendly; this is a field where they really have to work. Besides, staying safe online appears daunting for many users. Since antivirus, antispyware and firewall software are the frontline basic protections Americans should have, information should be readily accessible. Cybersecurity is obviously will continue to be important. Efforts have to mad now to safeguard computer and Internet users. This can be achieved first through information made available at the point of purchase; tell people about security. Then, computer accessories Unit should have also succinct information for their customers. Internet service providers have a big role to play: they need to prepare a package on cybersecurity like FAQs that can be used by their clients. Regular updates should also be made available.

Economics - to develop an understanding of what has happened in the Essay

Economics - to develop an understanding of what has happened in the economy of the United Kingdom over the last two years - Essay Example eported the gross domestic product rose by 0.2 percent in the quarter ending June 30th, which brought down the annual GDP rate to 1.6 percent from 2.3 percent in the first quarter this year (Duncan, 2008). United Kingdom is one of the most developed countries in the world and has made a mark for itself throughout the world. United Kingdom comprises of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The capital of England London is rated as the world’s most expensive city. According to Professor Bean’s (Bank of England chief) bleak assessment, the United Kingdom has seen an undisturbed and unbroken expansion for over sixteen years and as mentioned earlier the country is starting to face recession. Almost every country has been facing an economic slowdown since the market crash in 1970s however there have been strong efforts from almost every economy to ensure the economies get back into stable positions. United Kingdoms has held the fifth position in the global economies however the risk of the recession since the 1990s is now growing for the country and the living costs are also growing along with this. This has made it difficult for the Bank of England to cut down the interest ra tes and is causing a lot of issues with the Labour governments’ handling the economy as the public is extremely dissatisfied with the growing interest rates (Reuters, 2008). It has been noted by economist James Knightley at ING that the growing credit crunch and the rising food and energy prices is disrupting the growth of the country and there is no solution to this by the fiscal and monetary policies. This slowdown was triggered by the biggest drop in the construction sector during 2005. This resulted in a drop in the decline in the building industry which converted the decade long housing boom into slums. The government however did its bit by contributing to the infrastructure projects which helped the industry stabilise and get back into action. The service sector contributes to almost

Team Working Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Team Working - Essay Example As consent issues are a huge topic, it is paramount that the papers are correct. In keeping with my continuing education, I am required to attend classes, which focus on the specific topics. One week, I attended a lecture on patient consent and its issues. The team worked in accordance to plan. However, it should be noted, there were some changes of schedule that were helpful. It was interesting in considerations to light in regard to leadership and teamwork. The primary goal is to define competence. Conceptualizing competence in this author's eyes would involve three components of knowledge competency, skill competency and attitude competency. The descriptions of each denote the most effective components of leadership. The model presented offers this information and includes general education, knowledge and skills, experience, management knowledge and skills and professional contributions. In this relation, it should be mentioned that team worked accordingly. However, there were occasional problems but were negotiated well enough. There were occasional problems. There was one incident where someone did not attend. Under such conditions, it became very hard to meet ends. I emailed constantly until I got a response. It was frustrating but I persisted with my goal. I understand the ability to overcome challenges while working in a team under nursing parameters is a very important challenge it needs to overcome. The relation between the individual of the team and the team present in the team's plays a crucial role in not only expansion and development of the team however as well for quandary free performance as a whole. The emphasis should be on good relationships and sound terms and conditions of understanding between team members with consent of all the parties. Work Completed As per the graph presented, it is obvious that the major part of the job or data mining has been completed well within schedule and it can be stated that the job completed was satisfying. The main jobs done during this period were completion of literature review, collection of interviews and transcribe of interviews. There was enough information collected to start the process analysis. It did appear that the team had worked together and instrumented as unit. It is true that while working there was incidents of drift and fragmentations within the team. However, in the long run every student of the team realized that to yield effective and positive result it is required to approach the job on the plan that was chalked in the beginning. Thus, once the students understood the usefulness of team collaboration every aspect was placed accordingly. The main team strategy that was formulated can be identified as progress and check method. Here each student was scheduled to do a job that was further sub divided into parts. After the completion of each part there was a meeting among the students who would then evaluate the job done and pass a verdict whether it is needed to re do the part or not. In a way, this method of operation was tedious and slow. It can be stated that in future team presentation the students would approach in a different method. As a result, I feel that there is enough scope of improvement in the context of presentation strategy. It is my view that the students would

Financial management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial management - Essay Example This is different from For-Profit organizations that source their funds from shareholders who are the real owners of these organizations. Organizational structure of NGO’s and For-Profit are a bit similar in the sense that both set of organizations are managed by boards of directors. Financial management entails the processes of budgeting, Taxation and corporate governance. NGO’s typically have financial budgets prepared over the period of the activities they are undertaking. On the other hand, For-Profit organizations have their financial budgets prepared for a period of one financial year. Governments levy taxes on all organizations for the purpose of implementing public project or service provision but with the exemption of NGO’s. According to Brigham (2010, 65), the main difference between NGO’s and For-Profit organizations is the objectives and goals of these organizations. NGO’s are set up to provide charitable goods or services to people with out need of making a profit. This major differentiating factor is the reason behind the differences in financial management practices between these organizations. Corporate governance is important in implementing integrity and management of organizational strategies. NGO’s are not particular in enforcing prudent corporate governance practices compared to For-Profit organizations. ... NGO’s are organizations which are not set out to make profits but instead they are meant to provide a service. This is opposed to profitable organizations which are meant to make profits. Organizational Structure The organizational structure of NGO’s is different from that of a profitable organization in that NGO’s are mandated to offer services compared to profit organizations which are meant to make profits. NGO’s are registered or mandated either by governments or special bodies to undertake projects or service delivery to different people. The major difference between NGO’s and profit organizations stems in the ownership structure of the two bodies. NGO’s are owned or operated by a board of directors or a steering committee in some cases; this board of directors is responsible for drawing up the financial strategies for the organization. The board of directors of an NGO are responsible for sourcing funds for the organization through diffe rent ways (Brigham 94). In some instances, some NGO’s have adopted the structure of a private company and used this structure to manage their financial operations. Most NGO’s source their funds from governments, churches and donations this is because these organizations act as governments and they only use their funds for capacity building. This is in contrast to profitable companies whereby ownership of these organizations belongs to some individuals. Profitable companies are owned by people known as shareholders; shareholders are responsible for funding the organization to undertake the goals and objectives of these organizations. Public owned organizations are profit organizations which comprise of a many owners in a company

American Government - partisan press and yellow journalism Essay

American Government - partisan press and yellow journalism - Essay Example Once they have projected their thoughts, they are bold and intensively expressive of the subject matter in question. The major differences between the two types of journalism are what they majorly concentrate on in their publications. Yellow journalism is more concerned with eye catching, over exaggerated and thought provoking themes. The claims are mostly unsubstantiated. Partisan press entails media concentration on the events and activities of one political party. This information is carried over the top at the expense of the other political parties. In recent times, the Houston Chronicle has come under fire for partisan coverage. This is because it has over concentrated on activities, events and information concerning the Democratic Party. A good example of yellow journalism is the story run on the front page of the LA Times in September 2009. In bold, they claimed that   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Our state is in a fiscal crisis, Republicans refuse to let us pass a single tax increase whatsoever, we do not tax oil companies for their profits, and the legislature just passed a budget that makes $15 billion in  dreadful cuts  to education and health care, and $11 billion in reckless borrowing† (Hogarth, 2009). This created unnecessary financial shivers as many made an attempt to purchase the paper for detailed information, which was, not sufficiently researched. Hindman, D. B., Littlefield, R. Preston, A., & Dennis Neumann. "Structural Pluralism, Ethnic Pluralism, and Community Newspapers."  Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly  76, no. 2 (Summer 1999): 250–263.

Read short story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Read short story - Essay Example This side of the valley is symbolic of life and has a seemly association with Jig, while Hemingway links it to her desires to settle down permanently, have the child, and be in a loving relationship. However, the valley’s other side is the opposite. It is sterile, barren, bleak, and a desert landscape that has no life or animation present (Hemingway 12). This side of the valley is representative of abortion and its unwanted and deadly consequences. It is also, perhaps, symbolic of the meaningless and empty nature of the earlier relationships between the couple. In the story, it is as if the author takes the two characters and places them in a landscape, which seems to exemplify the decisions they will have to make, as well as, the major differences that stand between the two of them as individuals. The author deftly and subtly utilizes more than one aspect of the setting in the story to show significant things about what it means, which, in this case, is the valley and its two contrasting

Corrections Trend Evaluation (Indi) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Corrections Trend Evaluation (Indi) - Essay Example A new theory came up, which comprised of humane ways of dealing with law breakers. It was from 1787, that hard labor, total abstinence and solitary confinement started proving to be the most effective means in re- forming law breakers, thus the course of penal history was changed and the platform for operation of institutional and community based corrections systems born (Carlson & Garrett, 1999). However, the concept of solitary confinement in review of correctional practice reveals that the emphasis on the isolation, punishment and segregation of the offender from the community, is being outdated by emerging standards of human civilization. The prevailing innovations in correctional facilities are based on the recognition that they have been effective in the goals of justice and penalty, but failed in performing the function of rehabilitation and offender reform. New models of imprisonment and corrections are being searched for, in order to protect the fundamental principles of jus tice in a democratic society. Provision for genuine implementation of society’s power over the law breakers are also being looked into (Diiulio, 1990). The reasons for this extensive trend reversal are numerous. Philosophically, the return to the simple ways regarding disciplinary action against law breakers is politically attractive, thus gaining rapid recognition. Within and without the criminal justice system, there is a large number of people who prefer the uncomplicated processes of justice. If you look at our institutions and communities from a practical perspective, you will clearly see that the prevailing criminal justice system has yielded very poor results. The rate which prisoners return to institutions due to new convictions is alarmingly high. It is the inability of the prevailing criminal justice system to curb crime and the failure of correctional facilities to correct, that has led to the failure of the corrections. The main inhibitor however is the way in whi ch the criminal justice system has been perceived in its work and mission. The definition of correction in a societal view point does not state nor imply what corrections should try to achieve. Correction institutions have many purposes, rehabilitation being only one. Although if the correctional processes were truly rehabilitative, then it should not be restricted to the convicted individual, but rather be extended to all who need them. Corrections can contribute more than it does to crime reduction, but it is sad to note the fact that in the prevailing era, the pursuit of a single purpose for corrections be it rehabilitation or punishment, is doomed to failure (Harnsberger, 2011). It is natural for human beings to resist coercion. It is evident in our institutions and communities that correctional coercion success rate is basically none existent. We can observe the concept of total system planning, which is a process that comes up with feedback from specific service area after ana lyzing and defining its problems. The total system planning process describes the mode and level of interactions between activities of one system like corrections, and those of others like law enforcement or courts. A change in any single component however small it may be, will ripple through and affect all the other components. When this concept example and consideration is applied to