Marcionism & God Essay

Marcionism is a dual belief system that originated from Marcion of Sinope in Rome teachings in the year 144. It affirmed that Jesus was a savior who was sent by God and Paul was his principal apostle but Marcion himself rejected Yahweh and the Hebrew Bible. It was referred to as heresy by those who opposed it and wrote a five book treatise against it. Marcionism teachings affirmed that Christianity was different from and opposition Judaism. It opposed the whole of the Hebrew Bible, and declared Hebrews Bible God was a minor demiurge, who created the earth and was the source of evil. The principles of Marcionism are that many teachings of Jesus Christ are incompatible with those of the god of the Jewish Religion. Referring to Pauline traditions in the Gospel, Marcionism believed that the Gospel, opposed to teachings from the old testament that were believed to be misleading from the truth. Paul’s arguments in respect to the gospel and law, grace and wrath, faith and works, spirit and flesh, righteousness and sin, life and death were the base of religious truth. Marcionites holds maltheistic perception of the God of Hebrew Bible as (Yaltabaoth) inconsistent, wrathful, jealous and genocidal, and created a defective world, a site of suffering and term such a God as a malicious demiurge whom they refer to as Yaltabaoth. Montanus was the founder of Montanism, an early Christian sector founded in the mid 2nd century AD in Phrygia region and its followers are referred to as Cataphrygians. Tertullian was the most widely known Montanist. Montanus claimed to have received a number of revelations from the Holy Ghost beside and strolled in the settlement in Asia where he preached what he claimed to be the Words of God but those who opposed him especially the Orthodox claimed his teaching as but those who opposed him especially the Orthodox claimed his teaching as hearsay. He traveled along with two women who claimed to have received some revelations too, and they urged their follower to pray and fast so that they could receive revelations too. The teachings of Montanism spread from Phrygia, to Africa, Gaul and the rest of the world. Christians also agree with the some teachings of Marcionism like the opposition of murder and genocide that were employed in the Old Testament. Marcionism imposed a high degree of morality to its followers and those who were immoral were some times persecuted. The early encouraged the positive teachings of Montanism and Marcionism; however there existed clear differences in the teachings between different sects Donatism was an unorthodox sect of the early Christianity that was founded by Donatus Magnus and believed that holiness was a mandatory for church members and essential in administration of sacraments. Donatists lived originally in Roman Africa and attained their biggest number in the 4th to 5th centuries. One of the central issues in the Donatists controversy is that at some levels, the church is normally called into the communion with God and that is not breakable from human being point of view given by the grace of God in Christ therefore, leaving the church is like leaving grace and questioning Gods power and adding a semi Pelagian realization of the salvation. The Council of Arles in the A. D. 314 criticized the Donatists although the Donatists flourished. The Donatists and Orthodox Catholics in Africa were against each other as a result in 393 A. D, St. Augustine codified the Catholic teachings concerning baptism founded on controversy between Orthodox Catholics and Donatists. His diplomatic efforts and teachings didn’t terminate the fighting and bickering, the government powers were called upon and in 411 A. D. an imperial commission banned Donatism by making its practices illegal (Robert E. Van Voorst (Readings in Christianity, US, Wadsworth/Thomson publishers, 2000) p 136-136. Constantine’s conversion to Christianity lead to the Edict of Milan and Christianity became legalized; he became a committed member of the church and set precedence for the post of the Christian Emperors in the Church that would be pursued for centuries. This was a turning point for Christianity because he supported the church with all available resources and that marked the beginning of Christendom Diocletian was one of the four documents of Constantine that brought to an end may decades of anarchy and crisis when Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus became the Roman emperor in 284, other documents include licinius, Maxentius and Maximianus Herculius. Arius beliefs that became part of Arianism included the fact that he believed that god was not the father all the time and gods words were not eternal but were merely made out of nothing, he also believed that god made all the creatures including himself hence he was also susceptible to change like other creatures he had created and there was the belief that the Son was created on other creatures accounts and does not understand his nature and could other creature not have been created, the son would not have been created too. the result of the Nicaea- Constantinople council was that the, after reading of several Arius documents, they were termed as blasphemous and the end result was that Arius were sent to exile along with some of his followers. ( Jane M. McCabe, The Single Story of Divine Prophecy to Abraham, (US, Xlibris,2001Corporation publishers, 2001) p182-211) REFERENCES Robert E. Van Voorst, Readings in Christianity, US, Wadsworth/Thomson publishers, 2000 Jane M. McCabe, The Single Story of Divine Prophecy to Abraham, US, Xlibris,2001Corporation publishers, 2001

King Sahure and A Nome God & Demedji and Hennutsen Comparative Analysis Essay

Throughout past histories we’ve witnessed different forms of art and sculptures from different time periods. These changes occur for many different reasons and give historians a taste of what life was like people growing up in these times. King Sahure and A Nome God and Demedji and Hennutsen were both two sculptures created in the same time period. These two show the similarities and differences of life between their time period. Both statues at first glance have a similar appearance to them. King Sahure and A Nome God features the King Sahure, the second ruler of dynasty five. It was sculpted between 2458-2466 B.C. Next to King Sahure is a smaller figure labeled as the god of the Coptite provence of Upper Egypt.[1] At first glance this sculpture can be described as having a monumental scale, with a height of about 25 inches. The god coptite is shown reaching his hand out towards King Sahure, signifying the gods acceptance of King Sahure. The figures are considered high relief, in that they are protruding from the background. [2] The whole statues make is rough, an indicator of Ancient Egyptian Art. Demedji and Hennutsen was constructed during the fifth dynasty between 2465-2438 B.C. Like King Sahure and A Nome God, it shows two figures, husband and wife. Demedji was known as Overseer of the Desert, and his wife Hennutsen was known as the priestess of the goddesses Hator and Neith. [3]The husband sitting down looks massive in structure. He is wearing what appears to be a helmet, covering his head. He is sitting on a large stone, inscribed with hieroglyphics. His wife standing along side him is much smaller in statue. She, also has a headdress covering her head. The statue is in the round and has a monumental scale like King Sahure and A Nome God. The statue itself is only around 32 inches tall. The sculpture is a lot more rounded and smoother than the previous sculpture. Carved out of limestone, it shows a light beige tint. Something that really stuck out at me was the precision of space between the husbands arm and body. The bodies are sculpted with a smooth appearance. In both sculptures you could tell who was meant to be viewed as most significant in the sculpture. In King Sahure and A Nome God, King Sahure is larger in statue than the god of Coptite. This indicating that King Sahure reigns supreme over the god, determining that it is not a votive statue. It can also tell us a little s something about Ancient Egyptian culture, and what their values were. If the King was considered more superior than the god, it would give us an insight to religion during that time period. In the sculpture of Demedji and Hennutsen, the husband is seated and is also larger in stature. This also indicates supremacy over his wife. A difference that I picked up on with the two sculptures were the artists usage of space. King Sahure and A Nome God shows two figures that are submerged and connected to each other within the stone. They almost look like they are attached to each other. In Demedji and Hennutsen, the statues are seated very differently. The man and woman have a significant amount of space between both of them. Not only in proximity, but the spaces between their arms and legs is much more significant than the other sculpture. Giving the pair a sense of distance. Although both works King Sahure and A Nome God and Demedji and Hennutsen were created during the same dynasty and time period, they do have their differences. Each statue tells a story what everyday life was for the people of their time period. They give us a inside view of what their beliefs and cultures were like.

The Boston Photographs

The Boston Photographs In â€Å"The Boston Photographs† by Nora Ephron, Ephron used most of the time writing about the reactions of the many readers all over the nation and world whom were shocked by the pictures that were published in their local newspapers. She should have used most of the time writing about the day when the incident happened. By doing this, it would have affected people a lot more than seeing the bad of it.In telling the facts, Ephron only provides factual information such as whom took the picture, what the picture is about, what type of camera he used, and what a variety of newspapers all over the nation did with the pictures. Ephron dedicates a large amount of writing telling the reactions to the photographs by first expressing her own reaction to the pictures and then in detail the reactions of readers and publishers whom published the set of pictures in their newspapers.Ephron gives a small amount of writing to editors and their defense of the photograp hs. Ephron only explains how several editors wrote columns defending the pictures. For Ephron’s own analysis she dedicates a very large part to explaining her analysis of the pictures and the people reactions of the publishing of the pictures and her views on the treatment of publishing such pictures for the general public. Ephron explains how the phone calls, letters, and Seib’s own reaction, were occasioned by one factor, which was the death of a woman.She explains how everyone’s reaction to the picture would have been different if the caption said that the women didn’t die or the child was killed instead because the picture would always be the same, but everyone’s reaction would be different. In the end Ephron explains how newspaper editors are afraid to publish such pictures such as the Boston pictures because they fear the reaction of the people and so they continue censoring such pictures.In my opinion, Ephron stabilities these numerous perce ptions in not such a good style of writing because she doesn’t provide an equal amount of words for each perspective and what needs to be addressed by each point of view and the importance of each view. I think if she spent more time giving equal opportunity to each perspective so that there is a balance in information that is being presented by each viewpoint then her essay would be a whole lot stronger and I would think that it would be less opinionated.In reading this essay I kind of wanted to know more about the people’s reaction as well as how numerous editors defended the photographs and the outcomes of those editors defending the publishing of those photos. For example, when the author say’s â€Å"The photographs are indeed sensational. They are pictures of death in action, of that split second when luck runs out, and it is impossible to look at them without feeling their extraordinary impact and remembering, in an almost subconscious way, the morbid fan tasy of falling, falling, off a building, falling to one’s death† (Ephron 657).This quote proves that the author uses her opinions rather other people opinions. Also, by using her opinions, her form of writing is not strong. If she used other people’s thoughts with her beliefs, then her writing would be strong enough to back up the information she is trying to present. I disagree with the author, because she doesn’t use vivid examples throughout the story. She should have written more about the special incident that happened and how everyone felt about it.Instead, she wrote who took the picture, what the picture is about, what type of camera the person used, and what did all the newspaper company’s all over the nation did with the pictures. For example, when the author says â€Å"The pictures were taken by Stanley Forman, thirty, of the Boston Herald American. He used a motor-driven Nikon F set at 1/250, f 5. 6-8. Because of the motor, the camera c an click off three frames a second† (Ephron 657). The author should have not put this information in the story, because is it unnecessary in the story, and does not belong in the story.The article makes me think about the incident that happened to the world trade center on 9/11, because it reminds me of people that had to go through the whole attack and how they felt about it. It is similar to The Boston Photographs, because the photos where published in the newspaper. After the 9/11 attack, seeing the photos on the front page, people went insane just as in The Boston Photographs. Works cited Ephron, Nora. â€Å"The Boston Photographs. † â€Å"The Norton Reader: An Anthology of Nonfiction. New York: W. W. Norton & Co, 2012.

LS week7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

LS week7 - Essay Example This includes individuals who are directly or indirectly connected to the company. The company is also responsible to the planet that we are living in. This approach views the shareholders in the company as being part of the stakeholder. In this paper, triple bottom line is to look at its integration in management. Background Organisations that are involved in community support, and they affect the community surroundings beyond the organisation. By doing this, they reduce risk. Organisations that support the triple bottom line approach are regarded as safer investments. Hence, these organisations are able to procure funds; they also avoid legalities with the governments by fostering good publicity and avoid angering special interest groups. Strategies in adopting triple bottom line Adopting a TBL perspective will require focused commitment through a long-term strategic thinking, planning alignment, and implementation (Kaplan, 2004). Companies should adopt two strategies to incorporat e the triple bottom line principle to the organisation operations. The organisation should understand that sustainability requires innovation; the sustainability strategy should also be customised. Triple bottom line organisations take pain to do away with ecological footprint. This type of organisations strives for sustainability. They recognise the fact that paying more attention to the environment may be profitable. They argue that it is not all about the money. This can be seen as a sacrifice when these companies take pains to reduce their energy use, dispose toxics in safe ways and try to produce products that are safe for consumption. This approach, viewed by many people, can seem as a waste of time but in the real sense, it can prove worthwhile, to some extent. Many companies today, for example sports teams and media companies, hire people for their success. They motivate and retain good people in the company’s profiles. These people become the stars and are not the sh areholders in the company. Hence, such companies remain with no option but to focus more on their customers. In many parts of the world today, good people are in short supply; hence, companies need to look after their workers well. If the organisation will not be able to look after its workforce well, then they will not attract and retain the people they need to work in that particular organisation. Triple bottom line contributes to the hiring of top talent, retaining of top talent, increased employee productivity, less manufacturing expenses, increased revenues and market share and easier financing. Companies that follow the triple bottom line way of doing things have big considerations on how they impact the people that they get involved in. This can include the people who supply the raw materials to the company, and the company chief executive (Kaplan, 2004). The company makes sure that they consider everyone’s well-being. They may offer health care, provision of good work ing hours, education and job advancement. Analysis and Challenges of triple bottom line Triple bottom line comes with its challenges when applied to an organisation. Profits in this approach are just an aspect of their mission; the approach encourage that companies focus on how they impact their customers. The goal to generate a profit, despite other outcome, is tampered by the need for the company to consider the societal and the environmental consequences of actions it carries out. This

Governing Global Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Governing Global Business - Essay Example One of such trends is growing role of multinational companies not only in a business world, but in the whole society. Transnational companies have influence equal to influence of some countries. That is why it is important to study their role and predict possible future. It is going to be the main task of this research paper. Big attention is going to be paid to national economies and place of TNCs in the countries of North Africa. To begin with it would be reasonable to provide background information about the region under consideration. North Africa is the widest part of the mainland. This region of Africa includes the following countries: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, and Western Sahara. Canary Islands, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Madeira are also sometimes referred to North Africa. North Africa is the most developed among African countries. The most developed are the following countries: Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria. This region has a favorable economic and geographical position, situated at the crossroads of three continents - Europe, Asia and Africa. Trade has always played an important role, especially after the construction of the Suez Canal. Then the region gained important military-strategic importance. Countries in the region are heterogeneous in terms of economic development. Basis countries are members of OPEC, where GDP per capita is 17-20 thousand dollars. The region is rich in minerals (phosphates, chromite, bauxite, zinc), but the main resource is energy - oil and natural gas. Profits from the sale of oil - "petrodollars" in recent decades have been invested in the economy. According to experts, this figure reaches more than a trillion dollars. Most of them went to the creation of new industries in these countries: automotive, petroleum, chemistry, organic synthesis, basic chemistry, light industry and others. Some countries in the region have invested heavily in the creation of

Escape from the Long Arm of the Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Escape from the Long Arm of the Law - Essay Example The dialog finds Plato's mentor and narrative mouthpiece imprisoned and awaiting execution, a result of the trial in which he was found guilty of corrupting the youth of Athens. Crito, a friend of Socrates, has come to prison to visit the condemned man and to advocate that Socrates escape from jail. Socrates will have none of it, and instead engages Crito in one of Socrates' famous dialogs, all in an effort to prove that Socrates cannot flee the punishment of Athens in a way that does not do serious injustice. To justify his claims, Socrates introduces the character of the Laws, voice of the legal charter of Athens. The Laws ask Socrates to stay where he is, to avoid even thinking about escape, since doing so would invite the utter ruination of Athens as a whole: â€Å"Do you imagine,† the Laws inquire, â€Å"that a city can continue to exist and not be turned upside down, if the legal judgments which are pronounced in it have no force but are nullified and destroyed by priva te persons† (Plato 50a-b)? If anyone could simply escape their punishment whenever it didn't suit their own desires, they would be bending laws past their breaking point, since punishment would never have any meaning. Socrates concludes that such a stance is unacceptable. To explain his position to Crito, who is obviously predisposed to the opposite position, Socrates offers a couple of analogies, each of which highlights Socrates's subordinate relationship to the Laws. The law, he contends, is like a father or a master, and Socrates is the child or the slave—in either instance, neither the child nor the slave has the legal right to retaliate against the parent or master simply because they did not like their treatment in one particular instance. In a similar fashion, Socrates benefited from the laws regarding marriage and childrearing, and he cannot simply pick and choose such that he gains all the benefits but suffers none of the consequences. It helps his claim that the Laws have been personified, thus making a set of very diverse laws seem as if they were crafted together and objectively (which seems unlikely) and Socrates clearly believes that because one cannot separate out the Lawsone wants to obey from the Lawsone does not, then one must submit to the force of law in general. This is true even if the law ultimately produces an unfair or even unjust outcome. The price of that one small injustice does not justify committing a grave injustice by disobeying. I believe that the logical result of the Platonic view is nothing less than authoritarianism. There exists little wiggle room in Plato's formulation; the law commands and the citizen obeys. Socrates argues that the greater injustice comes from violating the laws, but what is the threshold at which such a statement can be made? If the state orders the infanticide of second or third-born children because of concerns over population density, or if the federal government declares that cancer p atients can only take marijuana if it comes in a pharmaceutical company's pill form rather than an inexpensive and more effective joint, does one really have to just shrug their shoulders and obey?

International business Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

International business - Personal Statement Example As an undergraduate student I have been able to get the most out of my academic experience through the boundless knowledge that has been offered to me by my professors, something that should be noted, is not available in the simple purchase of a textbook. The academic lessons offered to me have increased my understanding of the business world and molded my marketing perspectives to views that I consider unique and will play a big role in my career in the future. The next step in my path is the subject of International business, and I would like to continue my personal and academic growth with this respected base of education. I believe that I will be able to get the most out of my learning experiences if I am surrounded by not only what I see as familiar, but progressive surroundings as well. I have a great resolve to succeed in life, and I hold firm in my belief that this institution would be the best means of my doing that. I hope that you will humbly consider my application to continue with my education in your prestigious

Policy Writing Assignment 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Policy Writing 1 - Assignment Example 3. Definitions 3.1 â€Å"Discrimination occurs when someone, or a group of people, is treated less favourably than another person or group because of their race, colour, national or ethnic origin; sex, pregnancy or marital status; age; disability; religion; sexual preference; trade union activity; or some other characteristic specified under anti-discrimination or human rights legislation. Workplace discrimination can occur in the recruitment and selection; terms, conditions and benefits, provision of training; and selection for transfer, promotion, retrenchment or dismissal† (AHRC, 2011). 3.2 â€Å"Harassment occurs when someone is made to feel intimidated, insulted or humiliated because of their race, colour, national or ethnic origin; sex, pregnancy or marital status; age; disability; religion; sexual preference; trade union activity; or some other characteristic specified under anti-discrimination or human rights legislation. It can also happen if someone is working in a ‘hostile’ or intimidating environment. Harassment can include telling insulting jokes or derogatory comments about someone’s race or religion; sending explicit or sexually suggestive emails; displaying offensive or pornographic posters; or asking intrusive questions about someone’s personal life, including their sex life† (AHRC, 2011). ... ing employees; psychological harassment or intimidation; assigning meaningless tasks unrelated to the job or even impossible jobs; deliberately changing work rosters to inconvenience particular employees; or undermining work performance by deliberately withholding information vital for effective work performance† (AHRC, 2011). 3.4 â€Å"Racial and Religious Vilification occur where a person engages in conduct that incites hatred, serious contempt, revulsion or severe ridicule against another person or group of people, because of their race or religious belief or activity† (UB, 2010, p.2). 4. Policy Statement This organisation is committed to valuing diversity, thus achieving trust and confident of the community by not tolerating discrimination, harassment, bullying or racial or religious vilification. Unacceptable behaviour jeopardises the harmonious, safe, positive and productive environment possibly affecting the physical and mental health of an individual. The reputat ion of not only the individual but also the organisation or employer as a whole will be ruined (AS, 2010, p.9). Reporting of unacceptable behaviour is strongly encouraged for appropriate action against breaches of this Policy. 5. Responsibility 5.1 Employee or individual responsibility: Employees and executive members are to behave ethically and professionally, whilst being responsible for their own behaviour (AS, 2010, p.7) An individual is liable for causing, instruction, inducing, aiding or permitting another to perform a discriminatory or unacceptable behaviour and may be subjected to disciplinary and/or legal action (TRSA, 2011, p.6) Employees to maintain confidentiality not participate in rumours, as this is an act of defamation and they may face action (AS, 2010, p.28). 5.2 Employer’s

Explain how the corporate guided market mitigates the threat of Essay

Explain how the corporate guided market mitigates the threat of under-consumption in the system of abundance - Essay Example Many people may fail to engage in consumption because they lack the necessary information about the available commodities. Therefore, by engaging in activities like branding and advertising, the potential consumers would be equipped with the information about the production, use and benefits of various commodities in the market. Through this, they would be lured to buy them thus increasing their consumption levels to match the level of production (Keynes 75). Apart from intensive marketing of the available commodities, the corporate guided market should consider reviewing the labor market. Since under consumption is attributed to low or stagnated wages, the employees should be offered higher and reasonable wages that correspond with the kind of work that they offer. This can help in empowering them to have enough income that they can use in purchasing all the available commodities in the market (Sullivan & Steven 29). After all, they are produced to be fully

Discussion Questions Essay Example for Free

Discussion Questions Essay DQ #1: Select a small business that you may want to start. What is strategic management and planning? Why would a strategic plan be important to the success of this business? How are the four functions of management relative to creating and implementing a strategic plan? I want to start an e-commerce sales business. The strategic management and planning guidelines for this kind of business include the following: Planning As an owner, I will analyze the direction the organization will go and create core objectives for the business. The objectives will help the company stay on track and assist in any unexpected developments that may arise down the road and short-term and long-term goals are designed. Organizing We will analyze our resources and determine the volume of products to purchase and the individual cost to generate profits. We will also review how many employees will be needed. Directing Our managers will be tasked with the responsibility of encouraging positive behavior from employees to create production that leads to higher profitable margins. Managers will implement a reward system for consistent high producers. Controlling The entire team will survey the operation and gauge areas that may require improvements or adjustments to maximize sales volumes. The team will also use the same goals and objectives that were previously established to review any issues or concerns and confirm that any negative feedback that may have been received is addressed. A strategic plan would be very necessary and important for this business to solidify a position in the e-commerce industry where customers can shop for quality products and the company will earn profits, while instilling great customer service. The four functions of management are relative to creating and implementing a strategic plan so all areas are balanced and functioning in conjunction with the expectations of the business. DQ #2: What is the difference between mission and vision statements? What factors must be considered to produce an appropriate mission and vision statement for an organization? Vision and mission statements various phrases that a company uses to describe or state their values, direction, integrity position, beliefs and style. The difference between the vision and mission statement is that the mission statement defines the purpose, goals and objectives of a business. The mission statement also explains the impact the business will have on the community. The vision statement speaks more to the values of the organization, explains the purpose of the achievements, and outlines how things should be done as the goals and objectives are being followed. In order to produce an appropriate mission and vision statement the business should focus on elements that build trust among potential consumers that will help them to understand the primary facets from which the business plans to operate. Some key variables are the quality of products and services that will be delivered, the contribution to the community, and the ethical position that will be the foundation of good business behaviors

Importance of Information System Auditing

Importance of Information System Auditing Evaluation of Effectiveness of Auditing of Information System within Corporate Governance Structure in the UK business organizations. Abstract This dissertation will research and review the conceptual framework of effectiveness of auditing (internal audit) of information system within the Corporate Governance structure, where information technology is deemed a key to system success or failure. The paper will then aim to focus on case study approach on two industry sectors in UK to explore a within correlation within effectiveness of Audit function and Corporate Governance structure through a lens of clear transparent information flow and system by means of technology innovation through accountability. Introduction The overall focus of this dissertation is around the critically analyzing and evaluation of auditing of information system in corporate governance structure with strategic significance of information and technology. Auditing of information system is sometimes referred as IT auditing that in modern language that states flow of information processes throughout the organization that is integral part of strong and affective corporate governance. Information integrity and disclosure is the key to successful governance. Corporate Governance has accomplished developing acknowledgment in recent years in light of financial reporting scandals, for example, Enron, WorldCom and Parmalat, which lessened trust in the freedom and unwavering quality of the auditing profession involved, as well as the accounting profession and financial markets all in all (Ibrahim El-Sayed Ebaid, 2011). Inside this structure of present day business world, the part of an inner control framework is synergist since it is viewed as a source from which center capacities are given or drawn and are in this way changed into upper hands. Be that as it may, the pivotal part of internal auditing for the business accomplishment, there is no such a review examining the collaboration between internal auditing and corporate governance (Karagiorgos et al., 2010). For the above reasons the motivation behind this research is to focus on the evaluation of effectiveness of Auditing of Information System within Corporate Governance Structure in th e UK business organizations. Auditing is one of the fundamental components for the effective working of the business and makes a difference an association to confront the outer world with exact data on its business and issues identified related to accountability. Initially auditing function was essentially concerned with just the money and finance related issues inside the business that is accounts for the business. Evidently, the income created by the organization and the costs related are the major contributing variables for decision making on the tax and shareholder benefits. Close by, the development of data innovation (IT) and the expansion in people in general awareness has assist heightened the requirement for directing a proficient auditing procedure to give accountability to their business exercises. It is also vital that the corporate governance of an organization is fundamental for the advantage of the partners as well as for the financial dependability in the business showcase and in addition the whole country. This research is aimed to display a critical research and evaluation of effectiveness of Auditing of Information System within Corporate Governance Structure in the UK business organizations. The research will toss light on the different perspectives identify with accomplishing adequacy in through evaluating information system as one of the component of corporate administration and basically investigations of the innovation and technology on information transparency. Aim and Objectives The focal point of this thesis will be to analyze the productivity of auditing of information system framework in the corporate administration among the UK business associations. This will be accomplished by the research on the following aim and objectives. To appraise the phenomenon of corporate governance and its effectiveness for an organization both inside and outside to the business. Critically analyse the role of information and development of information system frameworks within the scope of corporate governance. Research Definition The research will be refined and focused utilizing using secondary information resources only. This is mainly due to the fact that a general public opinion on the auditing of information system may be inappropriate and deficient as the business organizations may not disclose their corporates sensitive information apart from that is published in the annual submissions/report due to data protection and privacy (Leung, P.et al 2004).Thus the investigation through case study will be completely subjective in nature (i.e.) the exploration is based upon the journals and published white papers as opposed to utilizing primary information for measuring the analysis. The contextual critical examination will be led upon the vital energy and banking domains of the UK economy. While a basic investigation on HSBC bank Plc will be displayed under the banking area, National Grid Transco, Plc is the organization in question for the Energy segment of the UK. The contextual investigation on these organizations will give critical insight on the utilization information technology and the organizations endeavor to fulfill viability of effectiveness of auditing of information system related outcomes for corporate governance. Corporate governance context There had been much written and researched about corporate governance, IT audit, and Information system in literatures recently, but most research has been done considering one or two variables from different angles, such as Corporate Governance and Auditing, IT audit and Corporate Governance, Information System and Corporate Governance etc. Less been written from information perspective to explore Information System Audit and Corporate Governance viability specifically by use of technology in modern era of corporate world, that is the fundamental aim of this research. Following literature research explain and explore more about the individual concepts that prove essential ingredients to successful stewardship of the business. According toToffel, M.W. (2006), states that investors expression of need for information relevant to companys economical information is not just raw accounting data but interpretation lying within. He further states that asymmetric information and potentially adverse disclosure prompts a question mark to capabilities of corporate governance structure of companies.Baek et al. (2008) argues further that directors consider that they have disclosed full information that is required, yet most experts and financial specialists assert that they ought to try to do as such. Another aspect of delivery of information through the use of information system is e-commerce that is very popular and proved to be effective communication channel without side world, i.e. stakeholders. Yabing et al., 2010 concluded in his study that there are considerable number of organizations which dont utilize their websites to convey significant financial data to the external stakeholders users. A current review that has an example with 30 traded organizations disclosed that a great deal of organizations utilize their website in inappropriate way, particularly to communicate information considering corporate governance that pose a question to the stewardship of organization as a whole. To overcome this weakness and to mitigate potential risk to corporate governance auditing plays vital role by assessing overall information system of the organization. A vital clarification between governance and administration is made by Bird, F. (2001), states that while managers and officials control, create, monitor and execute business objectives on an everyday basis, directors and other board structures manage overall business strategy, culture and course. He further states that Executives manages organizations by morality of the authority commissioned to them by owners of the organization, hence making a strong contrast between the assorted components of corporate governance and management. Auditing Information System In modern IT era, the audit process quality within the organization have become an integral and fundamental part of corporate governance quality and transparency. As respects to this, the nature of information systems auditing has likewise accepted a parallel to that. The inherent feature of information systems auditing, and the abilities fundamental to do such reviews, ideally require all around substantial norms standards that execute particularly to information systems examination scrutiny. The amalgamation of Information Technology audit, arranging and methodology with corporate governance and the key utilization of data frameworks (IS) have been of topical subject to administration management experts and IT scholars for quite a while. The move of accentuation can be connected to changes in availability and cost execution proportions in innovation/technology. It can likewise be identified with subsequent changes in potential applications. The converging of hardware and interchanges innovations, and the more far reaching utilization of databases, systems, and coordinated frameworks requiring long-term audit and planning viewpoints, addit ionally fortified for powerful arrangement from corporate governance perspective in UK. IT Governance Kingsford, R., Dunn, L. furthermore, Cooper, J. (2003) states that Information Technology governance is referred to as a sub-set of corporate governance. It appears to be logical then that the meaning of corporate governance will give a helpful start off to an investigation of the definition and proper utilization of the term IT governance. One domain is the relatively recent focal point on corporate governance and the other is strategic information systems within the organization. Web, P. Pollard, C., Ridley, G. (2006),  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Attempting to Define IT Governance:   Wisdom or Folly? Strong governance has for some time been viewed as urgent for improving the long-term value of stakeholders in the organizational domain. In the new innovation driven information age, strengthen corporate governance is considered exceptional best practice and a key segment of market train. Recent demand from stakeholders, shareholders and others owners of business, for more prominent responsibility from corporate board and audit committees that will probably upgrade the nature of corporate stewardship and in the end prompt to more productive capital markets. However, Sarbanes Oxley report in US and the Cadbury Code in the United Kingdom that requires that audit committees adhere to certain professional guidelines rules (e.g., internal controls risk reporting requirements and disclosures), there are few generally acknowledged standards for good governance within the organization. Role of Information in Information System Audit Corporate Governance Ward, J. Peppard, J. (2002) argued that the information systems in a business enterprise not just incorporates the innovation and technology related items additionally those segments of the business that infect process and create yield from the information like the costs, income and purchases. Moreover, they emphasized that the vital utilization of information to encourage effective decision making by the senior administration of the organization, that certainly build the need to distinguish critical information and in addition keep up transparency of the information to furnish independence and accuracy with quality. Information system has seen vital development in each circle of business with the expansion in the competition and innovation technology (IIA, 2004) Christopher Barnatt (2000) contends that the corporate governance in a business organization despite the fact that grasps the reviewing of the fund and income building up a responsibility, predominantly relies on the information that is underlying the income streams or the cost brought about since the financial related measurement by the organization is construct upon the real information with respect to their everyday business. This further makes it clear that information is not just assumes a critical part in dealing with the review auditing information but also a key part in approving the crucial information that is really used to represent the income inside the organization. The above proclamation obviously clarifies that the data innovation (technology) in stepping stone for the business processes and income apart from just the element of client relationship etc. John Ward (2000) argued that the information system in a business domain with reference to corporate governance of the organization gives the underlying contributing milestone to the accountability of income transparency of the overall business. Furthermore, he poses the fact that the likelihood to give false information to cover any major issues inside the business will at the end may influence the corporate governance of the business. It is evident from the argument above that the innovation technology underlying information processing itself required to be formulated and validated in order to approve privacy and to counteract unapproved access to the data. References: Bird, F. (2001), Good governance: A Philosophical discussion of the responsibilities and practices of organizational governors, Canadian Journal of Administrative Studies, No. December,   298-312 Baek, Y.H., Kim, D., Kim, J.W. (2008) Management Earnings Forecasts and Adverse Selection Cost: Good vs Bad News Forecast, International Journal of Accounting and Information Management, Vol. 16, Issue 1, pp. 62-73. Christopher Barnatt, (2000), Management Strategy and Information Technology, Text and Readings, Thomson Business Press Ibrahim El-Sayed Ebaid, (2011) Corporate governance practices and auditors client acceptance decision: empirical evidence from Egypt, Corporate governance, 11(2), pp. 171-183. Institute of Internal Auditors UK, (2004), IT Audit, UK John Ward and Joe Peppard, (2002), Strategic Planning and information Systems, 3rd edition, John Wiley and Sons Karagiorgos, T., Drogalas, G., Tampakoudis, I. and Gotzamanis, Ά¢. (2010) Internal Auditing as an effective tool For Corporate Governance, Journal of Business Mgt, 2(1), International Science Press. Kingsford, R., Dunn, L. and Cooper, J. (2003), Information Systems, Information Technology Governance and Organizational Culture, in 14th Australasian Conference on Information Systems, Perth, Australia. Leung, P., Cooper, B.J. and Robertson, P. (2004) The role of Internal Audit in Corporate Governance and Management, RMIT Publishing, Melbourne. Toffel, M.W. (2006) Resolving Information Asymmetries in Markets: The Role of Certified Management Programs, Working paper, Division of Research, Harvard Business School, Vol. 7. Web, P., Ridley, G., Pollard, C. (2006), Attempting to Define Information Technology Governance:   Wisdom or Folly? 39th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences 2006, Australia Yabing J, Viju R. and Wullianallur R. (2009), Web-Based Corporate Governance Information Disclosure: An Empirical Investigation Volume 22, Issue 2. 19 pages

University Peer Selection and Influences of Social Support

University Peer Selection and Influences of Social Support Phase 1 – Peer selection and influence of perceived social support of university students: do connections matter? Background Perceived social support has been shown to be an important predictor of psychological disturbance where individuals are exposed to distressing stimuli such as earthquakes (Xu et al, 2013) and war (Besser Neira, 2012). Additionally, perceived social support has also been shown to an important predictor in school environments for academic achievement (Song et al, 2014), and other problematic behaviour indicators such as low self-esteem, adaptive skills and teacher reported social skills (Demaray Maleki, 2002) which are linked to educational advancement. Other studies have observed the origins of perceived social support for particular populations being an important factor. Chavajay (2013) found that international students felt great levels of social support came from fellow international students, and Zagenczyk et al (2010) found perceived organisational support (POS) of employees would be more like the nearest person they found to be influential. perceived social support is complex in nature, its links with human growth and prevention of psychological disturbance, but also how and where the sense of perceived social support transcends to and from can depend on the similarities of the people around them. Social network analysis considers the human in relation to others within the network, and it is shows the nature of their relationships that give rise to social phenomena found within the analysis of networks. This could be via structural effects such as reciprocity, centrality in the network and popularity, or it could be actor driven such as the tendency to behave in a certain manner, such as the case for friendships being linked to smoking behaviour (Mercken et al. 2012) or it could be levels of psychological phenomena (which are also characterised as behaviour) (Snjiders et al, 2010), or more commonly aspects of the self such as cultural indicators such as nationality, gender, race, sexuality and so on. Psychological research could develop into a new branch of social network analysis, the longitudinal actor-driven stochastic models (actor-driven stochastic model) as developed by Snijders et al. (2010) which can be used to validate social network phenomena variance with psychologi cal phenomena, such as perceived social support, by observing it longitudinally and use that information to model expectations on actor and network development while utilising Markov chain process to model the networks evolving structure. Rationale The rationale for exploring perceived social support with actor-driven stochastic model metholology can be found via a synthesis of some recent research in perceived social support. Besser Neira (2010), made inferences based on means that can no understand the individual in relation to their situation within a network. They discounted medium effect size change of attachment style across the length of their study, perhaps as a result of an inability to look at socialising factors, such as covariates of reciprocity and the tendencyofhomophily between dyads. When consideringZagenczyk et al. (2010) in conjunction with Besser Neira, they show that peer influence on perceived support options in an environment might be important, and therefore it is plausible to hypothesise that similar phenomena could change attachment style behaviours that Besser Neira observed. Zagenczyk and colleagues work was cross-sectional and used social network measures in a 2 step multivariate analysis, and the refore is unable to infer causality (a common criticism of social network analysis (Borgatti and colleagues)), although it shows that social network phenomena correlated with beliefs it does not show how these beliefs became over the life-cycle. When considering the origins of perceived social support within the university context Chavajay (2013) focused his attention on international students, in essence he focused his attention on a population with situational similarities and found that higher levels of perceived social support were reciprocated between these similar groups. Chavajay suggested that this may have been a result from a greater need to experience social support when entering a new culture, and this collective need amongst international students engenders greater levels of the perceived social support phenomena, but these inferences are subjective and have not been clarified with a qualitative investigation. Chavajays research describes the tendency for homophily wher e by similar populations naturally evolve denser and become more homogenous networks (Steglich et al. 2010) while Zagenczyk and colleagues research suggests structural factors such as centrality (as inferred by the importance advice ties which have a strong relationship with friendship ties and ties of structural equivalence) of certain individuals within proximate networks in organisations is indicative POS as POS emanate from advice ties of structural equivalence. If perceived social support or POS can be related to self-ordering phenomena as well as hierarchical network effects then research into this field can describe behavioural change via two distinct psycho-social roots. Psychology can utilise the actor-driven stochastic model to discover the relationships of perceived social support within categorical groups as well as through common mechanisms of friendship formation lime, reciprocity, homophily and transitive closure, i.e. researchers can combine agency and structure while modelling behaviour (perceived social support). The psychologist can analyse multiple data sets and generate a wide variety or multivariate and bivariate statistics, and to a degree infer time sequentiality when seeking causality. Research can combine active theory development through generating and comparing findings, and then control for alternative explanations while assessing uncertainties in inference Snijders et al. (2010). However, the model is assumption-intensive – the actor-driven stochastic model uses two functions to predict network evolution via microsteps. Firstly, rate function which depends on observation period, actor cocariates and network position, which combine to consider the speed and opportunity for change within the network, and secondly, the objective function which evaluates the actor decision to change a tie based on short-term goals following preferences, opportunities and constraints. These functions require network and behaviour parameter estimates to be used in order for the model to estimate network evolution, therefore good data and awareness of group context is important when carefully developing theory (Steglich et al. 2010). Investigations of human psychology, can benefit from interpersonal methodology such as the actor-driven stochastic model as the individual can be noticed within the context of their immediate relationships. Although, limitations to the model include traditional problems associated with effects that are distil in nature (Bronfenbrenner, 2005) – it can not explain the disappearance of a tie as a result of exo-system decisions in the wider environment, however as is traditional in the empirical method mechanisms are in place to resolve sample problems. However, since the researcher requires high levels of contextual understanding when using actor-driven stochastic model to understand phenomena, descriptive phenomenological investigation would be welcomed to help identify spurious relationships in quantitative data. In cases such as small pilot studies, when sample sizes are inadequate and where the aim is the learning of a new methodology Trafimow (2014) may argue that this links with the goals of qualitative inquiry. A researcher considering human intelligence of an alien culture is less likely to make valid measurements of intelligence if he basis them on personal experience. So when embarking on an exploratory phase of a research project Trafimow (2014) recommends using qualitative methods to find out the variables that matter and then to use empirical methods to quantify how much they matter. Another point to consider before implementing actor-driven stochastic model is its complexity. Not only must the researcher understand its core concepts and assumptions of the stochastic social network analysis, they also have to aquire the skills and knowledge to produce social-network panel data that fits the stochastic model. Additionally, the researcher must then be able to navigate and use RSiena, the program which runs inferential statistics and generates predicted network models in accordance with the statistics related to the actor-driven stochastic model (Snijders et al, 2010). With the level of complexity within such a psychological methodology, correctly measuring and validating perceived social support within the group context while correctly estimating parameters for ongoing theory development and model validation requires a 2 phase approach. Aims Phase 1 (MSc) To understand contemporary issues surrounding perceived social support Understand the ways social networks are analysed Understand perceived social support within the group context Develop valid panel data gathering forms for pilot study To understand practical psychological applications of actor-driven stochastic model To understand the relationship of peer selection and perceived social support Objectives Systematic Review of Literature: perceived social support perceived social support Measures Social Network Analysis actor-driven stochastic model Design Focus Group with Open Ended Questions on perceived social support Survey Focus Group on how they understand perceived social support Analyse and Evaluate Findings From Focus Group Compare Focus Group Findings with validated perceived social support questionnaires Build Panel Data Gathering Form Conduct Pilot Study using actor-driven stochastic model using RSiena Method This study is exploratory in nature and will be divided up into two parts. The first part will be qualitative and the second quantitative. Part 1: Participants For an exploratory qualitative exercise 8 – 15 will suffice to inform the evaluation of perceived social support. The group will be taken from a selected population university students that take part in a society and see each other on a regular basis. Prodecure Participants will be informed that they their information will be kept in strict confidentiality and that the session will be recorded for analysis. Participants will then be asked to complete a consent form before the focus group will begin. Focus group with open-ended questions The focus group will be structured around open-ended questions regarding the nature of perceived social support and how they understand it. An example could be â€Å"I wonder what comes to mind when you consider the support around you?† this would illicit the participants perceptions toward support and what kind of resources they see as available. Analysis This information will then be analysed using a content analysis method proposed by Berg (2007) and then used to validate existing self-report questionnaires such as Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet, Farley, 1988) or the The 18-item Index of Sojourner Social Support Scale (Ong Ward, 2005), both of which were used on populations of university students. The validated survey questions will then be used as part of the panel data gathering form used in the quantitative analysis. Part 2: Participants The specification for the participants is that they will be in a reasonably dense network structure and therefore see each other on a regular basis and reciprocate within the group. Although the minimum amount of participants for the method for reliable results is n > 25 (Snijders et al, 2010) 8 – 15 participants will suffice to form the basis of a RSiena pilot study. Prodecure Participants will be informed that they their information will be kept in strict confidentiality and that the session will be recorded for analysis. Participants will then be asked to complete a consent form before the focus group will begin. Measures For the study to produce meaningful parameter estimates for modelling the data will be captured in 3 waves of fortnightly assessments. The participants will complete a self-report questionnaires providing panel data Friendship network. Students will be asked to identify up to 5 close friends within the group. Only friendships in which nominations are shown to reciprocate will be retained for analysis. Homophily. Students will be asked four indicators of homophily on socio-demographic characteristics: gender, race, university year and age. Perceived Social Support. Students will be asked a chosen number of indicators which reflect their perceived social support and make up a scale where internal consistency will be tested. The scores will then be divided up into meaningful ranges where by the participants can be catergorised. Analysis The analysis of the data will be consistent with the longigtudinal actor-based stochastic method as described by Snijders et al (2010). The analyses will be implemented with the Simulation Investigation for Empirical Network Analysis software program (Snijders et al. 2007). All changes in friendship ties and perceived social support scores observed between the final 2 measurements are modelled as the most probabilistic sequence of events that explain the total amount of observed changes. In this scenario there are two dependent variables, one describes perceived social support and one describes changes in friendship ties, and are modelled simultaneously with each other as dependent variables with each other. Within subjects effects can be measured with ANOVA where appropriate and parameter estimates for the actor-based model deemed to be statistically significant with a t-ratio obtained by dividing the unstandardised estimate by the standard error.  ­

The Shark :: Literary Analysis, E.J Pratt

In â€Å"The Shark† by EJ Pratt, the poet tends to use â€Å"he† when referring to the shark. The poet also describes the shark in a way that leads us to think that the shark is a symbol representing war. The poet suggests this by using metal descriptions of the shark such as â€Å"sheet iron†, â€Å"three-cornered†, â€Å"knife-edge†, â€Å"tubular† and â€Å"metallic grey† (4-6, 10, 19-20). So it could be that the poet is doing this to associate the shark with weapons used as war alas the association of metal in the poem. In my version, the shark is â€Å"she† rather than â€Å"he†. This changes the meaning of the poem. The meaning that I am trying to send to the readers is how women tend to think of each other. In the original version, the poet associates the shark with metal description. In my version, the metal descriptions as mentioned above are now â€Å"pennant flag†, â€Å"silvery grey†, â€Å"kee n-edge† and â€Å"cannular† (4-6, 10, 19-20). Women are different from men. They do not use violence to solve matters, but rather they use their words and intelligence. When using these words, you can feel the change of tone from a harder tone to a softer one which is similar to the difference of violence and words. In line 15, the shark snaps at a flat-fish. In my version also line 15, the shark only glowers because females are not as aggressive as males. Females tend to look down upon other females just as the shark is doing in the poem. Throughout â€Å"The Shark† by EJ Pratt, the poet places a lot of effective diction such as â€Å"leisurely†, â€Å"stirred†, â€Å"snapped†, â€Å"flash†, â€Å"shearing and â€Å"lithely† (2, 7, 15,17,23-25). These words are effective due to their tone and meaning. Comparing â€Å"snapped† to â€Å"glowered†, â€Å"glowered† has a less dangerous tone (15). In my version, replacing all the effective diction changes the tone of the poem. In the original version, the poet describes the shark in a way that guides us to believe that the shark is an impenetrable, fearless and powerful creature using metal descriptions of the shark such as â€Å"sheet iron†, â€Å"three-cornered†, â€Å"knife-edge†, â€Å"tubular† and â€Å"metallic grey† (4-6, 10, 19-20).With the changes of the diction, the feeling is no longer there and now creates a feminine feeling of the shark, where the shark seems le ss terrifying due to different wording such as â€Å"lithely† to â€Å"slenderly† (24). In the original version, there is repetition of the word â€Å"leisurely† which is now â€Å"casually† (2, 25).

Essay --

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly An Analysis on the lives of the Upper, Middle, and Lower classes during the Industrial Revolution I have fully upheld Delbarton’s Honor Code in letter and spirit. Signature: Anthony Farinacci Anthony Farinacci Feb. 12, 2014 European History Mr. Gentine Delbarton School Before the Industrial Revolution, Great Britain made minuscule changes to society and the economy was slow. Once 1750 began, Britain was on the verge of having an Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution shifted Britain from an agricultural society to an industrial society. Many other countries tried to follow Britain and have their own Industrial Revolution, but some were not as successful. Even though the peasants had a rough life during the Industrial Revolution, it did benefit the middle and upper classes. The Industrial Revolution had an everlasting effect on European society because some of the advancements that were made are still used today. During the Indu... ...onized the manufacturing of cotton and opened up new industries. Arthur Young who lived during the Industrial Revolution had a very powerful quote about Watt. He said, â€Å" In what path of life can a man be found that will not animate his pursuit from seeing the steam-engine of Watt?" James Watt changed the course of the Industrial Revolution with his invention of the Steam Engine. The upper class gained much revenue from the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution in Great Britain truly effected Europe in different ways. The peasants worked long hours and lived in poor conditions. The middle class lived modest lives and sometimes were promoted to the upper class. The upper class greatly benefited with the new advancements in technology. The Industrial Revolution helped make Europe a more advanced place, even though it did have some flaws.

Responsibilities of Business Organizations

With the rate at which technology is currently growing and the number of competitors available in markets also increasing, responsibilities by firms is obligatory. With all this, it is of great importance to observe issues relating to business ethics with a very keen eye. For businesses to be valued in terms of ethics, they must observe principles related to ethics. This value attached to business ethics can make a business boost its performance and achieve set objectives and goals (Donaldson & Werhane 34). Customers, employees and employer satisfactions will dictate the type of ethics to be followed in a business.The responsibility of acting ethically lies on the hands of each single person in the organization. Acting ethically means more than adhering to company rules, policies or laws. Everything done counts and constitutes of visibility concerns that must be held high. Some of the business’ responsibilities expected to be practiced include the following. Legal Systems It i s argued that the law binds the business to its ethics. Milton Friedman the view’s pioneer said that as long as businesses are faced with the obligation of making profits, all its activities should be inline with the country’s legal system.Friedman says that businesses should conform to core rules of both the country of operation and the ethics of the location where the business is located (Donaldson, & Werhane123) The legal system of a country ensure that firms are regulated from engaging in activities that can prove detrimental to the broader perspective of social good including its citizens and environment. It’s the responsibility of the firm to ensure that all these regulations are complied with as far as running its activities.This is despite the inability of government laws being unable to cover all perspectives of business operations. Business Practices and Priorities Businesses are expected to be responsible in performing their activities. This is becaus e the most crucial stakeholders of the firm dictate them to be. For instance it is the obligation of the business to carry out activities that are in agreement with their employees views. This is due to the benefits that accompany increased engagements and cooperation of employees. Other key stakeholders include customers, investors and consumers.The community of operation and regulators all require their needs to be satisfied by the corporations. It’s upon the organization to determine the degree of importance of each stakeholder and how to satisfy their different needs. Community Expectations It is the responsibility of the firm to work hand in hand with the local community. This in turn will prevent conflicts that are bound to take place when disagreements regarding some actions taken or not taken by one of the parties involved. The community will hold the corporation responsible for its actions.The community expects so much from the business and it’s of great impor tance if the firm fulfills this expectation. This can be in form of employment creation, participation in community activities and provision of better and improved living standard due to the other amenities attracted to the region. Education and Crisis Management It’s the responsibility of the organization to ensure that the society is educated regarding its operations. The society and the corporation should be able to work collectively with the society to tackle pressures that are taking place due to constant changes.If the company is involved in activities that can lead to crises, the duty of taking up cleaning measures lies on it. This is to avoid the effects that may result from the actions taken. The business has the responsibility of creating awareness to its customers and consumers regarding the side effects of their operations in the region and the products it’s selling. References Donaldson, Thomas& Patricia, Werhane. Ethical Issues in Business: A Philosophica l Approach. New Jersey: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2008.

Identify the Strategies for Strengthening Local Financial Capacity in Malaysian Local Government.

Identify the strategies for strengthening local financial capacity in Malaysian local government. The first strategy that can be used to strengthen the financial capacity in Malaysian local government is by generating the new avenues for revenue source which are sought to supplement the income of the local authorities. This may include sale of the municipal bonds, rezoning of the land from the residential to commercial purposes or taking the equity share in the privatization project.Another alternative that available to be taken by the Malaysian local government is by increasing the assessment tax imposed to the local people. The public should be explained on what extent the local authority increasing their assessment tax. For example, due to the increase of the demand for the local government functions and services, it requires high cost and unfortunately, the current condition of the local government cannot fulfil it urges them to do so.Before the local government wish to increase the tax, it is important for the local people to be informed in order to know their view as well as they may discuss with the local authority for the betterment of the services provided in their area of jurisdiction. The third strategy that can be used to strengthen the local financial capacity in Malaysian local government is by offering land pooling. It is an activity which is mostly practiced in the countries like Australia, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.It is a situation whereby owner of small plots of land will be encouraged to combine their land together for profitable development under the local authority concern. For example, the land owners surrender their land to the local authority for the provision of infra and development, after which area are re-allocated to the owners. The local authority retains a small portion of the readjusted land as its contribution and can utilize this land for its own purpose. The next way that can be taken by local authority in Malaysia to become a strategy in strengthening the financial capacity is through re-zoning process.It is the process of changing the status of the land usage. For example, from the status of residential, change to commercial status where it can generate more income in term of tax where a higher assessment rate can be imposed. Generally, this can be applied to certain residential areas whereby a large number of houses have been permitted to operate their businesses from or within their premises, but is still being assessed by the local authority under residential status.

Factors Affecting Climate

Factors Affecting Climate There are many different factors that affect climate around the world. The most important factors are:- †¢Distance From The Sea †¢Ocean Currents †¢Direction of Prevailing Winds †¢Relief †¢Proximity To The Equator †¢The El Nino Phenomenon †¢Recently, it has been accepted that human activity is also affecting climate. Distance From The Sea (Continentality) The sea affects the climate of a place. Coastal areas are cooler and wetter than inland areas. Clouds form when warm air from inland areas meets cool air from the sea. The centre of continents are subject to a large range of temperatures.In the summer, temperatures can bevery hot and dry as moisture from the sea evaporates before it reaches the centre of the continent. Ocean Currents The Ocean Currents of the World http://www. itl. net cean currents can increase or reduce temperatures. The diagram to the left shows the ocean currents of the world. The main ocean current tha t affects the UK is the Gulf Stream. Can you see where the gulf stream is? The Gulf Stream is a warm ocean current in the North Atlantic flowing from the Gulf of Mexico, northeast along the U. S coast, and from there to the British Isles.The Gulf of Mexico has higher air temperatures than Britain as it's closer to the equator. This means that the air coming from the Gulf of Mexico to Britain is also warm. However, the air is also quite moist as it travels over the Atlantic ocean. This is one reason why Britain often receives wet weather. The Gulf Stream keeps the west coast of Europe free from ice in the winter and, in the summer warmer than other places of a similar latitude. The chart below was the first chart drawn of the Gulf Stream. It was drawn by Benjamin Franklin in 1770.The Gulf Stream – As Drawn By Benjamin Franklin http://www. cnmoc. navy. mil. educate Direction of Prevailing Winds Winds that blow from the sea often bring rain to the coast and dry weather to inland areas. Winds that blow to Britain from warm inland areas such as Africa will be warm and dry. Winds that blow to Britain from inland areas such as the Netherlands will be cold and dry in winter. Britains prevailing winds come from a south westerly direction over the Atlantic. The winds are cool in the summer and mild in the winter. Relief Climate can be affected by mountains.Mountains receive more rainfall than low lying areas because the temperature on top of mountains is lower than the temperature at sea level. That is why you often see snow on the top of mountains all year round. The higher the place is above sea level the colder it will be. This happens because as altitude increases, air becomes thinner and is less able to absorb and retain heat. Proximity To The Equator The proximity to the equator affects the climate of a place. The equator receives the more sunlight than anywhere else on earth. This is due to its position in relation to the sun (see right).The diagram shows that the equator is hotter because the sun has less area to heat. It is cooler at the north and south poles as the sun has more area to heat up. It is cooler as the heat is spread over a wider area. The Earth's Position in Relation to the Sun http://www. itl. net El Nino El Nino, which affects wind and rainfall patterns, has been blamed for droughts and floods in countries around the Pacific Rim. El Nino refers to the irregular warming of surface water in the Pacific. The warmer water pumps energy and moisture into the atmosphere, altering global wind and rainfall patterns.The phenomenon has caused tornadoes in Florida, smog in Indonesia, and forest fires in Brazil (see below) Devastation Caused by a El Nino-generated tornado in Florida http://news. bbc. co. uk Smog In Indonesia http://news. bbc. co. uk El Nino Causes Forest Fires in Brazil http://news. bbc. co. uk Human Influence The factors above affect the climate naturally. However, we cannot forget the influence of humans on ou r climate. We have been affecting the climate since we appeared on this earth millions of years ago. In those times, the affect on the climate was small.Trees were cut down to provide wood for fires. Trees take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. A reduction in trees will therefore have increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The Industrial Revolution, starting at the end of the 19th Century, has had a huge effect on climate. The invention of the motor engine and the increased burning of fossil fuels have increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The number of trees being cut down has also increased, meaning that the extra carbon dioxide produced cannot be changed into oxygen.

American vs. Chinese Culture

Psychological anthropology is the study of individuals and their personalities and identities, within particular cultural contexts (Miller, 2007). Although American and Chinese people are raised in different cultures, their cultures are somewhat similar. Even though individuals are raised thousands of miles apart, is it possible to possess some of the same personality traits? In the American culture, baby showers are held to celebrate the impending birth of a baby. Family and friends bring many necessities needed for the new baby, such as, clothes, money, bottles, stroller, car seat, and or diapers. Once the baby is born it is the American culture to separate babies by gender. It is customary for boys to be dressed in blue and girls to be dressed in pink. As they grow, boys are encouraged to play with trucks, action figures and guns to promote strength and power. Whereas, girls are encouraged to play with dolls, cook with toy stoves, and play house to promote nurturing. As the child grows into adolescence, this is reinforced in the chores delegated to them. Boys are expected to cut the grass, take out the trash, and help out with any other â€Å"handyman† jobs. Girls are expected to wash dishes, do the laundry, sweep and mop floors. Hence, the stereotyping begins. This stereotyping is evident in adulthood. Men are labeled as providers, protectors, and head of the household. Men are expected to work to support their families. Men are often pressured to assert their masculinity and strength within there jobs and at home. Today, men are beginning to take on more responsibilities within the home. Women are labeled as mothers, housekeepers, and nursemaids, to name a few. Many years ago, women were not respected in the workforce. Their job selection was very slim, mainly secretaries. However, during World War II women took the place of men in the workforce showing they could perform the jobs just as well as the men. Today, women are highly accepted in the workforce and hold high powered positions within companies and even own their own businesses. Once men and women reach their senior years, they have achieved their social status. They are afforded the opportunity to retire from the workforce. In doing so, they are able to travel or just enjoy life at their leisure. They no longer have to pay taxes and receive their social security benefits as their compensation for working. Unlike the American culture where there is no animosity over the gender of babies, Chinese culture is different. Boys are considered treasured, so much so that years ago infant girls were killed. In doing this China has created an imbalance in the male to female ratio. In the Chinese culture, a baby’s birth is not celebrated until the infant is one month old. The family holds a â€Å"red egg and ginger† party. This is the time when the parents introduce their baby to friends and family, who bring gifts for the baby: boys receive â€Å"lucky† money and girls receive expensive jewelry. Parents present each guest with a dyed red egg to symbolize happiness and the renewal of life. Traditionally, gender roles in China are similar to the ones in the United States. The man goes to work, the woman is a housewife. This is changing, especially with the ‘one child policy’ in China. Women are not needed at home as much to take care of children since families are only allowed to have one child. In some cases, a family is allowed to have two children. For example, if the first born is a daughter, they may be permitted to have another child. There is a lot less social distance among Chinese people compared to Americans. It is a collectivist culture – people depend on each other and take care of each other. Chinese people spend a lot less time alone than Americans do. One example of this is the family unit is very close in Chinese culture. It is very common for three or more generations to live together because a lot of people still live with their parents when they have established their own families. Chinese people are more reserved when it comes to physical contact or showing public display of affection, especially in romantic relationships. Chinese people initiate physical contact very gradually compared to Americans. Premarital sex is a lot less common in China than in the United States. Both cultures show traits of openness by allowing individuals to explore their curiosity of the world and show their emotions. They also allow for individuals to be conscientious of their actions, to be self-disciplined, and to be cooperative towards others. Although two cultures are different it is possible for individuals to share the same traits. ? REFERENCES Chinese Culture. (n. d. ). Retrieved February 3, 2010, from English in Taiwan. com: http://www. englishintaiwan. com/foreigners/chinese_culture. php Gender: Gender Roles and Stereotypes. (2010). Retrieved February 3, 2010, from Marriage and Family Encyclopedia: http://family. jrank. org/pages/686/Gender-Gender-Roles- Stereotypes. tml Miller, B. D. (2007). Cultural Anthropology. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Olsen, A. (2009, April 10). China's Population Laws Threaten Baby Girls, Favor Boys. Retrieved February 3, 2010, from The Huffington Post: http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2009/04/10/chinas-population-laws-th_n_185626. html Therese Hesketh, P. , Li Lu, M. , & and Zhu Wei Xing, M. (2005, September 15). The Effect of China's One-Child Family Policy after 25 Years. Retrieved February 4, 2010, from The New England Journal of Medicine: http://content. nejm. org/cgi/content/full/353/11/1171

Policy paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Policy paper - Essay Example Payment Program† which would pay the dairy farmers a sufficient remuneration on a monthly basis whenever the price of the milk and its products decrease below a standard level. After its successful implementation, the policy succeeded in maintaining a steady state of dairy farming across the declining regions and is continuously helping out the farmers whenever they are in a state of economic depression. (Whitehouse, 2006) The policy discussed here has successfully followed the guidelines of an eightfold path analysis. The problems that the policy is going to do deal with are clearly specified and the evidence for its strategy and purpose is clearly visible in the Agricultural Market Transition Act. (Whitehouse, 2006) The problems that are detailed by this policy are obtained from several third party organizations such as the MILC program, Milk production report (Whitehouse, 2006) and National Agricultural Statistics Service. (USDA 2006) The solutions provided for the mentioned problems have been analyzed appropriately considering their own advantages and disadvantages. The goal of the program is set in such a way that it is doable considering the tenure of the implementation of the policy. A proper legalized procedure has been chosen to achieve the goal. Additionally, the impact of applying these strategies, both positive and negative effects have been listed out. The conclusive decision has been men tioned, fulfilling the pre-final step of the eightfold path analysis. As the policy was read out openly at the Senate, it successfully completes the final step of the analysis which is, declaring the policy openly to the public. (Bardach,2008) The policy under discussion has a great impact on the markets pertaining to agriculture. It is a general phenomenon that the agriculture product prices attain highs and lows in the most random manner that one could hardly predict. Specifically, dairy products have always been more volatile in their prices when compared to

Anti Trust Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Anti Trust - Essay Example United States of America and State of Michigan V. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan On October 18, 2010, the Attorney General of US and state of Michigan brought civil anti-trust charges against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (Blue Cross). Blue Cross is one of the biggest independent licensees of the Blue Shield Association (Robinson, 2003, p.102). Blue Cross is a non-profit organization that administers and provides health care reimbursements to over 4 million members in Michigan. It was alleged in the charges that Blue Cross used most favoured nation (MFN) clause in contracts with its member hospitals to enforce monopolistic advantages. The Attorney General defended that such MFN status will hurt competition by Reducing capability other health insurers’ to compete with Blue Cross The clause will also help Blue Cross to raises prices beyond fair value It will create an entry barrier for new entrants MFN status of Blue Cross will raise the health insurance prices in Michi gan Hence, from the above summary of charges of anti-trust against Blue Cross by FTC it can be said that Blue Cross’ MFN status with the hospitals of Michigan are likely to influence anti-competitive effects in the market (Tonn, 2011, pp.1-4). Anti-Trust in Health Care The purpose of anti-trust acts is to encourage a free market place which have competitive environment. These laws are aimed to protect public interest and restrict monopoly practices that adversely affect public in society. The main purpose of such anti-trust law is to encourage best possible allocation of scarce resources and services to public at lowest prices (Ladenburg, 2007, pp.33-35). The federal anti-trust law is based on the following three acts that prohibit all restrictive trade practices and conspiracies in contacts or agreements: The Sherman Act – Under Section 1 of the act, the rule applies to all agreements which may include restrictive trade practices, monopoly practices and boycott of oth er firms, conspiracy to fix price, separate market territories, harm competition and use of coercive tactics. The Federal trade Commission Act – Under Section 5 of the act, the law applies to all types of actions that use unfair advantages and methods of competition. The Clayton Act – Under Section 7 of the act, it prohibits any such merger and acquisition that has the potential to create a monopoly in the market or substantially reduce in the market. Recommendations to Management From the above discussion regarding the anti-trust act against Blue Cross and lessons learned, it can be said that Blue Cross obviously had the market power to its advantage via MFN clause in contract which will further influence sale of health insurance products and services in Michigan. Making such a contract is discouraged by FTC under the anti-trust act in health care organizations. This is because, from the charges and rebuttals charged by the Attorney General on Blue Cross, it is clear that contracts including ‘MFN’ (Most Favoured Nation) status will fall under the purview of the act because of its very nature to of creating anti-competitive environment. In addition, it is also important to note that the senior management must ensure contract or agreement regarding the

Statistical Mathematics Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Statistical Mathematics - Statistics Project Example The peak is flat, which is characterized by kurtosis = -0.05. The peak is off centered; the distribution is slightly skewed to the right, which is marked by skewness = 0.06. Figure 2 illustrates histogram of daytime accidents. Visual inspection shows that the frequency distribution does not have a bell curve shape. The histogram does not have a peak and frequencies are not equally distributed. The peak is flat, which is characterized by kurtosis = -0.07. The peak is off centered; the distribution is moderately skewed to the right, which is marked by skewness = 0.42. Figure 3 illustrates histogram of total vehicles on the street. Visual inspection shows that the frequency distribution does not have a bell curve shape. The histogram resembles the back of a two-humped camel; it is close to a bimodal distribution. The histogram does not have a peak and frequencies are not equally distributed. The peak is flat, which is characterized by kurtosis = -0.88. The peak is off centered; the distribution is moderately skewed to the left, which is marked by skewness = -0.14. The assignment is using a data set that has three variables: daytime car accidents, nighttime car accidents and total observed cars in evaluating number of accidents (Table 1). . The distribution characters of the variable in statistics are measured through the calculation and analysis of central tendency and dispersion of the data set. The following section provides the analysis mentioned above. Each variable has twelve values. The assignment uses mean, mode, median, and midrange to study the central tendency of the data set. Table 2 describes the central tendency. The mean and median tell us about data those are on the right and left sides of theses values. For example, total cars mean is 450. In ascending orders, the set shows that five values are on the left, and seven values are on the right side of the average. When we compare the same set with the median value of

How Salt can be separated from a Solution of Water Essay

How Salt can be separated from a Solution of Water - Essay Example How Salt can be separated from a Solution of Water It was concluded that sodium chloride disintegrates in water to sodium and chlorine ions that are surrounded by polar water molecules. This allows dehydration of the compound NaCl†¢2H2O to form crystals of salts. The compound salt has many usages from the different fields of science, agriculture, industries and domestically as a food additive. Salt, which is a naturally occurring mineral and having the principal component as sodium chloride, has many uses both industrially and domestically. NaCl is a common salt, and it has an ionic compound formed as a result of gaining and sharing of electrons by sodium ions and chloride ions. The salt is responsible for the sea water salinity and in organisms that are multicellular, the salt forms the extracellular fluid required in cell activities. The salt was anciently used as a form of currency in some of the cultures as a result of its cost especially when salt trade was of importance in the Mediterranean times. Domestically, the salt id edible is it adds taste to almost all meals consumed in the human diet. Additionally, the salt is used as a food preservative and as a condiment. Lastly, the salt is used industrially in extractions of different types of compounds like chlorine and sodium in chemical synthesis. This report explains the method in which a dissolved salt, NaCl can be separated from water using the solar method process. The process of evaporation is involved since water will be get rid of leaving behind the salt.

Violence in Video Games Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Violence in Video Games - Essay Example Games today are much more sophisticated. Realism, drama and storylines have been integrated so beautifully that gamers today tend to forget their surroundings when they sit in front of their play-stations of X-boxes. To bring about this reality in games to today, creators have succeeded in creating very true images and animations of the laws of physics in games. I mean, shoot someone in the head and not only does blood spray out and backwards from the place the bullet hit the head, but the head even jerks backwards with the force of the bullet. Fantastic! Still there are those who say that this realism is creating a negative impact on our children and should be banned. So in this paper, this dilemma will be proved wrong by common sense and cool logic. The nature of a game is to take you far away from the real world. It is about going somewhere where you can only be in your dreams, only this dream is in your hands. The main purpose of games has always been to finish off your rivals and get to the top. In the early stages it only used to be someone falling off a cliff or an invisible barrier because graphic technologies could not support anything greater than that. Not though realism can be shown. Gamers can really "feel" the game. So the games of today really haven't changed. If anything, they have become better for people who play them. Critics say that there is too much violence in games. Really So George Bush bombing the world without any valid reasons and news channels showing it all live on TV isn't Israelis butchering Palestinians in front of their family is soothing Movies showing the hero shooting the bad guy in the face are something to be encouraged By the logic of all those against violence in video games, all this shou ld be banned too. All news channels, movies and anything even hinting at a "negative" thought should be banned then. Even food programs should be shut down because they cook dead animals in it which could be disturbing to younger viewers. This is all a prime example of extremism. The world sees as most Muslims being extremists just because they try to protect their faith from harm and when the real definition of extremism is shouting them in the face they are twisting it towards "social issues". Toulmin's Argumentation model Now let's look at things a little more theoretically. What is coming up is my point of view explained by Toulmin's model of argument. Claim: Video games do not spread violence. They are a form of entertainment and only used as a relaxation source for children and adults of all ages. Support: video games have not changed in their basic levels. This is because you always have one basic mission. Find and kill the bad guy. Furthermore, gamers know the difference between reality and the game's fantasy. This is because they are exposed to a lot of real live violence and they see and digest actions of their family and the world of how everyone is despising those people who injure other people or any incident of loss of human life. Speculations of people thinking that a child might become un-sentimental and lose the value of human life will then not hold true if the child learns that he is not supposed to learn from the game, but rather from reality itself. Warrant: there is very small amount of evidence going against this claim. This is because there are many other factors to take into account when behavior is being

The Dispute between Shylock and Antonio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Dispute between Shylock and Antonio - Essay Example It is ineffective when one or both parties are bargaining from an extreme position, in that one party either has a high demand and cedes ground slowly, or that one party has a low demand and cedes ground quickly (Carnevale & Pruitt, 1992). Mediation is negotiation between two parties, with a neutral third party guiding the process (Goltsman, et al). Mediation may be successful in traditionally high conflict situations like divorces. That said, it is not successful in divorce cases where one party is unreasonable, one party dominates the other, or one party is unable to approach the issues in a fair way (Gold, 1992). Litigation is the solution when the other strategies fail, and the parties appear before a judge and allow the judge to decide the case (Fox & Nelson, 1999). In this case, Shylock is not rational, is operating from emotion, and cannot approach the issues in a fair way. Because of the nature of the parties, and the conflict of the situation, litigation would be the most ap propriate method of settling this dispute. Discussion Negotiation and mediation are both non-coercive actions that help parties come to an agreement (Bercovitch & Jackson). The first type of legal maneuver that will be examined will be negotiation. Carnevale & Pruitt (1992) state that negotiation is basically a discussion between the parties in an attempt to get to a goal. Goltsman et al. state that negotiation may end with one party winning; a compromise; no agreement; or a win-win, where both parties end up with an agreement that leaves them in a better position than if there were a straight compromise. The strategies of negotiation are that one party may concede some ground; one party may contend, in that they try to make the other person concede by stating that they will not concede; or problem-solving, in which both parties work together to find a solution that may be beneficial for both (Chapman, 1996). Carnevale & Pruitt (1992) state that all three strategies are needed to co me to an agreement, even if each of the strategies seem to be mutually incompatible. Mediation is another tactic that may be used. Mediation is basically negotiation between the parties, but with a neutral third party guiding the proceedings (Carnevale & Pruitt, 1992). Goltsman et al. state that mediation has an advantage over negotiation only in the situations where conflict is high. If conflict is low, then non-mediated negotiation may produce favorable outcomes with just two sessions (Goltsman et al.). Mediation may be effective, if the mediator is able to make each side see the other’s point of view. A mediator may also make use of a caucus, where the mediator meets privately with either side. Carnevale & Pruitt (1992) states that this is most effective when the parties show a high level of hostility towards one another and a joint agreement seems unlikely. That said, a mediator may be misled by one of the parties, who might make a derogatory statement about the other par ty, and the other party is not around to rebut the statement. Mediators may be helpful in the negotiation process, as they may help one party realize how to save face; may help them resolve internal disagreements; or may help them talk to their constituents. They may also help the parties reach agreement by adding in incentives for agreement, or issuing threats for non-agreements. They may als

Detailed Explanation on a D+ Grade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Detailed Explanation on a D+ Grade - Essay Example I would like to clarify that I am not offering any excuses for my poor grade, just explanations that led to me performing so poorly in the unit. The fact that I passed in all the other units I took in the same semester is testament to my willingness to apply myself regardless of my personal troubles. The unit is very challenging, and it would be difficult for anyone to pass it without putting in the required hours. Poor time management was also very instrumental in the D+ grade I got, because I found it very challenging to dedicate enough time to all my units after being distracted for so long. I applied myself as much as I could in all my units but unfortunately this unit proved very challenging without 100% focus. I am applying for transfer because I believe I have a better chance of passing my remaining units at your University. The environment there is ideal for me and the facilities are great. Kindly consider my