Prejudice Is The Performance Of Holding Irrational...

Prejudice is the performance of holding irrational preconceived judgments or opinions. It is comparable to its Latin root in meaning and form; praejudicium, meaning judgment in advance. In addition, viewing conditions in a preconceived, generally distorted light; biased, and incapable of observing conditions for what they are demonstrate prejudice. Gender, racial, age, sexual orientation, class, and disability are types of prejudice. Racial prejudice is the focus of this paper. Racial prejudice is a common part of our cognitive social being. Some social psychologists trust that it can be immobile with the support of social conditioning. Racism and racial prejudice are intricate attributes and indicators of mainly differentiated organized class societies. Racial prejudice is an attitude, typically something negative toward any group or ethnicity that is not of one’s own class. With regard to human dignity, in contrast to forming stereotypes and discriminating amongst one another, will abolish the virus that racism spreads. African Americans are occasionally portrayed as having violent, quick tempers, and overtly lethargic. Caucasians are occasionally portrayed as psychopaths, drug users and rednecks, and barely educated. These prejudice assessments are forms of joint representation. Individuals form views of specific social groups by analyzing individual traits of one group member, establishing an opinion for the entire group. Modern day, called it d iscrimination when anShow MoreRelatedSociology and Group41984 Words   |  168 Pagesa group s physical and psychological environment. b. anything that interferes with or inhibits effective communication. c. the media through which group members share messages. d. the response or reaction to a message. e. ideas, information, opinions, and/or feelings that generate meaning. Answer: d. the response or reaction to a message. . Which of the following examples best illustrates the systems theory principle that systems try to maintain balance in their environment? a. MembersRead MoreOverview of Hrm93778 Words   |  376 Pagesassistance in making strategic business decisions and in matching the distinctive competencies of the firm s human resources to the mission of the organization. Executives need assistance from the human resource department in matters of recruitment, performance evaluation, compensation, and discipline. c. Legislation and litigation The enactment of state laws has contributed enormously to the proliferation and importance of human resource functions. The record keeping and reporting requirements of theRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesValues to the Workplace 148 Person–Job Fit 148 †¢ Person–Organization Fit 150 International Values 150 Summary and Implications for Managers 154 S A L Self-Assessment Library Am I a Narcissist? 132 Myth or Science? Personality Predicts the Performance of Entrepreneurs 142 glOBalization! The Right Personality for a Global Workplace 143 An Ethical Choice Should You Try to Change Someone’s Personality? 147 Point/Counterpoint Millennials Are More Narcissistic 155 Questions for Review 156 Experiential

Marketing Strategies Of Young Men And Women - 737 Words

In today’s society, high standards have been imposed on the men and women in America. While men have the standard of being muscled and fit, women have created the idea of being thin and petite. Even though, there is a new movement of larger sized models being publicly distributed, there is still a large stigma on the ideal body size and shape. People in today’s society have become obsessed with their physical image to the point that it is unhealthy Public companies supplying goods for mass production, media, and modern trends have forced men and women to become ashamed of their bodies. Marketing strategies are implemented for the sole purpose of increasing sales and revenue for the ever increasing demands for corporate America. Targeting the insecurities of individuals has proven to be successful for these companies, which is why they continue to advertise and market their business with this style. Most product lines include sales pitches of having â€Å"less calories†, creating â€Å"slimmer figures†, being â€Å"low fat†, or â€Å"increases muscle mass†. The world revolves around creating an idealistic lifestyle with the suburban house with a white picket fence, and as individuals strive to reach this complex, they develop the idea of being this perfect individual with the perfect life and perfect image. As a result, people fall into the advertising traps businesses create, and buy these products with hopes to change how they truly appear to society. Businesses are not the only source ofShow MoreRelatedPs3 Business Managment1241 Words   |  5 Pagesgain a larger share within the video game console market, Sony must make some changes within their marketing mix. In an industry with a value of over $450M and $670M, the U.S. video game console and video game software markets, respectively, are rapidly growing and highly profitable markets. The largest segment of the market (over 56%) for video game consoles are men ages 18-34. These young men are purchasing action/adventure games (39% of the video game market) and sports games (36% of the videoRead MoreAxe, Find Your Magic1055 Words   |  5 Pages‘The cleaner you are the dirtier you get.’ This was Axe’s slogan in the 90’s and early 2000’s. Axe’s new slogan is ‘Axe, find your magic’. Axe’s advertising strategy has really come a long way from when they began advertising in 1983. In Axe’s earlier ad campaigns, th ey used overly sexualized advertisements which objectified women to draw their crowd and interest their target audience. Now, Axe is using a more inclusive theme which allows for them to market to a more diverse target audience thanRead MoreLetter of Transmittal1144 Words   |  5 Pagespleasure to present the term paper entitled ‘‘Marketing Plan†. While preparing the statement we have tried our best to create a perfect Marketing Plan and tried to show all sort of planning and project works that is required to make the plan perfect. We have collected all the up-dated information that is needed for establishing a marketing plan, starting the company, launching a product and the marketing strategies of the product. We hope that this marketing plan will provide a clear scenario of introducingRead MoreBusiness Analysis : Marketing Strategy956 Words   |  4 PagesCOURSE: Diploma of Business Enterprise UNIT OF STUDY: Marketing ASSESSMENT TYPE: Individual Assignment ASSESSMENT TITLE: PART 2 Student id: 4496643 Student name: Harjot Kaur Sahota Teacher name: Rocco Gargano Table of contents: Executive summary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Marketing objectives†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Target marketing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦... Proposed marketing strategy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Marketing budget†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Executive summary: The blush hair and beauty studio (salon) is located in RingwoodRead MoreEssay on Pre-campaign Analysis: Old Spice Brand Image1560 Words   |  7 Pagesconversations between men and women and finally, to keep the campaign active (Effie Awards, 2011 and Cabrer, 2012). Target market Based on the results derived from their research which stated 60% of women usually buy body washes for their men, Old Spice decided to target both men and women. The men here refer to those aged 18 to 34 and the women are female shoppers (Effie Awards, 2011 and New Media Drivers License, 2011). Before this campaign, the initial target was men aged 18 to 60. A focusRead MoreAdvertisements Are Used As A Sense Of Appeal882 Words   |  4 Pagessense of appeal to spark interest in consumers. There are many types of advertisements that come in different shapes and styles. Advertisements are the sole base of marketing used by many companies and small business that provides information to perspective and current consumers about the goods and services they are providing. This strategy is basically used to sell an image to people so that they would want to purchase goods and services from the brands and this can lead to many people trusting theRead MoreAvon And Their Relationship Of Management Within The Avon Company Essay1474 Words   |  6 Pagesand characterized within this research and have been accredited accordingly. Avon: Innovations in Management Avon Company, Inc. Introduction In the late 1800’s, David McConnell, a door-to-door book salesman, had an idea he believed would encourage women to buy his books (Retrieved from Avon Products, Inc. http://www.dsef.org.wp-contents/uploads/2012/01/Avon_Products.pdf ) If he could practice the law of common trade by giving customers a perfume to arouse their interest, he could achieve more salesRead MoreDo Real Men Drink Diet Coke? Essay664 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿Do Real Men Drink Diet Coke? 1. Describe the specific type of consumer that the Coca-Cola Company is targeting with each of the following products: Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Diet Coke Plus, Coca-Cola Blak, and Fill Throttle Blue Demon. What type of demographic segmentation is each product’s marketing most likely to include? All of Coca-Cola products have different type of consumers that are being targeted; coke zero targets a younger generation, mainly for men. Diet Coke is for the healthy consciousRead MoreDo Real Men Drink Diet Coke? 735 Words   |  3 PagesWRITTEN CASE REPORT: â€Å"DO REAL MEN DRINK DIET COKE?† INTRODUCTION The Coca-Cola Company knows it has to be creative if it’s going to sell more soda after sales dropped two years in a row in 2005 and 2006. In attempt to appeal consumers concerned with nutrition, Coke introduces Diet Coke Plus in 2007, a sweater version Diet Coke fortified with Vitamins and minerals. Other products like Cola Zero, Coca-Cola Blak, Full Throttle Blue Demon and Diet Cola. Coca-Cola is now investing more moneyRead MoreNike s Brand Product Offerings Essay1460 Words   |  6 Pages I’m deciding to do my research paper on Nike. I chose Nike because Nike is a worldwide company. The Company designs, develops and markets footwear, equipment, apparel and accessory products, including the marketing of apparel with licensed professional and college team logos. It is the largest seller of athletic apparel and footwear in the world. The Company sells products through retail stores, Internet sales, licensees and distributors worldwide. The Company produces all of its footwear and apparel

Choice and the Characters of Sula Free Essays

Toni Morrison’s Sula explores the power of choice and its importance in the course of human existence. Regardless of the fact that the African-American characters of Sula are of an oppressed nature, they forever maintain the freedom of choice. This theme of choice provides insight into the acquirement and personification of identity. We will write a custom essay sample on Choice and the Characters of Sula or any similar topic only for you Order Now Sula and Nel, the primary characters of the novel, are utilized by Morrison to highlight how personal identity is established at our own accord. For example, early on in the novel when Morrison is describing the childhood of Sula and Nel, both characters make the conscious decision to act according to their own ideas about the world: â€Å"In the safe harbor of each other’s company they could afford to abandon the ways of other people and concentrate on their own perceptions of things† (55). Nel eventually abandons this concept and assumes a role similar to her mother’s (that of respectable housewife,) but Sula remains this way throughout her life. Because of Sula’s disregard of others’ opinions, she is eventually looked down upon by the townspeople of the Bottom. The actions of these two characters present the question of whether unabashed decision-making is liberating or condemning in terms of social acceptance. Another question Morrison presents is whether we can choose to acknowledge our past or not. At the beginning of the novel, Nel is traveling to her great-grandmother’s funeral with her mother, Helene. Once they arrive, they come into contact with Nel’s grandmother, Rochelle. Rochelle is of Creole descent and makes a living by being an escort. Helene is quick to dismiss Rochelle: â€Å"’I don’t know,’ her mother said. ‘I don’t speak Creole. ’ She gazed at her daughter’s wet buttocks. ‘And neither do you’† (27). It is evident that Helene thinks that by refusing to speak the Creole language that she is also refusing to acknowledge Rochelle and, therefore, erasing her from her and her daughter’s past. With Helene and her behavior towards Rochelle, Morrison presents this question of whether or not we can choose which parts of our past are relevant to our current existence. Following the meeting between Nel and Rochelle, Morrison showcases that characters can choose not only to disregard their past, but also forces in the present that attempt to dictate an individual’s identity: â€Å"’I’m me. I’m not their daughter. I’m not Nel. I’m me. Me’†¦ ‘Me,’ she murmured. And then, sinking deeper into the quilts, ‘I want†¦ I want to be†¦ wonderful†¦ Oh, Jesus, make me wonderful’† (28). Nel realizes that she can make the choice about who she wants to be and about her own identity. She denies her identity being determined by her parents or her heritage. Morrison also highlights how characters utilize the freedom of choice to deter their fears of the unknown future. For example, Shadrack makes the choice to control the uncontrollable after he experiences a mental breakdown during his time in the war: â€Å"It was not death or dying that frightened him, but the unexpectedness of both. In sorting it all out, he hit on the notion that if one day a year were devoted to it, everybody could get it out of the way and the rest of the year would be safe and free. In this manner he instituted National Suicide Day† (14). Instead of letting his life be dictated by outside forces, he chooses the path his life will take by seeking power over what terrifies him the most. While every character in Sula makes a choice of some kind, there is one character who was seemingly denied the luxury of choice and that was Eva Peace: â€Å"The children needed her; she needed money, and needed to get on with her life. But the demands of feeding her children were so acute she had to postpone her anger for two years until she had both the time and energy for it† (32). Eva’s choice was made by the circumstances of her life and the lives of her children. Later on in the novel, Eva denies Plum Peace, her son, the choice to redeem his wayward ways. She sets him on fire after she discovers he has a heroin addiction following the war. In contrast to Eva and her lack of choice in providing for her family by any means necessary, Nel’s husband Jude did possess the power of choice and chose to abandon his family following an affair with Sula: â€Å"’Every man I ever knew left his children. ’ ‘Some were taken. ’ ‘Wrong, Nellie. The word is left’† (143). Morrison uses this conversation to highlight the stark contrast between Nel and Sula and their diverging beliefs in the freedom of choice. Sula maintains that Jude chose to leave his family while Nel argues that he had no choice in being taken away following his shame about the affair. Morrison also portrays how characters make choices based on personal perceptions: â€Å"But thinking Sula had an odd way of looking at things and that her wide smile took some of the sting away from that rattlesnake over her eye† (68). Jude articulates the notion that we can choose how we see things and this can impact the way others see us. Many of the townsfolk of the Bottom perceive Sula as evil based on the appearance of her scar. Morrison’s detailed description of the various images people imagine the scar to be showcases how each individual has the personal power to choose how to view others. While one person may perceive the scar to be a treacherous snake, another perceived it to be a smudge of dirt or a butterfly wing. It is in Sula that readers are presented with various notions regarding the power of freedom of choice. Sula poses the question of what earthly forces influence choice and it also showcases how the power of personal decisions dictate our lives and identities. With Nel and Sula, readers are provided apt character studies in the ramifications of choice. Morrison also presents the rationale behind what actions classify as â€Å"good† and â€Å"evil† when choosing our moral paths in life. Sula is portrayed as â€Å"evil† simply because she chooses her own path, regardless of social norms. In contrast, Nel is considered â€Å"good† because of her ability to assume the role society casts her in, whether it be faithful wife or doting mother. In the end, we come to realize that Sula’s â€Å"careless choices† dictated the prosperity of the town and the behavior of the townsfolk. In her absence, the Bottom and the townspeople suffer from their careless choices that were previously held at bay because of Sula’s presence. Morrison presents the notion that we always possess the power of choice, but whether our choices will be viewed as good or evil is in the hands of others. How to cite Choice and the Characters of Sula, Papers

Entrepreneurship Running a New Business

Question: Discuss about the Entrepreneurshipfor Running a New Business. Answer: Introduction Entrepreneurship refers to the process of designing, launching and running a new business. Australia is one of the continents that has seen the birth and growth of many successful entrepreneurs in the world who have and continue to have great impact on people all over through creation of employment opportunities, creating products that simplify life, providing solutions to problems etc (Allis,2016). My focus however, will be on an Australian woman whose entrepreneurship story inspires me since its so powerful and unconventional who goes by the name Janine Allis. Janine Allis Background Australian entrepreneur Janine Allis, founder of Boost Juice and part-owner of Retail Zoo, which is the parent company of Boost Juice, Salsa Fresh Mex Grill and CIBO Espresso was born in the year 1965 at the Ferntree Gully Hospital, East of Melbourne Kirby, J. (2005).She traces her roots to humble beginnings as she was raised in the suburb of Knox field in a small house where she even shared a bedroom with her two sisters. As a teenager, she referred to herself as miss average, never the stand out student. She went to a technical college referred to as Knox Technical College which is no longer in existence today. Janine dropped out of the college at 16 and opted to explore other avenues. Being as adventurous as she was by nature, Allis wanted to travel and explore the world and so she worked upto three jobs at atime to save up for her travels. She took up a job at an advertising agency, did a little bit of modelling before embarking on a six-year adventure overseas which saw her work ing as a nanny in France as well as on David Bowies yacht. In 1995, she was lucky enough to find her soul mate, Jeff Allis whom despite being a life partner, ended up being her business partner when she decided to set up business in the year 2000(Allis,2016). The Birth of Boost Juice Janine claims that her entrepreneurs spirit had been dormant for quite a while in her earlier years but it reached a point where she no longer wanted to be employed. In one of her trips to the US, she noticed that juice bars were popping up everywhere and thus saw an opportunity to start something similar in Australia (Davey, 2013). She however, chose to toy with the idea of coming up with healthy food options and thought that healthy juices and smoothies would be the way to go since during her trip she could barely get fast healthy foods for her and her kids. So upon returning to Australia, she did further research on the idea, consulted with nutritionists to create a menu of healthy juices and smoothies free of preservatives, artificial flavors and colors. She developed a business plan and with the help of her husband was able to raise capital and so in 2000, she opened her first Boost Juice store in Adelaide (Kirby, 2005). Growth of the Business Janine is quite a driven person and did not stop at just having one store. She desired to have more and her husband being her cheerleader always believing that she could achieve more, that they as a unit could achieve more, was a great motivation(Burt Jubenville, 2013). With a leap of faith, Janine and Jeff signed for 28 leases at Westfield Shopping Centers which meant a personal liability of over $ 5 million and a deadline to open every store in just 18 months. Due to determination and amazing franchise partners, it happened on time and on budget. The success of this business stems from the philosophy that Janine has, that its not a matter of trying but rather just doing it which she passed down to her employees. Janine has built her brand around the love for life. Her goal is to help people be healthier by eating more fruit and vegetables by making them taste great and generally to just have a positive outlook on life (Allis,2013). Over time, Janine and her husband Jeff were looking to expand upon the Australian Boost business by utilizing the solid foundation that had been created with Boost to be able to bolt on new and exciting brands and so in 2007, they purchased the Fresh Mex Grill which had four stores and have expanded it to over fifty stores now. Furthermore, in 2012, they acquired CIBO Espresso, the Italian espresso bar franchise. Janines empire has created employment opportunities to almost 7000 people working across the four businesses under the holding company Retail Zoo which has over 400 stores which have translated into over $2 billion in global sales (Baker,2013). Competitive Advantage of Boost Juice business Boost Juice has been able to stand out and survive competition due to various factors: Having the right team; According to Janine, she realized at the very beginning that in order for your business to survive and reach its full potential, you need the right team behind you. You need to hire people that share in your vision, that see the full picture, that are passionate about what your concept is and that is exactly what Janine did. She took her time to find the right people to join her in her new venture and that is the best decision that she ever made (Green,2014). Branding; Branding basically means creating a unique name and image for your product in the consumers mind through advertisement campaigns in order to create a significant presence in the market to attract and retain customers. Janine understood this concept well and with the help of her team she created a strong brand by basing her business on celebrating and enjoying life to the fullest through ensuring that her customers were always happy after consuming her products which consist a list of healthy juices and smoothies that taste so good. Apart from offering a variety of unique and great tasting treats that make the consumers want to come back for more, Janine is keen on ensuring that her customers get exceptional customer service. This has resulted in such a strong brand that has enabled her to have a great competitive edge over the rest in the industry (Woodbury Deora,2010). Use of social media; In this era, social media is a great marketing tool as well as a platform for getting feedback from consumers in order to identify where their dissatisfaction with your product lies so as to rectify those areas. Janine has taken advantage of this and has a team for the business online presence and this has greatly improved sales and put this business way ahead of the competition (So?rman, 2013). Suggestions for Janine Allis Mentor more people; Clearly, Mrs. Janine Allis is a role model to many aspiring entrepreneurs out there including myself and it would be such a great idea if she established mentorship programs in a bid to provide a platform for meeting budding entrepreneurs and offer them the much needed advice on how to be a successful business owner(Woodbury Deora,2010). To give pointers on the dos and donts of business as well teach these young souls on how to network Never forget where she begun from; Sometimes when people become successful in life, with so much power and money at ones disposal, they tend to become arrogant and insensitive to other people and their needs. I would urge her to always remember why she started this business and the struggles she went through and so to never look down on anyone or forget what is truly important to her. To strive to always learn, grow and expand more; Entrepreneurship journey is a never ending journey meaning that learning never ends, each day gives one an opportunity to learn something new that can help improve your business. Also, in as much as one may feel like he/she has achieved great success, there is always room for expansion and it would be great if Janine expanded to those areas that are yet to be tapped (Green,2014). Conclusion Janine Allis is a role model to many and shares her knowledge with others, including through her role as a shark and mentor on Channels Ten Shark Tank. Her impact in the business world has not gone unrecognized as she has been presented with numerous retail, franchise and business awards including Telstra Business Woman of the Year, Awarded Exporter of the Year, and Amex Franchiser of the Year. She was also inducted into the Australian Business Women, Hall of Fame and is among the Smart Companys Top 30 Australian Female Entrepreneurs List. References Allis, J. (2016). The accidental entrepreneur: the juicy bits. Milton, Vic. John Wiley and Sons Australia, Ltd Allis, J. (2013). The secrets of my success: The story of boost juice, juicy bits and all. Milton, Qld: Wiley.. Baker-Dowdell, J. (2013). Business + baby on board. Manuka, A.C.T., Editia. (1999). BRW. Melbourne, Vic, Business Review Weekly. Barber, C. (2014). A vivid message: how to have twice the impact with half the effort Burt, M. J., Jubenville, C. B. (2013). Zebras and cheetahs: Look different and stay agile to survive the business jungle. Davey, L. M. (2013). You first: Inspire your team to grow up, get along, and get stuff done. Green, G. (2014). The Smart Business Exit: Getting Rewarded for Your Blood, Sweat and Tears. Cork, BookBaby. Kirby, J. (2005). Janine Allis: business secrets of the woman behind Boost Juice. Milton, Qld, John Wiley Sons. So?rman-Nilsson, A. (2013). Digilogue: How to connect with digital minds and analogue hearts. Richmond, Vic: Wiley. Woodbury, L., Deora, W. (2010). The invisible partnership: how to work with your spouse without getting divorced. North Ryde, N.S.W., Quantum Dynamics.

Enron

Introduction Enron is a company dealing with energy resources that was founded by Kenneth Lay in 1984 after merging Houston Natural Gas (HNG) with InterNorth. The company grew rapidly as the founder exploited the opportunities of deregulation in the United States and privatization abroad. By the early 1990s, Enron was unmistakably the leading company in the energy industry1.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Enron specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, in the beginning of the millennium, the company was surrounded by big ethical scandals in accounting that led to its bankruptcy in 2001. In that respect, this paper is aimed at investigating the business environment and the strategic position of the company. First, we discuss the company’s business environment through the use of PEST and Porter’s five forces tools of analysis. Second, we discuss the company’s strategic position by looking at problems in the case as well as the structure and control systems. We also look at Enron’s strategic position by conducting a SWOT analysis. Finally, we make recommendations for turning around Enron’s business. Environment analysis PEST analysis Political environment that affects Enron like many other firms dealing with energy is characterized by regulations, political instability and labor relations. The company based in Houston has operations and facilities in other countries such as India, Argentina and Brazil where political factors differ significantly. Furthermore, the company has failed due to continuous disputes over terms of deals and prices. For economic factors, Enron is affected by foreign investments and competition. While the company has exposed US to foreign investments that are uncertain, the ethical scandals have worked to the advantage of competitors. Regarding to social environment, the changed attitudes of investors and customers as well as the poor corporate social responsibility have significant impacts on the firm. Technology environment is generally characterized by excellent US and foreign technology in extraction and communication, poor facilities for research and development of the company and poor technical collaboration. Porter’s five forces analysis In history, the energy industry has never been threatened by new individual entrants due to the cost of establishing extraction and transportation facilities. However, there is a possibility of new entrants through mergers and acquisitions considering how these business practices have increased. Big companies might decide to exploit the market opportunity arising from the failure of Enron.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The threat of substitute products is moderate, because some consumers of gas and oil products can use alternative energy sources while others are completely rooted to gas and oil. Automobiles are the biggest consumers of this source of energy while many industrial machines are using electricity as a source of energy. As big as Enron is, the threat of substitute products is not significant. The bargaining power of buyers is also important for Enron. In addition to the trust damaged by the ethical scandal, the products offered by the company are not very different as compared to those of competitors, yet the company is not price sensitive. In the presence of competitors who portray excellent performance, the bargaining power of buyers is high. The bargaining power of suppliers is very high considering the current state of Enron. The bankruptcy has resulted in huge amounts of money that the company owes suppliers of equipment and labor. Therefore, the company is in a situation of begging new and old suppliers. The rivalry that exists among competitors in the energy industry is high both in the pursuit of supplie rs and buyers. Oil deposits are only found in a handful of countries, yet the users of the products are spread worldwide. Therefore, firms compete to win extraction contracts as well as marketing contracts. Strategic analysis Problems at Enron case The inability of the firm to manage resource is a big problem, especially when it comes to budgeting. Indeed, this has driven the management team to carry out illegitimate actions that disregard the need for the firm to perform excellent corporate governance. The case study reveals that the firm does not carry out good corporate governance because the management has embarked on performing unethical actions2. This conduct was intended to exhort investors to put their money during the public offering of the shares. Moreover, the decision to hire a consultant to develop a tax structure and review them is clear evidence of Enron’s intentions to present fake figures to investors. The other problem with Enron is the inability to manage f inancial resources. Through forged profit reporting, the company could raise enough capital to repay their loans to investment banks and carry on with unethical business when the money was out. Surprisingly, in a span of three years, the fake reporting provided the firm with more than $10 billion of shareholders.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Enron specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Structure and control systems Enron used three key supports of control systems. First, Enron’s performance review (PCR), was intended to bring into line Enron employees’ actions with the firm’s strategic goals, reward and keep workers who performed superfluously. Second, the risk assessment and control group (RAC) had the purpose of commending all operative contracts and manage all risks facing the company. Different levels of authorization were necessary in every deal including the directors. However, the s ystem was not applied to the point and 15% of those evaluated were redeployed in spite of their performance. Third, the code of ethics was employed as a way of controlling behaviors with the purpose of barring a range of corrupt behaviors. Each employee was supposed to sign this code after joining the company and reaffirm-annually, though it was more of a regulatory accomplishment than commitment especially for the officials in higher levels. SWOT analysis One of the strengths associated with Enron is marketing and value delivery. The company did not succeed to become the energy giant from nothing, but from good marketing and value delivery. Second, the firm is strong due to human capital pool. While many firms engage in one or two business lines, Enron engaged in five different business lines which required different skills, equipments and methods of reporting. The company was always successful in recruiting and maintaining desired employees which suggests good organization. The ke y weakness that also led to the collapse of the company was the failed board of directors. The question that emerge throughout the case study is where the directors were and why did they not see the mess that was building? The other weakness was conflict of interest as a policy that the Internal Revenue Service requires corporations to adhere to. In fact, the conflict of interest portrayed in the unethical actions was the major cause of the collapse. In addition, corporate culture is a major weakness of the company. The collapse reveals unethical corporate culture that was all through portrayed as a culture of innovation, profits and success.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Supply of high quality energy is an opportunity that Enron can exploit especially when we consider its capabilities. The company is a global leader in goods sale and services. With this supremacy in oil and franchise business, the firm could serve the emerging markets better than many competitors. Another opportunity is clean energy which the public has claimed for in history in an effort to reduce environmental pollution. Moreover, Enron can re-furnish their image through business mergers and acquisitions. With its experience in this practice, the company can strengthen its assets and expand to new markets. In regard to the case study, the biggest threat to Enron is competition as the public has realized its weakness and unethical business practices. Hundreds of energy firms are found within the US with the intention of increasing the market share. Unlike Enron, the competitors have engaged in extensive research and development which increase the trust of investors and consumers. A nother threat is regulation or regulatory measures that Enron might face in the near future. It is apparent that governments will keenly reinforce their regulations within the territories that the company has operations. Recommendations The first and most important recommendation is for Enron to re-invent its corporate governance. Most of the problems that the firm is facing are associated with the top management. This would include the creation of a completely new board of directors. The other recommendation is to engage in mergers in order to acquire the funds required to continue with the businesses. This will reclaim the lost confidence and trust of investors as the company clears the lingering debts and improve the stock value which is the core capital source. Bibliography Schepers, Donald and Naomi, Gardberg A. â€Å"On the Side of the Angles.† The Journal of Behavioral and Applied Management 5, no. 2 (2004): 166-184. Footnotes 1 Schepers, Donald and Gardberg, Naomi A. â€Å"On the Side of the Angles.† The Journal of Behavioral and Applied Management 5, no. 2 (2004): 167. 2 Ibid 177 This case study on Enron was written and submitted by user Sons of the Tiger to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Writing a Communications Research Paper The Complete Guide

Writing a Communications Research Paper The Complete Guide A research paper is a typical form in which scientists from all disciplines demonstrate the results of their independent work. There is no standardized word count – a research paper is as long as is necessary to get the author’s point across. However, usually, they are fairly large – 4000 words and upwards, so be ready to put a lot of time and effort in this task. A research paper is usually supposed to be published in an academic journal and subjected to peer review – i.e., it will be read by other specialists in the field who will evaluate whether it contributes anything to the existing body of research, whether your methodology is sound, whether you use proper evidence and so on. You should be interested in learning how to write this kind of paper not just to receive a good grade right now – if you consider pursuing an academic career after graduation, the research paper is going to be your primary tool, so mastering it early on is certainly a good idea. Prior to Writing Select the Topic: What Our Writers Suggest Students are given research papers to write in order to test their ability to work on their own, to conduct research independently, without the oversight and assistance of instructors. That is why you will usually have more or less complete freedom of choice when it comes to selecting a topic. Defining the direction is a part of the research, and you have to learn to do it yourself. Nevertheless, you will have to discuss your topic with your instructor after you’ve decided upon it – both to see if it complies with the requirements of the assignment and college’s guidelines and to get some advice. Instructors know more about such things from their experience, and sometimes students take topics that will be extremely difficult to write about, making their job unnecessarily difficult without knowing it. A well-chosen topic is a cornerstone of every high-quality communications research paper, so don’t try to get over this step quickly and give the selection a lot of thought. Here are some suggestions to help you get through it: Go through the topics that have any personal interest to you. It is an especially good choice if you know something beyond your communications course about any of them – this will free you time and effort that would otherwise be used to look for sources of information on them; When you’ve found a topic that you like, take some time to study the sources on it, lest you end up with a topic that has just a couple of second-rate sources to go with. Academic search tools like Google Scholar and EBSCO Academic Search can be indispensable for this. How many sources you are going to need depends on the requirements and guidelines of your assignment. According to the most common rule of the thumb, you should have at least one source per every standard page of your research paper; Try to pick a topic that both has enough research dealing with it (to give you something to work with) and enough blank areas to give you an opportunity to research them; Make sure your topic is narrow enough. Writing research papers is all about digging deep, not wide – you should select a relatively narrow area and provide an exhaustive analysis and research of it. â€Å"Development of Communication Skills in Children† is way too broad a topic. â€Å"Main Factors Contributing to the Development of Communication Skills in Children Ages 3 to 5† is much better, although you may look for something even more specific; Consult your instructor. He may suggest that you alter your topic or choose another one altogether. Usually, it is in your best interests to follow these suggestions even if you don’t see the reason behind them right now. Here are some suggestions so that you can see what you should look for: The Role of Depression in Diminishing One’s Communication Skills; Divorce as an Example of Communication Breakdown; The Role of Effective Communication on Business Growth in American Companies; Gender and the Styles of Interpersonal Communication in Teenagers; Deception in Interpersonal Relations. Write the Thesis Statement Simplifying it a bit, a thesis statement is the general idea behind your research paper condensed to a single sentence (sometimes two sentences, but no more). You should, however, differentiate between the topic of the paper, the research question and the thesis statement: The topic is your basic area of research and analysis, e.g., â€Å"Depression and Communication†; The research question is the question you ask in the beginning of the paper and try to answer with your research, e.g., â€Å"Does depression influence one’s communication skills?†; The thesis statement serves as the answer to this question, e.g. â€Å"Depression severely limits both one’s communication skills and the desire to seek communication†. The thesis statement should be located at the beginning of your communications research paper, immediately after the first few introductory sentences. In addition to that, it should be: Precise – use direct, single-meaning words, simple and easily understandable sentence structures. Reread the thesis statement a few times to make sure it is impossible to misunderstand it; Narrow in scope – it should concentrate on a single issue without spreading itself thin over several questions. If you find it impossible to avoid introducing the second point, probably your entire paper lacks focus; Well-worded – avoid awkward and artificial structures like â€Å"The purpose of my paper is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  You should introduce your thesis statement naturally; Flexible – if in the course of writing you feel that your perception of the topic shifts, you should be ready to alter the thesis statement accordingly. Gather the Sources The main goal of a communications research paper is to do independent research and present your findings to the academic community. However, You cannot do without the existing research on the subject, as no academic work exists in complete isolation from other works on the same topic. They are all connected with the strings of references and quotations, and the more of these strings lead from your paper to trustworthy sources, the more valuable your paper is considered to be. Most of the sources you use should come from peer-reviewed academic journals on the subject of communications, because they are believed to be by far the sources of highest quality. Other types (books, newspapers, websites, etc.) are also accepted, but should be taken with a grain of salt – not all of them are valuable and trustworthy. If you don’t know much about the subject matter of your research paper, finding the first few sources is going to be difficult. Here are a few suggestions for where you can start out: Books mentioned in the reference section of your textbook will be a good start. Check their authors as well – they may have other publications on similar topics to their names; Check online academic search tools and databases. We have already mentioned Google Scholar and EBSCO; you may also try JSTOR, PsycInfo, PubPsych and many others; at least some of them are bound to lead you to useful sources of information; After the first two steps, you already should have some notion of who are considered to be the most important authorities on the topic you write about. Concentrate your further search on their other books and publications; Look through the sections of all the sources you’ve already found. Although the authors of these papers weren’t writing on your precise topic, there should be some overlap points where you may find something useful; Use online academic search tools using keywords related to your topic. You are bound to uncover some sources that have eluded you so far. When selecting a source, pay attention to how many times it has been cited in other peer-reviewed papers. This number can serve as a good indication of the paper’s quality and authority. However, take it into account that recent publications probably don’t have enough time to gather enough references. Write the Outline The outline is a plan that guarantees that your paper is logically organized and that you don’t forget to mention anything you’ve intended to. Naturally, it repeats the intended structure of your paper, which can vary depending on the specifics of your assignment, but generally follows more or less the same lines: Introduction ‘Hook’ – the sentence aiming to fixate the reader’s attention on the paper and lead up to the thesis statement; Thesis statement – we’ve already covered it; Background info – if necessary, you can provide additional information on the subject so that reader better navigates it; Body paragraphs. Each of them should be written in this way: Introduction of a new point; Supporting evidence; How does it all relate to the thesis statement; Logical lead-up to the next point; Conclusion: Summary of everything said so far; Recommendations for the future research on this topic. Having an outline prevents you from forgetting things and vice versa, from being repetitive. If you know for sure what and where you intend to mention, mistakes are not possible. There are two types of outlines: Informal – it is basically your own personal plan, not intended to be shared with anybody. Write it in any way that is convenient for you. Even a few lines on a piece of paper torn from a notebook will do; Formal – sometimes you are asked to submit an outline along with the paper. In this case, you will need to follow a specific format. Either find one online or consult your instructor as to how you should do it. Writing and Revising General Communications Research Paper Writing Tips Use precise scientific language. Under no circumstances include jargonisms, slang or colloquial expressions into your speech; Be fair towards the existing and potential opposition. The purpose of a communications research paper is to prove your point in honest scientific comparison with other theories and hypotheses, not to obfuscate the subject matter so that your point of view looks to be an optimal one. Your point of view will be opposed, and if you don’t prepare to it from the get go, your argument will be crushed by the peer review; Don’t introduce more than one idea per paragraph; Keep most of your sentences short, but try not to make their length uniform. On average, a sentence should be 20-25 words long, but don’t forget to intersperse your writing with both shorter and longer ones so that it doesn’t feel too monotonous; Avoid passive voice wherever possible. While some students believe that passive voice makes writing more serious and elevated, in truth the only thing it adds is boredom. Sentences in the passive voice, especially if they are long and there are many of them, are also relatively hard to understand when compared to the ones in active voice; Don’t try to diversify your language with synonyms, especially when dealing with scientific terms. Revising Your Paper No paper (at least no good paper) is written in a single draft. If you find it necessary to change things, replace whole passages or even start writing afresh, do it; Check if it is always obvious which pronouns refer to what. If you find the result ambiguous, replace the problematic pronoun with a noun or a noun phrase. Don’t worry if it makes your writing too cumbersome and repetitive – your job is to make it understandable first and beautiful only when possible; Don’t get too attached to anything. You may be unwilling to cut an especially well-written phrase or passage, but if it doesn’t fit into the overall structure of your paper it has to go; Eliminate redundant words. Phrases like â€Å"to introduce a change†, â€Å"to do business†, â€Å"to make alterations† can and should be rephrased to use simple verbs. The same goes for weak modifiers like â€Å"really†, â€Å"quite†, â€Å"normally†, etc. They don’t add any meaning to your paper and have no place in scientific writing. We hope that this communications research paper guide will serve you well in the difficult and long job of writing a research paper on communication. Good luck!

LET3 (Leadership) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

LET3 (Leadership) - Essay Example Evidently, the marketing manager and accounting manager in the case study hold positional power which is backed by the organizational policy. The reward power reflects the ability of the power to offer valued material rewards including money, time off, promotions, or other desired gifts. In the case study, the marketing department of the corporation (or marketing manager) provides large bonus to its employees who achieve a superior rating on their yearly performance evaluation; here, the organization employs the power of reward. The personal power can be referred to people’s ability to â€Å"attract others, to build strong interpersonal relationships, to persuade and build loyalty† (Mason, 2009, p.55). The case context indicates that the employee 3 has personal power because he/she could reach the project leadership position regardless of his/her experience in the organization. Even though, the employee 3 had been inexperienced as compared to most other employees in the firm, he/she could dominate his/her co-workers with his/her personal power. The expert power represents a form of power that people derives from their skills, knowledge, and experience and it is highly specific and limited to the particular area. From the given scenario, it seems that the employee 2 has expert power in the corporation as he is the only certified public accountant (CPA) in the firm. CPA is a highly expert and specific position which is not easily attainable for everyone. Finally, the coercive power refers to the application of fear-based influence on others. For instance, the marketing manager can apply a coercive power over employees as he has the authority to rate the employee performance. As every employee wishes to be rated top, they are compelled to be under the coercive power of the marketing manager. B. Dependency and power are two interrelated concepts by which an individual attains more power when another person or unit is more dependent

Economic Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Economic Questions - Assignment Example For instance, if an individual requires to judge whether a holiday is a better option or buying a DIY set is a better option (based on their economic condition), then the benefits of both need to be weighed and based on this the individual can make a more informed decision. Consumers need to ensure that their money is invested into an area which had a higher return and proves to be more beneficial based on their economic condition and for that period of time. Hence opportunity costs allow consumers to make more informed decisions (McConnell, Brue, & Flynn, 2008). While understanding the concept of Production Possibility curve, it is essential to learn in detail the possible outcomes and combinations that need to be produced within the economic resources that are available in the period. This can be clearly noted as the PPC tends to provide the maximum outcomes which helps give a clearer idea of the law of diminishing

Financial Institutions & Markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Financial Institutions & Markets - Essay Example What happened was, banks are known to financed their mortgage lending using customer deposits which of course is a limit to the amount of mortgage lending they can do. But in recent years, banks in a bit to fund additional borrowing, moved to a new model where they sell mortgages on the bond markets which was widely seen as an easier means of funds. But this form of borrowing led to bank abusing that incentive to carefully check mortgages they issued.1 Banks saw the business to be extremely profitable since they could earn a fee for each mortgage they sold and went ahead to urge mortgage brokers to sell more and more of these mortgages. The market soon extended especially as the private sector dramatically expanded its role in the mortgage bond market that was previously dominated by government-sponsored agencies like Freddie Mac. Prices became so high to an extend that if the boom had to continue, many US populations would have been evicted from their homes since the US interest rates too were interestingly high. The fall in housing prices affected the wider economies. The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Schiller index in March 2008 showed that housing prices in the US had fell by 11,4% in January and 8,2% in February 2008.2 In a bit to cushion the US economy from the worst effects of the credit crunch and housing slump due to the sub prime loans, the Fed in January 2008 had to cut down interest rates from 3.5% to 3% for the fifth time since September 18 2007 and today at 2.25%. This was in a bit to encourage consumption among Americans. The economic growth rate had slowed to an annual rate of 0.6% between October and December, half the rate forecast and compared with a brisk 4.9% growth rate in the previous three months due to the credit slump and may further be cut to 1,5%.3 To ward off the pressure of slower economic growth, the Bush Administration and Congress moved ahead to agree on a temporary

Testing of Aggregates Analysis

Testing of Aggregates Analysis Numerous test has been developed that test toughness and abrasion resistance and durability and soundness of aggregates. This report analyses the testing of Aggregates using three Main tests to analyse the degradation of aggregates so best performance is observed in construction, asphalt, concrete or any other field. The aggregates must be abrasion resistant and weather durable to provide good base in pavements for roads. Detailed description of these tests is provided with their respective results. The results are then examined to see which of the following three test are more accurate to check the durability and abrasion of the rocks. Based on the Laboratory results and the Literature reviews, Los Angeles Abrasion test results are used more than others. Although most of the DOTs and construction companies use all three test prior to use of the materials. Soundness test has poor repeatability so it is often not considered as primary test. This research was conducted at Englobe Corp laboratory located in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. It was performed under the direction of Mr. Mark Downie. The laboratory supervision was provided by Mr. Daniel McMorran. The quality of the aggregates in the construction materials, asphalt concrete is determined by various tests out of which Los Angeles, Micro Deval and Soundness are most widely used in construction industry. Los Angles Abrasion test and Micro Deval test involve the spinning of aggregates in a close vessel where there are spun in a medium of water or air. The vessel is filled with contact charges (Iron sphere) for a specific amount of time. The analysis of particle degradation using mechanical test can be classified in two class, fragmentation and wearing. The sample that has more wide range of grain size ( e.g. 1250 gm of ) indicates fragmentation and has a well graded distribution curve whereas the sample that has poor range of grain size( 5000gm ofà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) indicates wearing with a bad graded distribution curve. Soundness test involves testing the durability of the aggregates using sodium sulphate or magnesium sulphate solution. Samples of different grain sizes are washed and dried and kept in salt solution for 16 hours and then kept in oven to dry. This cycle is repeated for seven days and then the sample is weighed to see the loss of sample. This test usually received poor rating for its inconsistent repeatability and correlations. Standard Testing methods Los Angeles Abrasion Test AASHTO T96 ( ASTM C131) Micro Deval Test AASHTO T327 (ASTM D6928) Sodium and Magnesium Sulfate Soundness AASHTO T 104 (ASTM C88) As Per American Standard of Testing Materials following pass-fail criteria were used: LA abrasion: Passed if loss à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ 40% Micro Deval: Passed if loss à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ 18% Sodium Sulphate Soundness: Passed if à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤12% If the aggregates passed the above criteria, then they are durable.   Los Angeles Abrasion test involves the test to measure the degradation of the aggregates by creating actions like impact, abrasion, grinding and constant wear and tear inside a rotating steel drum. The steel drum spins for a specific time with a specific number of steel balls of specific weight to create an abrasion of aggregates. The number of steel balls and the amount of aggregates put in the steel drum depend upon the grading of the test sample. The steel sphere carries the aggregates and the steel balls creating a grinding effect and then drops it to the other side making a crushing effect. This cycle is repeated again and after certain number of revolution the sample is sieved too see the amount retained from the degradation and too see the percentage loss. Apparatus Los Angeles Machine with wall thickness of at least 12mm. The inside diameter should be 711 ±5mm and the length of 508 ±5mm. The rotating drum should be closed from all ends and should be set at a rotating speed of 30 ±3 rpm. ( ASTM C131) Sieve with 1.7mm (No.12) passing. An accurate scale with no more than 0.1% error of the test load. The charges or the steel balls. The number of steel balls used in the test depend on the gradation of the sample to be tested. The steel balls should have diameter between 46.038mm and 47.625, with mass between 400g and 440g each. A constant weight check should always be performed on the charges because this test is very aggressive and could lead in loss of weight of the charges. Table 1: Mass of Steel balls for LA Abrasion Test Grading Number of Spheres Mass of the charges, gm A 12 5000 ±25 B 11 4580 ±25 C 8 3330 ±20 D 6 2500 ±15 Table 2: Grading of the Test Sample for LA Abrasion Test Sieve Sizes (Square Opening) Mass of the aggregates, g Passing Through Screen Retained on Screen Grading A B C D 37.5 mm (11/2 in.) 25.0 mm (1 in.) 1250 ±25 25.0 mm (1 in.) 19.0 mm (3/4 in.) 1250 ±25 19.0 mm (3/4 in.) 12.5 mm (1/2 in.) 1250 ±25 2500 ±10 12.5 mm (1/2 in.) 9.5 mm (3/8 in.) 1250 ±25 2500 ±10 9.5 mm (3/8 in.) 6.3 mm (1/4 in.) 2500 ±10 6.3 mm (1/4 in.) 4.75 mm (No.4) 2500 ±10 4.75 mm (No.4) 2.36 mm (No.8) 5000 ±10 Total, g 5000 ±10 5000 ±10 5000 ±10 5000 ±10 Select the appropriate Grading according to the amount of aggregate available for test. It is recommended to go from higher to lower grade to gain accurate results. Wash and oven dry the sample at 110 ±5 °C (230 °F) to constant mass and then separate into individual sizes per their respective weights. Put the aggregates and the sample in the rotating drum. Close the Los Angeles Abrasion machine tightly and let it run for 500 revolutions at 30 to 33 rpm. After the drum stops take all the sample out and remove the steel balls from it. Now take the crushed aggregates and sieve it on 1.7 mm (No.12) sieve. Weigh the sample retained on the sieve and calculate the percentage loss. Micro Deval Micro-Deval is a test that involves measure of resistance of aggregates towards abrasion and test durability of the sample towards grinding of steel balls (ASTM D7428). The medium that is used here is water of room temperature. The sample and charges (steel balls) are kept in the Micro-Deval tank and then the apparatus is filled with water. The apparatus is rotated so that the aggregates undergo grinding and abrasion. The use of this test is mainly towards the aggregates that degrade more in presence of water than air. This test also gives a measure of how soft or shaley the sample is. The materials that give a high percentage loss degrade more during mixing or handling in industries. (ASTM D7428) Apparatus Micro-Deval Abrasion Tank with volume of 5.03 L and external diameter of 202mm and the internal height shall be from 170 mm to 177 mm. The stainless-steel tank comes with a rubber sealing to make it water-tight. The inner and outer surface of the tank should be smooth and ridge free. (ASTM D6928) Micro-Deval Abrasion machine is a rolling machine with an adjustable speed which rolls the tank at 100 ±5 rpm. Steel charges of diameter 9.5 ±.5mm are requires. The total mass of steel balls needed is 5000 ±5g. Sieves with 5mm and 1.25mm sizes are also required. An accurate scale with no more than 0.1% error of the test load. Table 3: Mass of Aggregates for Micro-Deval Test. Passing Retained Mass 20 mm 16 mm 375 g 16 mm 14 mm 375 g 14 mm 10 mm 750 g Take washed and oven dried sample so it loses the dust on it. Prepare a representative sample of 1500 ±5g put it in the Micro-Deval tank. Add 5000 ±5g of steel charges in it and 2.0 ±.05L of tap water in the Micro-Deval tank. Let this sit for 1 hour. After the sample, has been soaked tighten it up and put it on the Micro-Deval rolling machine to roll for 2 hours ±1 minute. After the machine stops rolling pour the sample on a stack of 5 mm and 1.25 mm sieve. Wash the remains of the sample in the tank on the sieve. Oven dry the sample at 110 ±5 °C and weigh it later. Calculate the percentage loss using the calculation sheet. Soundness Soundness test is a very crucial test in paving industries especially when making massive highways, bridges and dams. This test measure the amount of degradation caused by weathering freeze-thaw cycles. The aggregates that pass this test are more durable to be used and dont cause premature distress in pavements (http://www.pavementinteractive.org/article/durability-and-soundness/). The aggregates are kept in a sodium sulphate or a magnesium sulphate bath. The solutions is at a saturated state and causes salt crystals to be formed on the aggregates. This test is usually carried out for seven days which involves simultaneous wet-dry cycles. When the sample is submerged in the salt solution bath, salt crystals are formed in minute pores of the aggregates and causes internal forces that eventually lead crack in the aggregates. This gives us a replicated demonstration of how the substance will behave in natural habitat. This test has very poor repeatability so it is never considered as pr imary test to measure the degradation of the aggregates. Apparatus Sieves of different sizes- 5à ¢Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾16 in., 3à ¢Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾8 in., No. 50, 1à ¢Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾2 in., 5à ¢Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾8 in., No. 30, 3à ¢Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾4 in., 1 in., No. 16, No. 8, No. 4. Metal baskets made of wire mesh or stainless steel that allows the aggregates to freely contact the solution and permit free drainage of the loss of sample. Temperature regulator to ensure that the temperature of the sulphate bath is constant at specified one. Balances with the accuracy of 0.1% are must for this test. Hydrometers are also needed for this test to measure the specific gravity within  ±0.001. Procedure Prepare the sodium sulphate solution that has specific gravity between 1.154 and 1.171. COARSE AGFREGATES Mass of the Sample Sieve Size Mass 2 in. (50 mm) 3000g 1.5 in. (37.5 mm) 2000g 1.0 in. 1000g 0.75 in. 500g 0.5 in. 670g 0.375 in. 330g No.4 300g Prepare Sample as per the table displayed above. The sample should be washed and dried at 110 ±5 °C. Mix the 2 inch and 1.5 inch retained material and place the 5000g sample in a container. Mix the 1 inch and 0.75 inch retained and place the 1500g sample in a separate container and mark the container by making a groove on it with a particular symbol so it does not get mixed up with the other containers. This way it is also more efficient to identify them when changing the cycles. Mix the 0.5 inch and the 0.375 inch retained samples and put the 1000g sample together in a container. After the test samples are ready place them in the solution prepared for 16 to 18 hours and then let them drain for 15 minutes. Let the sample oven dry at 110 ±5 °C for 4 hours and then let them cool down until they reach 20  °C to 25 °C. Again, immerse it in the solution and repeat this cycle 5 times. After the 5 cycles are done the aggregates are to be washed thoroughly so that all the salt on the surface is removed and then oven dried at 110 ±5  °C. Table 4: Sieve Sizes to be used to Measure Loss Aggregate Size Sieve Used >1.5 inch 1.25 inch 1.5 to 0.75 inch 5/8 inch 0.75 inch to 0.375 inch 5/16 inch 0.375 inch to No.4 No.5 Use the above given table to respective sieve the aggregates used in the test. Utmost care must be taken to sieve samples from each container separately. Take the sample that is retained on the sieve and weigh it to note it. The difference in the mass of the aggregates before and after the experiment gives us the amount lost due to the disintegration of the sample. To compare the results of the following three, test a study was examined in which 20 Lab results were considered. These tests were performed by Montana Department of Transportation either in the Montana State University soil laboratory or Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) Helena materials laboratory. The samples were obtained from various random pits and quarries across Montana by MDT personnel. (Western Transport Institute) To get a very good relation and a study between these test, 5 repeats were done on the Micro-Deval test and at least 3 repeats were done for L.A Abrasion test. This also provided a good study of the repeatability of the tests. There was no repeat test done on the soundness test since it has a very poor repeatability. Repeatability To analyse the repeatability of the tests, repeated Micro-Deval and Los Angeles Abrasion test were done on the same sample. The Coefficient of Variation was calculated to examine the variation in the test results for the same sample. There was no COV calculated for the Sodium Sulphate Soundness test because only one test result was provided by MDT. The Coefficient of variation is standardized measurement calculate by diving the standard deviation of a set of results by the average mean and then multiplying it by hundred to get a percentage value. By analyzing and comparing this value we can predict the repeatability of the test. If the COV is a lower number, then the test is less variable and hence it has a good repeatability. The COV calculated for L.A abrasion test came out to be 6.5% with standard deviation of 1.5 loss percentage. Similarly, the COV for Micro-Deval test came out to be 6.5% for a standard deviation of 0.7 percentage loss. Since both the Coefficient of variations are less than 10%, both the tests are considered to have good repeatability. Another evidence to support the repeatability of the test is that there is no significant difference in the COV of Micro-Deval and L.A abrasion which are 6.6% and 6.5% respectively. As per the comparative bar graph plotted below, majority of the coefficient of the variation fall between 5% to 15%. The COV of Lab number 861553 rocketed to 26.9% because the result was very small accounting to be 2.1% average loss. So, a small change in small result make a large COV. Figure 1: Graphical Representation of Coefficient of Variation for L.A Abrasion and Micro-Deval Tests. COMPARTITIVE RESULTS As per the specifications provided by American Standard for Testing Materials the aggregates are classified as durable if the loss percentage is less than the cut-off percentage and they are non-durable if the loss percentage of the aggregates is more than the cut-off percentage. The cut-off percentage that we have used for L.A Abrasion, Micro-Deval and Sodium Sulphate Soundness Tests are as follows: LA abrasion: Passed if loss à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ 40% Micro Deval: Passed if loss à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ 18% Sodium Sulphate Soundness: Passed if à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤12% To create a direct comparison in between these tests normalized value for each test is calculated. Normalized value is used for a direct comparison between Micro-Deval, L.A Abrasion and Sodium Sulphate Soundness test. Normalized value is average loss percentage divided by the cut-off for that test. (MDT paper) The ideal Normalized value is 1.0. If the calculated normalized value is greater than 1.0 it means that the test did not pass and the aggregate tested are not durable and if the value is less than 1.0 it means that the aggregates are durable and the test passed. To draw a direct comparison in between two, test a two-dimensional scattered graph is plotted with four quadrants. The top right (North-East) quadrant depicts the are where both the test failed and the aggregates are not durable. The top left (North-West) quadrant depicts the area where the test plotted on the X-axis passed but the one on Y-axis failed. The bottom right (South-East) quadrant indicates the area where the test plotted on the Y-axis passed but the test that was plotted on X-axis failed. The bottom left (South-West) quadrant depicts the region where both the tests passed and the aggregates are durable. The data points plotted in the top-right (NE) and bottom-left (SW) quadrants indicate that the tests are consistent as the aggregates were either durable for pass/pass or not durable for fail/fail. On the other hand, the data points plotted in the top-left (NW) and bottom-right (SE) quadrant indicate discontinuity and lack of coherence since one of the test would indicate that the aggregates passed the cut-off and are durable while the other would indicate that they didnt pass are not durable for use. L.A abrasion vs Micro-Deval. Figure 2. Graphical Representation of Comparison between Normalized Loss of L.A Abrasion and Micro-Deval Tests. The above shown graphical representation is the plot of comparison between the Micro-Deval and the L.A Abrasion test on 20 different samples that were tested by Montana Department of Transportation. The blue dotted line that runs at 45 ° along the centre of the graph indicates symmetry and a perfect correlation. The data points close to the line indicate a good co-relation between the test. There was only one result that had failed both the test and was considered to be non-durable which accounted 5% of the materials tested. There were five results (25% of the samples tested) that fall in the awkward category and had lack of coherence since, according to L.A abrasion test it passed as was considered durable but according to the Micro-Deval test it was considered to be non-durable. The relations between these two test is quite strong as 70% of the samples tested i.e. 15 out of 20 passed the test and fall in the bottom-left quadrant which indicates that the samples were durable accor ding to both the test. Sodium Sulphate Soundness Test Vs L.A Abrasion Test. Figure 3. Graphical Representation of Comparison between Normalized Loss of Sodium Sulphate Soundness and Micro-Deval Tests. Sodium Sulphate Soundness Test Vs Micro-Deval Test. Figure 4. Graphical Representation of Comparison between Normalized Loss of Sodium Sulphate Soundness and L.A Abrasion Tests. The co-op report guidelines suggest separating the Results and Discussion sections. I think that it is usually easier to present a discussion immediately after the results. But, you may choose to use the structure that makes the most sense for your report. Gregates typically encountered on Montana highway projects, and to determine if the MicroDeval test provides better, timelier, and more repeatable information about the quality of an aggregate than the Sodium Sulfate test. The laboratory testing program was structured to examine how well three aggregate durability test methods correlate for a sampling of Montana soils. Aggregate durability tests were conducted on 32 different soils using the Micro-Deval, L.A. Abrasion, and Sodium Sulfate tests. Multiple Micro-Deval and L.A. Abrasion tests were conducted on some of the soil samples to investigate the same-lab repeatability of the test methods. The methods differ in their treatment of the aggregate during testing; and consequently, each method produces a unique value of percent loss, which is used to distinguish between durable aggregate and non-durable aggregate. For the purposes of this study, the following percent loss pass-fail standards were used for each test: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Mic ro-Deval: passing (durable), if % loss à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ 18%; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ L.A. Abrasion: passing (durable), if % loss à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ 40%; and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Sodium Sulfate: passing (durable), if % loss à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ 12%. Because of the differences in percent loss criteria for each method, results from the suite of laboratory tests were normalized to facilitate direct comparisons between the three methods. Normalized results were obtained by taking the average percent loss for a particular soil and dividing it by the cutoff for that test. Table 16 summarizes the comparisons between each test using data collected during this study. Based on the metrics identified in the table, the MicroDeval and Sodium Sulfate tests had the best correlation, while the Micro-Deval/L.A. Abrasion and the L.A. Abrasion/Sodium Sulfate correlations were significant, but not as strong. Table 16. Summary Comparison of Test Methods Test Methods R2 Pass/Fail Agreement (%) Inconsistent Durability Determina tion* (%) M-D versus NaSO4 0.72 92.9 7.1 M-D versus L.A. 0.46 85.2 14.8 L.A. versus NaSO4 0.28 84.0 16.0 Perfect Correlation 1.0 100.0 0.0 *Note: Column 4 refers to the percentage of samples that passed one of the tests but failed the other test. This inconsistency is identified as a data point that plots in one of the cross-hatched zones identified in Figures 3, 4, and 5. Conclusions and Recommendations Western Transportation Institute 35 The percentages of inconsistent durability determinations (pass or fail inconsistencies) listed in column 4 of Table 16 are indicative of a discontinuity between tests and are probably the most important metric for the comparison study. In this case, one test characterized the material as durable aggregate, while the other test characterized the same material as non-durable aggregate. Qualitatively, the authors believe that an excellent correlation between two test methods is obtained when the percentage of inconsistent results is less than about 5%, values between 5 to 10% signify a good correlation, values between 10 to 20% signify a fair to poor correlation, and values above 20% signify a poor or unreliable correlation between tests. Multiple tests conducted on samples obtained from the same sources indicate similar values of same-lab repeatability for both the Micro-Deval and L.A. Abrasion tests. The coefficients of variation for the multiple tests were less than 10% for both methods. Considering the natural variability that occurs within an aggregate source, the measured variations were low, indicating good repeatability of the test methods. This conclusion has also been supported by others (Jayawickrama et al., 2006; Tarefder et al., 2003; and Hunt, 2001). Repeatability of the Sodium Sulfate test was not examined in this study. The relationship between Micro-Deval test results and field performance was not examined in this study; however, evaluations by Fowler et al. (2006), Rangaraju et al. (2005), Tarefder et al. (20 03) and Wu et al. (1998) indicate that Micro-Deval test results relate well with field performance. An excellent correlation between rutting performance and Micro-Deval test results were observed by White et al. (2006). They sug There are many reference styles available to choose from. It is not very critical which one you use, as long as you are consistent throughout the report. The APA reference style is an appropriate choice. You can quickly generation citations for your reference list using the online citation generator from RefME (RefME, 2016). Always review the text the generator has populated in the form for you as it is not always accurate. Entries in the reference list are sorted alphabetically. Some examples of common references for the reference list and in-text citations are shown below. Websites Robertson, J. (2016, August 8). Man solves Rubiks cube while free-falling. Retrieved August 9, 2016, from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/learning-to-solve-a-rubik-s-cube-while-free-falling-1.3712116 RefME. (2016). FREE APA citation generator format. Retrieved July 30, 2016, from https://www.refme.com/ca/citation-generator/apa/ In-text Citation: (Robertson, 2016) In-text Citation: (RefME, 2016) Books Felder, R. M., Brent, R. (2016). Teaching and learning stem: A practical guide. United States: John Wiley Sons. In-line Citation: (Felder Brent, 2016) Journal Articles Lombardo, S. J. (2010). Teaching technical writing in a lab course in chemical engineering. Chemical Engineering Education, 44(1), 58-62. In-line Citation: (Lombardo, 2010)

Asset Valuation Paper :: Business Accounting

Asset Valuation Accounting for Managerial Decision-Making Introduction To start a new business and remain in business profitably, many critical decisions must be made when the foundation of a new business is formed. These decisions affect the company in the long run and often make or break an organization. Methods of inventory control and capitalization policies are among these critical decisions that will affect any business bottom line. Our team has investigated these policies and will present our recommendation for the method of inventory and capitalization policy for the XYZ Mattress Store in the remainder of this paper. Inventory Policy Selecting the valuation method for reporting and valuing is based on key issues relating to the relevance and reliability of the method of accounting for that item. According to finetuning.com (2005) "how you identify items in inventory and determine which have been sold will depend on the nature of the products, the volume of the products, how they are tracked, and inventory rotation." Key factors to consider under the inventory policy are: location of storage facilities, temperature, security, rotation of stock, cost, training, periodic inventories, and control. caycon.com (2005) wrote: "Valuing a startup is intrinsically different from valuing established companies. Because of the high level of risk and often little or no revenues, traditional quantitative valuation methods like (P/E) per-share earnings comparables or discounting free cash flows are of little use. Startup valuations are largely determined based on qualitative attributes." To select an inventory valuation method, the options are FIFO, LIFO and Weighted Average. The valuation method for (FIFO) First-in, first out: Answers.com (2005) defines this as a "common method for recording the value of inventory. It is appropriate where there are many different batches of similar products." This method describes the first item coming in will be the first item going out of the inventory. Retailinventories.com (2005) wrote "cost flow assumption assumes that the oldest inventory is sold first. The ending balance of inventory is valued at the most recent purchase price. FIFO produces a more relevant balance sheet since the ending balance in inventory reflects its current value." An example of this would be: Ending balance in inventory would be 30 units of the most recent purchases. 30 x 300=9,000 E/B = 9,000.

Biblical and secular perspectives on the causes of dysfunctional turnover

Biblical and secular perspectives cause a dysfunctional turnover in business. A dysfunctional turn over refers to the kind of turnover where good performers leave the company. Many employees and especially high performers will leave their work or positions if their sincerely held religious believes practices and observances requested are not adhered to by the company managers. Religious observances include praying, attending worship services, displaying of religious objects wearing of religious symbols and adhering to specific dietary rules.Determining whether a kind of practices is biblical or religious does not depend on the nature of a particular activity but on the motivation of the employee. This same practice might be engaged in by one person for biblical purposes and another person for specifically secular reasons. For example an employee might observe specific dietary restrictions for religious reasons while another employee will adhere to the very same dietary restrictions j ust for secular reasons. This might call for a reasonable accommodation if it is just for religious reason.Many employees do not feel good when their secular or religious believes are assumed by their employers and they will therefore end up leaving the work place. For example according to Christianity the bible says that every seventh day is a Sabbath day and therefore every one should rest. Someof the Christian employees hold this biblical saying with a lot of regard and therefore if an employer disregards this day then they may quit their jobs for no other reasons other than that. Dysfunctional turn over is also facilitated by secular reasons.For example some of the employers will want to have increased salaries, holidays, promotions nay many other worldly things. If the employee fails to provide this then many employees will end up quitting jobs. Secular employees are very hardworking and committed to their careers and puts God aside from their job. There are various strategies for increasing the retention of high performers. One of the strategies is the hiring of the right person. This is because the correct candidates are quickly in adopting the strategy referred to as â€Å"train for skill hire for fit†.The other strategy is integration for success. This is because turnover can be brought down by the implementation of a thorough and well orientation program. The other strategy is phase training. This can be achieved if employees are provided with basic training at the outset but as the employees build time and experience with the company then further training can be offered according to the recognition of their growth. The other strategy is the provision of growth opportunities.This is because the more the employees feel that they have the ability to grow and even become more marketable then the more they are likely to stay. Nowadays employees are taking ownership of their carriers by recognizing the need to continuously upgrade and refine their skills. Employers who offer easily accessible and relevant kind of training tends to have a declined turnover. The other strategy is the alignment of aspirations with contributions. This can be achieved through the matching of interests and skills of the employees and their respective work assignments.This can be possible only if the employers provide an environment where employees have the capacity to make necessary adjustments so that they can be effectively aligned with what the company needs them to do and what they are talented and what they find to be enjoyable. The other strategy is the motivation of the troops; this can be done through the assessment of the underlying motivators for work beyond the paycheck or salary. The main factor in the motivation of employees is through the creation of the sense of affiliation within the company. This creates a two way kind of relationship based on the meeting of the mutual needs.Employees must be motivated to feel the sense of their pu rpose in the organization. The other strategy is the making of the rewards count. This strategy can be achieved through making all the employee rewards immediate, appropriate and personal. For instant employees find the receiving of a bonus check at the end of the year less or smaller compared to frequent payouts. The other strategy is the enlistment of problem solvers. This strategy can be achieved if and the employers invite the employees when solving the company problems. This is because a shared problem approach creates a deep ownership for employees in the company’s triumph.Many companies with formal retention and succession plans tend to show low costs per new hire and also lower cost of separation per employee. This helps the human resource professionals in validation the retention costsuch as expensive benefits package which are vital to successful employee retention. High performing employees are always concentration on their work if they are given proper treatment a nd this leads to increased performance at work and reduced cost of production thus resulting into increased return on investment (Gardner, 1).

This Charming Man Essay Example

This Charming Man Essay Example This Charming Man Essay This Charming Man Essay This Charming Man May 22nd, 1959. Steven Patrick Morrissey was given to us by the lord himself. Placed into Manchester, England. A man who could express the disdain feelings of a sasss world youth through his lyrics, and his gravity defying duckbill hair. Mostly being known as the frontal of the Smiths; he truly defined Indies/new wave music permanently, As it still affects the interests of others to this day. Morrissey began expressing his feelings through writing, and by 1982 he had founded the Smiths with Johnny Marry. His iconic lyrics, and Johnnys unmistakable laying, landed their first single Hand in Glove to hit #1 on the I-J charts by 1983. They continued to release singles every few months through 1987. To give you an idea of the morbid genius lyrics this man came up with, heres a few excerpts. Oh sweetness, sweetness I was only Joking when I said by rights you should be bludgeoned in your bed Taken from Bigmouth Strikes Again (1986, #26). Or l called to wish you an unhappy birthday because youre evil and you lie and if you should die I may feel slightly sad, but I wont cry. From Unhappy Birthday (1987). No one else wrote like he did, and in my opinion, none ever could. I also find the way he carries himself to help show why he is the greatest entertainer. He had a knack for pissing people off. He would often make remarks such as reggae is vile. Morrissey was never afraid to push his opinions over his work. He was a very sthrong vegan and chose to release an album by the title Meat is Murder (1985). Unfortunately, this outgoing personality causes him to be a little bit annoying. He tends to constantly cancel his shows for minute whiny personal reasons. On stage he often showed a heavily flamboyant androgynous personality, which is highly entertaining. Especially in his early years. He would wear polka-dot pink button ups with large flower bouquets shoved in his pants, Taking time to caress the audience and dance around. As he continues his career solo, His performance has settled to business shirts, and shaking hands. Finally, I find his work to have helped define music for his time period by far. When comparing bands during the new wave period, many names come up. Joy Division/New order, The Cure, Depth Mode, The Bibs. The Smiths would still always be included . To me they were better than the latter. They stood out. They managed during a Synch driven genre, to make history with some guitars and vocal performance. Because of this, I find his work to have inspired countless music since his first released song. The Cranberries, The National, and Foxtrot are all modern bands obviously inspired by Morrissey. Having said l dont perform, seals perform. Morrissey still is the lasting spacewalked for the worlds greatest entertainer. A space I dont see being taken anytime soon. By MacDraw

Civil Disobedience Essays - Civil Disobedience, Nonviolence

Civil Disobedience Essays - Civil Disobedience, Nonviolence Civil Disobedience Civil Disobedience Civil disobedience is the refusal to obey civil laws. This refusal is in the form of nonviolence. People who use civil disobedience are usually protesting a law that they think is unjust. Usually, they are also willing to accept any penalty like imprisonment. Henry David Thoreau was born in 1817 at Concord, Massachusetts. He was Educated at Harvard University. During his early years Henry spent most of his time walking in the wilderness or talking with his mentor and friend Ralph Waldo Emerson. In July of 1846, Henry needed his shoes which had holes in them repaired. After the cobbler repaired the shoes Henry exited the store and was approached by Sam Staples, the town constable. Sam asked Henry to pay his poll tax. Henry intentionally did not pay his taxes because the revenues were used to help finance the United States war with Mexico and supported the enforcement of slavery laws. Since Henry refused to pay, Sam Staples was required to take Henry to jail. Henry spent the night in jail. During that evening someone heard of Henry's problem and paid his taxes. Most people think that Henry's Aunt paid the taxes but no one knows for sure. When Henry found out that his tax had been paid, he was outraged . Henry argued that since he was not the one who paid the taxes he still deserved to be in jail. The night he spent in jail prompted Henry to write one of the most Famous essays in American history, On the duty of Civil Disobedience. Henry's book was published on September 6, 1847. Henry had a great impact on The lives of America's greatest leaders.

IFRS Regulatory Framework for Financial Reporting Assignment

IFRS Regulatory Framework for Financial Reporting - Assignment Example Regulators, investors, shareholders, employees, managers and rest of the stakeholders view financial reporting as the most essential element for making financial decisions. Uniformity promoted through the IFRS, being implemented by International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), facilitates easy comparison and setting of benchmarks on an international scale. Countries have adopted the IFRS, but many find significant holdouts on its implementation. This paper is aimed at an analysis of the advantages of IFRS adoption and implementation, by highlighting the benefits to investors and managers as well as the disadvantages and weaknesses associated with the same. The debate concludes to suggest some changes that IASB can undertake in order to meet those challenges. The IFRS model, as opposed to most other accounting standards, requires extensive application of fair valuations, while measuring the assets and liabilities. The primary aim of the IFRS is to fix the Balance Sheet and put it right, which might bring about a huge precariousness in the income statement. However, as against the more popular, GAAP system of accounting, the IFRS is a principle based accounting system and not rule based. The principle based approach in maintaining accounts allows for more flexibility and discretion in maintenance of financial statements. This permits companies to choose the best way possible to reflect their accounts. Clear and defined principles make it easier to maintain accounts, rather than following rules with no supporting principle (Diffen, n.d.). IFRS adoption also facilitates making comparisons between two firms based in different countries. If the accounting standards and practices are the same, then it becomes easier for companies to undertake mergers and acquisitions. Also, use of one common accounting language is easier for companies, which have subsidiaries abroad. Companies are also able to raise capital from abroad,

The Underclass and Group Offending Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Underclass and Group Offending - Essay Example However, since the term underclass was coined, there has not been a precise definition of the term underclass but most sociologists have now come to define underclass as those members of the society whose incomes fall below the level of poverty and may be eligible for assistance by the government. Wilson (1987) attempts to define the underclass as the most deprived sections of the urban community composed of black population, the heterogeneous grouping of individuals and families outside the main employment of the American system. He stated that this group includes those people lacking necessary skills, training to secure employment, have not been in employment for a long-term or are not members of the mainstream labour force. They are those individuals that are often engaged in crime and other forms of behaviour that are abhorred by the society and have experienced long spells of poverty relying on assistance by the government (Wilson 1987, p.8). ... power, the labour government of Prime Minister Tony Blair appreciated the menace posed by the underclass by setting p a social exclusion unit that would deal with what it referred to as Margaret Thatcher’s underclass that defines people who were without jobs and skills, often without homes and hopeless. These individuals were also considered alienated from the conventional setting of a society (Mark 2011); therefore according to the studies by Murray, the underclass are not only defined by their economic positions but also by their behaviour in that they respond to their lowly economic situations through engagement in behaviour that can be deemed to be deplorable (Murray 1990, p.68). One distinct area associated with the underclass and group offending is found among gangs who in most cases belong to a minority underclass found in urban areas. Gangs are often avenues for particular groups of people especially the underclass to get out of poverty and in the mix, they are always brought into the world of crime and the gangs are normally organized in peer groups, street gangs or criminal networks that are organized. Several researchers have suggested that the existence of gangs and gang-related crimes increase when there are limited economic opportunities available. A study conducted by the Crime Justice Research Centre of Ohio State University found that when jobs were lost in the industries, unemployment became rampant; consequently, there was always an upsurge of gangs engaging in criminal activities (Watts 1992, p.819-820). These findings confirm that there is a direct correlation between criminal activities, lack of employment and poverty often associated with the underclass, and most people join gangs discerning that it can provide them with an opportunity to be