Wednesday, December 25, 2019

What Is The Right Thing - 997 Words

What is the right thing to do? This is often a simple yet very challenging question for people to answer. On the topic of lying, is it okay to do it in certain situations and not in others, or should you always tell the truth? There is never one right answer for this question. One of the most common situations presented is this: Imagine you are on a cruise and the captain announces that the ship is sinking and everyone needs to load onto life rafts. The only issue is that there are 11 people and the life raft only fits 10. You have the choice of kicking one person off the boat and the remaining 10 people live or fit all 11 people on the boat with the chances of everyone drowning before the rescue boat shows up. In this essay I will present both the result-oriented and act-oriented approaches to ethics and how each would react in the situation presented. The result-oriented and act oriented approaches to ethics are only two of the ways to approach an ethical issue. These two approaches are the two most common approaches to determining whether or not a situation is ethical or not. Each person may have a different approach or choose a certain approach based on their upbringings and how situations in their life had previously been handled. For example, I choose to not lie to my parents because I was raised in a very trustworthy and accepting environment where I had no reason to lie, whereas, someone that is raised in a very strict household may tend to refrain from telling toShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Book Justices : What Is The Right Thing Essay1540 Words   |  7 PagesWhat is justice? In real life, we all look forward to fairness, and do things according to its fairness, but most of us do not have a profound understanding of justice. In the book Justices: What Is The Right Thing To Do? Michael J. Sandel searches and explores t he meaning of justices, and he invites all the readers to discuss about many controversies that raised in today’s society. Sandel exams major approaches to define justices from utilitarianism, libertarianism to freedom, and he believes thatRead MoreGender Inequality : What s The Right Thing?1283 Words   |  6 PagesInequality Gender inequality is an on going topic in society today. Women continue to struggle in finding equality next to men. Women should have the exact same rights as men, no matter what the differences are between the two genders. In the book Justice: What s the Right Thing to Do, Aristotle’s theory of justice is â€Å"giving people what they deserve† (Sandel 9). Women should not be restricted or constrained from anything that men have the free will and power to do. Instead, women should be treatedRead MoreAffirmative Action : What s The Right Thing?1320 Words   |  6 Pagesis packed with nuance. It can be difficult to fully assess whether affirmative action is a good thing when discussing it in terms of what is just and what is unjust. Professor Michael J. Sandel argues in favor of affirmative action. However, the arguments he uses when presenting his case are not particularly strong. In the â€Å"Arguing Affirmative Action† section of his book, Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? Sandel presents three arguments in supporting affirmative action. The first argument isRead More Cloning: What is the right thing to do? Essay1362 Words   |  6 Pages Multiple Source Essay Cloning: What is the Right thing to do? Cloning offers many applications, especially in medicine, however, in spite of the many advantages, many people still consider the idea of human cloning, and the practice of cloning all together to be immoral. This opinion is rarely based on a careful analysis of facts, often only a spontaneous reaction. Cloning technology has potential for doing much good, research in human cloning should continue, although some applications of itRead MoreIs It The Right Thing For Me? Join The War After College?1064 Words   |  5 PagesIn life, we are constantly faced with situations and scenarios where we have to make choices. Deciding which choices we make is often times determined by what we deem as right and wrong. There are no clear-cut, black and white answers to these questions, so we have to take it upon ourselves to do our best to make the right choices. Imagine this, your country is heading to war, and you want to help serve your country against the terrorists attacking your home. So you go to school majoring in the enimesRead MoreEthics : Ethics And Ethics851 Words   |  4 Pagesactions and suggest difficult priorities† (Berger). His meaning behind that quote is simple. In this world is there a right and a wrong way of doing something? In this world, ethics determines our actions and the consequences that come about those actions, determining right and wrong. The real question is however, are Ethics black and white? Is what is â€Å"right†, always right? Is what is â€Å"wrong† always wrong? Are ethics relative? In many ethical scenarios, there is one way and then there is the otherRead MoreEssay, Langston Hughes, And The Road Not Taken1107 Words   |  5 Pagesthe courage to do the right thing. These commentaries, short stories, and poems are all trying to send a message. Try to do the right thing when called upon. After reading the texts Doing the Right Thing, Thank You Ma’am, and The Road Not Taken, it is evident that all the main characters found their courage from someone they looked up to/ a role model, something they didn’t want to lose, or something bad that they didn’t want to happen. Sometimes doing the right thing takes a little motivationRead MoreWhat Gets Measured Gets Done1464 Words   |  6 Pagesmeasurability. On their background, only what gets measured gets done. In the following, this statement is critically reviewed. E.g. are there things that can not be measured properly but need to be - and are done - as well? What is the impact from the planning of the measurement process on the measured process? How feasible is measurement? Definition In itself, what gets measured gets done is a tautology, as we perceive (e.g. what is done) only what we measure - understood as processing sensoryRead More Ethics and Morality: Right and Wrong Essay1001 Words   |  5 Pages I strongly believe that some acts are morally right and others morally wrong. Though in society today I find many different people with many different opinions on this some issues. The way someone was raised or the experiences they have faced could be what has molded these beliefs. The differences between right and wrong are not always the same in each persons head and this is where we face controversy. Morals differ from person to person resulting in confrontations dealing with moralityRead MoreFreedom Of Speech Should Not Be Legal1644 Words   |  7 Pagesway. Freedom of speech is the right to express any opinion without being restrained by anyone, expressing ourself in part of being a person in that s what makes up who we are. We could believe in things,people or anything we have strong beliefs in. Students of any college should not be told by any any college officials what they can say and what they cannot say, they should be able to express any beliefs they feel strong about .students should be able to express what they out without being told by

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Same Sex Marriage Essay - 871 Words

The argument of same-sex marriage is an important one. The question of legalization of same sex marriages is an issue in many of our states today. I would like to argue that same-sex marriages do not infringe on any civil rights, but it is also immoral. We, as Christians, should not be afraid to stand up and use our Constitutional rights to speak against same-sex marriages. The debate over whether same-sex marriage should be legalized has focused on the infringement of civil rights. State recognition of marriages is not a common right. States control marriages in many ways, not just by denying same sex gender the right to marry. Approximately half of all states deny first cousins from marrying and all deny marriage of closer blood†¦show more content†¦Unions of same-sex partners should not involve children. There is no natural way that two women or two men can conceive and have children. Same-sex partners should not be given custody or the ability to adopt a child. Homosexual parents may not cause a child to become a gay or lesbian, but it does deprive the child of a mother (female) and father (male). Children long to bond emotionally with their parents, especially the parent of their own gender. The relationship is a fundamental part in the process of growing to feel complete as males and females. If same-sex marriages are legalized a nd homosexuals are allowed to adopt or is granted custody of children, no matter what we as Christians believe, public schools will be required to teach that homosexual relations are considered to be as equal to heterosexual relationships are. Today, we as parents are being challenged enough already with what are children are taught in school and society. If you think not, may I remind you that our children can be given birth control without our knowledge. If same-sex marriages are made legal, they will be teaching our children that homosexuality is just as natural as heterosexuality. The argument over same-sex marriages is not only about tolerance, but of preference of the option of a lifestyle. Gays have no right to demand that we as Christians, orShow MoreRelatedSame Sex Marriages Essay1773 Words   |  8 PagesSame Sex Marriages Introduction From the day we are born to the day that we die the one thing EVERYONE is looking for is that one person that they could spend the rest of their lives with. Each person dreams about their one true love, someone they can marry, have a family with and live happily ever after. We were all taught this at a very young age watching the adults around us, and Disney movies about finding our prince charming, but what if you fall in love with someone you never expected? WhatRead MoreSame Sex Marriage Essay1370 Words   |  6 PagesWhat are others doing? Canada is not the first country in the world to address whether and how to legally recognize same-sex unions. Indeed, Canada is coming to the debate later than many countries. Several countries have debated this issue for many years and have come up with a variety of approaches, ranging from same-sex marriage in the Netherlands to the legal recognition of domestic partners, registered partnerships and civil unions in Scandinavia, parts of Europe and parts of the United StatesRead MoreSame-Sex Marriage Essay1633 Words   |  7 Pagesare still struggling to earn civil liberties, like same-sex marriage. If some change isn’t made now, their struggle for rights could last even longer than other minorities have endured. Since there is no national ruling made to abolish same-sex marriage, each state sets its own laws regarding gay marriage. Currently in the US, five states allow same-sex marriage, several states offer civil unions, and the large majority of states ban same-sex marri age. Today, several groups, including ConservativesRead MoreSame-Sex Marriage Essay1536 Words   |  7 PagesPeople can define marriage in numerous ways. By definition, to marry means to join together. So, a marriage would constitute as a joining together of two individuals into a legal union, which means being joined as one. Some of the many purposes of marriage would include: family, companionship, financial benefits, commitment, and love. Starting a family is an important part of getting married, as well as the commitment to love just the one person for the rest of their lives. Financially, married couplesRead MoreSame-Sex Marriage Essay1474 Words   |  6 PagesJust about everyone has an opinion on whether same-sex couples should be allowed to legally marry. The arguments range from personal beliefs to what marriage is said to be in the Bible. Why should a couple be forbidden from showing each other along with family and friends that they are fully committed to each other? Wh at place is it for the government to say that said couple is not allowed to commit to the one who truly makes you happy? Why should these people who are willing to be together forRead MoreSame-Sex Marriage Essay1186 Words   |  5 PagesSupreme Court unanimously voted against the laws of Virginia that banned interracial marriage, officially ending years of oppression towards couples of different races (Loving). Yet today, decades after the civil rights movement, another form of subjugation is plaguing America. This subjugation is of the homosexual community, as most states ban same-sex marriage and refuse to even recognise it. Opponents of same-sex marriage state several reasons as to why it should not be permitted, however, these argumentsRead MoreSame Sex Marriage Essay877 Words   |  4 PagesSame Sex Marriage! There are many different views and opinions on the relationship between a man and a woman vs. the relationship between a man and a man or a woman and a woman for that matter. Same-sex marriage is a big issue in the United States, many are against it however; many are for it. If you do your research, you can find many negative and positive reasons for which society thinks it should be legal or illegal. What people fail to realize, is that what matters in a marriage is love. MarriageRead MoreSame-Sex Marriage Essay1176 Words   |  5 Pagesmany countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom have begun to acknowledge the rights of homosexuals. However, homosexuals are still fighting today to become equal with all citizens in hopes of receiving their respective rights. Same-sex marriage is against the axiom of many religions and is predicted to be controversial for a very long time. Nonetheless, we are known to have the separation of church from state. Separation of churc h and state is known to be the distance between organizedRead MoreSame-sex marriage debate. An essay AGAINST same sex marriages.773 Words   |  3 Pagesevolution of marriage: legalizing homosexual marriages. Not allowing homosexual marriages to be recognized by the government and to be legal would prevent changing a fundamental institution, would prohibit breaching the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and would prevent unthinkable consequences. Marriage has been around for as long as anyone can remember. And after all this time, it has changed very little in the eyes of the law. Every major religion and culture has embraced marriage as a unique relationshipRead MoreSame-Sex Marriage Essay examples1111 Words   |  5 Pages One of the biggest controversies sweeping the United States today is the fight in legalizing same-sex marriage. Some states such as Connecticut in 2008, Vermont in 2009, Massachusettes in 2004, New Hapshire in 2010, New York in 2011, and the District of Columbia in 2010 have come to issue same-sex licenses (HRC, 2011). While others recognize same-sex marriages, Maryland in 2010 and Rhode Island in 2007, civil unions,Delaware and Hawaii in 2012, Illinois in 2011 and New Jersey in 2007, and domestic

Monday, December 9, 2019

Where Did UNIX Come From and Why Are There Differe Essay Example For Students

Where Did UNIX Come From and Why Are There Differe Essay nt Versions Of UNIX?The first efforts at developing a multi-user, multi-tasking operating systemwere begun in the 1960s in a development project called MULTICS. While workingfor Bell Telephone Laboratories in 1969 and 1970, Ken Thompson and DennisRitchie began to develop their own single-user, multi-tasking small operatingsystem and they chose the name UNIX. Their initial goal was simply to operatetheir DEC PDP machines more effectively. In 1971, UNIX became multi-user andmulti-tasking, but it was still just being developed by a small group ofprogrammers who were trying to take advantage of the machines they had at hand. (In other words, this operating system that they were developing did not run onany machine made by Bell!)In 1973, Dennis Ritchie rewrote the UNIX operating system in C (a language hehad developed.) And in 1975, the portability of the C programming language wasused to port UNIX to a wide variety of hardware platforms. For legal reasons,Bell Labs was not able to market UNIX in the 1970s, though they did share thisoperating system with many universities most notably UC-Berkeley. This led tosome of the variations in UNIX which we see today. After the divestiture of theBell System, their parent company, ATT, became much more interested inmarketing a commercial version of UNIX. And today we see that many companieshave now licensed their own version:ATTs System V,Versions of System V such as SCOs Xenix and IBMs AIXBerkeleys UNIX (called BSD for Berkeley System Development),Versions of Berkeley UNIX such as Sun Microsystems SunOS, DECs Ultrix andCarnegie Mellon Universitys Mach(used on the NEXT). Category: Technology

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Innovative Emerging Technologies Leveraging Social Media

Introduction to the Readings There are many ways of how technologies can be used to improve the quality of a human life. People believe that the concept of technology should be associated with something new. However, the idea of the technological worth is as old as a human society because technology refers to a kind of craft and the discussions that take place around arts (Woods Woods, 2011).Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Innovative Emerging Technologies: Leveraging Social Media specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This paper aims at discussing the role of innovative and emerging technologies in modern society and the ways of how social media can be used in business, communication, and other activities. There are three main readings that can help to comprehend the development of the technological aspect and discuss social media as the means to find and exchange information. The work by Nambisan and Nam bisan (2008) introduces social media as a chance to involve customers in product design, development, and support. McAfee (2006) discusses the worth of Enterprise 2.0 as a good chance to promote collaboration among employees. The project developed by Bernoff and Li (2008) describes the sources with the help of which people can stay connected with each other, share information, promote communication, and use technologies to improve their business affairs. Social Media Technologies and Its Worth for Business The project by Nambisan and Nambisan (2008) examines the concept of a virtual customer environment (VCE) and the number of benefits of the possibility to engage ordinary people, who perform the roles of customers, in such activities as product development, design, support, marketing, etc. The VCE initiatives that can be interpreted as various social media technologies help companies learn better their customers and analyze their needs and expectations. There are many methods that can be used to gather information, share experience, and introduce new ideas. Regarding the current technological progress and the opportunities available to people via the Internet, it is not appropriate to consider online technologies as the only ways of exchanging information. Such organizations as Nokia, Nike, and Microsoft want to develop close relations with their customers using different technologies and gathering as much information as possible. The access to information helps customers perform new roles in the organizations and become the partners, who are ready to provide many other customers with product support services (Nambisan Nambisan, 2008). Customers may share several types of experiences using technologies. For example, they can be pragmatic and use the opportunities to learn better the properties of products and services. Technologies and the possibilities available to customers also help to develop hedonic experience when customers enjoy and get pleasure from everything they are involved in. Rating systems, knowledge centers, forums, and customer recognition programs are the best examples of how social media and the technological progress may be combined.Advertising Looking for critical writing on other technology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Benefits and Challenges of Platforms and Channels for Users People like to share information and use the Internet to find or deliver something. They promote tweeting and using Facebook or MySpace but fail to understand how many platforms and channels should be used to make such communication possible (Resmini Rosati, 2011). The article written by Andrew McAfee is the source that explains a variety of technologies and their rightness in regard to knowledge work that has to be performed by people, who have to collaborate with technologies regularly. Among the existing variety of sources for communication, exchange of information, and discus sions of thoughts, it is hard to understand if all of them are appropriate for people and their obligation to use and develop knowledge. McAfee (2006) offers to use Enterprise 2.0 technologies as an alternative for people to overcome the potential threats and help knowledge people benefit not only use technologies but make considerable contributions that promote development and survival. There is an evident fact that there are more users of technologies in comparison to their developers. People find it normal to use the already offered ideas and technological achievements to meet their personal and professional needs. However, they make themselves blind in front of innovative and emerging technologies. McAfee (2006) underlines the potential of Enterprise 2.0 â€Å"to usher in a new era by making both the practices of knowledge work and its outputs more visible† (p. 28). Still, the situation remains to be complicated because even if being confident in the importance of a new p rogram, McAfee is not sure if the changes are appropriate for ordinary users and if people are ready for any kind of change. The Power of Social Web for People The final article is developed by Bernoff and Li (2008) to discuss the peculiarities of blogs, social networks, and other means of communication and their impacts on people and their achievements. Barney (2011) proves the fact new information and communication technologies have been developed considerably during the last decade. Bernoff and Li introduce groundswell applications as a concept to be terrified about and fascinated with. On the one hand, people want to benefit with such application due to the possibility to consider the cultural, political, and personal aspects of communication. On the other hand, people do not want to have access to all sources of information and know a little about what they can do with all those possibilities. People have different attitudes to the technological gifts. Some of them like to writ e and develop blogs. Some people are interested in reading texts. Many people want to use social network sites, share the latest news, and exchange personal information. A number of people cannot resist the opportunity to watch video online. In other words, online technologies may provide people with a number of options, and people are free to choose what they prefer.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Innovative Emerging Technologies: Leveraging Social Media specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, it is necessary to comprehend that technologies may be used for not only entertainment or meeting their professional goals. It is important to contribute to the technological development. It is time for people to start thinking about their abilities and stop paying and using services only. The development of groundswell applications is the change to conduct research, promote marketing, develop sales, etc. C onclusion In general, the usage of social media and innovative technologies is a burning topic for discussions. People are able to introduce various opinions and attitudes to the role of technology in a human life. Still, there is one common idea that is supported by Bernoff and Li (2008), Nambisan and Nambisan (2008), McAfee (2006), and many other researchers: people have to know how to develop appropriate relations with technologies and use them to meet their professional and personal goals as well as contribute the technological development by means of personal ideas and skills. Customers, managers, employees, and ordinary users of social media should not be afraid of the abilities they get with technologies but learn how to enlarge their chances to succeed from a technological point of view. References Barney, D. (2011). Communication technology. Vancouver, BC: UBC Press. Bernoff, J. Li, C. (2008). Harnessing the power of the oh-so-social web. MIT Sloan Management Review, 49(3) , 36-42. McAfee, A.P. (2006). Enterprise 2.0: The dawn of emergent collaboration. MIT Sloan Management Review, 47(3), 21-28. Nambisan, S. Nambisan, P. (2008). How to profit from a better ‘virtual customer environment’. MIT Sloan Management Review, 49(3), 53-61. Resmini, A. Rosati, L. (2011). Pervasive information architecture: Designing cross-channel user experiences. Burlington, MA: Elsevier.Advertising Looking for critical writing on other technology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Woods, M. Woods, M.B. (2011). Ancient communication technology: From hieroglyphics to scrolls. Minneapolis, MN: Twenty-First Century Books. This critical writing on Innovative Emerging Technologies: Leveraging Social Media was written and submitted by user Aurora Scott 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.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Psycho ~ The Violence and the essays

Psycho ~ The Violence and the essays Violence and sexuality are usually the theme for action movies. In Hitchcock's Psycho, violence is brought out as a substitute for sexuality. Norman Bates uses violence to release his sexual frustration. Two clues in the movie to support such an idea are: taxidermy and the shower murder. To most people, taxidermy is a hobby; in Normans case, stuffing birds can be viewed as a sign of violence and sexuality. Hobbies are usually regarded as innocent activities of casual interest, designed to help pass the time. Stuffing birds in a way is a cruel treatment to animals for it involves killing and suffering. The Oxford English Dictionary defines taxidermy as "the act of preparing and preserving the skins of animals, and stuffing and mounting them so as to present the appearance, attitude, etc. of the living animal." Norman enjoys doing such thing in order to keep the creatures in his possession. People who like stuffing birds are not all necessary violent, or have the tendency that Norman does. Norman grows up in a single parent family His mother is a controlling and demanding woman who takes away his chance of socializing and disconnects him from society. Thus, we can imagine how little association Norman has had with women. Moreover, the mothers overprotection causes a permanent breakdown of masculinity for Norman. Normans masculinity is replaced by a horrendous and power-obsessed femininity. Norman doesnt appreciate the way his mother treats him. The viewer sees his dissatisfaction from the argument Norman has with his mother when he invites Marion to the house for dinner. It is not the mother herself fighting with Norman. It is Norman impersonating the mother and imagining the way his mother would be treats him in such a case. Needless to say, Norman has built up his anger towards the mother over the years. His desire for a woman and his discontentedness towards his mother have to be release...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Philip Zimbardo and the Stanford Prison Experiment

Philip Zimbardo and the Stanford Prison Experiment Philip G. Zimbardo, born March 23, 1933, is an influential social psychologist.  He is best known for the influential- yet controversial- study known   as the â€Å"Stanford Prison Experiment,† a study in which research participants were â€Å"prisoners† and â€Å"guards† in a mock prison. In addition to the Stanford Prison Experiment, Zimbardo has worked on a wide range of research topics and has written over 50 books and published over 300 articles. Currently, he is a professor emeritus at Stanford University and president of the Heroic Imagination Project, an organization aimed at increasing heroic behavior among everyday people. Early Life and Education Zimbardo was born in 1933 and grew up in the South Bronx in New York City. Zimbardo writes  that living in an impoverished neighborhood as a child influenced his interest in psychology: â€Å"My interest in understanding the dynamics of human aggression and violence stems from early personal experiences† of living in a rough, violent neighborhood. Zimbardo credits his teachers with helping to encourage his interest in school and motivating him to become successful. After graduating from high school, he attended Brooklyn College, where he graduated in 1954 with a triple major in psychology, anthropology, and sociology. He studied psychology in graduate school at Yale, where he earned his MA in 1955 and his PhD in 1959.  After graduating, Zimbardo taught at Yale, New York University, and Columbia, before moving to Stanford in 1968. The Stanford Prison Study In 1971, Zimbardo conducted his most famous and controversial study- the Stanford Prison Experiment. In this study, college-age men participated in a mock prison. Some  of the men were randomly chosen to be prisoners and even went through mock â€Å"arrests† at their homes by local police before being brought to the mock prison on the Stanford campus. The other participants were chosen to be prison guards. Zimbardo assigned himself the role of the superintendent of the prison. Although the study was originally planned to last two weeks, it was ended early- after just six days- because events at the prison took an unexpected turn. The guards began to act in cruel, abusive ways towards prisoners and forced them to engage in degrading and humiliating behaviors. Prisoners in the study began to show signs of depression, and some even experienced nervous breakdowns. On the fifth day of the study, Zimbardo’s girlfriend at the time, psychologist Christina Maslach, visited the mock prison and was shocked by what she saw.  Maslach (who is now Zimbardo’s wife) told him, â€Å"You know what, its terrible what youre doing to those boys.†Ã‚  After seeing the events of the prison from an outside perspective, Zimbardo stopped the study. The Prison Experiments Impact Why did people behave the way they did in the prison experiment? What was it about the experiment that made the prison guards behave so differently from how they did in everyday life? According to Zimbardo, the Stanford Prison Experiment speaks to the powerful way that social contexts can shape our actions and cause us to behave in ways that would have been unthinkable to us even a few short days before. Even Zimbardo himself found that his behavior changed when he took on the role of prison superintendent. Once he identified with his role, he found that he had trouble recognizing the abuses happening in his own prison: â€Å"I lost my sense of compassion,†Ã‚  he explains in an interview with Pacific Standard. Zimbardo explains that the prison experiment offers a surprising and unsettling finding about human nature. Because our behaviors are partially determined by the systems and situations we find ourselves in, we are capable of behaving in unexpected and alarming ways in extreme situations. He explains that, although people like to think of their behaviors as relatively stable and predictable, we sometimes act in ways that surprise even ourselves.  Writing about the prison experiment in The New Yorker, Maria Konnikova offers another possible explanation for the results: she suggests that the environment of the prison was a powerful situation, and that people often change their behavior to match what they think is expected of them in situations such as this. In other words, the prison experiment shows that our behavior can change drastically depending on the environment we find ourselves in. Critiques of the Prison Experiment Although the Stanford Prison Experiment has had a significant influence (it was even the inspiration for a film), some people have questioned the validity of the experiment. Instead of simply being an outside observer of the study, Zimbardo served as the prison superintendent and had one of his students serve as the prison warden. Zimbardo himself has admitted that he regrets being the prison superintendent and should have remained more objective. In a 2018 article for Medium, writer Ben Blum argues that the study suffers from several key flaws. First, he reports that several of the prisoners claimed being unable to leave the study (Zimbardo denies this allegation). Second, he suggests that Zimbardo’s student David Jaffe (the prison warden) may have influenced the behavior of the guards by encouraging them to treat prisoners more harshly. It’s been pointed out that the Stanford Prison Experiment demonstrates the importance of reviewing the ethics of each research project before the study goes forward, and for researchers to think carefully about the study methods that they use. However, despite the controversies, the Stanford Prison Experiment raises a fascinating question: how much does the social context influence our behavior? Other Work by Zimbardo After conducting the Stanford Prison Experiment, Zimbardo went on to conduct research on several other topics, such as how we think about time  and how people can overcome shyness.   Zimbardo has also worked to share his research with audiences outside of academia. In 2007, he wrote The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil, based on what he learned about human nature through his research in the Stanford Prison Experiment. In 2008, he wrote The Time Paradox: The New Psychology of Time That Will Change Your Life about his research on time perspectives. He has also hosted a series of educational videos titled Discovering Psychology. After the humanitarian abuses at Abu Ghraib came to light, Zimbardo has also spoken about the causes of abuse in prisons. Zimbardo was an expert witness  for one of the guards at Abu Ghraib, and he explained that he believed the cause of events at the prison were systemic.  In other words, he argues that, rather than being due to the behavior of a â€Å"few bad apples,† the abuses at Abu Ghraib occurred because of the system organizing the prison.  In a 2008 TED talk, he explains why he believes the events occurred at Abu Ghraib: â€Å"If you give people power without oversight, its a prescription for abuse.†Ã‚  Zimbardo has also spoken about the need for prison reform in order to prevent future abuses at prisons: for example, in a 2015 interview with Newsweek, he explained the importance of having better oversight of prison guards in order to prevent abuses from happening at prisons. Recent Research: Understanding Heroes One of Zimbardo’s most recent projects involves researching the psychology of heroism.   Why is it that some people are willing to risk their own safety to help others, and how can we encourage more people to stand up to injustice? Although the prison experiment shows how situations can powerfully shape our behavior, Zimbardo’s current research suggests that challenging situations don’t always cause us to behave in antisocial ways. Based on  his research on heroes, Zimbardo writes that difficult situations can sometimes actually cause people to act as heroes:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"A key insight from research on heroism so far is that the very same situations that inflame the hostile imagination in some people, making them villains, can also instill the heroic imagination in other people, prompting them to perform heroic deeds.†Ã‚   Currently, Zimbardo is president of the Heroic Imagination Project, a program that works to study heroic behavior and train people in strategies to behave heroically. Recently, for example, he has studied the frequency of heroic behaviors and the factors that cause people to act heroically. Importantly, Zimbardo has found from this research that everyday people can behave in heroic ways. In other words, despite the results of the Stanford Prison Experiment, his research has shown that negative behavior isn’t inevitable- instead, we are also capable of using challenging experiences as an opportunity to behave in ways that help other people. Zimbardo writes, â€Å"Some people argue humans are born good or born bad; I think that’s nonsense. We are all born with this tremendous capacity to be anything.† References Bekiempis, Victoria.   â€Å"What Philip Zimbardo and the Stanford Prison Experiment Tell Us About the Abuse of Power.†Ã‚   Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2015, www.newsweek.com/stanford-prison-experiment-age-justice-reform-359247.Blum, Ben. â€Å"The Lifespan of a Lie.† Medium: Trust Issues. https://medium.com/s/trustissues/the-lifespan-of-a-lie-d869212b1f62.Kilkenny, Katie.   â€Å"‘It’s Painful’: Dr. Philip Zimbardo Revisits the Stanford Prison Experiment.†Ã‚   Pacific Standard, 20 Jul. 2015, psmag.com/social-justice/philip-zimbardo-revisits-the-stanford-prison-experiment.Konnikova, Maria.   â€Å"The Real Lesson of the Stanford Prison Experiment.†Ã‚   The New Yorker, 12 June 2015, www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/the-real-lesson-of-the-stanford-prison-experiment.â€Å"Philip G. Zimbardo: Stanford Prison Experiment.†Ã‚   Stanford Libraries, exhibits.stanford.edu/spe/about/philip-g-zimbardo.Ratnesar, Romesh.   â€Å"The Men ace Within.†Ã‚   Stanford Alumni, July/Aug. 2011, alumni.stanford.edu/get/page/magazine/article/?article_id40741.Slavich, George M.   â€Å"On 50 Years of Giving Psychology Away: An Interview with Philip Zimbardo.†Ã‚   Teaching of Psychology, vol. 36, no. 4, 2009, pp. 278-284, DOI: 10.1080/00986280903175772, www.georgeslavich.com/pubs/Slavich_ToP_2009.pdf. Toppo, Greg. â€Å"Time to Dismiss the Stanford Prison Experiment?† Inside Higher Ed,  2018, June 20,  https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/06/20/new-stanford-prison-experiment-revelations-question-findings.Zimbardo, Philip G.   â€Å"Philip G. Zimbardo.†Ã‚   Social Psychology Network, 8 Sep. 2016, zimbardo.socialpsychology.org/.Zimbardo, Philip G.   â€Å"The Psychology of Evil.†Ã‚   TED, Feb. 2008, www.ted.com/talks/philip_zimbardo_on_the_psychology_of_evil.Zimbardo, Philip G.   â€Å"The Psychology of Time.†Ã‚   TED, Feb. 2009, www.ted.com/talks/philip_zimbardo_prescribes_a_healthy_take_on_time.Zimbardo, Philip G.   â€Å"What Makes a Hero?†Ã‚   Greater Good Science Center, 18 Jan. 2011, greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_makes_a_hero.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Advantages and Disadvantages of Globalisation on Business Essay - 1

Advantages and Disadvantages of Globalisation on Business - Essay Example The paper tells that globalization can be defined as a process where regional economies, culture, and societies have been integrated by trade and a worldwide-spanning network of communication. Globalisation exists in different dimensions. These dimensions include rapid technological advancement, foreign investment, capital flow, migration as well as international trade. Globalisation in simple context is considered as efforts to making the global society as a single village. This process is characterized by the production of goods in one region of the world and later distributed to the rest of the world. For instance, vehicles are manufactured in countries like Germany, United States, and Japan among others but are used in the rest of the world including Africa. Globalisation has integrated world economies for instance internet connections, and mobile phone has made people closer. This makes the world be a smaller village. Work can be distributed to any part of the world as far as th e internet connection is existing. In the business, context globalization serves to remove variation that exists and is geared to achieve universal platform. Globalisation influence issues and concerns in a business environment. Issues and concerns are the ones that are considered to affect business either positively or adversely. Economic globalization further integrates national economies to form an international economy through aforementioned dimensions of globalization. Jens-Uwe and Meera point outs that technological advancement and policy have played a crucial role in enabling global investment, immigration, and international trade. For instance, the current globalization in the United Kingdom is traced to be cooperative policies such as trading blocs. Globalisation is a tool that helps in eradication of state-enforced legislation on services and goods across the borders.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Facility safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Facility safety - Essay Example A visit to the field to assess the safety concerns of the university’s soccer field, various issues were realized. On the positive side, the field lacked pot holes, limiting any possible dangers they present. Secondly, sprinklers used to sprinkle the glass were completely sealed making the field safe for use. Next, every person is limited from using the field unless with authorization a safety measure that is essential in ensuring that the safety condition of the field remains intact (Azusa Pacific, 2015). Goalposts lack sharp corners as well as unsafe rusting indicating the quality of safety of using the goal posts while they equally remain well fastened into the ground. Horseplay limitation around the goal posts also serve in ensuring that the goals remain safe together with removal of nets after games serving as an extra safety measure. On the negative side, there is one significant issue that presents safety concerns in the form of availability of foreign objects in form of grass and papers was evident making the field unsafe for soccer. Safety soccer fields remain a necessity for the game of football (Oklahoma. Dept. of Labor, 2011). Soccer management teams and institutions need to ensure that effective measures are applied to ensure safety of players and that of the spectators. In respect to Cougar soccer field, there is need to ensure that once the grass is cut, the particles are fully removed. Consequently, papers mostly blown by the wind into the field should be removed before soccer games. Shannon,  J.  B. (2012). Sports injuries sourcebook: Basic consumer health information about the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of common sports-related injuries in children and adults ... etc. Detroit, MI:

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Hiroshima- John Hersey Essay Essay Example for Free

Hiroshima- John Hersey Essay Essay ‘Hiroshima is not merely a documentary, Hersey manages to inject into the narrative both compassion and awareness of the ultimate triumph of humanity. ’ Discuss Hiroshima from this perspective. Hiroshima is an historic depiction of a disaster that shocked the world. Utilizing the experiences of six Japanese atomic bomb survivors Hersey expresses compassion and awareness of the city’s triumph over the disaster. The narrative creates compassion by showing perseverance of common people and their journeys to overcome the tragedy. By using the patriotism of the dying victims Hersey creates empathy and outlines the nation’s indefatigable pride, He depicts Hiroshima’s triumph as a community uniting together to help each other in a time of adversity. The narrative focuses on six bomb survivors and their accounts during and after the bomb. Using the accounts of the survivors’ Hersey is able to extract compassion to the reader. Mrs Hatsuyo Nakamura was a widowed mother of three who suffered great poverty after the bomb; she was left torn and fragile. Suffering from radiation sickness and no means of income, Mrs Nakamura never loses hope. In an attempt to overcome her obstacles she worked countless jobs but barely earned enough to suffice. Regardless of how hard the task was physically and emotionally Mrs N was willing to do and sacrifice anything for the good of her children She earned barely enough for food†¦ Her belly began to swell up, and she had diarrhoea and so much pain she could no longer work at all†¦ The doctor treated Nakamura-san†¦to pay the doctor she was forced to sell her last valuable possession, her husband’s sewing machine. (p119, 120). And after all the hardship she was finally able to rebuild her life slowly: She felt at home in her body now; she rested when she needed, and she had no worries about the cost of medical care†¦It was time for her to enjoy life. (p128). Using her experiences Hersey is able to construct an emotional bond between the reader and Mrs Nakumura by retelling the hard and miserable journey she took just to stay alive and her triumph over her sickness and poverty. Mrs Nakumara was just one of the six stories Hersey used to convey compassion to the readers of Hiroshima. Hersey’s presentation of patriotism among dying bomb victims creates a sympathetic bond to the reader for their triumph over the devastation. After the attack on Hiroshima the survivors refused to die in vain in spite of what tragedy had hit their city. Even in the face of death, the survivors were rejoicing their heritage, dedicating their last breaths of life to their motherland and were determined keep their morale even after the devastation. One of the girls begun to sing Kimi Ga Yo, the national anthem, and others followed in chorus and died. (p 116). As a reader it was hard to comprehend the significance of honour these people felt for their country. After the bomb, they were suffering from poverty and tragedy, yet by hearing the emperors’ voice on broadcast they were touched and gratified: the Emperor, they cried with full tears in their eyes. ‘What a wonderful blessing it is that Tenno himself call on us and we can hear his own voice in person. We are thoroughly satisfied in such a great sacrifice †¦Japan started her new way. † (p 85) Hersey uses the patriotism of the survivors as an example of a triumph of humanity. The survivors were too proud to let the enemy take their last shred of hope their national dignity, opting to die with honour and pride. In addition to compassion, Hiroshima also raised awareness of the city’s triumph of humanity. A new sense of community and unification was present at the time of crisis; the atomic bomb left Hiroshima demolished. Hersey painted a dark and disastrous image, yet as a result, contrasted and portrayed the high points of humanity. Father Kleinsorge, a priest of the Society of Jesus, felt that he was an outsider prior to the bomb, yet after the bomb he was filled with gratitude for the cities new found acceptance: she came to him and said These are tea leaves. Chew them, young man, and you wont feel thirsty. The womans gentleness made Father Kleinsorge suddenly want to cry. For weeks, he had been feeling oppressed by the hatred of foreigners (p 70). The enemies’ intention to tear the city apart emotionally and physically backfired as it left the city stronger and united. One feeling they did seem to share†¦ was a curious kind of elated community spirit†¦ pride in the way they and their fellow-survivors had stood up to a dreadful ordeal(p114). Hiroshima raised awareness of the Japanese people’s indestructible spirit even when their city lay in ruins they would not be defeated and stayed strong. John Hersey’s Hiroshima gives a simple insight into one of the most devastating tragedy which creates compassion and awareness of Japans’ ultimate triumph of humanity. Hersey was able to use the perseverance of everyday people battling the effects of the atomic bomb to create compassion. In addition to this, he was able to express the importance of national-pride felt by victims who displayed patriotism, who were prepared to die for their honour. Hersey raised awareness of how Japanese civilians were able to unite and overcome the bombs aftermath. Hiroshima is not simply a monotonous documentation of the atomic bombs effects on a city, but a representation of empathy and compassion that notifies people of Japans triumph over adversity.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Free News in a Linked World Essay -- Internet Web Media Papers

Free News in a Linked World We usually classify communication media in three categories: published media, broadcast media and what Chris Chesher calls â€Å"invocational media†.1 The published media include newspapers, magazines and books. Radio and television are broadcast media — I would add speech as a nontechnological broadcast medium also. Invocational media represent communication tools used on interactive and networked digital computers.2 News delivery is present on every communication medium. I will look at the difference in value of the content between the media. And I will explain how the World Wide Web — as a new invocational medium — will bring back a public discourse based on logic and reason. And how it will re-democratize the libertarian press. Comparative Descriptions In published media — the oldest technological news distribution method — news is provided on a physical support on which alphabetical characters and images are printed. The support — a newspaper for example — must be distributed, and the user must acquire it. There is a sense of possession, of ownership evoked by the object. The content is made of texts, photographs and illustrations. It is self contained and can be consulted anywhere, at any time and in any way. Broadcast media are part of late nineteenth and twentieth century’s technological innovation. The technology behind broadcast news is based on linear streams of communicative content emitted from a base and transmitted through different means — copper cable or wave for example. To be able to view or hear the news, the user must acquire a receiving machine. Content is sent in real time and has no physical representation. News can be transmitted as it happens, but the user must be avai... ...a.org 14. From rabble.ca [www.rabble.ca] References Chesher, Chris â€Å"Why the Digital Computer is Dead† ctheory.net 04-04-2002 http://ctheory.net/text_file.asp?pick=334 Howe, Denis editor, Free On-line Dictionary of Computing http://www.foldoc.org/ Mann, Steve eyetap.org http://www.eyetap.org Mann, Steve with Hal Niedzviecki, Cyborg: Digital Destiny and Human Possibility in the Age of the Wearable Computer Double Day Canada, 2001 Markoff, John â€Å"Chapter 23 The Scribe† in John Brockman, Digerati http://www.edge.org/digerati/markoff/markoff_chapter.html Negroponte, Nicholas Being Digital Vintage Books, 1996 Postman, Neal Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business Penguin Books, 1986 Sormany, Pierre Le mà ©tier de journaliste: Guide des outils et des pratiques du journalisme au Quà ©bec Borà ©al, 1990

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Family Life Course Development

Family Life Course Development Focus & Scope Assumptions These are the assumptions that provide the foundation for Family Life Course Development Theory. 1. Developmental processes are inevitable and important in understanding families. – Individual family members, Interaction between family members, Structure of family, and The norms composing expectations about family roles all change over time. These changing roles and expectations for different stages of family are viewed as essential to an understanding of the family. . The family group is affected by all the levels of analysis. Social system (Institutional norms and conventions about the family) e. g. legal expectations like child abuse laws Aggregate Clusters (Families and norms structured by class and ethnicity) Social group – Family Sub-group – Relationships (e. g. Husband -Wife, Siblings, etc. ) Individual These general social norms represent the level of analysis of the family as a social institution. This institutional level of analysis is generally the one we refer to when we talk about â€Å"The Family† and is the level on which we often conduct cross-cultural comparisons (the U. S. family compared with the Japanese family). 3. Time is Multi-Dimensional Periodicity – An equal interval of time between each event on the clock. (e. g. jewel movements of a wrist watch‘s gears) However, our experience of time is perhaps not as regimented as periodicity would lead us to believe. Social Process Time- Family and personal experiences are used as a separate way to divide up time. (e. g. â€Å"When we first married† or â€Å"Before your sister was born†) Social norms are tied more closely to this social process dimension of time than to calendar or wristwatch time. Subsequently, for Family Life Course Development Theory, the family process dimension of time is critical to understanding and explaining family change because it provides the marker events for analyses. (E. g. births, weddings, deaths, etc. )

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Organizational Change Plan Essay

Electronic Health Record or EHR, is an electronic record of patient health information that includes demographics, progress notes, medications, vital signs, past medical history, and any other pertinent data that relates to a patient’s health record (â€Å"Himss†, 2012-2013). Electronic Health Records make clinical workflow more effective and efficient as well as provides monetary incentives from Medicare and Medicaid for those organizations that implement the use of these electronic records. CPOE, also known as Computerized Physician Order Entry, is a system utilized by physicians to enter in patient orders electronically. It is a safer and more effective way for doctors to enter orders for their patients and by using it, an organization will receive monetary benefits from Medicare and Medicaid. Change is important to any organization in order for that business to keep up with its competitors and to increase as well as improve the products and services that it provides to its customers. Technology plays a big role in the changes of an organization because technology is becoming more and more of a means of communication; whether it be in the form of communicating with cell phones to a physician communicating what orders he wants for a patient by using CPOE. The organization that I work for is in need of implementing Computerized Physician Order Entry in order to attest to and meet the requirements for Stage 2 for Meaningful Use. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has an EHR Incentive program that provides organizations monetary incentives for meeting certain requirements through the use of electronic health records. Their Meaningful Use requirements are split up into stages and in order to meet Stage 2, organizations have to implement certain requirements with the first being to use Computerized Physician Order Entry (Woodcock, 2010). Organizational and individual barriers such as lack of involvement from employees, lack of communication, fear and stress can cause issues when it comes to implementing a change such as CPOE. According to Barriers To Change (2007), â€Å"Involving employees as soon as possible in the change process and letting them create as much of the change as possible, is key to a successful change effort. â€Å" The organization that I work for has tried to involve the physicians in the building process of CPOE from the beginning. We have asked their input on what order sets would be good for them to have to make ordering easier and have let them practice in the Meditech Test environment by entering orders on fake patients; we have gotten really good feedback from the doctors that chose to come and it has helped with the change process. Inadequate communication is often the reason behind barriers to change and people being receptive to the change. Many people in the hospital did not know what CPOE was; communicating with them from the beginning about the system and what it actually is may have helped with the introduction of the system to the organization. Our hospital goes LIVE with CPOE September 24, 2013 and although administration was asked many months prior to this to inform the hospital of what was coming, most employees knew nothing about it until they came to the training classes that were held to show them how orders would be entered when we went up with CPOE. When it comes to change, certain details need to be shared with employees because they need to know why this change is occurring, what this change means for the organization itself, and what the change means for them and how it will affect their job(s). People often fear change, especially if they are not a part of it or aware of it. If employees understand why the change is occurring then they are more likely to accept it. CPOE can be a big change for an organization and can cause fear. Explain to employees what CPOE is, how it will improve patient safety in terms of legibility, and how it will create a better workflow for physicians and staff. According to Borkowski (2005), stress can certainly be increased due to change; it can create a physical as well as a psychological response in the work force. CPOE can put a lot of stress on physicians and supporting staff because their whole workflow has to change; learning a new routine of working needs encouragement and support from everyone. Factors that may influence the change could include content issues, process issues, contextual issues, and individual differences. Content issues are specific to each organization and refer to the change that is being implemented, in this case CPOE. These content issues can occur in an attempt to meet demands such as government regulations or changes in technological demands (â€Å"Factors Influencing Organizational Change Efforts,† n.d., p. 762). In the case of the organization that I work for they are implementing CPOE in order to meet the demands of Meaningful Use Stage 2 government requirements. Process issues are the actions that are taken during the implementation of the change and involve open, honest communication with employees about the change (â€Å"Factors Influencing Organizational Change Efforts,† n.d., p. 762). The organization should be honest with its employees about what CPOE is and why it is needed or why it will be a good change for the organization. They should also be efficient and express confidence that the change will be successful; knowing that administration is behind the change is an important part of being confident and showing employees that the organization is ready for this change (â€Å"Factors Influencing Organizational Change Efforts,† n.d., p. 763). Contextual issues deals with external factors that usually can’t be changed and internal factors that can be. External factors would include government regulations, as stated before, meeting Meaningful Use Stage 2 requirements. Internal factors would be attitudes or feelings about the change, lack of resources, or lack of knowledge about technology. If attitudes are negative coming from administration then employees are going to have a negative attitude towards the change as well. Administration or those implementing the change need to have a positive attitude and positive outlook on CPOE and express to employees that CPOE is going to improve workflow as well as patient safety when it comes to order entry. According to Factors Influencing Organizational Change Efforts (n.d.) organizations have a variety of individuals who have different attitudes and personalities that could influence the reaction and commitment to change. Individual differences can have a big impact on the implementation and the acceptance of CPOE; attitudes need to be positive and encouraging and communication needs to be open in order to have successful implementation of computerized physician order entry. Factors influencing organizational readiness mainly come from individuals themselves who are not ready or who do not want to accept the change. Individual readiness for change is when someone is open and willing to change; if the person is not open or willing then this affects their readiness for change. It seems as though the physicians are the ones who are the least ready for the change from paper charting to CPOE. Physicians are used to writing orders on paper, giving verbal orders or giving telephone orders and with CPOE this all changes. CPOE requires physicians to do their own ordering so verbal and telephone orders are supposed to be used as little as possible. Their readiness to change from ordering on paper to electronic ordering is not very high because they like the flexibility of being able to tell nurses to place orders for them and with CPOE this process is supposed to stop. Kurt Lewin’s change model of unfreezing, change and refreezing relates to the proposed change from placing orders on paper to electronic order entry. Unfreezing is an important step in the change process because it deals with communicating to employees about the change. Inform staff what CPOE is, why the hospital is making the change to CPOE and what CPOE means for the employees. Change deals with making the actual change from physicians ordering on paper to placing their own orders electronically. The refreezing stage is when the change has been implemented and accepted; the change has been accepted and the effects of the change are being monitored (Borkowski, 2005). Resources for the implementation of CPOE involved internal as well as external persons. Training will include superusers who will be available to assist staff on the units when the change is made. The Clinical Informatics team will be available extra hours to provide coverage on the CPOE Go Live day. Our facility uses Meditech so there will be Meditech consultants that come to assist us with the Go Live preparation of CPOE. Our physicians and nurses will have the coverage and help that they need with the implementation of Computerized Physician Order Entry. Resources Borkowski, N. (2005). Organizational Behavior in Health Care. Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. Factors Influencing Organizational Change Efforts. (n.d.). Journal of Organizational Change Management, 20(6), 761-773. Retrieved from http://www.emeraldinsight.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/journals.htm?articleid=1630997&show=abstract HiMSS. (2012-2013). Retrieved from http://www.himss.org/library/ehr/?navItemNumber=13261 Woodcock, E. (2010, September). . , 31(9), 91-92. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/docview/757065487

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Biography of Isabella dEste, Patron of the Renaissance

Biography of Isabella d'Este, Patron of the Renaissance Isabella dEste (May 19, 1474–February 13, 1539) was a patron of Renaissance learning, arts, and literature. She was actively involved in political intrigues among the nobles of Europe. Isabella left behind a voluminous correspondence of more than 2,000 letters, which provide much insight into the world of the Italian Renaissance. Fast Facts: Isabella d'Este Known For: Patron of the Italian RenaissanceBorn: May 19, 1474 in Ferrara, ItalyParents: Ercole I dEste and Eleanor of NaplesDied: February 13, 1539 in Mantua, ItalySpouse: Francesco Gonzaga (m. 1490-1519)Children: 8 Early Life Isabella dEste was born into the noble Ferrara family of Ferra, Italy on May 19, 1474. She may have been named for her relative, Queen Isabella of Spain. She was the eldest in her large family, and, according to contemporary accounts, was her parents favorite. Their second child was also a girl, Beatrice. Brothers Alfonso- the family heir- and Ferrante followed, and then two more brothers, Ippolitto and Sigismondo. Education Isabellas parents educated their daughters and sons equally. Isabella and her sister Beatrice both studied Latin and Greek, Roman history, music, astrology, and dancing. Isabella was accomplished enough in politics to debate with ambassadors when she was only 16. When Isabella was six, she became betrothed to the future fourth Marquis of Mantua, Francesco Gonzaga, whom she met the following year. They were married on February 15, 1490. Gonzaga was a military hero, more interested in sports and horses than in arts and literature, though he was a generous patron of the arts. Isabella continued her studying after her marriage, even sending home for her Latin books. Her sister Beatrice married the Duke of Milan, and the sisters visited each other often. Isabella was described as a beauty, with dark eyes and golden hair. She was famous for her fashion sense- her style was copied by noble women throughout Europe. Her portrait was painted twice by Titian and also by Leonardo da Vinci, Mantegna, Rubens, and others. Patronage Isabella, and to a lesser degree her husband, supported many of the Renaissances painters, writers, poets, and musicians. Artists with whom Isabella was associated include Perugino, Battista Spagnoli, Raphael, Andrea Mantegna, Castiglione, and Bandello. Also part of the court circle were figures such as writers Ariosto and Baldassare Castiglione, architect Giulio Romano, and musicians Bartolomeo Tromboncino and Marchetto Cara.  Isabella also exchanged letters with Leonardo da Vinci over a six-year period after his visit to Mantua in 1499. Isabella collected many pieces of artwork over her lifetime, some for an art-filled private studio, essentially creating an art museum. She specified the content of some of these by commissioning particular works. Motherhood Isabellas first daughter Leonora Violante Maria was born in 1493 or 1494. She was named for Isabellas mother, who had died not long before the birth. Leonora later married Francesco Maria della Rovere, the Duke of Urbino. A second daughter, who lived for less than two months, was born in 1496. Having a male heir was important to Italian families in order to pass titles and lands within the family. Isabella had been given a gold cradle as a gift at her daughters birth. Contemporaries cited her strength in putting aside the cradle until she finally had a son, Federico, in 1500. A Ferrara heir, he later became the first duke of Mantua. A daughter Livia was born in 1501; she died in 1508. Ippolita, another daughter, arrived in 1503; she would live into her late 60s as a nun. Another son was born in 1505, Ercole, who became a cardinal and was nearly selected in 1559 to serve as Pope. Ferrante was born in 1507; he became a soldier and married into the di Capua family. Arrival of Lucrezia Borgia In 1502, Lucrezia Borgia, the sister of Cesare Borgia, arrived in Ferrara to marry Isabellas brother Alfonso, the Ferrara heir. Despite Lucrezias reputation- her first two marriages did not end well for those husbands- it appears that Isabella welcomed her warmly at first, and others followed her lead. But dealing with the Borgia family brought other challenges to Isabellas life. She found herself negotiating with Lucrezias brother Cesare Borgia, who had overthrown the Duke of Urbino, the husband of her sister-in-law and friend Elisabetta Gonzaga. As early as 1503, Isabellas new sister-in-law Lucrezia Borgia and Isabellas husband Francesco had begun an affair; passionate letters between the two survived. As might be expected, Isabellas initial welcome to Lucrezia turned to a coolness between them.​ Husbands Capture In 1509, Isabellas husband Francesco was captured by the forces of King Charles VIII of France and was held in Venice as a prisoner. In his absence, Isabella served as regent, defending the city as commander of the citys forces. She negotiated a peace treaty that provided for her husbands safe return in 1512. After this episode, the relationship between Francesco and Isabella deteriorated. He had already begun to be publicly unfaithful before his capture and returned quite ill. The affair with Lucrezia Borgia ended when he realized he had syphilis. Isabella moved to Rome, where she was quite popular among the cultural elite. Widowhood In 1519, after Francesco died, Isabellas eldest son Federico became the marquis. Isabella served as his regent until he came of age, and after that, her son took advantage of her popularity, keeping her in a prominent role in the governing of the city. In 1527, Isabella bought a cardinalate for her son Ercole, paying 40,000 ducats to Pope Clement VII who needed money to face attacks by Bourbon forces. When the enemy attacked Rome, Isabella led the defense of her fortified property and she and many who had taken refuge with her were spared. Isabellas son Ferrante was among the Imperial troops. Isabella soon returned to Mantua, where she led the citys recovery from illness and famine that killed almost one-third of the population. The following year, Isabella went to Ferrara to welcome the new bride of Duke Ercole of Ferrara (son of Isabellas brother Alfonso and Lucrezia Borgia). He married Renà ©e of France, daughter of Anne of Brittany and Louis XII. Ercole and Renà ©e had been married in Paris on June 28. Renà ©e was herself a well-educated woman, a first cousin of Marguerite of Navarre. Renà ©e and Isabella maintained a friendship, with Isabella taking a special interest in Renà ©es daughter Anna dEste. Isabella traveled quite a bit after her husbands death. She was in Bologna in 1530 when Emperor Charles V was crowned by the pope. She was able to convince the Emperor to raise her sons status to that of duke of Mantua. She negotiated a marriage for him to Margherita Paleologa, an heiress. They had a son in 1533. Death Isabella became ruler in her own right of a small city-state, Solarolo, in 1529. She actively governed that territory until she died in 1539. Legacy Isabella is best remembered for her support of numerous now-famous artists, including Michelangelo, da Vinci, and Raphael. Artist Judy Chicago- whose work explores the role of women in history- included Isabella dEste in her famous piece The Dinner Party. Sources Bonoldi, Lorenzo.  Isabella dEste: A Renaissance Woman. Guaraldi, 2016.Marek, George.  The Bed and the Throne: The Life of Isabella DEste. Harper Row, 1976.Julia Cartwright. Isabella DEste, Marchioness of Mantua. E.P. Dutton, 1903.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

French Resume - Le CV Francais

French Resume - Le CV Francais When applying for a job in a French-speaking country, your rà ©sumà © needs to be in French, which is more than a matter of translation. Aside from the obvious  language differences, certain information that may not be required - or even permitted - on rà ©sumà ©s in your country is required in France. This article explains the basic requirements and formats of French rà ©sumà ©s and includes several examples to help you get started. The first thing you need to know is that the word  rà ©sumà ©Ã‚  is a  false cognate  in French and English.Un rà ©sumà ©Ã‚  means a summary, whereas a rà ©sumà © refers to  un CV  (curriculum vitae). Thus, when applying for a job with a French company, you need to provide  un CV, not  un rà ©sumà ©. You might be surprised to learn that a photograph as well as some potentially delicate personal information, such as age and marital status, are required on a French rà ©sumà ©. These can and will be used in the hiring process; if this bothers you, France may not be the best place for you to work. Categories, Requirements, and Details The information that generally needs to be included on a French rà ©sumà © is summarized here. As with any rà ©sumà ©, there is no one right order or style. There are infinite ways to format a French rà ©sumà © - it really just depends on what you want to emphasize and your personal preferences. Personal information  -  Situation personnelle et à ©tat civil Last name (in all caps) -  Nom de familleFirst name -  Prà ©nomAddress -  AdressePhone number, including international access code -  Numà ©ro de tà ©là ©phone* Work phone -  bureau* Home phone -  domicile* Mobile phone -  portableEmail -  adresse e-mailNationality -  Nationalità ©Age -  geMarital status, number, and age of children -  Situation de famille* Single -  cà ©libataire* Married -  marià ©(e)* Divorced -  divorcà ©(e)* Widowed -  veuf (veuve)Passport-sized, color photograph Objective  -  Project Professionnel  or  Objectif Short, precise description of your skills and/or short-term career goals (i.e., what youll bring to this job). Professional Experience  -  Expà ©rience professionnelle Thematic or backwards chronological listName of company, location, dates of employment, title, job description, responsibilities, and notable achievements Education  -  Formation Only the highest diplomas you have obtained.Name and location of school, dates, and degree earned (Language and Computer) Skills  -  Connaissances (linguistiques et informatiques)      Languages -  Langues Dont exaggerate your language skills; theyre very easy to verify.Qualifiers:* (Basic) knowledge -  Notions* Conversant -  Maà ®trise convenable, Bonnes connaissances* Proficient -  Lu, à ©crit, parlà ©* Fluent -  Courant* Bilingual -  Bilingue* Native language -  Langue maternelle   Ã‚   Computers -  Informatique Operating systemsSoftware programs Interests, Pastimes, Leisure Activities, Hobbies  -  Centres dintà ©rà ªt, Passe-temps, Loisirs, Actività ©s personnelles/extra-professionnelles Limit this section to three or four lines.Consider the value of what you choose to include: list things that make you sound interesting, that set you apart from the rest of the crowd.Be prepared to discuss these with the interviewer (e.g., How often do you play tennis? Whats the last book you read?) Types of French Rsums There are two main types of French rà ©sumà ©s, depending on what the potential employee wants to emphasize: Chronological rà ©sumà © (Le CV chronologique): Presents employment in reverse chronological order.Functional rà ©sumà © (Le CV fonctionnel): Emphasizes career path and achievements and groups them thematically, by field of experience or sector of activity. Rsum Writing Tips Always have a native speaker proofread the final version of your rà ©sumà ©. Typos and mistakes look unprofessional and cast doubt on your stated French ability.Keep rà ©sumà © brief, concise, and direct; one or two pages maximum.Spell out names of  US states  and  Canadian provinces, rather than using abbreviations like NY or BC.If applying for a job where fluency in another language is required, consider sending a rà ©sumà © in that language along with the French one.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Week 5 discussion 1 and 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 5 discussion 1 and 2 - Essay Example A normal person of average neuropathy scores between three and six. An average non-psychopathic criminal scores of between 16 and 22. A criminal with antisocial personality scores between 22 and 26 while a serious psychopathic antisocial personality criminal scores between 26 and 29 (Snowden & Gray, 2011). The PC L-R’s twenty traits are grouped into two factors; factor one is described as true psychopathy traits, which describes the mental, psychological, and erosional state. They are eight traits that assess how an individual feels, mental status and thought process. Factor two traits are referred to as false psychopathy. The factor two traits describe an individual’s conducts, demeanor and activities. The traits assess antisocial, deviant behavior and lifestyle behavior (Barone, 2004). In as much as PC L-R is one of the most credible tools for assessment of psychopathy, it may not entirely address the nature of human behavior as behavior is influenced by social and cultural environment. In certain social settings, it is culturally ethical and acceptable to conduct activities like cattle rustling, which is not ethical in other communities. It would be inappropriate to apply the rating scale on people homogenously as it could have legal implication when an individual is found not guilty on an insanity defense. However, through the use of the PC L-R assessment, a rehabilitation mechanism could be developed and implemented effectively as a means of changing the dominant undesirable antisocial traits (Cooke et al., 2007). Serial murder is an unlawful homicide of more than two people, which is carried out systematically in a period of more than 30 days. Serial murder can occurs in a specific place or different locations, but appears to have similar motive. Serial killings bare similar characteristic, planned, and have a cooling off period between the killings. An example of serial murder is that of Ted Bundy,

Thursday, October 31, 2019

All to be Tall Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

All to be Tall - Essay Example According to the report findings it is hard to believe that a person can sacrifice such a fortune to experience the severe pain that is associated with the lengthening exercise of legs only to gain an additional three inches to his height. The author’s claim is hard to believe and this is one of the major weaknesses of his article. Under normal circumstances, people seek medication when they have different healthcare problems. It may not be feasible for a healthy person to fork out such large sums of money to undergo a surgery that is meant to lengthen his height as this may turn out to be a nightmare if there are some complications experienced when the surgery has been performed.This study stresses that one of the major strengths of the article is that it captures the widely held perception by many people that tall men in particular are more attractive than short ones especially to women. The author uses superlative words to describe tall men in the article. For instance, Kit a quotes the survey by Henry Biller which shows that tall men are â€Å"more mature, uninhibited, positive, mature, confident, masculine, secure, dominant, optimistic and outgoing.† The author also supports this claim by highlighting that the majority of women in Hollywood films admire tall men. In different societies, tall men are regarded as role models and they are also portrayed as the epitome of success. Outgoing people also believe that tall men are charming and many beautiful ladies enjoy the company of these people.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

International Economic Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

International Economic Relations - Essay Example Economies of scale results from external activities undertaken by the firm. The traditional way of doing this is to assume that increasing returns are wholly external to the firm. That is, all economies of scale realized by the firm results from activities in which the firms have no control over (Murthy 25). This means that activities undertaken by the firm do not contribute to any savings on large-scale operations. External economies are too vague and unmeasurable to qualify as an explanation of patterns of trade. Given the economies of scale, each country undertakes to produce only a limited number of products in each industry that is under operation. This pattern of operation is termed as intraindustrial specialization, where each country produces what is essential for offer on other markets (Murthy 46). This makes the implications for the trade pattern straightforward, meaning that each and every nation will be a net exporter in industries in which it possesses a comparative advantage. That is, it will specialize in producing those goods that it can cheaply produce and export or sell them to countries that have limited resources to produce similar goods. This enables the country to realize gains from exporting those goods and thus increases its revenue and overall profitability. Due to intraindustry specialization, each country is capable of importing some products even in some industries in which it is a net exporter. Similarly, a country is capable of exporting some products even in some industries in which it is a net importer. This implies that there will be a presence of both intraindustry as well as interindustry trade, thus enabling the given country to reap both the benefits of comparative advantage and economies of scale (Murthy 55). This article widely explains the intra-industry theory as it allows a country to reap benefits from both exports and imports by partly engaging in

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Working Capital Affect on Performance of Retail Industry

Working Capital Affect on Performance of Retail Industry 1.1 Introduction: The main aim of this dissertation is to study how working capital management affects the performance of retail industry. This dissertation concentrates on one of the important areas of finance the working capital management. Working capital management is the management of both the current assets and current liabilities. Management of working capital is considered as an important function for any kind of organization. Without proper management of working capital the company cant perform their day to day operations smoothly. So each organization in the industry performs several activities to manage their working capital as efficiently as possible in order to compete from each other. Companies in retail industry depends heavily on working capital for their daily operating activities and therefore it is essential for managing their working capital in order to gain profitability and also to avoid solvency. Improper management of working capital can also lead to bankrupt and there are also some retail companies in the past to explain this fact is true. The main problem and issue in working capital management it is to determine the optimum level to be maintained in the current assets and current liabilities and also to determine whether the firm should invest heavily in current assets or in fixed assets. These issues can seriously affect the profitability and liquidity of the organization and it should be carefully considered in order to compete in the industry. It is very necessary for the organization to know the level of funds to be invested in each component of the current assets such as cash, inventory, accounts receivable and marketable securities. Funds invested in current assets are generally turned back into cash in the end of the working capital cycle which is normally within one year. Therefore investing high or low in current assets affects the profitability and liquidity of the firm and it should be maintained in such a way which satisfies the exact needs of the business. It is also necessary to know how to investment these currents assets which are either by short term financing or by long term financing. For these decisions to be made efficient working capital management is essential. It has been discussed in many journals that working capital management has a direct relationship with the profitability and liquidity of the organization. Therefore managing the working capital components is very critical to maintain the firm profitability and liquidity. For example in the case of cash which the company holds if it holds more it is going to lose the profit which can be earned by investing the excess cash in current assets and if the company has low level of cash it is going to miss the business opportunities when they arrive. In the case of inventory investing more in inventory can reduce the profit if the company cant able to sell the goods quickly and also investing less in inventory can lead to loss of sales. Accounts receivable and account payable also has a huge impact on the profitability of the firm. The company credit policies have a great impact on the volume of good sold. If the firm grants a longer credit period for the customers it is going to encourage the sales which thereby increase the profit. On the other hand companys which delays the payments to their suppliers can use that cash for in some other asset and could earn from that investment. But delaying the payment should not exceed the granted period given by the suppliers otherwise the firm may lose the discounts provided by the supplier for early payments. The main objectives of this study is to, To measure the working capital management performed in retail companies and then analysing the performance of retail companies. To determine the working capital cycle for the retail company. To determine what kind of working capital policy is practiced in retail industry. To determine whether the working capital management practices really affects the profitability of the firm. The first chapter of this dissertation is the introduction which is a short description explaining the basic idea behind this research. It will give the problems and issues associated with the research topic and it also explains the aims and objectives accomplished by this research. The second chapter is the literature review which discussed the theoretical concepts in working capital management. This chapter explains the importance of working capital management, the working capital cycle and the different working capital approaches followed in different industries. It also explains the management of each of the working capital components such as cash, inventories, accounts receivable and marketable securities in detail and the objectives satisfied by managing these working capital components. In the end of this chapter the various sources which finance the working capital are discussed. The third chapter is the research methodology which explains the research methodology adopted for this dissertation. It explains what kind of research method followed in this dissertation and also shows the different data collection methods and tools used to complete the dissertation. The fourth chapter is the findings and analysis. In this chapter the performance of the retail industries is analysed and then the findings are discussed. The different analyses performed in this chapter are ratio analysis, correlation analysis and regression analysis. By ratio analysis the performance of the retail companies are analysed and then by correlation and regression analysis it is analysed to see whether the inventory holding days, accounts receivable days, accounts payable days and cash conversion cycle affects the return on capital employed. Finally the last chapter concludes and gives recommendation based on the results analysed. 1.0 Working Capital: Working capital is the capital which satisfies the short term financial requirements of any business enterprise. It is capital which is engaged in the operations of the business for not more than one year. Every organization whether it is profit oriented or not needs working capital for the day to day operations of the business. Managers when making investment decisions not only plans for the long term such as buying new building or machine but also considers the need to have additional current assets in the short term for any expansion of activity that the organization is planning to do. For example if the organization is planning to increase the level of production the organization needs to hold a greater level of raw materials similarly if the organization increases the sales there will be an increase in level of debtors. All these investment decisions can bring the organization to level of risk. So it is very necessary for an organization to manage this working capital effectivel y to avoid the company fall into risk (Mclaney 2006). 1.1 Importance of Working Capital Management: The management of working capital is very important for several reasons. According to Padachi (2006), working capital management is very important for the financial health of the business of any size. He also suggested that the funds invested in the working capital are high in proportion to the total assets employed. Therefore it should be managed in effective and efficient way. Also working capital management directly affects the liquidity and profitability of the firm. Therefore managing the working capital should be done in such a way that it should create a balance between the liquidity and profitability (Falope, I and Ajilote, T 2009). The main advantage of working capital management is the flexibility of it. That is it has the ability to change with the rise and fall in seasonal demands of the product or service, and with the rise and fall in economic and market conditions (Mathur, B 2003). Largay, A and Stickney, P (1980) studied the bankruptcy case of a large retail store in the year 1980. From their study they found that the bankruptcy should have occurred because of the poor cash flow from their operation during the last few years of their bankruptcy. So managing the working capital is very necessary for the survival of the business 1.2 Components of Working Capital: Working capital which is also called as current capital or circulating capital is the capital that the managers put it to work for the day to day operations of the organization. There are two important concepts in the working capital management that is the gross working capital and the net working capital. Gross working capital is the capital that includes only the current assets used in the day to day operations of the organization and net working capital is the capital which includes the current assets less the current liabilities. The components which comprise the current assets are the following, (Brigham, F and Houston. F 2007). Cash Marketable Securities Inventories Accounts Receivables These currents assets are financed using the following sources such as, Accruals Accounts Payable Short term bank loans Commercial paper etc. The degree to which an organization invests in current assets depends on several factors such as the type of business and products the organization do. For example retail companies mostly invest a lot of funds in their current assets such as inventory and they invest less in long term assets such as buying plant and equipment. But in the case of some manufacturing companies more is invested in long term assets such as machines and equipment as they are very necessary for the organization. The length of operating cycle also is an important factor. The longer the operating cycle the more is invested in the current assets. The level of uncertainty in the business also is one of the important factors. So depending upon the industry practices the organization invests more in current assets or in long term assets (Fabozzi, J 2003). . 2.0 Working capital cycle: Working capital cycle is the time taken for the capital invested by the organization turning back into cash. Generally the working capital cycle for a manufacturing business starts when the organization buys the raw materials on credit followed by working on these raw materials to produce the final goods, and selling of the finished goods. During this cycle the organization also needs to pay the creditors. As the organization sells the final product on credit, the debtors are increased and when the customers started to pay it will increase the amount of cash in the business (Myddelton, D 2000). Retailers Supplier Inventory Supplier Merchandise Supplier Merchandise Supplier Merchandise Supplier Merchandise Customers Payment Payment Payment Payment Figure1: Working capital cycle of a Retail Business (Reynolds, Cuthbertson and Bell 2004) The above figure shows the general working capital cycle of a retail business and it explains how the operating process is performed in a retail business. The first stage in the operating process is where the suppliers provide the merchandise to the retailers. Large retail companies manufacture their own products under their brand name. After all the merchandise is received from the suppliers the retailers makes the store ready, and other arrangements for the received products to be sold. The products which are available to be sold become the inventory. In the next stage the customers buys the products which generates cash into the company (Reynolds, Cuthbertson and Bell 2004). 2.1 Cash Conversion Cycle: An important cycle which is embedded in the working capital cycle is the cash conversion cycle. When the organization buys raw materials from their suppliers they dont pay them immediately. They usually have a credit period contracted by the supplier and before that they need to pay. This is known as the creditors payment period. Also not all customers pay the cash immediately when they buy a product. Some buy them on credit and they should pay the certain amount within a particular period. This period which is granted by the business to the customer is known as the debtors payment period. The gap between these two periods is known as the cash conversion cycle. It is the cycle where the invested cash that is the cash invested in the suppliers turns back into cash when the customers pay the money during the debtors collection period (Arnold 2005). Raw Material Stock Period Work-in Progress Period Finished goods inventory period Debtor Collection Period Creditor Payment Period Stock Conversion Period Cash Conversion Cycle Figure2: Cash Conversion Cycle (Arnold 2005) The above figure shows the cash conversion cycle. The length of the cash conversion cycle depends on three factors, Stock conversion period Debtor collection period Creditor payment period Stock conversion period is the period where the raw material bought from the supplier are processed and converted into finished goods. Therefore the duration of a cash conversion cycle is found by, Cash conversion cycle = Stock Conversion period + Debtors collection period – Creditors payment period In an article Jose, Lancaster and Stevens (1996) suggest the importance of cash conversion cycle in the profitability and liquidity of the organization. They explained that for an aggressive approach to liquidity management the organization should reduce the cash conversion cycle by reducing their inventories and debtor collection period while increasing their creditors payment period. Managing the cash conversion cycle this way may involve tradeoffs between liquidity and profitability. If the business reduces the inventory and the debtors collection period they will lose the sales because of stock running out so early and also losing customers who usually buys in credit. Also if the firm increases the creditor collection period they will lose the discounts available for early payments and also the flexibility of pay debts in the future. So cash conversion holds an important role in maintaining the liquidity and profitability of the organization. 3.0 Working capital policy: Working capital policy is the policy made by the organization for making decisions on two important things, which are how much should the firm invest in each component of current assets and how these investments should be financed. Any business for managing their working capital efficiently should make decisions on what level of cash they should hold, what level of inventory they should maintain, what level of accounts receivable can be allowed and they should also decide whether to finance these current assets either with short term funds or with long term funds. These decisions made by the organization together make up the working capital policy (Correia et al. 2007). According to Vishnani and Shah (2007) working capital policies had a great impact on the firms performance. They suggest the importance of working capital policies for maintaining the firms liquidity and profitability. An unnecessary investment in current assets can reduce the rate of return thereby affecting the prof itability. Also it is very necessary for maintaining the liquidity for a normal running of the business. If the firm holds too much liquidity it explains that the firm is not using its funds efficiently and on the other hand if they have inadequate liquidity it will affect their credit worthiness. So it is very essential to determine the optimal level of working capital. 3.1 Permanent and Temporary Working Capital: A working capital policy is affected because of the firms varying requirements of current assets. The working capital requirements of a firm do not always remain stable through out the year and it varies from time to time. Because of the seasonal demands of some product the firm changes their level of production and holdings of inventories. Due to these conditions the currents assets in the firm also varies. But a certain amount of current assets is always maintained regularly in the business to meet the minimum day to day operations of the business to continue without any difficulties. This minimum requirement of current assets is known as the permanent working capital. On the other hand the amount which is invested in current assets due to the varying seasonal requirements is known as the temporary working capital (Van Horne, C and Wachowicz, M 2008). Amount of working capital Permanent working capital Temporary working capital Time Figure 3: Permanent and Temporary working capital (Source: Van Horne, C and Wachowicz, M 2008) Generally permanent working capital remains the same for whole year and the temporary working capital is the one which varies over time. But for some growing business the permanent working capital also rises steadily over time to meet the expansion activities of the business which is described by the figure above. 3.2 Approaches in Working Capital Policies: There are three different approaches in working capital policies and they are moderate, aggressive and conservative approaches. A firm which follows a moderate approach uses both long term and short term financing to finance their assets. The main aim of this moderate approach is to create a balance between the risk and the return. The firm which follows an aggressive approach tends to use a more of short term funds and less of long term funds to finance its current assets. Even though short term interest rates are lower than long term interest rates short term financing is more risky than long term financing because they should be paid off in a short time period. Therefore following an aggressive approach increases the risk of liquidity and it also increases the possibility of higher profits. The firm which follows a conservative approach uses a less of short term funds and more of long term funds. Therefore it reduces the liquidity risk and also the possibility to achieve higher pr ofits (Gallagher, J and Andrew, D 2007). Weinraub, J and Visscher (1998) examined the relative relationship between the aggressive and conservative approach by studying on ten different industry groups and found that each of these industries were following a unique and different working capital management polices. From their research they also found that the relatively aggressive working capital management appear to be balanced by the relatively conservative working capital management. 3.3 Factors Determining the Working Capital Requirements: Financial managers should manage their working capital in such a way that it should not be surplus or excessive. For this the managers the managers need to know the working capital requirements of the organization to make sure to provide the perfect financing. The working capital requirements of any business depends among several factors and generally some of the factors which should be considered while determining the working capital requirements are the following (Banerjee 2005), Nature of the business: The general nature of the business itself affects the working capital requirements of the business. In the case of manufacturing industry they will invest significantly in both fixed and working capital. But in other industries such as trading and financing firms invest a small amount fixed assets and a large in working capital. Some firms needs to have a large amount of inventory and debtor balances because of their nature of business. Growth and Expansion of Business: The level of investments in working capital depends upon the size of the business. The more the business expands its activity the more working capital requirement is needed. Production Cycle: Production cycle is the period where the raw materials are converted into their finished product. The longer the period to convert these raw materials into finished product the larger is the working capital. Business Cycle: The business cycle is an important factor in considering the working capital requirement. The business has to pass through a period of good times and bad times such as recession. During the good times where the business is growing the business needs to increase their working capital requirements because of the increased sales and during the bad times the business needs to reduce their working capital because of reduced sales. Production Policy: The demands of certain products are seasonal in nature. So during the peak season the working capital requirements are higher while during the off-season the working capital is kept lower. Therefore depending upon the seasonal demands of the product or service the working capital requirements varies. Credit Policy: Credit policy has a direct impact on the working capital requirements. When the business reduces the credit period it will reduces the volume of sales which leads to the reduction of working capital requirements. But when the business grants a longer credit period it encourages the sales and there by needing to increase the working capital requirements. Price Level Changes: The varying price level also affects the working capital requirements. When the price level increases the business also needs to increase their working capital to maintain their same volume of activity. Operating Efficiency: Operating efficiency is an important factor to be considered by the business. The business can maintain their working capital to a minimum level only when they are able to manage or control their operating costs and utilise their working capital efficiently. 4.0 MANAGEMENT OF CURRENT ASSETS: As discussed before working capital management is the management of both current assets and the current liabilities. The main objective of working capital management it is to maintain an optimum balance of each of the working capital components and to develop the optimum level between the current assets and the current liabilities. The optimum level is the level where a balance is created between risk and efficiency (Filbeck and Krueger, M 2005). In the following paragraphs the management of currents assets such as cash, marketable securities, inventories and accounts receivables are discussed. 4.1 Cash Management: Cash management is defined as the management of cash inflows and cash outflows. The cash flows out of the firm when the business buys goods and services from its suppliers and cash flows into the firm when the customer pays for the product they purchased. The term cash refers the cash like assets like currency, bank balances etc. The cash is often considered as non earning assets because they do not provide earnings but the cash provides safety from insolvency. Cash is very important for the day to day operations of the business and to meet the liabilities when they are due (Besley and Brigham 2005). There are several reasons for a business to hold cash (Besley and Brigham 2005), Transaction balance: Cash balance is very essential for the operations of the business. Cash is used for paying their employees wages, buying raw materials, fixed assets, and also to pay their taxes. Compensating balance: It is the minimum bank balance that the firm should maintain for the services provided by the bank such as check clearing and cash management advice. Precautionary balance: It is the cash kept as reserve by the firm because the company cannot predict the future cash flow. The amount which is kept as reserve depends upon the predictability of the cash flow. The less cash predicted the more cash balance is maintained. Speculative balance: These are cash maintained by the firm to take advantage of any profit opportunity when arises in the business. Ferreira, A and Vilela, S (2004) suggest that the level of cash holdings is positively affected by the investment opportunity and cash flows of the firm and it is negatively affected by the liquid assets, leverage and size of the firm. Firms with high investment opportunity needs to hold a high level a cash to take the benefits of the immediate opportunities available to them and also if the firm has a unpredictable cash flow the firm holds a high levels of cash. On the other hand firms which has high level of liquid assets holds low level of cash because the firm convert the liquid assets into cash when they are needed. Also firms with higher leverage that is the ability of the firm to raise debts will hold less level of cash. And at last the size of the firm affects the level of cash holdings. Large firms hold less level of cash than smaller firms because borrowing funds by smaller funds is expensive when compared to larger firms. So smaller tend to hold more cash to avoid borrowin g funds. The two main goals of cash management practices is (Fabozzi, J 2003) To have adequate cash in hand to meet the immediate needs of the firms and To receive the cash from those to owe it as early as possible and to pay the cash which the business owes as late as possible. To determine the level of investment in cash is a very important function. The firm cannot hold too much cash because of the holding cost associated with it. Holding cost is the cost that the business would have earned if the cash is invested in some form of asset. The level of investment in the cash depends upon the firms liquid assets, debt levels, and rate of return and economic conditions. There are two models used by the firms to determine the adequate level of cash needed to be maintained. One is the Baumol model which assumes that the cash is used uniformly through the period and based on this assumption the amount of cash to be maintained is measured. But by the second model which is called as Miller model assumes that the cash flow varies in an unpredictable manner and based on this assumption the amount of cash to be invested is measured. These two models help in satisfying the first goal of cash management (Fabozzi, J 2003). To achieve the second goal of cash management which is to reduce the period cash inflow and to increase the period of cash outflow, several ways are being followed. The following techniques help reduce the period of cash inflow (Shim, K and Siegel, G 2000). Lockbox System- In this system the customer instead of mailing the check to the firm send their checks to a nearby post office box which is controlled by the firms bank. The firms bank then collects the check from the post office and deposits the check. Due to this process the time the check spends in the mail and also since the bank itself receives the check it avoids the time the check spends when received by the firm and thus saves the processing time of the checks in the firm. Pre-Authorised Debits- In this system the cash is collected from customers by obtaining permission from customers to have pre authorised debits automatically charged to their bank accounts. Thereby it eliminates the time the check spends in the mail and the processing time of the check. Wire Transfer- In this system the cash is transferred quickly between banks and thus eliminates the transferring time of the cash. Wire transfers are done though computer terminal and telephone. So far we have discussed the ways to reduce the period of cash inflow. Now lets discuss the ways to increase the period of cash outflow. Zero-balance account- Zero balance account as the name suggest it requires no balance. It is an arrangement between the bank and the firm to achieve controlled disbursement which is to pay exactly what the company owes. When the check is offered to the bank the bank just transfers the money from the firms account. By this system the firm can pay the exact amount which covers the check. This system also increases the period of cash flowing out (Bragg, M 2007). Payable through drafts- Payables through drafts is similar to the checks. But a draft works in a different way. When a draft is offered to the bank the bank sends to the firms which issued the draft and waits for its approval. Only after receiving the approval from the firm the bank deposits funds into the receivers account. Due to complex procedure when using drafts it takes a long time for the amount to be transferred in to the receiver account (Shim, K and Siegel, G 2000). 4.2 Management of Marketable Securities: Management of marketable securities is just a continuation of cash management. We know that cash does not earn any return so instead of holding these cash firms just invest these cash in marketable securities for a short period of time. When the firms feel that they need some they just convert these marketable securities back into cash. Depending upon the yield curve the security earns the return. When the yield curve rises the firm gains a higher return. For example if the firm invest in a security for one year period of time then the return it would be getting is measured by (Puxty, G and Dodds 1988) R = P2 P1 + I P1 Where R is the return, P2 is the maturity value of the security, P1 is the purchase price and I is the interest paid. There are several factors which the firms consider when investing on securities and they are as follows (Chandra 2005), Safety – The most important factor which the firm consider when investing in any kind of security is safety. The firm before investing in any security first checks whether they will get back the amount invested. T-bills or the treasury bills are considered as the safest investment because the obligation are promised by the government. But investing in other securities depends upon the type of security and the issuer. Liquidity- The liquidity refers to the ability of the investor to convert the security back into cash without acquiring any loss. For a traded security a large and active secondary market ensures liquidity while a non traded security liquidity risk is high. Yield- The yield represents the return which the security is going to gain by way of interest, dividend and capital gain. Maturity- Maturity represents the expiry time of the security. The longer the maturity period the higher will be the yield. But securities like t-bills provide a fixed return when they are matured. Some of the marketable securities where the firms generally invest are the following, (Fabozzi, J 2003) Treasury Bills- These are securities issued by the US government and as a maturity period of one, three and six months. Investing in this type of security is risk free but it provides a lower rate of return. Certificates of deposits- These are debts issued by the bank in large amounts and have a maturity period up to one year. Investing in this type of security is highly risky because some times the issuer will not pay the interest and principal as promised. Commercial paper- These are debts issued by firms in large amounts and have a maturity period generally up to thirty days. Investing in this security is also risky but this risk is minimized by the back up lines of credit offered by commercial banks. Commercial paper is very attractive because of the higher returns it provides than when compared to the return provided by t-bills. Holding cash and marketable securities offers both advantage and disadvantage for a firm. The advantage is, it reduces the transaction cost because there is no need to issue security or borrow cash and holding cash or marketable securities provides opportunities to take advantage of immediate growth opportunities. The disadvantage of holding cash and marketable security is the after tax return of both cash and marketable security is considerably very l