Saturday, August 31, 2019

Globalization processes Essay

Globalization had brought different effects to the society. It had changed that world and how the world processes. Different states join together in creating a better world for humanity. Different businesses establish parts of their business in different parts of the planet in order to provide work for the underdeveloped or developing nations. Most of these nations profit from the globalization processes of the world because this is the way in which they acquire profit. Having a Multi-national Corporation (MNC) invest in one of those nations provides good opportunity not only for the government but also the people. Among the entities involved in the process of globalization, the people are said to profit most for the reason that they are given opportunities and jobs for their family. However in another perspective, the MNCs could be seen as the most profitable entity in the aspect of globalization. It is known to many that the labor pay for the people of the developed and underdeveloped nations are lower than the average labor wage of developed nations. Through investing in different developed and under developed nations, the MNCs are able to save more profit than they usually have. Within the process of expansion of these MNCs one of the most affected individuals are the women. Most underdeveloped and developing nations provide less labor pay for the women in comparison to men. Although now a days gender equality had been slowly implemented, most of these countries still adhere to their conservative perspective that men and women should not be treated or provided equal treatment. One good example is Bangladesh in which hosts different garment factories in the country (Sachs, 2004). It is known that the work of sewing is immediately associated with women. Therefore, they need women workers to be able to do the work on the garments. Most of the brands being produced by women are â€Å"GAP, Polo, Yves Saint Laurent, Wal-Mart JC-Penny and others† (Sachs, 2004). In support to the issue mentioned by Jeffrey Sachs (2005) in his book â€Å"The End of Poverty† other articles also stated the same concern in which Sachs had mentioned. Most corporations prefer having their businesses moved to underdeveloped or developing nations due to the factor of culture and specifically, â€Å"feminine† traits. It is said. In the written work of Thrift (1989) and Taylor (1992) it is specifically stated that Malay women are one of the races in which they prefer in working with some of their products, â€Å"fast fingers, fine eyes sight, the passivity to withstand low-skilled, unstimulating work are said to be biological attributes to be unique to ‘oriental’ women (Thrift and Taylor p. 134). In addition, a Chinese engineer stated that, â€Å"Our work is designed for females†¦ if we employ men, within two or three months they’d run away†¦ Girls under thirty are easier to train and easier to adapt to the job function† (Thrift and Taylor p. 134). Evidently, the MNC’s prefer women in comparison to men due to the personalities that they have. MNCs know that they cannot treat men like they could treat women therefore, making women the main target of these corporations. In the context of the cost of labor, most MNC’s prefer women because they are given less compensation compared to men. In countries such as Malaysia, men have provided higher salaries therefore making them less of a priority to be hired. It is also believed by most MNC’s that unschooled women in Malaysia could only use some training and after a while they will be more efficient to work in factories (Ong, 1987). This context is very degrading for men. Men are not preferred due to their nature and personality. In another side, women are more empowered because they are preferred by most companies. They are able to provide for their family’s needs without being dependent on men. But if seen in a cultural perspective, become the breadwinner of the family. Although it brings positive outcome for women, the changes in structure of the society will be present and slowly evident (Sachs, 2004). With these types of situation one may ask, how do these situations come about? Such situations become evident to the society of underdeveloped and developing countries due to their need to uplift the situation of their economy. Most of these nations are indebt with developed countries, the IMF (International Monetary Fund) or the (WB) World Bank. If one could recall, there had become a debt crisis during the 1980’s in which made many nations indebt to different monetary organization to be able to survive (Sachs and Collins, 1989). Until this very day, many nations are still struggling to create answered to the decade long debt that they have. One of the answers they have seen is Foreign Direct Investments (FDI). In this type of solution, the underdeveloped and developing nations call upon the developed states to invest business in their countries. These developing and underdeveloped countries create way in which they could invite foreign investors in their country. Few of those schemes are the free trade zones and their women workers. With this situation, most of the MNCs take advantage of the tax-free situations and the subsidies given by the host government (Arregui and Baez, 1991). With the studies done by Arregui and Baez, they stated that women workers is also one of the reasons in which transnational companies decided to invest in the specific underdeveloped or developing countries. In addition, it is also stated that in the history of the world, most women are given low compensation (Arregui and Baez, 1991). Most of the time, these women are the most vulnerable and exploited workers because they have no choice but to agree upon the compensation given to them. Although Thrift and Taylor indicated that the skills needed are less compared to other works, Arregui and Baez firmly stated that the internalization of work currently requires more skills than before. With their view of the gender aspects of men and women, the authors have identified that having higher wages for men is very important in order to provide for their family. (Arregui and Baez, 1991)Such situation must be taken into consideration given that men, in the norms of the society are immediately entitled to provide for his family. Women on the other hand are not required to do so because of their responsibilities in the home. In context, having high salary for men is positive while women having high salary imply negativity. Sachs also adheres to this type of idea. He stated that the relationship of the family members becomes different. If the women are given high salary, the men would immediately be regarded to take care of the children compared to the usual. There is a great tendency that the women would be working for the family while the men will work at home and handle the children (Sachs, 2004). However, the current economic situations of the families in the underdeveloped and developing countries are in need to have a better economic lifestyle than what they have at present. The current lifestyle of families is that the mother and the father work for their children but then the lack of emotional attachment becomes an issue. In Sachs’ opinion, such problem does not only affect the gender responsibilities of men and women but also the welfare of the next generation.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Dodd frank act Essay

The Dodd Frank Act is a movement constructed that purports to provide rigorous standards and supervision to protect the economy and American consumers, investors and businesses, purports to end taxpayer funded bailouts of financial institutions, claims to provide for an advanced warning system on the stability of the economy, creates rules on executive compensation and corporate governance, and eliminates some loopholes that led to the 2008 economic recession. The Act is categorized into sixteen titles and, by one law firm’s count, it requires that regulators create 243 rules, conduct 67 studies, and issue 22 periodic reports. A few regulators that contributed to this act were the Federal Reserve Bank, Securities and Exchange Commission, Treasury, National Credit Union Administration, Federal Finance Housing Agency Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Office of the Comptroller of Currency. The major contribution in terms of regulation to the financial market is to protect large financial companies, making changes to corporate governance and executive compensation practices. The Financial Stability Reform, (Title I), expands federal research, evaluation, and oversight of large financial institutions in order to find efficient ways to manage risks to the financial stability of the United States. The Title establishes two new government departments, the Financial Stability Oversight Council, and the Office of Financial Research, an office within the Treasury. Title I also expands the authority of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to allow for supervision of certain nonbank financial companies and large bank holding companies that could have a substantial impact on the United States economy, but that were not under the purview of the Board of Governors in the past. The Agencies and Agency Oversight Reform consisted of regulatory failure, which is the legal inability or the unwillingness to regulate large sectors of the financial services industry and their lending and secondary market activities was a major contributor to the financial crisis. In response, the Dodd-Frank Act created several new agencies or offices, eliminated the Office of Thrift Supervision, and modified the jurisdiction of several existing agencies. The Securitization Reform Act  focuses on credit risk retention that would require originators and securitizers of financial assets to retain a portion of the credit risk of securitized financial assets or, in more popular terms, to have â€Å"skin in the game.† In addition, the securitization provisions in the Dodd-Frank Act set forth disclosure requirements for the issuer and credit rating agencies who rate the issuer’s securities. Derivatives play an important role in capital markets and the broader economy. Companies in every state use derivatives to protect against operational risks that are inherent in their businesses. The Act establishes a broad, new regulatory regime that requires numerous rulemakings that are likely to have profound effects on the market, including provisions governing swap dealers, major swap participants, and end-users such as manufacturers, financial institutions, and agricultural concerns. The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association is working with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and other regulators that are undertaking rulemaking proceedings to implement the derivatives-related provisions of the Act. SIFMA remains committed to educating legislators, regulators, and others about the types and uses of derivatives, as well as the integral role they play in our economy. The Investor Protection Reform Creates a new independent watchdog, housed at the Federal Reserve, with the authority to ensure American consumers get the clear, accurate information they need to shop for mortgages, credit cards, and other financial products, and protect them from hidden fees, abusive terms, and deceptive practices. Executive compensation and corporate governance matters were always a focus. Prior to Dodd-Frank’s enactment, the SEC was already taking action to enhance certain disclosure rules that focus on providing more information on the role of the board and the voting rights of brokers. Companies are required to disclose whether a compensation adviser has been engaged, whether any potential conflict of interest exists, and, if so, the nature of that conflict. The Credit Rating Reform s expands the Securities and Exchange Commission’s oversight of credit rating agencies, while at the same time altering the use of credit ratings in a broad range of regulations and impacting the public disclosure of credit ratings in securities offerings. The Commission has began rulemaking to implement its oversight authority through a series of rules regarding required disclosures in connection with credit ratings,  prohibited activities, governance, internal controls and conflicts of interest. Various federal agencies also have identified those rules which reference credit ratings and are in the process of substituting alternative standards of creditworthiness in place of those ratings; however, making alternative standards has proven a difficult task. Under the Volcker Rule, banks can no longer own, invest, or sponsor hedge funds, private equity funds, or any proprietary trading operations for their own profit. It prevents financial firms from using deposits that are insured by the FDIC to run hedge funds and private equity funds. The Rule also limits the liabilities that the largest banks could hold. These banks changed into commercial banks during the financial crisis just so they could take advantage of taxpayer-funded bailouts. It also seeks to protect depositors in the largest retail banks. The Volcker Rule was designed to prevent large banks from becoming too big to fail. This means that the failure of the bank would devastate the economy, requiring that it must be bailed out with taxpayer funds. The Capital Requirements Act requires the federal regulators to establish consolidated capital requirements for any type of depository institution holding company that are not less than the federal regulatory capital requirements for depository institutions. These requirements will include minimum leverage and risk-based capital standards. This Act also applies the â€Å"source of strength† doctrine to thrift holding companies and holding companies of industrial loan banks. This doctrine, which has been applied to bank holding companies for many years, requires each holding company to serve as a source of financial strength for its depository institution subsidiary. Through this requirement, the Dodd-Frank Act intends to establish some parity in the capital standards applicable to holding companies of depository institutions, regardless of charter type. Although their intentions might have been honorable, I do not support the Dodd Frank Act. Based off my research, their lack of understanding of our industry and the consequences of their actions seems to have hurt both people’s ability to perform and the people they serve. I strongly believe that Dodd-Frank not only harms the financial industry as a whole but more importantly it harms the very group it claims to help, the consumer. I think that an independent evaluation should be made and due diligence should be done before any additional initiatives of the Dodd-Frank Act are enforced. If this is done objectively, our leaders will see that the only true solution is to eliminate Dodd-Frank.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Topic about Drugs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Topic about Drugs - Essay Example Some causes of drug abuse among people are such like lack of self control, acute physical or mental disability, to deal with physical or emotional problems in the work, home or in relationships, which stresses the affected individual. These causes of drugs abuse comes from the failure of a person to alleviate a condition in their mind which is resultant from the relationships with his colleagues. On the other hand, drug abuse can result from the family influence where a family has a history of using drugs, peer pressure, mental illness as well as misuse of prescribed drugs by patients (Kinlock, OGrady and Hanlon 265). The effect of drug abuse can be broadly divided into three parts in the categories of health of the individual, societal effects which reflect the impact on the social institutions and the relationships and family. In terms of health, the drug abusers deteriorate in their physical and their mental abilities and may be incapacitated to do various things, socially drug abuse causes constraints in financial terms and commotion in institutions like schools and work and in family, drugs threaten and cause family breakups (Kinlock, OGrady and Hanlon

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Different Punctutation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Different Punctutation - Essay Example Because both are historically rich, each of these occasions has developed its own symbols as a way of representing what the celebration is about. Halloween is generally associated with the occult and other mythical characters. Hence we see pumpkins or ghoul figures to commemorate the souls which are believed to be walking among the living on this special day. Christmas symbols, on the other hand, reflects images of universal feelings of positivity. Thus, we see images of Santa Claus to signify abundance and giving or the season’s favorite decoration, the mistletoe, to affect and spread good luck among family members. But the symbols for both holidays encapsulate in them a general sense of festivity. Halloween has always been associated as the festival of the dead. Hence, major activities during this season always include watching of horror movies, going to haunted attractions, reliving of folklores or scary urban legends, dressing up in extravagant costumes, and of course tric k or treating in the neighborhood. There are parties and programs organized practically here and there which obviously invite a large number of crowds. Parades of costumes, both contemporary and out of this world could also be witnessed.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

It depends Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

It depends - Essay Example Furthermore, penetrations into international or foreign markets also help to intensify the demand and brand image of the organization in the market. As a result, such type of penetration helps to improve the total sales and position thereby amplifying its reputation in the market among other contenders. Due to these reasons, maximum extent of the organizations desire to expand its operations into foreign markets. Internationalisation is recognised as a procedure to identify and penetrate the most feasible foreign market so as to enhance its operations. By doing so, the organization might increase its market share and brand value that may improve its inner strengths and opportunities as compared to many other rival contenders. An organization may enter a foreign market just by exporting its product lines so as to increase its level of awareness and credibility (Mathews, 2002, pp. 467-488). Apart from this, an organization might establish a joint venture with another domestic firm of that country so as to increase its total sale and net income. With the help of licensing also, an organization might enter the new foreign market and increase its revenues and profitability. Other than this, the organization may introduce its franchises and enhance its portfolio and position in the foreign market to a considerable extent. Hence, an organization may enter the foreign market with the help of the above mentioned ways. In this age, maximum extent of the organizations desire to develop their entities outside the state border. The prime reason behind this desire is to exploit the opportunities in both domestic and international border. However, in order to expand the operation of an organization in overseas markets, it’s extremely essential to analyse the market scenario and competitors activities. Only then, it may enhance its productivity and profitability in those unknown markets as compared to many other contenders. Thus, the

Monday, August 26, 2019

Analyzing Effects of Merger and Acquisitions on the Recent Worldwide Assignment

Analyzing Effects of Merger and Acquisitions on the Recent Worldwide Financial Crisis - Assignment Example The increased Mergers and Acquisition activities can be attributed to globalization, funding at low cost, and the financial turmoil, which is being experienced across the globe (Luc 2010). The three factors have led to increased demand for creation and formation of large business entities in order to compete effectively while seeking growth as a way to increase profits. According to Senese (2009), mergers and Acquisitions have also increased due to the fact that governments have introduced various reform programs in order to revive the economic sector. These programs have led to increased capital flows as a result. Market liberalization is also in the increase in the developing countries, which has further led to demand for mergers and acquisitions. Increased growth for mergers can also be attributed to the increased global investment in seeking better rates of return, and a means to diversify risk. Many businesses prefer venturing overseas. Nowadays, mergers and acquisitions have pr oved to be common events within the economy. This paper analyzes the effect of mergers and acquisitions on the recent worldwide financial crisis. The effects of mergers and acquisition during the financial crisis will also be analysed in the Banking industry. Discussion Many strategic investors use the terms ‘mergers’ and ‘acquisitions’ interchangeably while making investment decisions. It is, however, important to know the difference between the two terms. Mergers come as a result of two equal entities coming together to form one single business. On the other hand, acquisition involves a smaller company becoming part of a bigger, existing company, which is the acquiring firm. The recent worldwide financial crisis has subjected the financial markets to uncertain environments that are volatile, too. The markets are currently in a vicious cycle of investor redemptions and asset deleveraging. Prices have also declined significantly. Credit spreads have also go ne to undesirable levels with indices of equity dropping by 25% in the year 2008. Global demand has also been marked to decline; hence depressing prices of commodities (Mankiw 2009). All these market conditions, among them decreased oil prices, have led to the global downturn. Mergers and acquisition

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Rape in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Rape in America - Essay Example This figure translates to an incidence rate of 64.8 victims of forcible rate for every 100,000 women and girls (FBI, 2003). The report also states that around 91 percent of these victims suffered rapes by force while 9 percent reported experiencing forcible rape attempts by another person. Although definitions of rape in every society, culture and nationality varies and considered very complex, the law provides basic situations or conditions for the commission of this crime. The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), established in the 1960s, defines rape as "forced sexual intercourse including both psychological coercion as well as physical force. Forced sexual intercourse means vaginal, anal, or oral penetration by the offender" (Kilpatrick, 2004). "The Federal Criminal Code of 1986 has a different definition of rape. It does not use the term rape per se but uses aggravated sexual abuse instead. According to this law, there are two types of aggravated sexual abuse. These are (1) aggravated sexual abuse by force or threat of force and (2) aggravated sexual abuse by other means". (Title 18, Chapter 109A, Sections 2241-2233). The first type involves the use of force or threat such as death, injury or detention to coerce a person into sexual activity. The second type includes rendering the victim unconscious through force or other means such as alcohol or drugs in order to engage into a sexual act (Title 18, Chapter 109A, Sections 2241-2233). The National Violence Against Women Survey (NVAWS) on the other hand clearly defined the nature and limits of rape in their assessment of U.S. adult women from 1995-1996. There were five instances or conditions in their questionnaire which can be considered as an act of rape. The first is the use of force or threat to victim or persons close to the victim in order to have sex which involves putting a penis in the victim's vagina. The second is the use of force or threat to victim or persons close to the victim to have oral sex. The third is the use of force or threat to victim or persons close to the victim to have anal sex. The third is the use of force or threat to victim or persons close to the victim to put the offender's finger inside the victim's vagina or anus. The last condition includes the above four acts but without actual penetration (Tjaden & Thoennes, 2000). In the social or psychological science, rape is defined as forcing sexual activity on a person who objects or withholds consent or, in other words, sexual activity devoid of consent and against the person's will. This paper aims to assess the applicability of the narcissistic theory in the commission of rape and the psychology of rapists. Narcissistic Theory The narcissistic theory was presented by several psychologists including S. Freud, C. Lasch, O. Kernberg and H. Kohut to name a few. Narcissism was based from the name of a Greek mythology character called Narcissus who fell in love with his own reflection on the water's surface. Narcissism, simply put, is used to refer to self-love or self-admiration (John & Robins, 1994; Rhodewalt et al., 1998; Morf & Rhodewalt, 1993). Freud's adaptation of the term found healthy and pathologic applications of narcissism in his psychodynamic theories while Kohut defines it as a mental illness caused by a defective upbringing resulting to excessive love of oneself and disregard for other persons. Lasch

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Treadway Tire Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Treadway Tire Company - Case Study Example This high level of dissatisfaction by the line-foreman segment was being manifested through an increased trend of employee turnover. In 2007 alone 23 line-foremen left the Lima plant both voluntarily and involuntarily. This high turnover has negatively implications on the plant’s productivity and cost. It prevents the Lima tire plant from realizing its potential of being Treadway’s lowest cost producer and number one plant for productivity in North America. Four elements of the work system that contribute towards the problems at Treadway are: (1) inadequate training and development for new hires; (2) poor communication from upper management; (3) a poor organizational and/or power structure; and (4) a performance review system. From the case it is clear that for one to effectively perform the duty of a line foremac one needed skills in areas such as understanding union contracts, employee and production scheduling, pay and so on. However, at Treadway’s Lima plant new line foremen received only informal training, which was conducted at the discretion of the general supervisor and area manager (Skinner and Beckham 5). This situation is aggravated by the poor or limited communication between upper management and line-foremen segment. In such a scenario it would not be far-fetched to expect the quality of this informal training to be inadequate. The line foremen were expected to take charge of the hourly employees and were held responsible over the hourly-employees’ actions yet they lacked the authority needed to do so. This reflects a poor power structure – which reflects poor organizational structure. In a good organizational structure the person who bears responsibility has to be given the authority to perform whatever needs to be done with regards to that responsibility. This in a way made line-foremen to be undermined by their charges. Lastly, we are informed that in order to get a good review, line foremen were expected to meet targets without

Friday, August 23, 2019

Real ID act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Real ID act - Essay Example The main advantage is security. The Department of Homeland Security gets the power to decide whether the drivers’ licenses and ID cards can be used for official purposes or not. If they are not complying with federal antiterrorist standards, the card holders will not have access to airplanes, public places, and the courthouse. This means that the security measures are on their way. Increasing incidents of terrorism these days have given rise to the need of such security so that citizens may be given full protection while they travel, work, or enjoy in the parks. Such a strict check would discourage terrorists and also illegal immigrants (Quinn, 2012). Proponents claim the new cards will not be another form of national ID cards because it is optional for a country to adopt them. They are only meant to benefit the country so that it can sort out illegal persons from its citizens. Hence, it is a matter of national security and privacy which makes the proponents of the Act state t hat it is much needed. We support this fact because a critical analysis makes us believe that American citizens have the right to be informed who lives around them claiming to be a citizen of the country, and that the drivers’ licenses contain correct information, and not some aliases, about the card holders. However, the number of critics is more than proponents. Critics claim that the Real ID Act of 2005 is invasive. The issuance of the said cards will make us a surveillance society in which everybody is doubted. The incidents of identity theft will also increase since terrorists and illegal immigrants will use their criminal ways to steal identities. The Act will also increase burden on the tax payers and the immigrants, because of such a high cost being spent on the issuance of these cards. Administrative burden will increase due to expenses. Privacy will be more at stake if drivers’ licenses

Technological Disasters Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Technological Disasters - Annotated Bibliography Example 2. In the article Cyberbullying: Intervention and Prevention Strategies by (Feinberg, 2011), the author outlines the various prevention strategies of cyberbullying. These interventions are mainly aimed at protecting children and teenagers, since they are the ones mostly affected by electronic bullying. The article also illustrates the various types of cyberbullying. Bullying has severe social, psychological, and physical effects. Feinberg (2011) cites emotional harm as a significant impact of cyberbullying. The cyberbullying victims suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to the trauma associated with bullying threats. 3. Donegan studies the history, law, and prevention of bullying. The author illustrates that most teens make frequent access to the Internet, including chatting, downloading music, searching for school assignment, and communicating with friends. As the teens move through the highly competitive education system, they may start to bully or be bullied. Lawmakers continue to wrestle with the issue of cyberbullying. As of June 2010, about 43 states in the United Statea had bullying prevention laws (Donegan, 2012) 4. Little or no warning precedes events that are associated with technological hazards. None of the victims of cyberbullying are prepared to be bullied. Patchin (2006) illustrates the emotional and psychological impacts of cyberbullying. The victims often exhibit symptoms of depression. Depression can be a sign of trauma. Also, the victims of cyberbullying fear to go school, and experience dysphoric feelings of humiliation and loneliness. As a consequence, they often suffer from trauma. Continuing exposure to cyberbullying makes them to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. 5. In the book Female crime victims: Reality reconsidered by Burgess-Proctor, Patchin, and Hinduja (2009),

Thursday, August 22, 2019

How to protect against 4 e-commerce security challenges Essay Example for Free

How to protect against 4 e-commerce security challenges Essay Introduction Nowadays is the trends that trust the Internet commerce application where it can cause business operators. Some people will revert back to using the traditional method of doing business. The trust can be lost due to the situation where the hacker attack on e-commerce sites. According to the study done by Hammonds (2014) state that full-scale identity theft to web profiling come with various issues that been disturbed the consumer and vendor itself. That why, E-commerce also known as a form of buying and selling of product and services for the business and for the customer through the internet According to research done by Mukherjee (2016) state that online sale increasing day by day because customer take advantage of the low price product that offered by the wholesaler or the manufacturer in the online mood. Besides that, e-commerce also helps the customer and the organization in term of gaining the information through the technology that has been provided. Under Industry 4.0 concept, outstanding growth in advance and the information technology in social media network has been increasingly influencing human perception. That small enterprise that adopts e-commerce performs better than those which fail to adopt because of the catalytic effect on business performance (Wanyoike, et al. , 2012). This is because e-commerce adoption is not automatic due to the weaknesses of resources, for example, financial with e-commerce skill where the small enterprise have done it on the daily basis. It is shown that small enterprise can influence people to the business by using e-commerce by increasing the information about the social media network. The scope of study that has been done by Mihyun Chung Jaehyoun (2014) Kim elaborate that the Industry 4.0 is the industrial revolution with the future of core technology trend is expected to result in an all-new era of automated industries. Furthermore, the internet devices significantly improve the quality o f lives and in result will have a large impact on society. This has been proved with the development of small industry where they can go far in business by using the internet and apply the e-commerce business. Implementation of e-commerce is required high cost and need a strong economy-justification (Valmohammadi et al., 2016). This is because, in order to get the internet connection, there are a lot of things need build and upgraded in order to get the best connection. A poor connection can give the bad perception of the customer to the country and the nation and the ever-increasing growth of e-commerce in develop countries must be followed by the business policy and strategies that have bee fundamentally reconsidered as in the developing country. Acting as online marketplaces, e-commerce websites and mobile applications that facilitate online commercial transactions allow manufacturers, merchants, retailers and service and content providers to list their products, services or content online (Yen et al.,2015). To get success in e-commerce, there is some business model of e-commerce which it is has been structured in order to plan the activities more thoroughly to gain profit for an organization. The table below shows the key elements of e-commerce business model. ELEMENT DESCRIPTION VALUE PROPOSITION How a company’s products or services fulfill its customers’ requirements [14]. REVENUE MODEL How a company generates revenue and creates profit. MARKET OPPORTUNITY The marketplace that a company intends to enter, as well as the company’s potential financial opportunities in that marketplace. Many small market segments constitute a marketplace. MARKET STRATEGY How a company plans to enter a new marketplace and attract new customers. COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT Potential new entrants or other companies that offer similar products or services in the same marketplace. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE A company offers superior products or services at a lower price than its competitors do [23]. ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT How a company organizes its work in a targeted, goal-oriented manner. MANAGEMENT TEAM. Leaders of a company’s business unit, responsible for the business model. Source: Adapted from Laudon, K.C., and Traver, C.G. E-commerce 2015: business. technology. society., 11th edition, pp58-68, Pearson [16]. Industry 4.0 is one of technology innovation after been through with the other three industry before. This industry is most modern where everything needs to use the internet in order to complete the task given. The information that available on the internet are not necessarily mean or lead to the success directly ( Kleindienst et al. , 2016). In contrast, the information usually gives some tools and methods and the right information is still needed in order to increase the effectiveness and lead the innovation. No wonder nowadays, it has been the topic that most frequent being discussed among the practitioners and academics in the German-speaking area (Dais, 2014, p. 625; Drath Horch, 2014, p. 56).In this industrial revolution, it provides various opportunities to the company, especially in e-commerce fields. According to Zhou (2015) article state that industry 4.0 system is complex and flexible where there are involving). This is due to challenges that the industry facing by dealin g with big data issue in order to make a decision rapidly for making an improvement. Big data becomes a buzzword for everyone because data mining already been since human-generated content has been a boost to the social network. The development of an Internet of Things (IoT) framework and the emergence of sensing technology have created unified information that will be connected with the systems and human together ( Jay Ley et al. , 2014). This is because nowadays only use a database in order to get and save the information into the system. When the internet has been well developing, it can help human to work more effectively with the system and can help the human to save time use the technology wisely.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Alan Turings Life, Contributions, and Legacy

Alan Turings Life, Contributions, and Legacy Our daily lives are filled with technology. We wake up on time thanks to the alarms we set on our phone. We can find the fastest route available to get to where we need to go using the GPS. We can work anywhere and whenever we want, using our portable laptops. Sometimes we dont know how to spell a word, or know the answer to a question, and we are able to search it up on Google and find an answer. Technology makes our lives easier. It would be hard to live in a world without the conveniences we have today. We owe a lot of our modern advancements to Alan Turing, one of the most prominent computer scientists in the early 1900s. Turing created the concept of a Universal Turing machine, what is known as a computer today. Moreover, Turing also led the philosophy to artificial intelligence, much of what our newest technologies incorporate nowadays. While he did not get to witness the potential and great reality of his concepts today, his vision created a lasting legacy that future computer scientists continue to build on and explore. Alan Mathison Turing was born on June 23, 1912 in Paddington, London (Hodges). Turings father, Julius Mathison Turing, served the British Indian Civil Service where he had met Turings mother, Ethel Sara Stoney, who was the daughter of the chief railway engineer in the Madras Presidency (Hodges). Alan Turing also had an older brother, John Turing. Turing grew up in the upper-middle-class, and did not see his parents much (Hodges). Accordingly, he was sent to Sherborne School, a boarding school. At Sherborne School, Turing focused on mathematics and science, studying ahead of what the school expected the students to learn (Hodges). In his classes, Turing met Christopher Morcom, which he found to be an equal peer in his interest in mathematics and science (Hodges). Unfortunately, 2 years after they had met, Morcom passed away, which caused great trauma for Turing (Hodges). After his best friends death, Turing went to Kings College in Cambridge, where the two intended to go together before Morcoms untimely death (Hodges). At Kings College, he was more encouraged to endeavor in his studies and research rather than at Sherborne (Hodges). Turing was well read in principles of math and quantum mechanics (Hodges). Turing studied and was influenced works by other mathematicians and scientists such as von Neumann and A. S. Eddington (Hodges). Turing was awarded a Fellowship of Kings College in 1935 (Hodges). A year later, he received a Smiths Prize for his research on probability theory (Hodges). While attending Kings College, Alan Turing was involved with the Anti-war movement of 1933, although he was not deeply into politics (Hodges). The Anti-war movement that Turing was associated with was in between the two world wars. In the 1930s, people rebelled against further warfare because of the consequences of the First World War. Because the First World War caused great casualties and suffering, people resisted fighting in future wars, and advocated for peace instead. The Anti-war movement led to new reason of thoughts such as Marxism and pacifism, which Turing did not participate in (Hodges). The Second World War broke out in 1939 and ended shortly 6 years after. During that time, Turing worked in secret as a cryptographer for the British Intelligence, among other top cryptographers (Hodges). Ultimately, his mission was to crack Germanys Enigma cipher, the most complex cipher at its time, which was the key to accessing important German troops plan. Turing managed the impossible and cracked the code. By doing so, he saved many Allied lives. Turing was hugely responsible for the outcome of the war. While it is not confirmed, Winston Churchill supposedly said that Turing made the single biggest contribution to Allied victory in the war against Nazi Germany (Schilling). Turings involvement with the Second World War and working with the British government allowed him to have funding and thus influenced him to work on several other projects. Turing had many great contributions during the Second World War. In order to crack the Enigma, Turing and his colleague Gordon Welchman invented the Bombe, which deciphers the encrypted messages from the Enigma sent by the Germans (IWM). Before the invention of the Bombe, the Enigma would have been impossible to crack, as the encryption method was changed daily. Consequently, the Bombe drastically reduced the workload required to crack the Enigma, and allowed the British to have Germans intelligence which was a huge advantage. Turing shared his work with other allied countries, which led them to work on different versions of the Bombe (IWM). One of Turings greatest contributions is the Universal Turing Machine. Turing started working on it in 1936 before the Second World War, and continued to work on it after the war (IWM). Turing first had the idea of a Turing machine, a machine that is capable of performing a computational task. There are many possible tasks that a Turing Machine can compute, thus there are infinite possibilities of Turing machines (Hodges). Alan Turing conceptualized the Universal Turing machine, which would perform any task one Turing machine would be able to do (Hodges). Think of a Turing machine as a function on a calculator, such as adding or subtracting. The Universal Turing machine is the calculator itself, which comprises many functions. The Universal Turing machine was a single machine that had the potential to do many tasks. Many computer scientists may argue Alan Turing is the inventor of the first modern computer. His idea of the Universal Turing machine is the essence of the modern computer. Computers today have many applications, such as a calculator, a web browser, or a music player. These applications could be independent machines, however they are encapsulated into one machine, which is the idea of the Universal Turing machine at heart. Without Turings ingenious concept, we might not have the modern computer today. Another big contribution by Alan Turing is the Turing Test. The Turing Test comes from Turings Computing Machinery and Intelligence paper written in 1950 (Hodges). Turing created a hypothesis that a Turing machine can be created to have intelligence. According to John M. Kowalik, The test consisted of a person asking questions via keyboard to both a person and an intelligent machine. He believed that if the person could not tell the machine apart from the person after a reasonable amount of time, the machine was somewhat intelligent. The Turing Test challenges the idea of an intelligent machine, or at least convince a human it has intelligence. Turing has left a great legacy for the progress of computer science. Based on his concepts of the Universal Turing machine, later computer scientists were inspired computational machines that could perform multiple tasks. The idea of a Universal Turing machine has not changed, but its capabilities have certainly evolved as technology evolves. From the clunky desktops in the late 1900s, to the rail thin laptops we have today, they were all inspired by Turings concept of the Universal Turing machine. Today, computer scientists are still exploring the infinite possibilities of the functionalities of a computer, as Turing theorized. The Turing Test spawned a new field of study in computer science. Turing left future computer scientists the ambitious idea of artificial intelligence. Although it was not achieved in his lifetime, today we have many applications of artificial intelligence that are all based on the fundamental idea of the Turing Test. Cars that can autonomously drive, Siri on the iPhone, and Google search are all examples of artificially intelligence led by the legacy of Turing. Scholars are still finding ways to implement artificial intelligence into our interactions in daily life. What Turing has started blossomed into a new form of technology that has transformed the way we cooperate with machines. In conclusion, Alan Turing deserves much appreciation for his works in his lifetime. Turings invention of the Bombe allowed the British to decipher the Enigma and led to victory for the Allied forces. The Universal Turing machine was arguably the first concept of the modern computer. The Turing Test led to talk and future work by computer scientists in artificial intelligence. Turing had a grand vision for how machines could aid us in the future. By following his legacy, computer scientists continue to build on the foundation that his concepts had laid out. Even when technology progress further, Turings vision will never be forgotten. His ideas have transcended in new forms. Many science fiction novels, philosophy, and movies can be accredited to Turings concepts. It is unfortunate that his contributions were not greatly recognized in his own lifetime as it is today. Turing faced many adversities with authorities concerning his sexuality with men, which was shunned mid-1900s in Engla nd (Hodges). Sadly, Turing passed away on June 8, 1954, due to cyanide poisoning, which was believed to be suicide (Hodges). Despite the challenges in his life, Turing still fathered many revolutionary ideas in computer science. Turing leaves us behind with his legacy, in promising hope for a greater future. References Hodges, Andrew. Alan Turing a Short Biography. Alan Turing a Short Biography. Turing.org.uk, 1995. Web. 24 Mar. 2017. Hodges, Andrew. The Alan Turing Internet Scrapbook. Alan Turing Scrapbook Turing Test. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2017. How Alan Turing Cracked The Enigma Code. Imperial War Museums. N.p., 21 Jan. 2015. Web. 24 Mar. 2017. Kowalik, John M. Alan Turing. N.p., 1995. Web. 24 Mar. 2017. Schilling, Johnathan. Churchill: Turing Made the Single Biggest Contribution to Allied Victory. The Churchill Centre. The International Churchill Society, n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2017.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Less Effective Form Of Communication Media Essay

Less Effective Form Of Communication Media Essay Communication is the key thing that sets human beings apart from all the other animals. The human ability to communicate at a very sophisticated level has enabled us to build civilizations and to develop advanced technologies. Technology has increased incrementally since then and there have been huge leaps in communications technologies, such as the Internet. Whereas, the quality of the communication deteriorated as our ability to communicate rapidly via technology. The world today is a global world; we live in a global village and the world as we know it keeps decreasing due to the rapid growth of technology. The ever increasing speed at the development of new technology creates innovative ways of communicating and in more ways than one has changed the way people communicate. It will be argued here that although modern communication has some advantages, which include convenience, speed, dissemination, the disadvantages cannot be neglected, such as lack of content, language confusion . The role of modern technology provides methods that hinder interpersonal communication. This essay briefly provides a critical opinion on the potential disadvantages and possible dilemma with the use of electronic communication in interpersonal communication by provides examples of some interpersonal communication that rely on new technology . First, a rapid increase in communications technology has led to increased quantity of communication, but decreased quality. Technology is constantly changing the way we communicate. Although technology has made peoples life easier to communicate with others, it has caused the potential problem that the forms of communication to become less effective and less formal. Advances of communication technology have reduced the effectiveness of modern communication. The only forms of communication in many years ago were face to face, letters, and telephone. The switch to digital technology, like the invention of the internet has been the major influences on the form of how people communicate. (Boddy. 1) Communication is important to humans and a vital part of our world;. Human is a social animal and therefore requires communication as an essential tool for socializing. Focusing on interpersonal communication skills, Eunson (Eunson. 286) defines this as the processes that help, distort or bloc k communication of messages between individuals but communicating effectively requires some basic skills such as active listening, usage and interpretation of body language and facial expressions. However, technology has created different channels to enhance interpersonal communication, invention such as mobile phones, emails, social networks, has made for easier, faster and smarter ways of communicating. John Boynton Priestleyà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s Paradox suggests that the rapid increase in communications technology has reduced effective communication (Eunson. 4-5). It is the growth in all aspects of life in the twenty-first century that have increased the emphasis put on interpersonal communication. As the world continues to experience more growth, expands its horizons and even becomes more and more connected through technological advances, this has continued to call for the carrying out of effective interpersonal dialogue. As a result of advancement in technology an d the associated rise in businesses where transactions in faraway countries get involved, the call to have and maintain quality conversation has become a reality now. The question that therefore rises here is whether quality communication existed at one point in time and was eliminated by technological advancement or it is the technology itself that has made people realize the importance of quality during interpersonal communication? The former could be more true than the later as argued by Priestley (McEvoy. 48). Effective communication has been categorized as one that would only involve a small group of people who have the ability to interact exclusively with each and therefore have the chance and ability to adapt their messages to suit their recipient specific needs and get immediate interpretations and response from them (Eunson: 6). Technology is turning things around and Priestleys paradox cannot be held in doubt. It is possible today to send an email within minutes to thousan ds of people all over the world. This is fast and good but the problem with this kind of communication is that it does not meet the criteria for effective communication. The thousands of people who receive these emails do not have a chance to react directly to the sender. To be noted also very well is that it is not possible to customize this kind of communication to suit the specific needs of every recipient. A general message would thus have to be sent to all people irrespective of their needs. There is no doubt here that quantity of messages sent is a guarantee but quality remains questionable. Nowadays, the Internet has been the biggest technological advance in communication since the invention of the telephone. The Internet has allowed a worldwide network that is accessible by anywhere, anyone, and anytime(Kraut et al. 49). The internet had a negative effect, which is a paradox, on social involvement and psychological wellbeing with new internet users.(Kraut et al. 52). Modern technology has had its benefits as well as disadvantages on communication. Priestley felt that it has reduced quality and increased quantity while there are opponents to this theory who feel otherwise. There is no doubt that technology in communication has increased quantity but the concern of quality remains to be concluded as per the specific case that would be considered. In some cases it may reduce quality while in other cases, quality has been shown to be enhanced. Moreover, electronic communication also has negative impacts on language skills. In the struggle to educate the next generation, literacy, creativity, and thinking are all being impacted by technology communication. Language is shortened and cannibalized. It becomes acceptable to employ shortcuts that can spill over into the workplace. Impatience may result when folks fed on sound bites are forced to confront lengthy books, complex texts and journal articles. Literature and the English language both suffer as evidenced by declining reading skills and compromised rules of grammar. This decline has the potential to diminish performance on all sorts of challenges, including critical job-qualifying exams and assignments. Another drawback to communication technology is that many people feel more isolated than connected even as we are now allow to communicate with more and more people through various technologies. Life has a lot of dramatic changed. through the socializing among people. the frequency of social meetings has reduced. An increasingly number of people are more care and concern about their online life rather than their real social life. Technological means have also affected nonverbal communication. The current generation is beome more lacks essential interpersonal skills, such as the ability to express the ideas and thoughts to others face-to-face. The increased frequency of communication through texting and chatting on websites is a major reason for this tendency. In face to face communication and nonverbal communication, like facial expressions and body language, reinforces peoples message. Nonverbal communication is not allow for peoceed via communication technology . The Internet has m ade it possible to keep in touch with people from anywhere in the world. Pelople also can communicate on text messaging and cell phones. This has led to some complaints that such technology has led to a decrease in face-to-face interactions. Communicating with someone face-to-face allows people to watch their nonverbal cues, such as a smile or a frown, and this is another layer of communication. Technology doesnt allow people to catch these sorts of nonverbal cues. As Dr. Pam Hayes, an Alaska psychologist said, I think there is the potential for greater richness in face-to-face interaction because you lose the facial expressions and body cues when youre doing work on the Internet. The subtle forms of communications are lost over the Internet.Lack of face-to-face interaction has reduced the nonverbal grasping power of individuals. Communication technology creates laziness of some people. For example, people who use electronic communication to contactt somebody in the same place are d isplaying lazy behavior. The from typically involves the social networking web sites like Facebook or MySpace. These sites not only create huge distractions to peoples everyday lives but also keep people have ultimately replaced face-to-face socializing and from doing what theyre supposed to do. One more negative impact which cannot be neglected is that not everyone has the same level of access with electric communication. Digital divide refers to the difference in communication technology skills within groups of people. Electric communication makes the gap between people who possess regular access to technology, such as computers and their related functions like ability to get on the Internet Communication technology makes the digital divide of people who do not have this access . In conclusion, although technology has made life easier to communicate, it has caused the forms of communication to become less formal and less effective. Along with the rapid increase of technological innovations, people are more and more connected in the globalized world of today. However, as a result of the new technologies from this information agebut are ironically more isolated from family and friends. Although the alleviate of communication may have been improved, our lives have become more impersonal consequently. Technology has indeed made potential negative impact on society and made interpersonal communication less effective. Work sited Boddy, William. New Media and Popular Imagination: Launching Radio, Television, and Digital Media in the United States. Oxford University Press, 2004. Print. Eunson, Baden. Communicating in the 21st Century. John Wiley Sons Australia, 2008. Print. McEvoy, J. G. Enlightenment and Dissent in Science: Joseph Priestley and the Limits of Theoretical Reasoning. Enlightenment and Dissent 2. 1983. Print. Robert Kraut, Michael Patterson, Vicki Lundmark, Sara Kiesler, Tridas Mukopadhyay, and William Scherli.sInternet Paradox: A Social Technology That Reduces Social Involvement. Carnegie Mellon University,1998.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Othello: Racism Essay examples -- Othello essays

Othello: Racism  Ã‚        Ã‚   Just how serious is the problem of racial prejudice in William Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello? Is it pervasive or incidental? This essay intends to answer questions on this subject. Blanche Coles in Shakespeare’s Four Giants maintains that the racial discrimination in the play may be overstated by critics: In the first scene, Roderigo has referred to Othello as â€Å"thick lips.† No other character in the play attributes any such negroid features to Othello, and it should be remembered that Roderigo has a half-insane prejudice against and hatred for Othello. Brabantio refers to his â€Å"sooty bosom,† but may he not have meant his hairy chest? Some rather fair men have black hair on their chests. The word â€Å"sooty† seems to apply more aptly to this interpretation than it does to a mere black body. All other characters refer to Othello respectfully as â€Å"the Moor† or â€Å"the valiant Moor.† (80) In the opening scene, while Iago is expressing his dislike, or rather hatred, for the general Othello for his having chosen Michael Cassio for the lieutenancy, he contrives a plan to partially avenge himself (â€Å"I follow him to serve my turn upon him†), with Roderigo’s assistance, by alerting Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, to the fact of his daughter’s elopement with Othello. Roderigo shares Iago’s prejudiced attitude toward Othello: â€Å"What a full fortune does the thicklips owe / If he can carry't thus!† The word thicklips is a disparaging reference to a facial characteristic of many members of the dark-skinned race. When, by loud shouting, Brabantio is awakened, Iago commences with a series of racial epithets: Zounds, sir, you're robb'd; for shame, put on   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   your gown;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Your heart is burst, you have lo... ...e.   EMILIA. Thou dost belie her, and thou art a devil! (5.2)    Following Iago’s murder of Emilia, he is captured; Lodovico addresses Othello, who is so dejected at having been deceived by his ancient:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   O thou Othello, thou wert once so good,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fall'n in the practise of a damned slave,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What shall be said to thee? (5.2)    Needless to say, damned slave has racial overtones. Shortly thereafter, the hero, in remorse for the tragic mistake he has made, stabs himself and dies on the bed next to his wife, his sorrow being as deep as his love.    WORKS CITED Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos. Coles, Blanche. Shakespeare’s Four Giants. Rindge, New Hampshire: Richard Smith Publisher, 1957.   

Sunday, August 18, 2019

marco polo Essay -- essays research papers fc

Marco Polo   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marco Polo was born in c.1254 in Venice. He was a Venetian explorer and merchant whose account of his travels in Asia was the primary source for the European image of the Far East until the late 19th century. Marco’s father, Niccolo, and his uncle Maffeo had traveled to China in 1260 - 1269 as merchants. Despite Marco’s enduring fame very little was known about the personal life of Marco Polo. It is known that he was born into a leading Venetian family of merchants. He also lived during a propitious time in world history, when the height of Venice’s as a city-state coincided with the greatest extent of Mongol conquest of Asia. (http://darter.ocps.k12.fl.us/classroom/who/darter1/polo.htm )   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ruled by Kublai Khan, the Mongol hordes also threatened other parts of Europe, particularly Poland and Hungary, inspiring fears everywhere by their bloodthirsty advances. Yet the ruthless methods brought a measure of stability to the lands they controlled, opening up trade routes such as the famous Silk Road. Eventually, the Mongols discovered that it was more profitable to collect tribute from people that to kill them outright. Knowing this a number of European traders ventured, including the family of Marco Polo. (Marco Polo and the Medieval Explorers)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1269, Niccolo and Maffeo Polo arrived back in Venice, where Niccolo found out his wife had died while he was gone. Their son Marco was only about fifteen years old. Marco was raised primarily by his mother and the streets of Venice. These experiences had a big influence on young Marco.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1268, Pope Clement IV died, and there was about a three-year delay while another pope was being elected. This gave Marco time to mature and absorb the tales of his father and uncle. Marco was seventeen years old when he, his father and uncle set out for the court of Kublai Khan. They were also accompanied by two Dominican friars, and the good friars turned back at the first sign of adversity, another local war in Levant. Marco was the only new person in the Polo’s party, but he was a representative of the spirit of European civilization on the eve of the Renaissance. (The Travels of Marco Polo)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the way to Khan’s court, Marco had the opportunity to complete his education. T... ...cognize them, then they were astounded, and then were disgusted by their shabby appearance. The disgust changed to delight when the Polo’s invited everyone to a homecoming banquet, ripped apart their old clothes, and let all the hidden jewels clatter to the table.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marco was not yet ready to settle down. He became involved in naval warfare between Venetians and their trading rivals the Genoese. In 1298 Marco was captured and put in prison in Genoa. In prison Marco met a man named Rustichello from Persia, who was a writer. To pass the time Marco dictated his observations about Asia to Rustichello. After his prison experience, which lasted about a year, Marco was content to lead a quiet life in Venice with the rest of his family. He married Donata Badoer, a member of the Venetian aristocracy. Marco died in 1324 at the age of seventy. He left most of his wealth to his three daughters.. (http://darter.ocps.k12.fl.us/classroom/who/darter1/polo.htm ) Bibliography 1. http://darter.ocps.k12.fl.us/classroom/who/darter1/polo.htm 2. The Travels of Marco Polo, Mary Hull 3. Marco Polo in China, Li Man Kin 4. Marco Polo and the Medieval Explorers, Rebecca Stefoff

Waste Land Essay: Ceremonies and Rituals :: T.S. Eliot Waste Land Essays

The Waste Land:   Ceremonies and Rituals  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ceremonies are prevalent throughout T.S. Eliot’s poem The Waste Land. Eliot relies on literary contrasts to illustrate the specific values of meaningful, effectual rituals of primitive society in contrast to the meaningless, broken, sham rituals of the modern day.   These contrasts serve to show how ceremonies can become broken when they are missing vital components, or they are overloaded with too many.   Even the way language is used in the poem furthers the point of ceremonies, both broken and not. In section V of The Waste Land, Eliot writes,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "After the torchlight red on sweaty faces   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After the frosty silence in the gardens   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After the agony in stony places   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The shouting and the crying   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Prison and palace and reverberation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Of thunder of spring over distant mountains   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He who was living is now dead" (ll. 322-328). The imagery of a primal ceremony is evident in this passage.   The last line of "He who was living is now dead" shows the passing of the primal ceremony; the connection to it that was once viable is now dead.   The language used to describe the event is very rich and vivid: red, sweaty, stony.   These words evoke an event that is without the cares of modern life- it is primal and hot.   A couple of lines later Eliot talks of "red sullen faces sneer and snarl/ From doors of mudcracked houses" (ll. 344-345). These lines too seem to contain language that has a primal quality to it.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From the primal roots of ceremony Eliot shows us the contrast of broken ceremonies.   Some of these ceremonies are broken because they are lacking vital components.   A major ceremony in The Waste Land is that of sex.   The ceremony of sex is broken, however, because it is missing components of love and consent.   An example of this appears in section II, lines 99-100, "The change of Philomel, by the barbarous king/ So rudely forced"; this is referring to the rape of Philomel by King Tereus of Thrace.   The forcing of sex on an unwilling partner breaks the entire ceremony of sex.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rape is not the only way a broken sex ceremony can take place.  Ã‚  The broken ceremony can also occur when there is a lack of love, as shown in lines 222-256.   This passage describes a scene between "the typist" and "the young man carbuncular".

Saturday, August 17, 2019

The Effect of Temperature and Concentration on the Rate

Evaluation Like any experiment, there were a number of potential errors during the procedure of the experiment. Errors could have arisen as a result of the uncertainties associated with the instruments I used to take measurements, and also as a result of errors associated with the actual method. Of course, due to the limitations of the procedure, they could not be eliminated completely, so I will explain what I did to reduce them to an acceptable level and how I could have improved my method to reduce them even further. Equipment justificationThe following table shows the reasons for my choice of equipment in carrying out my method. Equipment| Justification| 100 cm3 burette| I needed to accurately measure out large quantities of hydrogen peroxide (90 cm3 and 150 cm3). The 100 cm3 burette is a precise instrument and would allow me to measure out the hydrogen peroxide by filling it fewer times than I would need to with 50 cm3 burette. | 50 cm3 burette| I needed to repeatedly measure ou t small volumes of solutions A–I. The burette made the task convenient, and it is a precise instrument. 250 cm3 volumetric flask| I needed to make up a specific volume of a standard solution. The volumetric flask has a low error. | 100 cm3 volumetric flask| I needed to make up a specific volume of a standard solution. The volumetric flask has a low error. | Top pan balance| I needed to accurately weigh out small amounts of solid when making up my solutions. | 25 cm3 Mohr pipette| I used the pipette to accurately transfer sulfuric acid when making up solutions. I could not do this with a volumetric pipette, as the volume I transferred was 20 cm3. Distilled water| I used the distilled water to wash out any glassware and storage jars before using them to avoid contamination. | Crushed ice| I used the ice to cool my reactants down to 10  °C. | Water bath| I used the water bath to heat my reactants up to 30  °C, 40  °C and 50  °C. It kept the temperature constant—it does not cool down like hot water in a beaker. | Thermometer| I needed to measure the temperature of the reactants before pouring them into the beaker and stirring them. | Magnetic stirrer| I used the stirrer to ensure the reaction mixture was uniformly mixed.This was necessary to produce sharp colour changes. | Stopwatch| I used the stopwatch to record the times of the colour changes. These are the values I needed to investigate the effect of temperature and concentration on rate. | Measurement errors These are the errors associated with the equipment I used when weighing out solids, measuring volumes of liquid, recording the temperature of my reactants, and recording the times of the colour changes. Equipment| Error| 100 cm3 burette|  ±0. 2 cm3| 50 cm3 burette|  ±0. 1 cm3| 250 cm3 volumetric flask|  ±0. 3 cm3| 00 cm3 volumetric flask|  ±0. 2 cm3| 25 cm3 Mohr pipette|  ±0. 1 cm3| Top pan balance|  ±0. 005 g| Thermometer|  ±0. 5  °C| Stopwatch|  ±0. 005 s (for ins trument),  ±0. 5 s (for measurements),  ±0. 05 s (for measurements at 50  °C)| The stopwatch could record to 2 d. p. but the times I recorded were affected by my reaction time. Recording to 2 d. p. would be pointless, as I could not record that precisely. I decided to record the times to the nearest second, except for my results at 50  °C, where I recorded them to 1 d. p. because of the short duration of time between the colour changes.Percentage uncertainties Using the measurement errors, I can work out the percentage uncertainties for my measurements. I can do this using the formula: percentage uncertainty = error / value of measurement x 100% I made multiple measurements with many of the instruments I used. For these measurements, I will find the uncertainties for three of the values (the highest, the lowest and one close to the average) to give an indication of how the uncertainty changed across the range of measurements I made. Equipment| Error| Measurement| Percentage uncertainty / %| 100 cm3 burette|  ±0. cm3| 150 cm3| (I used the burette twice, so 0. 4 / 150 =) 0. 27| | | 90 cm3| 0. 22| 50 cm3 burette|  ±0. 1 cm3| 10. 00 cm3| 1. 0| | | 5. 00 cm3| 2. 0| | | 1. 00 cm3| 10| 250 cm3 volumetric flask|  ±0. 3 cm3| 250 cm3| 0. 12| 100 cm3 volumetric flask|  ±0. 2 cm3| 100 cm3| 0. 20| 25 cm3 Mohr pipette|  ±0. 1 cm3| 20 cm3| 0. 50| Top pan balance|  ±0. 005 g| 26. 75 g| 0. 02| | | 10. 7 g| 0. 05| | | 0. 85 g| 0. 59| Thermometer|  ±0. 5  °C| 50  °C| 1. 0| | | 30  °C| 1. 7| | | 10  °C| 5. 0| Stopwatch|  ±0. 5 s| 437 s| 0. 11| | | 95 s| 0. 53| | | 1 s| 50| |  ±0. 05 s (at 50  °C)| 31. 8 s| 0. 57| | | 12. 9 s| 0. 388| | | 1. 5 s| 3. 3| The percentage uncertainties varied wildly depending on the error of the instrument and the value of the measurement. The largest uncertainty (50%) came from the stopwatch when I used it to record a time of 1 s. However, this would not have affected my calculations to a great extent, as I only use d the time to calculate the blue cycle for the first oscillation. It would not have affected the value I calculated for the average oscillation period by a significant amount, and would not have noticeably affected the trends in my graphs.This applies to all uncertainties from the stopwatch. I could have recorded all my times to 1 d. p. to improve the accuracy of my calculations and draw graphs that showed a trend closer to the true one. The second most significant uncertainty (10%) was for the burette when I used it to add 1 cm3 of solution to different test tubes in order to test the effect of changing the concentration of propanedioic acid, manganese(II) sulfate(VI) and sulfuric acid. This is a very significant error that could have definitely weakened the accuracy of my results.It might explain, for instance, the wildly varying number of oscillations I observed for tests at 0. 01 M manganese(II) sulfate(VI), as well as the increased appearance of anomalous results at lower conce ntrations. Even the uncertainty for a measurement of 10 cm3 using the burette was 1%, which is significant. In order to reduce the instrumental error, I could have used a 1 cm3 pipette or syringe to measure very small volumes of solution. I could not have done much more to conveniently transfer larger volumes of solution (i. e. p to 10 cm3) while reducing the error, as even a 10 cm3 pipette has the same error as a 50 cm3 burette, and it would have been extremely time-consuming to transfer my solutions to test tubes using a 1 cm3 pipette. Still, a 1% uncertainty would not have dramatically affected my results. Another source of significant percentage uncertainties was the thermometer—at every temperature the uncertainty was above 1%. At 10  °C, it was 5%, which is particularly significant. This means that I could have started stirring the reactants at a temperature between 9. 5  °C and 10. 5  °C.However, there were no thermometers more precise than  ±0. 5  °C, so the re is not much I could have done to reduce this error. Anyway, looking back at my raw results, the times I recorded for tests at 10  °C were not particularly discordant in comparison with the results I obtained for the other temperatures. All other errors were below 1%, so were insignificant. I used the volumetric flasks correctly, using a Pasteur pipette to add the distilled water for the last centimetre below the graduation mark, checking the mark at eye level in order to make sure I stopped at the correct point.I took readings from the bottom of the meniscus at eye level when using the Mohr pipette and burettes to reduce parallax error. I had to round up the mass of manganese(II) sulfate(VI)-1-water I weighed on the top pan balance from 0. 845 g to 0. 85, so an 4 d. p. analytical balance would have been better for this, but I did not have access to one. Procedural errors These are the errors that could have arisen from the method and improper technique. When making up solutions , it is important to rinse out the glassware and other equipment with distilled water before use.This was particularly vital for the BR reaction, due to its high sensitivity to chloride ions. As mentioned in my method, I did wash out all equipment with some distilled water before putting them in contact with any reactants to minimise the risk of contamination. It would have been impossible to prevent a small amount of solution from being lost when transferring them. When transferring from a beaker through a funnel to volumetric flask, the small amount left would have led to a lower final concentration then planned. I minimised this error by washing out the beaker with distilled water three times.When pouring solution from the test tubes into the reaction beaker, a small amount is also lost. However, the amount left would have little effect on the results because it is a systematic error, i. e. it is repeated every time the solution is poured. I always inverted the volumetric flasks when making up solutions in order to ensure homogeneity. Before pouring them into the burettes, I gave the storage bottles a swirl in case the uniformity of the solution had been affected during storage. This would prevent the trials from being tested at different concentrations, which would have compromised the accuracy of my results.In addition, I used a magnetic stirrer to make sure the consistency of the solution remained even within the reaction beaker. This also meant that the colour changes were sharper. It was especially important that the blue colour change was sharp, as this is the value I used to calculate the oscillation period, and therefore, rate of reaction. However, because human reaction time is not perfect, there was always some delay between the colour change and the pressing of the stopwatch. This is why I could not record times accurate to 2 d. p.At higher temperatures, i. e. 40  °C and 50  °C, the water from the solutions in the test tubes evaporated a lot faster than at room temperature while being heated in water bath, which would have increased the concentrations of the reactants and overstated the effect of the temperature increase. I minimised this error by removing the test tubes from the water bath as soon as possible after the temperature of the reactants reached the appropriate level. Next time, I would seal the test tubes using stoppers to prevent any water vapour from escaping.Unfortunately, the reactants could not remain at their starting temperature while being stirred, as they had to be poured into a beaker and set on a magnetic stirrer. This means that during tests at 30  °C, 40  °C and 50  °C, the reactants cooled down; at 10  °C, the reactants warmed up. This would have understated the effect of temperature on rate. There was a problem with the hydrogen peroxide in the burette. Because it was stored in the fridge, it was cold when I took it out. As it warmed up, there were noticeable increases in the level of solution in the burette.Trials that were run near the start of the session may have used colder, more concentrated hydrogen peroxide, which would have affected the rate of reaction. I only took the temperature of reactants when I tested the effect of temperature. In order to resolve this problem next time, I would take out the hydrogen peroxide at the very start of the lesson and wait for it to warm up while setting up the other burettes, magnetic stirrer etc. and also take the temperature of the reactants when testing concentration to see if it might have had a secondary effect on the rate.The potassium iodate(V) was not soluble enough to make Solution F (potassium iodate(V), 0. 5 M). Although I did manage to fully dissolve it with the aid of heat, a small amount crystallised out of solution after it cooled down, which would have decreased the solution’s concentration and affected the results I obtained for the tests where I changed the concentration of potassium iodate(V) a nd sulfuric acid. Next time, I would change the experiment and run the tests at lower concentrations. Reliability My results were quite reliable, as I ran the reaction three times at each temperature and concentration.The number of oscillations was usually the same at each temperature/concentration and the times were concordant to an acceptable degree. There were a few anomalous runs, which I mentioned in my analysis section, and gave a possible explanation for above. I could have repeated the experiment a further time when I got inconsistent results, e. g. 0. 01 M manganese(II) sulfate(VI), to increase reliability. Extending the investigation The observations I made about the colours during particular runs were solely qualitative.I could broaden the scope of my investigation by using colourimetry to obtain a quantitative measurement of the colour intensity when the reaction was especially faint or dark. I could then compare it to values from the standard reaction to reinforce my ob servations. I could also use the data logger to measure the times of the colour changes. I could then compare the results from this technique to those from the stopwatch and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages to both methods, and decide which one would be better at producing accurate results.Conclusion Overall, I am satisfied that I have made valid conclusions about the effect of temperature and concentration on the rate of the Briggs–Rauscher reaction. Although I did not fully meet my aim of finding the order of reaction for every reactant, I did discover that the reaction was not typical in this sense, and that the orders of reaction could not easily be found. I did manage to justify parts of the mechanism through the qualitative observations I made.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Asylum Seekers †a Contemporary Social Issues in Australian Society Essay

The Oxford English Dictionary defines asylum as the shelter afforded by a country to someone who has had to leave their country of origin due to danger from political or other reasons (Oxford English Dictionary 2012). Structuralism, according to Babbie (2006), is a theory supporting the establishment of communities of different cultures. This paper will discuss the concept of asylum seekers in Australia as part of multiculturalism within the global population flow and critically examine the roles and values of the Australian people towards â€Å"uninvited immigrants† and the policies in relation to the recent influx of asylum seekers. Specifically, this paper will first give an overview of Australians and asylum seekers, then discuss the history of asylum seekers coming to Australia and review the effectiveness of current policies in addressing the issues surrounding admission of asylum seekers. The paper will also examine the arguments and issues surrounding the policies for, and attitudes towards asylum seekers, as viewed through the lens of structural functionalism. Finally the paper will conclude with an overview of Australia’s current multicultural strategy for asylum seekers and what the future holds as globalisation increases. As the complex issues surrounding asylum seekers in Australia are increasingly challenged, constant changes due to globalisation and population flow affect Australia’s political, economical and social stance towards those seeking asylum (Jupp, 2007). The broader field of population flows and multiculturalism is the topic within which the issue of asylum seekers looking for entry into a multicultural Australia is contextualised. The Settlement Council of Australia (SOCA) is the main organisation nationally representing the settlement service division and has a close working relationship with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. SOCA states that a refugee is a victim of oppression who fits the description of a refugee as set out in the 1951 agreement concerning the Status of Refugees, of which Australia is a participant, whereas an asylum seeker has already sought protection from the government under international law and is awaiting a decision on their status. (SOCA, 2012). The current view of multiculturalism, and the approach to asylum seekers amongst Australians today, is still mixed (McMaster, 2001). It is difficult for some to accept what they perceive as outsiders queue jumping in to the system to obtain status. Multiculturalism is a vital element of the settlement procedure, assisting in establishing the best environment for settlement to occur (SOCA, 2012). To understand the desperation faced by asylum seekers is hard, and we can only draw from media coverage or second-hand knowledge, if not personally experienced (Suter, 2001). Most will have fled from their homeland due to tyranny, warfare, or horrendous abuses of their human rights. As argued by Suter (2001), Australia has reacted with obstinacy over recent years with the growing arrival of asylum seekers from countries, such as Afghanistan in 2001, where the refugees were refused entry to Australia forced to relocate to Indonesia as the boat had initially foundered in Indonesian waters. International condemnation did nothing to soften the government’s stance and interestingly, most Australians, according to surveys at the time, supported the government’s hard line. The fear of invasion still seems pervasive amongst many (Suter 2001). The humanitarian element of protection is superseded by a fact that another person is attempting to get into the country and must be assessed. As SOCA states, the reinstatement of processing migrants off-shore will have a large impact psychologically on people who are vulnerable with a bleak and uncertain outlook surrounding their status in Australia. For those arriving by boat separation from their families is traumatic and the restoration of devastated families is a main element in settling successfully. Asylum seekers will need continued support from the community during difficult times of change while establishing a safer and more protected life (SOCA, 2012). It is significant that multiculturalism is a policy that recognises, and endorses, cultural diversity, not non-racism (Van Krieken, Habibis, Smith, Hutchins, Haralambos, & Holborn 2006). Australia has received immigrants for many years, as Jupp (2007) discusses, emigrants from Europe arrived in 1788, opening the way for 160,000 convicts. The Immigration Restriction Act, introduced in 1901 named the ‘White Australia Policy’, was to prevent the admission of non- Europeans into Australia. As the Australian Government Department of Immigration and Citizenship state, Australia assesses claims made by asylum seekers under the Migrations Act 1988 and Migration Regulations 1994. There is also an independent review process for people who arrive by sea know as â€Å"irregular maritime arrivals† and asylum is granted on individual circumstances after thorough background checks, which in some cases take years. Whilst waiting for their status to be recognised, asylum seekers are required to remain in detention centres (Commonwealth, 2012). The statistics published by the Department of Immigration show that when the Refugees Convention was set up in 1951 around 1. 5 million immigrants existed worldwide. Towards the close of 2010 that figure had risen to 43. 7 million, comprising many refugees, some 15 million with over 838,000 seekers of asylum and 27million relocated from their country of origin (Commonwealth, 2012). Whilst it is difficult to account for exactly why people are displaced, a large number may be foreign students and people looking for changes in lifestyle, due to globalisation and easier forms of transport (Xu, 2007). There are still many people from war torn countries escaping from oppressive and deadly regimes looking for an improved lifestyle for their relatives and loved ones. (Lusher & Haslam, 2007). Australia is a socially diverse country, which has grown to accept and embrace differing cultures. Race and racism were a fundamental part of the national Australian community, as in the case of the Aboriginal Australians, to be rid of those considered racially disagreeable, those who were not â€Å"white†. As Lusher and Haslam (2007) discuss, historically up to the First World War, the admission of Europeans to Australia was virtually unobstructed, so there was no motive to assess immigrants entering due to persecution in their country of origin. The Second World War saw the admission of many Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany with Australia assisting in an international aid scheme. Following on from the ever-increasing influx of refugees, Australia was one of the first to sign the United Nations document on the Status of Refugees in 1951 (Jupp, 2007). From then on, Australia accepted some refugees, and rejected others. Australia’s policy on refugees has consistently formed part of its immigration policy. The first major modern controversy, which sets the scene for today’s issues, was in 1977 when a boat carrying Vietnamese refugees arrived off the coast of Darwin. The media then used labels, such as â€Å"queue jumpers† and â€Å"Boat people†, names that hold to this day (Jupp, 2007). Historical incidents such as this give a background to the treatment of asylum seekers today and what some might see as Australia’s contemptuous and cold-hearted management towards them. The numbers of refugees and asylum seekers is growing annually, as statistics from the Refugee Council of Australia show: five people arrived by boat during 1975 to 1976 compared to 4,730 on 89 boats during 2010 to 2011 (Refugee Council, 2012). Yon (2000) asserts that many Australians of â€Å"old† – or white – descent still do not identify with the multiculturalism’s view of the â€Å"new† Australia. These fundamental ideas not only marginalise ethnic cultures, but also are destructive as they produce a situation whereby â€Å"old† Australians position themselves as being on the outside of a multicultural Australia. To assert that the legitimacy of the current Australian policy on asylum seekers is being questioned is understandable when viewed from a structural functionalism perspective. People with different cultural beliefs and values come together, particularly in the strained circumstances of asylum seeking; one party running for fear of their lives and Australian Immigration viewing this flight as another invasion (McMaster, 2001). Many, according to Tepperman and Blain (2006), believe that Australia’s multicultural policy should be restructured to accommodate the rapid advances in globalisation bringing together more ethnic cultures and be in line with assimilation of ethnic cultures whilst working towards a common goal. Current policies in Australia to assist asylum seekers are not effective in this age of globalisation, and should be focused on as a matter of urgency (Lusher & Haslam 2007). On July 21, 2012 in The Australian, Cameron Stewart discusses that the government’s current policy on refugees and asylum seekers which has, until recently, been the one of the basic key stones of Australia’s commitment to human rights and is now in danger of collapse. The ineffectiveness of the current policy is highlighted by the inability of the government to prevent people smugglers bringing more boats to Australian shores, hence more and more people are arriving. But, the government continued to maintain a policy, initiated in 1996 by the Howard government, which set a cap on the intake allowed each year and which is currently much lower than the influx of new refugees to these shores (Stewart, 2012). The United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) (Article 13) declares people should be able to leave their place of origin with a right to decent health care, food, housing and a right to the safekeeping in areas of welfare such as unemployment, illness of death of a family member (Article 25). The UDHR also states (Article 2) that no one should be discriminated against based on of his or her viewpoint politically, or his or her status internationally (UDHR 2012, cited Xu, Q 2007). The United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) advised Australia in April 2010 to seek out better options than the detention of asylum seekers who arrive by boat. The UNHRC is still in discussion with the Australian government on the best way to reduce the deferment of the mounting claims for asylum and compulsory detention, whilst concentrating on the wellbeing and health of asylum seekers in Australia (UNHRC, 2012). The theory of structural functionalism, argues that each of us is born, into set communal structures that have fixed behavioural expectations, which people generally do not contravene (Van Krieken et al, 2006). Social issues are approached scientifically assessing changes in urban growth, population flow to explain the structures underpinning society. As Bessant and Watts (2007) assert, structural functionalists focus on statistics of given situations, which are then used to describe the progress of and structure of social development and may help to create the basis of a policy on multiculturalism. Babbie (2010) posits that it is pertinent to understand how a person who once fitted in to a different society with different roles and functions may have difficulties initially, or if ever, adapting to the structure and function which makes up Australian contemporary society. It is therefore useful using the structural perspective, to assess the asylum seekers who may appear disruptive when placed for months in detention centres, as people who are displaced from their â€Å"norm† and are reacting against that displacement. Structural functionalism would be looking to understand why problems are occurring and what could be done to effectively integrate the asylum seekers into the Australian larger society, taking into account the adjustments that would be needed for those people to assimilate (Babbie 2010). According to Xu (2007), using the welfare benefit system is crucial for helping the acculturation and settlement of all immigrants. Yet as Xu (2007) notes, resentment amongst many Australian citizens is building towards asylum seekers as they often take low-paid jobs, out of necessity, which contributes to employment issues and a sense of insecurity for many indigenous and natural born workers. As a result, over the last 20 years Australia has moved its policy on immigration to focus more on assimilating asylum seekers and refugees with discussions about multiculturalism, and how that affects the native Australians, and less on the welfare of the immigrants arriving, sometimes under dire circumstances (Xu, 2007). In conclusion the analysis in this paper of the social issue of asylum seekers admitted into Australia suggest that many factors may disrupt feelings amongst native Australians, and unless handled sensitively the deep rooted fear of invasion, which still endures for many, will not go away (Jupp, 2007). Multiculturalism does not have the legitimacy it was trying to assume and marginalisation of asylum seekers still exists. As Bessant and Watts (2007) show when viewed through the paradigm of the structural functionalism theory, the current Australian policies on the treatment of asylum seekers create maladaptation and malignancies. An irrefutable fact exists, asserts Jupp (2007), which is globalisation. More people daily are coming to and from Australia and continually communicating with other countries and cultures. The frenetic pace of globalisation and the ensuing and inevitable cultural change in the form of assimilation is inevitable (Xu, 2007). The emphasis, according to Xu (2007) should be on a tactical approach that creates a long-term solution to prioritise the management and protection of asylum seekers across Australia, and adapting current policies on immigration to ensure that migrants skirting around current arrangements make no gain. The focus therefore should be on Australian observance of its international responsibilities concentrating on an improved policy for immigration, encouraging a reasonable and managed humanitarian programme which minimises fear and anxiety across all sectors yet creates an adhesive force for change.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Henkie Essay

6.1 Lehman Brothers Lehman Brothers was one of the main casualties of the US end of the global financial crisis that began in 2007. The US Government, fearing the loss of confidence in the financial markets bailed out Fannie May and Freddie Mac, AIG, and some other financial institutions. But when it came to Lehman Brothers, then the fourth largest investment bank in the US, the Government refused to support and the bank filed for bankruptcy. Whether this was a sound decision is, probably, not the subject for this case – though that decision did precipitate a lot of subsequent problems. Rather the case has been written to generate discussion about the domination of a major institution by one man – Richard S. Fuld Jr. The case claims that Lehman Brothers was dominated by Richard S. Fuld Jr. Was this desirable? What steps could have been taken to avoid it? Who could have initiated these steps? The discussion should raise questions: where was the board, particularly the independent outside directors? Did they understand the risks involved in the business model being pursued by the CEO? Were they acquiescent, pliable, too-trusting, or dominated by the man who was chairman of the board, chairman of the executive committee, and CEO? Where was the audit committee, indeed, where were the auditors? Where was the nomination committee, which should have been considering board structure and membership? Indeed, where was anyone capable of standing up to Fuld? The second issue concerns the directors’ ages. Certainly many of them had relevant past experience, but many were old. True, some old people can contribute significantly to board discussions from the experience, knowledge and wisdom. But others deteriorate with age. The Lehman’s board lacked a balance. The third question – is it possible for the research analysts of a financial institution to give independent investment advice to clients about a company when the financial institution has an interest in that company? – can generate an important discussion that corporate regulators still struggle to control 6.2 The Siemens AG case 1. What might Kleinfeld have done to avoid resigning? Given the apparent cultural clash between Kleinfeld’s apparent Anglo-Saxon approach to tough-minded management and the more socially-concerned German supervisory board perspective, there might have been little he could do, other than, perhaps, communicating more closely with the labour and financial members of the supervisory board. In fact, subsequent rumours about the situation surfaced, which suggested there was more to the problem than a clash of expectations. Students might be able to unearth more information from press reports. 6.3 Tokyo Electric Power and the disaster at Fukushima Daiichi This case exemplifies how a company can report confidently that it has satisfied all the required corporate governance criteria and yet have serious governance flaws that led to a serious problem becoming a catastrophe. 1. Did the structure of the board contribute to the failures? The board was large, executive and lacking any sense of independent outside directors. This is typical in many well-established Japanese companies, as we will see in this chapter. Attempts by the Japanese Government and some international institutional investors, such as US CalPers, have largely failed to change attitudes in the boardroom, to where power should reside and who should be ‘promoted’ to the board. 2. How do you account for the discrepancies between the company’s alleged concern for corporate governance on its website and the catastrophic failure? This was a company that apparently did not accept the significance of professional corporate governance thinking, but went through the motions to satisfy the regulators and stock market investors. 3. What advice would you give to the chairman of TEPCO? Encourage the students to appreciate the personal and cultural aspects of the situation. â€Å"Replace the board with a majority of independent directors† is not a satisfactory answer. This is not the US or the UK. There is no tradition of independent directors, it runs contrary to many top executive beliefs. Moreover, where are these INEDs to come from? Pressure from institutional investors to resign might work: but there has to be a replacement. Alternatively, consulting advice, mentoring, attitude changing activities, experience on other boards could all be among the ideas suggested. 6.4 The TYCO case What should a board do to ensure that a CEO does not treat the company as a private fiefdom? Recognize that the CEO probably played a major part in the appointment of the other directors. Furthermore, resignation from the board may have little effect on the CEO’s behaviour. This is another corporate governance classic. The challenge to students is to go beyond normative generalisations about how boards should be constituted and how directors should behave. They need to realize that personalities really matter. As in many corporate governance sagas mentioned in the textbook, powerful people can exercise considerable charisma, influence and authority over others – particularly if they have chosen them themselves. What was required was a group of INEDs who would insist on knowing what was going on, and if dissatisfied stand up to the CEO/chairman. If appropriate, this case can be explored further from a legal aspect to see what offences Kozlowski committe d.