Nebraska Landscape in My Antonia

The Nebraska Landscape Humankind’s relationship to its environment is one of the strongest bonds people can make. In Willa Cather’s My Antonia, this relationship is shown through many of the characters want to return to their hometown of Black Hawk, Nebraska. What they find they miss is a lost setting, a vanished world of people, places, and natural surroundings. They all develop a strong attachment to the Nebraska landscape, which never seems to leave them. Part of the reason for this connection is that the novel is set in a time and place where the weather places limitations on the characters.As a result, the characters are simply more in tune with the weather and the natural elements in general. The landscape gives their feelings and thoughts a physical form, and reveals the theme of human connection with its surroundings as a whole. Jim’s relationship with the Nebraska landscape is important on its own terms, but it also comes to represent Jim’s relati onship with the people and culture of Nebraska as well as his inner self. The river, that Jim and Antonia enjoy swimming in, represents his free soul.Jim always allows himself to enjoy the simple things in life and adventure with Antonia, but keeps his goals in mind. The wide open Nebraska plains represent his open-minded, romantic personality that develops as he grows up. When he starts college, he finds himself beginning a relationship with his old friend Lena, and does everything in his power to make her happy. The landscape seems to shape his life and personality, changing and developing as he does. It also mirrors Jim’s feelings—it looks desolate when he is lonely—and also awakens feelings within him.Another example of landscape description symbolizing the feeling of a situation is at the burial of Mr. Shimerda. Mr. Shimerda commits suicide after a particularly difficult winter, and his family is devastated regarding his loss and their economic situation. H is funeral is also held in the dead of winter, the coldest time of year. The land is unyielding and unforgiving, just as it had been for the Shimerdas trying to make a living off of it when they moved to Nebraska. There seems to be a bitter feel at the funeral, almost as bitter as the cold air outside.The plow, which Jim and Antonia see silhouetted against the enormous setting sun, also reveals the theme of the connection between human culture and the natural landscape. As the sun sets behind the plow, the two elements are combined in a single image of calmness, suggesting that man and nature also coexist harmoniously. However as the sun sinks lower on the horizon, the plow seems to grow smaller and smaller, ultimately reflecting the dominance of the landscape over those who inhabit it.

A Close Look at Bangladesh

The People’s Republic of Bangladesh, also known as Bangladesh, is one of the youngest nations historically. Established in 1971, the country has undergone various battles to win its independence, including those to fight for its religion and its language. At present, Bangladesh is one of the unfamiliar states in Asia, continuously fighting overpopulation, poverty, and political unrest (Whyte & Lin, 2009). Bangladesh is geographically situated in South Asia, bordered by Myanmar in the southeast and India in the north, west, and northeast.The most essential feature of the country is its â€Å"web of rivers† that molded its culture and lifestyle positively in terms of transportation and hydroelectric power and negatively with massive flooding (Whyte & Lin, 2009). The total area of Bangladesh is roughly 144,000 square kilometers, which is a bit smaller than Iowa. The estimate population of the country is 158 million, which makes it the seventh most populous in the world (CI A, n. d. ) I. GovernmentThe politics of Bangladesh has witnessed several changes with the shifting of the forms of government from parliamentary in 1972, to presidential in 1975, to martial law in 1981 and back to parliamentary in 1991 (Whyte & Lin, 2009). At present, the nation is ruled by the chief of state, President Zillur Rahman, and the head of government, Prime Minister Sheik Hasina Wajed. Members of the cabinet are handpicked by the prime minister and appointed by the president. The legislative branch is led by the unicameral National Parliament elected by the people.The Supreme Court is headed by chief justices and other judges appointed by the president (CIA, n. d. ). Ahmed (2004) further describes politics in Bangladesh as a constant chat topic in all parts of the country. He further likened Bangladeshi politicians to that of the country’s rivers – changing their courses unpredictably, overflowing their banks and submerging new lands. Moreover, the capital o f Bangladesh is Dhaka. It is further divided into seven administrative divisions, namely, Barisal, Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Syllhet (CIA, n.d. ). The nation as a developing country is characterized by corruption brought about by indecisiveness of politicians, politicization of the civil service, and nepotism among civil servants. According to the World Bank, should Bangladesh lessen corrupt practices in its government, it is possible that it will enjoy an improved economic status (Ahmed, 2004). II. Economy One of the poorest nations in the world – this is what typically defines the economy of Bangladesh.The nation relies primarily in agriculture, livestock, and forestry, with crop agriculture as the main contributor in the country’s GDP (Ahmed, 2004). Nonetheless, one-third of its population still lives below the poverty line (CIA, n. d. ). Because of this, Bangladesh relies heavily from foreign aid, which it uses to improve its agriculture and support efforts to advance society. One sector that is being developed to help Bangladeshi economy is energy, namely, gas, oil, and mineral explorations that currently attract foreign investors.Another element that keeps its economy afloat is foreign trade (Ahmed, 2004). It exports garments, frozen fish and seafood, jute and jute products, and leather to the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom, among others (CIA, n. d. ). Moreover, export of labor also contributes highly to the economy with most Bangladeshi working overseas such as in Saudi Arabia and Malaysia (Ahmed, 2004). Still, unemployment needs to be prioritized as unemployment rate is at an estimated 2. 5 percent, which the nineteenth highest in the world. III. Religious PracticesReligion is a significant part of Bangladeshi society. In fact, religion is an important element of people’s self-identity. More than three-fourths of the population are Sunni Muslims, ten percent are Hindus and the others are Chri stians and Theravada-Hinayana Buddhists. The Constitution upholds Islam as the state religion but allows each citizen to practice his faith according to his choice. Furthermore, the government has established imam training academies and proclaimed Islamic days of festivals. Moreover, each religion has its own set of laws.For instance, Muslim men are allowed to marry up to four times but society discourages this practice; Christian men can marry just one woman; Hindus can practice unlimited polygamy; but marriages between members of different religions were unrestricted. In addition, important religious festivals and holy days of all religious groups are observed as national holidays (US Department of State, 2007) IV. Language The official language of Bangladesh is Bangla or Bengali, which is the native tongue of more than 98 percent of the population.However, many also speak English and Urdu. Bangla’s influences include Islam, Arabic, and English (Kwintessential, n. d. ) V. E ducational System Since a huge portion of the population experiences poverty, the educational system in Bangladesh is highly subsidized. Schooling is divided into primary, secondary, and higher secondary levels. Tertiary education is also provided in universities and affiliated colleges. In all levels, students can opt to be educated under Bangla or English medium (Prime Minister’s Office, n. d. ). VI. Norms and ValuesIn Bangladesh, age generally tells how one is addressed. If people are of the same age, first names are used but if the person being addressed is older, he is called by his first name and a suffix that indicates the family relationship. Moreover, gift-giving is important for Bangladeshis. For instance, bringing of pastries or sweets is encouraged in visiting a home; offering of frangipanis, white flowers, alcohol, products with non-halal meat, and even money are discouraged; opening gifts in front of the giver is likewise discouraged; and gift-giving should be d one with both hands.Moreover in eating, directly turning down an invitation is impolite; many eat with their hands so asking of utensils is rude; meals will be shared by the same sex; guests are served first; and the oldest person at the table eats first; passing of food and drinks is done with the right hand only. Furthermore in communication, Bangladeshis tend to communicate indirectly so their body language needs to be understood as well. Nonetheless, they stand close when speaking to someone of the same gender (Kwintessential, n. d. ). VII. ConclusionTo conclude, Bangladesh has come a long way from its establishment 40 years ago. Nonetheless, it has a lot to learn in terms of political stability and economic development. Still, the nation has reasons to be proud of such as its religion, language, and values that has established its identity as a free nation. References Ahmed, S. (2004). Bangladesh: Past and Present. New Delhi: A. P. H. Publishing Corporation. CIA. (n. d. ). Sout h Asia: Bangladesh. The World Factbook. Retrieved from https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bg. html Kwintessential.(n. d. ). Bangladesh – language, culture, customs, and etiquette. Retrieved from http://www. kwintessential. co. uk/resources/global-etiquette/bangladesh. html Prime Minister’s Office. (n. d. ). Education system in Bangladesh. National Web Portal of Bangladesh. Retrieved from http://www. bangladesh. gov. bd/index. php? option=com_content&task=category&id=33&Itemid=27 U. S. Department of State. (2007). Bangladesh. Retrieved from http://www. state. gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90226. htm Whyte, M. & Lin, Y. L. (2009). Cultures of the World: Bangladesh. New York: Marshall Cavendish.

Marketing and management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing and management - Assignment Example 1 Advise on Internal Marketing for Rosemary and Her Staff Members Development in Internal Marketing In simple words, marketing can be referred as identifying and meeting human as well as social needs. Appropriate and excellent marketing are the ingredients of success for business in modern times (Kotler, 1972). The importance of marketing needs should be well communicated to Rosemary and her staffs. The behaviour of Rosemary and her staff members can be changed with the strategy of social marketing. This strategy combines excellent factors from traditional approach towards the social changes within an integral plan and framework for action and also utilizes and advances towards the technology and marketing skills (Pichop & Mndiga, 2007). Social marketing is applied to influence people towards their behaviour in improving their health, protecting environment and contributing to the society (Kotler & Et. Al., 2002). This strategy of social marketing will assist in development in the ma nagement of staff members. Rosemary King should apply this strategy as the organization is dealing in the health care sector. There is evidence of the application of this strategy in this sector and it has achieved success as well. The social marketing strategy follows systematic procedure that allows enhancing efficiency of the marketing activities. In the first phase of the strategy, the social marketing environment is determined. In this process, the program that needs to be focused is determined, the objective is identified, and an analysis of strength, weakness, opportunity and threat (SWOT) along with reviews are done. In the second stage, target audience are identified and selected with set of goals and objectives and then the competitive forces and target audiences are analyzed. After this, market’s four Ps (Product, Price, Place and Promotion) are analyzed to suit the best marketing strategy. After completion of these stages, development of plan for monitoring and ev aluation is designed, budgets and sources of finance are identified and finally implementation is made (Kotler & Et. Al., 2002). Customers have been an important factor and their needs and wants ought to be identified appropriately in order to provide their requirements. Marketing has been centrally customer focused and Rosemary also needs to follow the same strategy and see that the staffs also try to identify the exact requirements of customers and provide them the desired requirements (Rust & Et. Al., 2004). There are conflicts in situations where owner-manager deals directly with customers. In this situation, solving the problem is a long process and it requires more time. In this case, Rosemary being the owner manages marketing activities and takes every marketing decision. The organization has now grown bigger and she needs to hire executives to manage the market efficiently. This will reduce the conflicts among staffs, owner and customers (Armstrong, 2010). Marketing manager will motivate the management and staffs. Appointment of marketing manager by Rosemary will allow the manager to plan and

Legal Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Legal Case Study - Essay Example Generally, death in any manner is a sad thing for the kith and kin of the deceased or dying. Euthanasia or assisted death though relatively new has caused much debate. But Terri’s case of a person who can not decide whether she wants to continue in a persistent vegetative state. She could not decide or communicate her desire. Hence many ethical issues arose. The personal ethics of her parents and husband were in sharp contrast in the later part of Terris’ life. Michael her husband wanted her artificial life support to be withdrawn and the Schindlers, Terri’s parents did not. They argued it would have been against the wishes of Terri who they claimed to be a devout catholic. The parents were wrong in persisting in their demand even after the courts ruled in favour of Michael and appointed him guardian. The judiciary acted reasonably in the matter. Bouma (2005) opines that â€Å"There are adequate checks and balances in the levels of judicial system, and courts have not acted precipitously or hastily.† Yet the Florida Legislature passed a bill authorizing the governor to intervene in Terri’s case. The law was later struck down by the Supreme Court yet the legislature and executive tried unsuccessfully to decide the fate of a person who can not think for herself, against her implied wish as the courts had decided. The society violated its ethics in that special interest groups tried to influence and decide such a highly personal question of a caretaker’s decision about life support to a person in a persistent vegetative state. Lastly, the government violated its duty towards the larger majority of people needing medical aid which would have been provided for instead of spending the amount in costly healthcare of an individual whose legal guardian had expressed his desire to stop her artificial life

Narrative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Narrative - Essay Example The group involved in the Creek War was composed of different branches of Indian stock namely Creeks or Muscogees proper of the Upper Creeks, the Hitchitees of the Lower Creeks, the Alibamos and Coshattees of the Alabama River, and the western branch Choctaws and Chickasaws (19-21). There are different causes of the war. One of the said causes is the different factions of invaders such as Spanish, English and French explorers (25). Prior to the war, settlers and the Indian inhabitants were having territorial issues but because of different forms of agreements coexistence for a period of time had been possible. Few years before the war though, there had been indications of difficulties and tensions with the relationship between the foreign settlers and the locals. Based on the increasing number of settlers as compared to the native population, the war was believed to be â€Å"a war upon the whites† but as more evidences had been gathered it had been concluded that the Creek War, though negative was considered as a â€Å"method to exterminate† the Indians of the locality

M-Commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

M-Commerce - Essay Example 25). In simple words, it can be defined as the process of carrying out business tasks using the Internet (Norton, 2001, p. 371). In their paper, Lee, Hu, & Yeh (2003) outline that in the past few years a large number of business organizations have decided to make changes to their existing e-commerce and m-commerce systems. For this purpose they have spent a lot of funds in their website structures and have an enhanced marketplace share through incorporating the facility and technology support for m-commerce (Lee, Hu, & Yeh, 2003). Without a doubt, in the past few years the trend of online social networking, music, business, and gaming is increasing and emerging in the digital content marketplaces and more than 70% of the web-based people have no credit card on the other hand they have a mobile phone. So this is a real fact behind this way of paying for the online purchase and the majority of business organizations has uniquely positioned this new idea, for this new and innovative business model, mobile technology structural and knowledge team capability to enable web and mobile business in the world to augment digital content sales, attainment latest consumers and marketplaces (IGI-Global, 2009). For example, the mobile payment method uses the technology that allows payment by mobile phone. This operation is carried out through the Near Field Communications or NFC. A Near Field Communications chip makes possible the small range wireless radio contact between the cell phone and the reader (in a related system to Oyster journey cards in London), which activates the payment. Bank or credit card particulars can be stocked up in a variety of methods; however the GSMA helps to maintain them on the mobile phone’s SIM card. In addition, the mobile phone can be taken anywhere, or consumers are able to type a pin code concerned in the mobile phone to allow larger

Identifying The Child Readiness for Independent School Essay

Identifying The Child Readiness for Independent School - Essay Example His brilliance in Mathematics has many times been highlighted by the praise that he has received from his teacher as well as his colleagues. He performs very well in the subject and is very active in the classroom in helping out his classmates as well. In the case of Humanities, Jazz tries to understand the subject with proper concepts. He shows great interest in the understanding of human history and the importance that history lays on our lives today. He always strives to learn more with regard to the early human developments as well as the important events that have taken place in the history of the world. Jazz is an active member of the school sports teams. He enjoys playing sports and has the potential to greatly contribute to the school sports community. He has been actively involved in playing sports which include basketball, soccer, badminton, swimming, and golf. Jazz has a very healthy lifestyle and he is actively engaged in extracurricular activities. He is also a very good observer and loves to appreciate the beauty of nature. Apart from playing sports, Jazz is very considerate and helping and it is for this reason that he became a member of the Boys Scouts. He always wishes to contribute to society and be of assistance to people who are in need of help. I do not have any concern with regard to the admission of Jazz in Independent School. I am a proud parent owing to the high achievements of my son in all fields of education. He is an all-rounder and will be able to cope up with the educational environment. I believe that my son will actively contribute to the school community and perform well in his academics as well.

Travelocity SWOT Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Travelocity SWOT Analysis - Essay Example We market these net rate offerings to travelers at a price that includes service fees that we retain, plus an amount sufficient to pay the travel supplier for its charge for providing the travel accommodations, along with any applicable occupancy and other local taxes on that charge. For this type of business model, we require pre-payment by the traveler at the time of booking. High customer acquisition costs, as the marketing and promotional costs are quite high to deal with and it is challenging to upgrade the features of online portal quite often. A new feature from competitor keep Travelocity on toes as it may deviate Travelocity's customers. Customers may reduce transactions through our distribution channels, which could reduce Travelocity revenues: business segments have objectives that lead to conflicts with customers of other business segments related to parent company "Sabre". For example, Travelocity and Travelocity Business operations compete with travel-agency subscribers of Sabre Travel Network. That competition could cause current or potential travel agency subscribers to elect to use competing GDS providers, websites or other channels of travel distribution, which could reduce our transaction fee revenue and materially adversely affect our business. Opportunities: Sustainable global corporate customers' growth creates an opportunity to provide right customer experience and extend the corporate associations for a long period of time. As travel industry is extremely competitive, companies have to target to retain their most valuable clients. Along with retaining clients it has to look out for new clients & markets for considerable growth opportunity. Opportunities to explore the new markets as the internet penetration in developing countries is on raise and E-Commerce is evolving tool for travel purchase. Countries like India where internet penetration is picking up at rapid pace have to be explored with aggressive marketing and promotional strategies. Opportunities exist for online booking for rail and road travel across the globe as it is the basic mode of the common man's travel. Threats: Economic downturns, rising fuel costs and the financial instability of travel suppliers in recent times have bought the confidence levels of travel markets to an all time low. Political instability, acts of terrorism, hostilities and war have created a negative perception on the travelers mind

Direct and Digital Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Direct and Digital Marketing - Essay Example Identity theft is basically the illegal use of an individual's personal information including such identifiers as social security numbers, driving license numbers, financial cards and account information, usually for frauds and crimes without the consent if the original owner. This crucial information can be used to fraudulently obtain such things as loans, credit, employment, healthcare services, rentals, and mortgages. Identity theft has become a global problem. It was regarded the worst in US until recently because, in US, the traditional use of the social security numbers is identification - a piece of information that, when linked to the name and address of the individual, makes it relatively easy for a thief to get all the necessary information regarding an individuals identity. However, the problem has caught up in Europe too with the UK Home Office estimation that identity theft is growing at 165% per year in the UK and is currently costing the country  £1.3 billion annually. An interesting fact about the increase of identity theft is that it is greatest at rising in Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia - two of the new hotspots in the current trend of outsourcing. According to a survey on internet security by the Cyber Security Industry Alliance, about 97% of the users online consider the identity theft a very serious problem. These underlying perceptions of people are having dire effects on the businesses trying to market their products online (digital marketing) or directly through phone or email. Another interesting fact is that fraud committed during card-not-present transactions accounts for 60% of fraud which has made people further cautious of any kind of online transaction they make.   Companies and businesses are starting to realize that the increasing ratio of identity theft and its dire consequences on the perception of people has made the use of credit cards and sharing of other personal data even for authentic business purposes very limited.  

Role of a footballer Essay Example for Free

Role of a footballer Essay In this essay I am going to explain why Peter Kay/John Smiths adverts are so successful? John smiths bitter was very successful without the adverts the adverts have made it more well known. The adverts started by a famous comedian Jack Dee the adverts went so well they had a cardboard cut out of Jack Dee and it was still a success. In 2002 the comedian Peter Kay took the place of Jack Dee and it became funnier than ever. The adverts start with a serious scenario then half way through Peter Kay would add some humour and the advert would become really funny. The adverts have made John Smiths bitter become very popular in the U.K owning 15% of the market. Them first advert is the swimming advert it starts off as a normal diving event. Two professionals divers dive then John Smiths steps up he runs and bombs he wins the event. The advert is funny because it is suppose to be like an Olympic event and the best dive wins but Peter Kay steps up on the diving board with his Bermuda shorts and unfit compared to the other divers compared to the slim divers. He bombs and soaks the judges with the water. The judges give him the best mark its aimed at the working class man. It appeals to all the ages. The second advert is in an Indian restaurant it starts off as a normal meal Peter Kay is out with his wife and a couple of friends his mobile phone goes off and Peter Kay answers it. Its his daughter Britney having a nightmare about the wardrobe monsters Peter Kay says Its the burglars that break in through the windows that you should be worried about His friends look amazed and he does not realise what he has done wrong this is what makes the advert funny because its original and not normal to say something like that. The third advert is the football one. In this advert is a team at football training they show of their skills by keeping the ball up and then they pass it to john smith he then volleys it and says ave it then the ball goes into someones back garden. The saying ave it has become very popular around the U.K this shows the impact the adverts have on people and makes them remember the advert. The fourth and final advert is the snooker one. It starts off as an average house Peter Kay walks in stops his mum from hoovering up and tells her come on mum its time to go she looks at him and says go where he then says the old peoples home they will look after you now its for the best she says are you mad I am fifty five Peter Kay says I know but I have had a word with them they will take you she says why should I go live in an old peoples home Peter Kay says because I want to put a snooker table in your bedroom and the kids are afraid of your tash This advert makes you laugh because the facial expressions of his mum and the way he says it you feel safe to laugh because she is only fifty five and its just not what someone would say to there mum this is what makes it funny. The tag line of each advert is the same. In the background there is always something happening the first advert at the end the john smiths pint is on the diving board and everything is unfocused apart from the pint this gets your attention to it. The second advert you see the john smiths pint again at the end on top of the wardrobe. The third advert you see the picture of Peter Kays mum then it gets changed with a famous snooker player Dennis Taylor. The final advert you see half time oranges and a pint next to it Peter Kay runs up pushes the oranges to the side and chooses the john smith pint. The ending of every advert is unique to the advert and there will always be the John Smiths pint on every ending. The tag line is always the same on every advert No Nonsense saying he is serious about it and cant see what is wrong. Peter Kay represents an average working class man the rule of three works well in the John Smiths adverts because it twists the advert. For example the diving one there is three divers. Two of which are really good and have athletic body then there is Peter Kay overweight and not very good. The twist is that the unfit one john smith wins the event. They show a replay of John Smiths bomb and show different angles of the bomb this makes the advert more funny because you see it from different views and makes humour last longer. Peter Kay plays a role in each advert in the first advert he plays the role of an unfit athlete in a competition. In the second advert he is playing the role of a working class man having an Indian with some friends. In the third advert Peter Kay plays the role of a footballer at training with the team. The final advert Peter Kay plays the role of Man looking after his mum. In conclusion I think the Peter Kay/John Smiths adverts where so successful because they use a lot of humour, which makes the adverts funny for anyone who is watching them. I think the adverts have had an impact on sales of John Smiths bitter before the adverts John Smiths bitter was still a success but with the adverts I think sales have increased. The adverts are funny to watch and easily remembered and this makes John Smiths more successful. All of the adverts start out as a normal scenario then Peter Kay will twist it and make you laugh this is a good technique because you are unaware of what is going to happen. I think they picked the best comedian for the adverts because he has funny accent and is already well known from Phoenix nights and various stand ups he has done.

Reflection on Evidence Based Management

Reflection on Evidence Based Management As the worlds tallest peak, Mount Everest is natural wonder that many people attempt to conquer. However, successfully ascending and descending Mt. Everest requires a meticulous amount of planning, organising and ongoing decision making. In order to emulate the planning and decisions that actual climbers experience, groups of five students participated in a Web-based simulated climb of Mt. Everest, with every member being assigned different objectives to complete. As the teams marathoner, my main goals was to reach the peak without being rescued. I was also assigned the role to predict temperature ranges at each decision point. Unfortunately, only 11% of my goals were achieved. During my experience, the Mt. Everest Simulation gave participants an immersive opportunity to acquire an enhanced awareness of the impacts of decision making, organising and planning. Section 2: Planning and Controlling 2.1 Description of problem/issue Due to an input error in the decision making process, I accidentally climbed to the fourth camp when I was supposed to rest at camp 3. This resulted in my health as the marathoner to deteriorate and I was eventually rescued during the simulation on decision 6. This caused many of the team leaders and my own goals to be rendered invalid. This input error indicates a lack of concurrent and feed forward control mechanisms in our decision making. Additionally, the group did not realise that every member received different information with each decision round. The fragmented information included an article on altitude sickness, weather pattern data and wind speed charts. If these information resources were used to the fullest potential, temperatures could have been predicted more accurately and team decisions could have had better outcomes from improved awareness of risks. Consequently, this would have improved individual scores and in extension the overall score. 2.2 Management research evidence According to the research of V. Daniel (2000), firms that differ from traditional manufacturing firms such as those in the re-manufacturing industry requires far more complex planning and control in production activities. Re-manufacturing is a form of product recovery that emphasises value-adding products as opposed to just recovery of materials (ie. recycling). As such, the static nature of stochastic returns, return and demand rate imbalances and returned products with unknown conditions require careful planning and controlling in the remanufacturing processes (Daniel 2000). The article outlines that in a particular firm, before anything is done with received product, they are routinely assessed with a set of criteria (relating to product durability and functionality) to gauge re-manufacturability. The standardised criteria greatly helps firms establish better product control and predict variable costs. Generally, a re-manufacturing facility will be composed of three sub-sections w hich are disassembly, processing and assembly. Disassembly is where product information is disseminated, which then determines the kind of processing the product will undergo in the next step. The processing system is a generalised production area made up of smaller niche workstations, which allows flexibility in processing capacity. Due to high variability in times in the processing step, scheduling task allocations times in products can be done with simple rule-of-thumb techniques (Daniel 2000, p. 470). In another case of evidence, Hodgson (2004) examines the impacts of bureaucracy in post-bureaucratic organisations based on empirical work conducted in the IT department of Buzzbank, a UK telephone bank. In order to adapt to the environment of a post-bureaucratic structure, project management has been suggested as a solution. Project management is a process or set of processes that instigate planning, organising and controlling organisational resources to achieve goals within predefined limits (ie. time constraints). Project management is established with the aim of handling discontinuous work, expert labour and continuous and unpredictable change in a post-bureaucratic setting while providing the same levels of control and reliability of traditional bureaucracy (Hodgson, 2004, p. 81). The study showed that attempts to introduce bureaucratic controls into a thoroughly affluent post-bureaucratic structured organisation was met by uncompromising attitudes and sometimes heavy resistance . It is worth mentioning that the decision to introduce bureaucratic systems indicates managements recognition of and response to the risks that are inherent in post-bureaucratic work like the dangers of devolved control and excess autonomy in the workplace (Hodgson, 2004, p. 97). 2.3 Application of evidence to problem/issue The main problem identified with the planning and control aspect of the simulation was the input error and the loss of composure in the decisions that followed. The evidence gathered from the re-manufacturing industry can be applied to the Mt. Everest simulation in that both contain wide-ranging outcomes. Climbing Mt. Everest involves a multitude of crucial variables such as health (physical and mental), available supplies (oxygen, food, medication, communication etc) and external factors such as temperature. Like the re-manufacturing process, planning criteria for certain situations in the form of contingency plans is vital for raising the success rate of reaching the summit of Mt Everest. The structure of teams and decision making in the simulation is comparable to that of the re-manufacturing approach (disassembly, processing, assembly). Disassembly is present in the simulation where information is provided to each player after every decision round in the form of feedback controls . The processing part of the simulation can be seen in how each member is assigned a specific niche role while the group as a whole is equipped to adapt to varying circumstances. For example, if the group is together, the physician can administer medication to the marathoner should they experience an asthma attack. Therefore, the key to succeeding in the Mt. Everest climb is to keep the team together rather than separating at camps to keep group synergy, survivability and adaptability to its maximum potential. The downside to this, however, is that this would be a difficult feat to accomplish due to time constraints plus the requirement of foregoing several goals of some team members. Hodgsons work can likewise be applied to the Mt. Everest simulation in that a post-bureaucratic organisation shares some similarities with the group structure of the teams. Facets of post bureaucracy include: placing emphasis on the teams missions, fluid/flexible decision making processes, high need for internal trust and expectations of change. A project management style approach to control may help the groups performance as it facilitates post-bureaucratic characteristics yet maintains some control and reliability, which was stated earlier as lacking in some aspect. Although this course of action may reduce errors, introducing bureaucratic style controls to a team of largely autonomous individuals may cause backlash. This inner conflict resulting from implementing extra control processes is likely to cause team performance to decrease, so perhaps it would help the team more if control levels remain the same. Section 3: Leadership 3.1 Description of problem/issue For our team, we took a substitutes for leadership approach. During our simulation, the team leader was not responsible for all aspects of the decision making process; all members had active roles in determining what actions the team should take. In this case, the leadership problem is dependent on whether or not the climb is done in the simulation or out in the field. For the simulation the input error from section 2.1 was purely a technical fault and is not representative of real life situations. In any case, the input error was unlikely caused by any leadership related faults in the simulation. After the mistake however, there was a loss of composure and motivation in team members with an emphasis on finishing the simulation more quickly, which seems to indicate deficiencies in transformational and empowering leadership. 3.2 Management research evidence In management teams, there is reason to believe that the intersecting roles of knowledge sharing and team efficacy are directly related to the link between empowering leadership and team performance. Based on research by Srivastava, Bartol and Locke (2006), where 102 hotel management teams were surveyed, there is a positive correlation between empowering leadership to both knowledge sharing and team efficacy which supplement performance levels. Empowering leadership is characterised by a set of behaviours dictated by the distribution of power amongst a team with the purpose of raising motivation. Empowering leaders exhibit characteristic behaviour in the form of leading by example, participative decision making, coaching, informing, and showing concern (Srivastava, Bartol Locke, 2006, p. 1240). As a component of empowering leadership, knowledge sharing (sharing of task relevant ideas, information and suggestions) is of vital importance in a team environment as it allows cognitive re sources to be fully utilised. Conceptually, the various behaviours of empowering leadership will raise subordinate efficacy. For instance, participative decision making gives subordinates active input roles that enables higher learning and skill experience, thus improving efficacy (Srivastava, Bartol Locke, 2006, p. 1240). In another survey, Dong and Avolio (2000) examine transformational and transactional leadership in relation to the effects of trust and value congruence on follower performance. Using a sample of 194 students with varying conditions of transformational and transactional leadership, the experimental study established the theory that both direct and indirect effects affect performance as a result of transformational leadership conveyed by individuals trust and value congruence. Alternatively, transactional leadership only had indirect effects on subordinate results when conveyed by individuals trust and value congruence. The study argued that the influence of the leaders vision is especially powerful when it is congruent in their followers personal values. It is suggested that internalising a transformational leaders values in their adherents values results in increased value congruence and willingness to commit to the vision and mission of leaders. In the study, transformational leade rship notably had a strong positive effect on performance quality and conversely had a strong negative on quantity (Jung Avolio, 2000, p. 960). 3.3 Application of evidence to problem/issue Although communication was effective in that all members were given opportunities to voice an opinion, there could have been more traits of transactional leaders in the group. With a more structured and task oriented approach to decision making, mistakes such as those mentioned in section 2.1 could have been prevented. The research by Dong and Avolio (2000) however, argues that transformational leadership will improve team results by directly and indirectly through trust and value congruence. When value congruence, which is the level of homogeneousness between an individual and a larger bodys values, is made uniform among team members there should be an enhanced motivation to accomplish team goals. The simulations team goals, which are mostly synonymous with those of the team leader (All members reach the summit, no one gets rescued etc), can represent value congruence in the context of this simulation. Therefore, if the team leader took a transformational approach where all team mem bers standardised their values to the leader there would be an increase in team motivation and commitment to the goal at hand and performance quality, thereby improving the potential for better decision outputs. Similarly, empowering leadership is directly related to the teams performance through making progressions in knowledge sharing and team efficacy. The group lacked some skill with knowledge sharing as not all the data was distributed to the group in its entirety. This can be attributed to the groups lack of experience in these activities; the team leader was just as inexperienced as the other members. If team members had more experience and practice in activities such as the Mt. Everest simulation, it would enable all group members to develop characteristics of empowering leadership (ie. leading by example for a less experienced group member). With this in mind, the teams knowledge sharing capacity will increase which will lead to an increased ability to accomplish team goals. Improved team efficacy, which can vary greatly in effect, may include reducing individual errors during given tasks. Section 4: Reflection on Evidence Based Management 4.1 Thoughts about Evidence- Based Management According to Rouseaus study (2007), evidence based management is the use of the best available scientific research to make informed managerial decisions and encourage better or more efficient organisational practices. From this, it is inferred that evidence based management is simply taking a rational approach to managing given that the resource evidence is accessible. It is difficult to believe that this way of thinking about management has only been brought up in recent years. Research evidence has been practiced successfully in fields such as medicine, education, policing and psychology. According to J Pfeffer and RI Sutton (2006), Evidence based management can be split into a multi step process of demanding evidence, acquiring, appraising and aggregating said evidence, applying evidence to decisions and reinforcing continuous learning. I think that this step-by-step process can simplify and organise the information that can be used to deliberate on a decision, allowing faster and efficient action. 4.2 Evidence Based Management in future career If I were to pursue a career in management, an evidence based management approach would help greatly against issues in the trade. As I lack any real experience in a managing position, using an evidence based approach to management would allow me to augment my skills in the eyes of others and perhaps set myself apart from others who also share my lack of experience. Evidence based management represents a logical way of thinking about decision making that is justified by accepted facts, so there is no reason not to implement an evidence based approach in management fields. The only reason I might not pursue an evidence based approach is if I had executive role in a decision (ie. senior manager). Evidence based research levels out hierarchical powers, allowing anyone to match or surpass the decision making efficacy of those with experience with fact and evidence, thus removing the distinguishing power a leading representative might have had previously. The application of evidence based management also depends on the situation and research that it concerns. The evidence suggested may come in the way of the organisations or my own interests, making it more suitable to disregard the evidence supported course of action. Purely as a surplus maximiser, I would certainly use an evidence based management approach to resolve issues as long as it does not contradict my personal agendas. Bibliography/Reference List Daniel, V, 2000. Production planning and control for remanufacturing: industry practice and research needs, Journal of Operations Management, Volume 18 (Issue 4), pp. 467-483. Hodgson, D.E, 2004, Project Work: The Legacy of Bureaucratic Control in the Post-Bureaucratic Organization, Organization, Volume 11 (Issue 1), pp. 81-100. Jung, D.I Avolio, B.J, 2000. Opening the Black Box: An Experimental Investigation of the Mediating Effects of Trust and Value Congruence on Transformational and Transactional Leadership, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Volume 21 (Issue 8), pp. 949 964. Pfeffer, J Sutton, RI, 2006. Evidence-Based Management, Harvard business review, N.a (N.a), pp. 1-14. Rousseau, D.M Mccarthy, S, 2007. Educating Managers From an Evidence-Based Perspective, Academy of Management Learning Education, Volume 6 (Issue 1), pp. 84-01. Srivastava, A, Bartol, K.M Locke, E.A, 2006. Empowering Leadership in Management Teams: Effects on Knowledge Sharing, Efficacy, and Performance, Academy of Management Journal, Volume 9 (Issue 6), pp. 1239 1259. Wright, A, 2014, Lecture 2: Planning and Controlling, PowerPoint slides, University of Queensland, Brisbane. Wright, A, 2014, Lecture 3: Leading in Organisations, PowerPoint slides, University of Queensland, Brisbane. mgts1301 Introduction to ManagementPage 1

Comparing Washington Irvings Rip Van Winkle and Americas War of Indep

Parallels in Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle and America's War of Independence The story of Rip Van Winkle is well known throughout American culture. As one of America's most popular short stories, few school children have not heard of Rip Van Winkle's twenty-year slumber or imagined his long, gray beard. In the telling and re-telling of this mysterious tale, the original context of the story itself has, for the most part, been forgotten. Few Americans are aware of how the story originated, and in what context it was first presented to the public. "Rip Van Winkle" first appeared as a part of Washington Irving's The Sketch Book. This was a collection of various short works, ideas, thoughts, and pictures. "Rip van Winkle" was only a part of this collection, but eventually gained a great deal of popularity in its own right. When considering this story, it is important to keep in mind the original context and its relation to other works within The Sketch Book. However, as "Rip Van Winkle" has stood on its own in American culture, there is also a place for examining the story apart from The Sketch Book. When doing this, certain symbolism becomes apparent. Washington Irving uses symbolism in "Rip Van Winkle" to relate Rip's life and experiences to the situation of the American colonies in relation to Great Britain and the War of Independence. In this interpretation of the symbolism in "Rip Van Winkle", the marriage between Rip Van Winkle and Dame Van Winkle represents the union between the American colonies and Great Britain. The characters themselves possess certain attributes which symbolize the perceived characteristics of the two entities. Dame Van Winkle is usually unhappy with Rip. She has cer... ...respectively. Rip's experience in the Kaatskill Mountains ultimately sheds light on the changes of the American public, and Washington Irving accomplishes his purpose of establishing a tradition for the American short story. Works Cited Barbarese, JT. "Landscapes of the American Psyche." Sewanee Review. 100 (1992): 599-603. Dawsone, Hugh J. "Recovering 'Rip Van Winkle': A Corrective Reading." Lauter, Paul, ed. The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1988. Rubin-Dorsky, Jeffrey. "The Value of Storytelling: 'Rip Van Winkle' and 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' in the Context of The Sketch Book". Modern Philology. 82:4 (1985): 393-406. Shear, Walter. "Cultural Fate and Social Freedom in Three American Short Stories." Studies in Short Fiction. 25:3 (1988): 249-259.

What is an infectuos disease :: essays research papers

What is an Infectious Disease? An Infectious Disease is a disease caused by germs, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites. These diseases are all "caught", hence they are often termed communicable diseases. Examples of specific infections include Strep throat, mononucleosis, cold sores, athlete's foot, appendicitis, boils, vaginal yeast infections, African Sleeping sickness and tuberculosis. HEPATITIS B VACCINATION Safe and effective vaccines are now available for protection against hepatitis B, a serious liver infection that can result in cirrhosis and liver cancer. Hepatitis B vaccine prevents hepatitis B disease and its serious consequences. Use of hepatitis B vaccine and other vaccines is strongly endorsed by the medical, scientific and public health communities as a safe and effective way to prevent disease and death. There is no confirmed evidence that indicates that hepatitis B vaccine can cause chronic illnesses. Whenever large number of vaccines are given, some adverse events will occur coincidentally after vaccination and be falsely attributed to the vaccine. To assure a high standard of safety with vaccines, several federal agencies continually assess and research possible or potential health effects that could be associated with vaccines. The Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that all newborns, infants and children, especially sexually active teenagers be vaccinated against hepatitis B. Vaccination is also recommended for individuals at high risk of being infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV). These include:  · Health care workers, including doctors, dentists, nurses, blood and lab technicians;  · Emergency workers - including paramedics, fire fighters and police;  · Hemodialysis patients;  · Military personnel;  · Morticians and embalmers;  · Patients and staff of institutions for the mentally handicapped, inmates of long-term correctional institutions;  · Ethnic groups with a high rate of hepatitis B including Chinese, Koreans, Indochinese, Filipinos, Alaskan Eskimos, Haitians, and American Indians;  · People with multiple sexual partners;  · Intravenous drug users;  · Recipients of certain blood products;  · Household contacts and sex partners of hepatitis B carriers;  · International travelers Those who are already infected will not benefit from vaccination. However, infants born of mothers who are carriers of the hepatitis B virus can be protected. A simple blood test can determine whether someone is a hepatitis B carrier. Immunization requires three doses of vaccine according to the following schedule:  · 1st dose: For infants born to infected mothers - within 12 hours. For infants born to mothers who test negative - within one to two months following delivery.  · 2nd dose: 1 month later  · 3rd dose: 6 months after the first dose.

The Reason Rapists Are Going Free :: Violence Rape Essays

The Reason Rapists Are Going Free When will the men and women of our world be able to live their lives without the fear of being raped by another person? The article that will be discussed in this paper is called â€Å"The Reason Rapists Are Going Free† written by Stacy Colino. The biggest thing about this article is the fact that the DNA samples gathered in rape kits can nab sexual offenders, but the evidence often sits around collecting dust. Many men as well as women are getting away with harming another person through sexual contact with out their permission. Men as well as women can be rapped but less men will actually go to the police about it they would rather keep it under wraps because they are afraid they will be criticized for being weak which is untrue. Both, men and women are at risk for rape the scary thing is that there is a possibility that their cases will not be processed because their rape kits are not being processed efficiently. The ones that actually are processed are not always bro ught to trial. Those that are processed are thrown through the databases of convicted persons and if there is a match than it will go through the courts, and when this is all done with the victim feels worse about themselves and we promote this in our culture? The audience of this paper is those who want to be informed and those that this horrible problem has happened to. Rape is not something men and women wish to talk about but it is a relevant issue in our world. It should not be something people have to worry about in their own homes. The purpose is to inform people that the rapists can be caught and brought to trial for what they have done. The logos of the article are those who have been raped will be able to get their victimizer put away for a long time therefore the kits should be processed. The ethos that is presented in this article is if you are going to do the crime you should have to do the time as well if you are going to start reassess a case you should make sure the kit is finished. The Reason Rapists Are Going Free :: Violence Rape Essays The Reason Rapists Are Going Free When will the men and women of our world be able to live their lives without the fear of being raped by another person? The article that will be discussed in this paper is called â€Å"The Reason Rapists Are Going Free† written by Stacy Colino. The biggest thing about this article is the fact that the DNA samples gathered in rape kits can nab sexual offenders, but the evidence often sits around collecting dust. Many men as well as women are getting away with harming another person through sexual contact with out their permission. Men as well as women can be rapped but less men will actually go to the police about it they would rather keep it under wraps because they are afraid they will be criticized for being weak which is untrue. Both, men and women are at risk for rape the scary thing is that there is a possibility that their cases will not be processed because their rape kits are not being processed efficiently. The ones that actually are processed are not always bro ught to trial. Those that are processed are thrown through the databases of convicted persons and if there is a match than it will go through the courts, and when this is all done with the victim feels worse about themselves and we promote this in our culture? The audience of this paper is those who want to be informed and those that this horrible problem has happened to. Rape is not something men and women wish to talk about but it is a relevant issue in our world. It should not be something people have to worry about in their own homes. The purpose is to inform people that the rapists can be caught and brought to trial for what they have done. The logos of the article are those who have been raped will be able to get their victimizer put away for a long time therefore the kits should be processed. The ethos that is presented in this article is if you are going to do the crime you should have to do the time as well if you are going to start reassess a case you should make sure the kit is finished.

Marketing mix plan Essay

1. 1. Price Considering the targeted market, pricing is not the core issue of concern in this particular marketing program. Consumers of Qatar are more likely to be quality sensitive rather than price sensitive. 1. 2. Product Product quality should be the main concern of development due to the market that Brookstone are aiming for. With the booming economic condition, consumers would have a high range of alternative products in the market and therefore, Brookstone must deliver a set of product offering that cannot be matched by competitors. Using its image in the previous markets, the company should have little problems winning the preferences of the new customers. 1. 3. Place Qatar and the western people have long history of economic relationship. Brookstone have various alternatives of supply chain strategy to develop a presence in Qatar. Having a local partner that provides insights fro Brookstone managers is the preferred strategy considering the cultural gap. 1. 4. Promotion Full media advertisements like television, newspapers and magazines are the preferred method of creating a presence in Qatar markets. Nevertheless, extensive preliminary researches must be performed and local promotional partners must be consulted to prevent bias in advertisement meanings that has often caused promotional disasters for many foreign investors in the past. 2. Financial Analysis In addition to the explanation of definition of marketing mix, Books Galore will have following objectives: ? Sales of $171,664,792 within 3 year of operation ? Maintain net profit margin of 9-10. 9% or equals to $17,811,719 in 3-year period ? Reaches 30-40% of sales from online stores Table 1 1-year Financial Plan Table 2 3-year Financial Plan 3. Conclusion and Recommendation E-business, which stands for electronic business, continues becoming attractive services t due to the simplicity and effectiveness of customer-buying processes. Concerning the e-business issue, this paper develops a business plan for Brookstone, a nationwide specialty retailer that sells a variety of consumer products with distinctive function, excellent quality and design. The business plan for Brookstone includes several elements that the company must take into account including mission and vision statement, internal and external environment analysis and financial plan to examine whether the set up of e-business provide reasonable benefits for Brookstone within a certain period. Table 3 Plan No. Activities Time Schedule 1 Improvement of e-business department at Brookstone May – July 2009 2 Developing new e-business (websites, systems etc) August – October 2009 3 Commissioning Test November 2009 4 Launching the new services December 2009 Bibliography Answer. (2007). Strategic Planning. Retrieved April 9, 2009 from http://www. answers. com/topic/strategic-planning Brookstone. (2009). About Us. Retrieved April 8, 2009 from http://www. brookstone. com/service/company_info. asp? company_info_id=233&cmid=ftr_cmpinfo&cm_re=A_Ftr*Co*Brand Kotler Philip and Gary Amstrong. (2006). Principles of Marketing. Prentice Hall Robbins, S. (1987). Organization Theory: Structure, Design, and Applications. Prentice-Hall Shugan, Steven M. (2004). The Impact of Advancing Technology on Marketing and Academic Research. Retrieved April 9, 2009 from http://bear. cba. ufl. edu/centers/MKS/marketing%20science/ed2304. pdf.

Best Story

Today is my first day at the UniKL City Campus. After the registration session at the Multipurpose Hall, I need to go to the Male Hostel and later on to the Administrative Building. So, I asked one of the security guards on duty the way to both places. He explained to me the routes to the Male Hostel and the Administrative Building. First, from the guard Post 1, I must go straight and turn left into Jalan Teknologi. Then, I need go straight until I found Multipurpose Hall at my left and at the junction; I must turn left into Jalan Teknikal. After that, I must go straight until I found the classroom and laboratory at my left and turn left into small path at the end of classroom building. Then I need to turn right to park my car at student parking area and I will found the Male Hostel in front of the student parking area but I need to cross restricted area. After I check in at Male Hostel, I need to go to Administrative Building to settle out my document. From student parking area, I need to turn to small path and turn right into Jalan Teknikal. Then, I must going straight and turn right at the end of Jalan Teknikal into Jalan Teknologi. Then, I must take the first junction and I will found Multipurpose Hall at my left. When I move to in front, I will found the classroom and laboratory at my right and the Administrative Building at my left.

Brief History of the English Language

Brief History of the English Language OLD ENGLISH 5th Century —three Germanic tribes —-the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes arrived in the British Isles. The Angles were named from ENGLE, their land of origin. Their language was called ENGLISC from which the word, English is derived. The Angles, Saxons, and Jutes became known as the Anglo-Saxons. The Angles, Saxons, and Jutes became known as the Anglo-Saxons. Some words such as church, bishop, baptism, monk, eucharis, and presbyter came indirectly through Latin and Greek.The VIKINGS, also known as Norsemen, invaded England by the 8th century , which in turn, gave English a Norwegian and Danish influence. MIDDLE ENGLISH When William the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy, invaded England, he became its king. French became the language of the court, administration, and culture. It was the language used in schools. The English language became mostly the language of the uneducated classes and was considered a vulgar tongue. Similar article: Failure in English LanguageMost of the English words rooted in French are words that have something to do with power, such as crown, castle, parliament, army, mansion, gown, banquet, art, poet, romance, duke, servant, peasant, traitor, and governor. MODERN ENGLISH Modern English developed after Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press in Germany around 1450 and William Caxton established England’s first printing press at Westminster abbey in 1476.Printing also brought standardization of English. Between the 18th to 20th centuries, the English language continued to change as the British Empire moved across the world—- to the USA, Australia, New Zealand, India, Asia, and Africa. American and British variants are the INTERNATIONALLY accepted variants of the English language. Differences of AE and BE Spelling center—– centre program— programme color—— colour

A Brief History of a Colony That Never Was

New Devon colony was founded on the north-west coast of the modern USA in the Delaware river’s valley.  Ã‚   It was the Indians who had lived here before Europeans came. These were the Indians who spoke the language of Algonquian group. They called themselves Lenni Lenape that meant ‘progenitors‘ or ‘first people’.Other Indian tribes called them ‘grandfathers’ and this fact also confirms that Lenni Lenape was the oldest tribe in this valley. The Indians hunted, fished, farmed cultivating cereals and legumes.   Depending on the season the Indians migrated from forests to the coast. At the beginning of 17th century about seven thousand people lived here.First European investigators of these lands were Dutch. However some seafarers investigated the North-West coast earlier: Englishman John Cabot (1497), Frenchman Giovanni da Verrazano (1524), Spaniard Estevan Gomez (1525), Frenchman Jehan Allefonsce (1542), Englishman Sir John Hawkins (15 62) and others.In 1615 Dutch Johan Stuyvesant left his country for the north-west coast to find suitable place for trading. In June being not far from New Foundland the ship unfortunately took fire. Stuyvesant had to land in order to repair the ship. After the examination of this place the captain became sure that lands are favorable for trade furriery and the river was full of fish.As a result of   Stuyvesant voyage the Dutch post Hoek was founded here.   Soon Englishmen learnt about these lands. They were very impressed with stories about fertile valley and in 1632 John Welsh visited this territory. He was enthusiastic about the prospects of these lands and confirmed everything   the Dutch traders had told.So in 1635 the territory of New Devon was granted to the Earl of Worcester and Englishmen began to immigrate here. Those Dutchmen who to swore fidelity to King could own the lands they had settled before. The land settlement in 17th   century required careful planning an d leading.It was very expensive and risky business. The settlers had to sale more than four thousand miles, they needed food, arm, clothes, seed, implements. Only small group of rich immigrants could afford to pay for such voyage. Others used special colonization agencies. These organization paid for the trip while settlers were bound to work off this debt in the colony as   servants. After four – five years servants could even get a plot to farm.The relationship between the Indians and settlers of New Devon were not so troubled as we can think. William Penn and his Society of Friends or Quakers living in neighboring Pennsylvania influenced the situation greatly. To follow them New Devon concluded a treaty with the Indians in 1701 to keep the peace.As for   economics of New Devon it prospered. The main business was agriculture. Many people however became employed as small fish processing or milling plants workers. Shipbuilding flourished. Cereals, wood, dairy products wer e exported to the southern colonies., West India and Europe.Too busy with commerce residents of New Devon didn’t pay much attention to the education and were obviously behind the southern colonies in this field. Only by the middle of 18th century King’s College was opened here. In 1739 ‘New Devon Weekly Journal’ began published.When granted to the Earl of Worcester King also gave a charter to New Devon. This document proclaimed authority   to be exercised by so called freemen – free colonists. The result of it was that assemblies took over the control of finance. The governor appointed by the Earl couldn’t even collect taxes and spent budget money without assemblies permission. When in 1684 Britain attempted to reestablish King’s rule and cancel the charter colonists simply expelled the governor send by London.Though British authorities realized the necessity to rearrange the Empire the situation in America wasn’t favorable to do this. Colonies got accustomed to independence and required more freedom. To consolidate power Britain had to begin struggle. The first step was the Sugar Act passing in 1764.The sugar act put a tax on sugar, wine, coffee, silk that shipped to the colonies from countries other than Great Britain. New Devon traders combined efforts to   boycott English goods. Residents used only those products which were produced by New Devon plants. Later in 1764,Parliament enacted a Currency Act to prevent paper bills of credit issued in any of King's colonies from being made legal. Since the colony were a deficit trade area and were constantly short of hard currency, this measure added a serious burden to the colonial economy.Equally objectionable from the colonial viewpoint was the Quartering Act, passed in 1765, which required colonies to provide royal troops with provisions and barracks.   But the act that angered the residents most of all was The Stamp Act. The Stamp Act put a tax on al l printed paper goods that colonists bought. Colonists had to pay a tax when buying books, newspapers and playing cards. A person who finished college had to pay a tax on the diploma.Lawyers had to pay a tax on the wills, agreements and other documents. To show that the tax had been paid, a stamp seller put a stamp on the paper.   The hostility arose. People caught officials collected taxes and tarred them. In October of 1765 in response to   Massachusetts assembly New Devon send delegates in New York to discuss the Stamp Act. After the long disputes   the congress enacted to consider as legal only the taxes imposed by colonies themselves. However George III was not going to make any concession. The Revolution became inevitable.During the Revolution many nearly 7000 men of New Devon enlisted for service in spite of the fact that there no important battles here except several skirmishes. New Devon provided the Army with food and arm.Lack of ammunition made residents to melt the statue of King to cast bullets. In 1781 English army surrendered to American and French ones. On September 3, 1783 Great Britain signed Treaty of Paris –   the peace settlement proclaimed the independence, freedom and sovereignty of the colonies. New Devon as well as other colonies became independent.Bibliography1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   About Connecticut; 15 July 2004; available from htpp://www.ct.gov./ctportal/cwp/view.asp?a=843&q=246434; Internet2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Boorstin, Daniel J.   The Americans: Vol. 1: The Colonial Experience, Vol. 2: The Democratic Experience, Vol. 3: The National Experience, Hardback ed., Random House, 19753.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dugan, Jeannine Colonial Immigration: An Overview; 25 January 2004; available from htpp://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/5871/32260; Internet4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Morris, Richard B.; Henry Steel and Jeffrey B. Morris, eds. Encyclopedia of American History, 6th ed., Hardback ed., Harper & Row, 19825.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pennsylvania state history,   available from htpp://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/pahist/overview.asp?secid=31; Internet6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   State of Delaware (A brief history), 12 July 2004; available from htpp://www.state.de.us./gic/facts/history/delhist.htm; Internet

His of Islamic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

His of Islamic - Essay Example Europeans did not manage to introduce Christianity in Islamic world since Islam as a religion had taken root and it was not easy to replace it with another religion. In the three gunpowder empires, the Europeans managed to create a relationship, which helped them to practice trade. Yes, they were able to resist the western cultural, political, and economic domination because they had established their single culture and political class, which united them. ii. How did the patterns of trade in the Islamic world change between 1400 and 1700? Why? What were the consequences of the change in trade for the five groups of Islamic societies that we have discussed? There was emergence of new trading partners where commodities from Islamic world were sold in European markets in exchange European goods were sold in Islamic world. For instance, gunpowder produced in Islamic world sold in Spain and Britain. In turn, the trading patterns led to new global economy whereby other countries such as the Americas became involved in trade, which improved transport, and communication systems in countries involved in trade since goods were to be transported to market either by road or by sea. iii. Compare and contrast the societies in each of the following Islamic groupings: The North Africa, The Middle East/Europe, South Asia (including India), Central Asia, and the Indian Ocean Basin. How were their political, social, economic, religious, and cultural institutions organized? How did these societies differ from each other? Islamic grouping of North Africa are mainly Sufi or Sunni. However, Islam in North Africa is dynamic since it has been influenced by prevalent political, economic, and social conditions. Despite this, Islamic societies in North Africa conform to the belief system and cultural contexts of the continent’s own teachings. The Middle East or Europe

Medieval mysticism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Medieval mysticism - Essay Example Christian mysticism had something to do with direct experience with the divine in form of a vision of, or sense of union with God. Meditation, prayer or ascetic discipline usually accompanies it. In general, mysticism is a direct and immediate experience of the sacred, or the knowledge derived from such an experience. The experience is immediate and overwhelming, detached from the common experience of reality and is self-validating, without need of further evidence or justification. Outside the experience itself, one is incapable of expressing or understanding its essence. It is important to note that mysticism is not the same as magic, clairvoyance, parapsychology or occultism. Mystics are people who practice or believe in mysticism. They usually see their mystical experience as part of a larger task meant to bring human transformation and not as the terminus of their efforts. In Europe, mysticism flourished especially in Germany, Italy, the Low Countries and England from mid 13th to mid 15th century. Such mysticisms of that time are the ones referred to as medieval mysticisms. However, there is variation in the dating of the edges of these periods depending on different scholars. One of the most important sources of medieval mysticism is Saint Augustine of Hippo. He was born in the city of Thagaste, Algeria, to a Catholic mother named Monica and he has contributed to the western philosophy by promoting argument by analogy. He is also the most important figure in the ancient western church that produced works of high spiritual quality. In Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion, he is a doctor of the church known for his Christian mystical sermons and the patron of the Augustinian religious order. His ideas also influenced philosophers like Immanuel Kant and Blaise Pascal, and the reformation leaders such as Martin

Professional development and the role of mentorship Essay

Professional development and the role of mentorship - Essay Example Walsh (2010) asserts that successful mentors are those that foster growth and development in others. Indeed, within the broader precinct of education, mentors can be defined as guides and advisors in the learning process. Various scholars are of the view that mentors provide enabling environment to students in practice setting (Carnwell et al., 2007). Mentoring is core aspect of healthcare profession that serves as critical linkage in forging constructive relationships and developing skills and competencies of individuals to improve and improvise their performance. Department of Health (2001:6) describes it as ‘nurse, midwife or health visitor who facilitates learning, supervises and assesses students in the clinical setting’. As such, mentors identify and evaluate core competencies of students and help exploit them for improved performance. It is especially true for pre-registration of healthcare workers and RNs so that they are better equipped to face the challenges of the times. Hence, effective mentoring guides young nursing professionals to identify and develop their competencies for higher healthcare delivery. Role of mentor is critical aspect in the transition of students into the registered healthcare professional due to huge shift to responsibility and accountability of the changing position. Gopee (2011: 9) claims that role of mentor in nursing education is to ‘direct focus on enabling students to gain safe and effective clinical practice skills during practice placement’. He has broadened the framework of mentorship by not only expanding on the definition of DH and including the mandatory qualification and experience of registered nurses as defined by NMC but also by elaborating on the expected roles of mentors within clinical setting with context specific experience and qualifications. NMC (2008) describes eight major roles of mentors: preceptor; assessor; clinical educator; clinical supervision; clinical supervisor; Practice teacher; registrant, supervisor. Preceptor has basic minimum qualification of twelve months’ experience who facilitates students’ tra nsition to registrant (DH, 2010). These have therefore becomes vital aspects of mentors. The assessor is equipped with essential skills and knowledge to assess students’ competencies. The Clinical educators, clinical supervision and clinical supervisor help the nursing students to enhance their skills in clinical setting through effective feedback. 3. Importance of mentoring Carlisle et al., (2009) emphasize that mentors’ role as practice education facilitator (PEF in short) and personal or link tutor is vital in nursing paradigm. They have described them as teacher in nursing and midwifery who encourage students learning experiences in practice setting by assessing their skills through feedback, guidance and reflective practices. Personal tutor and link tutor are often allocated to individual students to monitor their progress and coordinate with mentors on a regular basis. In healthcare education, link tutors have evolved as essential components of practice sessions. They pace their teaching as per the students’ competencies in terms of their learning experienc

Early Childhood Teacher Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Early Childhood Teacher - Essay Example A good early childhood teacher should have an understanding of what he or she needs to accomplish with his or her students. While the typical knowledge is that teachers need to impart knowledge like a person stocking meat inside a sausage casing, I believe that they should be more aware of the fact that students have this innate capability to learn and reason out. Thus, learning does not necessarily mean spoon feeding the children with the things that they need to know where the teacher takes an active role and the students wait passively. Teachers should be able to elucidate knowledge from the children by stimulating their young minds and enabling them to learn. The children need to take an active part in learning. They should not be there only to accept what the teacher imparts to them but they should be able to enhance their capabilities of bringing out the innate capacity to think and reason out. One of the best examples of this is Socrates' dialectics where he constantly asks questions to youth enabling him to stimulate their reasoning abilities. He makes his student's realize that they are capable of thinking beyond and out of the box (Socratic Seminars 2008). In a school setting, this should be used to small children in order for them to acquire the ability to depend themselves through rational thinking. For example, instead of directly saying that gravity pulls everything into the earth surface, the teacher should ask students what happens when something is dropped. Then follow it up with why they think it is so. Then, he or she could explain that this is because of a force which pushes everything down. The good teacher can also ask students instances when they think that the law of gravity is violated. Small children are very good imitators. In fact, they often learn things that they directly see in their parents, teachers, and other persons making up their immediate environment. Imitating words and actions are their way of learning and exploring their environment. Because of this, a good early childhood education teacher is one who lives up to what he or she teaches inside the classroom. A teacher should teach through his or her good example. It should be noted that when parents send their children to school, it is not just the mental and intellectual capacity which they expect to nourish but also their children's character. Thus, it is important that the teacher's attitude and behavior mirrors a decent individual who is morally excellent. A good early childhood teacher should be able to display a character which is pleasing to every parent or student. He or she should be aware that her actions will strongly impact and shape the moral development of his or her students. Name calli ng, bad words, impatience, dishonesty, and unfairness have no place inside a classroom where small children are intended to become decent citizens (Muir 2007). A teacher should be able to back by her actions the words that he or she preaches inside the classroom. It is irrefutable that small children honor and respect their teachers even more than their parents because of their knowledge. They see their mentors as

FIOS has the fastest 4G network Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

FIOS has the fastest 4G network - Essay Example Although other internet service providers use fibre optic or the coppers network cables, according to many internet users, FiOS 4G networks is the fastest network among all 25. The following annotated bibliography seeks to emphasize the effectiveness of FiOS 4G networks as one of the fastest 4G networks used in the IT sector. Sander and Scott argue that FiOS has the fastest 4G networks globally. According to this book, Verizon runs two telecommunications business that include; Domestic wireless and Wire line. The two telecommunications services offer quality services to the customers (45). Domestic wireless provides wireless data and voice services through TVs and telephones. On the other hand, Wire line provides broadband, voice, internet access, video, and long distance data transmission through high-speed data transmission channels. These authors state that FiOS is one of the largest investments of Verizon, which provides a high-speed bandwidth internet link easily surpassing cables and DSL. With FiOS 4G network, Verizon is able to provide high-speed data; thousands of HD lives stream videos and voice data all simultaneously (47). Hui in his book emphasizes that FiOS has the fastest 4G networks than other internet service providers in the world. According to him, the current LTE Mobile Broadband is the leading-edge type of 4G networks aimed to have the fastest data transmission rate than the existing 3G network. Further, Verizon introduced iPad and Apple iphone products and other services in the market in the year 2010 (46). Due to the company’s high quality products, a large group of consumers anticipate these rollouts for a long period, and thought to have the fastest 4G networks than any other alternative products from competing companies. Verizon Company serves the world’s largest companies, which use

Free Will Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Free Will - Essay Example He argues that though indeterminism and freewill are incompatible, human being’s ‘self-forming’ or libertarian actions are essentially the result of freewill. Therefore, they are morally responsible for their actions. Unlike Kane, Derek Pereboom argues that both determinism and libertarianism are incompatible with freewill. Indeed, he remains agnostic about the truth of determinism. But he argues that whether determinism is true or not, freewill is incompatible with it. So, human being should learn to live without freewill. Yet the incompatibility of freewill with determinism does not imply that man is free from moral responsibility. Since, according to him, an agent’s action is either the result of causal determinism (self-forming action) or the manipulation of some external power, in both cases, the agent will remain responsible for his action. It is because though freewill does not exist, man’s action (even though the agent is tricked, by some ext ernal power to perform that action) will seem to be caused by his freewill. In fact, Kane has an impulsive tendency to argue against â€Å"compatibilism† on the ground that man will never be able to learn whether his ‘will’ is determined by some other power or not. Therefore, the question about the compatibility of Freewill and determinism is absurd. Referring to Frazier’s perception of Skinner’s â€Å"Walden Two†, he says that â€Å"the deeper freedom of the will is an illusion in the first place. We do not have it anyway† (Kane 427). This assertion has two meanings simultaneously: first, it can be assumed that he attempts to says that man does not freewill, since it is an illusion. Secondly, it can be assumed that since the concept of freewill is an illusion, man is free to act according to what he calls his will. Kane calls this freedom of man to act on his own at some particular moment as ‘libertarianism’. Indeed, he believes in the agent’s mundane power

Reporting and Analyzing Cash Flows Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reporting and Analyzing Cash Flows - Assignment Example However, the costs of the inventory has increased, which will cause growth of the amortization depreciations (Murphy, 2000). On the other hand, if the equipment is used more effectively, the overall production and operation costs will lower. This non-cash investment is intended to improve the overall performance of the Popowich Inc. Issuing additional shares is the double-end stick. On the one hand, it depreciates the already existing stocks, while on the other hand this will help to improve the company’s positions on the market by attracting investments. Financial activities of the company are mainly associated with the time and money restrictions. Nevertheless, the cash and non-cash investments of the Popowich Inc prevent the company from stagnation. Regardless of the fact that the further financial plans are unknown, if the existing tendency is preserved, the company will shorten the long- and short-term notes that will help to decrease the liabilities. Additionally, the proper capital budgeting will help to control expenditures. As Murphy (2000) emphasizes, the remaining capital expenses are generally graded in accordance with the profitability reported. Hence, the financing activity of the Popowich Inc is based on the capital budgeting model. The long-term liabilities of the company represent the positive tendency, as the company is aimed at shortening these points of the budget. The stockholders’ equities are involved into the strategy of attracting investors. In the light of this fact, it should be stated that the company’s financing activities form the positive

Holocaust & The Japanese-American Internment Essay Example for Free

Holocaust The Japanese-American Internment Essay Humanity. It is disconcerting to think about what we the humans have done to our own race. All because we believe in trying to find a difference such as our ethnicity, intellect, or looks to try to find how we are better than some. Hitler did this to the Jews as he wanted the world to have the Aryan race with the Holocaust, and America did this to the Japanese during the Japanese internment. The Holocaust and the Japanese internment are very different from one another yet they are both very similar to each other. The Holocaust was the systematic mass slaughter of Jews and other groups deemed inferior by the Nazis. The Holocaust began when Adolf Hitler, the fascist leader of Germany that would lead the world into World War II. He and his followers proclaimed that the Germanic people, or Aryans, were better then others and targeted the Jews as the cause of all previous failures Germany had made. In 1935 the Nazis passed the Nuremberg laws that deprived Jews their rights to German citizenship and forbade marriages between Jews and non-Jews. More laws came to the Jews as well later, even limiting what kinds of works that Jews could do. However, the situation began to worsen with the Kristallnacht, otherwise known as â€Å"Night of Broken Glass. When 17-year-old Herschel Grynszpan, a German Jewish youth visiting an uncle in Paris, shot a German diplomat living in Paris, wishing to avenge his father’s deportation from Germany to Poland, the Nazis retaliated with a violent attack on the Jewish community. On November 9, Nazi storm troopers attacked Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues across Germany, murdering about 100 Jews in the process. After Kristallnacht, many Jews saw that violence against them was only going to increase resulting in several German Jews to flee the country. Hitler first favored the emigration as a solution to what he dubbed as â€Å"the Jewish problem,† but the other countries such as the United States, France, and Britain, stopped the constant immigration of German Jews after admitting tens of thousands. Another plan was put into effect when Hitler discovered he couldn’t get rid of â€Å"the Jewish problem† by emigration and so he began to isolate them. He isolated the Jews by having them move to designated cities where they would be herded into desolate, overcrowded ghettos, segregated Jewish areas. By isolating the Jews in horrible conditions, the Nazis hoped they would either starve to death, or die from disease. This process went by too slowly, however, thus causing Hitler to take a more direct approach. His plan, the â€Å"Final Solution,† would lead to about six million innocent people’s deaths. The killings began as units from the SS moved from town to town hunting down Jews across Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. Together, the SS and their allies rounded up men, women, children, and sometimes babies to isolated spots. The SS would then shoot the people into pits which later became their graves. Jewish communities that were not taken by the SS were taken to concentration camps were Hitler believed that the horrible conditions of these camps would speed the total elimination of the Jews. The prisoners worked as slaves everyday for either the SS or for German businesses where they were beaten severely or killed for working to slow. The prisoners were given hardly enough food in these camps dieing of starvation or disease. In 1942, however it seemed like the worse had yet to come with the arrival of extermination camps. Extermination camps were equipped with huge gas chambers that could kill up to 6,000 people a day. SS doctors would separate the strong from the weak or other wise mainly the men from the young, the sick, the elderly, and the women. Those that were put into the weak category would die immediately, while the strong would work till over-extortion. About six million died, and fewer than four million survived, however those that did would never be the same again. The Japanese internment happened during 1942. It was where government propaganda would take a negative effect on society. After the attack on Pearl Harbor many Americans discriminated against the Japanese American. Everyone that even looked to be Japanese would be mistrusted and be labeled as â€Å"the enemy. † On February 19, 1942 President Roosevelt issued an executive order which rounded up every Japanese person that lived in the US as they were seen to be threats to the nation. Many endured names such as being called an â€Å"alien. † In March, the government shipped the Japanese to relocation camps where they were sure to be not in contact with the enemy. Any former possession that the internees might had had were usually gone shortly afterwards as their lands would be repressed. Despite the fact that most of these Japanese were Nisei, native-born American citizens whose parents were Japanese, and that some volunteered for military service they were still put into these camps. They were housed in barracks and used communal areas, for washing and eating. Over half of those taken in were merely children. These camps were then overseen by military personnel. All internees over the age of 17 were given a loyalty test were they were asked questions. 120,000 Japanese were taken in, and only 60,000 survived. In 1988, the U. S.  Congress passed legislation which awarded formal payments of $20,000 each to the surviving internees. At the end of the war some remained in the US and rebuilt their lives, others however were unforgiving and returned to Japan. Both the Holocaust and the Japanese internment are eerily similar to one another. The Japanese and the Jews were seen to be the enemy and needed to be isolated in camps. The camps had inadequate medical care and the high level of emotional stress the people suffered were too much. Both lived in overcrowded areas and were over watched by the military. Life in the camps was hard for both the Jews and Japanese. Internees and Jews had only been allowed to bring with then a few possessions. However, internees were given 48 hours to evacuate their homes. Consequently they were easy prey for fortune hunters who offered them far less than the market prices for the goods they could not take with them. A big difference is that while the Jews were given free food, the Japanese were rationed out at an expense of 48 cents per internee, and served by fellow internees in a mess hall of about 300 people. Internees slept under as many blankets as they were allotted. Leadership positions in both concentration camps and the relocation camps were given to German-born Jews and American-born Japanese. While, the government ideals may have been different, when they spew propaganda they seem to be very alike. While both cases are different, the Japanese internment and the Holocaust are still the same as well. A different location, and different procedures, these two cases had, but still for the same cause of government propaganda.

UNDERSTANDING THE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTIES OF ASSESSMENT Essay Example for Free

UNDERSTANDING THE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTIES OF ASSESSMENT Essay During the initial assessment the assessor must ensure the learner knowledge performance and practical skills. The assessor must ensure that the learning understands their course, The assessor must explain all the units to the learner and support them in choosing the most suited units for their learner. The assessor and the learner must decide on an assessment plan. Setting dates and times to meet with the learner.as well as Agreeing on the best assessment method. The assessor will be able to use question, observation and examine the learners work. The learner must submit assignment or evidence. That their assessor must review to ensure that they have done what was asked for. The assessor must provide feedback to the learning . the feedback must be positive, constructed and encouraging. Once this has been done a feedback form must be used. Here the assessor can recommend ways of improvement and log, what agreements have been made with the learner and set deadline. The assessor needs to cross reference the leaner work with the assessment criteria to ensure the leaner work and evidence is valid and proves that the leaner is competent in the unit. DEFINE THE KEY CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES OF ASSESSMENT. As an assessor you will be observing what the learner are doing. Asking them question and reviewing their progress. The key concepts and principles of assessments would be  INITIAL ASSESSMENT The result of the initial assessment will provide the assessor with information of any previous knowledge or experience on the subject to be assessed. The information can be obtained through application form and interviews. This will help the assessor, assess the learner on any specific requirements their learner may need (I.e. their learning style or any further training they may need. ASSESSMENT PLANNING Planning a suitable types and method of assessment with the learner. Setting appropriate target dates. Always involving other colleagues or supervisors. ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY Observation and questioning the learning. Completing assignments. Writing statements or gathering appropriate evidence of competence .Assessments can be on going or summative at the end. ASSESSMENT DECISION AND FEEDBACK Giving constructive feedback. Always supporting your learner and agreeing and further action that may be needed. Making records of what was assessed and the decision made should always be maintained. REVIEW PROGRESS The assessment plan of the learner can be reviewed updated at any time unit the learner completes . reviewing progress with the learning will give the assessor the opportunity to discuss any other issues that may be relevant to their progress. Assessment activities will give you the opportunity to amend them if necessary. EXPLAIN THE RESONSIBILITIES OF THE ASSESSOR The main role of an assessor is to assess their learner in relation to the agreed criteria to enable the learner to become qualified in their subject. The assessor responsibilities include planning assessment, giving learner feedback, assessing the learner knowledge and understanding of the subject .keeping accurate records. There will be certain records and documents that the assessor will need to maintain. These will include assessment plans. Feedback records and review of progress and overall track sheets. All record must be maintained to organisational and regulatory requirements. An assessor should also store confidential documents and audio or video records that include learner.

Banking, Corporate Governance and the 2007 Financial Crisis

Banking, Corporate Governance and the 2007 Financial Crisis Throughout the world, by the end of 2008, many banks had seen most of their equity destroyed by the crisis that started in the US subprime sector in 2007. Yet, not all banks across the world performed equally poorly. In this paper, we investigate how banks that performed better during the crisis, measuring performance by stock returns, differed from other banks before the crisis. Academics, journalists, and policy-makers have argued that lax regulation, insufficient capital, excessive reliance on short-term financing, and poor governance all contributed to making the crisis as serious as it was. If these factors did contribute to making the crisis worse, we would expect that banks that were more exposed to these factors performed more poorly during the crisis. We investigate the relation between these factors and the stock return performance of large banks during the crisis, where large banks are defined as banks with assets in excess of $50 billion in 2006. With our definition of la rge banks, 32 countries had at least one large bank and our sample includes 164 large banks from these countries. Many analyses of the crisis emphasize the run on the funding of banks that relied on short-term finance in the capital markets for a substantial fraction of their financing (see, for instance, Adrian and Shin, 2008, Brunnermeier, 2009, Gorton, 2010, and Diamond and Rajan, 2009). We would expect banks that rely on short-term finance before the crisis to perform worse during the crisis. We find that this is the case with two different approaches. First, we find strong evidence that banks that relied more on deposits for their financing in 2006 fared better during the crisis. Second, following Demirg ¨ ucKunt and Huizinga (2010), we use a measure of short-term funding provided by sources other than customer deposits. We show that performance is strongly negatively related to that mea-sure both for the sample of large banks and the sample extended to include large financial institutions that are not depository banks, such as investment banks. These analyses also emphasize how losses fo rce banks to reduce their leverage, perhaps through fire sales of securities, and how this effect is greater for banks with more leverage. We find that large banks with less leverage in 2006 performed better during the crisis. An Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report argues that ‘‘the financial crisis can be to an important extent attributed to failures and weaknesses in corporate governance arrangements’’ (Kirkpatrick, 2008). More recently, the National Commission on the Causes of the Financial and Economic Crisis in the United States concluded that ‘‘dramatic failures of corporate governanceyat many systematically important financial institutions were a key cause of this crisis.’’ (The Financial Crisis Inquiry Report, 2011, pp. xvii). Some academic studies also emphasize that flaws in bank governance played a key role in the performance of banks (Diamond and Rajan, 2009, and Bebchuk and Spamann, 2010). The idea is generally that banks with poor governance engaged in excessive risk taking, causing them to make larger losses during the crisis because they were riskier. We use two proxies for governance. The first one is the ownership of the controlling shareholder in 2006. The second one is whether the bank had a shareholder-friendly board. To the extent that governance played a role, we would expect banks with better governance to have performed better. It is generally believed that greater ownership by insiders aligns their incentives more closely with the interests of shareholders. However, a powerful controlling shareholder could use control of a bank to benefit other related entities, so that it is not necessarily the case that greater ownership by the controlling shareholder means better alignment of interests of management with shareholders. Some limited evidence shows that banks with higher ownership by the control-ling shareholder performed better. In contrast, a strong and unambiguous relation exists between the extent to which a board was shareholder friendly in 2006 and a bank’s performance during the crisis. Banks with a share-h older-friendly board performed worse during the crisis. The hypothesis that the crisis resulted from excessive risk taking made possible by poor governance would imply the opposite result, so that our evidence poses a considerable challenge to the proponents of that hypothesis. We also investigate whether banks with better governance were less risky in 2006 and find no evidence supportive of that hypothesis either. Banks with more shareholder-friendly boards had a lower distance to default in 2006 but did not have higher idiosyncratic risk or higher leverage than other banks. Like Laeven and Levine (2009), we find that banks with higher controlling shareholder ownership are riskier, as these banks had greater idiosyncratic risk and a lower distance to default before the crisis. Governance and board characteristics are endogenously determined (see, e.g., Hermalin and Weisbach, 1998). In the context of our study, an important form of endogeneity stressed in the literature seems to have little relevance. Though taking into account the possibility that good governance could be caused by expectations about future outcomes generally is important, the banks with more shareholder-friendly boards are highly unlikely to have had such boards because they anticipated the crisis and expected to require better governance during it. At the same time, the concern that governance is significantly related to performance because it is associated with unobserved bank characteristics is important in the context of our study. In fact, the existence of such a relation is the only way to explain the results we find. In other words, shareholder-friendly boards created more value for shareholders through their decisions before the crisis, but during the crisis these decisions were associated with poor outcomes that could not be forecasted. For this explanation to work, these risks must not have been captured by traditional measures because accounting for these measures does not eliminate the relation between governance and performance we document. An example that could explain what we find is that banks with more shareholder-friendly boards invested more aggressively in highly-rated tranches of subprime securitizations. Such investments did not appear risky in 2006 by traditional risk measures, but they did work out poorly for the banks that made them. An alternative explanation for our results is that certain banks optimally chose more shareholder-friendly governance before the crisis because they were exposed to risks that required more independent board monitoring. With this view, the risks were not chosen by the board but instead led to the choice of a shareholder-friendly board. These risks had adverse realizations during the crisis, but because the banks had a shareholder-friendly board, they performed better than they would have had otherwise. With this explanation, banks with good governance had poor returns because of the risks they had, but they would have had even lower returns had they had worse governance. Governance is negatively related to performance in this case because it is correlated with risks that had adverse realizations, but it led to better performance nevertheless. Though we find some support for the latter explanation, neither explanation is consistent with the view that po or bank governance was a first-order cause of the crisis. We use the 2008 World Bank survey on bank regulation to examine the hypothesis that lax regulation led banks to take excessive risks that caused large losses during the crisis (see, e.g.,Dooley, Folkerts-Landau, and Garber (2009), Stiglitz (2010)). We use indices for the power of the regulators, oversight of bank capital, restrictions on bank activities, and private monitoring of banks. There is no convincing evidence that tighter regulation in general was associated with better bank performance during the crisis or with less risky banks before the crisis. In all our regressions, only the index on restrictions of bank activities is positively related to the performance of banks during the crisis.Barth, Caprio, and Levine (1999) show that the banking system is more fragile in countries where banking activities are more restricted. However, some observers, perhaps most visibly the former chair-man of the Federal Reserve System Paul Volcker, have blamed the difficulties of banks during the crisis on their activities not related to making loans and taking deposits. Though we find that large banks in countries where bank activities were more restricted suffered less from the crisis, no evidence exists that such restrictions made banks less risky before the crisis using common measures of risk. Most likely, therefore, to the extent that restrictions on bank activities are associated with better performance of banks during the crisis, it is because traditional bank activities were less exposed to the risks that turned out poorly during the crisis than were newer or less traditional bank activities. In addition, we find that stronger regulations for bank capital were associated with less risk before the crisis. Given the attention paid to the moral hazard resulting from deposit insurance, we investigate whether banks in countries with a deposit insurance scheme performed worse and find no evidence supportive of this hypothesis. However, banks in countries with formal d eposit insurance schemes had higher idiosyncratic risk before the crisis. If banks are impeded from making loans because of poor financial health, economic growth is weaker. It is therefore important to understand whether the variables that help predict returns during the crisis also help explain loan growth. In a related paper,Cornett, McNutt, Strahan, and Tehranian (2011)find that US banks with more exposure to liquidity risk experienced less loan growth during the crisis. We have a much smaller sample than they have, so that our tests do not have as much power as theirs and are less definitive. Nevertheless, we find evidence that is supportive of their results on an international sample composed of much larger banks than the typical bank in their study. Banks with more shareholder friendly boards have lower loan growth during the crisis. Finally, a strong positive relation exists between loan growth and restrictions on bank activities. We also estimate regressions excluding US banks. With these regressions, we can evaluate whether the worse performers were banks from countries where the banking system was more exposed to the US according to the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) statistics. These regressions allow us to assess whether holding US exposures was a contagion channel [see, e.g.,Eichengreen,Mody, Nedeljkovic, and Sarno (2009)for the view that assets were a contagion channel]. We find that banks from countries where the banking system was more exposed to the US performed worse. Our main results hold up in a variety of robustness tests. Our study is limited by the data available. Ideally, we would like to have data on the nature of holdings of securities by banks. However, such data are generally not available. Another limitation of our study is that, in the fall of 2008, countries stepped in with capital injections and other forms of support of banks. Such intervention might have distorted returns. Yet, our results generally hold for returns measured from mid-2007 to just before the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy in September 2008. Moreover, Panetta, Faeh, Grande, Ho, King, Levy, Sigboretti, Taboga, and Zaghini (2009) show that the announcement of rescue packages did not have a positive impact on bank stock prices across countries. We estimate our regression that includes the indicator variable for whether the board is shareholder-friendly for a sample that includes investment banks and other financial institutions not subject to the Basle Accords (i.e., financ ial institutions that do not report Tier 1 capital and are not subject to the regulations forming the basis for our regulatory variables). We find that our results hold for that sample. The paper proceeds as follows. In Section 2,we introduce the data that we use. In Section 3, we examine how the performance of banks during the crisis relates to governance, regulation, balance sheet composition, and country characteristics other than regulation. We also show how these attributes are related to bank risk before the crisis. We conclude in Section 4.