World War II in Asia July 1937 to August 1945

Most historians date the beginning of World War II to September 1, 1939, when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Others claim the war began on July 7, 1937, when the Japanese Empire invaded China.  From the Marco Polo Bridge Incident of July 7 to the eventual surrender of Japan on August 15, 1945, the Second World War ravaged Asia and Europe alike, with bloodshed and bombardment spreading as far as Hawaii. 1937: Japan Invades China On July 7, 1937, the  Second Sino-Japanese War  began with a conflict known as the  Marco Polo Bridge Incident. Japan was attacked by Chinese troops while carrying out military training—they didnt warn the Chinese they would be shooting gunpowder rounds at the bridge that led to Beijing. This amplified already tense relations in the region, leading to an all-out declaration of war. In July of that year, the Japanese launched their first assault with the Battle of Beijing at Tianjin, before marching to the Battle of Shanghai on August 13. The Japanese won huge victories and claimed both cities for Japan, but they suffered heavy losses in the process. Meanwhile, in August of that year, the Soviets invaded Xinjiang in western China to put down the Uighur uprising. Japan launched another military assault at the Battle of Taiyuan, claiming the capital of Shanxi Province and Chinas arsenal of weapons. From December 9–13, the Battle of Nanking resulted in the Chinese provisional capital falling to the Japanese and the Republic of China government fleeing to Wuhan. From the middle of December 1937 to the end of January 1938, Japan furthered tensions in the region by taking part in a month-long siege of Nanjing, killing approximately 300,000 civilians in an event that came to be known as the Nanking Massacre or the Rape of Nanking (after the raping, looting, and murder the Japanese troops committed). 1938: Increased Japan-China Hostilities The Japanese Imperial Army had begun to take on its own doctrine by this point, ignoring orders from Tokyo to halt southward expansion in the winter and spring of 1938. On February 18 of that year, they launched the Bombing of Chongqing, a years-long firebombing against the Chinese provisional capital that killed 10,000 civilians. Fought from March 24 to May 1, 1938, the Battle of Xuzhou resulted in Japan capturing the city but losing the Chinese troops, who would later become guerrilla fighters against them—breaking dams along the  Yellow River  in June of that year and halting Japanese advances, while also drowning Chinese civilians. In Wuhan, where the ROC government had relocated the year before, China defended its new capital at the Battle of Wuhan but lost to 350,000 Japanese troops, who lost 100,000 of their men. In February, Japan seized the strategic Hainan Island and launched the Battle of Nanchang—which broke Chinese National Revolutionary Armys supply lines and threatened all of southeast China—as part of an effort to stop foreign aid to China. However, when they attempted to take on the Mongols and Soviet forces in the Battle of Lake Khasan in Manchuria  and the Battle of Khalkhyn Gol along the border of  Mongolia  and Manchuria in 1939, Japan suffered losses. 1939 to 1940: Turning of the Tide China celebrated its first victory on October 8, 1939. At the First Battle of Changsha, Japan attacked the capital of the Hunan Province, but the Chinese army cut Japanese supply lines and defeated the Imperial Army. Still, Japan captured the Nanning and Guangxi coast and stopped foreign aid by sea to China after winning the Battle of South Guangxi.  China wouldnt go down easy, though. It launched the Winter Offensive in November 1939, a country-wide counteroffensive against Japanese troops. Japan held in most places, but it realized then it would not be easy to win against Chinas sheer size. Although China held onto the critical Kunlun Pass in Guangxi that same winter, keeping a supply flow from  French Indochina to the Chinese army, the Battle of Zoayang-Yichang saw Japans success in driving toward the provisional new capital of China at Chongqing. Firing back, Communist Chinese troops in northern China blew up rail-lines, disrupted Japanese coal supplies, and even made a frontal assault on Imperial Army troops, resulting in a strategic Chinese victory in December 1940. As a result, on December 27, 1940, Imperial Japan signed the Tripartite Pact, which aligned the nation with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy as part of the Axis Powers. 1941: Axis vs. Allies As early as April 1941, volunteer American pilots called the Flying Tigers begin to fly supplies to Chinese forces from Burma over the Hump—the eastern end of the Himalayas. In June of that year, troops from Great Britain, India, Australia, and France invaded  Syria and Lebanon, held by pro-German Vichy French. The Vichy French surrendered on July 14. In August 1941, the United States, which had supplied 80% of Japans oil, initiated a total oil embargo, forcing Japan to seek new sources to fuel its war effort. The September 17 Anglo-Soviet Invasion of Iran complicated the matter by deposing the pro-Axis Shah Reza Pahlavi and replacing him with his 22-year-old son to ensure the Allies access to Iranian oil. The end of 1941 saw an implosion of the Second World War, starting with the December 7 Japanese attack on the U.S. Naval base at  Pearl Harbor, Hawaii—which killed 2,400 American service members and sank four battleships. Simultaneously, Japan initiated the Southern Expansion, launching a massive invasion aimed at the Philippines, Guam, Wake Island, Malaya, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Midway Island. In response, the United States and the United Kingdom formally declared war on Japan on December 8, 1941. Two days later, Japan sank the British warships HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales off the coast of Malaya, and the U.S. base at Guam surrendered to Japan. Japan forced British colonial forces in Malaya to withdraw up to the Perak River a week later and from December 22–23, it launched a major invasion of Luzon in the Phillippines, forcing American and Filipino troops to withdraw to Bataan. 1942: More Allies and More Enemies By the end of February 1942, Japan had continued its assault on Asia, invading the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia), capturing Kuala Lumpur (Malaya), the islands of Java  and Bali, and British Singapore. It also attacked Burma, Sumatra, and Darwin (Australia), which began Australias involvement in the war. In March and April, the Japanese pushed into central Burma—a crown jewel of  British India—and raided the British colony of Ceylon in modern-day  Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, American and Filipino troops surrendered at Bataan, resulting in Japans  Bataan Death March. At the same time, the United States launched the Doolittle Raid, the first bombing raid against Tokyo and other parts of the Japanese home islands. From May 4 to 8, 1942, Australian and American naval forces fended off the Japanese invasion of New Guinea at the Battle of the Coral Sea. At the battle of Corregidor, however, the Japanese took the island in Manila Bay, completing its conquest of the Philippines. On May 20, the British finished withdrawing from Burma, handing Japan another victory. At the pivotal June 4–7  Battle of Midway, American troops maneuvered a huge naval victory over Japan at Midway Atoll, west of Hawaii. Japan quickly fired back by invading Alaskas Aleutian Island chain. In August of that same year, the Battle of Savo Island saw the United States first major naval action and the Battle of the Eastern Solomon Islands, an Allied naval victory,  in the Guadalcanal campaign. 1943: A Shift in the Allies Favor From December 1942 to February 1943, the Axis powers and the Allies played a constant tug-of-war, but supplies and munitions were running low for Japans already thinly spread troops. The United Kingdom capitalized on this weakness and launched a counter-offensive against the Japanese in Burma. In May 1943, Chinas National Revolutionary Army made a resurgence, launching an offensive along the Yangtze River. In September, Australian troops captured Lae, New Guinea, claiming the region back for Allied powers—and shifting the tide for all of its forces to begin the counter-offensive that would shape the rest of the war. By 1944, the tide of war was turning and the Axis Powers, including Japan, were at a stalemate or even on the defensive in many places. The Japanese military found itself over-extended and out-gunned, but many Japanese soldiers and ordinary citizens believed they were destined to win. Any other outcome was unthinkable. 1944: Allied Domination Continuing on its success along the Yangtze River, China launched another major offensive in northern Burma in January 1944 in an attempt to reclaim its supply line along the Ledo Road into China. The next month, Japan launched the Second Arakan Offensive in Burma, attempting to drive the Chinese forces back—but it failed. The United States took Truk Atoll, Micronesia, and Eniwetok in February and halted Japanese advancement at Tamu, India, in March. After suffering a defeat at the Battle of Kohima, the Japanese forces retreated back into Burma, also losing the Battle of Saipan  in the Marian Islands later that month. The biggest blows, though, were yet to come. Starting with the  Battle of the Philippine Sea in July 1944, a key naval battle that effectively wiped out the Japanese Imperial Navys carrier fleet, the United States began to push back against Japan in the Philippines. By December 31, Americans had mostly succeeded in liberating  the Philippines from Japanese occupation. Late 1944 to 1945: The Nuclear Option and Japans Surrender After suffering many losses, Japan refused to surrender to Allied parties—and thus the bombings started to intensify. With the advent of the nuclear bomb looming overhead and tensions continuing to mount between the rival armies of the Axis powers and the Allied forces, the Second World War came to its climax. Japan upped its  aerial forces in October 1944, launching its first kamikaze  pilot attack against the U.S. Naval fleet at Leyte, and the United States answered back on November 24 with the first B-29 bombing raid against Tokyo. In the first months of 1945, the United States continued to push into Japanese-controlled territories, landing on Luzon Island in the Philippines in January and winning the Battle of Iwo Jima  in March. Meanwhile, the Allies reopened the Burma Road in February  and forced the last Japanese to surrender in Manila on March 3. When U.S. President  Franklin Roosevelt died on April 12 and was succeeded by Harry S Truman, the bloody war ravaging Europe and Asia was already at its boiling point—but Japan refused to surrender. On August 6, 1945, the American government decided to use the nuclear option, conducting  atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, the first nuclear strike of that size against any major city in any nation in the world. On August 9, just three days later, another atomic bombing was carried out against Nagasaki, Japan. Meanwhile, the Soviet Red Army invaded Japanese-held Manchuria. Less than a week later, on August 15, 1945, the Japanese Emperor Hirohito formally surrendered to Allied troops, ending the Second World War.

The Position Of Human Resources Specialist - 1469 Words

According to U.S. News and World Report, â€Å"the position of Human Resources Specialist is the sixteenth best business job in America† (Best Business Jobs of 2016). Human Resource Specialists make an average salary of $58,350 per year and the field is projected to grow five percent, which is as fast as average, over the next ten years (Human Resource Specialists: Occupational Outlook Handbook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). As the world continues to embrace globalization and technological advances continue to shape how society as a whole view the workforce, human resource specialists will play a vital role in helping create the workforce of tomorrow. The workforce of tomorrow is very different than the Baby Boomer workforce of yesterday. Being a millennial myself, I know that millennials tend to work to live instead of living to work, which is a difference from the Baby Boomers workforce. Millennials are also the most educated generation to enter the workforce to date. According to a special report that was published on the website Economist.com, â€Å"knowledge workers now account for one third of the American workforce and in twenty years they will make up close to two-fifths of the workforce of all rich countries† (Managing The New Workforce, Generation Y (Millennials)). With changing workforce demographics and needs, human resource specialists will be tasked with recruiting, training, and helping craft companies’ overall benefits packages that will helpShow MoreRelatedHuman Resource Specialists And Position Management856 Words   |  4 PagesElected and appointed officials may consider positions management a necessity in order to control the magnitude and direction of the organization’s staff when considering the quality of budget management and program evaluation, but most elected officials will only consider the job description and classifi cation if they are considering ways to reduce the budget. 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To obtain a position ent ering an entry-level HR position most employers will accept someone with aRead MoreHuman Resource Management : The Field Of Human Resources1159 Words   |  5 PagesHuman Resource Management My desired career is that of a human resource generalist. The field of a human resource generalist is responsible for the recruitment, new employee orientation, on-boarding and off-boarding, and prepares and maintain employee handbook of the organization’s workforce. To obtain a position as a human resource generalist, employers look for someone with a bachelor’s degree in human resource management depending on the amount of experience, this would get you an entry levelRead MoreSimilarities And Differences Between Generalists And Specialists1239 Words   |  5 PagesCompare and Contrast Generalists and Specialists Today’s business world is more complex with the increase of more sophisticated technology and knowledge. Human resource management (HRM) has taken on a more demanding role in all organizations. It is the human resource professional contribution that contradicts rather or not a company will succeed or fail. The human resources have two main statuses: generalists and specialists. Each professional’s objective is to assist in the success and developmentRead MoreHr Career Outlook952 Words   |  4 Pages|[Human Resources Career outlook] | |This career outlook report will include a summary of the career, salary ranges in the state of Florida, employment outlooks, types of positions within the field of| |HR, and educational requirements. | Read MoreProfessional Career Action Plan1345 Words   |  6 Pagesactions to reach that goal. With that being stated, developing a vision statement for your career path is the first step in reaching your career goals (Berkeley HR, 2015). My personal vision statement is to become a human resources manager, but not to just become a human resources manager. 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Human resource management is an ever-evolving profession, and is also one of the most critical departments in any company. Human resource professionals are responsible for many of the day to day contributions of an organization such as recruitment, hiring, retention, and management of existing and new employees. They are also responsible for maintaining and keeping track of all the different rules and regulations set forth

Meriwether Lewis Speech free essay sample

We exist in a world where there are many heroes and heroines, were people showcase their courage, bravery, skill, and curiosity, where many aren’t afraid to take a leap outside of their boundaries. These are the people that we remember, they leave legacies, and they make an impression in our world. I happen to be one of those people who took a chance; for that is why I’ve become one of the most remembered people in all of American history. Hello, my name is Meriwether Lewis. Most people probably already know that I was a co-leader in the Corps of Discovery, but many do not know my entire life story. For that reason I’ll start where it all began. I was born on a warm summer day in August of 1774 in the small county of Albemarle. I was born and grew up in the community of Ivy, Virginia along with my sisters Jane and Lucinda and my step-siblings Rueben, John Jr. We will write a custom essay sample on Meriwether Lewis Speech or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page , and Mary Garland. I am the son of Lt. William Lewis and Lucy Meriwether. I never had the privilege to spend much time with my father as a child. My father died of pneumonia in 1779. A year later my mother married Captain John Marks, and we all moved to Georgia in May of 1780. While I lived in Goosepond, Georgia, I enhanced my skills as a hunter and naturalist. I had a large dose of curiosity as a child and still do today. I still remember that chilled January night when I ventured out of the house to hunt. A mile into my walk, a blizzard struck with tremendous force. When the storm finally halted, I realized how completely lost I was. My parents found me that morning. I had never seen them so furious in all my life. Even though I stopped hunting at night, I was still quite fascinated with natural history; little did I know that this minute interest would develop into a lifelong passion. When I turned thirteen, I was sent back to Virginia for an education by numerous private tutors. My Uncle Nicholas became my new guardian. Many years later, in 1793, I graduated from the college of Liberty Hall. In 1795, I joined the U. S. Army, commissioned as a Lieutenant, where I served until 1801. Among my commanding officers was William Clark, who later would become my co-leader in the Corps of Discovery. That same year, I was appointed as an aide by President Thomas Jefferson, who my father knew well. When Jefferson began to plan for an expedition through the recently purchased Louisiana Territory, he chose me to lead the expedition. After the Louisiana Purchase, Jefferson wanted to get an accurate sense of the new land and its resources. Our exploration was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. During our two-year exploration, we encountered many hardships and rewards. I also developed a great relationship with William Clark and Sacagawea. I can remember that day when she helped us cross the Rocky Mountains. At one point we had an encounter with a group of Indians. Of course, Sacagawea translated for us. It turned out that the chief of that tribe was her own brother, who she had not seen in over eight years. He was so pleased to see her that he let us use their horses in order to help us cross the Rocky Mountains. We would not have completed our expedition if I weren’t for those few horses. We returned in 1806, bringing with us an immense amount of knowledge about the region, as well as numerous plant and animal specimens. I wrote everything down in multiple journals like this one. Feel free to have a look. Because of our success, we brought home with us an awareness of a rich and beautiful part of the continent. This awareness is what helped the U. S. develop and prosper for years to come. Years after our expedition, I continued to research the U. S. lands. I planned on publishing my journals too. On October 10th, 1809 I stopped at an inn called Grinder’s Stand, about 70 miles southwest of Nashville, Tennessee. In the predawn hours of October 11th, the innkeeper heard gunshots and found me badly wounded, with gunshots to my head and abdomen. I died shortly after sunrise. Many people consider that my death was a suicide. Others are convinced that it was murder. Centuries later, my death still remains a mystery. Even though I may have had an unresolved ending, I am still remembered for all of my contributions to the U. S. I gave the U. S. a great awareness of our unknown land. When I died I left a legacy of curiosity, knowledge, determination, and bravery that is still an inspiration today. May my legacy live on through you and teach you that with determination and a little curiosity, anything is possible.

Significance of the Corporate Governance Framework

Question: How it positions the firm to engage with stakeholders on local and international levels. In a global context, what ethical challenges can you see for this firm that may or may not be addressed with its current governance arrangements? Answer: Introduction Governance can be generally defined as a set of rules and regulations which regulate and control various activities of the individuals or group of individuals following the corresponding set of rules. The governance can also be defined as the set of best practices for a number of activities and tasks. Corporate governance is the concept which evolved from the application of governance in a number of industries across the world. The application of the governance concept to the organisations operating in various industries across the world allows the organisations to operate under certain sets of rules and regulations. So the term Corporate Governance can be defined as the framework which is developed and implemented by the management of the organisations to have a set of best practices and guidelines to guide all the employees working in various business functions of the organisations (Dam, 2007). This report focuses on the corporate governance implemented in the workplace of Virgin A ustralia and the various effects of the governance on various business functions of the organisation. The report will mention a number of corporate governance frameworks which could be implemented in the workplace of the organisation. Along with the various corporate governance frameworks, the report also focuses on three of the features of the corporate governance framework implemented in the workplace of Virgin Australia. The three key features which are included in this report are the remuneration practices, transparency and disclosure and social responsibility. These key features included in the corporate governance framework implemented in the workplace of Virgin Australia allow us to understand and analyse the effects of the same on the business functions at a deeper level (Carney, 2006). The remuneration practices included in the corporate governance framework of Virgin Australia defines the guidelines which the management of the organisation follows for the management of the remunerations provided to the employees working in various business processes across the organisation. The transparency and disclosure feature of the corporate governance framework implemented in Virgin Australia defines various guidelines and best practices which allows the flow of information in the workplace of the organisation to be clean and transparent. The social responsibility feature of the corporate governance framework implemented in the workplace of Virgin Australia defines the guidelines for the various corporate social responsibilities and activities of the organisation in the operating country (Tomasic, 2006). Frameworks As mentioned earlier, there are a number of frameworks which can be utilised for the development and implementation of corporate governance in the workplace of Virgin Australia. This section of the report mentions a number of corporate governance frameworks which could be used for the workplace of Virgin Australia along with the one which is already in place. From agency approach This approach to the corporate governance framework in the workplace of the organisation allows the guidelines and best practices included in the corporate governance of the organisation to focus on the benefits of the agency itself instead of the stakeholders. This approach allows the governance in the organisation to provide most of the benefits to the organisation itself instead of the stakeholders (Steenkamp, 2007). From stakeholder approach This approach of the corporate governance framework focuses on the individuals or group of individuals who are affected by the various business decisions and activities. These individuals and groups of individuals are known as the stakeholders of the organisation. So this approach focuses on the benefits of the stakeholders of the organisation instead of the organisation itself. Key features Remuneration practices This feature of the corporate governance related to the remuneration practices is known as the principle named as, Remunerate fairly and responsibly. The remuneration practices in the workplace of Virgin Australia are managed by the remuneration committee established in the workplace of Virgin Australia. The remuneration committee of Virgin Australia is a group of a number of significant people playing the roles of non-executive directors in the workplace of Virgin Australia. This remuneration committee is responsible for the development and implementation of various policies and programs related to the remunerations provided to the employees working in various business functions of the organisation (Graham, 2006). The remuneration committee focuses on maintaining fair and responsible remuneration policies in the workplace of Virgin Australia which allows the employees to maintain enough motivation to have effective and efficient completion of the business tasks assigned to them. The remuneration policies established by the remuneration committee takes a number of factors into consideration before deciding the remuneration provided to the employees working in Virgin Australia. The entire salary structure of the employees in the organisation is decided based on a number of factors which satisfied the expectations of the employees and the current market standards. This allows each of the employees in the workplace of Virgin Australia to have satisfactory remuneration provided to them against their performance in various business tasks assigned to them. The basic salary structure of the employees in the workplace of Virgin Australia is associated with a number of bonus payments and variable components. The remuneration policies included in the corporate governance framework of Virgin Australia allows the management to determine the bouquet of benefits provided to the employees along with the basic salary structure provided by the organisation. The corporate govern ance framework of the organisation allows the managers and supervisors to monitor and review the performance of the employees working in various business functions and provide bonuses to them based on their performances in the workplace of Virgin Australia (Steenkamp, 2007). The remuneration practices of the organisation is based on the decisions of the remuneration committee which follows the corporate governance framework established in the workplace of Virgin Australia. The performance of the employees are monitored and reviewed in terms of a number of goals which are assigned to each and every employee of the organisation at the beginning of the financial year. The percentage of coverage for each of the assigned goals for each of the employees define the relative performance of the employees in the workplace of the organisation. The remuneration policies of Virgin Australia allows the management to provide rewards to the employees based on their performance and completion of goa ls in each financial year. The corporate governance in Virgin Australia defines these goals of the individual employees by aligning them to the organisational goals and objectives. This allows the remunerations to be provided to the individual employees for allowing the organisation to proceed in the direction of achieving its goals and objectives (Tomasic, 2006). Transparency and disclosure The corporate governance framework implemented in the workplace of Virgin Australia defines a number of policies under the principle of maintaining continuous disclosure of information. This feature of the corporate governance of the organisation is defined as the transparency and disclosure which is related to the information flow in the workplace of Virgin Australia. This section of the report describes this feature of the corporate governance of Virgin Australia. The management of the organisation include the tasks of maintaining transparency and disclosure in the workplace of the organisation in the business responsibilities. The major guidelines included in the corporate governance framework of the organisation in relation to the transparency and disclosure feature is mentioned below. Virgin Australia aims to provide all of its employees with the clear and pure information regarding the various ongoing and planned activities in the workplace of the organisation. Virgin Australia allows all of its shareholders to have clear and accurate information regarding all the ongoing and planned activities involved in the business model of the organisation (Carney, 2006). Virgin Australia complies with a number of obligations established by the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) in relation to the continuous disclosure and transparency. The continuous disclosure policy defined in the corporate governance framework in Virgin Australia requires all the employees in each and every level of the hierarchy to maintain the transparency and disclosure of all the information related to the business model of the organisation. The organisation ensures that all the stakeholders of the organisation get the timely and accurate information related to all kinds of business decisions and events which are significantly influential (Tomasic, 2006). The most important concept included in the continuous disclosure policy of the corporate governance framework of Virgin Australia is the definition of the market sensitive information. The market sensitive information can be defined as the information which has the potential of damaging the market position of the organisation or the market performance of the organisation is disclosed in public. So the corporate governance of Virgin Australia allows each and every employee to have the clear knowledge of all the market sensitive information which allows them to control the negative usage of the information in the market containing the competitors and customers of the organisation. The corporate governance framework implemented in the workplace of Virgin Australia involves a number of steps provided to help the employees and management of the organisation to determine the market sensitive information among a large storage of information. These steps included in the corporate governance of Virgin Australia allows the transparency and disclosure to be maintained in the workplace of the organisation, which in turn allows the employees to feel more involved in the business model of the organisation (Graham, 2006). Social responsibility This feature of the corporate governance implemented in the workplace of Virgin Australia defines the activities which are included in the business model of the organisation as the responsibilities of the organisation towards the societies of operation. This in turn allows the management to follow the guidelines involved in the corporate governance framework to carry out various social responsibilities which in turn allows the organisation to repay the societies for the various business functions carried out in the market. The corporate governance framework of Virgin Australia involves a number of guidelines to maintain the corporate social responsibilities. These guidelines allows the management to carry out a number of social responsibilities programs in the workplace of the organisation and its surroundings. This section of the report focuses on such social responsibilities of the organisation which are involved in the corporate governance framework of the organisation (Solomon, 2 007). The management of the organisation focuses a lot on reducing the emission of several greenhouse gases from any of the business functions of the organisation. The management of the organisation invests a large number of resources in the task of minimising the emission of various greenhouse gases from any of the business functions of the organisation. The management of Virgin Australia is one of most developed organisation in terms of achieving fuel efficiency in any of the business functions. The high amount of fuel efficiency allows the organisation to minimise the adverse effect on the environment (Bachoo, 2006). The organisation also is a member of a number of sustainable projects such as carbon offsetting which allows the reduction of adverse effects on the environment. Virgin Australia also carries out a number of processes, researches and programs with high amount of investments to minimise the noise pollution due to the business functions of the organisation. The organisation also carried out a number of programs to engage all of its employees and stakeholders to complete a number of tasks maximising the positive effects on the environment of the country of operation. The organisation is also investing a lot of resources in a number of other programs such as developing renewable jet fuel and fly carbon neutral, which in turn reduces the negative impacts on the environment of the entire world (Padgett, 2011). Conclusion The report described the significance of the corporate governance framework in the workplace of an organisation. The report described the effects of the presence of the corporate governance framework on the business model of the organisation. The corporate governance framework defined and implemented in the workplace of Virgin Australia was closely reviewed and analysed which allowed us to understand three key features of this corporate governance framework and its effects on the business model of the organisation. The report focused on these three features of the corporate governance framework of Virgin Australia which can be considered to be the most important features (Mendoza, 2010). References Bachoo, K., Burritt, R. L., Tan, C. W. 2006. Sustainability ratings: a social responsibility investment perspective on listed airline companies in Australia (Doctoral dissertation, School of Commerce of the University of South Australia). Council, A. C. G. 2014. Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations. Australian Securities Exchange, Sydney. Carney, M., Dostaler, I. 2006. Airline ownership and control: A corporate governance perspective. Journal of Air Transport Management, 12(2), 63-75. Dam, L., Scholtens, B., Sterken, E. 2007. Corporate governance and international location decisions of multinational enterprises. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 15(6), 1330-1347. Enquist, B., Sebhatu, S. P. 2014. The" Grammar ofTrust: the challenge of interlinking corporate governance, corporate socialresponsibility and business models in business practices. 2014 Proena, J., Castelo Branco, M. 2014. Corporate social responsibility practices and motivations in a peripheral country: two Portuguese illustrative cases. Corporate Governance, 14(2), 252-264. Graham, J., Kaye, D. 2006. A risk management approach to business continuity: Aligning business continuity with corporate governance. Rothstein Associates Inc. Mendoza, J. M., Van der Elst, C., Vermeulen, E. P. 2010. Entrepreneurship and innovation: The hidden costs of corporate governance in Europe. SCJ Int'l L. Bus., 7, 1. Misangyi, V. F., Acharya, A. G. 2014. Substitutes or complements? A configurational examination of corporate governance mechanisms. Academy of Management Journal, amj-2012. Mishra, S., Mohanty, P. 2014. Corporate governance as a value driver for firm performance: evidence from India. Corporate Governance, 14(2), 265-280. Padgett, C. 2011. Corporate governance: theory and practice. Palgrave Macmillan. Schiehll, E., Ahmadjian, C., Filatotchev, I.2014. National governance bundles perspective: Understanding the diversity of corporate governance practices at the firm and country levels. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 22(3), 179-184. Sebhatu, S. P., Enquist, B. 2014. Are Corporate Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility having a role for sustainable Service Business?: An explorative study of IKEA, Starbucks and HM. Solomon, J. 2007. Corporate governance and accountability. John Wiley Sons. Steenkamp, P. 2007. Fidentia: a strategic and corporate governance analysis (Doctoral dissertation, Stellenbosch: University of Stellenbosch). Tomasic, R. 2006. The Modernization of Corporations Law: Corporate Law Reform in Australia and Beyond. Australian Journal of Corporate Law, 19(1), 2-34.

9 Different Minerals Used as Abrasives

9 Different Minerals Used as Abrasives Abrasives today are largely precision-manufactured substances, but natural mineral abrasives are often still used. A good abrasive mineral is not just hard, but  also tough and sharp. It must be plentiful or at least widespread and pure. Not many minerals share all these attributes,  so the list of abrasive minerals is short but interesting.   Sanding Abrasives   Sanding was originally done with (surprise!) sand fine-grained quartz. Quartz sand is hard enough for woodworking (Mohs hardness 7), but its not very tough or sharp. The virtue of sand sandpaper is its cheapness. Fine woodworkers do occasionally use flint sandpaper or glass paper.  Flint, a form of chert,  is a rock made of microcrystalline quartz. Its no harder than quartz but its tougher so its sharp edges last longer. Garnet paper is still widely available. The garnet mineral almandine is harder than quartz (Mohs 7.5), but its real virtue is its sharpness, giving it cutting power without scratching wood too deeply. Corundum  is the workhorse abrasive of sandpaper.  Extremely hard (Mohs 9) and sharp, corundum is also usefully brittle, breaking into sharp fragments that keep on cutting. Its great for wood, metal, paint, and plastic. All sanding products today use artificial corundum aluminum oxide. If you find an old stash of emery cloth or paper, it probably uses the real mineral. Emery is a natural mix of fine-grained corundum and magnetite. Polishing Abrasives   Three natural abrasives are commonly used for polishing and cleaning  metal:  enamel finishes, plastic, and tile. Pumice is a stone, not a mineral, a volcanic product with a very fine grain. Its hardest mineral is quartz, so it has a gentler action than sanding abrasives. Softer still is feldspar (Mohs 6), which is most famously used in the Bon Ami brand household cleaner. For the most delicate polishing and cleaning work, such as with  jewelry and fine crafts, the gold standard is tripoli, also called rottenstone. Tripoli is microscopic, microcrystalline quartz mined from beds of decomposed limestone. Sandblasting and Waterjet Cutting Applications of these industrial processes range from scrubbing rust off of steel girders to inscribing gravestones, and a wide range of blasting abrasives is in use today. Sand is one, of course, but airborne dust from crystalline silica is a health hazard. Safer alternatives include garnet, olivine (Mohs 6.5) and staurolite (Mohs 7.5). Which to choose depends on many factors other than mineralogical considerations, including cost, availability, the material being worked, and the experience of the worker. Many artificial abrasives are in use in these applications, too, as well as in  exotic things like ground walnut shells and solid carbon dioxide. Diamond Grit The hardest mineral of all is diamond (Mohs 10), and diamond abrasive is a large part of the world diamond market. Diamond paste is available in many grades for sharpening hand tools, and you can even buy nail files impregnated with diamond grit for the ultimate grooming aid. Diamond is best suited for cutting and grinding tools, however, and the drilling industry uses lots of diamond for drill bits. The material used is worthless as jewelry, being black or included - full of inclusions - or too fine-grained. This grade of diamond is called bort. Diatomaceous Earth The powdery substance composed of the microscopic shells of diatoms is known as diatomaceous earth or DE. Diatoms are a kind of algae that form exquisite skeletons of amorphous  silica.  DE is not abrasive to humans, metals, or anything else in our everyday world, but at the microscopic scale, its very damaging to insects. The broken edges of crushed diatom shells scratch holes in their hard outer skins, causing their internal fluids to dry out. Its safe enough to strew in the garden or to mix with food, such as stored grain, to prevent infestations. When they arent calling it diatomite, geologists have another name for DE, borrowed from German: kieselguhr.

Hiv and Aids Essay

Hiv and Aids Essay Hiv and Aids Essay Sylvia Jefferson Psych 2301 Prof Hasley April 15, 2013 Chapter 11 â€Å"Health, Stress and Coping† During my learning experience in Chapter 11, â€Å"Health, Stress and Coping†, the section that was most interesting to me was the section titled â€Å"STD's And Safer Sex-Choice, Risk and Responsibility.† The paragraph in particular which grasped my attention above others was the subject of â€Å"HIV/AIDS†. The disease HIV is a condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The condition gradually destroys the immune system, which makes it harder for the body to fight infections. AIDS on the other hand is (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is the final stage of the HIV disease, which causes severe damage to the to the immune system. There are millions of people living with living with living with this disease today. Some people were born with this disease, some people contracted the disease carelessly via drug needles or unprotected sex. Eithe r way this disease has and will change individuals lives forever. Being that it has been said that there is no cure for this disease, numerous people have lost their lives from this disease both diagnosed and undiagnosed. Sadly to say, the babies born into the world with the disease was never given the the chance to protect themselves from the disease by making the choice to protect themselves by using condoms to have safe sex or choosing to say no to drugs in order to prevent contracting this disease through needle sharing during drug use. I can relate to the subject of this disease because a close friend of mine contracted this disease by way of choosing not to protect herself during sexual intercourse, she was initially diagnosed with the early stage of the â€Å"virus† but chose to ignore her diagnosis and did not get any treatment. Continuing to possibly spread this disease to others, she resumed her same lifestyle as she was not infected. Later in her life she was she b ecame very ill and was forced to be transported to the ER where she was then diagnosed with the full blown AIDS virus and had no choice but to take this disease serious and be treated for this disease , with the thought in mind of her 3 young children at home that needed her to remain healthy enough to take care of them. I found an article in â€Å"USA TODAY†, titled â€Å"HIV Entrenched In South's Poorest Counties†. This particular article was in great relation to the knowledge in which I obtained from the book within the topic â€Å"HIV/AIDS†. It was mentioned in the article that â€Å"HIV† is tightly entwined in poverty. Southern counties that have the greatest rates of HIV infection are among the poorest in the nation, USA TODAY's

Computer Based Training (CBT) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Computer Based Training (CBT) - Essay Example Many of them are utilising computer based training. Why is this so? According to Business & Legal Minds, Incorporation (2005), human interaction remains an intricate part of workplace training. Nevertheless, computer based training avails the technological solution to traditional types of training. It is said to improve these traditional types of training. Computer based training varies from text-only programs to using CD-ROM, and to virtual reality programs. Companies and organizations are using this type of training because it can be customized according to the needs of the individual employee. It is also avails the employees with a choice. That is; they learn, when, how, and where they want. To many companies, it is cost-effective as many employees can use a single equipment. They also allow employees to learn at their convenience. The interactive mode of some programs makes it an interesting training program for employees. Most importantly, the employee progress can be tracked. Some of the programs have post-exams that permit companies to know i f the employee has comprehended the training. The score avails a good parameter for the trainer to evaluate the effectiveness of the training program. Hence, companies are choosing computer based training over other training methods due to the advantages it is availing along with its association with the modern world where society is becoming more and more technologically advanced (Business & Legal Reports, Inc.,

Critique on the Article, An Anorexic's Recovery. by Leanna Rutherford Lab Report

Critique on the Article, An Anorexic's Recovery. by Leanna Rutherford - Lab Report Example According to Rutherford, she "was 17 and in her [my] graduating year of high school when she [I] decided that she [I] wanted to lose weight" (n.p.). Studies show that mostly, adolescent young women are affected by this mental illness. And women are more prone than men; although, in some cases men can also be a candidate for this disorder. American Psychiatric Association viewed this as a psychological disorder affecting mainly young women (American Psychiatric Association, 1984) and recent reports suggest a long-term increasing incidence of the problem (Lucas, 1991; Lucas et al., 1991; Willi & Grossman, 1983). The article, "An Anorexic's Recovery" is a timely way of informing people/readers of this lethal psychological disorder through the experience of the writer on this illness. As a narrative article, the point of views of the writer was emphasized on her accounts of battling the mental disorder. The worst part of anorexia is the determination of factors that causes the disorder. Until now, there is no exact cause of anorexia nervosa. However, researchers on the field of medicine and psychology suggested that factors in general could be categorized as follows: Cultural Pressure - Just like in the case of Rutherford, cultural pressure played as the main role why she suffered from anorexia. . Rutherford "wanted to impress the boys in university and she [I] thought being thin would help. So she [I] went on a diet"(n.p.). (eHealthMD, 2005) claimed that "in many societies, being extremely thin is the standard of beauty for women and represents success, happiness, and self-control.(p.3). Cultural pressure seems to be the primary cause of why some suffer from this mental disorder. In the article, this was the only cause stated; however, below you can see that not only cultural pressure is to be blamed but other factors as well. Psychological Issues - People who have low self-esteem, poor body image, rigid thinking patterns, perfectionism, feelings of ineffectiveness, physical or sexual abuse, and need for control are prone on developing anorexia. Psychological imbalances may be a by-factor of having the disorder. Rutherford's case may seem to imply that she may have suffered from the need of being perfect, although the writer projected that being good in school or things he did imply that he is psychologically stable: "I was an honors student when I entered university and had an 82 percent average after my first semester. I had made lots of friends and had balanced my social and academic obligations". In view points of psychology, anorexia is a mental illness and therefore has a lot to do with psychological issues. Rutherford may have overlooked this issue on his article. Family Environment - Some family upbringings may be factors to the development of anorexia. The families of people who have the disorder are more expected to be rigid, overprotective, and suffocating closeness. In these situations, anorexia nervosa builds up as a way of fighting back for individuality and independence. Genetic Factors - According to (Wade, et.al, 2000) "anorexia shares a genetic risk with clinical depression" (p.157). People who have

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 102

Discussion - Essay Example She changes her shape and movement into something more meaningful to emphasize on her message to the audience. For example, when she kneels and opens her hand, but her two palms are together given out the importance of the moral values in the society based on the unification of the people living in the community (Kaufmann, 2006). Her message focuses on the welfare of the society and the importance that friendships carry in respect to the development of the community. The dancer is able to move around freely with her hands and legs both in the same direction as the body. She poses a lot of energy when she stretches one leg behind and both her hands are stretched in front of her face and quite high on her head. She manages to get up and move her legs in unifying steps. In this dance when the dancer kneel down and pulls her other legs far behind her and in the same position stretches her hands high in front of her face, she shows how much friendship and union of the society is important for their growth. This dancer tries to give the audience information through her movement of the body that exists through her changing of the body shape and form to describe the relationship that exists in the society. The facial expression she gives she gives during the dances supports the information regarding the culture and tradition they

Definition Of Noise Pollution

Definition Of Noise Pollution The definition of noise pollution is can be elaborate as a type of energy pollution in which distracting, irritating, or damaging sounds are freely audible. Noise pollution contaminants are not physical particles, but rather waves that interfere with naturally-occurring waves of a similar type in the same environment. Sounds are considered noise pollution if they adversely affect wildlife, human activity, or are capable of damaging physical structures on a regular, repeating basis. In the broadest sense of the term, a sound may be considered noise pollution if it disturbs any natural process or causes human harm, even if the sound does not occur on a regular basis. 1.12 Measurement for sound Sound is transmitted in series through the air with the wave compressed. When it comes to sound, there are three terms that can connected with it, the strength, pitch or frequency. Strength calculated in units of decibels (dB). Decibel is a ratio expressed on a logarithmic scale. This logarithmic scale takes care of wide range of sound power, intensity and pressure. The decibel (dB) scale begins from zero, which represents the faintest sound, which is audible to a normal ear. Decibel (dB) is used in environmental noise pollution as a measure of sound power level, sound intensity level and sound pressure level. A decibel is a physical unit based on the weakest sound that can be detected by the human ear. It is named after Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone. Our human ear sensitivity to noise in the range of 20 to 20,000. 1.13 Sources of noise pollution People living in urban city complained about the noise from automobile traffic, overhead airplanes and helicopters, leaf blowers, pneumatic drills, and neighbors who play their televisions and stereos much too loudly. Large urban areas are being inundated by unwanted sounds. These sounds or noises are disturbing, disrupting ongoing activities and peaceful interludes. One cannot concentrate on a work project if there is constant drilling at a nearby construction site. It is virtually impossible to enjoy a television program when overhead jets frequently drown out its sound. It is difficult to fall asleep if your upstairs neighbors stereo system is blasting away. There are many sources of noise pollution that created in urban areas. The sources in general may be stationary or mobile. The example of stationary sources is such as when use of loudspeakers on various occasions like festivals, elections, worships in temples, mosques and during advertisements, mining operations, use of bulldozers, drillers and dynamites to break rocks, household gadgets like vacuum cleaner, TV, radio, stereo, grinder, mixer. In the other hand, mobile sources can be classified in Transportation / Traffic noise (Road Traffic or Highway Noise), Industrial noise, Noise from construction work and also Neighborhood noise.   Noise has direct physiological effects to human such as hearing damage which can be including hearing loss and tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, as well as cardiovascular and hormonal disturbances. Indirect effects include sleep loss, interference with concentration and learning, mood changes and aggression, and social isolation. Noise pollution is also becoming huge problem for many animals. Their hearing for detecting predators, finding mates, establishing territory, and recognizing warning alerts. Unnaturally high levels of noise can damage their hearing and can also mask more subtle sounds that they need to hear in order to survive and reproduce. They may also react with a fight-or-flight response to artificial sounds such as aircraft noise, thereby using up valuable energy reserves to flee from a non-existent predator. If noise in urban area becomes too intrusive, animals may shift to a new territory or alter their migration patterns, which can create new complications for their mating and survival. Noise Pollution effects the environment. As we all known that plants are similar to human being. They are also as sensitive as man. There should be cool and peaceful environment for their better growth. Noise pollution causes poor quality of crops in a pleasant atmosphere. Aim To awareness people that lived in urban areas when surrounding with noise pollution. I would like to cultivate and make a mass awareness to urban population since the level of awareness on the noise environmental issues is very low in urban areas. This will make a step of prevention to aware the dangerous of noise pollution surrounding them and how they can avoid or decrease the level of noise and know the effects and causes related to noise pollution. 1.3 Plan of the Research The plan is to investigate the level of awareness of the society regarding the environmental issues particularly on noise pollution issue. What are the best actions that need to be taken to make the society/community is aware. One of the plans is creating the survey questions. It will be asked questions to test their personality and attitude towards the environment especially on noise pollution. By performing these tasks, we can identify the best strategy to get peoples attention on this serious matter. This is a few questions that will be discussed. 1.4 Research Question What are the effects of noise on human health How does noise affect babies and children? What are the most common sources of noise pollution? What problems does noise pollution cause for people? What problems does noise pollution cause for animals? What are the effects of noise pollution on the environment? What can I do personally to reduce my own noise pollution? How can we reduce the noise pollution? What are the precautions we can take to avoid noise pollution? Do you think public is aware of the noise pollution issue? How can we educate people to make them emotionally/spiritually aware in better ways such as storytelling, video art etc? Does urbanization affects/increase the level of noise? Do you think we can totally get rid of noise pollution in urban cities? Are you aware that there are rules and regulations regarding noise? Research for (digital record) location The other plan is to record some digital audio (sound) and visual (video) to show the main causes of the noise pollution. The planning location is such as Main town Highway road LRT / Commuter rail Factories Neighborhood around the town Entertainment place (club, pub) Construction in the town 1.5 Justification for the Research Noise is all around us, but that doesnt mean we should just placidly accept unhealthy and unsafe levels of noise. Exposure to loud or constant noises can contribute to or cause hearing loss or a reduction in your ability to hear some frequencies of sound. Noise can prevent us from sleeping, which in turn affects our health and mood. Noise can distract us from our work, leading to errors and their consequences. And noise can produce high stress levels by triggering the bodys flight-or-fight response, which in turn leads to high blood pressure. In short, noise is not just a nuisance; it is a real health issue. By doing this research, I may contribute and helping people living in the urban areas to give some awareness regarding noise pollution and at the same time will save our habitat and environment in urban areas. Throughout reading my research paper and artwork, it will create awareness and people will be able control the sound and decrease the level of the noise pollution in urban areas. Furthermore people in the cities also can avoid from getting some health effects regarding noise pollution. . 1.6 Methodology I will gather data from internet sources, magazines, journals and etc Documentary I will try to get documentaries and speeches by environmentalists. Interview I will try to find people from Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) to answer some questions via email. Survey I have prepared questions as my survey. Visual- I will get some information about noise pollution via audio video in spot location in urban city. 1.7 Scope Sample from MMU students aged from 18-30 years old. Public aged from 18-30 years old. 1.8 Outline of the Thesis Chapter 1 I will provide the introduction details of my research topic. Chapter 2 I will put up the works of the previous researchers have done theoretically and practically. Chapter 3 I will provide the details such as materials to collect data and the details of the investigation. Chapter 4 I will discuss the result that I gathered from chapter 3 and will provide full analysis of interpreting data in the form of tables, charts and figures. Chapter 5 I will answer all the questions stated in the chapter 1. I will then interpret the research findings and check if they the data agree with the aims and proposal of my research and will provide recommendation if theres need. 1.9 Definitions Urban An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns. Pollution- Pollution is the introduction of a contaminant into the environment. It is created mostly by human actions, but can also be a result of natural disasters. Pollution has a detrimental effect on any living organism in an environment, making it virtually impossible to sustain life. Noise- Noise is unwanted electrical or electromagnetic energy that degrades the quality of signals and data.   Noise occurs in digital and analog systems, and can affect files and communications of all types, including text, programs, images, audio, and telemetry.

The Fantasy of Womens Sports in Primetime TV Slots :: Womens Issues Essays

The Fantasy of Women's Sports in Primetime TV Slots Gail, a dark, tiny, female reporter, is given the assignment of investigating Babe, one of the most talented female athletes of the twentieth century. Suggestions have sprung up that Babe was not a woman at all. These suggestions have come from beer corporations and radical right-wing opponents of a new growing opinion that men and women's sports should equally share primetime TV slots. Gail had never heard of Babe. Gail writes movie reviews and articles in the Arts section. Gail is a chain smoker. She used to cut gym everyday to smoke under the bleachers with her friends. She hasn't owned a pair of sneakers since the third grade. In high school she used to think there were three kinds of kids: the nerds, the jocks, and the freaks. She was some combination of the first and last group. She still held that opinion and liked to sneer at joggers in the park. She was, thus, unhappy about this assignment. Gail visits her parents who live in the suburbs. They are bohemian types. They eat a lot of gorp, have matching pottery wheels in a shed in the back yard, and would have never owned a television, but Gail begged them to get one in her freshman year of high school. When she graduated, it was the first thing that was unplugged and packed into the car, ready for her dorm room. She asks them if they ever heard of Babe. They say they vaguely remember a golf player named Babe. But they sneer. Golf is for the bourgeoisie, they say. Gail goes up to her old room. When she was in elementary school all of her friends had horseback riding ribbons and trophies. She looks at her room now, imagines the walls covered in tiny ribbons, and they dissolve into a Picasso poster and the graffiti she used to write when she hadn't fallen asleep yet. She goes over to one section of the wall, runs her finger over a phrase: JOCKS ARE DUMB. Gail goes back down stairs and asks her father why she never wanted to play sports. "Well, honey," he says, "You're small. And artistic. You're not an athlete." And she thinks to herself, I didn't know what the word athletic meant until I was in the third grade. And then I threw out my tennis shoes.

1980 African American Education Essay

*In 1988, the enrollment of black men declined, while it increased for women. There were 179,000 black women in college, then black men. Percentage of highs school graduates going to college 1960-1970: Males exceeded women 1980’s: women overtake men and never lost the lead Popular concentration in education in the 1980’s 1981: business and management were the most popular of all black bachelor’s degree recipients. 13,325 blacks earned a bachelor’s degree in business and management (40% earned in historically black colleges). See more: Old Age Problem essay The Black and White Gap â€Å"The average scores of black students have remained well below those of whites, and at age 17, the reading achievement of black students was lower last year than it was in 1988Ââ€"a depressing reversal of the gains made over the previous two decades,† Michael T. Nettles, the vice chairman of the National Assessment Governing Board, said at a press conference held here late last month to release the results. The independent panel oversees National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). In just about every age group and in every subject, the test-score gap between white and African-American students has grown since 1986, reversing a trend in which the discrepancies decreased from the time the exams were first given in 1969, 1971, and 1973. Since the mid-1980s, gaps in several subjects and age groups have grown by statistically significant amounts. Resegregation occurring again â€Å"Studies finds the causes for resegregation stemming from a number of social and political factors: a series of court rulings beginning in the late 1980s that reversed many of the desegregation orders, the growing isolation of whites in suburban schools, and the increasing segregation of blacks and Hispanics in suburban schools.† Study suggest that students do better with same race teachers. Both black and white children score higher on mathematics and reading tests when their teachers are the same race as they are, a study of 6,000 Tennessee schoolchildren suggests. 1980 African American Education Essay Percentage of highs school graduates going to college 1960-1970: Males exceeded women 1980’s: women overtake men and never lost the lead Popular concentration in education in the 1980’s 1981: business and management were the most popular of all black bachelor’s degree recipients. 13,325 blacks earned a bachelor’s degree in business and management (40% earned in historically black colleges). The Black and White Gap â€Å"The average scores of black students have remained well below those of whites, and at age 17, the reading achievement of black students was lower last year than it was in 1988Ââ€"a depressing reversal of the gains made over the previous two decades,† Michael T. Nettles, the vice chairman of the National Assessment Governing Board, said at a press conference held here late last month to release the results. The independent panel oversees National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). See more:  Unemployment – problems and solutions essay   In just about every age group and in every subject, the test-score gap between white and African-American students has grown since 1986, reversing a trend in which the discrepancies decreased from the time the exams were first given in 1969, 1971, and 1973. Since the mid-1980s, gaps in several subjects and age groups have grown by statistically significant amounts. Resegregation occurring again. â€Å"Studies finds the causes for resegregation stemming from a number of social and political factors: a series of court rulings beginning in the late 1980s that reversed many of the desegregation orders, the growing isolation of whites in suburban schools, and the increasing segregation of blacks and Hispanics in suburban schools.† Study suggest that students do better with same race teachers. Both black and white children score higher on mathematics and reading tests when their teachers are the same race as they are, a study of 6,000 Tennessee schoolchildren suggests.

Karen Horney essays

Karen Horney essays Karen Horney was born in Hamburg, Germany to Captain and Mrs. Berndt Wackels Danielson on September 16, 1885. Captain Danielson was a religious man with an authoritarian parenting style, he was referred to as the Bible thrower. Although her father brought her gifts from around the world and let her accompany him on three sea excursions, Karen felt that he favored her older brother Berndt. The lack of a connection with her father made Karen become extremely close with her mother, Clotilde aka Sonni. Clotilde was Captain Danielsons second wife, 19 years seperated the cosmopolitan wife When Karen was nine she changed her approach to life and became more bold and ambitious. At the same time, Karens crush on her beloved teenage brother led him to distance himself from her uncomfortable attentions. Berndts rejection made Karen depressed, the first of many bouts of depression throughout her life. In 1904 Clotilde divorced Karens father and left both Berndt and Karen in his care. In 1906, Karen Horney decided to attend medical school against her parents wishes. Contrary to societal norms, Horney attended the universities of Freiburg and Berlin. While in school Karen met Oscar Horney, a law student, whom she married in 1909. The first of the couples three daughters, Bridgette was born in 1910. The following year Clotilde died and Karen entered psychoanalysis to help her cope with the dramatic changes she had been through. In psychoanalysis Karen learned that Oscar was like her dad, an authoritarian who was harsh with the children. Yet Karen considered his methods acceptable and did not intervene, instead she believed that the atmosphere encouraged Horney began to follow Freudian analysis with Karl Abraham in 1915. By 1919, she was taking patients which led to a twelve year position at Berlin Psychoanalytic Clinic and Institute. Later sh...

An Assessment of the American Psychological Association in the Development of Professional Knowledge and Abilities of Members

An Assessment of the American Psychological Association in the Development of Professional Knowledge and Abilities of Members Consecutive studies demonstrate that career success is primarily a function of ability, personality, knowledge, opportunity, and the interactions between these variables (Rode et al., 2008). Additionally, the scope of job tasks, responsibilities, and expectations have also been cited as critical determinants of career success. Abele Spurk (2009) defines career success as the positive psychological or job-related outcomes an individual accumulates as a direct result of work-related experiences.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on An Assessment of the American Psychological Association in the Development of Professional Knowledge and Abilities of Members specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Professional bodies and organizations have been credited for assisting employees to work towards achieving their career goals and objectives and, therefore, play an important role in complimenting the efforts of employees towards the attainment of career success. This paper purposes to explain how the American Psychological Association (APA) assists its members in the development of professional knowledge and abilities, and how this impacts the career success of psychologists in the various fields of practice. Headquartered in Washington, the APA is a scientific and professional organization with over 150,000 members, thus making it the largest association of psychologists globally. According to its homepage, â€Å"†¦the mission of the APA is to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people’s lives† (APA, 2010, para. 2). Among other things, this mission is based on continual pursuit of excellence, outstanding service to members and society, knowledge and its application based on methods of science, and ethical action in all the organization’s endeavors. The APA contributes towards the enhancement of professional knowledge and abilities of its members in a number of ways. First, the organization is not only the foremost catalyst for the stimulation, development, and dissemination of psychological knowledge and practice, but it is the primary resource for all psychologists, not mentioning that it is the premier trendsetter in the education, nurturing, and training of psychologists, practitioners, and educators (APA, 2010). Its comprehensive undertaking in research provides members with a framework to keep abreast of current issues in the broad field of psychology, and enhances their practical knowledge and abilities in dealing with new and challenging issues. In addition, the association provides members with the opportunity to network and exchange critical ideas that goes along way to sharpen their abilities to contribute more to the enhancement of human rights, health, well-being, and self-respect (APA, 2010).Advertising Looking for research paper on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More What’s more, the publications and annual conventions arranged by the organization allows young psychologists the chance to interact with experienced members and exchange knowledge and ideas that are inarguably critical to the practice judging by the fact that psychology is an evolving discipline. The association gives its members an enabling environment to develop their professional knowledge and expertise through interaction and collaboration. Lastly, it is imperative to mention that any professional body gives its members a sense of belonging and a framework for furthering their interests, and the APA is no exception (Kuijpers et al., 2006). As already mentioned, career success is primarily a function of an individual’s knowledge and abilities. Individuals always strive to build a successful career, and a professional body that will provide them with the basic ingredients for career success is mos t welcome. Knowledge and abilities will enhances an individual’s chances to gain materially in terms of pay and hierarchical position, otherwise known as objective career success (Abele Spurk, 2008). In the same vein, having adequate knowledge and capabilities brings job satisfaction, motivation and enhanced social status, therefore enabling one to achieve what is known as subjective career success. As such, it can be concluded that engagement in professional organizations enhance one’s career success. Reference List Abele, A.E., Spurk, D. (2009). How do objective and subjective career success interrelate over times? Journal of Occupational Organizational Psychology, 82(4), 803-824. Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier Database American Psychological Association. (2010). About APA. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/about/index Kuijpers, M.A.C.T., Schyns, B., Schreerens, J. (2006). Career competencies for career success. Career Development Quarterly, 55(2), 168-178. R etrieved from MasterFILE Premier DatabaseAdvertising We will write a custom research paper sample on An Assessment of the American Psychological Association in the Development of Professional Knowledge and Abilities of Members specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Rode, C.R., Arthaud-Day, M.L., Mooney, C.H., Near, J.P., Baldwin, T.T. (2008). Ability and personality predictors of salary, perceived job success and perceived career success in the initial career stage. International Journal of Selection Assessment, 16(3), 292-299. Retrieved from Academic Source Premier Database

The Closing Stock Market Price of Caffe Nero Research Paper

The Closing Stock Market Price of Caffe Nero - Research Paper Example When the stocks of companies are offered in the stock exchanges, like in this case of Caffe Nero, people will be encouraged to invest or sell stocks there. The potential investors of Caffe Nero will refer to the financial statements in deciding to invest in Caffe Nero. The financial statement is a big factor that will entice prospective investors to invest in Caffe Nero because of its 2005 net income of 1,719,000 pounds and 2004 net income is 1,684,000. Bankruptcy news can bring down the company’s stock price. News of a merger or acquisition by one big company of another big or small company will generate another round of huge investments in the new company. The prospective investors can artificially cause the stock market price of Caffe Nero to go up. The stock market price for a single stock of Caffe Nero has increased because many investors want to put their money in the income generating Caffe Nero. The closing price of Caffe Nero stock is very high due to its aggressive m arketing strategy. According to Allegra Strategies, the United Kingdom coffee industry will rise by more than 10% annually for the next few years. Stock market listing of the stocks of Caffe Nero and other companies will generate funds for their business. The stock market price is based on the basic economic principle of supply and demand principle. But if there are more people offering to dispose of their stock market shares in a company, like the Caffe Nero located in picturesque England than there are buyers, then the tendency is for the stock market price to go down. In the case of Caffe Nero, the market price just remained the same for the past years.

Career Goal Statement for Nursing Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Career Goal Statement for Nursing Program - Essay Example This also fulfils my childhood dream reinforced over time. I believe in integrity, honesty and diligence in handling people’s information. I am courteous and hospitable with a higher regard for the elderly. I like interacting and socializing with friends with a view to knowing emotional, physical and psychological well-being of people. My multiple skills and experience puts me in the best position for generic nursing program. I have educational courses gained from my pre-professional nursing classes. I have helped treat complicated complications affecting a larger segment of our population like performing, teaching, and supervision of blood collection procedures. I have also conducted uncomplicated and painless tests for patients with heart diseases by recording their hearts electrical activity. I would like to hone my nursing skills and attain a top nurse status in the state. My skills will allow me overcome significant complications I have seen and experience many patients undergo. I also intend to become an Associate Degree Nurse (ADN) through internship and referrals. I would like to help reduce the rising cases of heart diseases by writing and partnering with other nurses in journals, articles and magazines. Having the EKG and Phlebotomy certifications, I am destined to become a professional nurse. I have excellent report from the lead nurse in the institution I earlier worked. I have helped treat more than 15 cases of heart complications. My previous health facility, with my assistance, collected more than 1500 blood samples kept in the blood bank. I would like to become an experienced nurse with the ability to treat and handle referral cases and emergencies. I also intend to produce my own book on Phlebotomy complications and provide an objective view of this profession. I would like to become a source of consultation in health issues by helping open an EKG section of the library in the university. I would

Diversification in a porfolio Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Diversification in a porfolio - Research Paper Example Graham (2010) observes that the risks of an investment are reduced to between 80-90% through diversification of portfolios. However, there have been questions as to whether portfolio diversification is the best way to increase returns of an investment and to yield higher returns. Some studies have shown that portfolio diversification only reduces non market risks when the diversification is done up to a certain degree. According to Hagin (2004), even though portfolio diversification reduces non market risks and increases the returns of an investment, the rule of diminishing returns usually applies at a very early stage of the investment. This paper therefore tries to answer the question as to whether diversification of portfolios with aggressive and defensive risks profiles the best way to invest. In order to answer the main question of the paper, the paper reviews the various aspects or factors that are involved in an investment and determines how they correlate with diversification and returns. Portfolio can be broadly defined as a collection of various financial assets that are owned and managed by an individual investor or a group. According to Hagin (2004), portfolio refers to combination of different investments assets that are mixed with the aim or purpose of achieving the goals of an investor or a group of investors in any given market and region. Some of the financial assets include equities, liquid assets, fixed income instruments, bonds as well as cash. The kind of portfolio an investor chooses strongly determines the risks and returns associated with that particular investment. Diversification of portfolios on the other hand refers to an investment strategy that involves mixing of various assets in order to reduce the risks of an investment portfolio. This is through the spreading out of the risks that are associated with each investment assets to ensure that when a financial crisis occurs or affects one asset, the other

Film Theory Outline Essay Example for Free

Film Theory Outline Essay From the very beginning of film, theorists have tried to dissect or understand the nature of the new medium of art. As a result various theories of film have emerged, such as feminist, auteur, psychoanalytical, Marxist, Editing and Structuralist. This essay attempts to give an outline of these various theories. One of the first theories to emerge is Editing theory, coming from the context of early Russian cinema. A key event in this regard is the experiment carried out by the film-maker Lev Kuleshov in 1918, in which he demonstrated that what the viewer perceives depends on how images are juxtaposed with each other through inter-cutting. See more: essay apa format Thus, when a human close-up is juxtaposed with a bowl of soup, the perception is of hunger, but when juxtaposed with a shot of a coffin the same close-up is perceived to express grief. Kuleshov concluded that juxtaposition was crucial towards the effect, and thus advocated the use montage in film-making. Other film-makers like Sergei Eisenstein played close attention to these findings, and made use of them in his masterpieces of montage, such as Battleship Potemkin and October. He also spelled out a comprehensive film theory based on editing in a highly influential essay from the late twenties. In it he outlined he various categories of editing, such as metric, rhythmic, tonal, overtonal, and intellectual. For example, with intellectual montage a scene may be inter-cut with something immediately unrelated, but which nevertheless works as metaphor is a more profound sense. The above came to constitute soviet montage theory, which was in contrast to the Hollywood system of continuity editing. Montage is a very visible component of film, whereas continuity editing aims to make inter-cutting invisible, so that the viewer may concentrate on the flow of the narrative in an easy way. Since the fifties a parallel theory of editing has emerged in the West which embodies the Hollywood ethos. In the same essay Eisenstein proposed a Hegelian interpretation of film montage, and which came to form the basis of Marxist film theory. He suggested that montage worked by the principle of the Hegelian dialectic, where thesis is said to beget antithesis, and are resolved in the end through synthesis. For example, when human close up is inter-cut with a glass of water, the viewer interprets this as thirst. If the face is the subject, then its antithesis is the object of vision, i. e. the glass of water. ‘Thirst’ is merely the synthesis of the two. It is present in neither of the two shots in consideration, yet emerges form the inter-cutting of the two. Of course, it was through the Hegelian dialectic that Marx had derived his famous concept of the proletariat revolution, and Marxism was the avowed principle of the Bolshevists. Therefore, it is not surprising that Eisenstein’s theories found a favorable audience in the Soviet Union. Indeed, it was instrumental in forming of Socialist realism, which became the state sponsored ideology in art. Marxist film theory soon found itself as defined in opposition to capitalistic and bourgeoisie art, in which the narrative of the protagonist finds prominence. Eisenstein’s films attempt to obliterate the presence of the protagonist, concentrating instead on the clash of images towards creating a larger ideological narrative. Even then he was accused by the authorities for not championing the workers, and for indulging in the internal mechanics of film, which was deemed to be a kind of formalism. Marxist theory held that the purpose of art is to overcome all ‘forms’ towards dialectical purification. Formalism was felt to be a bourgeoisie component. Marxist theory, as it has flourished both in the East and the West, concerns itself with dissecting films in order discredit bourgeoisie forms, usually those emerging from the Hollywood system. A native western theory of film was late in developing, and a crucial starting point was the theories developed by Andre Bazin, as editor of the French film magazine Cahiers du cinema. Up to that point films were seen as merely commercial vehicles, and Hollywood had evolved into a mighty and well groomed machine that churned films for the pleasure of the masses. Analyzing these films Bazin came to the conclusion that it was the director who left the most characteristic stamp, and as illustration he held up the work of directors like Alfred Hitchcock and Howard Hawks. He advocated that directors infuse their personal vision into the films under their charge, in order that they become the complete authors, which is the ideal state. This came to be known as the Auteur theory of film, which was given a more formal presentation by Francois Truffaut. Directors were described as using the camera as a pen towards composing their films. Another significant idea of Bazin’s was that film should aim for â€Å"objective reality†. This was in opposition to prevalent theory based on montage, which said that object of film is to manipulate reality. This instrumental approach led to the formulation of Structuralist film theory, which examines the structure of the components of film as they come together meaningfully. Instead of the dialectical approach of Eisenstein, the analysis takes into account conventional devices that have come to acquire meaning. The components that come into play are camera angle, lighting, juxtaposition, shot duration, cultural context etc. Meaning is usually accounted for by convention, and conventions change according to social and economic circumstances. For example, the highly commercial nature of Hollywood films has created the Institutional Mode of Representation, in which cinematic devices are used that make film viewing easy and exciting. For this reason it incorporates the established ideology with little departure from the norm. Other interpretations overlook the mechanics of production and instead considered the viewer as the focus of study. Psychoanalytic film theory offers such an interpretation. It is largely influenced by the views of the French philosopher Jacques Lacan regarding the child’s ‘mirror stage of development’. According to this theory the developing child endeavors to see a reflection of itself in all the objects it encounters. Psychoanalytic film theory replicates this situation with the viewer of film. The viewer is always looking for self-identification in the process of watching a film, and in this sense uses the medium as a mirror. It is usually the male protagonist who provides the focus of this identification, and functions as a conduit by which the desires of the viewer are played out. The film is said to have constructed a ‘gaze’ for the benefit of the viewer. Sometimes the gaze is simply the viewpoint of the protagonist; at other times, in the more graphic sequences, the viewer is allowed to gaze directly. Psychoanalytic theory is careful to point out that such identification is merely illusion, and therefore it differs from the identification of the child growing up, whose identifications come to form tangible character. Feminist film theory takes psychoanalytical theory a step further, in that it interprets the gaze as scopophilia, or ‘the desire to observe in secret’, which is also known as voyeurism. Such desire is sexual in origin, and feminist theory is framed in the context of the man wanted to gaze at the woman. Such a theory provides a ready explanation of the objectification of woman in film, a phenomena that has been noticed from the very beginnings of the medium. As in psychoanalytical theory, the male protagonist provides the focus of identification, but his specific desire is to objectify the women in the film, a desire which is vicariously shared by the viewer. There are three levels of objectification. First there is the camera’s point of view, then that of the protagonist, and finally that of the viewer himself, who is allowed to gaze at the women directly. Critics of this theory point out that the female viewer is not taken into account, for women also go to see the same films, and they enjoy them too. However Laura Mulvey has given convincing arguments to explain female enjoyment. She says that it is either through a masochistic identification, or a transsexual one. In the first the female takes secret pleasure in male domination. In the second, the female identifies with the male protagonist, and thus shares in the pleasure that men take. However, she is also continuously slipping back into her female identity, which is said to be a mask that she wears. Identification with the male pushes her uncomfortably close to the image of the subjected women, and the masquerade allows her to maintain a distance from it. Feminist film theory is a harsh criticism of the norms of cinema, which is also blamed on the patriarchal norms of society. The advocacy is to make films that overcome the norms, and therefore to make films that are free from female objectification.

The Rise and Fall of Country Music Essay -- Music, Robert Johnson

Is country music still country music? Country music has roots unlike any other genre of American music. Country music was one of the most influential styles of music in the twentieth century. It had stars such as Hank Williams and Johnny Cash. These stars represented what the South felt. They understood shotgun weddings, not knowing where the next meal would come from, and fearing the wrath of God while simultaneously loving the sweet and instant satisfaction that sin brings. They took those pains and painted beautiful, harsh, and most importantly real portraits of life. The majority of today’s country music, the country that is played on mainstream radio, has lost its serious feel and replaced it with a more laid back sound—which at times makes it hard to hear the difference between a rock song and a country song—and it has left behind authenticity for its Nashville sound and pursuit of money and popular appeal. Country music branches off into many sub-genres. You have the blues of Robert Johnson, the more pure country music of Williams and Cash, and the southern rock of Lyndyrd Skynyrd and The Drive-By Truckers. What is the difference between this music and the music played on the radio today? Dana Jennings, the author of Sing Me Back Home and a self-proclaimed country music lover opens his book describing authentic country music like this: â€Å"Country music is the backfire of a rattletrap pickup truck creaking down a dirt road and the lowing of a lone cow. It’s music for scouring junkyards, setting out to the porch, and shooting horseshoes†¦its TB, orphan music, and outhouse music. It’s potato sack dresses, loyal three-legged dogs, and water lugged from the well† (Jennings 1). This is the type of music played on the radio fifty ... ...hen I had it/ now it is gone I’m learning what that is†. This is the story of hating a nine to five job but realizing life is not easy by any stretch of the imagination. It is real. Good country music is still being made, just not for the radio. Trampled by Turtles, Avett Brothers, Bill Mallonee, and Drive-By Truckers are all consistently putting out great country albums. There are plenty more artists like them, putting out songs not just to make a buck, but also to express their pains and struggles, songs you can relate to and songs with feeling. It makes it that much more special finding a good country band. Sooner or later, Nashville will pay for her sins. But until then, listening to Southern Rock Opera will teach you ten times more about human frailty and the daily struggles of ordinary people than listening to a hundred hours of a country radio station.

Corporate Governance Benchmarking

Running head: CORPORATE GOVERNANCE BENCHMARKING Corporate Governance Benchmarking University of Phoenix Corporate Governance MMPBL 570 November 30, 2009 Corporate Governance Benchmarking McBride Financial Services Inc. is a low cost mortgage provider located in Boise, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, as well as North and South Dakota. Recently, Beltway Investments became the majority investor in McBride Financial Services, Inc. As a result, McBride’s CEO needs the board of directors’ collaboration while setting up internal governance controls and ensuring proper auditing. To secure that corporate governance benefits the company and investors, McBride’s CEO needs to consider benchmarking. Thus, the authors of this paper examine the benchmarking of Adelphia Communications, Tyco, Calpine Corporation, and Tyson Foods to help develop best practices for McBride Financial Services, Inc. Accordingly, Chew and Gillan (2005) state, â€Å"The role of top management is no longer just control and coordination; it is anticipating, leading, and managing change and articulating the rationale for such change to employees† (p. ). Hence, the lack of corporate governance could not be demonstrated better than the rise and fall of Adelphia Communications. Adelphia Communications was at one time the fifth largest cable provider in the United States. The company was controlled by John Rigas, the founder of Adelphia, and his family; they controlled 60 percent of the total voting shares. The family considered Adelphia funds their own personal funds and spent them lavishly on everything from airplanes to professional sports teams. When all was finally revealed, the Rigas family received $3. 4 billion in loans from Adelphia. The company eventually filed for bankruptcy and was split up in a buyout by Time Warner Cable and Comcast (Comcast, 2006). McBride Financial Services, Inc. (MFSI) is a small company controlled by McBride, the CEO. He is looking to move to the next level, like Adelphia. MFSI has recently formed a partnership with Beltway Investments to allow growth into a regional financial services provider and form a board of directors. It is not a partnership. It is a corporation and owned by Hugh and Beltway. They are not partners which is a different legal form of business. The company needs to embrace the board of directors as an independent oversight committee and not as rubber stamp committee, yet this is the initial direction the CEO wants the board to take (University of Phoenix, 2009). Adelphia Communications failed because the board was part of the corruption and independent from the daily operations of the company. The CEO needs to also allow an external accounting firm to conduct regular audits, regardless of the results, of the company to ensure the corruption of Adelphia is not duplicated because â€Å"The way boards are structured, meeting every other month, they have to rely on outside advisers† (Patsuris, 2002). Another situation to consider is the decline of the stock prices for Tyco, turning out to be quite detrimental because of the same actions of Kozlowski, the former CEO; he failed to lead the company affectively. Kozlowski was found guilty of using company funds for his personal expenses (Cummins, 2006). Even though he was found guilty, the company’s image is still flawed and questioned, the same as the value of company stock prices. Nevertheless, Eric Pillmore is in the process of reclaiming the company’s image by reconstructing and communicating a well built ethical atmosphere. Pillmore may be strict and enforce control to help the company; perhaps if the control had been maintained through corporate governance in the past, and if employees had been at ease in bringing issues to the fore front, Kozlowski would not have been able to send the company into the tailspin it has experienced (Cummins, 2006). MFSI can learn valuable lessons from Tyco; in conjunction with legal action and a marred company because of inadequate corporate governance, Tyco has made strides in changing its business environment. Tyco has managed to make improvements, from restructuring the company ethics statement, to meeting each employee personally, supplying them with a company ethics statement, and publishing a quarterly report on any problems employees brought to the company’s attention, and compiling the findings and disciplinary actions (Cummins, 2006, para. 3). Pillmore may be strict and controlling but he has turned Tyco around by improving employee behavior, creating a trustful environment and communicating with Tyco employees. MFSI’s CEO needs to consider such changes as Tyco has implemented, to be in compliance with federal guidelines, build trusting relationships with his employees and change the tone of MFSI’s corporate culture by adhering to a new corporate governance plan. Basically, in critiquing and analyzing the roles of the key leaders of corporate governance to assess the function of ethics in compliance, key concepts and the best practices of Calpine Corporation have also been considered to help MFSI. According to Chew and Gillan (2005), â€Å"During the past decade many CEOs of large companies have become highly visible public figures,† and while MFSI is still evolving, pressure to act appropriately exists (p. 1). This visibility increases accountability for leaders’ corporate governance. In the case of MFSI, the CEO is faced with critical decision making. MFSI’s CEO’s corporate governance has the potential of creating undesirable outcomes. However, to help MFSI, the best practices of Calpine demonstrate how decision making can be executed through the code of conduct guidelines. Calpine is a successful company that despite its business strategies, it was challenged with uncontrollable environmental forces. In 1998, Calpine experienced the effects of deregulation; yet leadership followed the company’s good corporate governance to address the issue. Hence, in comparing MFSI with Calpine, it is noted that Calpine’s leadership is committed to act with integrity and transparency while MFSI’s CEO is behaving unethically by disregarding the board of directors’ and shareholders’ input. Chew and Gillan (2005) declare, â€Å"The performance of companies, good or bad, is often attributed—not only by the press, but by the directors and shareholders of the companies—to the CEO’s personal business savvy and leadership† (p. 2). Therefore, in providing MFSI with good corporate governance best practices, Tyson Foods is also considered. Tyson is a company from which MFSI can learn. MFSI’s CEO wants to control the board of directors. He tells them not to worry about doing any work or meeting more than a few times a year; â€Å"I will handle the real work,† exclaims the CEO (University of Phoenix, 2009). Tyson entered into a settlement agreement that not only cost them a considerable amount of money but also required them to practice proper corporate governance. By trying to control the board of directors, and by not offering incentive compensation and stock options, MFSI’s CEO may soon find that investors do not appreciate his self serving financial gain at the cost of their right to a good return n investment. MFSI’s CEO must take seriously, as Tyson now takes seriously, the need to allow the board of directors to be active in the business of the company and to carry out their duty to protect shareholders’ interests (Friedlander, 2008). Also, MFSI’s CEO must set up proper audit procedures, using an impartial outside aud itor while setting up internal controls. MFSI’s CEO needs to understand that corporate governance procedures are not only for his benefit but also for every investor’s welfare. The CEO needs to include others in the decision making, helping to enhance every stakeholder’s benefits. By creating transparency in their procedures and corporate governance, MFSI can help encourage the board of directors to work collaboratively to provide a good return to investors while creating long term gains that will keep the company running strong. If MFSI’s CEO continues to try to circumvent the company’s processes and make the board of directors a powerless figurehead, his investors might soon become disgruntled and take their investments elsewhere. Conclusion Maintaining state and federal guidelines and staying within the company’s code of conduct can be challenging. Thus, top leaders need to delineate the roles of each person in charge of decision making and correct any incompatible behaviors contrary to good corporate governance. In the case of McBride Financial Services, Inc. , for instance, corporate governance was identified as incongruent with the overall ethical code of conduct and responsibility of top leadership. While the best practices of the companies mentioned in this paper offer fundamental principles to executing decision making in managing the interests of stakeholders, it is also critical to adhere to all Federal ethical guidelines to help mitigate any potential undesired outcomes. Synopsis of Adelphia Communication by Michael Gillespie Issue in the Scenario that is facing the company Adelphia Communications was a publicly held company owned mostly by the founder John Rigas and his family. Adelphia had a board of directors the consisted of nine people, five of them appointed by the Rigas. Over a five year period of time the Rigas family â€Å"loaned† $3. 1 billion dollars from Adelphia. This was $800 million more than what was initially reported during an SEC investigation (Patsuris, 2002). These â€Å"loans† financed everything rom real estate ventures, airplanes, country club memberships, and operating the Buffalo Sabres hockey team. The Board of Directors fired the auditor of the company, Deloitte & Touche, when they began to question some inconsistencies found during an audit (Farrell, 2002). Ironically, Adelphia sued Deloitte & Touche for incompetence. If Adelphia’s board of directors had been independent, the board would have had to r ely on reports from management, external auditors and consultants, in order to determine the company’s status. Unfortunately, Adelphia’s board was so packed with insiders it was hardly in this position. Company response to the issue Soon after the termination of Deloitte, PriceWaterhouseCoopers was selected as the new auditor for Adelphia. The first step for PWC was to re-audit previous year’s financial statements. Two weeks after the hiring of PWC, Adelphia filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection and was able to secure $1. 5 billion in debt to continue operating. The company hired a new board of directors. To fill these positions the firm went outside the Adelphia umbrella and searched for ethical industry veterans to become board members. John Rigas was sentenced to 12 years in prison and his sons were sentenced to 17 years. Outcomes from the company’s response Adelphia Communications was never able to recover from the lack of corporate governance and the corrupt management of the company. In 2006, Time Warner Cable and Comcast Cable purchased Adelphia for $12. 7 billion in cash and stock options (Comcast, 2006). This deal took over 40 months to complete due to fraud and security investigations and the fact that Adelphia was operating under bankruptcy protection. Synopsis of Tyco by Colleen Holdahl Issue in the Scenario that is facing the company Tyco faced major legal issues in 2002 and was responsible to pay a â€Å"$50 million fine to settle claims that it inflated profits from 1996 through 2002† (Cummins, 2006, para. 3). Dennis Kozlowski, the company’s CEO, was found guilty of embezzling funds to such extravagance as reporting he purchased â€Å"a $6,000 shower curtain† (Cummins, 2006, para. 2) and hosting a â€Å"$2 million birthday party for his wife† (Cummins, 2006, para. 2). With all the turbulence Tyco has gone through, the present leadership is making progress to clean-up the company’s reputation. Eric Pillmore, the current senior vice president of corporate governance, has been the leader of the clean-up. Outcomes from the company’s response Pillmore started ‘cleaning-up’ Tyco by implementing a new corporate governance plan; starting with the replacement of the previous board of directors, developing, and forming a new ethics code. The newly implemented governance plan â€Å"first principle calls for strong leaders who see themselves as stewards of the company and mentors for its future leaders† (Cummins, 2006, para. 9). Pillmore is of the conclusion that some of the former leaders have more concern with their own self significance; seeing themselves as ‘wheeler dealers,’ instead of being responsible and looking out for the best interests of the company. Pillmore also believes one of the most critical functions of his job as chief financial officer is to monitor the finances and act as a mentor to everyone in the company (Cummins, 2006). Among Pillmore’s other philosophies is ‘a web of accountability’ and ‘a robust process to understand why people behave the way they do’. He believes every employee has something to contribute to maintain an ethical business environment and leaders should not be intimidating. Employees should be free to approach their company leaders on ethics and company values issues. Outcomes from the company’s response Eric Pillmore takes the time to meet each employee, supplying them with the company’s ethics statement, and to discuss concerns or issues they may encounter. Tyco â€Å"publishes a quarterly report on any problems employees brought to the company’s attention, then the company’s findings and any disciplinary action- leaving out all employees’ names† (Cummins, 2006, para. 3). After the turbulence and with the help of Pillmore, Tyco has turned around and once again has a positive company image and the stock has recovered most of its value. Tyco received a rating by the Governance Metrics International as â€Å"one of the most improved companies globally; on a scale of one to te n, Tyco rose from a 1. 5 at the end of 2002 to 8. 5† (Cummins, 2006, para. 13). Synopsis of Calpine Corporation by Marisela Jimenez Issue in the Scenario that is facing the company Calpine Corporation is a successful independent power company that has strived to improve its business operations to help it advance its mission, values, and vision. While Calpine has managed to sustain its record high profits, the company, nevertheless, has faced changes in the business environment, particularly in deregulation. In 1998, a national movement, led by state legislation across the country, passed a U. S. Congress bill to accelerate and spread nationwide electric deregulation (FindingUniverse, 2009). This issue affected Calpine’s overall business functioning. Company response to the issue However, Calpine responded to the issue by focusing on the opportunities presented by deregulation. In other words, â€Å"The company’s foundation as a service provider to power plant operators and its subsequent development into a power plant operator itself engendered a vertically integrated enterprise primed for the new competitive era† (FundingUniverse, 2009). Calpine synergized its operations and focused on developing systems to maximize resources by improving conceptual designs, financing, construction, operation, fuel management, and power marketing. Through the synergistic approach to the business of producing electricity, Calpine managed to remain competitive in the market by strategically preserving profits without cutting the highly aggressive rates. The changes in deregulation helped Calpine’s leadership take immediate action by addressing the uncontrollable forces affecting the company. Leadership realized the potential for deregulation and its implications in the company; therefore, when Congress passed the deregulation bill, Calpine’s leadership was competently prepared. Outcomes from the company’s response Calpine’s outcome of the company’s response to the issue helped expedite the acquisition of 46 gas-fired turbines produced by Siemens Westinghouse. This acquisition radically enhanced Calpine’s market presence; leadership identified the opportunity of expansion as a result of deregulation. Basically, â€Å"The combination of Calpine management’s intuitive powers in foreseeing a growing demand for capacity and its willingness to gamble heavily paid handsome dividends,† enabling Calpine to grow into a successful company (FundingUniverse, 2009). Calpine’s leadership, however, ensures that their commitment to good corporate governance adheres to the highest ethical standards; thus, leadership behaves with integrity and transparency while maintaining strong levels of communication with stakeholders, including the board of directors, employees, and the community. Calpine’s leadership decision making is guided by the company’s code of conduct, helping to discourage any illegal and unethical behavior (Calpine, 2009). Synopsis of Tyson Foods by Carole Kindt Issue in the Scenario that is facing the company Over the years Tyson Foods has handled controversial issues concerning their business practices. They have been questioned over their ties to former President Clinton, unsanitary and dangerous conditions in their plants, plants staffed by low-paid workers, and even questionable campaign contributions (Unknown 1, 2009). In 2008, Tyson entered into a settlement with its investors over questionable practices in a case that named Don Tyson, members of his family, and the Board of Directors. The case alleged misconduct in connection with related party transactions and granting stock options to officers and directors of Tyson (Chase, 2008). The settlement agreement approved by the judge in the case ordered Tyson to pay $4. 5 million to their largest shareholders and forced improvements to Tyson’s corporate governance policies (Chase, 2008). As part of the settlement agreement, Tyson agreed not to engage in any new related party transactions without the approval of the Board and also to hire a consultant to evaluate its internal audit and control processes (Chase, 2008). Company response to the issue Tyson’s Board of Directors immediately began fulfilling the terms of the settlement agreement and they have worked to create a strong corporate governance structure. In 2008, the Board appointed a lead independent director and a new chairman of its compensation committee as well as establishing a nominating committee (Unknown 2, 2008). By focusing on their internal controls and corporate governance, Tyson’s board of directors has returned to their fundamental task, to work in good faith to assure they are upholding their fiduciary duties to the stockholders. Outcomes from the company’s response Tyson’s board of directors received a wake-up call that shook them out of their lassitude and encouraged them to make changes that enhance the long term goals of Tyson Foods as well as the return for their investors (Friedlander, 2008). In this way, Tyson will rebuild its reputation and trust with investors as well as fulfill the company’s long-term goals. By creating committees made up of independent, non-biased members, Tyson will create the transparency necessary to rebuild investor trust and build their company for the future. Good choice of companies and relating some of the take-a-ways to McB. Paper easy to read and follow but you could have worked the lesson into McB in more detail. Grade 96 References Calpine. (2009). Corporate Governance. [Online]. Available: http://www. calpine. com/ About/oc_corpgov. asp (2009, November 25). (Chase R 2008 Judge Approves $4. 5M Settlement Against Tyson Foods Directors. )Chase, R. (2008). Judge Approves $4. 5M Settlement Against Tyson Foods Directors. CNA Insurance Journal. Retrieved from http://www. insurancejournal. com /news/national /2008. thm? print=1 database. Chew, D. H. , Gillan, S. L. (2005). Corporate Governance at the Crossroads: A book of readings. 1 ed. ). New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Comcast Press Release. (2006). Comcast and Time Warner Complete Adelphia Acquisitions. July 31, 2006. Retrieved on November 26, 2009 from http://www. comcast. com/About/PressRelease/PressReleaseDetail. ashx? PRID=55. ComcaCCummins, H. J. (2006). Tyco exec makes the rounds spreading the word on corporate ethics. Star Tribune, p. 1D . Retrieved November 23, 2009, from ProQuest database. Farrell, M. (2002). Deloitte Blasts Adelphia on Audit. Multi Channel News. July 8, 2002. Retrieved on November 25, 2009 from http://www. allbusiness. om/company-activities-management/company-structures-ownership/6355799-1. html. 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