Kingston Communications Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Kingston Communications - Assignment Example Using "Porter's Five Force Model" (http://www.12manage.com/methods_porter_five_forces.html), let us see where the issues may exist for Kingston Communications. Porter's model states that thefollowing forces can affect how business relates to the rest of the marketplace: The problem that Kingston had in converting from what was then a traditional telecoms industry using analogue technology to modern digital technology was that they did not readily have the expertise, technology or the agreements in place with providers such as British Telecom, in order to compete against established companies, such as Skype and recently, Vonage. Since then there have been a proliferation of VOIP providers. Various broadband providers have included VOIP as part of their services, when originally all they provided was a dial-up service to access the internet, and later broadband. There are now several companies on the market providing integrated services, including broadband as an 'add-on' as opposed to a primary service as was the case in the recent past. Examples are Sky Television, Orange mobiles, and even BT have got in on the act, by offering digital services alongside their communications offerings. Therefore, Kingston is not alone in feeling the heat of the com petition, as others strive to win market share. How this has changed from a few years ago, and especially for Kingston Communications who used to have a monopoly on these types of service. Kingston probably recognized this as they acquired companies and organizations that had the technology and the resources available. This would make the transition easier, but it came at a price. The acquisition of Affiniti, the business communications integrator,Information Services providing contact centre and directory services, plus the development of their own broadband services would allow Kingston to compete on a level playing field. 2. Threat of substitutes. With regard to VOIP, a substitute phone serviceis exactly what happened.Once the technology for Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) was developed, it became a real threat, not only to Kingston, but other large telecoms companies such asBritish Telecom (BT).The real threat was in the cost of the service. For example, Skype offer a free telephone service to other Skype users. This is now standard among most VOIP providers. It became obvious to Kingston and other telecom providers that drastic decisions had to be made with regard to their technology strategy. 3. Bargaining power of buyers. With the proliferation of VOIP and integrated providers, the relative bargaining power of buyers in this market is relatively strong, especially for the average consumer. They can now choose between integrated solutions, such as digital TV and VOIP services, or choose a relatively low-cost broadband only solution. The costs of these services continue to decline, as more and more suppliers compete for market share. 4. Bargaining power of suppliers.In the early days of VOIP, perhaps the

Internet and Books Essay Example for Free

Internet and Books Essay In today’s modern world, technology has a great influence on our life and time. Back in the early 19th century, when electronic devices had not been invented, the population could only use printed word such as books, posters, newspapers or magazines, to gather information. Later, in the mid 20th century, the use of computers, televisions and radios helped people to know about the incidents happening all around the world, more easily. Now, in the 21st century, the creation of internet and other devices to access it has helped us to attain gigabytes of information, just with the click of our mouse. The internet has made it possible for us to acquire answers for almost all of the questions that we ask, and has alleviated the access to information to almost every topic imaginable. Firstly, internet helps to save time and effort. All you need to do is type in your question and click SEARCH. It can give an answer to almost every question type in, and it is usually very quick, speedy and fast. On the other hand, using books or other printed texts can waste time, as you need to find the appropriate book and then search for the information you need from it. For example, while searching for a book in the library, you waste time trying to reach there, and even more time trying to find the book you need. Despite this, time is also lost when you try to find the information that is useful to you from the book. Whereas the internet acts as a filter that sieves out all the data you need, in a span of seconds. However it can be argued that using electronic devices can cause distractions and disturbances. Using the internet can divert your attention to some other unrelated site and will cause you to waste time. For instance, you may login to facebook or twitter, or check your mail instead of researching and using the time well. On the contrary, you cannot be easily distracted in a library where silence is preferred, and is filled with people who want to work. But if the internet is used properly, and if the person has a self control over himself the internet has more advantages comparing to printed texts. So in short internet can be a time-saver only if used wisely. Alternatively, the internet can sometimes provide us with unreliable information. It is like a blank page in which people are allowed to post whatever they want, and sometimes even the wrong information. As exemplified by blogs, in which anyone can post their opinions and views on a topic, the internet can be a source of unreliable and inaccurate information as it contains the judgement of different individuals and not the actual facts. On the contrary, printed texts can be a great source of reliable information. Books are written by experienced authors who have researched well about the topic themselves before publishing it. A library can assure you that the book in your hand is dependable and trustworthy. In spite of being unreliable, internet can provide us with up-to-date data. It offers information on the most recent discoveries and inventions, the latest cars or other products and about the contemporary incidents and happenings all around the world. However once a book is published, any recent findings cannot be added to it. There are always new developments in the field of health, science, technology and politics that the library simply cannot keep up with. Therefore, the internet can provide us with the latest news about our modern day developments and can be dependable only if used properly by checking the sources of a particular website. Thirdly, glaring at a screen for a long period of time can cause various eye and back problems. Computer vision syndromes like eye strain and cataracts are caused by glaring at the computer screen for prolonged periods. Millions develop a condition called ‘dry eye’, resulting in gritty, itchy, inflamed eyes, due to staring at the screen for hours. The light from computer screens can cause drastic problems to your eyes, and sometimes even partial blindness. Unlike computer screens, books can be very easy to read as they are just words printed on paper. However there are many solutions to prevent the damage caused to eyes by computer screens. Screen filters can be bought to reduce the amount of light radiation hitting our eyes. There are also many softwares that can transfer the information audibly or with the help of videos, and do not require data to be read. Regular breaks, and turning away from the screen constantly can also help in avoiding eye and back problems. Usually, there is an option to zoom in, which enables people to read easily. Unlike computers, books cannot be zoomed in, when the letters are too small to be visible, causing eye problems as well. So the problems caused by glaring at computer screens or reading the small printed texts in books, can be reduced by taking regular breaks and exercises, as anything in excess is not good for our health. Moreover, a lot of paper is wasted in the creation of books and magazines. Deforestation, being one of the greatest threats that humans are facing today, is increased by the production of paper in books. A few sheets of paper could be worth one tree. Hence the number of trees is reducing day by day. Obviously, trees are vital for our living as they are the natural producers of food. Deforestation not only causes scarcity of food and other resources, but also results in the rise of the earth’s temperature, causing global warming. In contrast to books, modern technology like mobile phones, computers or tablets does not harm the environment to a very great extent. In the case of computers the energy used is electricity, which is renewable and can be created again and again. The internet is a huge database, and more information can be adjoined into it, very easily. However books are created from sheets of paper, and if the number of books increase, then the level of deforestation can increase correspondingly. To reduce the destruction of the earth’s forests by deforestation, paper should be recycled and not wasted. Instead it is much easier to use the help of modern technology that functions with the help of renewable energy, which does not have a great impact on nature. Therefore modern electronics has made it possible to overcome a huge problem to the environment. In conclusion, modern technology has many positive uses; it has made the world a smaller place by allowing us to contact individuals all around the world, many electronic devices are very cheap making it affordable to all and has also allowed people to find out about the news and incidents happening all around the world. But every good has some bad, and the extensive use of technology can be harmful to our health. I strongly believe that modern technology has been very helpful and useful to the human population. It has eased our access to information in very sustainable manner, and has connected the world together.

Open Boat vs. Hurricane Hugo :: essays research papers fc

Humanity tends to see itself as being somewhat important in the grand scheme of the Universe. We speak of "fate" as if we were put here for some reason, or purpose. We have our religions, which often serve as an engine to drive our lives and as a means to give meaning to them. But why do we think of ourselves in such a superior fashion? Would the Universe stop if we were suddenly taken away? In his short story, "The Open Boat," Stephen Crane shows us a Universe totally unconcerned with the affairs of humankind; it is an indifferent Universe in which Man has to struggle to survive. The characters in the story come face to face with this indifference and are nearly overcome by Nature's lack of concern.1 In a similar account, my family was faced with the same Universe and the damage that can be done without compassion. We were faced with a fight for our lives, and the battle was a tough one. 2 My family, like the characters in the story only survived through persist ence and cooperation. Crane said it best when he wrote, in our constant struggle for survival, all we have is, â€Å"stubborn pride—and each other.† 1 Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat" gives us a dose of reality that at first seems bitter, but it gradually induces a catharsis and in the end stands as testament to the human spirit. His claim that the Universe will never bend to the will of man is outweighed by his reassurances that we will always have each other. And when we contemplate "a high cold star on a winter's night"1 we will not need to feel alone, because we can always turn to another person. I learned this through my own personal struggle, but I was not alone, my family went through the same storm, and we survived together. 2 My family was resting peacefully in their beds Thursday, September 21, 1989, the night that Hurricane Hugo struck the South Carolina coast. Earlier in the evening my father kissed us goodbye and went to work the night shift at his job. My grandparents had come to our house because they were staying at Myrtle Beach for vacation and the coast had been evacuated in preparation for the storm. We lived in Columbia, which was centrally located in the state, so we thought that we were out of harms way.

Macbeth Essay Essay

Shakespeare uses ghosts and witches into many of his plays and work. But in no other play did he make them so horrible and demon like as he did the witches in Macbeth. The way in which they were described, made Macbeth a popular play. Superstition is a very shrewd belief in the supernatural. Supernatural is an attribute to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature. When it is referred to as â€Å"the supernatural†, then it means supernatural appearances or events. Both of the two terms that I have just explained, superstition and supernatural, are present a lot of the time during the play Macbeth, and many of the supernatural events which occur during the play tend to lead into other happenings. The witches are actually an important part of the play and the supernatural, because they start the play along with the supernatural. At the beginning of the play, Shakespeare sets the scene for the witches by using thunder and lightening and naming location of the scene â€Å"A Desolate Place†. â€Å"Upon the heath† and â€Å"there to meet Macbeth† The witches announce that they will meet with Macbeth upon a heath. They then disappear into â€Å"filthy air† as mysteriously as they arrived. Later in the play, Banquo refers to the witches exit as â€Å"the earth hath bubbles, as the water has, and these are of them† what he means by this is that the witches can disappear in the same way as bubbles do. In the first scene the supernatural theme is present due to the witches being there. They speak of Macbeth and involve him in supernatural matters, and we can tell that they influence him, and this also blooms as the play develops. The words that the witches use are also of a supernatural nature. Some link together sometimes in a chant like way, such as ‘Fair is foul, and foul is fair’, and this sounds rather unpleasant and evil. We can also blame them for some of the things that happen later on in the play which are involved in the downfall of Macbeth. Later in the play Macbeth is found echoing some of the phrases that the witches have used. This occurs just before the witches give their predictions to Macbeth and Banquo. This could be coincidence, but could also be because they have influenced him. Therefore, they could have influenced him in what to do, and what he does is evil. This is a good example of how the supernatural leads to his downfall. The main turning point in the play is when Macbeth meets with the witches when he is with Banquo and when the predictions are made. Macbeth is told that he shall be the thane of Glamis, then the than of Cawdor and shall then go on to be King. We can tell that he is interested as the first thing that he says after these predictions have been made is ‘Stay, you imperfect speakers. Tell me more’, which is meant to make Banquo and the audience to think that he does not believe them, but tells the witches to carry on as he is curious as to what they have to say, but they vanish and we know that he has taken them seriously as he desperate for them to come back. Banquo has a different view and says ‘The instruments tell us truths; win us with honest trifles, to betray in deepest consequence’. What Banquo means by this is that the witches may have only told them their possible future so that they act on what they have been told. By saying this, Banquo is implying that the witches have evil intentions. Banquo advises Macbeth to steer clear o the witches and what they have said, but he ignores him as he is greedy and over ambitious. This is where we know that the supernatural has influenced Macbeth and has begun to change him. At the time of the predictions Macbeth was already Thane of Glamis, and was shortly made the Thane of cawdor. This made him believe that the predictions were true. Macbeth believed that if the first two predictions were correct, the third prediction would also be correct. Lady Macbeth also helped Macbeth become a victim of his own destiny. She was behind him during the murder of King Duncan and was the reason for Macbeth doing it because she continued to assure that all would turn out in their favour. She also made him feel guilty and like a wimp by saying ‘Art thou afeard’ and ‘live a coward in thane own esteem’. This is quite an important thing as she is questioning his masculinity. Macbeth is at this time known as a warrior, and when he is faced with this comment he is going to try and prove it wrong. She can also be found using witchcraft when she asks the spirits to change her into a fearless, ruthless human being making her able to help Macbeth in killing Duncan. She says ‘Unsex me here’ and ‘Come you spirits’ which shows that she would be able to influence what Macbeth does, like the witches can. As the play continues we can see that they grow apart and Macbeth decides to make more important decisions on his own and does not include her. As I have already said, the witches build up a large part of the supernatural in the play, but other elements add to this, so we can not put it all down to the witches. Although they were responsible for directing Macbeth in the killing, and the hallucinations may have encouraged him, a character who was close to him was also involved, Lady Macbeth. However, when Macbeth murdered Banquo, and Macduff’s family, they were his own decisions. I think that he went solo because all of the predictions had been achieved, and now the supernatural has abandoned him. Before he could have blamed it on the supernatural but when he took matters into his own hands he was to blame. Macbeth starts to arouse suspicion as soon as he starts making decisions for himself and so, this is why he ends up dead because Banquo suspects him. You could say that all of the deaths in Macbeth were caused by the supernatural, because the witches had quite a lot to do with Macbeth, and the Murder of Duncan was directed by witchcraft. Macbeth was provoked by the witches and pressurised by his wife, who we know used witchcraft at some time during the play, and did carry out the actions herself, but we could say that it is not his fault. However, the witches may have just been making suggestions and so; Macbeth never had to follow them. After this of course, the murders are down to one man, Macbeth. I think that the supernatural does indeed lead to Macbeth’s downfall, but really, he is to blame, and becomes a monster. I think that the main reason is his own ambition.

Early Childhood Educational Philosophy

â€Å"It must be remembered that the purpose of education is not to fill the minds of students with facts †¦ it is to teach them to think, if that is possible, and always to think for themselves. † Robert Hutchins. It is very clear to me that a successful early childhood program must provide a safe and nurturing environment that promotes social, emotional, physical and cognitive development. Young children need a warm and inviting atmosphere to learn. Children must have their basic needs met before any learning can take place. Safety, nutrition, and shelter are a few needs which must be provided. Although early childhood centers may not directly provide these services outside the regular school day, administrators must connect with outside agencies in order to recommend and provide families with necessary services. Children need to be encouraged to express themselves though verbal communication, text/pictures, play, and through art. Children learn through manipulation of objects in their environment, creative play, and discovery of the world around them. It is through group play, role modeling, and through supportive teaching that children grow socially and emotionally. These group activities teach young children how to live, work and play together. Independent and guided problem solving and independent exploration help children gain greater independence. Children need both independent and teamwork skills to become a well rounded person Early childhood teachers need to understand that often they are the one person spending the majority of the time with the children they are teaching. Parents today are busy with work and trying to keep the household together. Released by the U. S. Census Bureau in November, 2009 there are approximately 13. 7 million single parent s in the United States today. These single parents are responsible for raising 21. 8 million children which is roughly 26% of children under 21 in the U. S. today. I strongly believe that early childhood teachers are responsible for forming a superior bond with each parent so they can work together to help each child grow as an individual, based on the child’s needs. A classroom is places where differences should be valued and children and their families are appreciated and respected. Each Classroom is diverse in many ways, including economically, and culturally. I believe each teacher, parent and administrator should be committed to promoting diversity in all its forms, including those related to racial and ethnic identity, gender, socioeconomic status, sexuality, age, family structure, religion, national origin and ability. I believe as educators we should actively seek to teach children tolerance of all forms of difference, and just as actively seek to dissuade children from bias about norms and stereotypes. Throughout the classroom as well as the center there should be displays that show diversity as a celebration of people, of differences and of ways of living. I believe in early childhood education the best form of assessment is performance records. Performance records are any documentation regarding the child’s development and learning. These records help the child care provider to notice patterns in a child’s behavior as well as learning patterns. It is important to document at various times of the day as well as with a variety of teacher directed and child directed activities. I feel in early childhood children develop at differently, some children develop faster than others and therefore standardize testing is not an accurate account of the children’s abilities. At this age in a child’s life children should not be measured against their peers. I believe that each child should be measured on an individual basis. I feel that the best approach to curriculum is the integrated curriculum approach which involves picking one topic that can be explored across more than one academic discipline. I do feel that children are going to be more interested if they have some choice in the topics. With preschool children they are at an age where they can express what they want. I feel that a teacher should include them in some of the topics they explore. Children should participate independently, with the entire group and cooperatively in small groups. Each day should be a balance of free-choice time and planned structured activities in specific time blocks. Activities throughout the day are either child-initiated or teacher-directed. This variety promotes independence, provides opportunities for children to practice and acquire social skills and fosters the development of a positive self-image. It is important for every teacher and administrator to remember that â€Å"In early childhood you may lay the foundation of poverty or riches, industry of idleness, good or evil, by the habits to which you train your children. Teach them right habits then and their future life is safe. † Lydia Sigourney. I truly believe that each child that walks into our lives is there for us to nurture and help grow and we may be the only one that is laying the foundations. We have a chance to change the life of every child that walks in our center.

Liberalism vs Conservatism essays

Liberalism vs Conservatism essays In the world of politics there are two very essential concepts that govern political thought and create policies and laws. These two concepts are conservatism and liberalism. Liberalism supports a more active role of government, policies to help minorities and the disadvantaged, higher spending and more regulation and policies to redistribute wealth through taxation. Conservatism supports a greater reliance on the free market, a market in which the disadvantaged and minorities can support themselves, fewer government regulations, and lower taxes. Liberalism and conservatism have been political ideas and thoughts from the very birth of our democracy. Their views and points of the governments role in a democratic society have changed over the years, but the basic ideas and principles have remained the same. There are many different degrees of liberalism and conservatism as almost anyone can be labeled. Some individuals are radical and extreme while others stand on more of a neutral te rritory, but the debates between the understood ideas of each group have continued throughout the history of the United States. Liberty, rights, justice and equality are ideals liberalists view as the most important aspects in the democracy of America. One cause for the break down of democracy in America stems from the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George Bush. Because of the Cold War era and the insecurities it brought to the American people, the administrations thought it was necessary to tighten down and take control. To do this they called for more powers to the executive branch. As a result, liberals began to see more of an authoritarian government take shape, and the term imperial presidency was created. . They also feel America has recently drawn away from these ideals and is therefore not as democratic as it once was or can be in the future. There are many issues, in wich liberals have their views to. Liberals are pro-...

Free Essays on Adoption

Adoption When a person decides to adopt, he takes the responsibility of raising a child who is not biologically his own. There are various reasons why people decide to adopt. Some say adoption is the best thing for certain children and many successful stories prove it to be true. However, there are also numerous tragic reports of adopted children being abused. â€Å"Basically, what adoption meant, and still means, is that someone (the adoptive couple) is promising to assume all responsibilities for taking care of someone else† (Powledge 4). How the adoptive parents go about raising the child is completely up to them. Although there are many different types of families in today’s society, one special kind of family that has become more and more common are the families created through adoption. There are various and somewhat difficult processes and laws concerning adoption. New laws are being created year after year to make this process easier and the outcome positive. Adoption is not exactly new; the idea of adopting has been around for a long time. â€Å"The oldest written set of laws is the Babylonian Code of Hammarabi, which contains a long, sophisticated section on adoption† (Benet 23). It is hard to pin point when and how adoption first originated but Governor Sir William Philips of Massachusetts was considered the first adoptive father in the original thirteen colonies, he adopted in 1693 (Academic XXI). Americans adopt more than 100,000 kids a year (Harnack 13). This may seem like a large number of adoptive families but there are still over 400,000 kids left in foster care or in shelters. With this in mind it seems like Americans should be desperate to place the homeless kids in a family. But through trial and error it has become known that only certain famil ies should be allowed to adopt and in some cases kids are better off left in foster care. â€Å"In 1917 Minnesota was the first state to require an agency or state welfare ... Free Essays on Adoption Free Essays on Adoption Adopting a child is an experience that promises to bring great joy as it changes a couple or individual’s life forever. But what happens if the mother of that child wants to endorse their child? Those are the issues that many adopting parents and birth-right mothers are facing today. Many biological mothers want their child back. There are many concerns for adopting parents to know- that there is the possibly that the birth mother may file for the child. As a birth mother or the adopting parent one must realize consequences that could lay ahead. The legal and social transfer of all parental right, responsibilities, and roles from one parent or parents, usually biological, to a nonbiological parent or parents is the definition of adoption. In such a transfer, adoptive parents accept the same rights and responsibilities as the child’s birth parents would have had, while the child becomes a member of a family that provides the social, emotional, and physical nurturing that children needs to grow up to be healthy, functioning adults. But there are some legal issues or opinions that can lead to a halting backfire in the adoption process. But, as the biological parent(s) and adopting parent(s), they must be ready for the quickly, approaching pros and cons. Throughout the adoption journey, the gardein must be prepared and know what is best for them and their child. There are many positive feedbacks to adoption. Children are in need of adoption because some birth parents are unable or unavailable to provide adequately for the needs of their child. Birth parents may feel they cannot take on the responsibility of an unplanned child because they are too young or because they are financially or emotionally unable to provide proper care. They do not feel ready or able to be good parents. Most adopting parents, although, feel confident that most birth-right mothers will not seize their child back. Chris Intagliata, a mother of two adopted... Free Essays on Adoption Adoption Ever since the Pharaoh’s daughter plucked the baby Moses from the bulrushes of the Nile and raised him as her son, adoption has been a part of our civilization (Lasnik 5). Every parent possesses certain rights and responsibilities to his or her child. The law grants these rights and imposes these responsibilities from the moment the child is born. If a parent does not wish to fulfill these obligations, they may opt to place their child up for adoption. Adoption is the legal process by which these rights and responsibilities are given to a person to whom is willing to take that child as their own, and love and care for that child that was not born unto them (Sifferman 1). Adoption is a topic that many are uniformed on. To truly understand adoption, one must understand topics such as, why people adopt, who can adopt, special adoptions, the overall adoption process, and post-adoption adjustments. One specialist talked about why someone would choose to adopt by saying â€Å"often times couples choose to look into adoption for a variety of reasons.† One reason may or may not be because a couple are not able to have a baby together and want to love and care for a child. Sometimes couples already have children of their own, but still want to adopt another child because they love children so much (Luther Online). Another specialist once emphasized that most adoptions are made because couples want to either start a family or expand a family. Although some adoptions take place because a couple may want to get a child out of a particular lifestyle and give him or her better opportunities in life (Goldstein 36). Sifferman has often commented on why a parent might choose to place their child up for adoption. There are many reasons why birthparents choose adoption. Many singles mothers feel their child could benefit from having two stable parents, so they choose to put their child up for adoption. Some couples choose to pu... Free Essays on Adoption Adoption When a person decides to adopt, he takes the responsibility of raising a child who is not biologically his own. There are various reasons why people decide to adopt. Some say adoption is the best thing for certain children and many successful stories prove it to be true. However, there are also numerous tragic reports of adopted children being abused. â€Å"Basically, what adoption meant, and still means, is that someone (the adoptive couple) is promising to assume all responsibilities for taking care of someone else† (Powledge 4). How the adoptive parents go about raising the child is completely up to them. Although there are many different types of families in today’s society, one special kind of family that has become more and more common are the families created through adoption. There are various and somewhat difficult processes and laws concerning adoption. New laws are being created year after year to make this process easier and the outcome positive. Adoption is not exactly new; the idea of adopting has been around for a long time. â€Å"The oldest written set of laws is the Babylonian Code of Hammarabi, which contains a long, sophisticated section on adoption† (Benet 23). It is hard to pin point when and how adoption first originated but Governor Sir William Philips of Massachusetts was considered the first adoptive father in the original thirteen colonies, he adopted in 1693 (Academic XXI). Americans adopt more than 100,000 kids a year (Harnack 13). This may seem like a large number of adoptive families but there are still over 400,000 kids left in foster care or in shelters. With this in mind it seems like Americans should be desperate to place the homeless kids in a family. But through trial and error it has become known that only certain famil ies should be allowed to adopt and in some cases kids are better off left in foster care. â€Å"In 1917 Minnesota was the first state to require an agency or state welfare ... Free Essays on Adoption At the present time, facing the issue of adoption ethics forces us to confront a highly uncomfortable situation. This case is especially true of international adoptions. A critical analysis of adoption practices as they relate to adoption within Canada as well as between Canada and Romania will follow. Encompassed within this will be the changing trends that have occurred with regards to the rights of the child and privacy of information exchanged between the adopting parties. In this field the rights of the child are not always clear cut and obvious. In recent years, the issue of opening sealed adoption records has presented a challenge to secrecy and anonymity. The implications for community rehabilitation practitioners are numerous. Nowhere has a shift of values and powers been more apparent than in the practice of adoption. Intercountry Adoption Intercountry adoption has become an important social policy issue in Canada. Almost unheard of until post World War II period, the numbers have grown from less than 10 a year when records were first kept in 1970 (Altstein, 1991) to an estimate of more than 2400 a year in 2001 (Tepper, T. et al. 2002). This means that nonrelative adoptions in Canada are now as likely to involve children who were born outside of Canada as those born within Canada. Most of the children from out-of-country have a different racial background. The question for policymakers, service deliverers, prospective adoptive parents, and biological parents deciding whether to relinquish their child, is whether there is enough information exchanged or not in the best interests of the child. With the increase in the number of children being adopted internationally, and the shift in the primary motivation for adoption, discussion has surfaced with respect to what Tizard (1991) has called the â€Å"morality† of intercountry adoption. Three major positions have emerged in the debate; one which opposes intercountry adoption,...

Tips for Building Better Work Relationships

Tips for Building Better Work Relationships Better work relations can make going to work a pleasurable experience no matter where you are in your current career path. Even if you already love the job that you do, improving the relationships with others around you will increase both your personal and professional level of fulfillment. These six tips will help you in building better work relationships. 1. Positive Body LanguageSmile, stand up straight, and look people in the eye. Show interest and be engaged when you are communicating with others instead of simultaneously checking your email when they are talking to you. According to psychologist Albert Mehrabian, 93% of our communication is non-verbal, so make sure that you display a friendly demeanor and have approachable body language.2. SocializeSocializing doesn’t have to mean going to happy hour every Friday with your coworkers, but you do need to participate in company events. Take your boss up on that lunch invitation, even if it means you will be working a little bit later that day. Being an active participant shows interest and investment in your company.3. Be Helpful to EveryonePleasing your boss and clients are important, but extending yourself beyond your department is also an important part of building work relationships outside your current network. If you have a slow day, reach out to someone in another department that you don’t come in day to day contact with to see if they could use your help.4. Avoid GossipAvoiding bad habits is just as important as having good ones. Do not partake in activities that revolve around negative comments and behaviors towards others. Spreading rumors is unkind and will also give you a reputation as untrustworthy, making it difficult to build relationships.5. Be HonestHonesty is the foundation of any good relationship including ones with your coworkers, supervisors, and clients. Inevitably you will be asked to perform a task you don’t know how to do. Just make sure you tell your client or supervisor that you will research it and get back to them, but don’t give them information that is not correct. If you cannot make a deadline, then always be upfront instead of making promises you know will be almost impossible for you to follow through on. You will gain a lot of respect from others if you are an honest person they can depend on.6. Be GraciousCarry out all of your tasks graciously. Asking someone for help on something can be a difficult thing for many people. When someone reaches out to you, and you agree to assist them, do so graciously. If you have a negative attitude towards helping someone, they will pick up on it. It will not only make them sorry that they reached out to you, but it will also steer others away from you.Final ThoughtsBuilding better work relationships is a balance between verbal and non-verbal communication that requires you to invest your time in yourself and others. According to Anthony Robbins, â€Å"The way we communicate with others and with ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our lives.† The investment you make will give you and others around you tons of personal fulfillment, besides creating a reputation for yourself that makes your coworkers, clients, and supervisors come to you for anything they need.

Analysis of online community Thesis Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Analysis of online community - Thesis Proposal Example But it is vital that all of us ask this from ourselves. Is this all really for the ‘good’? Should we keep allowing eradication of family and moral values in the name of technology? It is time we start considering the real issues that we face from technology. In this paper we will discuss Facebook and why how much popular it is among the young generation of today. We will also discuss the problems social networking in general and Facebook in particular is causing to the society. Facebook is posing great danger to human society and is destroying the youth by engaging them in futile activities and hindering intellectual development of younger generation. The internet age has provided the world with newer activities. It has contributed to a change in daily life. People prefer to use internet technology to communicate with each other instead of meeting people in person. Now the generation that has been born in the age of technology generally prefers to communicate through internet. This generation is also technology oriented therefore they want to make their lives easier. Companies have made use of this technology to cater to this market. Many online games and social networking sites have come up in order to provide entertainment to the people that are technology oriented. In this wave of internet activities many social networking sites have also come up and the most famous social networking site of today is Facebook. The social networking site has 700 million users worldwide (Paul para 1). This number shows how popular the networking site is throughout the world. It has attracted people through its unique feature. People can upload and share pictures, and the status sharing feature is particularly famous among the young people. It has actually given the young generation everything they wanted. They can talk to their friends share pictures and upload videos. It has actually catered to the demands of the younger generation and

Review questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Review questions - Assignment Example The sole reason of the state has the support of the assumption that no central authority reigns above the state. Only powerful and satisfied states can run their affairs in such assumptions, which prove realism as a reserve for the satisfied and powerful states. The realist worldview has such basic principles as that world politics is a struggle among self-interested states with each pursuing its self-interests (Kegley and Blanton 32). In addition, international relations involve nations’ pursuit of power to secure their interests. Thus, international relations rest on the competitive pursuit for power by states to secure their interests. The realist worldview has the advantage of enhancing state sovereignty as each state controls its power and control. On the contrary, it makes the world more susceptible to warfare and violence as each state works towards securing its interests. Additionally, it leads to unfair competition between states, which culminate into rivalry, struggle for power, and poor international relations (Kegley and Blanton 33). As each Middle East state struggles to achieve power and control of the region, conflicts erupt, leading to poor international relations, for instance, the strained relations between Iran and Iraq. The liberal worldview focuses on the use of ethics and reason, especially through the empowerment of international laws and institutions, as a means of achieving a cooperative and orderly world, with working international relations (Brink 98). As a result, states will only have good relations with other states whose characters are in line. For instance, peaceful states will gain the support and thus, form relationships with other peaceful states. As a result, if a state has peace, it will be able to attract peace, and thus, better foreign affairs with others. The liberal worldview’s basic principles include the assumption that cooperation and peace between states would achieve

Moral Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Moral Philosophy - Essay Example Brock sees no difference between theses two, and I would say I have to agree. Does it really matter who is doing the killing if in fact there is killing taking place Either way the outcome is the same, I don't think it really matters who is holding the needle or who is administering the dosage. There is plenty of relevance in this debate as well to the other debate over the distinction between killing and letting die. Is there really a difference between killing somebody or simply standing by and watching or letting them die I like to think it depend on the scenario, for if you try to help them out then you are really not letting them die so to speak. But people will often try to use their belief that there is a distinction between them to try to work against the legislation of these types of programs. People will use the argument that there is a huge difference between them and that killing somebody is ethically wrong compared to letting their natural time come and letting them die. They will try to use this to block any measures to give people the choice of these types of death methods, and there may be some merit in their ideas. On t

The Moral and Economic Implications of the Occupy Wall Street Movement Research Paper

The Moral and Economic Implications of the Occupy Wall Street Movement - Research Paper Example It raised questions about the humanity of the people at the helm of affairs and also questioned the political will of the nation’s system of governance whereby the sincerity of the nation’s political establishment in creating a certain amount of parity within the population is rendered suspect. There are other aspects of this movement and the government’s response that need to be looked into. Apart from not offering any tax sops to the common man and talks of doing away with tax-cuts that were offered during the Bush-era, the government had fuelled the anger of the common man. The brutalities that were carried out upon the protestors by the police came out in the open only due to the work of independent cameramen who were not associated with any news agency. The incidents that occurred during the movement thus bring to light the role of the media as well in the success or failure of such movements. The movement is described by itself as being the result of a seri es of movements that supports democracy. These, the movement claims, includes the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt where the common man protested against the marginalization of a majority of the population for the purpose of the welfare of the minority that constituted the ruling elite (Occupy Wall Street: The Revolution Continues Worldwide, n.d.). Having this as a moral backing definitely provides a cushion for the movement in terms of the support that it would be able to gather at an international level. There is thus an element of diplomatic support that the supporters of the movement expected to get through their efforts for an equitable society in which everybody would be provided with equal opportunities. In the absence of this, people would live lives whereby their work would be used for the benefit of others and not themselves. Apart from the moral degeneracy of this position, there is also the fact of its unsustainability from an economic point of view that needs to be looked into. The creativity that is necessary for a happy nation and society and a robust economy would be lacking in case the demands that were raised by the movement are ignored. The brutalities that were practiced for the quelling of the revolution also point to the development of a state which brooks no dissent, thus stunting the intellectual growth of the nation and also constructive thought that may lead to a better way of managing the economy. If one looks at these problems from a utilitarian perspective, one would feel that the movement and the rationale behind it need to be lauded. The principle that the movement fought for, a good life for the majority of the citizens of the country, is similar to what the Utilitarian philosophers of the Victorian age proposed. They sought a political system that would make the majority of the people within a society happy. This would be possible in an equitable society where people receive equal opportunities to make their lives better. The mov ement thus almost seems to be driven by a utilitarian philosophy which would lead to the happiness of the masses and not just the ruling elite. This points to a sad situation where there is a great disjunction between the two.  Ã‚  

HumanDocuments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

HumanDocuments - Essay Example The introduction of cotton produced a positive effect which completely changed the highly agricultural population towards becoming a manufacturing community. Significant transformations within the society became notable and the social setting was transformed through the way individuals behave within the society (Guest, 28). Traditionally majority of the population within this region relied on arable farming to produce food for their households and any surplus would be sold. The modern day township of Manchester has become inhabited by highly industrious individuals (Kay, 44) The society within the region was comprised of individuals who upheld and believed in the high moral standards as a way of life (Guest, 26). The settlement of disputes, which rarely occurred was undertaken by clergymen, whose authority was unquestionable (Guest, 26). The harmony which existed within the community surrounding the region had since been lost and the society had become highly permissive (Guest, 27). Social norms were observed by all the members of the society, an aspect which enhanced the peace and tranquillity of the region (Kay, 45). The society could be described as having been highly religious as the observation of religious virtues was considered a mandatory aspect of human livelihood. The dress code of the people could testify to the religious beliefs upheld by the people (Tignor et al., 583). Events occurring in relation to the introduction of cotton resulted in an overall transformation of the society and this caused the people to move away for their beloved s ocial norms to other secular behaviours (Kay, 45; Guest, 27). According to Guest, farmers within the regions were content with their traditional and cultural responsibilities and showed little support for transformations occurring within the society (Guest, 27). Men worked and provided for their families and were heavily dependent on their families for social and

How does the Two Treatises of Government affect the concept of human Essay

How does the Two Treatises of Government affect the concept of human right in modern society - Essay Example Secondly, I will state the philosophy that is most convincing and lastly, I will make a conclusion. Thomas Hobbes one of the seventeenth-century English philosopher believed that absolutism is the most logical and desirable structure of government (Perry, Chase, Jacob, J., Jacob, M., & Von Laue 2012:250). This kind of thinking was motivated by the experience of the pains of the English Civil war and witnessed the execution of Charles I in 1649. He accentuated that the unlimited power of the sovereign is the only way to suppress the human passions that damage the social order and terrorise civilized life. He suggests that for people to pursue their personal interests there is need for a secure environment that is provided by an absolute rule (Perry, Chase, Jacob, J., Jacob, M., & Von Laue 2012:250). Hobbes dismissed the authority of religion and tradition and viewed them as not compatible with the political science hence build his political philosophy on a scientific base. In his quest for absolutism he never considered God as the giver of monarch’s power nor was the state under the command of a higher spiritual dominion and its proposition that when a state disobeys God’s law its commands should not be implemented. Hobbes viewed human as grasping and selfish and proposed that human relations are preserved through rivalry and dispute and not through collaboration. Hobbes describes human behaviour as one that is dominated by passion instead of reason. He recommended governance that limits power as the only method of securing human from each other and preserve the life of the civilised (Perry, Chase, Jacob, J., Jacob, M., & Von Laue 2012:251). On the other hand, John Locke viewed human beings as rational in nature and controlled by a feeling of moral responsibility. He believes that people are in a position to respect the deep-rooted nobility of other people and limit their selfishness. He

HumanDocuments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

HumanDocuments - Essay Example The introduction of cotton produced a positive effect which completely changed the highly agricultural population towards becoming a manufacturing community. Significant transformations within the society became notable and the social setting was transformed through the way individuals behave within the society (Guest, 28). Traditionally majority of the population within this region relied on arable farming to produce food for their households and any surplus would be sold. The modern day township of Manchester has become inhabited by highly industrious individuals (Kay, 44) The society within the region was comprised of individuals who upheld and believed in the high moral standards as a way of life (Guest, 26). The settlement of disputes, which rarely occurred was undertaken by clergymen, whose authority was unquestionable (Guest, 26). The harmony which existed within the community surrounding the region had since been lost and the society had become highly permissive (Guest, 27). Social norms were observed by all the members of the society, an aspect which enhanced the peace and tranquillity of the region (Kay, 45). The society could be described as having been highly religious as the observation of religious virtues was considered a mandatory aspect of human livelihood. The dress code of the people could testify to the religious beliefs upheld by the people (Tignor et al., 583). Events occurring in relation to the introduction of cotton resulted in an overall transformation of the society and this caused the people to move away for their beloved s ocial norms to other secular behaviours (Kay, 45; Guest, 27). According to Guest, farmers within the regions were content with their traditional and cultural responsibilities and showed little support for transformations occurring within the society (Guest, 27). Men worked and provided for their families and were heavily dependent on their families for social and

Enhanced Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Enhanced Learning - Essay Example that is required from the students, the mentors motivates students to practice the enhanced learning activities likely to obtain those understandings, also the examination tasks express students what actions are needed of them. It also tells the teachers how well the goals are being met (Carneiro). Additionally, the use of strategies throughout daily routine to remember numerous facts and concepts needed is important for all. Strategy builds an important area of enhanced learning experience. They help in organizing information into designs and motivate objective based learning. The intellect of a human brain is selective. It tends to recall information that creates an unforgettable design. The development of enhanced learning requires some critical aspects like: The application of enhanced learning can be widely used in various fields, especially subjects which require substantial amount of research work and understanding of facts. For instance, the field of geology. Field trips are an important part in the study of geology as it helps the students to gain a complete understanding of the complexities involved in the study. For example, they offer the student with a practical perceptive of spatial geometrics of structural and sedimentary features. Some findings may require additional research work and may require visiting different areas as well. The structure of the earth, its origin and different types of buried fossils are found with research and exploration. Through enhanced learning practices which have been described above, field trips can be made more useful and supportive in the learning outcomes of the participants. Such as enhanced learning by the utilization of field simulators and documenting learning in the field trip. As we all know geology is a field of exploration and experimentation. The more one investigates on the findings, the more interesting and adventurous the study becomes. Hence, enhanced learning procedures allow the students and all

1984 First Five Chapters Summary Essay Example for Free

1984 First Five Chapters Summary Essay Readers are introduced to Winston Smith, his living situation which although called Victory Mansion is not lavish; it is a run-down apartment complex. Readers are also introduced to Big Brother, the government’s authority figure and figurehead for the Party. The telescreen always watches its Party Members, looking for traitors among them. Winston brings out a journal, out of view of the telescreen, because it is considered an act of rebellion against the Party. He writes about the films the Party makes, the dark-haired girl from work and O’Brien, someone he believes is against the Party. Winston believes the Thought Police will knock at his door, but it turns out to be Mrs. Parsons, his neighbor. Winston helps her with the Parsons’ plumbing and her children accuse him of thoughtcrime. Her children are upset that they couldn’t go see the public hanging. He goes back to his apartment and hides the journal. Winston then dreams of his mother and a sinking ship that he feels responsible for. He then dreams of a Utopia free from the Party where he is with the dark-haired girl from work. He wakes up to a whistle for the â€Å"Physical Jerks†, the Party’s regulated physical exercise. Winston is yelled at from the telescreen by the exercise manager. After the â€Å"Physical Jerks† Winston goes to work at the Ministry of Truth where he updates Big Brother’s orders and Party Records so what Big Brother says is always true. He makes up a story about a fictional person, Comrade Ogilvy, as a ideal Party Man who died. Winston then meets up with Syme, another Party member who revises the Newspeak dictionary. Syme talks about the aime of Newspeak is to erase words. Winston knows the Syme will be vaporized because he is too intelligent. Parsons, Winston’s neighbor, visits Winston to get their apartment’s dues. Parsons laughs about how his children treated Winston the previous day. The Ministry of Plenty announces an increase in production but Winston knows the increase is actually a lie. Winston believes he is being watched by the dark-haired girl, who he thinks is a Party agent. Chapter 1-5 Responses 1. I like Winston so far even though he seems very weak, which is just a result of the Party’s oppression. The Party seems to be everywhere, impacting everyone. 3. The movie, The Truman Show, is based off of the movie 1984 in the way that someone is controlling and watching over the protagonists lives. They have no privacy or choices. 6. I was very surprised that the exercise manager called out to Winston. Up until that point I believed the Party always watching was a scam to making people follow the Party. 7. I would like the next chapter to develop into Winston investigating the Party and trying to rebel more against them.

If you can not decieve, you can not lead :: essays research papers

"The morals of the prince", written by Machiavelli in 1513 has unique and informative points of view. In order to uphold, and / or maintain power, deception is required, regardless of whether it is deemed right or wrong. All political parties, enter into office with the belief that they will do whatever is in the best interest of the people. They intend on being fair, honest, and well liked by those they reign above. However, once elected, they discover that compromise is necessary to achieve anything worth while. For example, naturalists, want land and animals to be protected by those who set out to abuse or disrupt the natural flow. But, on the other hand, hunting and fishing industries bring about a vast amount of revenue, into areas where it is permitted. Therefore, those in power, must compromise the needs and / or wants of their people to keep all parties involved happy, or at least content. Both groups must feel their desires have been accommadated. Hence, state parks, state recreational land, and wildlife refuges are established. Both groups have what they value, the naturalists have the wildlife refuges that are untouched, as close as possible to earth in the beginning of time., and some sta te parks and recreational areas have regulated statutes that permit hunting and / or fishing. Compromise, may be looked upon as deceit to many. Really, they do have similar meanings, but, compromise is a much friendlier word. Would you rather think, your boss, compromised with you or deceived you? When dealing with power, love is also a deception. As long as people love you, they will follow you. As long as you tell the people what they long to hear, they will love you. You can not love what you do not know, nor can you love what you can not trust.

Seven, The movie Essay -- Film Review Moie Essays

Seven, The movie â€Å"Ernest Hemmingway once wrote, ‘the world is a fine place and worth fighting for,’ I agree with the second part.† The movie Seven ends with that quote stated by Somerset, attempting to justify the many moral dilemmas touched upon by the movie but mainly to bring the character of Somerset and the audience back to the beginning. The symmetry of the characters that the quote creates between the beginning of the movie and the end would have been lost if the director David Fincher would have gone with the original storyboard ending.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The beginning sequence does a great deal in showing the audience the personality of the two main characters. It fades in to Somerset’s apartment where we see a medium-long shot of Somerset over the sink. He is not yet ready for work. It cuts to a medium shot of him looking in a mirror, adjusting his tie and collar very meticulously and yet as if he has done this many a time before. The camera shoots the dresser top where Somerset’s personal items (keys, badge, pen, eyeglass case) are set, side-by-side, in order of their importance, in which he picks them up one by one. The camera cuts to the bed, neatly made, where his suit coat lies, precisely placed. He picks a piece of lint we cannot really see off of the coat before putting it on. Somerset has said nothing in this scene and yet we have already deciphered the type of person he is: a very neat, well-organized, meticulous person whose life seems to evolve around routine.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With Somerset turning off his lamp, it fades into the darkness of the next scene, focusing on the large man lying face down on the floor dead. It cuts to a long shot of Somerset slowly walking away from the light, looking around the room and stopping to notice what was on the refrigerator. When Somerset asks the other cop if the child saw the crime, the cop rudely replies, What kind of fucking question is that? You know, we’re all gonna be real glad when we get rid of you, Somerset. You know that? It’s always these questions with you. ‘Did the kid see it?’ Who gives a fuck? He’s dead. His wife killed him. Anything else has nothing to do with us. This quote does two important things for the character of Somerset. First, it verifies our ideals of Somerset from the previous scene. His eye for detail entails us to conclude that he is a very skilled detective. It also shows t... ...t coincide with the final ending, creating symmetry that the audience can readily grasp, unlike the storyboard ending. The idea of original sin lies within the characters themselves, forming a bond with the audience that it depicts. Works Consulted: Brown, Royal S. â€Å"Seven.† Cineaste. 22.3 (1996): 44-47. King, Neal. Heroes in Hard Times: Cop Action Movies in the U.S. Philadelphia:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Temple University Press, 1999. Macek, Steve. â€Å"Places of Horror: Fincher’s Seven and Fear of the City in Recent   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hollywood Film.† College Literature. 26.1 (1999): 80-97. Natoli, Joseph. Speeding to the Millennium: Film and Culture 1993-1995.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Albany: State University of New York Press, 1998. Rubin, Martin. Thrillers: Genres in American Cinema. New York: Cambridge   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  University Press, 1999. Se7en. By Andrew Kevin Walker. Dir. David Fincher. With Morgan Freeman   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  and Brad Pitt. New Line, 1995. Supplemental Material (Disc 2).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  DVD-ROM online content. Walker, Andrew Kevin. â€Å"Seven Production Draft Screenplay.† Script-O-Rama.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Online. America Online. 11 Nov. 2001.

American Home Products Corporation Essay

American Home Product Corporation (AHP), a highly growing American company, has four business lines: prescription drugs, packaged drugs, food products, house wares and household products. Its policies include: -A tight financial control and maintained an aggressive capital structure policy. – Make money for its stockholders and to maximize profits by minimizing cost. – It has been able to finance internally its growth while paying a very high portion of its earning to its shareholders (60%). Currently, AHP seems to have no business risk but may face a certain risk in the long run. Based on the ratios shown on the attached sheet, AHP should not worry about business risk since its working capital is very healthy ($1472.8 million) and cash excess $233 million. The high ROA, high profit margin, low current-to-asset ratio and 49.71 collection days show that AHP can generate cash quickly, thus it can maintain current high growth rate. However, it’s decreasing annual sales growth from 14.1% in 1978 to 8.8% in 1981 (exhibit 1) shows that it faces future risk of losing market shares in all its business lines if it does not foresee competition and continues to focus on increasing stockholders’ value. AHP’s current financial performance is very good since it has high ROE (30.3), high quick ratio (42.68), low debt-to-equity ratio (0.09) and low debt-to-asset ratio (0.01). However, an analysis of different debt ratios shows that if AHP increases debt ratio, it will face a financial risk of increased debt-to-equity and debt-to-asset ratios. In other words, it will face solvency problems in long terms. AHP also face liquidity problems since the quick ratios decrease when the debt ratios increase. 2 The proposed mechanism follows a dual mechanism of leveraging:- (a) Increase the Debt Equity Ratio. (b) Buy back the shares. This also results in the following:- (i) Improves EPS as the amount gets shared by lesser number of shares. (ii)Improves Price / earnings ratio (iii) The excess capital gets utilized. (iv)Sends a +ve signal to the market and share prices likely to increase. (v) Improves Return on Equity ratio. The calculations enclosed indicate that the best option in accordance with the company stated policy would be to have Debt-Equity Ratio of 70%. Shareholders’ value increases when debt ratios increase. EPS increases from $3.18 to $3.49. The dividend payout ratio also increases from 0.597 to 0.602. Similarly, the dividend yield from 0.063 to 0.070. It means that the company can increase shareholders’ value by increasing debt ratios. However the following needs to be considered:- (i) The valued net worth of the firm which decreases may not convey the correct picture to the investor and thus negating the positive signals of buy back of shares. (ii) The firm has no strategy related to R&D in new products and focuses on me-too products thus constituting a large business risk. (iii) The firm would reduce the cash to debt ratio substantially exposing itself to financial risk. The closest competitor has Debt – Equity Ratio of 30% which if taken as a benchmark gives a conservative method of deciding the proposed leveraging, however this does not maximize the shareholder value, but is in line with the strong conservatism philosophy of the firm. It also gives a better Return on Assets ratio and has a safer Debt to Cash ratio. Even though AHP has a very good current financial performance, it should change the financial policy to increase debt ratio at a certain level. To meet the goal of increasing shareholders’ value, AHP should not use its excess cash flow to repurchase its stocks because this is only a temporary solution and may generate serious financial problems in the long run. Instead, AHP should use this excess cash to invest in profitable projects to improve its current products and launch new products that meet current market demands. By doing so, AHP can minimize the business risk, prepare itself for competition and increase sales growth. On the other hands, AHP should increase debt ratio to a certain level that is suitable for its  business to increase shareholders’ value. Also it should continue to exercise tight monetary policies as earlier to pay off the debt in a disciplined manner This solution does not bring financial risk to AHP but enable it to minimize business risk. If AHP remains only concerned about how to increase shareholders’ value and ignores market threats, it might lose its business to its competitors.

Co-Cultural Identities

Brody De Loria Instructor: Solveig E. Pedersen Oral Comm. A111 11/12/12 Co-Cultural Identities Cultural identity is the identity of a group or culture, or of an individual, as far as one is influenced by one's belonging to a group or culture. In recent decades, a new form of identification has emerged which breaks down the understanding of the individual as a coherent whole subject into a collection of various cultural identifiers.These cultural identifiers may be the result of various conditions including: location, gender, race, history, nationality, language, sexuality, religious beliefs, aesthetics and ethnicity. The divisions between cultures can be very fine in some parts of the world, especially places such as the United States, where the population is ethnically diverse and social unity is based primarily on common social values and beliefs. Everyone is a part of many co-cultural identities and they all have an effect on how one communicates with others.Some co-cultural ident ities may have more of an influence on someone’s decision making while communicating than others, but they all do affect us in one way or another. Some of these co-cultural identities you are born into, such as ethnicity or gender and others you gradually fall into throughout your life such as religion, depending on your experiences. No matter what co-cultural identities you belong to, they influence how we communicate with others because they are factors of what makes us who we are, and we can’t help that.What we can help is to know what those co-cultural identities are so we can understand when why we might be having communication problems with someone who belongs to other co-cultural identities. Also of interest is the interplay between cultural identity and new media. Rather than necessarily representing an individual's interaction within a certain group, cultural identity may be defined by the social network of people imitating and following the social norms as pr esented by the media.Accordingly, instead of learning behavior and knowledge from cultural groups, individuals may be learning these social norms from the media to build on their cultural identity. Political correctness is a term which denotes language, ideas, policies, and behavior seen as seeking to minimize social and institutional offense in occupational, gender, racial, cultural, sexual orientation, certain other religions, beliefs or ideologies, disability, and age-related contexts.An example of political correctness is the changing terminology used to describe handicapped people. In the past the term â€Å"crippled† was perfectly acceptable and not considered offensive. At some point, some politician decided â€Å"crippled† was degrading and the preferred term changed to â€Å"handicapped. † This, too, was eventually deemed offensive and â€Å"disabled† became the preferred term. Today, even â€Å"disabled† is considered degrading to some an d â€Å"differently abled† and â€Å"physically challenged† are used by those people.The same can be said for the changing uses of terms for Black Americans: â€Å"Negro† and â€Å"colored,† once perfectly acceptable terms, became offensive during the 1970s and â€Å"Afro-American† and â€Å"Black† came into use, which in turn gave way to â€Å"African-American,† and in broader usage, â€Å"people of color. † As well as language, political correctness discourages the use of racial or stereotypes in fiction out of concern that these stereotypes may become self-perpetuating.For example, frequently seeing the image black gang-members decked out in gold chains, carrying guns and listening to rap may pressure young black people into seeing this lifestyle as the more ‘acceptable' choice for their racial group. The common image of female-dominated occupations, such as; nurses, secretaries, care workers, etc, and of male-dominate d occupations; IT workers, military, machinery operators, mechanics, etc. , can discourage individuals of either gender from considering those occupations traditionally belonging to the other.

Business Ethical Problem

From September 2010 to May 2011 I interned with the Health Care Administration under the direction of the Executive Nursing Administrator at a hospital facility with nationally integrated service networks. I was told at the time of my hire that I would be privy to all conferences which took place with administrative officers; and that information discussed would be strictly confidential. During the course of my internship there were conferences held with administration and other â€Å"agents† at least once a week. I attended 2 meetings during my internship— neither of them eventful—and was conveniently given my supervisor’s work to complete while she attended the aforementioned conferences. Unknown to me at the time, the facility was under investigation due to complaints filed with the Attorney General from clients, client’s families and medical staff; including nurses and medical doctors. I learned quite recently that special federal investigators had been carrying out an official examination of the hospital since August 2010; concerning quality control issues, adherence to hospital policy and procedures; and other legal matters, including but not limited to: †¢Embezzlement of grants/misappropriation of funds †¢Understaffing Personnel employed in management positions where they were neither qualified, certified nor did they have prior experience in regard to the units they managed †¢Clients being admitted to psychiatric units without a 2 PC order †¢No PRN Protocol in place and agitated clients were admitted to units causing injury to self, other workers and clients. †¢Patient neglect and injuries due to accidents One day I was instructed by the Executive Nursing Administrator (ENA) to prepare 2 spreadsheets: One was a patient satisfaction survey and the second was a unit complaint survey which was to include in the questionnaire specific areas of complaint. I prepared the surveys and since I was given no direction, I researched what questions to ask; and (with SUNY’s documented approval); I utilized my university’s survey program. I prepared the surveys and they were approved by administration (hospital director, medical director and the ENA. I was then instructed to conduct the two survey interviews, which took place from September 2010 to March 2011. Ethical Problems I Faced: At the time of my internship the Unit Complaint Survey I constructed contained the name of the complainant, person’s title and 7areas of complaint; each complaint involved a different area of concern and was to count as a total number of complaints in that particular area; (i. e. : understaffing, p atient injuries/accidents, lack of prompt medical attention; admission documents incomplete, missing or not signed by the admitting physician, medication errors, etc. When Administration (who had previously approved the survey) reviewed the results of the questionnaire and observed that almost all of the units had more than 20 complaints a week, the ENA requested me to adjust the number of complaints to one per person if he/she had filed complaints in several areas of concern. In addition, I was to modify the number of complaints per Unit in regard to specific areas of concern to and combine the figures to reflect 1 complaint in that area. In other words, if 10 units had the same complaint regarding patient injury, the10 complaints would be combined on the survey and count as 1 instance of patient injury. After I completed my internship, the administrative nursing assistant called on behalf of the ENA (who took credit for creating the survey) to request that I come in and train health administrative personnel on how to use the programs I created; and to instruct them on recreating new spreadsheets with the template I had designed for the surveys utilizing SUNY’s survey/software program.

Sales Management of Moneybank Liechtenstein Essay

Sales Management of Moneybank Liechtenstein - Essay Example Due to the changing market conditions, the research, that is presented in this essay should be carried out by the salespersons, which will provide information on the type of products of Moneybank Liechtenstein that to be launched. This essay also provides several setbacks, that may be faced by the sales employees. Products such as loans, should take the larger fraction in the advertising platforms. That is because due to the changing economies and global markets, clients will not be able to save much into their accounts. Additionally, some clients will require requesting new loans to help in boosting of their falling businesses. The researcher states that Moneybank Liechtenstein should take this market niche to focus on the loan products. Nevertheless, this can be achieved with a growth in customer relationship to the set goals. The goals to be set will be divided into two types of individual goals and team goals. Then, the goals will be set on a basis of the firm's success and then presented in this essay. Areas of weakness should be targeted prevent any weak spots where the competitor can take advantage. It is stated that setting of goals will help workers overcome the negatives that affect them during their working period. They have to be self-confident and sales driven in order to increase the customer base in the new branch. It is also concluded that such reviews should be used to assess an employee job performance and productivity. To obtain perfect results, the appraisal should be done periodically.

Effect of Christianity in The Byzantine Empire Essay

Effect of Christianity in The Byzantine Empire - Essay Example As is well known, the Byzantine Empire derives its name from the central Byzantium that formed the core of the empire area, and was more prone to be called a Roman empire if people of the 300 century were to refer to it today. However, since our historians call it the Byzantine Empire, we know that the Greco-Romanian faith was what dominated the scenario in Byzantium and surrounding states. Let us not forget that other than Romanian and Christian faiths, there were Pagan temples which had a cult following in the common people too (Liebeschuetz, 2003, 4). As a result, the preference of the emperors played an important role in determining the dominant faith in the empire, which ultimately led to a competition between ancient Roman faith and Christianity while Pagan temples were closed and other forms of religious activities were banned from the empire. With Christianity’s prevalence, practices of charity, compassion and social upheaval was reintroduced in the self content societ y that the Byzantine empire boasted of. It is very important to note here that the Byzantine empire had members of the aristocracy who had seen the war stricken days and had opted for a peaceful life after the war. They took immense pride in self contentment and preferred to spend wealth and wine on social frivolities and games, which showcased the prosperity of the land. Teachings of Jesus, brought in a certain amount of calmness and finesse into the behaviors of the otherwise barbaric nature of Romans.

The Federal Reserve Bank Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

The Federal Reserve Bank - Research Paper Example ng saving money foundations, keeping up the steadiness of the budgetary framework and giving monetary administrations to depository organizations, the U.S. government, and foreign official establishments. This paper explores numerous issues such as the history, purposes, structure and the available tools for the Fed. The Fed traces its inceptions to 1791, when Congress urged the Treasury Secretary, Alexander Hamilton to establish the first U.S. bank. The first bank was headquartered in Philadelphia; the bank was given a twenty-year contract; however, numerous agrarian-minded Americans were uncomfortable with the ideology as they suggested this would affect the management of the central bank. They decided to restrict it, but the Congress declined through a single vote, and it was renewed in 1811 (Paul, 1996). Congress later created a national bank in 1816, in light of the expansion that came about because of the increment in banknotes printed to pay off the obligation occasioned by the War of 1812. Somewhat more than ten years after its opening, nonetheless, the new bank came into the line of sight of Andrew Jackson, who attempted to slaughter it after he was chosen president in 1828. After the second bank collapsed, state-sanctioned and uncharted â€Å"public banks† flourished. These banks issued their own notes, redeemable in gold or silver. Given that the National Banking Act, passed in 1863, attempted to provide a measure of cash strength, bank runs and money related frenzies stayed necessary into the mid-twentieth century. This was an episode of theory on Wall Street that bottomed out in 1907 (Paul, 1996). The advanced Fed follows its establishing to President Wilson, who came up with a group of counsels that created the proposition which eventually turned into the Federal Reserve Act, passed by Congress in 1913. The seven unique individuals from the FRB sit for a gathering representation, soon after being confirmed. They incorporate the first Chairman of the

Construction Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Construction Law - Case Study Example Partnering 1 means a relationship of open communication and close cooperation that involves both Government and Contractor personnel working together for the purpose of establishing a mutually beneficial, proactive, cooperative environment, alliances to contractual partnerships within which to achieve contract objectives and resolve issues and implementing actions as required. Partnering, as I define it, is the process of two or more entities coming together for the purpose of creating synergistic solutions to their mutual challenges. The Construction industry including both private and public sector clients, main contractors, consultants and specialists. The collective spend of the client members runs into billions of pounds and it constitutes the most influential pan-industry body in the construction industry. The building of a Partnering relationship is not straightforward and it is essential that sufficient time and resource is allocated in order to achieve the desired result. Effective relationships are the bedrock of Partnering and the Project culture needs to be one of full openness, honesty and trust in all dealings between the parties. .. The contract has been drafted as a purchase Order with separate Collaborate Construction terms. The former is only six pages long with additional appendices and is completed to fit the requirements of the particular project. In order to achieve a successful Partnering relationship all parties need to adopt a far greater degree of collaboration than would be found in conventional contracting. Partnering requires commitment throughout the business units and its suppliers and is not an easy option. Proactive attitudes and contributions will be required on Partnering from Project Initiation in order to obtain improved performance and shared benefits. The collaboration construction terms comprise some 18 pages and should not change, although some of the provisions may not apply, depending upon how the purchase Order has been completed. The contract is unique in that it can be used for the appointment of both consultants and contractors as a subcontract for appointment of sub consultants or subcontractors. There are already a growing body of evidence that lawyers are providing a different role from that of traditional 'legal technicians' and 'dispute adviser' in favour of movements towards 'assisting the delivery of successful projects'. Lawyers can genuinely 'add value' by explaining how a collaborative relationship can work within a supportive contraction framework. One simple step forward is for lawyers to at least explain the proposed form of construction contract (be it a partnering contract or otherwise) to the project team who will work under or in conjection with it. It is assumed that all parties fully understand what their legal obligations are and how their contract is indented to fit in with

Dispersed Team Dynamics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Dispersed Team Dynamics - Assignment Example Conflicts generally occur when there is difference in opinions and interest between individuals. According to a study by Lambregts (2011), there are more chances of conflicts in collective activities in which regular communications and interpersonal relationships are less feasible as in virtual teams (pp.10-11). The conflicts may be of different nature. In a virtual team frame, usually there are many independent groups working on a linear relationship with the management at the headquarters. Therefore there can be conflicts among groups, individuals in the same group or individuals across different groups. Different scholars have varying opinions about the category of conflicts in a virtual team. According to Kankanhalli, Tan and Wei (n.d.), conflicts within a team can either be relationship conflicts or task conflicts. Personal conflicts occur as a result of increasing tensions and frictions between employees due to mutual disagreement on a particular issue or due to egos and emotio nal clashes during the routines. Task conflicts generally arise around the methods and processes associated with the given assignments and the responsibilities to accomplish them. According to Professor Lindred Greer (as cite in Petersen (2014), the physical distances and the cultural differences among the team members can affect the quality of communication, and the responses to disagreements can reflect in the negative productivity of the team. The basic reason for this aspect is the unavailability of individuals for personal interactions at the required times of response to proposals and complaints in the process. Conflicts are capable of self-replication when they are not resolved promptly. Hence it is important for the leaders to create a mechanism to forecast the possibility of issues within the team. A typical analysis of the nature of conflicts can work as a measure to predict the possibility of

Ethnic groups Essay Example for Free

Ethnic groups Essay Historical descriptions of ethnic groups are normally aimed at establishing certain pattern of perception and interpretation and as well at as clarifying racial differences and peculiarities. On the other hand, the essays, written by the representatives of American nation, sometimes prominently demonstrate biased attitude towards the archetypical ‘otherness’. In Gjerde’s book one can find the extracts from historical documents, addressing such ethnic groups as Chinese, Mexicans and Hindu. Due to the fact that East Asian immigrants deprived Americans of their work in food production at the beginning of the 20th century, the statement about their immorality doesn’t seem surprising. The earlier documents assume that Chinese lifestyle is unacceptable for American citizens, due to their immoral beliefs and convictions in family as a basis of sound society. Moreover, such ‘nominal’ households are viewed as pathology: â€Å"there are apparently few families living as such, with legitimate children† (p. 276). Furthermore, J. Blaine argues that Chinese should not be regarded as Christians, as their patterns of social life tremendously differ from those of European immigrants, who seek to settle down and begin family life in the U. S. His arguments seem quite unusual for a modern reader: â€Å"You cannot work a man who must have beef and bread, alongside of a man, who can live on rice† (p. 277). In 1911, the Asiatic Exclusion league held that Asian immigrants experienced troubles getting along with local communities and integrating into American society. It is important to keep in mind that multiculturalism arose in the U. S. comparatively not long ago, so the beginning of the 20th century was definitely a period of racial discrimination: for instance, Asians (Chinese, Hindu and Japanese) were charged with their religious beliefs and the extrapolation of their understanding of worship and spirituality onto the Christian land, where they erected they pagan shrines and arranged rituals, which offended contemporary moral tradition. European immigrants, in turn, are portrayed as individuals with low intelligence and poor morality, especially Polish Jews, who adopted American names, but belonged to the distinct religious groups and seemed dangerous due to their craftiness (Levin, 1997). The ex-Europeans are shown similar to Caliban, the mythological monster: due to the domination of Lombroso’s criminological physiognomy, they are regarded as dangerous given their appearance, including large stature and poor active dictionary, which seems an indicator of mental tardiness. â€Å"That the Mediterranean peoples are morally below the races of Northern Europe is as certain as any social fact. Even when they were dirty, ferocious barbarians, these blonds were truthtellers [†¦] Immigration officials find that the different peoples are as day and night in point of veracity, and report vast trouble in extracting the truth from certain brunet nationalities† (p. 285). Even the closest ‘siblings’ of Americans, the British, are also described as narrow-minded people, who have no ambitions or aspirations (Levin, 1997, Fraser, 1995). Mexican immigrants are depicted by Mr. Box as impulsive individuals, whose blood contain the mixture of Mediterranean, Spanish and Indian genes and, moreover, mixed with Negroes and mulattos and therefore can be considered an inferior race that lacks more or less established traditions and common sense. In addition, the author indicates that Mexicans are illiterate and negligent in terms of basic sanitary and hygiene and therefore are particularly exposed to viral diseases. Crime and pauperism are also attributed to this ethnic group, as Mexicans have exceptionally rush and impetuous natures and are therefore predisposed to serious deviance and disobedience. The case known as ‘Thind v. United States’ conceptualizes the meaning of race and distinguishes between ethnic groups in order to draw the most correct definition of American as a representative of the nation. ‘Race’ as a legal term is addressed through the descriptions of certain groups, which possess common characteristics, in addition, the paper recognizes that Americans, Hindu and Caucasians have common ancestor, whereas there is a notable diversity in terms of appearance. The paper nonetheless takes discriminatory approach to nativism and indicates that Hindu immigrants cannot be viewed as native Americans in any case, as they inherit their ethnic characteristics, whereas French, german and British immigrants easily assimilate into American nation and therefore can be regarded as ‘free whites’. John Highman, analyzing the document, claims that racial nativism is a historically controversial issue given the complicated social and political development of the United States: the notion or race and the moral evaluation of racial characteristics are completely determined by contemporary attitudes towards various cultural groups. In addition, the methodological problems underlies in the gradual modification of public understanding of race, whose original indicator was skin color when the first scholars were attempting to identify and outline the racial constructs. Such pragmatic and oversimplified approach was to great extent convenient in the period of colonization, as they allowed literally making difference between aliens and peers and maintain Christian superiority in the country. The epoch of Romanticism was marked with the so-called Anglo-Saxonism, which pointed to the uniqueness of race, especially Anglo-Saxon derivation, appealing to psychology and emotional intelligence. Naturalists, on the contrary sought to identify the similarities of external appearance: skin color, stature and skull form. â€Å"Quite commonly, the school associated physical with cultural differences and displayed, in doing so, a feeling of white superiority over colored race. On the whole, however, the leading scientific thinkers did not regard race differences as permanent, pure and unalterable† (p. 293). The natural scientists addressed the notion of heredity and further gave birth to eugenics, the science about artificial selection and resulted in the numerous immigration restrictions, primarily –because of the belief in the inheritance of personality traits, which, as one can conclude from historical documents were stigmatized as unacceptable practically in relations to each immigrant group. At the same time, Ripley, an anthropologist, after studying the traits and characteristics of European population, categorized Europeans into three groups: Teutonic, Mediterranian and Alphine. Due to the scientific enlightenment, the final historical event that resulted in the definition of ‘free white American’ was Grant’s study, which suggested the supremacy of Anglo-Saxon group and implied the acceptance of European ethnic groups, proved as racially and genetically close to Americans. Haney-Lopez provides a brief historical overview of the Thind’s and Ozawa’s cases and shows the so-called societal pressure upon the Court’s decision: even though Thind unquestionably was ‘Caucasian’ (the descendant of white race), he wasn’t identified as ‘free white’, because of commonly shared standard of whiteness, which he failed to fit into. In Ozawa’s case, the Court simply pointed to the plaintiff’s Mongolian origin and rejected the color test only because of the dominant position of ‘whiteness’-oriented religious values, which were likely to be challenged through â€Å"overlapping of races†(p. 301). When Thind required naturalization, the prejudiced attitude towards Hindu ethnic group became a considerable obstacle, whereas scientific facts showed that his petition should have been satisfied, but the verdict referred to the opinion of average man. This means, the issue of race is not purely physiological or psychological, but refers more to the multifaceted social construct, which, as it has been noted, relates to the perception of ‘otherness’. In fact, if the Court had naturalized Thind, numerous political changes should have been introduced, such as wage norms and labor standards for Hindu, so the judicial body acted in favor of government political course. Reference list Levin, M. (1997).Why Race Matters : Race Differences and What They Mean (Human Evolution, Behavior, and Intelligence). Praeger. Fraser, S. (1995). The bell curve wars : race, intelligence, and the future of America. New York : BasicBooks. Gjerde. Racialization of Immigrants, 1880-1930, pp. 275-290. Highman, J. The Evolution of Thought on Race and the Development of Scientific Racism. In Gjerde, pp. 291-298 Haney-Lopez, I. The Evolution of Legal Constructions of Race and ‘Whiteness’. In Gjerde, pp. 298-305

Eyewitness Testimony Essay

Eyewitness Testimony Essay The use of eyewitness testimony is infamously a primary source of evidence used within the judicial system around the world; however its use has raised various questions as to its reliability and validity especially within court cases. This essay explored first of all, the biological factors of memory and recollection of memories within the human brain. Memories are believed to be stored and processed within the hippocampus part of the brain where it goes through the multi-store model (Atkinson and Shiffrin, 1968). This is where danger of the reliability of memory occurs. It was argued that eyewitness testimony is a reliable form of evidence especially with its validity in terms of the events leading up to the use of EWT; what is deemed important information is believed to be remembered more clearly. Sigmund Freud (1920) suggested that memories can only be retrieved by encouraging remembering past episodes and re-instating these past memories into their consciousness. Psychologists N ibett and Ross (1980) quoted that the reason why eyewitness testimony is persuasive is that it influences the jury on a deeper level. However, eyewitness testimony posed more disadvantages than advantages with the various factors that affect it such as weapons focus in incidents involving weapons which cause distractions and loss of memories. The primary psychologist that tested the use of memory was Elizabeth Loftus who conducted various experiment to test this, such as the Automobile Destruction experiment in the 1970s. After having collated all the arguments together, it was suggested that improvements must be made in order to improve the quality of eyewitness testimony; these included the legal system and police forces involvement in collating information as quickly as possible. The most imperative form of evidence when investigating a crime is the honesty of witnesses on trial, the application of eyewitness testimony. Though the use of eyewitness testimony by juries is considered most valuable, the question of fallibility of witness statements poses various problems and issues. Eyewitness testimony has been a thriving aspect of the Criminal Justice System, an incredible amount of research into this element of cognitive psychology questions the reliability of peoples memory especially using it as evidence to determine the outcome of the trial and convictions. Research into the reliability of evidence, often referred to as witness psychology is renowned as being the longest established area of law and psychology, dating back to the beginning of the 20th century.  [1]   The area of eyewitness testimony has always posed a problem with reliability and the effectiveness of human memory. Human memory is described by cognitive psychologists Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968)  [2]  as a three stage theory in which memory is modelled in, this memory stage model is called the Multi-Store Model. The Multi-store model theory consists of the memory being divided into three stages, the first stage being the sensory store, the second stage is the short term memory (working memory) and the third being long term memory. The transfer of information from one store to another is controlled by the process of attention and rehearsal of memories. One of the most critical assumptions made by cognitive psychologists is that the human mind has a limited capacity for processing information. Therefore, any external information that the environment consists of is often very difficult for the human mind to assimilate and process; so people are selective about what information is to be retrieved and this is otherwise known as attention, where some information is assimilated while other pieces are ignored. The first stage of the multi-store model, the sensory store, is where the information from the senses (iconic, echoic, tactile, olfactory and gustatory), is transferred into but this is only for a very short period of time. The initial information retrieved by the senses is then transferred into the short term memory store; this is transferred through attention given to the information transferred from the senses involved. When the information has been transferred into the short-term memory store, this is the store concerned with forgetting information and this information is ultimately lost entirely. Therefore, for information to be remained in the memory, from the short term store into the long term store, the information must be rehearsed. Rehearsal is the cycling of information through the memory, this rehearsal of memory can be carried out in two different methods. Therefore this essay will investigate whether the application of eyewitness testimony statements is a reliable form of evidence to be used by the judicial system. Furthermore, this essay will argue whether eyewitness testimony is ideal to use as one of the most important pieces of evidence to use or whether the application of eyewitness testimony is fallible. After comparing for and against the reliability of eyewitness accounts, an evaluation will be drawn over how eyewitness testimony can be improved to an extent where it can be further accurate. This essay will explore the elements of eyewitness testimony and how these factors can determine whether an eyewitness account is accurate. These elements include the effect of weapon focus on witness memory, how leading questions can manipulate witness statements and recollection of memory, reconstructive errors of memory and the application of psychological experiments when exploring the function of these elements on the human memory. Th e application of the eyewitness testimony includes multiple formal questioning sessions with witnesses on trial, taking statements of the events witnessed and witnesses appearing in court with the jury. The issue of integrity when applying eyewitness testimony accounts is delegated to the jury, who are assigned the role of determining the judgement of whether the eyewitness statements are fallible or reliable  [3]  . The use of eyewitness testimony has a profound and compelling effect on the outcome of a trial and conviction, and this is why an accurate eyewitness testimony is needed in order to gain justice. The Aspects of Eyewitness Testimony As a consequence of the limitations of information processing in the human mind, witness statements need to be reviewed for accuracy and if any external factors of either the environment or the function of memory may have affected the outcome of the witness account  [4]  . Quite often, when the memory cannot recall the entire incident or situation, it may result in the unknown areas being replaced by events that may never have took place in reality but the mind may perceive as a potential occurrence and therefore causes fallibility in the eyewitness testimony. In essence, the memory may fill in gaps where it fails to recall what may have happened  [5]  . Many factors affect eyewitness memories which are illustrated below: Interference of Memory Processing: The period of time that has lapsed between the witnessing of the incident and the questioning of the eyewitness can determine the amount of information that the witness can recall. On the other hand, interference which is the loss of old stimuli as a result of new information can also subsequently reduce the accuracy of eyewitness accounts.  [6]   Leading Questions in Witness Interviews: A leading question in its form or content, suggests to the witness being interviewed what answer is desired or leads them to the desired answer. Some questions can often be made more suggestive than others and these questions the legal concept of a leading question. The main pioneer for investigating the consequences of particular leading questions was Elizabeth F. Loftus in 1974.  [7]   Schemas: The human mind has evolved its memory capacity and the ability to remember certain aspects by organising information into categories, otherwise known as schemas  [8]  . Schemas help organise memories that can consist of familiar people, objects and situations and allow people to understand and act appropriately to whatever is encountered. Arousal, Anxiety and Violence Distraction: Quite often, cognitive psychologists have questioned the poor recall of eyewitness accounts is primarily a result of where their attention is focused upon. A possible reason for arousal, anxiety and violence distraction could be that a violent incident, with the use of weapons, draws the focus of the witnesss attention away from who is causing this anxiety, which results in little or no processing of other information.  [9]   Weapon Focus: When a witness views a crime in which a weapon is used as a method of violence and distraction, the weapon achieves its purpose in distracting the attention of those witnessing the crime. The distraction affects the witnesss attention due to the potential threat of violence9. External Influences: Quite often, external influences can affect the accuracy of eyewitness accounts, especially if the media has been influencing the events that have taken place. The witness may re-interpret their witness statements to match what the media has claimed may have existed or happened. Apart from the media, other external influences may include other witness accounts of what happened and/or the type of environment that the situation may have occurred in, e.g. in darkness, low-lit room etc. Conformity: Through the questioning process that witnesses must endure, group questioning in particular, gives into reason the reliability of witness recollections as they may conform in order to fit each others interpretation of what happened. Reliability of Eyewitness Testimony The use of eyewitness testimony has provided crucial evidence that can often lead to the identification and arrest of a criminal suspect or a hazardous event can be avoided. Eyewitness testimony impacts strongly upon the trial process and the verdicts that are given by the jury are quite often influenced heavily by eyewitness accounts. Stern and Dunning, 1994  [10]  quoted that eyewitness testimony is perhaps the most compelling types of evidence presented to police investigations and criminal trials. Although the human memory and its information processing ability, has substantial amounts of limitations that can lead to invalidity and inaccuracy, it does however, demonstrate a unique ability to process information where the acquired stimulus information is stored. The human mind can potentially hold millions of pieces of information, though not all at once, which when acquired by the brain can be reinstated and remembered. The memories that the mind deems as important for growth and use consistently is life are episonic which represents the episode of the memory where as certain skill or piece of information; semantic which identifies what that piece of information consists of and what it is and finally procedural which processes who that information is to be used or handled. For example, teaching a child how to read a book at a particular age is episonic, knowing what a book is, is semantic and how to read the words in a book would be procedural.  [11]   The process of information being transferred from the short term memory into the long term memory was an experiment conducted by psychologists Welch and Burnett in 1924. The experiment was to test the theory of the serial position curve where it consisted of the subjects being presented with a list of 16 words in which they had to recall in order. The results of this experiment, illustrated the serial position curve in which the recollection of words and the results of the experiment were graphed and this illustrated a curve effect were the last recalled words were remembered best whereas the words in the middle of the recall were remembered poorly. Cognitive psychologist, Sigmund Freud believed that memories were allocated in the brain  [12]  . Freud referred to these memories as true memories and described that they lay deep in the unconscious element of the brain, where they lay undisturbed as a factor of surface mental activity. Freud insisted that these memories were never lost or forgotten as they are only inaccessible and latent, having become a part of the unconscious  [13]  . For these memories to be accessed, Freud promoted the technique free association. By encouraging witnesses to reminisce about past episodes that have occurred within their lives, Freud insinuated that they could reinstate long-forgotten yet important memories from their past into their consciousness. However, it can be argued that the true memories that Freud insisted exist in the human sub-conscious are in fact potential complex blendings of both fact and fiction. Memory is an extremely fragile aspect of the human mind that can potentially be supplemented, altered and reconstructed by external stimuli that can question an event that may never have occurred. However, it is argued that the human mind is capable of remembering significant pieces of information that is considered vital and important. This is considered one of the key factors in which juries do consider eyewitness testimony accounts as a vital piece of evidence. Psychologists Nibett and Ross, 1980 quoted that the reason why eyewitness testimony is persuasive is that vivid testimonies have a strong impact on observers so this conclusively means that they are easier to remember especially upon the jury  [14]  . Though the potential invalidity of eyewitness accounts is extensive, error made in witness accounts are extraneous when the observers are able to distinguish between accurate and inaccurate witnesses  [15]  . However, there may be a possibility that the eyewitness account is accurate but leading questions by the criminal investigation team may provoke the memory to be changed to fit the question or the most relevant and fitting answer  [16]  . The Unreliability of Eyewitness Testimony The malleability of eyewitness accounts demonstrates the excessive inaccuracy of it being used as a vital evidential piece in the courts and criminal justice system. Many hypotheses have been established that suggest reasons for the valued use of eyewitness testimony. Saunders et al believe that jurors tend to place too much faith in eyewitness testimonies; however the problem lies with whether eyewitness testimony is a reliable source of evidence to use  [17]  . The inaccuracy of witness accounts is demonstrated by the various aspects that intercept with each other and substantiate hesitation for its use as evidence. The use of leading questions can quite often alter information/intelligence or can quite often misinterpreted accounts to match the information that the witness has been presented with. An experiment conducted by Elizabeth Loftus and John Parmer illustrates the interaction between language and memory in 1974  [18]  . The reconstruction of an automobile destruction consisted of two experiments in which subjects were shown films of automobile accidents. After the observation, the subjects were then asked questions about the events that occurred in the films; How fast were the cars going when they smashed into each other? The use of the word smash demonstrated higher estimations in the speed of the car as opposed to other verbs used in place of smash such as collided, bumped, contacted and hit. When the experiment was repeated a week later, the subjects who received the word smashed were more likely to agree to the question asked Did you see any broken glass? even though there was n o recollection of broken glass within the video. These results highlight the theory that the questions asked in relation to an event can result in a reconstruction of a witnesss memory of that event. Though witness memory is quite often inaccurate in that they fail to distinguish the events that had occurred, quite often, the human memory can remember erroneous events and details that may be introduced by third party interference. In the 1970s, Elizabeth Loftus conducted an experiment to demonstrate how third party interference can invalidate witness accounts by introducing false facts. Subjects were shown a slideshow of a car at an intersection with either a yield sign or a stop sign. The experimenter then asked the participants questions which falsely used the word stop sign instead of yield sign which is what was actually shown in the slideshow. The results indicated that subjects remembered seeing the false image; the introduction of false cues altered the memory of the participants in the experiment. Bartlett conducted an experiment in which he read a story The war of the ghosts out loud to a group of participants where he concluded that participants attempted to fit the story into their western schemas and as a result, distorted it during recall  [19]  . This showed that they were not recalling the information exactly as it had been presented to them, but were making assumptions at the story, based on their own understanding. This correlates with what a witness may assume a criminal or crime scene may look like and therefore use this to describe the suspected. Schemas are an effective method of processing and encoding information  [20]  . The idea of schemas were originally established by Frederick Bartlett in the 1930s which involved a large number studies in which he showed ways in which participants made sense of whatever they were shown affects the way they recall it later  [21]  . For example, in one of his studies, Bartlett showed participants unfamiliar line d rawings and instructed them to memorise it. Bartlett then asked his participants to talk aloud at the same time as memorising the picture. He found that different participants made sense of the figures in different ways. Later in the experiment, the participants were asked to draw the figures as they remembered them and Bartlett discovered that the schemas which they established during their initial encoding influenced their recall. Therefore, schemas may influence what witnesses may define what a criminal looks like or behaves like and this may influence their account of events. Through the questioning process that witnesses must endure, witnesses can either be questioned on a one-to-one basis where the interviewer questions the witness independently or witnesses can be questioned as a group if the incident has been witnesses by multiple people. In particular, group questioning which gives into reason the reliability of witness recollections as they may conform in order to fit each others interpretation of what happened. This conformity can purposely invalidate information as the witness does not want to be isolated from the events that the other witnesss describe as having happened. This subjective information again affects the testimony because false information is being interpreted is invalid due to conformity of information. The weapons focus effect  [22]  perceives to be a result of the witnesss attention being predominantly directed towards the weapon, resulting in diversion of attention away from the situational aspects and the criminal suspect. When a witness views a crime in which a weapon is used as a method of violence and distraction, the weapon achieves its purpose in distracting the attention of those witnessing the crime. The distraction affects the witnesss attention due to the potential threat of violence. Although an incident has occurred, the attention of the witness is primarily upon the weapon so they are not observing the rest of the incident or the person who is posing the threat and this causes the witness to have lack of information about the incident. This area of eyewitness psychology is known as weapon focus; unfortunately this distraction results in a very poor eyewitness testimony as the witness is unable to recall events and descriptions. Unfortunately, most crimes involve the use of a weapon as a vulnerability tool, which in essence causes the stress and anxiety levels of the witness to rise and therefore will fail to encode and remember vital information. Eyewitness inaccuracy may also be a result of errors that occur within the memory process; the memory is divided into three distinct stages of processing: encoding, storage and retrieval. The occurrence of errors is very likely at any particular stage within the memory processing stages. Acquiring information or otherwise known as encoding is illustrated within the Yerkes-Dodson principle which according to its theorists, an increase in arousal improves performance up to a certain point. Once arousal has passed the critical point which is otherwise known as the optimum, performance tends to decline and these results in poorer memory performance. So, in essence when a person is moderately aroused, the information is encoded best as opposed to extreme arousal or stress where the information is lost or encoded insufficiently. The Yerkes-Dodson theory  [23]  demonstrates that if a witness observes a crime that is substantially violent and/or makes the witness experience high levels o f fear and anxiety, they are less likely to remember any significant levels of information because of the extreme stress which results in encoding of information inaccurate. This conclusively makes their eyewitness account unreliable because they fail to remember any substantial amounts of information and detail of what happened and of the perpetrator. The question of witness account accuracy raises questions about whether the time after the incident occurred, if the account is still valid as evidence because quite often, large amounts of time and substantial interference can deteriorate the information from memory. This deterioration refers to the loss of stimulus information as a result of passed time. The amount of time that has lapsed between the occurrence of the event and the questioning and testimony of the witness can quite often determines the amount of information the witness can recall  [24]  . This interference is due to the loss of old stimulus information caused by new stimulus information; this can also reduce the accuracy of eyewitness accounts. People are more likely to overestimate the duration of brief events but on the other hand underestimate the duration of prolonged events (Penrod, Loftus and Winkler, 1982). Other psychological research has demonstrated that the presence of a weapon also reduces the accur acy of eyewitness accounts. Evaluation of Eyewitness Testimony Taking into consideration the flaws in which eyewitness accounts may consist of, which effectively invalidates the testimony, these flaws can be avoided by both the eyewitness and the criminal justice system that use the accounts as a form of evidence. Most importantly, the way in which witness accounts are handled is vital in establishing a valid eyewitness testimony with as much truth as possible. The interviewing process which is conducted by the criminal justice system i.e. police, courtroom judges, need to be done in a careful and delicate way so that there is no decay or deterioration of information. Though the memory of the witnesses may differ, depending on age and memory capacity, quite often the initial first few hours after the occurrence of an incident is vital in collecting as much valid information as possible. So, the interviewing of witnesses should be conducted right after the incident when possible to avoid any decay of information and/or third party interference. In terms of the actual interviewing process, the use of leading questions should entirely be avoided unless the witness has mentioned specific events or descriptions which would not invalidate information as it has been confirmed by the witness. Leading questions  [25]  can quite often add new information that the witness may not have known about and will therefore mention false information in order to fit their account with what is evidently known by the police. Specific questions that can be used in the interviewing process may help the witness to run through their track of events which in some circumstances reveal any recollection of events without any external influence. Quite often through the criminal investigation, the witness needs to be interviewed many times to establish the course of events and important descriptions, whether this is through the crown prosecution trial or by the police. If later eyewitnesses need to be interviewed, they should be able to recall as much information that they reported initially, avoiding any extra information that they may have picked up from third party interference. So in essence, there is no uncertain information but information that the mind has remembered and rehearsed within their memory and indicates a positive recollection of events. Though no control can be given to what eyewitnesses will focus on and concentrate entirely on, measures on how information is collected can partially help to distinguish between valid and false information within accounts. Conclusion It can be concluded that the use of eyewitness testimony will also be used as a vital source of evidence by the criminal justice system for years to come. Eyewitness testimony can hold vital pieces of information that cannot be retrieved from any other source, without eyewitness testimony, the police would find it incredibly difficult to discover any potential clues and evidence of what happened or description of what the perpetrator physically looks like. Criminal cases in which there is not eyewitnesses to give evidence are usually those cases which find it incredibly hard to convict the guilty so have to rely upon other physical evidence such as CCTV, DNA, fingerprints etc. However, the use of eyewitness accounts seems to create a lot of doubt in whether it is a reliable source of evidence to be used because its accuracy is questioned based on interpretation. The use of leading questions and third party interference can decay any initial recollection of events that the eyewitness may have believed to have happened. But the human memory has flaws within itself regardless of extra information that can falsify or invalidate the recollection of what occurred and why. The initial pioneer of evaluating eyewitness evidence, Elizabeth F. Loftus  [26]  highlights the flaws of eyewitness accounts and of the human memory. The conclusions in which Loftus has discovered were advantageously used to improve quality of interviews and valid eyewitness accounts but unfortunately cannot eliminate all invalid information. So, in essence, the question as to whether eyewitness testimony is a reliable source of evidence still remains unclear on the basis that it is vital evidence which is needed to collate important information. However, its reliability is questioned in terms of validity and how much the witness is able to accurately recall all pieces of information especially having experienced high amounts of anxiety and stress. Eyewitness testimony will always remain a vital source of evidence but its use should be delicately considered to avoid any false information or invalid convictions.