World Com Ethics free essay sample

What are the ethical problems faced by Betty Vinson, a CPA and Director of WorldCom’s Management and Reporting Division? Betty Vinson has a reputation as a hardworking, loyal employee who would do â€Å"anything you told her†. Problem came on October 2000, when the company profits had went down and her boss, Buford Yates, Jr.Director of General Accounting ask her and another manager Normand to release $828 million of line accruals into the income statement. This proposal is ethically wrong so the ethical dilemma is to obey the orders from her boss or not and to know the consequences for the choices she make. If she does according to what her boss says, the company revenue will continue to be positive and therefore the company market value will continue to rise and it will maintain as one of the biggest companies in the stock market. The whole company from the top management to the lower level worker will continue to receive income for the time being until the fraud is revealed. We will write a custom essay sample on World Com Ethics or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This action will be unethical and the consequences are, firstly, she might be placed in court and put to jail if caught. Secondly, her guilt might haunt her even if she is not caught. Thirdly, she might lose her reputation if she got caught and might not be able to find another job. Fourthly, if she is put to jail, her family will meet not only financial problems but also emotional problems like, her children might ask â€Å"why is mummy in jail? † and her children might even be looked down on because of what she had done. Fifthly, her husband, parents, relatives and friends might leave or despise her because of her unethical act. Sixthly, her husband’s friends might look down on him because his unethical wife. Seventhly, her husband, parents, relatives and friends might be ashamed and they might be looked down by their friends too. On top of that if the fraud is revealed, the reputation of the whole company WorldCom might be destroyed and might even be forced to close down and all the people in the company and the customers the company serves or have relation with might blame her for their lost. If she reject the proposal and do what is ethical. The consequences are, firstly, she might lose her career that she had build up for 4 years and because it is in the midst of an economic downturn, there is a also a chance that she might not be able to find another job in her age. This will affect her family income and so might in turn affect her children education, her family spending budget. What are the ethical problems faced by Cynthia Cooper, a CPA and manager of Internal Audit at WorldCom? Cynthia Cooper is a strong-willed woman and she was the head of the 24 member internal audit department. CFO Sullivan asked Myers to restrict the scope of Cooper’s enquires. March 2002, Cooper’s team received a complained from the head of the wireless business unit for about a $400 million accrual in his business for expected future cash payments and bad debt expenses that had been transferred away to push up the company’s earnings. Sullivan and Arthur Anderson auditors had supported the transfer and when she approached Anderson, Anderson partner assures her that what they did is just aggressive accounting entries and will not explain to her the details unless it was a direct order from Sullivan. Cooper then brought the issue to WorldCom’s audit committee but was told by Sullivan to stay away from the wireless business unit. At this point, Cooper had a dilemma, whether to continue to investigate or just drop the case as both Sullivan and Anderson had already supported this transfer. If she chooses to continue the investigation, she might lose her job as a director of internal audit which might affect her financial wealth. Secondly, finding a job in the economic down turn during that time could be hard and maybe harder for her age. Thirdly, there might be financial problem taking care of her 8 month old daughter and her family. Fourthly, even if she continues to investigation, and she is right that there is a fraud with the accounting, there might not be enough evidence to charge Sullivan and he might then take revenge on her and maybe also on her family after he is release as innocent. Fifthly, if she continues to investigate and if there is actually nothing wrong with the accounts, she could be dismissed or even sued. If she chooses to drop the case, she will not be acting her responsibility as a director of internal audit. If it is found out that it is truly a fraud, she might be blamed for not fulfilling her duties and be charged in court and maybe dismissed. Secondly, her conscience might haunt her. Thirdly, her reputation might be affected and so will her career and she might not be able to find a job after that. Fourthly, her family, relatives and friends might despise or leave her. This might affect her emotionally and might in turn affect her children too. Fifthly, the people in the company or related to the company that lost their job or earning might blame her for their lost. Question 2 To me, moral courage means taking up the necessary responsibilities to do or say what is true and right even in the midst of difficult situations, placing the responsibilities and the beliefs of one’s profession on top of self interest. On top of that, I think moral courage also have different levels, the lower level of moral courage is to quit when you know that there is something wrong. The higher level of moral courage is not only personally doing the right thing but also make others do the right thing. An example of someone that does not practice moral courage is Betty Vinson. She is the Director of management reporting, her responsibility is to check and to report the sales and income statement accounting to the management and also to the society as accurately as possible. In this case, we could see that she knows that it is unethical to make the adjustments on the accounts so she told her boss that the proposal was â€Å"not good accounting†. She could have exhibit moral courage by telling her boss that this is unethical or illegal and tell him that this should not be done but she did not. Yates continues to emphasise that David Myers, Controller told him that it is a one-time problem which in a way decreases the risk and unethical one feels and Vinson in the end give in and agreed to the proposal. If she exhibit moral courage she could have rejected and the worst quit but she did not. What she might not have thought about is that this is a point of no turning back. She is practicing cultural ethical relativism as there are no true standard ethical practices in the company. This is found as there is no set of corporate code of conduct as Bernard Ebbers, CEO called it a colossal waste of time. On top of that the corporate culture of the company is basically â€Å"do as you are told with no questions asked†. After Vinson did what was proposed, she was overwhelmed by her guilt and she planned to resign which indicates that she is thinking more individual ethical relativism than cultural ethical relativism. If she had a lower level moral courage, she would quit immediately or if she had a higher level moral courage, she could gather evidences and then sue Sullivan and Ebbers and turn herself in but she did not. When Ebbers heard about the accountants’ concern, he told Myers that the accountants would not be placed in this situation again. Following that, a few days later, Scott Sullivan, CFO told Vinson and Normand basically that we are on the same plane, if Vinson was to quit, the plane will crash and we will all die so Sullivan asked Vinson and Normand to stay till the plane lands which means when the business is back on making good profit. Sullivan also assured them that they were doing nothing illegal and that he would take full responsibility for their actions. What Ebbers and Sullivan did was to convince Vinson to stay and to continue to practice cultural ethical relativism and lessen her guilt. Firstly, Ebbers told Vinson that they will not be ask to do this again and this is an assurance from the CEO. If she stays, personally she will continue to get income for her family and this is very important to her as she earns about $40,000 more yearly compensation than her husband. On top of that she is also worried finding a job in the middle-age worker with the comparable compensation. Secondly, Sullivan, CFO have a reputation of â€Å"whiz kid† so when Sullivan says that it is not illegal, Vinson started to doubt at her worries and on top of that Sullivan says he will take full responsibility for her actions. Therefore, it seems like there is more reasons for Vinson to continue to stay then to quit and so she remain in the company. If she had moral courage, she would place the responsibilities of her profession on top of self interest, which is to report the true accounting and place one’s interest aside. She placed self interest first. On April 2001, again the similar situation occurs and this time it is an even more unethical than the first as it included forging dates so as to hide the adjustments made. This was the situation Ebbers said will not happened again, but he lied. Vinson knew that what she did was wrong but because she went through the first dilemma without being caught and with her personal reasons and assurance from the CEO and CFO, and her hope that it is the last and she could see the light at the end of the tunnel soon, she decided follow the orders and practiced yet again the cultural ethical relativism and ignore her individual ethical relativism and her conscience. Her guilt eventually had its toll on her and she hoped each time that it would be last faded but as she received a promotion and a raise to roughly $80,000 she decided to continue. Until Spring 2002, when she decided to quit but was much too late. All these while, if she had moral courage, she would place the responsibilities of her profession on top of self interest, which is to report the true accounting and place one’s interest aside but she placed self interest first. An example of someone that practices high level of moral courage is Cynthia Cooper, a CPA and manager of Internal Audit at WorldCom. Her responsibility is to check the accounts of the company and report to the society whether the accounts have a true and fair view. In the WorldCom case, Cooper had a dilemma, whether to continue to investigate or just drop the case as both Sullivan and Anderson had already supported the accounts. There are many consequences if she continues to investigate, she might lose her job which in turn might affect her financial wealth and she might have problem finding a job for her age, during the economic downturn after the dot com bubble burst. She chose to continue to investigate which shows that she had the moral courage to stand up against what is wrong. She practices individual ethical relativism of doing what is true and right than to practice cultural ethical relativism which is not to question the higher manager, Sullivan. Knowing that it is difficult to obtain the necessary evidence to find who lead the fraud and who did the fraud, she and her team continued to exhibit high level of moral courage by searching for the evidences. Finally, in June 2002, they had discovered $3 billion in questionable expenses and the fraud is revealed and the wrong was corrected.

Sodium in Water Chemistry Demonstration

Sodium in Water Chemistry Demonstration The sodium in water chemistry demonstration illustrates the reactivity of an alkali metal with water. This is a memorable demonstration that creates a spectacular reaction for students. Still, it can be performed safely. What to Expect A small piece of sodium metal will be placed in a bowl of water. If a phenolphthalein indicator has been added to the water, the sodium will leave a pink trail behind it as the metal sputters and reacts. The reaction is: 2 Na 2 H2O → 2 Na 2 OH- H2(g) The reaction is especially vigorous when warm water is used. The reaction may spray out molten sodium metal and the hydrogen gas may ignite, so use proper safety precautions when conducting this demonstration. Safety Precautions Never use a piece of sodium larger than a pea or pencil eraser.Wear safety goggles.Perform the experiment behind a clear safety barrier or at a distance from the students. Materials Sodium metal stored under mineral oilA 250 mL beaker, filled halfway with waterPhenolphthalein (optional) Procedure Add a few drops of phenolphthalein indicator to the water in the beaker. (Optional)You may wish to place the beaker on an overhead projector or video screen, which will give you a way to show the reaction to students from a distance.While wearing gloves, use a dry spatula to remove a very small chunk (0.1 cm3) of sodium metal from the piece stored in the oil. Return the unused sodium to the oil and seal the container. You can use tongs or tweezers to dry the small piece of metal on a paper towel. You may wish to allow the students to examine the cut surface of the sodium. Instruct the students that they can look at the sample but must not touch the sodium metal.Drop the piece of sodium into the water. Immediately stand back. As water dissociates into H and OH-, hydrogen gas will be evolved. The increasing concentration of OH- ions in the solution will raise its pH and cause the liquid to turn pink.After the sodium has reacted completely, you can flush it with water and rinse it down the drain. Continue to wear eye protection when disposing of the reaction, just in case a bit of unreacted sodium remained. Tips and Warnings Sometimes this reaction is performed using a small piece of potassium metal instead of sodium. Potassium is even more reactive than sodium, so if you make the substitution, use a very small piece of potassium metal and expect a potentially explosive reaction between the potassium and water. Use extreme caution.

World Cultures and Cultural Lifestyles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

World Cultures and Cultural Lifestyles - Essay Example With new attitudes, cultures and lifestyles flooding these regions brought forward by new business growth and job opportunities, very old-world systems of family and cultural relationships are taking on a modern appeal and value system. Depending on the type of culture in a certain foreign region, the impact of new attitudes greatly increases the chances of change in cultural systems all across the world. In regions of the world such as Saudi Arabia and India, there is a collectivist mentality that puts large emphasis on the needs of group loyalty and group welfare. People who hail from collectivist nations tend to view themselves as extended members of a larger family unit and generally these individuals have a great deal of respect for tradition and the reciprocation of favors (Blodgett, Bakir & Rose, 339). Collectivist nations often perform their business activities in such a way where group membership and group affiliation are demanded from domestic and foreign business leaders. This type of traditionalist culture and those who value its family-oriented concept will often demand a different style of business meeting where friendship, camaraderie, and informal discussions are the norm. What occurs in a collectivist culture when foreign business leaders who value more individualism and self-expression bring their new ideas forward is a change in attitude that is more Westernized rather than traditionalist in the region. Why is this? New changes in business presence and ideas that form from foreign business leadership begin to restructure business principles and therefore changes the attitudes of those working within this new globalized organization. For instance, new call centers developed in Saudi Arabia, as one example, might be originally focused on providing a forum for consumers to demand changes to product variety. However, after the influx of foreign business leadership from countries such as the United States, new styles of performing call center func tions that now are geared toward individualized customer service have changed the local culture simply through business restructuring. It is important to identify that cultural interdependency is not only present in business, but can be found sociologically in a variety of different international communities. â€Å"Leaders aspiring to be effective in multi-cultural environments must develop an awareness of the different dimensions of culture that are and will be most central to their constituencies† (Shriberg & Kumari, 20). What this is suggesting is that leadership must be flexible in multi-cultural environments and be adaptable to foreign attitudes related to culture and lifestyle. It does not necessarily mean that individuals from foreign countries are, necessarily, going to be able to make changes to how domestic cultures perform their lifestyle and business activities. For example, in certain cultures, there might be a preference for older, traditionalist ways and theref ore they resist any changes that bring liberal and individualistic attitudes into the local culture hailing from foreign visitors or business leaders. Cultural interdependency has become a product of a changing globe and the demands that are placed on what was once an under-developed country in order to make the local culture more in-line with flexible and adaptable individualistic mentalities. In an environment where group norms are powerful as it is related to traditionalist values, it becomes more and more difficult to change these attitudes to make them more flexible and progressive especially if the local cultural values greatly conflict with

Industry Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Industry Project - Assignment Example g, the company experienced exponential growth due to the high demand of their products that had cutting edge technology occupying the largest segment in the market. Recently however, Samsung expects a decline in the demand of their product due to the increased competition brought by more players in the industry selling cheaper smartphones who have comparative technology to Samsung. The things that affect the supply for smartphones is the sales projection of a company for it to be able to deliver profit for its shareholders. For example, Apple and Samsung have profit projections for a certain period that would improve its performance from the previous period delivering profit to its shareholders and also to project a positive image for the company so that its value and shares of stocks will increase. They will in turn stimulate demand in the market through their marketing campaigns so that the available supply will be bought and them realizing their sales objectives. Another would be the discovery and introduction of a breakthrough technology in their products that is not present in competition. For example, if Samsung can make its smartphones wearable just like watch because of its bendability, consumers will be surely be interested to have the new smartphone. Samsung would in turn increase its supply and jack up the price due to the increased demand. The demand for smartphones this product is elastic. It is elastic because the consumption and use of the product can be influenced by certain factors such as competition and price. Smartphones can also be replaced by cheap cellphones without drastically impairing one’s connectivity or by less known brands that have similar features. Concretely, this was evident when Samsung announced that the company expect a lower sales in Q2 of 2014 due to the increasing number of competition and availability of cheaper smartphones and indeed the company posted a poor sales performance (Triggs, 2014). The presence of

Risk and Return Journal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Risk and Return Journal - Assignment Example This journal examines the importance of risk and returns balance (De Bondt and Werner, 1993). Investing in a risk-free portfolio leads to low or no return on investment. For example, an investment in risk-free government bonds yields slight returns on investments. Investors tend to increase their profits by venturing into riskier portfolios. Increasing income is the primary function of doing business, so it is necessary to venture into a substantial amount of risk to achieve this objective. Keeping this in mind it is necessary also to note that taking on a large risk does not necessarily guarantee high returns. There are two aspects of risk, first is the probability of loss on investment. For example, if an investment yields lower returns than expected. Then there is the possibility of earning more than what is. For instance waiting to get 11% return rate but getting a 13% return rate (Bailey, 1994). It is important to maintain a risk and return balance to reduce exposure to losses brought about by risk. When evaluating the risk and return balance, the investment period is arguably the most important factor to be. If the investment period is long, it is advisable to maintain a relatively higher risk tolerance level. If the investment period is short, an investor is advised to maintain a lower risk tolerance level. Another equally important factor is risk capital that is the amount of funds available to trade without affecting daily business operations. Having many risks capital gives one freedom to trade in high-risk investments. On the other hand, having a small amount of risk capital limits one’s freedom to sell in high-risk investments (Bailey, 1994). The amount of investment experience held is another important factor. Relatively new investors are not advised to commit significant sums of capital. However, experienced investors with enough knowledge on risk can invest

Child Development Theories Natural vs Social Process

Child Development Theories Natural vs Social Process To what extent has childhood been viewed as a social and cultural process rather than a natural process? Illustrate your discussion with reference to Book 1, Chapter 1, Children and development. Childhood is such a fundamental and integral part of humanity that on first considerations, we may take it for granted as an entirely natural process. The biological journey of maturation is a universal shared experience.   Yet even if childhood is recognised only in these limited biological terms, it is still influenced by social factors i.e. the health and life choices of the mother during pregnancy. In the civilised world, there are very few who would be prepared to argue that childhood should be viewed as an entirely natural process. Contemporary developmental theorists recognise the child as an active agent whom is developing both physically and psychologically; the individual experience of childhood is dependent upon how they interact with their environment and how that society understands their specific nature and needs. The attitudes to children and views of childhood vary dramatically between different periods in history and different cultures, and are also actively evolvi ng within our own culture; therefore it is, currently, more accurate to view childhood as a social and cultural process rather than a natural one: â€Å"The immaturity of children is a biological fact but the ways in which that immaturity is understood is a fact of culture†¦.childhood is †¦.constructed and reconstructed both for and by children† (James and Prout, 1997, p.15) Woodhead (2005) illustrates that historically, throughout Western culture, childhood has been viewed as both a natural process and as a social and cultural process. It has also been viewed as an interactive process between the two. These changeable and evolving attitudes confirm James and Prout’s assertion that â€Å"childhood is constructed and reconstructed†. By comparing and contrasting the origins of the four main Psychological perspectives of Child Development and acknowledging their legacies to modern day practices, I intend to conclude that childhood has probably been viewed to a greater extent as a social and cultural process than it has a natural process. It has been proposed that ‘childhood’ is in itself a recent invention. Philippe Aries (1962) is chiefly accredited with underlining the socially constructed character of childhood. He studied the history of literature and paintings and concluded that in mediaeval times childhood didn’t exist. Obviously younger members of the species existed but they were not granted any special or distinctive status.   Once weaned, they were thrust into adult society. Aries claimed that the awareness of children’s distinctive nature did not emerge until the end of the fifteenth century. This can de illustrated in the emergence and gradual rise of schooling and paediatrics. Aries has been criticised for making general conclusions which rely on limited sources. The largest group of children would have been the poor, and they would not have been represented. However the broad framework of his argument (the socially constructed nature of childhood) is the foundation of subsequent studies: â€Å"The idea of childhood must be seen as a particular cultural phrasing of the early part of the life course, historically and politically contingent and subject to change†. (James and James, 2001) There are four main perspectives of child development. These theories stem from three opposing philosophies which attempt to define the essential nature of humanity as embodied in the newborn child. Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) believed children to be inherently sinful. He believed that development should be shaped by control and discipline. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) believed children to be inherently innocent; his supporters advocate that development is shaped by following children’s natural stages. The theories of Hobbes and Rousseau are classified as nativist theories; maintaining that childhood is a natural process. John Locke (1632-1704) didn’t view children as either inherently sinful or innocent, but rather a ‘tabua rasa’ (blank slate) to be written on by experience; those influenced by him maintain the chief factor of development is experience.   Locke’s Theory is classified as empiricist; advocating that childhood is a social and cult ural process. Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) believed children to be born with mental structures specifically designed to interpret information from the environment; the essence of development being interaction. Kant sets the tone for the ‘transactional models’ of development; not viewing childhood as exclusively a natural or exclusively a social process, but a combination of the two. Thomas Hobbes believed that all human beings were born with original sin, therefore all children were born evil and had to be ‘saved’. The prime factors of development were control and discipline. He was an important influence to the formation of the Methodist church. The theory that children were inherently sinful was very desirable and easily identifiable from an Armenian perspective; people believed that children learned obedience to God through obedience to their parents. Childhood was a time of strict parenting and harsh discipline: â€Å"Severe beatings of children in the name of discipline were common occurrences. Heaven was sometimes described to children in Sunday school as a place where children are never beaten†. (Newman and Smith, 1999) This view was apparent in the early nineteenth century in Hannah More’s evangelical writings on child rearing. She too argued that it was a fundamental error to view children as inherently innocent and it should be down to society to curb their evil dispositions. The omnipresence of God and Satan in every person’s life was an unchallenged premise: â€Å"The hard line view of infants as limbs of Satan persisted throughout the eighteenth century†. (Ezell, M.J.M, 1984) This harsh and unsentimental view of children was not just religiously, but also demographically and economically motivated. Infant mortalities were extremely high; between twenty and fifty percent of babies died within their first year. Many parents referred to their child as â€Å"it† until they reached an age when survival was probable.   Although it is problematic to speculate, it seems plausible that parents were consciously detached from their children as a coping mechanism, should they not survive into adulthood. Although Hobbes advocated a nativist perspective on the essential nature of children, the religious attitudes which he and his contemporaries would have taken for granted as truth are now dormant in the majority of Western societies (apart from some remaining puritan cultures).   Any who did share the popular religious view would not have been recorded.   This validates James and Prouts assertion that childhood is â€Å"constructed and reconstructed†. Hobbesian views of childhood did not unfold naturally, but were constructed through social discourse. Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed the exact opposite to Hobbes; that children are not inherently sinful, but are inherently innocent, and would develop naturally in positive ways if allowed to do so. He referred to children as ‘noble savages’, this romantic notion supposes that all humanity is born pure and good until corrupted by civilisation. The environment does not have a positive, but has a negative affect on development: â€Å"Everything is good in leaving the hands of the Creator of Things; everything degenerates at the hands of man†. (Rousseau, 1762) During the eighteenth century, views of childhood began to change; children were seen as innocent and in need of protection, (not unlike the way we see them today) consequently though, they were also viewed as weak and susceptible to temptation. Along with the notion of protection came the notion of discipline, as parents taught their children to avoid the enticements of their social world. Until the late 1800s, child labour was commonly practiced and accepted. It is reported that up to half of all workers in northern factories were children under the age of eleven. Children worked as long and as hard as adults. Because of their small size, they were sometimes given difficult and hazardous jobs, like cleaning out the insides of narrow factory chimneys. In poor urban families, parents often forced their children to engage in scavenging and street peddling.   Rousseau’s observations were not surprising given that the desire to protect children was coupled with their seemingly inevitable exploitation. Although chiefly belonging to the realms of Romanticism, Rousseau’s theory did have practical psychological applications. He is attributed with presenting the first truly developmental account of childhood, through his emphasis on maturation and stages of development. His book; â€Å"Emile† (On Education)(1762) suggests children should be allowed an ‘Age of Nature’ covering the period from birth to twelve years. This should be a time in which children be allowed to play and have their natural innocence respected.    It is Rousseau’s emphasis in allowing the child to indulge their natural stages of development which is his legacy to child development. Fredrich Froebel (1782-1852): the pioneer of the kindergarten movement and designer of toy building blocks shared Rousseau’s vision: â€Å"The child, the boy, man indeed should know no other endeavour but to be at every stage of development wholly what this stage calls for† (Froebel 1885). The idea of natural stages of development sets the tone for contemporary teaching templates by setting guidelines for what is considered ‘developmentally appropriate’ practice, especially the balance of play and teaching within early years education. Although Rousseau’s legacy can be illustrated in modern day views of childhood, it is his practical advice about nurturing the Childs natural development, and not his nativist perspective which persists.   John Locke’s theory contrasts both Hobbes and Rousseau’s. He didn’t believe that children were born inherently evil or innocent, but rather a blank slate. He saw the character of childhood as extremely malleable; experience being the sole factor of development. He recommended parents as tutors, responsible for providing the right environment and offering moral guidance in which to shape and nurture their children into mature, rational adults.   Locke was the pioneer of the Educationalist movement. His essay,† Some thoughts concerning education† (1693)asserts that; â€Å"a Childs mind must be educated before he is instructed†.   Although some of his critics accused Locke of â€Å"despiritulising† childhood, his theory permeated throughout society: â€Å"The root of all corruption is poor Education† (Osborne London Journal, 1732.) Locke’s theories echo contemporary debates concerning modern family values. The infamous ‘Back to Basics’ conservative campaign of the early 1990’s suggested that a breakdown in traditional family values was responsible for a degenerating Britain. In May 2002, Patricia Amos was jailed for sixty days because of her daughter’s persistent truancy. Most recently, in response to a spate of teenage shootings in East London in February 2007, leader of the opposition; David Cameron controversially proposed that absent fathers are responsible for an emerging class of feral children.   These attitudes don’t assume that children are passive receivers of their environment as Locke believed, but do demonstrate the huge onus of social responsibility he proposed. Immanuel Kant viewed the key influence on development to be interaction. He agreed with Locke that experience plays a crucial role in learning but argued that knowledge could not arise from what is taken in by the senses alone. Kant acknowledges the child as an active agent in their own development. He deems it unreasonable to assume that children are just passive receivers of external stimuli or blind followers of a pre-determined biological pattern. The precipitator of development becomes the continuous interaction between the two. Both nature and the environment are equally significant. Kant creates the framework for the transactional models of development which assume the child to be an active autonomous agent in their own development and attempt to explain this relationship of cause and effect that they have with their environment.   This is the most popular start point for modern child development theories, such as social constructivist theories.   The religiously dictated views of Hobbes and Romanticism motivated views of Rousseau are unconvincing to a modern audience. Their legacies are derivative of their child rearing advice and not their rigid perspectives. James and Prouts assertion that â€Å"childhood is constructed and reconstructed is convincing enough to dispel these solely nativist theories. Locke’s emphasis on education (although not to the extent he proposed) is echoed by today’s politicians.   It seems reasonable to assume that the real character of childhood is an interactive process between the two as proposed by Kant. .   In the civilised world, the onus of social responsibility to our children has always been great and is growing. Underlining the socially constructed character of childhood has had a great influence on our attitudes; therefore childhood has probably been viewed to a greater extent as a social and cultural process than it has been viewed as a ‘natural process’.

Sexual Harassment In The Workplace :: Quid pro quo harassment, hostile environment

The phrase â€Å"sexual harassment† became highly publicized in 1975 as activists and writers began addressing the problem. Shortly after 1980, articles and publications in regards to sexual harassment spread rampantly as the result of congressional hearings, increased litigation, and the adoption of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines. Harassment on the basis of sex is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Right Act 1964. Title VII states, â€Å"Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment; submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting the individual; or such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment. Sexual harassment consists of verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, imposed on the basis of sex, by an employee or agent of a recipient that denies, limits, provides different, or conditions the provision of aid, benefits, services or treatment protected under Title VII.† [1] Sexual harassment is categorized as a form of sexual discrimination, which constitutes this behavior as illegal under existing federal and state laws. To enforce these laws, Congress has mandated federal agencies accountable for ensuring the full compliance of workplaces and educational establishments. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was established to enforce Title VII and to investigate allegations of discrimination. In November 1980 the EEOC published specific guidelines on sexual harassment, which lucidly states that sexual harassment is a form of sexual discrimination. The EEOC uses a very complex definition, but everything in regards to sexual harassment is covered within the confines of these guidelines. These guidelines cover many key points. These key points, plus court decisions provide the legal definition of sexual harassment and spell out the rights and responsibilities of employers and employees. Section A of the guidelines states, that unwelcome sexual advances, request for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment. Sexual Harassment In The Workplace :: Quid pro quo harassment, hostile environment The phrase â€Å"sexual harassment† became highly publicized in 1975 as activists and writers began addressing the problem. Shortly after 1980, articles and publications in regards to sexual harassment spread rampantly as the result of congressional hearings, increased litigation, and the adoption of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines. Harassment on the basis of sex is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Right Act 1964. Title VII states, â€Å"Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment; submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting the individual; or such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment. Sexual harassment consists of verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, imposed on the basis of sex, by an employee or agent of a recipient that denies, limits, provides different, or conditions the provision of aid, benefits, services or treatment protected under Title VII.† [1] Sexual harassment is categorized as a form of sexual discrimination, which constitutes this behavior as illegal under existing federal and state laws. To enforce these laws, Congress has mandated federal agencies accountable for ensuring the full compliance of workplaces and educational establishments. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was established to enforce Title VII and to investigate allegations of discrimination. In November 1980 the EEOC published specific guidelines on sexual harassment, which lucidly states that sexual harassment is a form of sexual discrimination. The EEOC uses a very complex definition, but everything in regards to sexual harassment is covered within the confines of these guidelines. These guidelines cover many key points. These key points, plus court decisions provide the legal definition of sexual harassment and spell out the rights and responsibilities of employers and employees. Section A of the guidelines states, that unwelcome sexual advances, request for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment.

Nike vs Adidas Essay

My area of study for this project would be more on comparing the performances for Nike and Adidas for the past 5 years. In this project I would explain the performance such as growth in profits, revenues, market share, the company employers and employees, size of the market share, steps for increasing the social performance, products performance, dividends per share, assets and the company investment. Nike and Adidas and have been the top two leading sport companies in the sport industry over the past few decades. These two companies sell and offer wide range of products for the customers and their products offered is mainly on sports wear for men and women and caters to consumers from different age groups. Their products consist on clothing such as jerseys, shirts, t-shirts, shorts and pants. These companies also provide the customers varieties of footwear such as sports shoes, casual shoes, boots, sandals and stockings. Besides that, fashion accessories are also offered from these three companies such as bags, watch, bracelets, wallets and purse. And lastly they also offer a wide range of sport gears for their customers. Nike and Adidas have also been the top sponsors in the sport industry. Sponsoring their products is important for the companies to get brand recognition, building their brand image and to promote their latest products. Nike and Adidas have been sponsoring equipments, clothing and accessories for athletes and coaches in sport tournaments and events. For instance, these three companies sponsor their products for football, soccer, basketball, baseball and many more. These companies also include slogan and motto for their company. Nike’s motto is â€Å"Just Do It’ which is the signature of the brand which makes their products and the company recognizable to consumers. As for Adidas, their current motto is â€Å"Impossible is Nothing† which serves as an encouragement to athletes for their sports. Origins and History of Nike and Adidas Nike, originally known as Blue Ribbon Sports was founded by University of Oregeon track athlete Philip Knight and his coach Bill Bowerman in January 1964. The company initially operated as a distributor for Japanese shoe maker Onitsuka Tiger, making most sales at track meets out of Knight’s automobile. The company’s profits grew quickly, and in 1966, Blue Ribbon Sports opened its first retail store, located on Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica, California. By 1971, the relationship between Blue Ribbon Sports and Onitsuka Tiger was nearing an end. BRS prepared to launch its own line of footwear, which would bear the newly designed Swoosh by Carolyn Davidson. The Swoosh was first used by Nike in June 1971, and was registered with the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office on January 22, 1974. Adidas was founded in 1948 by Adolf â€Å"Adi† Dassler, following the split of Gebruder Dassler Schuhfabrik between him and his older brother, Rudolf. Rudolf would later establish Puma, which was the early rival of Adidas. Registered in 1949, Adidas is currently based in Herzogenaurach, Germany. The company’s clothing and shoe designs typically feature three parallel bars, and the same motif is incorporated into Adidas’s current official logo. The â€Å"Three Stripes† were bought from the Finnish sport company Karhu Sports in the 1950s. Objective The objective of the project is to measure and compare the marketing strategies of the top two sport fashion companies which are Nike and Adidas. So this project would be mainly conducted to resolute the similarities and differences of the two sport companies marketing strategies. Besides that, this project will compare on the performance of Nike and Adidas which include the company’s growth in revenues, profits or net income, dividends per share, size of company in the market, performances of employees, steps for increasing the social responsibility performance, products performance, stock performance and the company performances in investment. Problem Statement Firstly, the sport industry is becoming ever more competitive, with new brands competing for a share of consumers for the products in the market. Building a relationship with customers is a challenge facing for Nike and Adidas. This is because the companies need to be followed up with new trends and styles in the industry for their customers in order for them to build their products brand and image. Secondly, there was a case happened in China where a local Chinese domestic sports goods manufacturer company called Li Ning opened 6917 stores in mainland China by December 31,2008 aking it 1241 more than the year of 2007. During the year 2008, Li Ning has published its financial report which states that due to the Beijing Olympic Games, the company made total revenues of CNY 669(million) a year on-year-increase of 53. 8% compared to the year 2007. Not only that, Li Ning made an overall entry into the market of Southeast Asia. Now they have stores in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and other Southeast Asia countries. This became a problem for Nike and Adidas where the two international giants see recession in their performance in China. According to the financial report of Adidas, the company’s net profit decreased by 95% to â‚ ¬ 130 million in the first half of the year. As for the sales revenue, it decreased by 2% to â‚ ¬ 5. 03 billion. As for Nike numbers of distributors were reduced in the year 2008 due with the bad performance. Thirdly, the problem that attracted me to do this project is because I would like to know why Nike had low growth in revenue in the year of 2009. Nike had only increased 3% of its revenue to $ 19176. (million), with net income falling 21% to $ 1486. 7(million). As for Adidas, they also had the same problem. But the problem for Adidas was worst compared to Nike because at the year of 2009, the company net income is â‚ ¬ 10381(million) which decreased compared to the year 2008 which is â‚ ¬ 10799(million). These two companies had their difficulties is the year of 2009. So I would eager to find out about the problems they faced during that year. Significance of Study The importance of doing this project would be very important to other parties and companies. In this case, small and medium enterprise (SME) would get the advantages and benefits because they would know how the bigger companies such as Nike and Adidas operates their businesses, how they sell their products and services to their customers, what kind of marketing strategies they use, how the companies measure their performances and the most important reason is how Nike and Adidas continues to become a big market player in the sports industry. As part of that, this project will comprise mainly of small to medium-sized companies to engage in a diversity of activities which includes manufacturing of sport goods, sport tourism, media, and construction of venues. For example, small and medium enterprise (SME) in Malaysia can take the opportunity to get involved with sport products, services, sponsorships, hosting up international sport tournaments and events. And not to forget, the involvement of (SME) would also helps our country in the tourism sector because many athletes and participants will get to travel and visit our country and this will relatively build the countries economic performances. Corporate social responsibilities (CSR) also play a role for every sport companies in responsibility to act in a way that positively contributes to their stakeholders and the communities in which they exist. In this case, it is increasingly important for the social and economic issues such as rapid technological change, a diverse and aging population, environmental changes and mounting concerns regarding the country’s growing social divide have resulted in focusing on the responsibility of firms to the communities in which they operate. (Margolis & Walsh 2003; Sagawa & Segal 2000) Justification The reason I chose this topic is because the project is interesting as sports is an important part of today’s society and plays a large role in many people’s lives. From a social standpoint, sport plays a positive role in uniting people from different social backgrounds. This can aid people’s understanding and tolerance of each other. As far as education is concerned, sport is an important part of every child’s schooling, as it plays a big role in both their physical and mental development. It teaches children how to work as a part of a team and cooperate with others, while at the same time improving physical condition. The second reason I chose sports industry because this industry is growing rapidly in Malaysia. There are continuous demands from customers, sports athletes, and models for these sport products. The Malaysian sport industry is considered as a young industry comprising of small and medium-sized businesses. The Malaysian sports industry comprises of companies engaging in a diversity of activities, from the manufacturing of sport goods, sport tourism, media, to the construction of sport facilities. The third why I chose these two companies is because Nike and Adidas has been the biggest market share player in the sports industry. Nike controls 31% of athletic sportswear which is the highest market share compared to other sport companies in the year 2007. As for Adidas, they control the second highest share of athletic sportswear which is 16% of the market in 2007. As for other companies Puma controls 7%, Reebok 6%, New Balance 6%, and Converse 4%. Expected Outcomes The expected outcome which I can conclude is Nike would have the better performance for this year 2010 because their net income/profit for the past few years have been stable. Ever since the year of 2006, Nike’s net income/profit stands at $ 1392. (million). As for the year 2007, it increased to $ 1491. 5(million). At the year 2008, Nike’s net income/profit increased with huge and outstanding amount of $ 1883. 4(million). But by the year of 2009, their company had a decreased in their net income/profit which is $ 1486. 7(million). As for Adidas, the company would not have a better performance compared to Nike because in the year 2009, their net income was only â‚ ¬ 245(million). Their net income decreased with a huge margin compared to the year 2008 which is â‚ ¬ 642(million). So the key impact from the financial statement of year 2009. The net income of Adidas reduced more than 60% in 2009. But Nike was capable of stabilizing the results with a minor reduction of only 20% in 2009. As for the performance of dividend development, Nike has shown increases in its number. For the year 2006, Nike’s dividends declared per common share stands at $ 0. 59. Their company dividend increased to $ 0. 98 in the year 2009. But as for Adidas, they showed a decline from the year 2006 to 2009. In the year 2006, Adidas dividends declared per common share stands at â‚ ¬ 0. 42. While in the year 2009, Adidas dividends declared per common share felt to â‚ ¬ 0. 5. As for the expected outcome for the year 2010, Nike would be expected to increase their dividends successfully because their dividend declared per common share has been rising steadily. As for the company’s asset assessment, I can expect that Nike would do better in the assets performance in the year 2010 because their total assets have been increasing from the year 2006-2009. The total of assets that Nike had in the year 2006 was $ 9,869(million), in the year of 2007, Nike’s assets increased to $ 10,688. 3(million). Last year, Nike had a total of assets of $ 13,250(million). This shows that Nike’s assets have been increasing and it is expected to rise in the year 2010. As for Adidas, their company’s total asset is not stable from the year shown in 2006-2009. In 2006, Adidas totals assets stands at â‚ ¬ 8379(million). It decreased on the following year to 8325(million). As for the year 2008, their total assets were increased to â‚ ¬ 9533(million). As for 2009, their total assets decreased to a total of â‚ ¬ 8875(million). Ever since Adidas total of assets is not stable, I can expect that Nike would do better in the assets performance. References http://condor.depaul.edu/~aalmaney/StrategicAnalysisofNike.htm http://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1693768.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike,_Inc http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adidas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reebok

Benefit and Disadvantagers of Internet

bachelor of education (teaching of english as a second language) oumh (1303)  learning skill for open distance learners  the benefits of internet to student and the detrimental effects of the internet on students prepared by: muhammad afeeq bin abd latif matric number: 921125065059001 i/c number: 921125-06-5059 telephone number: 013-9664922 e-mail address: [email  protected] com tutor name: mr. ahmad izanee bin awang  learning centre:kuantan  Table of content Introduction1 The benefits of internet to student A tool to gain information2 Communication3 Online service3 Entertainment4 The detrimental effects of the Internet on students Web addiction5 Pornography6 Reduced physical activity7 Cyber crime8 suggestion9 reference 11 Introduction Nowadays, internet has become something very important to a student. For them, it can enormously help their studies. According to Allen B. Ury (2011), for doing high school or college research, Internet is an essential tool.We can find valuab le material on practically any subject within minutes if not seconds by skillfully using Internet search engines and subject directories. By knowing how to effectively search for and cite reputable Web sites can be an essential part of their academic success for those students who taking courses online. As mentioned by Rahul Pandita (2011), Internet has proved to be one of the most innovative inventions for us. It has made its presence felt in every sphere of our life, be it economy, society, health care, spirituality, etc.Prominent among its benefits is the impact it has had on the education sector. Rahul Pandita (2011) also said that students can now gain access to innumerable research papers, apart from getting latest updates in the field of science, technology and almost everything in conjuction of education. But as they say, â€Å"With great power comes great responsibility†, Internet has created new challenges for the society and most threatening among these is the impa ct it has had on student and children. Young people love to use computers rather than read a book.Web pages  are much more up-to-date than old text books that were previously used for studying, so not only is the information accurate, but it is also designed to engage  students  in a way that they find entertaining. The Internet also allows  students  to research and learn about topics that would previously be unknown to them due to lack of resources. Some schools do not  provide  every single book on a specific subject, but with the Internet, the learning possibilities are limitless, everything is just in their finger tips.The purpose of this task is to discuss about â€Å"The benefits and detrimental effects of Internet on students†. The benefits of internet to student There a few of benefits of internet toward the student : i. A tool to gain information. These days, student’s life without internet is very difficult. They do a lot of work by using the i nternet especially in searching for information. This is because, gaining information from internet is much more easier than those old books, it can shorten our time. Get online information is the freest way in the world.Nowadays, people need to understand more and more. They want to know the newest news. According to Jayashree Parhare (2011), any kind of information is available on the internet as long as on it is any topic under the sun is. It can be done by using the search engines such as Google, Yahoo are at your service on the internet. There is huge amount of information available on the Internet for just about every subject known to man, ranging from government law and services, trade fair and conference, market information, new ideas and technical support, the list is simply endless.According to Ashwini Ambekar (2008), students can use this wealth of information to learn new things about the subjects they are interested in and for their school projects or research and it is particularly relevant. In addition, this internet is a blessing for many schools and universities that are now able to accede projects and work to the students and follow their progress which is can be easily posted on the school or university websites So, since internet provides almost everything, students can use it to help them or to make their work easier on doing research or looking for any information. i. Communication. Communication is very important to a student, and internet one of the way that make student’s communication easier and faster. As a student, they need to see their lecturers, send or submit their task and assignment by hand, call someone by using cellphone which is wasting their money, time and energy. With internet has opened up new avenues for communication, according to Ashwini Ambekar (2008), email facility let people to communicate with somebody with minimum wastage of time.As Matt Remley (2010) said in his article, It is now possible to send an in stant message and also voice messaging to any part of the world through a simple email address and the message is delivered in a matter of seconds. According to Stephen Cook (2008), by using the Internet, there are many type of ways that people can get connected with one another. For examples, email, chat, forums, social networking sites, and real-time  video chat websites. Stephen Cook (2008) also mentioned that the Internet is truly spectacular in how it allows us to get in touch with one another which is you can easily talk to anybody on the other side of the world.With this kind of facilities, students will have more time to do other works rather than finish their time on something that can waste their time. iii. Online services. Online service is one of the greatest benefit of internet towards the student. It can make student’s life easier. There are many types of online services, for example online shopping, online banking and others. Online banking is very useful, ac cording to Edward James (2010), you can access your account within 5 minutes, make a payment, request a cheque book.It is not only for those who doing businesses only, but also to anybody who has an account saving. Furthermore, we can set up direct debits and standing orders, cancel direct debits and standing orders, view historic statements. The list is endless. The best part of it is according to Cody Hodge (2010), when you do your banking online, you are going to skip the drive and just get a phone call after submitting a query to the bank. What sounds easier to you is we don’t have to wasting our lunch hour to go to the bank.Next, according to Ram Gupta (2012) in his article, when online shopping was introduced, shoppers feel that involving themselves in it is a risky affair and uncomfortable to reveal their personal information such as credit cards details. But today, things have change and shoppers became confident to use it and get anything under the sun after realize the benefit of it especially to students. There are a few advantages of online shopping according to Mansi Chitranshi  (2009), online services give you variety of choice and also offers us an extensive range of selection.Not only that, but it also available for 24 hours a day which lets you shop anytime, this is very meaningful to student since time is very precious to them. Last but not lease, Mansi Chitranshi (2009) also said that you can find radically lower prices and cheapest deals with online purchasing. iv. Entertainment According to Kaiz Karen (2009), on internet we can search all types of entertainment from watching films to playing games online. Almost anyone can find the right kind of entertainment for themselves according to their taste. When people surf the internet, there are numerous things that can be found on it.Start from music, hobbies, news and more can be found and shared on the Internet. The best part of it which is love by the students is there are numerous games that can be downloaded from the Internet for free without any charge at any time. As Vibhuti Arora (2006) said we can read those funny e-mails from friends or that have been provided by the internet. Not only that, but you can make all your friends around the world laugh. Even if you are not good at cracking jokes, you can simply download them from the internet and forward them to your friends.This kind of entertainment is important to a student. The detrimental effects of the Internet on students i. Web Addiction. Many students find that internet help them a lot in conjunction of helping them to make their learning easier or use it as a tool to find some information. But without noticing, they are actually wasting their time. According to Joanna, Melinda smith and Lawrence Robinson (2012) in their article, people who in unpleasant feelings such as stress, loneliness, depression, and anxiety, they will turn to the internet just to make them feel better.Joanna, et al. 2012) als o stated that the Internet can be an easily accessible outlet when you have a bad day and or to quickly relieve stress or self-soothe or are looking for a way to escape your problems. Losing yourself online can temporarily make feelings such as loneliness, stress, anxiety, depression, and boredom evaporate into thin air and it will definitely drag your time. Lately, internet has provided many social networks such as Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Blogs and others. This kind of social networks can drag student’s time a lot because when we sign-in into it, they will get stuck on it.According to Jane Demerica (2009), many people that sign up for the internet find themselves spending endless hours chatting, surfing or â€Å"pimping out† their social networks page. This is an unhealthy addiction and you should probably force yourself to get out of the chair and walk away for a few hours. According to Abhijit Naik (2011) in his article about Facebook addiction, facebook provide new friends, games, event plans and many more. While all these activities are enjoyable, you will forget that you have an actual life to live at times you get so used to them.The time you forget about the fact and start spending your precious time on online, then neglecting yourself as well as people around you, and that mean you are now suffering from this addiction disorder without you notice it. Jane Demerica (2009) also said that, This kind of behavior will disorganize student’s life especially on their schedule. This can lead to unhealthy life for example they will late for their meals which is very important to them, they will be fibrous or not-well taken care because they are too busy with the internet.Last but not lease, as mentioned by Deepa Kartha (2010), student are going ignore their study and it can lead to poor performance at university. ii. Pornography. Jayashree Pakhare said in his article that â€Å"pornography is perhaps the biggest disadvantage of interne t. It allows you to access and download millions of pornography photos, videos and other X-rated stuff. Such unrestricted access to porn can be detrimental for children and teenagers. It can even play a havoc in marital and social lives of adults especially to students† (2011).Studies have shown that almost every men and most women have been exposed to pornography as told by Lifesitenew. com (2002). According to Elisbeth Deffner (n. d. ), there were plenty of opportunities for people to view pornographic images or read pornographic material before the Internet became so prevalent which from videos, magazines, and books. But as for now, people can easily access pornographic Web sites in the privacy of their own homes. It’s part of a larger issue called â€Å"sexual addiction,† which is â€Å"any kind of sexual behavior that a person continues to engage in despite negative consequences† says Dr.Omar Minwalla, the clinical supervisor at the Sexual Recovery In stitute in Los Angeles. Pornography is like drugs, once we get use to it, we will definitely get addicted by it and for sure will give many disadvantages toward the students. According to Joanna, et al. (2012), students can adversely affect real-life relationships, career, and emotional health by compulsively spending hours on the Internet viewing pornography or engaging in other cybersex activities. It could increase the percentage of misbehavior and these leads to adultery, free sex, and even worst child abandonment.As mention by Rahul Pandita (2011), it can cause them to became either sexually-deviant or sexually-addictive, these phenomenon also course the increase of prevalence sexually transmitted diseases among teenagers especially to a student. He also mentioned that the pornography that is present on the Internet promotes irresponsible sex and creates false notions in the minds of students. According to Stephen Rampur (n. d. ), Individuals who are addicted to this type are m ostly teenagers and youngsters. It can have an adverse effect on a child's attitude towards relationships.People who are addicted to online pornography spend hours watching or downloading porn. iii. Reduced Physical Activity According to Rahul Pandita (2011), since internet provides a lot of games and available to play, it has made most student to shut all outdoor activity. If students are lack of physical activity, they can easily fall prey to a lot of lifestyle related diseases for example obesity, apart from failing to develop interpersonal skills. Rahul Pandita (2011) also mentioned that by sitting continuously in front of a computer screen fot couple of hours can seriously and put a strain on our neck and shoulders and damage our eyes.These factors can create life-long problems for them. As Leena Palande (2011) said, when students are busy with the internet, they will definitely lack of exercise and it is the main morbid obesity causes. student spend most of their time in front of the the computer playing video games or computer games and chat day and night, surfing on the Internet which can lead to possibility of gaining weight. Leena Palande (2011) also mentioned, not only student, Even adults also have to spend most of their time in front of a computer, since computers have become an invariable part of every profession, business, organization and education.Use of machines in every field has reduced physical activity significantly. According to Vinci rufus (n. d. ), students are tent to spend a couple of hours in front of the monitor non-stop and not going out could also cause social problems, the most bad part of it,it will make us shy and introvert. Those who stuck to their machines all day aren't getting any exercise. As such their bodies start to be fail, especially when they opt for quick-fix meals that aren't terribly nutritious. This extends to personal hygiene, as well, as we tend not to notice our own stink, said by Matt Bird (2009). v. Cyber-c rime Cyber or internet crime can affect students’ life. There has never been a set in stone definition of cybercrime. According to Charlotte Raynor Piiggush (2008), the easiest way to difine cybercrime is any illegal activity done through or by using the internet or on the computer. Uttara Manohar (2011) also defined in his article that internet crime is a recently escalating form of crime that started with the rise of the Internet era. Any criminal activities, which is carried out through the Internet or by means of the Internet, is generally termed as Internet crime.According to Uttara Manohar (2011), there are a few types of internet crime. Here is the example of the criminal activity that indirectly can make students life chaotic. First is hacking, hacking is a process where someone attempts to exploit the security settings of a computer system is known as hacking. The hackers can hack into several websites or personal accounts and threaten the security on the Internet. E very day, students are expose to it, email to a student is a must. Sometimes, by using email is one of the way of hacking. According to M. J.Joachim (2010), Hackers use email addresses to change computer codes, often sending out messages with attachments that read and detect personal information, this always happen to students when are transferring things like bank account numbers, passwords and all sorts of personal information that they use for their own purposes. It is not uncommon for hackers to change passwords of their victim’s private Internet accountssuch as facebook account, email and others, making it impossible for victims to access their own information, simply by obtaining an email address from their prey.Another cyber crime is viruses. As mentioned by Shashank Nakate (2012), These are computer programs which have the potential to harm and give damage to a computer system. According to M. J. Joachim (2010) also said viruses cause millions of dollars in damage, lo st data and computer contamination each year. A simple email address is all it takes for savvy cyber criminals to implant dangerous viruses and spread them throughout the Internet. Suggestion Eventhough internet gives us a lot of pleasure and make our life easier, but there will always the side effect of it.If we did not monitor it properly and carefully, it will definitely make us suffer one day and then give damages to our life especially to a student. Since students is one of the biggest user of internet, they are the person who easily receive the impact. Thus, it is very important to them to know how to cope and avoid these problem. Here is some suggestion on how to combat it. i. Internet addiction One of the biggest problem of internet is web addiction. Internet can drag our time unnoticeable.As mentioned by Elizabeth Hartney (2011), one of the way is by knowing the symptoms of Internet addiction. Knowledge is the greatest thing, and knowing all the symptoms of internet addicti on will make you to evaluate your own online behavior and be aware of any symptoms that might be dragging your time. Elizabeth Hartney (2011) also emphasize to monitor your own internet usage and behavior. keep track of your internet behavior with my internet tracking form. Use the guidelines that come with it to evaluate your own internet behavior, not what you see or believe other students are doing.Drea Christopher (2010) propose to learn to limit your time carefully by keeping a timer by the computer and only allow yourself a limited amount of hours to spend on the Internet each day or week. ii. Pornography Since porn becoming more easily available through the Internet, some people may struggle with an addiction to it. So, it is very important to student to avoid it because if they continue with it, it will ruin their physical and also health. According to Katy Linsao, et al (2012) there are a few step on how to avoid it. First, make sure that you know that you are an addict.The n, find something else to do to occupy your time and mind, it is because you will not think about porn. You can manage it by going somewhere or spend time with friends. Katy et. Al. (2012) also mentioned, the best part of it is by find a support group or get qualified therapist who can provide guidance. According to Abdul Malik (2011), make sure that you are surfing web when others are around. iii. Reduced Physical Activity Since students relay so much on internet, they are tent to spend a lot of time with. Without noticing that they are actually wasting their time.But, the bad part of it is it can affect student physical problems or health. So it is very important to them to avoid it so because prevent is better that cure. There are many ways to overcome it. First, get yourself busy with other activties rather than finish your time on the internet, such as going for a movie with your friend, sports and others. Socializing is very important. The most important of it is, get some exe rcise to make yourself fit or get sweet. You also can have a hobby such as playing football, badminton, swimming and others.With it, it will divert your attraction from internet. Because if we spend continuously on the internet, we might get obesity. iv. Cyber crime Many students involve in internet crime and it affect them very much. They can take measures to decrease their risk of becoming the victim of cybercrime by adhering to a few simple Internet usage ways of rules. First, you must always remember to log off and shut down your computers when they are not being used. Cyber criminals often scan networks searching for â€Å"always on† computers, which they consider readily accessible and unattended targets.By minimizing the amount of time computers are powered on and connected to the Internet, people can reduce their vulnerability to hacking attacks. (Scot Huntsberry 2012) Next, Scot Huntsberry (2012) mentioned that users have to install and maintain both antivirus and fi rewall programs. These applications serve as a first line of defence against viruses and other malicious computer programs designed to circumvent security features within computers’ operating systems.Additionally, operating system developers regularly release updates or â€Å"patches. To increase your computer’s security, you should install these updates as soon as they become available in order to avoid cyber crime. users should never open or download email attachments from unknown senders because cyber criminals frequently disguise malicious software as images or documents attached to email messages. ( 3327 words )Reference 1. Abhijit Naik, (2011). Facebook Addiction. [Online]. Available: http://www. buzzle. com/articles/facebook-addiction. html 2. Abdul Malik Mujahid (2011). 29 Tips for teen on how to handle Pornography. [Online]. Available: http://www. oundvision. com/info/life/porn/15tips. asp 3. Allen B. Ury, (2009). How To Do Research On The Internet. [Online]. Available: http://news. everestonline. edu/post/2009/07/research-on-the-internet 4. Ashwini Ambekar, (2008). Advantages and Disadvantages of the Internet. [Online]. Available: http://www. articleswave. com/computer-articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-the-internet. html 5. 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Mansi Chitranshi, (2009).Benefits of Shopping Online. [Online]. Available: http://www. articleswave. com/shopping-articles/benefits-of-shopping-online. html 19. Matt Remley, (2010). The Advantages Of The Internet. [Online]. Available: http://www. helium. com/items/1938399-advantages-of-the-internet 20. M. J. Joanchim, (2010). Internet email crime and security information. [Online]. Available: http://www. helium. com/items/1952123-cyberstalking-email-crime-internet-crime-fraud-identity-theft-internet-crime-prevention 21. Rahul Pandita, (2011). Negative Effects of Internet on Children. [Online]. Available: http://www. buzzle. om/articles/negative-effects-of-the-internet-on-children. html 22. Ram Gupta, (2012). Real Benefits Of Online Shopping. [Online]. Available: http://article-niche. com/launch/Real-Benefits-Of-Online-Shopping. htm 23. Scot Huntsberry, (2012). Avoid Becoming a Victim of Cybercrime. [Online]. 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Great White Fleet Circles the Globe

Great White Fleet Circles the Globe A Rising Power In the years after its triumph in the Spanish-American War, the United States quickly grew in power and prestige on the world stage. A newly established imperial power with possessions that included Guam, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico, it was felt that the United States needed to substantially increase its naval power to retain its new global status. Led by the energy of President Theodore Roosevelt, the US Navy built eleven new battleships between 1904 and 1907. While this construction program greatly grew the fleet, the combat effectiveness of many of the ships was jeopardized in 1906 with the arrival of the all-big gun HMS Dreadnought. Despite this development, the expansion of naval strength was fortuitous as Japan, recently triumphant in the Russo-Japanese War after victories at Tsushima and Port Arthur, presented a growing threat in the Pacific. Concerns with Japan Relations with Japan were further stressed in 1906, by a series of laws which discriminated against Japanese immigrants in California. Touching off anti-American riots in Japan, these laws were ultimately repealed at Roosevelts insistence. While this aided in calming the situation, relations remained strained and Roosevelt became concerned about the US Navys lack of strength in the Pacific. To impress upon the Japanese that the United States could shift its main battle fleet to the Pacific with ease, he began devising a world cruise of the nations battleships. Roosevelt had effectively utilized naval demonstrations for political purposes in the past as earlier that year he had deployed eight battleships to the Mediterranean to make a statement during the Franco-German Algeciras Conference. Support at Home In addition to sending a message to the Japanese, Roosevelt wished to provide the American public with a clear understanding that the nation was prepared for a war at sea and sought to secure support for the construction of additional warships. From an operational standpoint, Roosevelt and naval leaders were eager to learn about the endurance of American battleships and how they would stand up during long voyages. Initially announcing that the fleet would be moving to the West Coast for training exercises, the battleships gathered at Hampton Roads in late 1907 to take part in the Jamestown Exposition. Preparations Planning for the proposed voyage required a full assessment of the US Navys facilities on the West Coast as well as across the Pacific. The former were of particular importance as it was expected the fleet would require a full refit and overhaul after steaming around South America (the Panama Canal was not yet open). Concerns immediately arose that the only navy yard capable of servicing the fleet was at Bremerton, WA as the main channel into San Franciscos Mare Island Navy Yard was too shallow for battleships. This necessitated the re-opening of a civilian yard on Hunters Point in San Francisco. The US Navy also found that arrangements were needed to ensure that the fleet could be refueled during the voyage. Lacking a global network of coaling stations, provisions were made to have colliers meet the fleet at prearranged locations to permit refueling. Difficulties soon arose in contracting sufficient American-flagged ships and awkwardly, especially given the point of the cruise, the majority of the colliers employed were of British registry. Around the World Sailing under command of Rear Admiral Robley Evans, the fleet consisted of the battleships USS Kearsarge, USS Alabama, USS Illinois, USS Rhode Island , USS Maine, USS Missouri, USS Ohio, USS Virginia, USS Georgia, USS New Jersey, USS Louisiana, USS Connecticut, USS Kentucky, USS Vermont, USS Kansas, and USS Minnesota. These were supported by a Torpedo Flotilla of seven destroyers and five fleet auxiliaries. Departing the Chesapeake on December 16, 1907, the fleet steamed past the presidential yacht Mayflower as they left Hampton Roads. Flying his flag from Connecticut, Evans announced that the fleet would be returning home via the Pacific and circumnavigating the globe. While it is unclear whether this information was leaked from the fleet or became public after the ships arrival on the West Coast, it was not met with universal approval. While some were concerned that the nations Atlantic naval defenses would be weakened by the fleets prolonged absence, others were concerned about the cost. Senator Eugene Hale, the chairman of the Senate Naval Appropriation Committee, threatened to cut the fleets funding. To the Pacific Responding in typical fashion, Roosevelt replied that he already had the money and dared Congressional leaders to try and get it back. While the leaders wrangled in Washington, Evans and his fleet continued with their voyage. On December 23, 1907, they made their first port call at Trinidad before pressing on to Rio de Janeiro. En route, the men conducted the usual Crossing the Line ceremonies to initiate those sailors who had never crossed the Equator. Arriving in Rio on January 12, 1908, the port call proved eventful as Evans suffered an attack of gout and several sailors became involved in a bar fight. Departing Rio, Evans steered for the Straits of Magellan and the Pacific. Entering the straits, the ships made a brief call at Punta Arenas before transiting the dangerous passage without incident. Reaching Callao, Peru on February 20, the men enjoyed a nine-day celebration in honor of George Washingtons birthday. Moving on, the fleet paused for one month at Magdalena Bay, Baja California for gunnery practice. With this complete, Evans moved up the West Coast making stops at San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Monterey, and San Francisco. Across the Pacific While in port at San Francisco, Evans health continued to worsen and command of the fleet passed to Rear Admiral Charles Sperry. While the men were treated as royalty in San Francisco, some elements of the fleet traveled north to Washington, before the fleet reassembled on July 7. Before departing, Maine and Alabama were replaced by USS Nebraska and USS Wisconsin due to their high fuel consumption. In addition, the Torpedo Flotilla was detached. Steaming into the Pacific, Sperry took the fleet to Honolulu for a six-day stop before proceeding on to Auckland, New Zealand. Entering port on August 9, the men were regaled with parties and warmly received. Pushing on to Australia, the fleet made stops at Sydney and Melbourne and was met with great acclaim. Steaming north, Sperry reached Manila on October 2, however liberty was not granted due to a cholera epidemic. Departing for Japan eight days later, the fleet endured a severe typhoon off Formosa before reaching Yokohama on October 18. Due to the diplomatic situation, Sperry limited liberty to those sailors with exemplary records with the goal of preventing any incidents. Greeted with exceptional hospitality, Sperry and his officers were housed at the Emperors Palace and the famed Imperial Hotel. In port for a week, the men of the fleet were treated to constant parties and celebrations, including one hosted by famed Admiral Togo Heihachiro. During the visit, no incidents occurred and the goal of bolstering good will between the two nations was achieved. The Voyage Home Dividing his fleet in two, Sperry departed Yokohama on October 25, with half heading for a visit to Amoy, China and the other to the Philippines for gunnery practice. After a brief call in Amoy, the detached ships sailed for Manila where they rejoined the fleet for maneuvers. Preparing to head for home, the Great White Fleet departed Manila on December 1 and made a week-long stop at Colombo, Ceylon before reaching the Suez Canal on January 3, 1909. While coaling at Port Said, Sperry was alerted to a severe earthquake at Messina, Sicily. Dispatching Connecticut and Illinois to provide aid, the rest of the fleet divided to make calls around the Mediterranean. Regrouping on February 6, Sperry made final port call at Gibraltar before entering the Atlantic and setting a course for Hampton Roads. Reaching home on February 22, the fleet was met by Roosevelt aboard Mayflower and cheering crowds ashore. Lasting fourteen months, the cruise aided in the conclusion of the Root-Takahira Agreement between the United States and Japan and demonstrated that modern battleships were capable of long journeys without significant mechanical breakdowns. In addition, the voyage led to several changes in ship design including the elimination of guns near the waterline, the removal of old-style fighting tops, as well as improvements to ventilation systems and crew housing. Operationally, the voyage provided thorough sea training for both the officers and men and led to improvements in coal economy, formation steaming, and gunnery. As a final recommendation, Sperry suggested that the US Navy change the color of its ships from white to gray. While this had been advocated for some time, it was put into effect after the fleets return.

Financial performance of Intercontinental Hotels Group Plc 2009-2010 Essay

Financial performance of Intercontinental Hotels Group Plc 2009-2010 - Essay Example This can be attributed to the reduction in the cost of goods sold for the organization from 2009 to 2010. Profit margin of a company can be defined as the ratio of net profit to net sales. The margin for IHG was 18% in the year 2010. The same margin in 2009 was 13.91%. There is a considerable increase in the profit margin of the hotel. This can be attributed to the lowering of costs from 2009 to 2010. The net profit that we have considered here is including the exceptional items. If we exclude the exceptional items, we find that the ratio has decreased from 19.12% in 2009 to 17.44% in 2010. This is because the existence of high net profit margin excluding exceptional items in 2009 as compared to 2010. The value of this ratio for year 2009 and 2010 is 7.40% and 10.55% respectively. We see that there is a slight increase in the net profit from year 2009 to 2010. At the same time, total assets have come down. Therefore, there is a slight increment in the return on assets. While return on assets measure the amount of net income generated for each unit of assets, return on investment measures the amount of income generated from each unit of owners’ equity. Return on equity can be calculated by dividing the net profit by total equity. The return on equity for IHG has decreased from 2009 (137.18%) to 2010 (100.69%). This is because there is a significant increment in the total equity of the organization. The margin has increased considerably from 2009 (-0.65%) to 2010 (28.19%). In 2009, the company had high cost of goods sold and high impairment costs that resulted in the lowering of the operating profit. Hence the company had a negative operative margin in the year 2009. The high costs can be attributed to the global economic slowdown. This ratio is an indication of the financial leverage of a company. While total liabilities represented 17.54% of the total equity in 2009, it was only 8.54% of the total equity in the

Writing Assignmet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Writing Assignmet - Essay Example CQR critics, like Beeson, point out that Section 15 of the US Patriot Act violates the 1st and 4th Amendments of the constitution by curbing the rights of interfering in a citizen’s personal data without his or her knowledge. The right in this provision helps the law to identify suspects and terrorists as soon a possible. It is a god idea because it helps in obviating terrorist acts and by taking preventive measures. According to the CQR, such powers encompass the civil liberties related to the infringement of political and free speech rights. The Bush and Obama administrators were criticized for abusing civil liberties in the wake of their war on terrorism. The major civil liberties purported to be abused were the liberties related to free speech. The FBI and the CIA conducted an enquiry into the civil rights. The international group has strongly criticized the interference in a person’s fundamental rights and has stated that the individual rights always take a backseat and suffer due to these actions. 7. How does the Brandon Mayfield case support or reject this claim? You will need to look up Brandon Mayfield as he is not mentioned in this chapter. I recommend that you type his name into the Google search engine. Please avoid Wikipedia throughout the course. The Brandon Mayfield case supports the claim because Brendon was arrested not after investigation, but based on the assumption that he played a fundamental role in the bombings. Brandon Mayfield case was simply linked to a bombing case without any evidence and his credibility was hampered due to the arrest. The US law did nothing to counter the harm done to Brandon’s personality. 8. Compare the case of another detainee, Mahr Arar, (mentioned in CQR but not in the chapter associated with this assignment) with that of Brandon Mayfield: How are their cases similar and how are they different? I recommend