Google Financial Analysis

Google Competitive Strategy: Financial Analsis 5. Have Google’s business model and strategy proven to be successful? Should investors be impressed with the company’s financial performance? How does the company’s financial performance compare to that of Microsoft and Yahoo? Please conduct a financial analysis to support your position—you may wish to use the financial ratios presented in the Table 4. 1 of the text as a guide in doing your financial analysis of the company.Throughout the course of its life thus far as an entity, Google has enjoyed great success as one of the world’s leading search engine giants. Although the company’s operations are extremely diversified, Google has taken strides since its initial offering in 2004 to establish its dominance over competitors in Internet advertising. Google continues to add products, services, and features to its arsenal, which in turn increases traffic to their websites and gives them increased o pportunities to advertise.Google’s original stock price on the date of their IPO was $85, fast forward eight years and the stock currently trades at $761. 78. Steps such as the acquisition of YouTube in 2006, the introduction of the Android in 2008, their Google TV initiative, and the continuing development and sophistication of Google Apps, have all contributed to this almost 800% appreciation. While all of these strategic maneuvers have been more than satisfying for investors’ pockets, the bulk of Google’s earnings remain in advertising. In 2009, 96. 8% of Google’s total revenue came from advertising, over half of which were ads outside the United States. It is misleading to compare Google’s stock (GOOG) to that of Microsoft (MSFT) and Yahoo (YHOO) solely on the basis of price, since their prices are exponentially lower than Google’s because investors rely on dividend payouts rather than stock appreciation to provide returns. However, a mo re accurate depiction of performance can be observed when comparing the stock value of the three firms on a percentage change basis.From January 2006 through December 2010, Google’s stock appreciated 44. 35%. Compare this to Microsoft’s 6. 5%, Yahoo’s -57. 22%, and the S&P 500 index’s -0. 86%. This shows that not only did Google significantly outperform its two major competitors; it left the entire S&P index in the dust as well. Some other financial measures to consider are return on equity (ROE), earnings per share (EPS), and the current ratio. Return on equity is a measure of the return shareholders are earning on their investment in the company. In 2010 Google reported ROE of 20. 8%, meaning that for every dollar of equity capital, they are earning over 20%. Compare this to Yahoo’s 9. 83% and Microsoft’s 43. 76%. Generally the higher the ROE, the happier the investors are. EPS on the other hand measures the company’s earnings for e ach share of common stock outstanding. In 2010 Google boasted an EPS of $26. 69, whereas Yahoo and Microsoft reported per-share earnings of $0. 91 and $2. 13 respectively. This large gap can be attributed to the fact that Google has significantly less shares of common stock outstanding than the two competitors.Finally, the current ratio is a measure of the company’s ability to pay short-term obligations with readily available assets. In 2010 Google’s current ratio of 4. 16 nearly doubled that of Yahoo and Microsoft who reported 2. 67 and 2. 13 respectively. This ratio demonstrates Google’s superior liquidity in comparison with its competitors Not only has Google dominated market share in the industry, in 2010 Google was the world’s most-visited Internet site, with close to 147 million views each month.This goes hand in hand with the fact that people â€Å"Google† things when they need an answer, they don’t â€Å"Yahoo† a question or à ¢â‚¬Å"Bing† it. Works Cited All historical stock prices, percentages, and figures were provided by Yahoo! Finance. â€Å"AAPL: Summary for Apple Inc. – Yahoo! Finance. † Yahoo! Finance. N. p. , n. d. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. â€Å"GOOG: Summary for Google Inc. – Yahoo! Finance. † Yahoo! Finance. N. p. , n. d. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. â€Å"YHOO: Summary for Yahoo! Inc. – Yahoo! Finance. † Yahoo! Finance. N. p. , n. d. Web. 10 Apr. 2013.

Calyx & Corolla Case Analysis

1. The strength of the Calyx & Corolla formula is that they enhance the delivering speed so that customers get fresher flowers. Also, it lowers the cost of delivery from growers to C & C, from wholesellers to retailers, and from retailers to customers. But there are also problems in the formula. For example, it is hard to control the quality of the products. C & C has to monitor the growers and Fed, and spend extra money to maintain the high quality of the products. . Calyx & Corolla has been successful because they make delivery more efficient, which is to deliver flowers directly from growers to customers so that the plants are fresher. Also, they accurately position themselves and send catalogues to people who are likely to buy flowers. It’s an efficient way to market without a large amount of cost. Third, they developed business partners to promote selling. 3.The large growers like Sunbay Company also distribute and sell flowers themselves. They also buy flowers from other growers. Thus it is hard to control the quality of the flowers they provide. The large growers like Sunbay Company are both partners and competitors because they also sell flowers to customers. 4. They are growing the business by launching an advertising campaign. They will advertise on television emphasizing the longevity and freshness of the lowers.They will insert mini-catalogs into newspaper supplements and magazines. 5. The company is customer-oriented. They directly link consumers with growers in order to reduce the time it took to deliver, thus ensure the freshness and longevity of the consumers. They will not let flowers frozen outside the door in the cold days if they fail to deliver it, because it this will not encourage consumers to buy flowers from them again.They send catalogs regularly and change their banquets seasonally to meet consumers’ needs. All they have done is to keep the â€Å"life-time† customers. They are not only selling flowers, they are se lling good service as well. 6. It’s easy for customers to find what they want through the website, because the company has provided different ways of categorizing the bouquets. Customers can decide what kind of flowers they need according to different situations. It’s very customer-oriented.

Marcel Duchamps and Andy Warhol Essay

Art is an extremely subjective form of human expression and no one exemplifies the modern expression better than Andy Warhol. Despite numerous accusations against him for his treatment of the said subjects, Andy Warhol has become the archetypal modern artist: a man who has turned the proverbial tables on art as we know it. Several decades prior to Warhol, however, was an equally controversial artist, Marcel Duchamps whose Dada influence contributed to a new way of looking at study objects. How are these two artists connected a how did Dada influence Pop – Art as a movement? Marcel Duchamps is famous for a number of abstract pieces including The Fountain (1917/1964). The Fountain essentially consists of a toilet-bowl, glazed and signed. The idea behind this object appears to be asking the viewer whether or not this is in fact a fountain. Duchamps attempts to give the viewer another way of looking at the object. Rather than simply being an ablutionary article, the toilet-bowl also represents a man-made vehicle for water movement. At the same time as Duchamps movement, there had been artists such as Rene Magritte who presented a similar image in his Treachery of Images collection (1928-1929). His painting This is not a Pipe created a stir in the industry with the question similar to Duchamps: is what we see really what it is? Take for instance Duchamps Three Standard Stoppages (1914-1915) which also represented a number of questions. The Stoppages are presented as a mathematically devised collection of stoppages on glass plates. However, Duchamps named this piece a ‘readymade’ collection. This would mean that the objects are found and left to speak for themselves in the same way as The Fountain. The whole idea of Duchamps work compared to previous artistic movements was that previously the importance of art was to recreate reality instead of manipulate it. The modern movement manipulated the reality, thereby questioning its existence. Andy Warhol on the other hand also used object: human objects. While his use of other objects also existed, people played an important role in his work as a whole. Celebrities offered him ‘muses’ and a symbiotic relationship of creating celebrity and enhancing it. His works of celebrities included Marilyn Monroe (1962), Liz Taylor (1962) and various others such as Elvis Presley and the Beatles. Similar to Duchamps, Warhol photographed inanimate articles that represented the modern world we live in. Corn Flakes (silk-screen, date unknown), is a silk-screened depiction of the modern objects we have come to know as part of our world. The ‘readymade’ idea comes back into pay with the idea that modernity spelt the easy access to such commodities as breakfast in a box. This was important to the Pop-Art movement as presented later by other Pop artists such as Roy Lichtenstein who created the popular art-form of cheesy comic book reality that represents the falseness of the society in which we live. Warhol’s Skull on Paper (1977) was another use of the object depiction that relied entirely on how the viewer decided to interpret it. If life was indeed expendable then it was the same as any other object that is used and thrown out. Warhol used a certain muse that became the downfall of his object obsession: Edie Sedgwick. Edie Sedgwick was also merely an object in the same way that the Cornflakes or the Skull was. Edie Sedgwick (1966) was taken a few years before her untimely death, and showed the glamorous socialite in a variety of poses similar to that of the pictures taken of Marilyn Monroe shortly before her death. Sedgwick looked wooden and vulnerable: the same way she was in reality but being versatile enough to take on a number of personae. What we have, essentially is a series of objects ranging from animate (human) to inanimate (boxes and skulls). The question is: does the humanity of the object make it any less of an object? Duchamps used articles also such as paper, wood, ceramics and photographs also in his composition Box in a Suitcase (1935-1941) we see the unlikely positioning of photographic material in what we presume is a suitcase. Warhol similarly presents articles in unnatural situations, such as Marilyn Monroe and Liz Taylor with various colored hair, such as green and red. The shift in how we view objects was initially explored by Duchamps and further explored by Warhol. As one artist movement invariably affects the next, the influences of Dadism and Surrealism on modern art are cannot be ignored. We see that found objects such as those used by Duchamps can be used to represent things that we would not generally associate them with. We can see that there is necessary resemblance of toilet-bowls to fountains but we rarely see them in that perspective if we are sitting on them. Likewise, we eat cornflakes without regarding them as artistic pieces we wish to hang on the wall: they are disposable. While performing one task and duty they are taken for granted with regards to other uses. A skull too can be viewed as depiction but not in the same way as a picture of Liz Taylor or Marilyn Monroe could be. The question here is not whether or not something should be seen as art or not but whether it can be seen as something more than it actually is. It is effectively the art of philosophy and ridicule rather than art for art’s sake. We can clearly see that objects play an important part in modern art, Pop Art in particular. This has occurred in the changing climate of our existence which is far less genteel than in previous years. Our throw-away society relies on everything being ‘readymade’, space saving and time saving. With this in mind, art has always been used to express the state of humanity at the time. It is a recording of reality at any one time, and Pop Art merely explores the world that exists as material and artificial: objects being the primary subject. Museum of Modern Art: Marcel Duchamps: http://collections. sfmoma. org/THA822*1$2139*493827 Andy Warhol: http://collections. sfmoma. org/THA753*1$2167*495233

Music - the ministrel show Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Music - the ministrel show - Assignment Example The passage relates to the topic of impact of stereotypes in the society and creates a deep message for the white Americans that discriminated the black people slave trade era. From the passage one learns that the minstrel shows and the entire music industry could be instrumental in delivering messages not deeply received through other forms. The passage raises questions about the efforts of the Americans in combating the injustices towards the black Americans. More information would be necessary to show the aftermath of the minstrel performances on the welfare of the African-Americans. â€Å"Early minstrelsy was not only about race, but also class and region; it was as much anti-Southern as it was anti-black. There were also black minstrel troupes, comprised largely of African-American men (Brooker and Clayton Minstrel Show, Thomas Dilward, William Henry Lane, Callendars Minstrels, and Blackbirds) imitating poor and uneducated African-Americans from the south† (OTRCAT.com 4). This passage was chosen because it shows the diverse impacts of the minstrel shows on the society that goes beyond undermining the African cultures. The shows were mainly intended to humiliate the African Americans but in contrast it affected the entire southern society. The passage relates to the topic of development of the stereotypes due to the minstrel show and impacts to the entertainment industry as well as the society. Through the passage, one learns about the emergence of stereotypes imitating uneducated Black Americans that shows influence in the entertainment industry. It also shows some superior capabilities/ talents for of the black southerners. It raises question based on the educational status of Africans and more information would be needed on the educational developments for southerners due to the performances of the

Managing Staff Nurses Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Managing Staff Nurses - Assignment Example I as a manager of this unit have to facilitate a professional environment with a physically and mentally comfortable working conditions for the employees In order to ensure this some key objectives have to be achieved which are: 1 An objective analysis of the given working conditions 2 Understanding my employees, in this case, my staff nurses 3 The responsibilities delegated to them viz a viz their seniority and capabilities. So to begin with the working conditions of the unit has to be explored in order to establish its favorability for the household show a little care free attitude towards work. This is just an assumption based on general observation and is therefore not a verdict. All this need an objective analysis based on realities on the ground. Moreover, the injustice in delegation of work responsibilities bears a great significance in establishing the output of a staff member. Therefore, I will ensure a fair dealing with all staff nurses in this regard. Apart from this, it is also important to lay out a plan, in case a problem arises between two or more staff members. This requires an effective code of conduct to be written in order to contain such issues from happening and guarantee a peaceful atmosphere in the unit. The code of conduct constitutes a list of behavior patterns in terms of the dos and don’ts to be strictly observed. It will include: 1 be honest 2 be friendly 3 show professional approach 4 Respect each other’s dignity and space. 5 Mind one’s own business ... So to begin with the working conditions of the unit has to be explored in order to establish its favorability for the household show a little care free attitude towards work. This is just an assumption based to general observation and is therefore not a verdict. All this need an objective analysis based on realities on ground. Moreover, the injustice in delegation of work responsibilities bears a great significance in establishing the output of a staff member. Therefore, I will ensure a fair dealing with all staff nurses in this regard. Apart from this, it is also important to lay out a plan, in case a problem arises between two or more staff members. This requires an effective code of conduct to be written in order to contain such issues from happening and guarantee a peaceful atmosphere in the unit. The code of conduct constitutes a list of behavior patterns in terms of the dos and don'ts to be strictly observed. It will include: 1 be honest 2 be friendly 3 show professional approach 4 Respect each other's dignity and space. 5 Mind one's own business The Don'ts include 1 don't be irritable 2 don't be careless 3 don't back bite 4 don't be a gossip monger If one or more of the staff members found violating any of these, they will either be warned and next time a recurrence of such behavior will cost them a heavy penalty or even their job depending on the severity of the matter. However, sometimes a problem occurs which has nothing to do with a code of conduct; instead it happens between two staff members which require the manager to intervene and resolve the issue to both party's satisfaction. This requires an effective problem solving strategy. In this regard I have read different material on issue resolving skills, one of which is

Qualitative analysis of (In)civility project Research Paper

Qualitative analysis of (In)civility project - Research Paper Example The application of information in the communication sector based on the grounded theory is based on empirical data collected towards making affirmations on different views.The concept of education is best understood as a process in which information is acquired through listening, watching or through any other senseThe medium by which education is passed on to the audience is a subject of controversy especially where technology is involved. Technology, as a medium of educational exchange, has numerous challenges. One of the challenges is the measure by which education can be dispersed from the source to the recipient. In education, the lack of a measure in the amount and quality of information provided to the user is a challenge to the education sector. The comparison of education that incorporates technology is done based on the print form of education. However, the differences between the two forms of educational media are the same as with print media and the preceding oral traditio ns. Just as the current opposition against the incorporation of technology in education is a cause of debate, when print media was being incorporated in education, the existing system had to adapt to the changes being made (Scalise, 2007). I posit that education should be facilitated to the interpersonal level, which can be best achieved by the use of technology in discouraging some of the incivility in the community. Description I have had the opportunity of studying behavior of kids in social work such as in the organization, solutions for change. It is an experience I feel helped to foster a good understanding of the roles, responsibilities, expectations, and requirements in the Social Work career. I have worked in a number of firms in various capacities. My culmination has been the need to advance my education in order to take up my social work career. By employing my skills in understanding the children, I believe that communication and availing information as suggested in the conduct of the grounded theory shall contribute to the success of the incivility elimination pursuit. Characteristics such as empathy, sensitivity, and respect for others are elemental to being an effective social worker, let alone a member of the society. Having the aforementioned qualities is an advantage and I believe that this edge, in relation to ethics, will help me deliver services effectively as a social worker. I hope to major in Clinical Social Work and eventually start my own private practice offering various social services to the immediate and surrounding community. Understanding the perils of the populations vulnerable to social challenges such as bullying and discrimination within the society is one of the areas I seek to focus on. This is with the aim of ensuring social injustices emanating from these challenges are eliminated or reduced. Having undergone the perils of discrimination and bullying, I believe that I am able to perform the role of a social worker effect ively. Analysis Firsthand experience on some of the problems that various social groupings face compels me into helping people the best way I can. This is by acquiring and implementing knowledgeable skills of social work, and consequently transferring these skills to parties suffering silently in the society. I am a victim of bullying, and in spite of this bad experience, I helped other people going through the same predicament since it helped me understand and cultivate the desire to overcome and pursue life challenges. I am a not a typical American, which has contributed to my yearning for an opportunity to help individuals facing discriminatory conduct based on their race, ethnicity, origin, or social background. My origin played a part in most of the social challenges I faced. I experienced considerable discrimination and was alienated in most social gatherings of my teens as I further had a conundrum of being overweight. These experiences have helped

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

Historical - Essay Example The evidence of this is in the effect of the cultural integration into the original arts of these communities. Before the arrival of Babylonians and Assyrians, Sumerian art was mainly based on clay writings. Their original art, cuneiform writing, involved writing on clay, metal, or wood using a stylus shaped like a wedge. Sumerians used cuneiform to write or draw their most important cultural and religious figures mainly the gods and goddesses. The cuneiforms mainly represented objects and was not used for scholarly purposes in the original form. Diagram 1 below shows an example of a female head carved in limestone and wood. However, when the Babylonians arrived, they introduced their culture to the Sumerians. The effect of this was the Babylonian cultural influence on original Sumerian art. Sumerian art started featuring war themes, which was not common before the arrival of the Babylonians. The Babylonian culture influenced the original art of the Sumerians by introducing concepts of war. As illustrated in diagram 2 below, Inanna-Ishtar represents this cultural influence on original Sumerian art. The art sculpture combines the original elements of Sumerian art (goddess of fertility) and the Babylonian war culture (semitic goddess of

Were the Great Migration and the Harlem Renaissance the Gateway from Research Paper

Were the Great Migration and the Harlem Renaissance the Gateway from Oppression for African Americans to Become Business Owners - Research Paper Example The study will look into African American businesses from the earliest periods of post-emancipation through to the Great Migration, the Harlem Renaissance, the Second World War, the Civil Rights Movement and the current day. The contention is to see how business ownership improved the socio-economic status of African Americans and how these historical events allowed African Americans to own and operate businesses. African American businesses in the United States are older than most people would suppose. The earliest African American owned and operated businesses date back to the post-emancipation period from the rural and racially oppressive South. The presence of a large African American population coupled with racial segregation meant that African Americans were confined to using shops from their community alone. The prominent African American thinker W. E. Du Bois aptly observed: â€Å"It is the density of the Negro population in the main that gives the Negro businessman his best chance.† Given the constant oppression of the rural South, the African America population began to move in large numbers to the industrialized North that presented better economic opportunities as well as greater racial freedoms. The early twentieth century saw a large African American exodus from the racially polarized South. The first of these series of movements, labeled the Great Migration, forced some 1.6 million African Americans into the North. The influx of African American immigrants saw slow business growth since most ended up joining the industries in the north as blue collar workers. Racial segregation continued in the North though not as harshly leading to the development of some African American businesses. It was not until the Harlem Renaissance that distinctly recognizable African American businesses began to appear in the urban landscape.

Internationl Economic Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Internationl Economic Law - Essay Example These trade advantages encompass benefits like larger import quotas or lower tariffs and import duties. A country designated with the MFN status must be treated on an equal platform as any other country that has been awarded the MFN status by the nation granting this special status. The MFN treatment principle is important in the context of the WTO whose members have pledged to award MFN statuses to each other. There are also certain exceptions like designating free trade sectors on a regional basis and providing additional benefits to the developing nations. Under the MFN system stipulated by the WTO, a member nation that grants the most-favoured status to a non-member state for a particular product is obliged to provide the same benefits to other members of the WTO2. Thus, the WTO ensures that trade benefits are provided to all members as well as non-members on an equitable basis. The notion of a Most-Favoured Nation has existed since medieval times where smaller versions of such a greements have existed since the 15th Century. However, the expansion of MFN status in international trade began to develop during the 18th century3. Before the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the MFN treatment could be found only among Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) which indeed aided in liberalizing international trade. MFNs also find mention in the ‘Fourteen points’ laid out by United States (US) President Woodrow Wilson in 1918 which called for the liberalization and equality of trade conditions among nations4. Features of the MFN principle The MFN treatment principle has numerous economic effects that are elaborated below. Advantages to International Trade The most important benefit of the MFN principle is that it allows nations to import goods from the most cost-effective and efficient producer without disrupting the notion of comparative advantage5. For instance, a country can import products from the best supplier from different countries ba sed on cost, quality and efficiency thereby improving its economic efficiency. However this efficiency is distorted if the importing nation imposes a higher tariff on imports from the efficient supplier, prompting the importer to prefer products of the next best supplier (from a different country) at lower tariffs. This results in a trade imbalance which reduces the economic benefit to the importing nation besides disrupting global economic efficiency6. The provision of the MFN status in this context to all the countries implies that the importing country will levy equal tariffs on all exporting nations resulting in the procurement of goods from the most efficient supplier. Thus, the primary objective of the MFN treatment principle is to improve the efficiency of international trade. Free Trade System As mentioned above, the equal treatment of nations based on the MFN treatment principle accords the most liberal business environment that allows WTO member states to cut costs in nego tiation and monitoring trade agreements. In simpler words, the MFN treatment has resulted in the reduction of costs associated with the maintenance and functioning of the free trade system7. Equal treatment for imports from all member countries also means that costs associated with ascertaining the originating port or country are also reduced thereby contributing

CRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CRM - Essay Example 1. Introduction Is the customer always right? The customer may be the king, but is it worth pursuing to retain all the customer accounts? These are some of the dilemmas an organisation face, especially when a customer relationship have entered a cul-de-sac. The basic premise of customer relationship management is about attracting, developing, maintaining and retaining profitable customers over a period of time (Massey et al., 2001). Figure 1: The basic premise of customer relationship management Adapted from source: Massey et al., (2001) 2.Theoretical underpinning Payne and Frow (2005) delineate functional dimension of CRM and stated that it concerns with creating improved shareholder value through development of appropriate relationships with key customers and customer segments by making a fusion of the potential of relation marketing strategies with IT to create profitable, long-term relationships with customers and other key stakeholders. ... re 2: The service profit model suggested by Bentum and Stone (2005) Source: (Hussain et al., 2009, p.120) From the figure above, the service profit chain (SPC) is evident and urges that the value creation process is indeed a horizontal cross-functional process, rather than standalone views contained within each function (Heskett et al., 1994). Behind the theoretical underpinning of CRM, a major vector is to be able to fight competition; and an enterprise after implementing the CRM system should be profitable and add to shareholder’s value. However, at the core of the CRM remains the customer which must be attracted, developed, maintained, and retained in a profitable way. But does it mean that all the customers to be retained for as long as possible? Should the organisation pursue it with obsession? Saubert’s (2011) case study on â€Å"Which accounts are worth keeping?† provides a clue to this question. Saubert suggests that there should be a fruitful communion o f attrition propensity and profitability models (Saubert, 2011). Studying in the context of Australian Banks for credit card holders, Saubert opine that while devising customer retention strategies, firms should weigh the value earned from each customer. The firm’s CRM strategy needs to be guided by answer to two fundamental questions: Figure 3: Two fundamental question that must guide a firm's CRM strategy Adapted from source: (Saubert, 2011) Saubert (2011) opines that while firms usually strive to increase customer loyalty and reduce attrition but tend to overlook these two questions. The Performance Improvement Council (2008) states that in an ideal world, loyal long term customer relationships would eventually evolve towards partnerships and quotes Michael LeBoeuf, author of How to Win Customers & Keep

Discuss these abstracts in the context of academic research and recent Essay

Discuss these abstracts in the context of academic research and recent developments in audit regulation and practice - Essay Example ted in the financial statements can be termed to be material if its omission or misrepresentation can have an effect on the decision-making process among the users of these records (Ndreca, 2013, pp 350). In simple definition, materiality in financial accounting is the intolerable misstatements that are embedded in the financial statements with the intention of justifying a non-existent transaction (Dodaro, 2013, pp419). In other words, materiality is the intolerable or unacceptable errors which cannot be ignored because they have a greater effect on the financial information represented in the records (Brannan & Gray, 2005, pp26). These errors are huge hence, when neglected; they may lead to big losses of the firm’s resources. This paper explores the concept of materiality in the financial accounting showing the importance of materiality in auditing process, the main development of the concepts of materiality over time. Materiality can be categorized into two; quantitative materiality and qualitative materiality. Quantitative materiality is the actual financial value that a certain misstatement can cause to the organization. On the other hand, qualitative materiality can be just a mere statement that has either misled certain transaction (Brannan & Gray, 2005, pp41). Accountants and management teams in most cases misstate the financial information to conceal particular information not to be known by the shareholders for their own benefits. Sometimes, certain information may qualify to be material without the intention or knowledge of the accountants and the management (Brannan & Gray, 2005, pp26). Therefore, the auditors have the task of exploring all the financial records and scrutinize them to establish, justify and certify that the information represented in them is quite relevant to the true status of the organization (Dodaro, 2013, pp419). Any deviation should be investigated to establish whet her it can amount to the material or can have an effect on

Better Work Life Balance Survey in Ncc Bank Limited Essay Example for Free

Better Work Life Balance Survey in Ncc Bank Limited Essay This report provides an overview of different types of work-life balance initiatives that have been developed by in the financial institutions of Bangladesh. Governments are increasingly committed to reducing the social, health and business costs of work-life conflict. Several countries have adopted individual pieces of legislation or policies that address some aspect of work-life balance. These initiatives are not necessarily part of a comprehensive program or policy approach to achieve work-life balance, but these measures could be seen as one way to improve an employees balance between work and other responsibilities. This report shows that there is not likely to be any one size fits all answer to work-life balance issues. A variety of approaches are available to support work-life balance, ranging from promotional programs that emphasize the importance of balance and provide support to employers to reduce the business costs associated with work-life conflict, to legislation that supports parents with care giving responsibilities. It is clear that improving work-life balance is an important component of the policy agenda for many industrial countries, and the issue is likely to become even more important in the future. The first Work-Life Balance Survey (WLB1) was conducted by the Department for Education and Employment in 2000 to assess the extent to which employers operated work life balance practices; to see whether employees felt that existing practices met their needs; and to provide a baseline against which future surveys could be compared. Changes were made in the survey’s methodology between the first baseline study conducted by IFF and the second survey of employees (WLB2) conducted in 2003 by MORI, and fieldwork for the 3 Second survey was conducted prior to the introduction of the right to request flexible working. This report presents the results of the Third Work-Life Balance Employees’ Survey, conducted by telephone in early 2006. Work-life balance is a phrase used to describe an individuals feelings of satisfaction with the participation in job-related activities and his or her personal life. This state is achieved when an individual feels the amount of time spent making money to provide for ones household and advancing career goals is adequately balanced with the amount of time spent in independent and personal pursuits, such as friendships, family, spirituality, hobbies, and leisure activities. Failure to maintain work-life balance may result in significant emotional distress and reduction of productivity. In many cases, spending more time at work may actually lead to a decrease in productivity. Some individuals feel that their workplace creates too many pressures to maintain a work/life balance, and they may feel a reduction in their feelings of satisfaction and enjoyment of life. Some individuals feel as if there is not enough time for other aspects of life 1. INTRODUCTION: 1. 1. Introduction to the topic: Work-life balance is a broad concept including proper prioritizing between work (career and ambition) on one hand and life (pleasure, leisure, family and spiritual development) on the other. Related, though broader, terms include lifestyle balance and life balance. In general, individuals who work more than 60 hours per week are colloquially called workaholics. The phrase workaholic became popular in 1971 when Wayne Oates published the book, Confessions of a Workaholic. The phrase workaholic is not a clinical term, but it is generally used to describe individuals who neglect their personal lives in favor of work- and career-related pursuits. The phrase work-life balance became popular as a managerial concept when employers realized that their workers demonstrated increased productivity, decreased turnover, and dedication to the company when the concept was observed and respected.

The emasculation of males in society

The emasculation of males in society Emasculation of male has been said to gain its roots as from the World War II and the Post war period (Faludi. S 1999). Traditional gender roles have been said to the most important indicator of emasculation. This is mainly based on its application in modern society as opposed to traditional society. Changes based on jobs, empowerment, independence of women, loss of rugged individual, loss of G1 Joe ethics, Metrosexuals, Hollywood among others are important factors to consider in emasculation of the male in the modern society. According to Hillary, more effort is needed to eradicate emasculation of males in the modern society. Faludi J. in her book, The Betrayal of the American Man refers to male emasculation as the male crisis. She proceeds to state that it is the cause of the great unhappiness, violence , anger and confusion in the modern man. The thesis statement of this study is changes brought about by World War II and the post war Period. These had significant impacts on traditional gender roles more so the emasculation of the male. The problem is due to persists if men failed to recognize their gender roles meaning that it is very crucial for men to realize their gender roles before it is late. This state of affairs is not to be blamed on men or any particular person but on culture and society. These are the betrayers of men (Faludi S. 1999). Faludi identifies the reason why men are not able to pick themselves up as poor upbringing. During upbringing, they are raised to inherit a world they will exercise firm control over. Unfortunateltly, that world no longer exiats and all that remains an ornamental fa ¿Ã‚ ½ade of masculinity which Faludi refers to as  ¿Ã‚ ½male superdominance. ¿Ã‚ ½ Discussion Emasculation refers to the deprivation of man ¿Ã‚ ½s masculinity, power and his manhood hence making him impotent of both identity and expression. Through emasculation, patriarchy has lost value in men thus demoting male dominance in the family and the society. Masculinity is associated with the male. With emasculation, the patriarchy that exists in the male is breached hence enabling the female to compete with man for existence. It is true that masculinity is a female centered realty in every society in the world. According to Faludi (1999) the laid off laboring which has caused man to lose his work mates and the many paranoid husbands insecure about their wives during the second half of the twentieth century is a clear indication of the male crisis. Masculinity crisis was evidenced in America stage whereby men discovered that women were advancing. The advancement of women has been seen as a driving force to men ¿Ã‚ ½s distress. According to faludi, men have discovered that masc ulinity and femininity are similar ornaments, that they do not essentially differ from each other as it were the case in the traditional society. Mass culture from Hollywood, Madison and pop psychology highlights the avenues of America man troubles .several American men have perceived the advancement of women as the major cause of their decline (Faludi,1999). It was argued that men in stiffed did not miss male supremacy but companionship and social relevance. It was argued that emasculation of male has empowered women therefore being in a position to snatch jobs that were formerly made for men and dominated by men. Women have become independent.they have learnt to rely on themselves and not their husbands. A good example is that of divorced women who have managed to provide for their families in the absence of men or husbands. It was argued that in modern society, women do not base male utility on finding work and appreciation but it is all about looking for one ¿Ã‚ ½s place in the society. Faulty refers modern society as a Media world, that the media influences everything. For instance, the media has played a major role in the feminization process. Through the media, the public has advanced feminism massively resulting into what is referred to as gender war. This is because it sets men against women whereby the two genders struggle for existence. In America, men were said to have been betrayed, a situation which was not unique. According to Faludi, American men have faced emasculation but to some extent, this has been highlighted by the fact that many women are working into men ¿Ã‚ ½s miserable production jobs but they still earn low wages. Emasculation of the male also depends on personalities. Some men clearly emasculated while others still have very strong male complex. The Economic system in Stiff ed has highlighted aspect of emasculation of males through the manner in which it screws males in white working class jobs and their families in particular (Faludi, 1999). The collapse of masculinity has left males uncomfortable since their gender roles have been violated. Culture reveals that emasculation of men resulted from men ¿Ã‚ ½s brutalality, violence and irresponsibility, which was of their nature and the nature of their hormones. Susan Faludi holds that in the modern world cultural forces are disfiguring men ¿Ã‚ ½s lives and destroys their chances to live happy lives. Men ¿Ã‚ ½s attributes such as craft, social utility and loyalty are no longer honored as the traditional masculinity continues to decline or collapse. To Faludi, they have lost their loyalty and their economic power. The way we never was a myth presented by Stephanie Coontz which illustrates the way of life experienced in the modern world or society. According to this author, none of the past moments presents workable models based on how people conduct their lives today. According to this book, dichotomous gender roles were developed in the early nineteen century with an aim of creating balance between the male individualism and the female altruism. It has been argued that economic and political trends have led to deterioration of traditional life values hence advocating for emasculation of males. Male are said to be ignorant in that they believe that their reality is centered among females without adhering to the fact that female also have their own reality. Male reality is determined externally but not internally, because it has been noted that masculinity is measured based on one ¿Ã‚ ½s wife satisfying behavior in the society. This is to mean that the male soul does not play any part in individual reality. The selfishness implicated in the disregard of reality of females has been considered as the major cause of both spiritual and emotional differences between the two types of gender. As regards emotions, females are considered to be more emotional as compared to males. In the matter concerning spiritual backgrounds, female take the forefront as they are considered to be more religious than their male counterparts. During the World War II and the period after the war, several changes occurred in society leading to the erosion of male masculinity (Clinton Hillary, 1996). Women learnt that their freedom had been barred by the patriarchy or the dominance of males in the society. Before then, love was a good indicator of the relationship between the male and female but with the onset of emasculation of male, love was replaced by economic foundation . In the absence of emasculation, women had a close attachment to their husband. Emasculation in most cases is said to germinate into what scientist call bacterium. Male are said to be have been disadvantaged by the emasculation which is said to shed off their powers hence are they unable to practice patriarchy in the society. According to the masculine logics, this breach in behavior calls for punishment or any other consequences in the society. Males are said to find it difficult to resist the use of what is referred to as physical force and that is why aggression has been considered natural to male as in their reptilian brain. When males are offended by their wives they tend to use their masculine to punis h them but according to the recent research based on masculines, it has been noted that masculine prowess is under the counter of emasculation . According to Stephanie Coontz, women tend to exercise powers above their husbands in the society, which is contrary to the traditional gender roles. They use state authorities like the police as their watchdogs and they have the powers of summoning them at a mere dial of 911. With increased emasculation of males, both the man ¿Ã‚ ½s reality and masculinity are irrepairably damaged. They will never at any given time be the same again as it was during the times of traditional society. To cover their emasculations many males have indulged themselves into drinking sprees. Alcohol has become the bandage for their masculine wounds. Emasculation is said to be worsening as the time goes on hence developing into a full-fledged kind of disease. This showed how emasculation of males had affected men and their families whereby women had rights to decide when to quit marriage. Males are said to have no alternative reality that they could rely upon as opposed to females in every society in the w orld. Emasculation of males has made them to result into alcohol taking which has made them lose consciousness of their males reality in favor of their imaginative realities. This imagination of their reality has had negative effects on their jobs meaning it interferes with their jobs to the point that they are unable to play their roles as breadwinners in the family. Many males think or consider alcohol as the best solution for their emasculation but it has negative effects to males roles since it made them lessconcerned to what is expected of them. Imagination reality and Alcohol are said to collide if and only if the males apply them both. Emasculation is said to reach what is called malignancy hence resulting to death when males lose their jobs because they believe that there is no life worth living . The process of human evolution has been said to result to a more devastating form of emasculation since it led to feminization process through destruction of patriarchy organization and the old paradigm of expression of the masculine (Fricker, 2000). In the process of human evolvion, several roles or features were made less useful in the society. Things such as suppression, war, aggression, competition and brute muscle force are no long inexistence today. Emasculation is argued to become stronger and stronger as males escape the destruction imposed by nature. As time goes on, masculinity of males is viewed to have been transforming into a situation considered by many scholars as a vanguard of femininity in the society. According to Faludi, men have discovered that masculinity and femininity similar ornaments meaning that they do not differ from each other as it were the case in the traditional society. Mass culture from Hollywood, Madison and pop psychology highlights the avenues of the American man troubles .several America men have perceived the advancement of women as the major cause of their decline. Emasculation of males was good or bad depending on the side of human evolution one stood after the completion of feminization process. The feminization process is a complex and unstoppable process in the transformation of human beings since it is beyond people ¿Ã‚ ½s ability. This is to mean that human transformation is a process controlled by the spirit of God in every society in the world. This is a strong ascription of the natural law school of thought. In the early form of Christianity, females are said to possess values such as obedience, commitment, innocence, ability to sufferer silently and faithfulness (Fricker, 2000). According to the transformation of human being and the impact of industrial revolution,it was argued that these values are no longer useful since females have realized their roles after the call for gender equity in the society. Feminization process has brought about rugged individualism in the world where by a man has become a master of his own fate but not the fate of others; men are now responsible to make their beds, cook and clean among others roles previously known as duties of women. Rugged individualism has been implicated through several movies and television in the United States. The Hollywood culture is a good indicator of emasculation of males. Most of the American movies present a large number of female actors as opposed to males. In these movies female characters are empowered or play a dominant role in acting meaning that they are the most dangerous and armed characters as compared to the males. Hollywood culture had portrayed men as having adopted female characteristic. Men have taken up female habits such as trimming eyebrows, slim, tight abs, attractiveness among others. On the contrary, several researches have showed that females have embraced male ¿Ã‚ ½s characteristics and that is why they have ventured into roles that traditionally were made for males. On the issues of appearance conscious, it has been noted that with the onset of emasculation of males, many men have become more conscious of their appearance than it was before. Some sent a lot of times decorating their bodies through the use of cosmetics and other chemicals or substances that are said to bring about beauty in human beings. Traditionally men had a little concern on the issue of beauty but this seems to have ceased with passage of time (Lewis, 1975). Younger men are the major victims of appearance conscious since they are said to adhere to fashion trends more often than in past .Emasculation of males have made women to become independent of them meaning that women are able to provide for themselves without depending on their husband who have become ignorant of their role as providers. It has therefore been discovered that many women or females are not willing to get married to men since they can take on the role of provider with ease than it was before. This is so because females are taking on the roles or jobs of males in the modern society a fact that has contributed male emasculation. Professional fields are flooded since career equity has empowered female to compete males dominated jobs. In the past, that is before the world war two, females were not entitled to venture into certain fields such as drivers, engineers, doctors among others because nature prohibits them . The world war empowered women or females to take part in economic activities in every nation in the world. This is to mean that females have the right to remain in the task force like any other human being. Traditional gender roles are no longer considered important in the modern society that came about because of the industrial revolution. This industrial revolution is said to have enlightened females thus ceasing from being victims of male exploitation in the society. It was witnessed that emasculation of male has empowered women therefore being in a position to snatch jobs that were made for men. Women have become independent meaning that they rely on themselves but not their husbands. They are no longer silent sufferer and that is why they have become increasingly independent than in the past. The Solution According to Faludi, there is an opportunity for the two sexes to look above their adversarial relationship. That they can agree on a more suitable mechanism or paradigm of human progress that will enable both to excel. Solution to emasculation of males is that gender is socially determined meaning that people perceive their role depending on the acquired knowledge that brings about equity in human beings. Through the book gender-neutral socialization, people are free to make choices that at some points made them stuck in certain social positions in the modern society. This is to mean that those choices people made on their lives contribute largely to their imprisonment in their conventional gender roles (Hilary, 2004). According to Frazier, the solutions lays primarily in employment. He states that once a man has a job he behaves like a man and takes up both his sexual and social roles with adequacy. Further, man should not measure his masculinity base on the female perception of his ability to perform his duties (Scott M. 1997)

Advanced Social Psychology: Overview and Analysis

Advanced Social Psychology: Overview and Analysis Theresa A. Patterson Social psychology is a relatively young science. This branch of psychology includes the study of individual behavior in a social setting as well as factors that influence behavior. Social psychology was established as a formal discipline approximately one hundred years ago (Reis, 2010). Throughout its history, social psychology demonstrated the effects of notable social and political themes of various time periods. Also, methodological and theoretical advances impacted the development of social psychology in many ways. Although many people equate the origins of social psychology with the publication of the first social psychology textbook by McDougall in 1908, the roots of this field can be traced to the writings of Aristotle and Plato (Reis, 2010). For example, Aristotle noted the need for individuals to live in groups, while Plato emphasized the impact of the environment on behavior. McDougall incorporated the concepts of emotion and morality in his textbook and emphasized the idea that behavior was instinctive and individual. In addition to McDougall’s contribution, Wundt’s writings regarding the effect of groups on individual behavior played a critical role in the development of social psychology (Reis, 2010). However, Wundt did not advocate experimental methods. In addition, his ideas did not match the behaviorist views that predominated in the early 1900’s. Thus, Wundt’s views were not long-lived on social psychologists. Despite the advent of novel social psychology textbooks, the discipline of social psychology was not well defined. The work of Floyd Allport in 1924 outlined the tenets of social psychology in a way that reflected current thinking to a higher degree (Reis, 2010). Allport noted that interpersonal relationships are the hallmark of social psychology, but emphasized that social psychology must be studied in terms of the individual rather than in terms of the group (Patterson, 2015). Additionally, Allport asserted that many factors in the environment might elicit behaviors. Allport took an experimental approach in social psychology and invested hos efforts in basic research (Reis, 2010). Allport’s writings, which emphasized such topics as conformity, emotion and social influence, exerted a lasting impact on contemporary researchers. Although Allport clearly utilized a methodological approach, Norman Triplett is widely credited with the implementation of the first social psychology experiment in 1898 (Reis, 2010). Triplett (1898) investigated the effect of the presence of other individuals on performance based upon his observation that bicyclists rode faster when paced by another rider. In addition, Sherif (1936) conducted studies that investigated the development of social norms and the impact that societal rules had on behavior. The occurrence of events such as the Great Depression, World War I and World War II set the stage for further development in social psychology (Patterson, 2015). During the World War II era, several European social psychologists fled Nazi Germany and immigrated to the United States. Notably, Kurt Lewin implemented research regarding group processes and styles of leadership in the workplace (Reis, 2010). Furthermore, Lewin’s field experiments during World War II, founding of the S ociety for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI), and his conviction in the applied aspect of social psychology, left a lasting impact on the field (Reis, 2010). Following the end of World War II, the discipline of social psychology flourished in the United States (Reis, 2010). Social psychologists enjoyed greater prestige and high status, and were rewarded by the government with new research facilities, grants, and teaching positions. The G.I. Bill created a need for psychologists to teach at universities, and tenure was quickly earned (Reis, 2010). Also, research on conformity and obedience demonstrated the power of group influence on the beliefs and behaviors of participants (Asch, 1956). Other notable experiments occurred during this era, which lasted from approximately 1946 to 1969. For example, Festinger’s (1957) research regarding cognitive dissonance showed that individuals strive to maintain consistence between their beliefs and their behaviors (Reis, 2010). Additionally, Milgram’s (1963) experiments on obedience to authority demonstrated that the majority of people will obey an authority figure even if it includes infl icting possible harm to others. Furthermore, research on romantic attraction generated both interest as well as controversy among social psychologists (Reis, 2010). Despite ground-breaking advances in the area of interpersonal attraction, many people did not think that love and romance should be topics of research experiments. In addition, the 1964 murder of Kitty Genovese stimulated bystander intervention research (Reis, 2010). The attempt by the government during the 1960s to eradicate societal wrongdoings generated research regarding the interaction of personality variables and environmental factors in behaviors. The 1970’s was notable for an increase in social cognition studies (Reis, 2010). However, the public became disillusioned with the possibility that society could benefit from social psychology research. In addition, women and minorities noted that social psychology represented an extremely biased view of predominantly male, white, middle-class social psychologists. As a result of this crisis of public confidence, a more comprehensive and revitalized discipline of social psychology emerged. For example, more rigorous ethical standards in experimental research were implemented (Reis, 2010). As social psychology continues to grow in the present era, views are expanding to include interdisciplinary as well as global concepts. The influence of social psychology has been demonstrated in various areas such as healthcare, industry and schools (Reis, 2010). Additionally, technological advances provided access to participants from many cultures. This cross-cultural perspective will undoubtedly influence future research studies. Also, methodological advances, as well as growth in neuroscience and evolutionary psychology, will continue to assist researcher in the interpretation of data. Advances in social psychology would not be possible without experimental research. However, proposed studies and related methodology necessitate attention to ethical concerns. As social psychology grew, researchers shifted their focus from speculation to the demonstration of empirical evidence. Early laboratory experiments were often criticized for their artificiality and potential biases (Reis, 2010). As a result of this evaluation, field studies were conducted to provide realistic results that could be generalized to other situations (Reis, 2010). Therefore, ethical codes of conduct must be in place to make certain that participants are not harmed in any manner. In general, researchers must adhere to the ethical principles of respect for persons, beneficence and justice. The American Psychological Association (APA) developed its code of ethical standards to guide researchers in appropriate treatment of participants. The 1974 National Research Act requires the formation of committees referred to as Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) to review potential experiments before researchers begin a study (Gravetter Forzano, 2006). This process, which may include required modifications and revisions, helps to ensure the protection of participants’ welfare. For example, an IRB will examine the cost/benefit ratio to ascertain whether the possible benefits are greater than potential risks. In the event that risks are likely, researchers may be advised to seek lower-cost alternatives (Gravetter Forzano, 2006). Experiments involving the use of deception must be carefully evaluated prior to the start of the study for analysis of the cost/benefit ratio. Above all, researchers must always endeavor to protect participants from harm. In addition, researchers must obtain informed consent from all participants prior to the start of an experiment. Informed consents includes the responsibility of researchers to be forthcoming regarding possible risks and what is involved in the experiment. For example, Asch’s (1956) study concerning conformity involves a possible breach of informed consent for several reasons. First, participants were deceived regarding the nature of the experiment. Also, participants were not told about the possibility of stress during the experiment, and may have suffered subsequent mental distress. Asch’s (1956) study included the debriefing of participants, which is now required in all experimental studies. Debriefing involves explaining the true nature of the study to participants after the experiment is over (Gravetter Forzano, 2006). Several additional research studies were criticized for violations of ethical principles. For example, Milgram’s (1963) landmark experiment regarding obedience to authority generated much controversy. This experiment investigated the power of authority figures on individuals by â€Å"ordering† them to administer electric â€Å"shocks† to a confederate. Participants were misled concerning the nature of the study and may have suffered severe distress as a result of the deception. Furthermore, participants may not have been aware that they had the right to leave the experiment at any time. Because the participants were paid, they might have felt obliged to continue as long as necessary. During the course of the study, the experimenter urged participants to continue to the end of the experiment. Thus, coercion might have been a factor that contributed to participants’ completion of the experiment (Gravetter Forzano, 2006). Milgram’s (1963) study illustrated an explicit violation of ethical principles regarding informed consent. This violation included misinformation concerning potential psychological harm as well as not informing participants that they were free to terminate the experiment at any time. Additionally, researchers did not adhere to the critical principle of inflicting no harm upon participants. Many participants in Milgram’s (1963) study reported significant mental distress from both the pressure of the experimenter and subsequent guilt associated with their willingness to inflict pain upon others. Since individual differences could not be ascertained, researchers were unable to predict the extent of participants’ distress. Finally, past research demonstrated the crucial role that environmental and situational factors play in human behavior (Haley, Banks, Zimbardo, 1973). A study by Haley, Banks and Zimbardo (1973) utilized a simulated prison setting in which participants were randomly assigned to the roles of prisoners or guards. However, the participants quickly adapted to their roles and reacted as though the situation was a real-life occurrence. The guards behaved in a cruel and demeaning manner, and the prisoners became increasingly passive and depressed. The experimented had to be terminated early as a result of the extreme psychological symptoms that participants exhibited. The realistic nature of the experiment may have precluded participants from exercising their right to withdraw from the study. Like the Milgram (1963) study, researchers associated with the simulated prison study were not able to predict the extent of psychological harm to participants, which violated an element of informed consent. During the majority of the experiment, no attempt was made to curtail the abuse inflicted by the guards toward the prisoners. Thus, potential harm to participants was not minimized (Gravetter Forzano, 2006). Although participants were screened for psychological disorders, the development of unanticipated harmful effects changed the risk/benefit ratio. Researchers must continually evaluate potential risks that may occur during the study as well as possible benefits. In addition, researchers need to ensure that participation in experiments is completely voluntary and that participants do not feel coerced. If deception will be utilized, researchers must be certain that no viable alternatives exist (Gravetter Forzano, 2006). Finally, in most circumstances, researchers need to obtain an informed consent form for each participant in the study. Also, researchers must be vigilant regarding signs of psychological distress or unexpected effects of participation in the study. Debriefing is essential to ensure that participants understand the purpose of the experiment and to alleviate any negative effects of participation in the study (Gravetter Forzano, 2006). Finally, researchers must protect the confidentiality of data that is collected as well as identifying information that is provided by participants. References Asch, S. (1956). Studies of independence and conformity: A minority of one against a unanimous majority. Psychological Monographs, 70, No. 9 (Whole No. 416). Festinger, L. (1957). A theory of cognitive dissonance. Evanston, IL: Row, Peterson. Gravetter, F., Forzano, L. (2006). Research methods for the behavioral sciences. (2nd. Ed.). Mason, OH: Thompson. Haney, C., Banks, C., Zimbardo, P. (1973). Interpersonal dynamics in a simulated prison. International Journal of Criminology and Penology, 1, 69-97. Milgram, S. (1963). Behavioral study of obedience. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 57(4), 371-378. Patterson, T. (2015). Advanced social psychology midterm exam. Unpublished manuscript. Mount Aloysius College, Cresson, PA. Reis, H. (2010). How we got here from there: A brief history of social psychology. In R. Baumeister E. Finkel (Eds.), Advanced social psychology: The state of the science. (pp. 25-60). NY: Oxford University Press. Sherif, M. (1936). The psychology of social norms. New York: Harper Bros. Triplett, N. (1898). The dynamogenic factors in pacemaking and competition. American Journal of Psychology, 9(4), 507-533.

What Sparked the Russian Revolution? :: Russian Russia History

What Sparked the Russian Revolution? The Russian Revolution took place during difficult time in Russia. These troubles began before World War I and lasted up until 1930's. Russia's population was made up of mostly poor, starving peasants. A small working and middle class began to rise to help industrialize Russia. But a corrupt government made it difficult for Russia to advance. This added to the turmoil. World War I placed a serious hurt on Russia. Although at first it raised national pride and enthusiasm, it quickly drained resources and poorly trained peasants quickly found themselves fighting with no weapons. This war sent over 2 million Russians to their death in 1915 alone. Turning points for the Russian revolution were the March Revolution, the November Revolution and Stalin coming to power. By March 1917, disasters on the battlefield, combined with food and fuel shortages on the front, brought the monarchy to collapse. In St. Petersburg workers were going on strike. Marchers, mostly women were shouting, "Bread! Bread! Bread!" Troops refused to fire on demonstrators, leaving the government helpless. Duma politicians setup a temporary government/ Middle class liberals prepared a constitution for a new Russian republic. At the same time they continued the war with Germany. That decision proved fatal. Most Russians were fed up with the war and returned home, leaving the front. Peasants wanted land and people wanted food. Cities set up soviets, council of workers and soldiers, which worked dramatically within the government. Before long a radical social group took charge called the Bolsheviks emerged. Their leader was V.I. Lenin. During the November revolution the Bolsheviks decided to further the revolution. They stormed Moscow and took it as their capital. With this newly acquired city they gained land, which was split amongst the peasants. Workers were given control of factories and mines. For a period of time there was bliss in the country. But battles still waged on between the reds and whites, and civil wars grew. Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania all broke free but nationalists in Ukraine, the Caucasus, and Central Asia were eventually subdued. Allie forces placed a hurt on Russia as well. They joined the white that wanted to continue the war against Germany. Although they didn't succeed the allies left a hurt on Russian nationalist who were roused and continued battles against Russia. In 1920 Joseph Stalin came to power as general secretary of the party.

The Birth of My Daughter :: Essays Papers

The Birth of My Daughter The moment to give birth to my daughter Anais came very quickly. My doctor, a young male wearing blue scrubs wheeled me to the delivery room with the assistance of a female nurse wearing green scrubs, and my husband, which was also wearing scrubs. The hospital delivery room felt very cold and very sterile. The walls were painted white with gray tile covering one half of the walls, and there was a smell of soap in the air. The delivery room was equipped with a gurney covered with white starchy linen, a large stainless steel lamp with a microscope sticking out of one side stood next to the gurney, a baby incubator that look like a large clear plastic rectangular box with two round holes on one side, and a table covered with very neatly placed stainless steel surgical instruments. In the delivery room, were four people, a male anesthesiologist and three female nurses wearing green scrubs, facemasks, and gloves. The anesthesiologist was seated next to the head of the gurney with an air tank and IV, in the event I had to undergo a cesarean due to having developed gestational diabetes during my pregnancy. One of the major problems a woman with gestational diabetes faces is a condition the baby may develop called "macrosomia." Macrosomia means "large body" and refers to a baby that is considerably larger than normal. All of the nutrients the fetus receives come directly from the mother's blood. If the mother’s blood has too much glucose (simple sugar), the pancreas of the fetus senses the high glucose levels and produces more insulin (a hormone regulating the glucose level in blood) in an attempt to use the glucose. The fetus converts the extra glucose to fat. Occasionally, the baby grows too large to be delivered through the vagina and a cesarean delivery becomes necessary. On the other side of the gurney stood one of the nurses checking the baby incubator, while the other two were standing next to the table with the surgical instruments. Immediately upon entering the delivery room, two of the nurses transferred me to the gurney in the delivery room, where the doctor checked me and said I had a ways to go but that I had already dilated to 7 centimeters (the amount the cervix has opened in preparation for childbirth).

Diary Entry for Macbeth

The witches have just told me their prophecy and I don’t know what to think. I have to tell my wife, she is an ambitious women and will be thrilled to find out the news. That in my future I will no longer be thane of Cawdor. I will move on to bigger and better things. For prophesised in my future I will become the great King of Scotland. But how am I to achieve these goals of becoming a king. Duncan is a dear friend of mine and trusts me like a brother. How possibly could I deceive him, however although I cherish the friendship of the king I don’t see him fit for the thrown. I am the one who needs to be in charge, to lead the people of Scotland to glory. I deserve the thrown. How can I harbour these thoughts they are thoughts of evil. King Duncan doesn’t deserve this treachery. He is the King, the man chosen from God to lead the Scottish people. Im not sure on what I am to do, but when I meet with my wife we shall decide together. She usually knows what is right. For now i will try to get a good sleep and think about the long journey back home. During The Murder As I put the pillow to Duncan’s chest I felt sick, I felt like no body could trust me. For Duncan is a friend, how should my friends let alone my enemies think. So I put the dagger down and quickly thought of turning back. I saw the look in his eyes, he wouldn’t forgive me if I turned back now he would send me to prison. So I built up all my courage and stabbed the dagger through his chest, then a second time through his heart to make sure the great king was dead. As soon as I was finished my unholy deed I fled back to room where my wife would meet me. As I got back I had realised I had forgotten to frame the guards and cover up my tracks. As I was to shocked, devastated and had partially lost my mind I couldn’t complete the deed, so my wife had to cover my tracks. I felt less of a man but what was done had to be done and then it was over. After The Murder What have I done, it’s all a mistake. Duncan is a great man loved by many, he didn’t deserve to die such a painful death, in fact he didn’t deserve to die at all. My wife she has corrupted me, but she is not to blame because I am the one who covered the Kings mouth to stop his loud screams from escaping his chamber, and I am the one who slowly dug the dagger through his bare chest till he could not scream any more, till he slept not only for a night but eternally. I have no idea what to do, I am so confused. Should I tell people the atrocity that took place last night in my castle? I feel so alone in the world and I cannot tell my wife these feelings of guilt and regret because she is like a heartless demon, she will taught my feelings till I have no goodness left in me. Although it will be difficult I shall keep this secret safely kept in my bosom so that she will not taunt my feelings and feel I am the weakest link and that I will spoil our plans of becoming royalty.

Businesses and the Environment: Roles, Obligations, and Implications

Hundreds of individuals are being killed from the repercussions caused by the lack of concern towards the welfare of the environment. In fact, the drastic changes in the weather, the increase in occurrence of natural calamities, as well as the rise of sea level, are just a few of the well documented changes to the planet that are currently posing risks against mankind.In this sense, it is not refutable that businesses, due to the general goal of raising income, have in a way contributed to the occurrence of such environmental problems through various means.Therefore, with the global trend of addressing these environmental concerns through the individual level, I believe that businesses must also take part in the effort through lowering the ecological footprint of their operations. The term ecological footprint pertains to the overall usage of resources as well as release of byproducts which may be applied at the business level (Global Footprint Network [GFN], 2009). Businesses consum e and pollute at an elevated rate gains a greater ecological footprint which means that the business significantly adds to environmental damage.Hence, in order for businesses to gain a lower ecological footprint rating, examples of what can be done including the use of alternative power sources, taking consideration of harvesting and fishing limits, shifting or imposing more efficient trade routes, and using more energy efficient processes or machinery. It is apparent that adopting a business practice that places the welfare of the environment into consideration may not be as complex as commonly thought of.In fact, some of the practices might even lead into bigger savings, as the use of more efficient devices most commonly results in the reduction of operating costs for example.Aside from benefits that businesses must consider, the most important idea that business leaders must keep in mind is that if in the future the environment worsens further to the point of humans being elimina ted, then such a future will indeed be not good for business. Reference Global Footprint Network. (2009, April 27). Overview. Footprint Basics. Retrieved June 8, 2009, from http://www. footprintnetwork. org/en/index. php/GFN/page/footprint_basics_overview/.

Fighting Police Abuse: A Community Action Manual Essay

Stop and Frisk has been a very active public affair that had held serious concerns over racial profiling, illegal stops, and privacy rights. The police were stopping hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers yearly. Stop and Frisk is based on a standard of the power granted upon the standard of reasonable suspicion. A police officer has the power to stop, question, and frisk suspects given reasonable circumstances. It is a question of each individual case that determined whether it is necessary for reasonable detention or investigation. If an officer suspects that a person is armed and dangerous, a frisk may be conducted without a warrant. Under the stop and frisk law, officers can stop people walking down the streets and search them for weapons, drugs and other illegal pieces of stuff. The stop and frisk were created to embrace the proactive and preventive theory of crime fighting. It was prioritized to conduct street surveillance of suspicious people and habitual offenders. Though the start of stops and frisk sounds protective and safe, it ended up as an aggressive policing, which was in a very heated situation for years. The vague suspicion, the search of an individual and the force used upon the target was incredible. Nearly most of the people stopped and frisked was innocent. â€Å"In 2002, New Yorkers were stopped by the police 97,296 times. 80,176 were totally innocent (82 percent)† (the NYCLU Campaign). Even without suspicion of wrongdoing, an officer approached someone and interrogate them based on their appearance. These searches were often unsuccessful in catching criminals, but few of them believed it was a success at crime control and stopped potential crime. Race played an important role in how minorities were targeted by the stop and frisk policy. The law strictly targeted African American and Hispanics and other disempowered communities. For example in the article of NYCLU Campaign, it mentions, â€Å"Young black and Latino men were the targets of a hugely disproportionate number of stops. Though they account for only 4.7 percent of the city’s population, black and Latino males between the ages of 14 and 24 accounted for 40.6 percent of stops in 2012. The number of stops of young black men neared the entire city population of young black men (133,119 as compared to 158,406). More than 90 percent of young black and Latino men stopped were innocent.† The stops indicated the innocent of a person and the color basis of a person. Walking around the city and being stopped by a police officer because of the skin tone resulted in racial discrimination. Majority of Latinos and African American were scared when they saw an officer because they used excessive force and targeted them as a criminal or an outsider. Stop  ¬and frisk indicated that race was the primary factor in certain, whom the NYPD mostly stopped were Black and Latino neighborhoods and even in areas where populations were racially mixed or mostly White. Blacks and Latinos were treated more harshly than Whites, being more likely to be arrested instead of given a summons when compared to White people accused of the same crimes. In addition, Blacks and Latinos were also more likely to have force used against them by police. The amount of force used against African American and Hispanics did not only affect them physically but also created lasting feelings of resentment and distrust on officers. â€Å"People who have been stopped say that if they show the slightest bit of resistance, even verbally, they can find themselves slammed against walls, forced to the ground and, on rarer occasions, with officer’s guns pointed at their heads.†(Rivera). The experience of being stopped and frisked by police often lasted emotionally. People who were stopped felt a range of emotions during stops, such as anger, fear, and shame. Stop and frisk left people feeling unsafe and afraid to leave their homes whenever they see the police. People who were stopped reported that stops often resulted in excessive force by police, for example when officers slapped them, beat them, or hurt them physically. The force not al ways paid out compared to the effect that it left on the people. Being harassed in public, a person could go through life challenges, feeling hopeless, uncomfortable, vulnerable and high alert. The body and the mind get tensed and start to get conscious around the surroundings that stares and ignores with a disgusting looks. Therefore, in the article of Rivera, two officers stopped a man named Christopher Graham19 years old after leaving his friend’s apartment. He was pushed against the walls and when the officer groped his personal space, Graham said, â€Å"I said, ‘Whoa, what are you doing?’ † Mr. Graham recalled. â€Å"The cop put his hand on the back of my cap and, boom, smashed my head into the wall of the apartment, for no reason.† The aftermath of the frisk was horrible because he had gone through six stitches, terrifying experience and an unfortunate dreadful account with the officers. He was neither arrested nor called for summons but yet had a scar that would remain in his whole life. The stops explored that young people perceived the police whether or not they felt safe where they lived, not to turn to law enforcement for help or to report crimes they knew about. The experience being stopped by police repeatedly perceived to be unfair and could be associated w ith undesirable developmental consequences. The Terry v. Ohio supreme court case was one of the biggest cases regarding the policy of stop and frisk. It lasted a great impact on the practice of stop and frisk, sometimes called Terry stop. An officer stopped John Terry the petitionary after the officer observed Terry staring at the store for a possible robbery. The officer ran a quick search and after approaching three men, the officer found revolvers that denied their appeals. The Terry stop gleaned from the information about whether the search was the protection of the officers and the public safety. The stop must have a reasonable suspicion to initiate the suspect and explain why the suspect behavior suggested criminal activity. The stop had to give reasons and explain, more than just hunches. The Terry stop cannot take the suspect to the police, move to a second different location, use excessive force and search for anything besides weapons. The Floyd vs New York City supreme case was yet one of the biggest controversial on stop and frisk. It was a case that questioned the stops that were not caused due to probable or reasonable stops. It violated the Fourth Amendment and the Fourteen Amendment which was not an equal protection due to all the obvious racial disparities in who is stopped and searched by NYPD. Both the Supreme Court case lawsuit challenged the use of stop and frisk as a violation guaranteed to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. Comparing the differences between past stop and frisk and the recent ones that have taken place, I believe the recent ones have become more lenient towards the people. In the past, the officers did not stop a person because of reasonable suspicion; they were stopping to fulfill the record of their data and show their superiors what they have done for the day. The data recorded in stop and frisk was recorded in the person’s background check. The record stayed in the data for a lifetime, which did not come in the good outcome because even though they were innocent a criminal record was there in the system. Plus, during the olden days, police stopped a person regarding their guesses and suspicion and did not have a valid reason for a stop. After the supreme cases, the violation of the Fourth and Fourteen Amendment came to a tight spot where people knew about their rights and the officers grew more attention on the reasonable and suspicions stops. Therefore, based on past and toady’s issues time in New York City, after the cases, it provides an environment by bringing humanity together without any kind of race and social system. The stop and frisk that adapted during the beginning early was a process of improving the city. Looking back at the times when the rights were violated and not respected, we can just emphasize and see the wrongdoings that can be prevented today. Stop and frisk is not just an impractical way of fighting crime in New York City but also violated towards people’s right to walk freely. People were being stopped based on their skin color and appearance, the way they walked and even the neighborhood they lived in. The use of force against the minorities left them devastated and also affected others who lived under the same weight of this unprecedented policy. These stops had become extensive that many people learned to adjust their daily routines to protect themselves from regular police harassment. Thus, it created distrust towards the law and harmed people who were already disadvantaged in our city. The effects on crime rate were not so huge either. It did make a difference in the statistics but compare to the stops and the statics of crime report, it was humongous. There was no relationship between the stop and frisk and crimes took place. After all the scenario of protest, the New York City police restricted their stop and frisk policy two years ago. Even after restricting the policy, there were no impact or increases in the crime rates. In fact, the crimes had gone down and were stable as it was. In another hand, it did keep guns off the street but unfortunately; violating constitutional rights of some of the minorities did not work together with the policy.

Balance Sheets and Income Statements Essay

Patient privacy in any medical facility is not only a right, but a law which was passed by the United States congress in 1996. The law provides the ability to transfer and continue health insurance coverage for Americans when the change or lose their jobs, reduces healthcare fraud and abuse, mandates industry wide standards for health care information on electronic billing, and requires confidential handling of protected health information. The confidentiality is the portion which medical staff and their business associates develop and follow procedures that ensure the confidentiality and security of PHI, protected health information. California Department of Health Care Services, 2012) Many medical facilities and pharmacies throughout our country fail to comply with these HIPAA regulations and through neglect or fraudulent activity compromise a patient’s personal health information. Channel 13 in Indiana did an investigation on pharmacies throughout our nation which discarded prescription labels, pill bottles, and patient information sheets with patient’s personal information into their unsecured dumpsters around Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Miami, Louisville, Philadelphia, and Phoenix. When prescriptions are dropped off, electronically transferred, or called into a pharmacy, patients assume their personal information is guarded and protected. The information given to the pharmacy consists of the patient’s address, telephone number, date of birth, prescribing doctor, social security numbers, and the type of medication on record. This is a violation of federal law. â€Å"Putting protected health information in a dumpster that is accessible to anyone is clearly not an example of a reasonable safeguard,† said Susan McAndrew, senior advisor with the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights. (Segall, 2012) Of course there were steps implemented by management to remedy the problem. The manager of Walgreens now requires all dumpster to be locked at all times. Another Walgreen’s manager suggested placing all general trash in a quarantine area to be checked for patient information, sealed, signed and dated by the inspector, and then taken to the dumpster. A CVS manager proposed having a designated area in the store to store pharmacy trash bags until they are delivered to a regional warehouse for proper disposal. (Segall,2012) Some stores may have high turnover rates or poor training, which causes a breakdown in policy and procedure methods. Removing any identifiable information from the prescription bottles before discarding them would have made a difference. Shredding any identifiable information before placing it in the dumpster would have also been sufficient. The managers of these pharmacies have to review the policy and procedures on customer’s privacy rights and how to properly discard their personal information. Each state has a pharmacy board that has rules regarding how to protect patient information; the manager will need to refer to those rules and give additional training to the employees. It is proper to have a representative from an outside company for training on HIPAA and privacy regulations. The author and interviewer spoke with a homeless man who stating he views the content of the dumpster as a means of income. The homeless man sells items he finds in the dumpster to make money. Identity theft is an increasing problem in our society. Identity theft is a crime. Patient’s personal information can easily be sold to a criminal, who can apply for credit and make purchases using the patient’s stolen information. The Golden Rule is to treat people how you would want to be treated. The public should never have to think twice that a professional company would be such lack of concern about their personal information. Elderly people are more likely to have multiple prescriptions and on a consistent basis and the pharmacy discarding their personal information can lead to identity theft. Elderly people are less likely to check or investigate any type of inconsistencies or new entries on their credit report. If the person is applying for any type of credit after theft has happened, this can cause a denial from banks. Insured customers may xperience fraudulent use of the prescription or medical insurance information. This could cause denial of coverage at any point. This could have a huge impact on their lives and it is up to the professionals in these pharmacies to prevent this from happening. The article also told the story of a burglary after a thief found an address from the dumpster of one of their customers. This could be devastating and even fatal if these addresses are obtainable by criminals. Ethically, these pharmacies were incompetent in the way they decided to destroy these records. There is no excuse for this based on the fact they are looked upon as a professional organization and incompetency should not be an excuse. You have a duty as a physician to respect the patient’s trust and keep this information private. Protecting a customer’s confidentiality is about respect. It is the professionals’ duty to respect the customer’s information by restricting access of others to this information. Creating a trusting environment is extremely important. Maintaining confidentiality and respect for the privacy of others is ethically correct and expected in this type of organization. Discarding this personal information is not only ethically wrong, but legally wrong. This is referred to as a breach and fines are applicable in this case. In 2005, the U. S. Department of Justice clarified who could be held criminally liable for violating HIPAA regulations. This violation of placing patient information in the dumpster would fall under the â€Å"HIPAA violation due to willful neglect but violation is corrected within the required time period†. This fine can range from $10,000 to $250,000 annually for repeated violations. American Medical Association, 2012) Violating HIPAA regulations is a federal law and offenses are considered a felony. The fines imposed can be devastating, but there are cases that jail time is required. CVS’s breach in HIPAA regulations were taken up by The Federal Trade Commission and were fined $2. 25 million dollars. According to the complaint, CVS Caremark did not implement reasonable policies and procedures to dispose securely of personal information and did not adequately train employees. (Federal Trade Commission, 2009) It is an organizations responsibility to keep all their employees trained on HIPAA compliance.

Why did Elizabethans voyage overseas and were they successful?

During the middle ages Europeans know little about the rest of the world. Silks, spices were brought overland to Europe from India and china, but sailors didn’t dare to sail the unknown seas. In this essay I will be discussing why Elizabethans were made to go on over sea voyages in the 1550s during the time of the cloth trade collapse. What did England achieve from these successful voyages over sea and what new markets did they find to sell their goods also how did Britain become the most powerful country in the world . In addition to who were the sailors that helped England claim power and wealth? Between 1430-1530 European sailors began making voyages across the oceans. In 1550 the cloth trade collapsed . Merchants need to find new markets in which to sell their goods. Markets such as the Muscovy company which traded with Russia in timber and lurs also the East Incia Company which traded with India and the Far East in silks, spices, cotton and tea in addition to The Levant company which traded with countries around the eastern Mediterranean in currents and dyes. They went across the world to sell their English cloth and at the same time giving people in other countries a chance for ‘All savages, so soon as they began to taste of civilisation ‘which was said by Richard Hakluyt in his book ‘The Principle navigations, voyages and discoveries of the English Nation ‘in order to encourage overseas voyages . This encouraged English sailors and more people become interested in these voyages over sea. Richard Hakluyt thought that from these voyages over see the navy would be enlarged making England more powerful and become the greater country as he says ‘By these voyages our navy shall be enlarged ‘it was stated in his book. In addition the fact that the navy will become bigger just like Spain and Portugal’s, men and women shall work there will be more employment opportunities available which means that more money will be coming in to the nation ‘it will prove general benefit into our country ‘ . They would also gain more money as they would be going overseas and selling spices , which links into the trade markets especially The East Incia company which traded silks and spices . There were monopolies on the trade companies. Monopolies is when you have control over a given market, you are given a legal piece of paper (warrant)telling you that you could trade with that company , but that warrant didn’t come free you had to bid for it in order to get it . The companies paid Elizabeth money so that they could get their warrant and trade with the country that they wanted to trade with. The money which was used to pay for the warrants goes to Elizabeth so she can then deal with her economical problems and the debt that her sister Mary put her in of ?250,000. After the monopolies expired you would have to pay again for them and get it renewed or else you could no longer trade in that area. Merchants, nobles, and even the queen invested in these voyages . They made large profits from captured cargoes like gold and silver. Francis Drake stole silver, gold and jewels from Spanish ships coming from Mexico. This gold and silver benefited the economy as it made them more money. Gold was brought by the rich, who had to pay tax which helped Elizabeth pay her debt as she was the government and received the money. Drake's successful battles against the Spanish helped England become a major sea power. He was the First Englishman to sail around the world. On the way round the world, Drake landed in what is now California, naming it Nova Albion (New England) and claiming it for his queen. Drake returned from his voyage with his ship packed full of spices from the Indies, and plundered Spanish silver and treasure. Drake was knighted by Queen Elizabeth l for his courage, and for the treasures he brought back with him. He brought back enough treasure to pay off the entire national debt. John Hawkins was a cousin of Drake. He was the first Englishman to trade in slaves. He bought slaves in West Africa and sold them to the Spanish colonies in the West Indies, often raiding Spanish ships as he went. After retirement he built ships for the navy. Sir Walter Raleigh led many expeditions to America and introduced tobacco and the potato into England. He chose the name of the first English colony in America. He named it Virginia after Queen Elizabeth. However some sailors were unsuccessful like Sir Humphrey Gilbert who explored the north coast of America but was never seen again. Also Sir Walter Raleigh of 1595 who set to sail for south America hoping to find El Dorado , a legendary city full of gold . He never found the city and never returned with any gold making him useless to the country as he did not benefit it. England had more power, defence and a stronger navy than before as British sailors improved their skills in sailing and fighting at sea. New and faster ships were built by Hawkins. These ships helped in the Spanish armada in 1558. By 1603 England had become the greatest sea-power in the world. In conclusion the Elizabethans were successful on their voyages overseas as Britain became the most powerful and richest country in the world by 1803. The trading companies became very wealthy in the seventeenth century. England had the greatest sea-power in the world which lasted until the twentieth century. They were encouraged to go on voyages overseas so that they could trade with other companies as they needed new markets to trade with after the cloth collapse and become wealthier as I stated in the essay. Sailors like Francis Drake helped gain success on voyages overseas.