Financial Careers Essay

What does the job involve? Well, it’s very varied, but basically fund-raisers organise special events like concerts and fun runs, ask governments for money, try to get support from local companies and organisations. Most major charities have fund-raising departments, which employ teams of workers. Some of these people do office work — others organise publicity, visit companies or arrange special events. Sounds interesting? Tycoon. A wealthy and powerful person in business or industry. If you are the independent, creative type, why not start your own business? Lots of people do these days. Some aren’t successful, of course, but plenty are —j and if you do succeed, the rewards of being your own boss can be. enormous. To become a business tycoon you need to have an original idea; be practical, reliable and well-organised; understand the business world; keep control of your finances. After that it’s all a question of hard work and luck, but then that’s the key to success in any job. Financial journalist. Financial journalists work in three main areas — newspapers, radio and television. Their job is to understand what’s happening in the financial world and explain it as quickly and accurately as possible. Economic journalists don’t just report today’s news, though. They need the ability to predict future events, too. â€Å"Will interest rates rise or fall? Will the stock market go up or down? And what about trade†¦ are exports going to increase or decrease? † To become a financial journalist you train as a general reporter first. Then you specialise in finance and economics. And when you’ve done that? Well, if you are lucky you’ll get a job in the media. One word of warning, though — financial journalism is a very competitive career. In Britain, for example, there are only 2,000 jobs available. Auctioneer. Two of the best-known auction houses in the world are Christie’s and Sotheby’s. The auctioneer who works there regularly sells famous paintings worth millions of pounds. But you’d be wrong to think that auctioneers just sell Rembrandts and Van Goghs. It’s much more varied career than that. Some auctioneers sell farm animals, for example. Others sell houses, antique furniture or even rock and roll ‘memorabilia’ (i. e. guitars, cars, clothes etc. , which ones belonged to pop stars). And what does it take to be a good auctioneer? Well, three qualities are absolutely essential — a calm personality, a quick mind and (last but not least) a strong voice. Dealer. Dealers work for companies which buy and sell foreign currencies, commodities like oil or steel. They work in large, noisy, rooms, called dealing rooms and do most of their business over the phone and on computer screens. The majority of them are under 35. The majority of them also earn very big salaries because their work involves huge amounts of pressure and responsibility. You don’t need a degree to be a dealer. What you do need, though, is talent, energy, confidence and ambition.

The Kiss Klimt

The Kiss Gustav Klimt The Kiss is a work that was painted by the Austrian artist, Gustav Klimt, between the years 1907 and 1908. Klimt utilizes his personal experiences and life changes as his inspiration for the creation of perhaps his most famous work yet. He links modernity and eroticism at the center of his work, the couple’s embrace. This embrace is a quintessential expression of one of the deepest passions known to mankind, sensual love. Klimt’s color choices, use of depth, line, and balance, are all techniques that contribute to the message he is trying to convey.This couple’s love radiates passion at its strongest, the love between man and woman, and the disconnect from reality they experience as they embrace. In order to understand the meaning behind The Kiss, one must know a little bit about the artist’s history. Klimt was born on July 14, 1862 in Baumgarten near Vienna. He studied architectural painting at the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts. B y 1880, Klimt and his brother collaborated and began working together. As a result, they garnered the attention of many new clients. Eventually, Klimt embarked on his own career path and started his professional painting career.He began by painting interior murals and ceilings in large public areas. In 1888, Klimt was even awarded for the murals he painted in Burg Theater. This particular mural portrayed the Golden Order of Orders from the empire of Franz Josef I of Austria. Klimt’s success and joy was quickly followed by tremendous grief when his brother and father tragically passed away, leaving him financially responsible for his family. As a result of this tragedy, Klimt’s art began to reflect the sadness and difficulty he was experiencing in his personal life.He continued on this path for a while, until he created The Kiss. Some say this painting was his magnum opus, his greatest work. Society immediately fell in love with his work, and he quickly regained his suc cess. In this work, Klimt illustrates two figures, one male and one female. They are entangled in what seems to be a passionate embrace at the center of the work. Their love immediately becomes the focal point. Their gilded clothing beams as it pulls the viewer deeper into the center of the painting, the very essence of work, the kiss itself.It quickly lets the viewer know that this is the main focus of the painting. The entanglement of shapes initially blends the lovers’ bodies into one, exposing only their hands, feet, and faces. However, when more closely examined, the viewer can see that there is a separation. Klimt uses rectangles and squares on the male figure, and more rounded and circular shapes on the female figure. So in spite of the fact that the figures are intertwined, and almost seem as one, the variations of the geometric rectangles and the organic flower pattern illustrates each figure as a separate entity.This juxtaposition between jagged and soft can also be viewed as a metaphorical representation of the contrast between the rough nature of man versus the sensitive nature of woman. Their tight embrace clearly expresses sensuality and intimacy, the powerful connection that only lovers can experience. This power is enhanced by Klimt’s use of color. Just as he juxtaposes contrasting jagged and soft shapes, he creates contrast through the juxtaposition of earth tones and vibrant colors against a golden background. Despite the array of colors and shapes that make up the majority of the painting, the focal point remains distinct.As mentioned previously, their emotion radiates. The couple’s faces are essentially all that is needed to portray Klimt’s message. Their positions create an extra element of interest within the painting. The man’s face is hidden, and only a quarter view is shown. This indicates a euphoric state as he is lost in the bewilderment of love. The women’s face, however, is in full view. He r expression reveals a sense of tranquility and satisfaction. Her eyes are closed as she allows herself to enter into this euphoric state as well.Her cheeks are flushed, hinting a climactic moment in her embrace with her lover. Color and technique is another major aspect of The Kiss. In creating this painting, Klimt gained inspiration from his travels to the Byzantine, the mosaics in Ravenna in particular. This inspiration is reflected in his use of gold and the arrangement of shapes. While the majority of the painting was done using golden hues (he uses actual gold leaf to achieve this affect), Klimt manages to apply all of the colors necessary to achieve intrigue and convey his message clearly.He uses vibrant colors such as; blue, purple, and green in the flowerbed. He strategically uses the gold by integrating it into the robes and vines that swathe over the figures and over the woman’s feet. He continues his theme of contrast and juxtaposition in his use of complimentary colors. The green in the flowerbed contrasts with the red in the woman’s dress, making her dominate and stand out. This contrast is even shown in the skin tones of the figures. The man has an olive complexion and the woman has a peach complexion, making her stand out even more.An additional component is Klimt’s use of depth. He uses a variety of sizes among his shapes to emphasize the curves of the figures’ bodies. The flowerbed beneath the figures indicates Klimt’s use of perspective. He allows the line of grass to blur, giving the illusion of space. The Kiss remains unique, unlike most of Klimt’s other work. Unlike the portrayal of women as femme fatales in his other paintings, Klimt portrays the woman in The Kiss as the protagonist. This is illustrated through the full view of her face, as well as the color of her complexion.Since the male is painted in deeper hues, it gives him a more dominant role. This is also illustrated by the way he stands over the kneeling woman and how he pulls her face over towards him. As one of Klimt’s most famous paintings, The Kiss is arguably a perfect composition of shape, color, line, and scale. Unfortunately, I have not had the privilege of seeing The Kiss in person, yet I still felt the intensity and passion that is illustrated in the painting. I was originally drawn to research this particular work because of its color and beauty.Only once I began to dissect the painting’s individual attributes did I discover that it is so much more than just a beautiful painting. It is a representation of love, the most passionate emotion of all. What originally began as awe and reverence for the artist, became envy towards the lovers. It makes me long to experience passion and love as the couple does in Klimt’ work. His genius is evident in his technique, but more so, in his ability to evoke an emotional response in the viewer.

Law of trusts Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Law of trusts - Case Study Example The children being the minors are not entitled to be solidly or liquidly be given any cash it should only be kept for them or invested for their behalf. Therefore Teresa is not entitled to pay them any income except invest or save it for their benefit after meeting their necessary requirements. Teresa is entitled to invest the money for the beneficiaries for as much as she can but not give them hard cash because of their age. In the law of Equity and Trust, any trustee is entitled to make decision on investment of the beneficiaries. Therefore Teresa should not give them cash as it will spoil them. Further dislike of the children by Teresa does not entitle her not to give or provide for them what should be provided. Her personal hatred towards the children should not be driven towards the fund. However if Teresa finds that her dislike to the children is affecting the trust, then she can apply to the court for requiting her post as a trustee and the court shall appoint a trustee to run the fund. Therefore, the two boys claim is justified as long as they do not solicit for the income realized from these investments to be paid to them directly. Teresa as a trustee should not also invest the money for the boys where she has interest. b) Austin's dropping out of school where he was studying Tourism studies at the University of Scunthorpe does not entitle him to be given the money to start his own business by being 200,000 as down payment of 10% on the purchase of the hotel. This is against the law of equity since all the investments done must be for the benefit of the two children. Therefore, Teresa should not give out the money to Austin simply because, he (Austin) is a minor and in any case the money is held in trust for their benefits and not his own benefit. Any investment done or any purchase of the two children him (Austin) and Morris. In reality the age of maturity i.e. 25 years. Then he can be given the said money to start his business as he requires but before that, Teresa should not be swayed or pressed to give any money to Austin as this is against the rule of equality, where all the investment on property or otherwise must be for the benefit of both children and not Austin himself. Therefore Austin mu st not be given the said money as he is a minor and the Trust is not for his own benefit, it is held on the behalf of the two children and strictly for the provision of necessaries like food, accommodation, education and thereafter any amount extra can be invested in other investments for the benefit of them (Austin and mum's). Austin mighty argues that since he has dropped out of University, his part of fees can form part of 200,000 for the purchase of the Hotel, this should not be entertained since no one had forced him out of school. He dropped out of University in his own will. He is free to go back and continue with his studies and his fees will be paid. However, if Austin has entered into agreement with the management of the Hotel to purchase the hotel, Teresa as a trustee can write a letter to the hotel and explain to them why she cannot give Austin the money to pay as part of payment in the purchase of the Hotel. This is because all the money is held

Roman Fever by Edith Wharton Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Roman Fever by Edith Wharton - Essay Example The main characters of the short story are two elderly women Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley. Thorough the theme of marriage, the author shows that most women rely upon successful match in order to achieve high social position. The short story suggests something of the historical loss for women of transferring the sense of self to relationships with men. For instance, Mrs. Slade reflected "he had always regarded herself (with a certain conjugal pride) as his equal in social gifts, as contributing her full share to the making of the exceptional couple they were" (Wharton). Wharton depicts that social status plays an important role in life of both women, because high social position determine their happiness and guarantee public recognition. The character of Mrs. Ansley does not differ greatly from her friend. "Mrs. Ansley was much less articulate than her friend, and her mental portrait of Mrs. Slade was slighter" (Wharton). Both women portrayed as typical wives whose domestic role is pred etermined. The theme of widowhood helps Wharton to unmask contradiction arisen in the society and criticize dependence of women upon their husbands. Wharton vividly portrays that women mean nothing as social members without their husbands. "Yes; being the Slade's widow was a dullish business after that. In living up to such a husband all her faculties had been engaged; now she had only her daughter to live up to" (Wharton). In reality, both women find themselves defeated by the social norms they have followed all their life. Wharton unveils that their society had been solid and secure up to the moment their husbands were alive. To some extent, this short story shows a parody of the happy ending when women are faced with realities of live after death of their husbands. It seems that after husbands' deaths women are excluded from social life. Wharton criticizes social statuses and positions which play a crucial role for women and unveils that women can commit any crime and play any trick upon their friends in order to secure their high position and public recognition. Wharton depicts that friendship does not exist between Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley, because their lives have been nothing more than a struggle for happiness and high social position. For instance, Mrs. Slade has hated her friend all her life because Mrs. Ansley is lovely and cleverer than she is. Many years ago Mrs. Slade betrayed her in order to secure her marriage which meant high social position. Mrs Slade recollects: "And I remember laughing to myself all that evening at the idea that you were waiting around there in the dark, dodging out of sight, listening for every sound, trying to get in" (Wharton). Wharton criticizes that only marriage can preserves the vital social values of stability, continuity and propriety. Only at the cost of brutally suppressi ng equally powerful individual

Governance and Politics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Governance and Politics - Assignment Example The prosperity of an organization or a nation highly depends on its political willpower and framework. Organizations adapt political strategies that will enable them to impact on the formulation and implementation of policies and regulations that affect them. These strategies could be reactive or proactive. Non-profit organizations are more democratic than profit organizations. This allows them to adapt proactive political strategies. These include government association and ‘Action’ Advocacy for example electoral, legislation, media, international, grassroots, public education and opinion shaping and legal advocacy. These political strategies are ‘outward-focused ‘and allow for dialogue, and often contest, with the government, for-profit organizations and the public (Bruce, 1992). For-profit organizations are less democratic. They usually adapt reactive political strategies as a means of presenting or defending their political positions on certain issues. Examples are direct and citizen participation, and representation strategies. These strategies give little room for dialogue with non-profit organizations and the public. If the nonprofit organization were a public education organization, the strategy would change to societal force mobilisation so ·ci ·e ·tal  Ã‚   Diversity on board enables an organization to benefit from the varied pool of thoughts and experiences. This enhances the organization’s problem-solving ability and its ability to utilize available global opportunities. According to Ramiez (2003), board diversity also helps to avoid remove corruption which is normally encouraged by close relations among board members. It enables a board, on behalf of the organization, to achieve a global reach for their business. This is a sign of improved effectiveness. This is true especially if the diversified

The Impact of Business Partnering on the HR Function and HR Practice Literature review

The Impact of Business Partnering on the HR Function and HR Practice - Literature review Example This paper stresses that one can say that a great number of the various impacts that can be identified as a result of business partnering on the HR function are positive. This new practice allows for the expansion of the various HR practices that take place in an organization and can therefore be said to aid the Human Resource Management process through strengthening its capabilities and presence. The relationship between business partnering and Human Resource can not be ignored as it can be considered to be a symbiotic relationship whereby, each benefits from the other. This report makes a conclusion that managing to do so will strengthen the success rate that a business will be able to enjoy as well as improve the business frame of the company through better tactics and management of resources. In order to find a way that these practices can work in harmony with one another however, one has to identify the impact that business partnering has on the HR practice and its various functions. In order to do this, it is essential that one understands the full context of both business partnering and Human Resource Management. By identifying what the two practices are one is able to understand their operations and the best way to integrate both systems into one unified network that is able to easily collaborate with each other. Human Resource Management can be termed as the management of an organizations workforce or employee base. (Nag, Hambrick & Chen, 2007). It deals with the relationship between the organization and its employees and the various subject matters that arise from such a relationship such as the hiring and firing of individuals among other criteria. The main aim of Human Resource Management is ensuring that the organization has a capable workforce that will allow it to carry out its operations without a problem (Conaty & Charan, 2011). In this regard, HRM can be considered to be the backbone of the operations that take place within an organization. It can be seen as one of the most important departments within an organization and thus it is essential that it is approached in the correct manner and with sustainable ideologies. A failure to do so may lead to the downfall of the organization as a result of a breakdown in operations. There are a number of responsibilities that are held by the HRM department and most of this are with regard

Education Psychology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Education Psychology - Research Paper Example The child also develops intellectually and is able to manage time, set goals and priorities, understand different meanings of words and develop morally. The child develops social skills including attempting to solve problems on their own. The child also tries to form social relationships and make lasting friendships (Morin, 2012). Jean Piaget explained the stages of a child’s cognitive development, which include the sensor motor stage occurring between birth and two years of age, preoperational stage from two to seven years, concrete operational stage starting from seven to eleven years, and formal operational stage occurring from adolescence to adulthood. Fourth grade students are in Piaget’s concrete operational stage of cognitive development. At this stage, students learn how to use logic appropriately. They demonstrate intelligence by manipulating symbols systematically and logically. They are also able to make sensible decisions and think hypothetically about observable objects. Children at this stage can also sort objects according to shape, size or color. They can also recognize the relationships between things in a sequential order. Moreover, they are able to classify objects depending on characteristics such as size or appearance. The child also understands that some objects can be chang ed to different states and reversed again, for instance, the deflation and inflation of a ball (Shaffer and Kipp, 2009). The child also goes through social development. Erik Erikson explained eight stages of psychosocial development, from birth to adulthood. Fourth grade students are at the industry versus inferiority stage. It occurs between the ages of approximately five to eleven years. At this stage, children develop pride in their abilities through social interactions. It is an important stage for developing self-confidence. At this stage, children are given opportunities to gain the recognition of their parents or teachers. For instance, they can be asked to draw, solve problems or write sentences. If they do them correctly, they are commended for their achievements. If teachers and parents commend and encourage children at this age, they will believe in their skills and have a feeling of competence. However, those children who are not encouraged by parents or teachers, but ar e punished and ridiculed instead will begin to doubt their abilities and develop low self-esteem (Underwood and Rosen, 2011). Lev Vigotsky’s socio-cultural theory explains that learning is a social process and human beings get their intelligence from the society. A child’s social interactions play an essential role in cognitive development. Vigotsky’s theory suggests that students should learn in an environment that is socially interactive. The learning environment should be supported with discussions, computers, problem solving, and collaborative writing, among others (Shaffer, 2008). By having knowledge on the social, intellectual and physical development of students, I will be able to teach more effectively in future. Teaching students at the concrete operational stage will involve the use of concrete visual aids to explain complicated ideas to them. I will also use familiar examples to explain complicated concepts and give the students a chance to manipulate objects. I will give students assignments that will require them to think analytically and logically. I will ask them to practice classifying ideas and objects. I will apply Erikson’

Brand marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Brand marketing - Essay Example Brand is the design, name, symbol, term or other characteristic that generally identifies whether a product is distinct or can be differentiated from other sellers’ products.A brand is considered as an intangible assetEffective branding strategy helps an organization to achieve several potential competitive advantages in competitive global market place. Several leading organizations around the globe are trying to increase their core competencies through the implementation of several unique competitive strategies. This particular essay will discuss various theories in order to assess the relationship of different customers with several B2C brands. This essay will consider and evaluate various authors’ academic literature regarding a brand. Moreover, the essay will reveal how a brand can drive both financial and non financial brand performance metrics. Finally the essay will summarize and conclude the whole findings. Discussion This part of the essay will provide answers of two essay questions. Question (A) It has been discussed earlier that brand is an intangible asset. The brand owners effectively manage their brands in order to develop shareholder value. Several organizations adopt branding to differentiate their products from other market competitors. This branding is subsequently used in marketing, advertisement and business. Coca Cola is a key modern example of brand that belongs to the Coca Cola Company. Several organizations generally focus on brand valuation. Brand valuation is a key management technique which ascribes a significant monetary value to brand (Ariely, 2009, p.23). Moreover, it allows the organization to manage the marketing investments to maximize the value of shareholders. Appropriate branding strategy can result in high sales growth. For example, if a customer likes regular Coke under the Coca Cola Company, then the customer will surely try other products under the company. Brand is a significant personality that helps to id entify a company or a product or a service. According to Kotler (2000), a brand can be defined as the name that is associated with one or more than one product in the specific product line of an organization (Kotler, 2000, p.396). Whenever a marketer or an organization develops a new name, design or logo for a newly developed product, he or she has developed a brand. Branding is one of the initial and important steps within the product or service marketing process. According to Urde (1999), for a longer period of time brand has been treated as the important element of a product or a service (Urde, 1999, p.197). Some individuals distinguished the psychological aspect and brand associations like feelings, perceptions, images, thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, thoughts and experiences. However, the experiential aspect consists of the sum of total points of contacts associated with the brand. This is known as brand experience. According to Baldegger (2012), this brand experience is known as a specific brand action that is perceived by an individual. Sometimes this psychological aspect can be referred as brand image. Brand image is a symbolic construct that is developed within customers’ mind (Baldegger, 2012, p.39). Brand image consists of expectations and information associated with an organization or a product or a service. It is important for an organization to carefully develop a brand management strategy. Careful brand management strategy seeks to develop products and services related to the target audience. It is important for the organizations to achieve significant brand recognition of their products and services (Browayes and Price, 2008, p.192). Effective branding strategy always increases the core competency of a product or service. A strong brand name always demand high price for the products or services as a strong brand name always develops strong brand awareness and market demand. Strong brand

Formation of a Company Essay Example for Free

Formation of a Company Essay Refers to the entire process by which a company is brought into existence. It starts with the conceptualisation of the birth a a company and determination of the purpose for which it is to be formed. The persons who conceive the company and invest the initial funds are known as the promoters of the company. The promoters enter into preliminary contracts with vendors and make arrangements for the preparation, advertisement and the circulation of prospectus and placement of capital. However, a person who merely acts in his professional capacity on behalf of the promoter (eg lawyer, CA, etc) for drawing up the agreement or other documents or prepares the figures on behalf of the promoter and who is paid by the promoter is not a promoter. The promoters have certain basic duties towards the company formed :- In case of default on the part of the promoter in fulfilling the above duties, the company may :- A promoter may be rewarded by the company for efforts undertaken by him in forming the company in several ways. The more common ones are :- If the promoter fails to disclose the profit made by him in course of promotion or knowingly makes a false statement in the prospectus whereby the person relying on that statement makes a loss, he will be liable to make good the loss suffered by that other person. The promoter is liable for untrue statements made in the prospectus. A person who subscribes for any shares or debenture in the company on the faith of the untrue statement contained in the prospectus can sue the promoter for the loss or damages sustained by him as the result of such untrue statement. II. Incorporation by Registration : The promoters must make a decision regarding the type of company i. e a pulic company or a private company or an unlimited company, etc and accordingly prepare the documents for incorporation of the company. In this connection the Memorandum and Articles of Association (MA AA) are crucial documents to be prepared. Memorandum of Association of a company : Is the constitution or charter of the company and contains the powers of the company. No company can be registered under the Companies Act, 1956 without the memorandum of association. Under Section 2(28) of the Companies Act, 1956 the memorandum means the memorandum of association of the company as originally framed or as altered from time to time in pursuance with any of the previous companies law or the Companies Act, 1956. The memorandum of association should be in any of the one form specified in the tables B,C,D and E of Schedule 1 to the Companies Act, 1956. Form in Table B is applicable in case of companies limited by the shares , form in Table C is applicable to the companies limited by guarantee and not having share capital, form in Table D is applicable to company limited by guarantee and having a share capital whereas form in table E is applicable to unlimited companies. Contents of Memorandum : The memorandum of association of every company must contain the following clauses :- Name clause The name of the company is mentioned in the name clause. A public limited company must end with the word Limited and a private limited company must end with the words Private Limited. The company cannot have a name which in the opinion of the Central Government is undesirable. A name which is identical with or the nearly resembles the name of another company in existence will not be allowed. A company cannot use a name which is prohibited under the Names and Emblems (Prevntion of Misuse Act, 1950 or use a name suggestive of connection to government or State patronage. Domicile clause The state in which the registered office of company is to be situated is mentioned in this clause. If it is not possible to state the exact location of the registered office, the company must state it provide the exact address either on the day on which commences to carry on its business or within 30 days from the date of incorporation of the company, whichever is earlier. Notice in form no 18 must be given to the Registrar of Comapnies within 30 days of the date of incorporation of the company. Similarly, any change in the registered office must also be intimated in form no 18 to the Registrar of Companies within 30 days. The registered office of the company is the official address of the company where the statutory books and records must be normally be kept. Every company must affix or paint its name and address of its registered office on the outside of the every office or place at which its activities are carried on in. The name must be written in one of the local languages and in English. Objects clause This clause is the most important clause of the company. It specifies the activities which a company can carry on and which activities it cannot carry on. The company cannot carry on any activity which is not authorised by its MA. This clause must specify :- In case of the companies other than trading corporations whose objects are not confined to one state, the states to whose territories the objects of the company extend must be specified. Consequences of an ultravires transaction :- However, the doctrine of ultra-vires does not apply in the following cases :- The following are exceptions to the rule of limited liability of members :- Capital clause The amount of share capital with which the company is to be registered divided into shares must be specified giving details of the number of shares and types of shares. A company cannot issue share capital greater than the maximum amount of share capital mentioned in this clause without altering the memorandum. Association clause A declaration by the persons for subscribing to the Memorandum that they desire to form into a company and agree to take the shares place against their respective name must be given by the promoters. Articles of Association The Articles of Association (AA) contain the rules and regulations of the internal management of the company. The AA is nothing but a contract between the company and its members and also between the members themselves that they shall abide by the rules and regulations of internal management of the company specified in the AA. It specifies the rights and duties of the members and directors. The provisions of the AA must not be in conflict with the provisions of the MA. In case such a conflict arises, the MA will prevail. Normally, every company has its own AA. However, if a company does not have its own AA, the model AA specified in Schedule I Table A will apply. A company may adopt any of the model forms of AA, with or without modifications. The articles of association should be in any of the one form specified in the tables B,C,D and E of Schedule 1 to the Companies Act, 1956. Form in Table B is applicable in case of companies limited by the shares , form in Table C is applicable to the companies limited by guarantee and not having share capital, form in Table D is applicable to company limited by guarantee and having a share capital whereas form in table E is applicable to unlimited companies. However, a private company must have its own AA. The important items covered by the AA include :- Alteration of articles of association : A company can alter any of the provisions of its AA, subject to provisions of the Companies Act and subject to the conditions contained in the Memorandum of association of the company. A company, by special resolution at a general meeting of members, alter its articles provided that such alteration does not have the effect of converting a public limited company into a private company unless it has been approved by the Central Government. The articles must be printed, divided into paragraphs and numbered consequently and must be signed by each subscriber to the Memorandum of Association who shall add his address, description and occupation in presence of at least one witness who must attest the signature and likewise add his address, description and occupation. The articles of association of the company when registered bind the company and the members thereof to the same extent as if it was signed by the company and by each member. III. Registration of the Company Once the documents have been prepared, vetted, stamped and signed, they must be filed with the Registrar of Companies for incorporating the Company. The following documents must be filed in this connection :- {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} Certificate of Incorporation Once all the above documents have been filed and they are found to be in order, the Registrar of Companies will issue Certificate of Incorporation of the Company. This document is the birth certificate of the company and is proof of the existence of the company. Once, this certificate is issued, the company cannot cease its existence unless it is dissolved by order of the Court. IV. Commencement of Business A private company or a company having no share capital can commence its business immediately after it has been incorporated. However, other companies can commence their activities only after they have obtained Certificate of Commencement of Business. For this purpose, the following additional formalities have to be complied with :- If a company has share capital and has issued a prospectus, then :- {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} Once the above provisions have been complied with, the Registrar of Companies grants Certificate of Commencement of Business after which the company can commence its activities

Employee Recruitment and Retention on the Plumbing and Heating Industry Essay Example for Free

Employee Recruitment and Retention on the Plumbing and Heating Industry Essay The way in which companies recruit and retain their employees is considered as a competitive weapon. Not until recently that firms are becoming serious on the act of recruitment as the Bureau of Labor statistics estimates that jobs will grow faster at a rate that is not proportional with the labor force, hence forcing the aforementioned to appeal to various groups such as omen and minorities. As such not only recruitment is very vital but also retaining employees (Denton, 1992, p. 14). According to Frank Doyle, the senior vice president of corporate relations at General Electric: For U.   S. corporations, tomorrow’s competitive battle will be won or lost on the strength of their ability to build and retain a skilled work force (Richman 1990, 76 as cited from Denton, 1992, p. 14). General Electric believes that labor shortage does not significantly matter if companies know which people to hire and to retain. For instance, companies such as Merck Co. often times target certain universities or campuses that give a more detailed specialization on certain knowledge and skills that are very vital to their business. The Plumbing and Heating Industry  The plumbing and heating industry has been experiencing shortages as well on their workforce due to the difficulty of finding skilled plumbers and retaining them. It needs several numbers of years training on order to become a qualified plumber and heater and such also requires a deep dedication for a lifelong learning process. Certain skills are also necessary to be a good plumber such as need a head for heights, the ability to work in cramped conditions and the stamina to complete physically hard work day after day (The Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering, 2007). In addition with this, plumbers also need the intelligence to solve complex equations. More importantly, they must have the expertise and flexibility to install various systems and the capability to comprehend the logic of various systems. They should also have the ability and initiative to solve a problem and a passion to know and apply various technologies on their work. Plumbers and heaters must also have a creative mind and a sound judgment, and finally they should be professional and honest (The Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering, 2007). Employee Recruitment Interviews In order to find the right people, the process of interviewing and getting to know them not only through their answers but also through their eye contacts, body languages and the likes (Dibble, 1999). For instance, some companies like Merck often conduct a 30-minute interview in order to assess the qualifications of prospective employees. Hewlett-Packard did it further by implementing a technique called behavioral interviewing that is developed by organizational psychologist Paul Green that would assess the future behavior of a prospective employee based on his or her past behaviors. In using this technique, interviewers can design employee questions that would allow them to elicit behaviors that are closely related to the job that they are looking for (Denton, 1999, p. 16). The process of behavioral interview often times identifies 21 skills that are very vital for certain jobs such as coping, decisiveness, assertiveness, tolerance of ambiguity, written communication skills, creativity, commitment, team building, versatility, and leadership (Denton, 1999, p. 17). For the aforementioned skills there are still eight job behaviors that are needed to be known such as how prospective employees deal with â€Å"varied duties, deal with diverse groups, respond to others needs, be socially flexible, roll with the punches, understand individual differences, make others comfortable, exhibit wide range of social behaviors ( More 1988, as cited from Denton, 1992, p. 17). Decentralized Hiring Traditional recruitment approaches that focuses on interviewing prospective employees by a single person is no longer deemed as vital nowadays. For instance, the Springfield Remanufacturing Corporation (SRC) one of Americas most successful small companies still has their hiring process as a group activity. SRC adopts a non-traditional method of recruitment by having all of their applicants have five or six interviews with various individuals that he or she might be working with (Denton, 1992, p. 18). Recruitment through Reputation The reputation of the company is also one of the leading factors in which highly knowledgeable and skilled employees will desire to work for the aforementioned. For instance SRC received more than 2,500 applications for a small company that only employs 300 people. It could also be noted that the company only pays $6 or $7 per hour, yet applicants are still flocking to them. One significant reason for this is its reputation for being one of the best places to work. One of the ways of doing such is the capacity of a company to manage the diversity of their workforce (Denton, 1992, p. 19). The shortages in terms of prospective employees is a growing concern among companies that is why there is a need to focus more on recruiting minorities and women. However, in order for a company to have a wide application pool, such must first establish to have a good reputation of being able to effectively manage organizational diversity (Denton, 1992, p. 20). Aggressive Recruitment for Entry-Level Workers One of the best ways to tap to a good employee resource is through recruiting entry-level workers through implementing various programs such as â€Å"Adopt-a-School† or â€Å"Join-A-School†. These programs allow companies and organizations to establish partnerships between business and schools which may involve elementary school, vocational school or even a university (Denton, 1992, p. 5). The main value of such programs is the establishment of closer relationships between schools and in a macro perspective, creating better understanding businesses and industry. More importantly, partnerships such as like these, would allow companies to easily recruit personnels that can improve the companys image that could help the prospective applicants to view your companys business as a career, hence a better chance of creating a wide labor pool (Denton, 1992, p. 26). Employee Retention If finding good people is hard, so as looking for ways to make them stay. One of the companies that have displayed such an admirable trait is Federal Express, wherein they have emphasized the importance of retention, recruitment and employee relations (Dibble, 1999). If a particular company is very careful in terms of recruiting, there is also a relatively better match of keeping them. One best way of doing such is the company centralizing all of its recruitment centers (Denton, p. 47). After which, they provide immense value on putting their people first on their list. Good employee relations for Federal Express involve deeds that impress employees and improve relations (Denton, p. 48). According to Fred Smith, CEO of Federal Express, I think a lot of companies talk about how their employees are their most important asset, but where you can really tell whether it is very important or not is how much their senior management spends on the issues ( Trunick 1989, 19 as cited from Denton, 1992, p. 48). Through implementing the philosophy of people, service, Profits the company makes their people feel that they are indeed needed in the organization. They let them answer several basic questions such as What is expected of me, and what do you want me to do? (p. 48). These questions are answered by having all of their employees attend extensive orientation programs wherein the Federal Express values are discussed Incentives Career advancement is not the only incentive that will make people stay within the organization. For instance the use of awards program that is designed to reinforce a particular desired behavior such as superior quality of work and customer centricity played a lot in terms of motivating employees to stay (p. 49). One very good example of this is Federal Express Bravo Zulu Voucher Program: wherein employees who displayed admirable work performance such as going beyond what is expected of them are able to receive cash or non cash rewards. Also, their Suggestion Awards Program allow employees to participate in the management process by sharing their ideas that will enable the company to improve its operations. Any idea implemented that will lower costs, increase productivity, revenues or promote safer working conditions will receive recognition and $100 to $25,000 worth of cash (p. 49). Communications Open Communication among employees is also vital to solve a problem. The internal employee response program allows employees to find answers to situations that they perceived as something that is disagreeable, controversial or is contrary to existing policies. If employees express negative concerns about their work or with the management, the latter is expected to respond within 14 days. These concerns are assured to be forwarded to the CEO (p. 50). Appeals Board The Appeals Board is a venue wherein decisions among complaints could be given and also disciplines could be implemented. However, it is very important that when keeping such a type of venue for resolution of organizational conflicts, the organization must have the capability to streamline its process to make the time alloted for every case reasonable enough (Denton, 1999, p. 52). Survey, Feedback, Action (SFA) An annual survey of employee attitudes is also important for the company to measure its employee opinions and to make changes that could hopefully change not so favorable employee attitudes to the company (Dibble, 1999). This assures that the management will see clearly what its team feels about the organization. In addition such allows a fair gauge of attitude and anonymity among employees (Denton, 1999, p. 52). Education and Trainings Continued learning is a venue wherein employees themselves would feel that they are indeed valued by the company. As such it us also very relevant as well that the organization will invest on trainings or even scholarships to employees who wanted to continue their education (Logue, Yates and Greider, 2001, p. 46-47). Conclusion The Plumbing and Heating Industry has been experiencing a significant decline in terms of its workforce. Hence in order to solve this problem the industry must be able to adopt effective recruitment and employee retention practices that were formulated in theory and practice of various management scholars and organizations. For the purpose of this research, in order to have an effective recruitment process, the research has emphasized the importance of: Interviews, Decentralized Hiring, Recruitment through Reputation, and Aggressive Recruitment for Entry-Level Workers. On the other hand, in order to retain employees, companies must be able to focus on: Incentives, Communications, Appeals Board, Survey, Feedback, Action (SFA), and Education and Training.

The Implementation Of Change Management In Maxis Information Technology Essay

The Implementation Of Change Management In Maxis Information Technology Essay Maxis are Malaysias leading telecommunications company and market leader with a total mobile phone subscriber base of more than seven million, as at 31 December 2005. Maxis continue to enhance how people communicate and live with an impressive array of innovative products and services. Maxis were the first to launch 3G Connect Card, PC Webmail, Video Mail and 3G prepaid. They are having significantly increased the 3G service coverage since its launch in July 2005, catering to more than 740 sites across Malaysia. The case study of Maxis was about the company taking a generation shifts at the top management (management team) to meet the challenges of the competitors and the unpredictable demands of the global competitors in a rapid changing and hostile environment. The study aims to analyze the implementation of change in Maxis and making a shift to update telecommunication technology from 2G to 3G. This was initiative taken by Maxis implementation of a generational shift in order to be competitive in global market is still questionable as the highly competitive market is indeed a tough to overcome. This study discussed: (a) The importance of change and the demand to be competitive. (b) The success of implementing the change process in Maxis (adopting and adapting the new technology) (c) Importance of organizational change in Maxis The Wireless Industry felt that inventing 3G network was critical in order to offer high-bandwidth services to their customers, or risk losing out to their competitors. Third generation mobile phones (3G) are at the introduction stage and a lucrative trend. Maxis were able to achieve market leadership because its constant efforts towards developing a corporate culture which fostered innovation. It wasnt easy for Maxis to maintain market leadership in the ever-changing telecommunications industry. The vision and dedication of its key personnel allowed Maxis to have a clear advantage over its competitors. Success and winning only comes naturally when the right people initiate and lead the charge to victory. The vision and mission of Maxis played a very important role in fostering innovation for a company that aspires to be the best based on a set of values that serves as a guiding principle in all its relationships, internally and externally, unifies and motivates its staff, provides clarity in its decision making, defines the way it conduct business to the community (Maxis website, 2004). 2.0 Change Management as a competitive advantage in Maxis To excel in todays business climate, organizations must continually deliver a varied range of products and services that provide high business value. Even the most successful enterprises can experience failure because they unsuccessfully manage change in software development. With more demand than ever for IT (Information Technology) to quickly and accurately achieve and support corporate objectives, IT organizations must cope with a continuous barrage of changes-changes in product requirements, technology, development processes, and deployment environments. As a result, telecommunication companies can only successfully deliver newer technology assets and applications to their current customers and attract new customer base through proactive management of change. The single, most constant factor in telecommunication companies is change (Becher, 1989). Telecommunication providing organizations and project teams must deal with rapidly changing business and product requirements, development methodologies, delivery technologies, and application architectures. For Maxis, there are compelling reasons to believe that 3G network will work around the skepticisms surrounding the technology and succeed. The 3-G network is broadband and 6 times faster than GPRS and three times faster than EDGE (Maxis Website). With its abilities to deliver video-based services, it opens the door to a brand new communications medium whereby the mobile experience is made more diverse, more interactive and more enjoyable than its technological predecessors. With launch of 3G in maxis, the telecom users will be able to talk to each other as well as to see each other face-to-face and share special moments as they happen. We get access to content; especially live TV and video streaming that is more diverse, richer and a lot more engaging and also very enhancing for the users. Adopting 3G, user can easy access to broadband connectivity on your mobile device and your laptop, anytime, anywhere and you dont have to look for Internet cables or phone lines ever again. The great advantage of 3G at this point is due to the low broadband service penetration currently. Above all, for mobile operators, 3G provides growth as the market for voice telephony matures. Data is set to rule the communications industry of the future and thus, 3G network would be a service to look forward to by customer in future. The major benefits that Maxis will be reaping by the proposed change management would be: 2.1 The need to reinvent the business as the business environment changes As the competitive pressures increase, the company needs to rethink its business strategy and position in the value chain by contributing both to differentiation and cost leader strategies is to simplify the value chain and move closer to customers through mobile services. 2.2 The need to be able to focus on the most differentiating activities Most operators still want to differentiate with new mobile services, content and portals. Extensive efforts are required to develop, launch and market with increasing time-to-market pressures and by being able to focus on these most differentiating activities is a significant benefit in view of a more complex technological environment in the future. 2.3 The need to improve operational efficiency After usual process optimization and competence development, the main source for cost efficiency is economies of scale. There is a need to increase the cost efficiency of basic technical operations irrespective of the operators competitive strategy. For very large operators and international operator groups, it is possible to gain significant economies of scale in-house. Small and medium sized operators should consider a managed service provider that could deliver benefits for their business by creating higher economies of scale on their behalf. 2.4 The need to improve quality of services and operations If Maxis manages the operations and network well with necessary capacity increases and modernization, the quality of service will be meeting the customers expectations. However, the quality is unlikely to be a differentiating factor as all the operators can deliver the same product. The new mobile services and applications provide excellent possibilities for quality differentiation and grabbing market share in a certain time window. The operators should make the most out of this with the chosen help of the experienced managed service provider. 2.5 The need to manage technology and operational challenges In traditional operator-vendor relationships, the operator has responsibility for deploying mobile services network technologies, billing and customer care readiness. This integration responsibility involved risk and managed services contract can be set up in a way to reduce this technology and operational risk by linking service providers incentives to operators business objectives. These drivers differ from one operator to another and each of these drivers needs to be considered carefully. Since outsourcing of technical operations is such a major change, it should be based on the correct and well considered reasons. 3.0 Fostering successful change management in Maxis Successful management improvement efforts require the active involvement of managers and staff throughout the organization to provide ideas for improvements and supply the energy and expertise needed to implement changes. Employees at all levels of high-performing organizations participate in and have a stake in improving operational and program performance to achieve results. High-performing organizations use a number of strategies and techniques to effectively involve employees, ie (1) Fostering a performance oriented culture, (2) Working to develop a consensus with unions on goals and strategies, (3) Providing the training that staff need to work effectively, and (4) Devolving authority while focusing accountability on results. Employees in high-performing organizations understand the importance of and the connection between their performance and the organizations success. The failure to constructively involve staff in an organizations improvement efforts means running the risk that the changes will be more difficult and protracted than necessary (Becher, 1989). The various steps for a successful organizational change in Maxis were: 3.1 Form the coalition. Once we create the commitment of what we want to our vision to be, the second step is to form a coalition of all stakeholders as well as both internal and external members of the organization. Its not only the senior management, but it is everyone that is involved with the company as well. 3.2 Envision the future (Implementation of 3G Pilot Launch) Envisioning the future is about painting a picture of what the firm is going to look like when this journey and transformation are complete. Many individuals who are part of the team will have difficulty understanding what the changes that are attempted to incorporate into the business really mean. They are going to ask how the change is going to affect the company and, more importantly, each individual within the company. This explained the pilot launch in Klang valley during the 3rd quarter of 2004. (The Star-In Tech, 22 June 2004). According to the news, Maxis Communications Bhd will initially roll out its 3G (third generation) mobile services in populated areas of the Klang Valley in the first 18 months to two years following its commercial launch by the end of 2004. Maxis revealed how, by offering these services, they would be able to grow significantly faster while providing the clients with a much higher value service, and this would create more opportunities for each of the stakeholders. At the same time, if they didnt change, they were going to fall behind in the industry, leaving fewer opportunities for employees, becoming a less important partner in the financial advisors growth, and not doing all that they could in assisting the investors to achieve their financial goals. It was not a very tough decision for the stakeholders once they had the information and time to confirm the vision. 3.3 Begin the transformation. Successful change is a real challenge because no one reacts well to change except the person that is driving it. When change comes, we all tend to immediately put our hands up and try to figure out how to avoid it. Behaviorists tell us that 80 percent of us are reactive thinkers who will do anything to avoid change. Twenty percent of us are creative thinkers, meaning we initially try to avoid the change, but then examine and judge whether its a good change or a bad change. If we think it is a good change we will incorporate it into our lives. If creative thinkers believe it is a change for the worse, they will just figure out ways to go around it. The only way to ensure that change occurs smoothly is to have a road map that outlines the process that will be incorporate into your firm to make it work for mutual benefit. 3.4 Embed it in the culture. Everything that was doing should be consistent with the commitment. For example, Maxis was constantly promoting 3G network advantage to their valuable customer over the country during the initial launch. This creates a sense of commitment for all the employees that they are undergoing change and it is therefore real and it creates a new culture. 3.5 Accelerate the pace. Maxis helped everyone see the increased competition and the need to differentiate it from all the other firms. Maxis understand the likely outcome if you dont make the changes. They know that it will be fine to be uncomfortable with change but that the winner in business will always be the one who most effectively adapts to the new environment. 3.6 Collaboration with other organizations According to Mobilecomms-technology.com, Maxis realized that the success of any 3G network relies on the availability of 3G handsets in the marketplace. A joint venture between Sony and Ericsson has been contracted by Maxis to provide 300,000 3G enabled handsets in a contract worth RM20 million for the period 2004-05. Maxis also intend to continue its close relationship with both Motorola and Siemens, and 3G handsets from these companies will also be available. Maxis also collaborated with Astro, especially in streaming live telecasts. Taken from the same article; Maxis mobile subscribers are also set to get video streaming services before the 3G network goes live, as Astro are to provide program clips, running at 64kbps and 24 frames per second, to the existing Maxis 2G GPRS Network. In addition, Motorola is installing its new push-to-talk over cellular service on the Maxis 2G network that will allow a single subscriber to connect with one or many users at one time via the single push of a button on their handset (this should see most use in the corporate market place for the easy arrangement of conference calls). 3.7 Continuously reinvent yourself High-performing organizations seek to involve and engage employees by devolving authority to lower levels of the organization. Employees are more likely to support changes when they have the necessary amount of authority and flexibilityalong with commensurate accountability and incentivesto advance the agencys goals and improve performance. Allowing employees to bring their expertise and judgment to bear in meeting their responsibilities can help agencies capitalize on their employees talents, leading to more effective and efficient operations and improved customer service. To continue usage of video streaming and video calls, Maxis has lowered the cost of 3G network charge toward their customer to increase the usage of it. The excerpt blow was taken from the article Maxis lowers cost of 3G adoption published on August 7, 2006. We are seeing a healthy uptake on 3G services with people coming on board at an incremental increase of 30% every month. We believe free video calling will further accelerate 3G adoption in Malaysia, said Maxis Head of Products and New Businesses, Dr. Nikolai Dobberstein. At the of end July, Maxis has 256,000 customers with 3G mobile phones in its base, of which 150,000 are active 3G users. By removing the cost barrier, Maxis hopes to drive up usage among 3G handset owners in its base and counter the prevalent notion of 3G being expensive. With Maxis continual low pricing strategy, we are turning that around and proving that Maxis 3G is as affordable as 2G, said Dobberstein. 4.0 Comments and Suggestions The success of the change implementation was due to the fact that it was an initiative from top management and it was clearly seen that the shift is urgent with the competitors in the market coming up with new invention. (It is an internal change and the change agent is the top management). This was congruent with one of the Organanizational Development principle, which stated that the Change Management should start from the top. According to Rothwell et al (2010), Organizational Development works best when it is supported by top managers. This is because top managers are traditionally the chief power brokers and change agents in the organization; they often control an organizations resources and reward system. The expertise of the staff was recognized and their ideas were discussed during meetings therefore capitalizing on their talents will enhance the operations and allow a smooth revolution of change. The staffs were committed to change and they were aware that there is pressure from the environment and Maxis have to differentiate from other firms and the change was necessary and the change is directed to positive results so there was no resistance to change. There is a need for change that was understood by employees. The management also has created the awareness of change. Change is inevitable, and this message was disseminated throughout the organization. This ensure low level of resistance to change. The collaboration with Sony, Ericson, Motorola and Astro has strengthen the change as companies supporting each other in terms of sharing of network, video streaming has led to a win -win situation in the corporate market. However, the change process in Maxis was a success but the future has yet to be seen in this era of companies coming up with new intervention and innovation to have the competitive advantage but the war is not over yet for Maxis as further strategies to combat the competitions need to be planned ahead of time so as to meet the demands of the future market in the era of globalization. The group view that other strategies such as new design and more practical models may be able to penetrate the market apart from technology which is the main area of competitiveness as customers of today do not only value the update of technology but the design has cosmetic value and it influence the user in the trendy world of today. 5.0 Conclusion The telecommunication industry felt it was not practical and risky to launch 3G network in the market because it final result is quite unpredictable. It could be said that the industry as well as stakeholders still felt sceptical even though the pilot plant was considered a success. However after the implementation, Maxis has proved that it had been successful in term of change management. This was proved by statistics from The Mobile World that noted Maxis ended Q1 06 with some 8.2 million customers giving them a market share of 42.5%. The country has a population penetration rate of 80%. Even though this could be directly linked to 3G, but it is not to be denied that 3G contributed a major part in the increase of market share. This notion was strengthen by the fact that Maxis has the most extensive integrated 3G network coverage in all major cities in the country. The Klang Valley, Penang, Johor Bahru, Kuantan, Alor Setar, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and other cities are now with 3G connectivity. Today, Maxis have over 300 buildings with Maxis 3G/2G transmitters, and also over 350 Maxis Utopia and Airzà «d WLAN hotspots.   After the tremendous success in Malaysia, Maxis planned to penetrate 3G in Indonesia (end of year 2006) using the same change management plan. Thus, the well planned change can bring the expected result in the end. The change plan is very important to make a company to be market leader or sustain in the market.

The Mathematical Abilities of Women Essay -- Math Mathmatics Women

The Mathematical Abilities of Women Tests have proved that women have the same mathematical abilities than men do. Since there is no difference in ability, you would think that the field is equally occupied by both genders. Many people have thought about a seemingly simply asked question and have failed to come up with a practical answer why it is so. The question, "How come you know more male mathematicians than female?" is one that I, previously uninformed on this subject plan to supply data that may help to lead to one clearly defined answer. One reason why women are out numbered is that the females were shunned from society throughout history. The men did not allow women to do certain things. For example, girls growing up weren’t allowed to obtain the same education as the boys because the girls were supposed to grow up to take care of the house. In most cases, the women were just taught the essentials for around the house work, cooking, sewing, and taking care of the children to name a few. Furthermore, some universities weren’t coed until the mid to late 19th century. The university of Virginia, which was established back in 1819, did not allow girls to attend college there until 1970. This example helps illustrate the point I am trying to make. Men have had all of the opportunities to do well in their chosen fields. They have been receiving all of the proper schooling that helps them move on to be the best they can be. If a woman had the potential to be the best mathematician ever, she would not have bee n able to accomplish that. Some studies have shown very conclusive evidence to why women are not in the field of mathematics. One researcher blamed the teachers during K-12. People have said that the girls weren’... ... conclusion, there is no exact answer that remains from all of the studies. The fact that women are outnumbered in the field just may be because that is how it always was. Although it is changing, it is a slow process that hopefully will taper off. We do not know exactly why, but suppose the evidence is yet to be unmeasured? It could be out there but yet to be analyzed. Or could it be that this whole topic has been blown out of proportion? A big question still remains whether the practical discrepancies in the fields are important and whether it is a problem that needs to be fixed. Bibliography [1] Dalmedico, Amy D. Scientific American, "Sophie Germaine" Dec 1991, v265 n6 p116 (6) [2] Holden, Constance Science, "Female Anxiety on the Wane", May 8, 1987 v236 p660 (2) [3] Agnes Scott University, http://www.agnesscott.edu/ (Pictures and biographical data.)

The Great Gatsby As A Satire Essay -- essays research papers

The Great Gatsby as a Satire   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Satire is an implement used by authors to point out a flaw of society or group of people in general. There are different levels of satire that the author can use. For example, the author may employ a type a formal satire known as Juvenalian satire. Here, the writer points out a subject with anger and contempt for it in a bitter fashion. There is also the contrasting form of Juvenalian satire called Horatian satire. Here, the writer points out a subject with a gentleness and jovial tenderness. The second main type of satire is informal. This is the type of satire used in The Great Gatsby. Here, Fitzgerald uses Nick to point out the character's flaws and makes each person the butt of the witticism by what they themselves do. The supposed 'guests'; at all of Gatsby's parties are prime examples of satire in The Great Gatsby. Many people who attended the parties were never even invited. This disregard for propriety illustrates the crassness and thoughtlessness that seemed to run rampant among the rich and famous during the twenties. An example of carelessness is when a large group of people at one of the huge soirees, decides to continue the party in the massive, expensive fountain in Gatsby's lawn. They just jump right in and begin to dance without concern for their health, much less concern for the well being of the fountain. After the galas had died down, most of the participants went home, leaving a monstrous mess...

Empiricism †Science Essay

I have a standard deal with my students that if they recommend a book to me, I will read it. One of my students recommended Ishmael by Daniel Quinn, which turned out to be my least favorite book ever. After the first half, I jotted down some of the reasons why. Here is a list of problems I have with the book, most of which are either logical fallacies or just rhetorical stunts that annoy me. replacing the progress fallacy with the doomsday fallacy Quinn argues against the assumption that things are necessarily getting better, but he commits the opposite error, the assumption that things are necessarily getting worse. It is almost certain that some things are getting better and some worse. If Quinn wants to make the argument that we are headed for an environmental doomsday, he has to make the argument empirically. poisoning the well Pointing out the influence of culture on our thinking, Quinn sets up a ready answer for anyone who disagrees with him: the opponent is blinded by culture! Of course it is important to be skeptical of conventional wisdom, but we are no better off rejecting blindly what â€Å"Mother Culture† tells us than we would be accepting it blindly. the meta fallacy When someone produces a meta-x, they often pretend it is not, itself, an x. For example, when a news story gets hyped out of proportion, some reporters start covering the hype as if it were a story. They think their meta-hype is better than the hype, but it’s not. Similarly, Quinn tries to place himself outside culture in order to create meta-culture, but he can’t. He is just as much a victim of â€Å"Mother Culture† as the rest of us, and his book is just another piece of it. In fact, this kind of work has become a genre! Another book in the category is â€Å"Mutant Message from Down Under,† in which the author uses the rhetorical device of being kidnapped by Australian aborigines to give herself a voice apparently outside the culture of civilization. Quinn uses a telepathic gorilla, but its the same device with the same deceptive intent. the naturalist fallacy There aren’t many ideas in philosophy that are universally accepted. The one that comes the closest is the maxim that you can’t get â€Å"ought† from â€Å"is. † In other words, you can’t derive an ethical system from empirical observation. Historically, there have been lots of people that tried, and the results have been universally disastrous. Quinn attacks this view straight on, arguing that there is a law that all species (except humans) follow, and that we can figure out what this law is empirically. He fails on two fronts: the law he presents is empirically false, and even if it were true, it still wouldn’t make it possible to know what we should do. At best, it would help us predict the consequences of our actions, but that is not sufficient to derive an ethical system. Why do I say his law is empirically false? Well, one counterexample is trees. Trees are engaged in a internecine competition for sunlight in which they squander resources on preposterously long trunks, deprive other species of their food source, and poison their environments to eliminate competitors. Ever look at the floor of a dense pine forest? Nothing but pine needles. the Lorax fallacy. Quoth the Lorax, â€Å"I am the Lorax, and I speak for the trees! † To which I reply (1) what makes you think you know what the trees want, and (2) what makes the trees so special? It is probably wrong to assume that nature has intent, but in any case it is ridiculous to presume that we know what its intent is. To see how ridiculous this is, consider the unpublished first draft of â€Å"The Lorax,† in which another irritating troll appears and shouts, â€Å"I am the Borax, and I speak for the grass, and I say, chop down those trees — they’re blocking all the sun. â€Å" Then, â€Å"Wait! I am the Snorax, and I speak for the dung beetles, and I say, please breed enormous numbers of cattle. † Then, â€Å"I am the Thorax, and I speak for the slime molds, and I say, please make big piles of decaying organic matter. † And so on. You can see why it wasn’t a big hit. the biocentrism fallacy Quinn argues against anthrocentrism, the view that the universe was made for humans and that we have the right to do what we want with it. The alternative is biocentrism, an ethical system in which animals and other parts of nature have rights as well. It is often (wrongly) assumed that an ethical system that extends rights to more entities is morally superior to one that is more stingy. Of course, we already extend some rights to some animals, and we could extend more rights to more animals, but that does not change the fact that (a) we’re still the ones extending the rights and it’s still our choice, and (b) we would still be in the position of trying to figure out the intent of nature, if there is one. Anthrocentrism may seem self-centered, but there is no sensible alternative.inconsistency regarding the role of humans Sometimes Quinn considers humans part of the natural world, sometimes not, as it serves him. Where this error hurts his argument the most is his claim that all species that follow the law live forever, environmental conditions permitting. What â€Å"environmental conditions† is he talking about? He seems to mean the abiotic environment, but that’s absurd. For every species, â€Å"the environment† includes every other species. I am not sure, but I would guess that of all the species that have become extinct (for reasons that have nothing to do with humans) the vast majority have been wiped out because of other species (too many competitors, too little prey) rather than the abiotic environment. Humans are part of the environment, and every species that has been wiped out by human activity has been wiped out by â€Å"environmental conditions. † Quinn’s distinction in this case between natural causes and human activities is contrary to his argument in the rest of the book that humans are part of nature. identification of science as a form of mythology Quinn stamps the current scientific understanding of the origin of the universe as mythology. He pulls this stunt with a bit of rhetorical slight-of-hand. He offers an anthrocentric story of creation and then rejects it because it is anthrocentric. In fact, the narrator was invited to offer an explanation of â€Å"how things came to be this way† in an environment that was completely surrounded by human artifacts. It was perfectly reasonable to explain such an environment by focusing on the human activity that led this to be â€Å"this way. † In any case, telling and rejecting an antrocentric version of the origin of the universe does not undermine the claim that our scientific understanding is qualitatively different from the stories we usually label mythology. Specifically, if representatives from two culures with different creation myths met, there is nothing one could say or do to persuade the other to adopt a new myth (at least not rationally). By contrast, there is a lot we can do to convince someone to adopt the  scientific view — in fact, millions of people, raised to believe some version of Genesis, have come to adopt the scientific view on the basis of evidence and reason. ignorance of evidence When Quinn bothers to present empirical evidence for his position, it is almost always false. I already mentioned one biological error, the claim that no other species competes with other species the way humans do. I’m not a biologist, but I thought of 10 counter-examples before I turned the page. I already mentioned trees. What about the mold that produces penicillin? Simians that kill members of other species for sport, and members of their own species for social standing or mating priviledge? Beavers that wreak environmental havok to build safe housing? Species evolve mechanisms and behaviors that allow them to survive (more precisely, the ones that didn’t aren’t around). Quinn observes, rightly, that most of these mechanisms are peaceful, but that’s because non-violence is generally a good survival strategy, not because the species are following laws. There are exceptions throughout nature, including some aspects of human behavior. As for the economic relationship between population and food supply, Quinn gives a half-hearted voice to some 19th century ideas, but seems oblivious to a century of subsequent work. His model is absurdly simple and provably false. I don’t know as much about anthropology, but many of Quinn’s claims are contrary to what little I know. Judging by his track record, I am hardly inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt ugly misanthropy The population crisis is a serious and difficult problem. Its central questions are  (a) if we keep doing what we’re doing, will the population grow to a level that is either unsupportable or supportable only with an unacceptable quality of life? (b) if so, is there something different we can do that will lead to a smaller population and a better quality of life? The first is an empirical question. The only way to answer it is by using evidence and reason as best we can. Quinn has no interest in evidence or reason — he just assumes that he knows the answer. The second is an ethical question. Obviously there are a lot of things we can do to reduce the population. The hard part is finding one that actually makes things better. To do that, we have to think about ethics. If there is, in fact, a population crisis, then it makes a lot of traditional ethical problems harder. For example, saving a life becomes an alloyed victory. The problem, of course, is that once the sanctity of human life is off the table, the table becomes slippery and steep in every direction. Finding an acceptable ethical system in that context is a hard problem. Quinn’s misanthropy is a lazy, ugly solution. We can do better.

ID System

As computer technology changes in such a fast phase, many business firms and institutions try to cope up by upgrading computer system constantly in order to stay competitive. There is no doubt that computer is a must asset in all professions, because it offers more efficient way to process transactions. There are still institutions that use manual processing on their transactions and their system are not yet improved. Through this, it is inevitable to commit errors, troubles and it is time consuming.Access Computer College is a private school and has seven branches that are located in Metro Manila. It was established in 1981 and owned by Mr. Romeo T. Karate. Students, professors and staffs of these schools particularly in Cabaret branch are just using an ordinary ID card in entering and exiting the school campus. As long as an ID is worn, it is valid for the entry that is why outsiders are hardly identified. The school doesn’t have an organized and secure ID system that can ma ke everyone’s life easy and convenient to avoid the occurrence of problems in their transactions.So the proponents decided to propose an ID system with SMS notification and ID scanner to provide a better way of dealing with transactions like information and security purposes. This study is descriptive  and explanatory research endeavor. It seeks to inform the reader about the benefits and advantages of having more convenient and systematic ID system because indeed, high technology and security is related to each other.Having convenience in all task performed in daily living is very helpful using high technology equipment. The proponents will introduce a type of security system that will help a lot in terms of identifying and verifying students, faculties and staffs using the barcode scanner. Student’s ID card is a gate pass with a network-based system that will monitor the time in and out of the student inside the campus and directly send information to their parents /guardian. This system is about security and information that is stored in a database needed for future references.Conceptual framework Conceptual Framework is the clarification of all the activities and process of the entire ID system. This study used the System Development Life Process define as a logical process used by a system analyst to develop an information system, including requirements, validation, training, and user. The SDLP is originated by Elliott & Strachan & Radford (2004), The System Development LifeProcess used by the proponents to show the process of the entire development of the system.Figure 1.1 System Development Life Process of Access Computer CollegeThe importance of this study is to develop an ID system for Access Computer College. In the stage of Identifying the Problem, the proponents gathered information about the particular problem encountered by students and staffs of the school.In the stage of Planning, the proponents carefully analyzed the possible ex planation that will help to solve the identified problem of school in their current system. The proponents made some interviews on some students and staff about the problems they encountered.In the next process which is the designing, the proponents visualize or conceptualize a good interface that is suitable for the institution’s name and profile. In the stage of system development the proponents began to code using the Microsoft Visual Basic 2010 as programming language and Microsoft Access Key as Database.In the situation of system testing, the proponents try the system to identify some errors or inconsistency of it and if there are some inconsistencies, the proponents will debug or code the system. The proponents conducted the intensive testing program and updating to prevent errors and viruses and to assure that the system will not cause any malfunctions and inconsistency. Next stage is system evaluation, the proponents gathered feedbacks and comments from the user of th e system. The next is the system implementation where in the proponents will implement the system to the said school. The last stage is the system maintenance. The system will be under a warranty services, the warranty covers system consultation, system tutorials, system check up and debugging for possible and encountered errors. System enhancement will not be covered by the system warranty.Statement of the Problem The ID system study is created for the security and information for Access Computer College, Zabarte Branch. The study sought to answer the following questions: 1. What are the common situations usually encountered in using the current system of Access Computer College? 2. How can this ID system improve the security and information of students and staff of the school? 3. Is there any significant difference between existing system and the proposed system in terms of:Accuracy Accessibility Efficiency Security SpeedScope and Limitation This part tells the capability and limi tation of the program which the proponent will need to develop. Scope Log in modules can be used by Admin and/or authorized personnel. Searching files/records of students, professors and staffs are in order. Adding files/records will be done by a designated person only. Saving of files and records can be done according to the information. Only the Admin has the authorization to add, change, and delete the students’, professors’ and his/her accounts. The two command buttons; edit button and delete button will be enabled if the verification code is right. The system is using USB Modem as its gateway for sending mesagesLimitationLog in modules cannot be used by authorized person. The SMS notification is only applicable to the students. Significance of the Study 1. Students2. Professors This kind of system can now solve their problems in terms of dealing transactions and will achieve a safe learning environment, efficiency, security and accessibility of information. In add ition, this can help them fasten and lessen their work in every transaction.3. Proponents The study finds the proponent’s behavior in creativity of being a programmer. It is valuable because this will widen their knowledge and skills in programming and will encourage them to learn more about computer field.4. Access Computer College This will be a great advantage because Access Computer College will be known for its good education with regards in creating a program.Definition of Terms For better understanding of the readers, the following terms are defined: Accuracy – the ability of the system to be prà ©cised on its records and avoid errors. Database – Is an application that manages data and allows fast storage and retrieval of that data (en.wikipedia.org). Database helps the system to have a security in terms of storing information about a particular product or people. Efficiency – the ability of the system to achieve the desired result without wasted energy and effort. System – is a collection of automated transaction system (Microsoft EncartaDictionary, 2007).In this study, system refers to the Integrated Security with SMS Notification and Scanner for Access Computer College. Transaction – An agreement between a buyer and a seller to exchange an asset for payment (Webster Dictionary, William Collins, World Publishing Company Inc., 1990),the process of exchanging payments between the payment staff and the trainees. In this study, it is interaction between the students, professors and staffs having a transaction.CHAPTER IIMethod of Research Methodology includes the data gathering, Brainstorming, questionnaire, interviews, statistical treatment and testing activities.Data Gathering The following gathering data tools were used in this study. (1) Observation the existing traditional ID system to have a better understanding about it. The proponent observed how the old ID system works. (2) Interview was used to collect a fact regarding the current system to have a better idea on how ir works. (3) Research method was used by the proponents search and gather data that will support this study. We used internet and collected data from the library materials such as books and other thesis that will help guide us through the course of this study.Brainstorming This techniques of generating ideas during group meeting participants are encourage to generate any ideas, feasible in a short time period which any analysis until all ideas have been exhausted. Proponent talk about the  problem that encountered in Access Computer Colloge in their current system. Proponent gives ideas on haw to solve the problem.Questionnaire A set of prepared questions used in data system.Interviews The proponent conducts an interview by using both verbal and written for asking questions.

Generational Poverty Essay

This week in class the focus has been on generational poverty. There are a lot of key factors that lead to poverty. Poverty does not exist because people want it to. Poverty is a way of life for those who don’t know another way and feel that they don’t have a way out. Every day in society people turn their heads or frown up their nose at people who they see living in poverty because they think they are better than them and will not lift a hand to help them out. The big question is why do we do this? In most cases, the poverty line or clash of the classes are based on wealth and there is certainly a variation in the wealth among the population. But classism exists from the beginning of education to death. Schools pass out grades and establish an intelligence stratification. The better students take higher academic classes and separate themselves from students taking lower academic classes. College graduates typically achieve better incomes than non-college graduates and raise higher in wealth and stratification. Though it may seem unfair, typically those who achieve better grades are those individuals who apply themselves and try hard to get out of the situation that they are in if it is bad. Achieve is rewarded while sloth is not rewarded. Society works best this way, because it gives incentives for everyone to achieve, while not rewarding those who do not make and effort or better yet even try. Woman play a big role in the family when it comes to poverty. Most of the families are single parented. In this paper, I will be discuss what generational poverty is. Also I will discuss and identify the complex factors involved in overcoming generational poverty, explain challenges the aged face when there is a lack of access to employment and describe the uni que challenges that women face through the different life stages. Lastly it will be explained how what I have learned changed my perspective and the way in which I approach special population. Generational Poverty Generational poverty is defined as having been in poverty for at least two generations. It is important to recognize this time factor to be able to separate it from â€Å"situational poverty,† characteristically understood as a lack of resources due to particular sets of events, i.e. a death, chronic illness, divorce, etc. from the discussion of generational poverty in this chapter. These two concepts are distinguishable, which will help us put our students’ behavior in better perspective. A key indicator in defining and separating these poverty types is â€Å"attitude.† In generational poverty, the players feel that society owes them a living whereas in situational, they often allow pride to keep them from accepting needed assistance. Generational poverty has its own culture, hidden rules and belief system. The video clips deal with the role of the â€Å"momma† as central to the family structure. She is the powerful one and the ultimate caregiver and rescuer. Punishment in her mind is about forgiveness not about change and hers is the love and relationship that ties to the soul. In examining these distinguishing differences, our author gave a humorous case study of an actual court case. While the nature of the case is quite disturbing from the perspective of a middle class reader, behaviors become crystal clear and predictable. Identify the complex factors involved in overcoming generational poverty? There are four major complex factors involved in overcoming generational poverty. The first one is housing. Housing stability is critical to being successful in education, employment and parenting. If basic security needs, such as housing, cannot be met, it is unlikely, if not impossible that other achievements needed to break the cycle of poverty can be made. Housing quality can affect the cycle of poverty in many ways. For example, one who lives in substandard housing can be contributed to negative health outcomes and concentrated disadvant ages such as bad business investments. If basic housing needs are not met, a positive environment for learning cannot be established, such as encouragement of completion of homework, having family reading places, or peer interactions. The next factor is education. Education attainment is a major if not the most important key to breaking the cycle of generational poverty. Research has shown that growing up in a lower income family negatively impacts educational obtainment needed to break the cycle of poverty. Learned behavior within peer groups, families and neighborhoods can also contribute to the cycle of poverty. Those with minimal education tend to find themselves employed at low paying jobs with little or no benefits. In addition, financial literacy and training is an important educational component that is needed to break the cycle of poverty. Employment is the third factor. There has been a significant decline in manufacturing jobs, which are typically high paying with good benefits. There is a growing mismatch with the skills of these displaced workers and available jobs. The loss of these manufacturing jobs has resulted in many folks going back to generational poverty. In a lot of cases, there are a growth of new jobs but these jobs tends to come with low pay and no benefits, which can further prevent breaking out of the cycle poverty. Also, multiple income based antipoverty programs can have a negative impact of work incentives. This is due to the fact these programs have to be funded with funds that could be used to pay workers to help them overcome poverty. The fourth complex factor is single parenting. Explain challenges the aged face when there is a lack of access to employment. Some challenges the aged are faced with due to lack of access to employment are: vulnerability to risk and shocks due to irregular and unstable income. They could also be suffer from deteriorating health, declining stamina, reduced physical ability, agility and strength, as well as decreased mobility due to lack of mobility and constant movement from working. Another challenge is high out-of-pocket health expenditures or lack of health insurance. Most aged people struggle to pay for basic medicines or treatment, which is often desperately needed to manage chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure. With lack of employment, comes a high level of stress and anxiety for the elderly. This would come about due to the constant worrying about how they will earn enough to buy food and other basic essentials, especially if they are supporting grandchildren or other family members who are sick. Describe the unique challenges that women face through the different life stages. Women face a lot of different challenges that they face through the different life stages. Women only have two choices. These choices are marrying men who  will provide life time financial support so that they can prevent destitution later on in their lives. Also if a woman pursues a higher education so that they can establish a career and choose to marry and raise the family they might be able to prevent a lifetime of neediness and impoverishment. As a citizen or population, women majority of the time earn a lower income than their male counterparts. The Equal Pay Act that passed in the 1960s was supposed to narrow the earning gap between men and women, yet a gender pay gap still exists today. Even after accounting for possible explanations such as demographic characteristics, family situations, work hours, and work experience, women who work full-time year-round still are paid 77% of a man’s pay ($37,000 for a woman compared to $48,000 for a man in 2009) (U.S. Census Burea u 2012). After a woman has accumulated years in the workplace, it seems that the wage gap would shrink because of experience. This, however is not the case in this instance. Inequities start early and worsen over time. Research has shown a 5% difference one year after college graduation and a 12% difference after 10 years. The only identified explanation for the unexplained gaps was gender discrimination (Arnst 2007; Boushey, Aarons, and Smith 2010). Has what you learned changed your perspective and the way you will approach the special populations discussed? From watching the videos and doing the research I have learned that poverty can happen to anyone. Once you become a product or victim of poverty it is hard to become stirred away. Everything around you condemns you to a certain life style. There is really no one there to give you hope or guidance. As a child, you are obligated to help you parents raise income or money and if that means you leaving school then that is what you have to do. Not one single person will tell you to stay in school. The education level for those in poverty in simply does not exist. The community has their own language that if you were to go into the corporate world you would be dismissed because they don’t understand what you are saying to them. The parent don’t give the children any enthusiasm or guidance letting them know that your life can change they teach them to settle for what you have and know. As a child I was not raised to believe that you can do anything. Your way of life is set by you the individual not anybody else. You change anything you want and if you fail the first time keep trying and never give up. It only takes a single person to help someone achieve their dreams and I plan to help as people as I can. As a single parent I live pay check to paycheck and can fall into poverty at any given time and I would want someone to help me so in return I will do that for others. References Jerry V. Diller, Cultural Diversity. A Primer for the Human Services, Fourth Edition, 2011 Arnst, C. 2007. â€Å"Women and the Pay Gap.† Bloomberg Businessweek. Accessed February 2013 http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2007-04-26/women-and-the-pay-gap. Boushey, H., J. Aarons, and L. Smith. 2010. â€Å"Families Can’t Afford the Gender Wage Gap.† Center for American Progress. Accessed February 2013. http://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/issues/2010/04/pdf/equal_pay_day.pdf.