A Lesson of Being Cautious

I learned a valuable lesson when I lost my mobile phone. On that day, I had an appointment with my friends and I took the bus to go out as usual. But that day was Sunday and the bus was more crowded because a lot of people didn't need to work, and they came out to play. Because there was no pocket on my trousers, I had to put my phone in the shallow coat pocket which resulted in the coming tragedy.After ore than ten minutes, the bus reached the destination, I clenched my fists and elbowed my way through the crowd and got off with difficulty. When I touched the ground, I suddenly thought that someone bumped into me in doorway earlier, and then I touched my coat pocket and found that my mobile phone was gone. Immediately, I looked back at the bus and glanced at the people around, but everything was very strange and it made me feel a little afraid.I walked hastily to the eating place to meet my friends, borrowed a phone of theirs to call my number, but I was unable to get through. Afte r a few seconds of hesitation, I dejectedly gave my dad a call to tell him my mobile phone was stolen. He comforted me that it didn't matter and warned me to be cautious outside and come back home as soon as possible. Even today, it is still an important lesson, to always be careful and cautious, because you never know where bad guys are and what will happen the next second.

Job Analysis Paper Essay

Job analyses are a way to create detailed job descriptions used by businesses to promote efficiency and best match potential between the employer and employee; but there are many other reasons to complete a job analysis. According to Ash and Levine (1980) there are 11 common uses for job analysis: career development; performance appraisal; legal issues; recruitment and selection of employees; training; setting salaries; efficiency/safety; job classification; job description; job design; and planning (Spector, 2008) There are many ways to complete a job analysis and the method used usually depends on the type of job or business. The four most common job analysis types are the; job component inventory; functional job analysis; position analysis questionnaire; and task inventory (Spector, 2008). For this paper this writer has chosen to use the functional job analysis method, utilizing the O*NET electronic database which was previously found in the Dictionary or Occupational Titles (DOT) and is produced by the United States Department of Labor (Spector, 2008). The occupation chosen is Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor. This paper will also look at the reliability and validity of the Functional Job Analysis as well as some of the pros and cons surrounding the four common methods mentioned above. See more: how to write an analysis paper on an article examples Functional Job Analysis-Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor The functional job analysis is a comprehensive method that makes use of observation, interviews, and scores on several dimensions; these dimensions are relevant to all jobs making this a uniform method to obtain information no matter what the job may be (Spector, 2008). The functional job analysis of a substance abuse specialist is as follows. (Note: due to the extensive amount of information provided much information will be paraphrased and writer will not include 100% of the data provided by O*NET.gov. – Also, the information provided is to show an understanding of the Functional Job Analysis along with the six domains utilized by the O*NET website.) Job Description The analysis begins with a job description as well as some of the titles associated with this vocation. In this case the job is to provide counseling to those struggling with addictions that include substances but also addictions to gambling, or other process addictions (Onetonline.gov, 2012). Job titles include: Counselor; Substance Abuse Counselor; Chemical Dependency Professional (Onetoneline, 2012). Tools & Technology The next section discusses the tools & technology generally used for this occupation. They include: Alcohol Breathalyzers; Personal Computers; and Spreadsheet Software. While this is an extremely comprehensive source there are items that are missing this writer noted the absence of Urine analysis kits used often in the field. Tasks Tasks according to the O*net website include but are not limited to: Completion and Maintenance of Records and Reports; Conduct Chemical Dependency programs; and Coordination with other Mental Health Professionals or Health Professionals as Needed (Onetonline, 2012). Knowledge Knowledge is next and the competencies include: Therapy and Counseling; Psychology; Customer Service; and Law and Government (Onetonline, 2012). Skills Skills include but are not limited to: Active Listening; Social Perceptiveness; Critical Thinking; and Speaking (Onetonline, 2012). Abilities Some of the abilities are: Oral Comprehension; Oral Expression; Problem Sensitivity; and Speech Clarity (Onetonline, 2012). Work Activities The work activities include: Assisting and Caring for others; Communicating with Peers, subordinates, and others; Documenting/Recording Informations; and Getting Information (Onetonline, 2012). Work Context The work context appears to be questions one would ask a prospective employer about the nature of any particular position. Questions center on particular job duties such as the length of time spent on the telephone, or how often one would be called upon to work with external customers and even if there would be time constraints or deadlines (Onetonline, 2012). Job Zone The job zone is devoted to the educational requirements, related experience, and a general look at the type of job it is. In this category some of the examples include: accountants; sales managers; and chemists (Onetonline, 2012). Education Looks at the levels of education required in the field (Onetonline, 2012) Interests This job is categorized as SAI: Social; Artistic; and Investigative (Onetonline, 2012). Work Styles Work styles are mainly characteristics held by people within the field. Self Control, Stress Tolerance, Concern for Others, and Dependability are just some of them (Onetonline, 2012). Work Values People that work in the field are said to value relationships, achievement, and independence (Onetonline, 2012). Wages & Employment Trends Lastly this job analysis discusses wages and employment trends on a national and local level (Onetonline, 2012). Reliability and Validity In order to understand the reliability and validity of job analyses one must have an understanding of who provides the information and who is responsible for gathering and making sense of the data. According to Spector (2008) Job analysis information is collected in several ways by people trained â€Å"in quantifying job characteristics and the KSAOs necessary to accomplish the different aspects of jobs†. These people either survey the employees who do the jobs in question or experience the job firsthand by doing it themselves or observing it being done†. The information is provided by job analysts, supervisors, job incumbents, and/or trained observers. Because supervisors and job incumbents have experience in the field they can be known as subject matter experts or SMEs (Spector, 2008). According to the research Dierdoff and Wilson (2003) found that when creating job analysis there is a reliability factor of .83 showing consistency. Depending on the type of rater inter-rater reliability was lower. Task inventory ratings varied depending on the scale given, or importance of a task and inter-rater reliabilities also varied quite a bit (Spector, 2008). So it seems that if a task inventory rating is used it should be done with great care. Validity is fairly high but comes with a caution. Once again the issue of people’s judgments and bias comes up (Spector, 2008). Job analysis is useful to I/O’s but must be carefully considered to assess validity (Spector, 2008). The job analysis provided by O*NET.gov was accurate and comprehensive but one could see that it is not possible to pinpoint every aspect of the job. Some parts may not apply or may apply to one place of employment and not another. Of course there are also the possible omissions such as the Urine Analysis under tools and equipment. This writer does feel that this particular analysis was reliable and valid based on first-hand knowledge of the field. Performance Appraisal Methods There are two types of appraisals; one is objective and the other subjective. Objective appraisals are a way to measure things like absences, or productivity. This would be a simple way of rating people in certain vocations where showing up and meeting a quota is important. Take people that work in a factory and need to produce high volume; this is one example of where this type of appraisal method would be beneficial. Certain aspects of performance can be measured very well using an objective approach but several weaknesses stand out. One is that the object being measured is not always clear; the other is that it is prone to human error (Spector, 2008) There are several subjective appraisal methods: the graphic-rating form; and many behavior-focused rating forms. These are more likely to be used and measure both trait performance and general aspects of performance (Spector, 2008). Graphic-Rating Form A graphic rating form is a chart with several areas that can be rated with choices either numbered or with other terms such as frequently to never at all (Spector, 2008). It is a way to make an evaluation on many dimensions relating to a particular job. This is an efficient way to get an overall picture. Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale (BARS) The BARS is a way of evaluating performance on a behavioral level. Relevant job expectations or behaviors are listed and the evaluator will find the choice that best describes an employee’s level of performance along a continuum (Spector, 2008). Mixed Standard Scale (MSS) A MSS has several statements that describe performance or behaviors with three choices that describe a particular level of performance (Spector, 2008). The three choices are randomly placed but they represent good performance, satisfactory performance and poor performance (Spector, 2008). This method like others gives a good overall picture but lacks the details that may surround poor performance. Behavior-Observation-Scale (BOS) The BOS is a way to measure behaviors using a percentage. Instead of describing how well a person responds it describes how often the behavior is seen. One rating could be â€Å"Stays on Task† and the evaluator or observer is to estimate using percentages how well the employee stays on task (Spector, 2008). The BOS is also similar to a mixed-standard scale because it uses critical incidence and either a poor or efficient behavior but; instead of rating behaviors the BOS rates frequency (Spector, 2008). One of the criticisms of the BOS is that to an outsider it may be hard to interpret (Spector, 2008) Conclusion This has been an overview of job analysis, perforamance appraisal, and the concepts of reliability and validity. We have seen that job analysis can be a great source of information. Not only does it provide details pertaining to a particular job but the job analysis can also help in the business world by providing possible legal and ethical issues, training program development and to help establish salaries just to name a few. We also know that there are several methods used to rate an employee’s performance which one is utilized depends on how detailed and what type of information needs to be measured. Lastly as with most other assessments, ratings, and measurements the reliability and validity of any job analysis is open to bias, and other human factors. All of these things must be taken into consideration and critical thinking generally applies.

Apple Inc Development Essay Example for Free

Apple Inc Development Essay Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak had withdrawn from Reed College and UC Berkeley, respectively by 1975. Wozniak designed a video terminal that he could use to log on to the minicomputers at Call Computer. Alex Kamradt commissioned the design and sold a small number of them through his firm. Aside from their interest in up-to-date technology, the impetus for â€Å"the two Steves† seems to have had another source. In his essay From Satori to Silicon Valley (published 1986), cultural historian Theodore Roszak made the point that the Apple Computer emerged from within the West Coast counterculture and the need to produce print-outs, letter labels, and databases. Roszak offers a bit of background on the development of the two Steves’ prototype models. In 1976, Wozniak started attending meetings of the Homebrew Computer Club. New microcomputers such as the Altair 8800 and the IMSAI inspired him to build a microprocessor into his video terminal and have a complete computer. At the time the only microcomputer CPUs generally available were the $179 Intel 8080 ($773.00 in present-day terms[11]), and the $170 Motorola 6800 ($734.00 in present-day terms[11]). Wozniak preferred the 6800, but both were out of his price range. So he watched, and learned, and designed computers on paper, waiting for the day he could afford a CPU. When MOS Technology released its $20 ($82.00 in present-day terms[11]) 6502 chip in 1976, Wozniak wrote a version of BASIC for it, then began to design a computer for it to run on. The 6502 was designed by the same people who designed the 6800, as many in Silicon Valley left employers to form their own companies. Wozniak’s earlier 6800 paper-computer needed only minor changes to run on the new chip. Wozniak completed the machine and took it to Homebrew Computer Club meetings to show it off. At the meeting, Wozniak met his old friend Jobs, who was interested in the commercial potential of the small hobby machines. The Apple I was sold as an assembled circuit board and lacked basic features such as a keyboard, monitor, and case. The owner of this unit added a keyboard and a wooden case. The very first Apple Computer logo, drawn by Ronald Wayne, depicts Isaac Newton under an apple tree. The Apple logo in 1977 created by Rob Janoff with the rainbow color theme used until 1998. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak had been friends for some time, having met in 1971, when their mutual friend, Bill Fernandez, introduced 21-year-old Wozniak to 16-year-old Jobs. Jobs managed to interest Wozniak in assembling a machine and selling it. Jobs approached a local computer store, The Byte Shop, who said they would be interested in the machine, but only if it came fully assembled. The owner, Paul Terrell, went further, saying he would order 50 of the machines and pay US $500 ($2.04 thousand in present-day terms[11]) each on delivery.[12] Jobs then took the purchase order that he had been given from the Byte Shop to Cramer Electronics, a national electronic parts distributor, and ordered the components he needed to assemble the Apple I Computer. The local credit manager asked Jobs how he was going to pay for the parts and he replied, â€Å"I have this purchase order from the Byte Shop chain of computer stores for 50 of my computers and the payment terms are COD. If you give me the parts on a net 30 day terms I can build and deliver the computers in that time frame, collect my money from Terrell at the Byte Shop and pay you.†[13] With that, the credit manager called Paul Terrell who was attending an IEEE computer conference at Asilomar in Pacific Grove and verified the validity of the purchase order. Amazed at the tenacity of Jobs, Terrell assured the credit manager if the computers showed up in his stores Jobs would be paid and would have more than enough money to pay for the parts order. The two Steves and their small crew spent day and night building and testing the computers and delivered to Terrell on time to pay his suppliers and have a tidy profit left over for their celebration and next order. Steve Jobs had found a way to finance his soon-to-be multimillion-dollar company without giving away one share of stock or ownership. The machine had only a few notable features. One was the use of a TV as the display system, whereas many machines had no display at all. This was not like the displays of later machines, however; text was displayed at a terribly slow 60 characters per second. However, this was still faster than the teleprinters used on contemporary machines of that era. The Apple I also included bootstrap code on ROM, which made it easier to start up. Finally, at the insistence of Paul Terrell, Wozniak also designed a cassette interface for loading and saving programs, at the then-rapid pace of 1200 bit/s. Although the machine was fairly simple, it was nevertheless a masterpiece of design, using far fewer parts than anything in its class, and quickly earning Wozniak a reputation as a master designer. Joined by another friend, Ronald Wayne, the three started to build the machines. Using a variety of methods, including borrowing space from friends and family, selling various prized items (like calculators and a VW bus) and scrounging, Jobs managed to secure the parts needed while Wozniak and Wayne assembled them. But the owner of the Byte Shop was expecting complete computers, not just printed circuit boards. The boards still being a product for the customers Terrell still paid them.[14] Eventually 200 of the Apple I’s were built. Wozniak had already moved on from the Apple I. Many of the design features of the I were due to the limited amount of money they had to construct the prototype, but with the income from the sales he was able to start construction of a greatly improved machine, the Apple II; it was presented to the public at the first West Coast Computer Faire on April 16 and April 17, 1977. On the first day of exhibition, Jobs introduced Apple II to a Japanese chemist named Toshio Mizushima who became the first authorized Apple dealer in Japan. The main difference internally was a completely redesigned TV interface, which held the display in memory. Now not only useful for simple text display, the Apple II included graphics, and, eventually, color. Jobs meanwhile pressed for a much improved case and keyboard, with the idea that the machine should be complete and ready to run out of the box. This was almost the case for the Apple I machines sold to The Byte Shop, but one still needed to plug various parts together and type in the code to run BASIC. Building such a machine was going to be fiscally burdensome. Jobs started looking for cash, but Wayne was somewhat gun shy due to a failed venture four years earlier, and eventually dropped out of the company. Banks were reluctant to lend Jobs money; the idea of a computer for ordinary people seemed absurd at the time. Jobs eventually met â€Å"Mike† Markkula who co-signed a bank loan for US$250,000, and the three formed Apple Computer on April 1, 1976. The name Apple was chosen because the company to beat in the technology industry at the time was Atari, and Apple Computer came before Atari alphabetically and thus also in the phone book. Another reason was that Jobs had happy memories of working on an Oregon apple farm one summer.[15] With both cash, and a new case design in hand thanks to designer Jerry Manock, the Apple II was released in 1977 and became the computer generally credited with creating the home computer market[citation needed]. Millions were sold well into the 1980s. A number of different models of the Apple II series were built, including the Apple IIe and Apple IIGS, which could still be found in many schools as late as 2005.[citation needed] While the Apple II was already established as a successful business-ready platform because of Visicalc, Apple was not content. The Apple III (Apple 3) was designed to take on the business environment. It was released on May 19, 1980. The Apple III was a relatively conservative design for computers of the era. However, Steve Jobs did not want the computer to have a fan; rather, he wanted the heat generated by the electronics to be dissipated through the chassis of the machine, forgoing the cooling fan. Unfortunately, the physical design of the case was not sufficient to cool the components inside it. By removing the fan from the design, the Apple III was prone to overheating. This caused the integrated circuit chips to disconnect from the motherboard. Customers who contacted Apple customer service were told to â€Å"drop the computer on the desk†, which would cause the ICs to fall back in to place. Thousands of Apple III computers were recalled and, although a new model was introduced in 1983 to rectify the problems, the damage was already done. In August 1980, the Financial Times reported that â€Å"Apple Computer, the fast growing Californian manufacturer of small computers for the consumer, business and educational markets, is planning to go public later this year. [It] is the largest private manufacturer in the U.S. of small computers. Founded about five years ago as a small workshop business, it has become the second largest manufacturer of small computers, after the Radio Shack division of the Tandy company.†[16] On December 12, 1980, Apple launched the Initial Public Offering of its stock to the investing public. When Apple went public, it generated more capital than any IPO since Ford Motor Company in 1956 and instantly created more millionaires (about 300) than any company in history.[17] Several venture capitalists cashed out, reaping billions in long-term capital gains. In January 1981, Apple held its first shareholders meeting as a public company in the Flint Center, a large auditorium at nearby De Anza College, which is often used for symphony concerts. (Previous meetings were held quietly in smaller rooms, because there had only been a few shareholders.) The business of the meeting had been planned (or choreographed) so that the voting could be staged in 15 minutes or less. In most cases, voting proxies are collected by mail and counted days or months before a meeting. In this case, after the IPO, many shares were in new hands. Steve Jobs started his prepared speech, but after being interrupted by voting several times, he dropped his prepared speech and delivered a long, emotionally charged talk about betrayal, lack of respect, and related topics. Apple Inc Development. (2016, Dec 09).

Stephen Hawking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Stephen Hawking - Essay Example His most important contributions were to the fields of cosmology and quantum gravity, especially in the context of black holes. Stephen Hawking, who has been spending his career contemplating the nature of gravity from a wheelchair, is renowned as the co-founder of the Bing Bang theory of origin of the universe and he has made immense contribution to the theoretical understanding of black holes and other space-time singularities, including the strings and worm holes. "Where did the universe come from What happened before its beginning Will it end What will happen after that What, then, is the true nature of time These are the questions that have absorbed theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, widely regarded as the most brilliant physicist since Albert Einstein, and possibly of all time." (Haven and Clark, 251) Apart from his significant role in establishment of the Bing Bang theory and the theoretical understanding of black holes and other space-time singularities, Hawking has been inspirational in the study of the bizarre workings of a relative, curving space-time. "More than any other individual, Stephen Hawking has both brought the reality of the vast universe into our consciousness and significantly advanced our theoretical understanding of major cosmic events." (Haven and Clark, 251-2) Therefore, the paramount importance of Stephen Hawking as the most prominent contributor to the contemporary physics, particularly the fields of cosmology and quantum gravity is indubitable and this paper makes a reflective investigation into the major contributions by this luminary figure in physics today. In an understanding of the major contributions by Stephen Hawking, it becomes lucid that his breakthroughs in cosmology and quantum gravity still remain a great mystery to the contemporary scholars. It was in the fall of 1973 that Hawking found himself fascinated in a horrific and embarrassing calculation which resulted in significant theories of quantum gravity in the context of black holes. "Attempting to investigate the microscopic properties of black holes, the gravitational traps from which not even light can escape, Dr. Hawking discovered to his disbelief that they could leak energy and particles into space, and even explode in a fountain of high-energy sparks His colleagues were dazzled and mystified Nearly 30 years later, they are still mystified They are ideas that touch on just about every bone-jarring abstruse concept in modern physics." (Overbye, 2002) The colleagues of Hawking were first dazzled and mystified when he reported his findings in the journal Nature, under the title, "Black Hole Explosions" They are still mystified when his ideas generated by his calculation and its consequences were at the center stage in a workshop titled "The Future of Theoretical Physics and Cosmology." Therefore, Black holes still remain fundamentally as enigmatic objects and the discovery of black hole radiation by Hawking has been of essential significance to that connection. Hawking has often been perplexed about his findings with regard to black holes and he asserted 30 years since his original divisive pronouncements that he had been wrong in making the earlier assertion about black holes, the terrifying gravitational abysses that can swallow matter and energy. Previously, there was

Macro Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Macro - Essay Example The one who has the highest bid will get the product. In order to participate in the eBay online market, one must register on the site. Upon finishing the registration, one is now allowed to bid or buy the product right away. For buying the product, the user only has to click the Buy it Now button or the eBay Express. eBay makes sure that every item transacted is fully insured for the protection of the consumers’ rights. Another feature for ensuring a good deal in eBay is the Meet the Seller link where people can view the feedbacks from other members whom the seller had transacted with and also gives the opportunity for buyers to inquire about the product they are interested to. For people who want to earn additional income on items that are no longer in use. eBay is a perfect place for putting those items in auction. eBay allows people to sell all kinds of items in the internet making transactions easier and fun. eBay is another opportunity for earning additional income through buy and sell. An online market system like eBay reduces the costs of finding the right buyers for a certain product which is more efficient. Since the registration is free, sellers have the chance to put all their items that they wish to sell. For buyer and sellers, they can get cheaper items and sell them in higher prices for profits. eBay also has a taxing system wherein sales taxes are charge as required by the state. Additional tax revenues are also beneficial for the state economically. The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an international organization that deals with the rules of trade between nations in the global arena. It was formed in January 1, 1995 succeeding the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Its current budget for 2008 is 128 million Swiss francs. Director-General Pascal Lamy currently heads the organization. The WTO has 153 members which account to

The U.S Constitution and the Bill of Rights Research Paper

The U.S Constitution and the Bill of Rights - Research Paper Example Initiatives for the Constitution In 1787, on May 14, the Federal Convention assembled in the Independence Hall in Philadelphia in order to revise the articles of confederation. Since the delegates were in a minority meeting was adjourned for a day awaiting the arrival of the rest of the states. This adjourning continued for eleven days when on May 25 seven states joined in with the delegation for the purpose of taking a mutual decision (World Digital Library, 2012). However, the debates continued between the states until mid of June that the jury reached a conclusion that the terms could not be amended rather it called for a fresh effort and a total change in the articles of confederation. Thus, the first mutual decision between the gathered delegates was to draft a new structure in order to give a direction to the government (World Digital Library, 2012). After continuous secret debates among the delegates, a constitution was proposed and submitted to the state for an approval. Alth ough the vote was sealed in some states, the constitution was finally sanctioned. A new Federal government came into existence in 1789. In accord with the constitution the government was established that exists till to date in the U.S. The Bill of Rights During the debates for the constitution the delegates constantly mentioned that there should be a law that would protect the citizens against violation of rights. The opposition party argued that if the constitution was established without considering the citizens it will become a tyrannical rule by the central government. During the revolution, the British had violated the civil rights. This was a fresh memory for the opposition party and a mitigating factor that brought the Bill of Rights into existence. In accord with the arguments of the opposition party, there should be rules that were required to be spelled out in order to protect the citizens against any violation of rights (The Charters of Freedom, 2012). Nevertheless, on Se ptember 25, 1789, the Congress of United States proposed to the State legislatures 12 amendments to the constitution. These amendments were deduced after the argument by the opposition party. Bearing in mind the argument of the opposition the Congress deduced amendments; these considered the representation of the constituents and the compensation of the congressmen. Thus, in order to guard the rights of the citizens, George Mason had composed the Declaration of Rights, which was approved by the Virginia assembly on June 12, 1776. However, on June 8, 1789, James Madison of Virginia presented amendments to the Constitution. The Federalists honored their word and on September 25, 1789, the First Federal Congress of the United States approved twelve amendments to the Constitution to be submitted to the states for ratification. Today the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights (The Charters of Freedom, 2012; The U.S. Bill of Rights, 2012).

Discussion of the various issues related to corporate governance and Dissertation

Discussion of the various issues related to corporate governance and its impact on financial performance of companies - Dissertation Example The analysis includes a comprehensive literature review on corporate governance, its various mechanisms and the impact on financial performance of firms; as well as P.E.S.T analysis of the four companies. Impact of corporate governance mechanisms on modern companies Contents Sr.# Topic Pg. # 1. Introduction 4 1.1. Purpose of the study 5 2. Brief Background 10 2.1. Meaning and definition 10 2.2. Significance and relevance 11 3. Literature Review 14 3.1. Accounting & Finance Theory: Corporate Governance 14 3.1.1 Corporate governance mechanisms 18 3.1.2. Effect of corporate governance on earnings management 22 3.1.3. Agency theory and corporate governance 25 3.1.4. Corporate governance regulations 3.2. Impact of corporate governance on bank performance 3.3. Relationship between board rules and board effectiveness 3.4. Relationship between board effectiveness and financial performance 4. Industry/ Sector overview 4.1. Banking Sector 4.1.1. HSBC 4.1.2. RBS 4.2. Integrated Oil and Gas sect or 4.2.1. British Petroleum P.L.C. 4.3. Retail sector 4.3.1. J. Sainsbury P.L.C. 5. Research Methodology 6. Findings and Analysis 6.1. P.E.S.T. analysis 6.1.1. HSBC 6.1.2. RBS 6.1.3. British Petroleum 6.1.4. J Sainsbury 7. Conclusion and Recommendations Reference list 1. Introduction The various financial scandals resulting on account of misappropriation of accounts and funds including top British banks such as Barclays Bank for the Libor scandal (The Guardian, 2012a); Lloyds Bank - which resulted in more than ?2 million worth of bonus cuts for the directors (The Telegraph, 2012); HSBC's money laundering scandal (The Guardian, 2012b); among many others have brought the issue of effective controls and monitoring policies of contemporary corporate institutions into question. Such financial and money-laundering scandals are not a recent phenomenon as is evident from the historically infamous cases involving top companies such as Enron and Worldcom among many others whereby the interest s of the stakeholders and the general community were ignored by the management leading to widespread concern. Incidences such as these have raised serious concerns regarding the effectiveness of governing policies required to enhance accountability among the management and help control and monitor their activities and decision making, in order to safeguard the interests of the stakeholders. Scandals such as these are certainly not new and have been witnessed in almost all sectors of the industry. However the rising number of such incidences has brought to light the ineffectiveness of corporate governance policies or their lack thereof in preventing them. It has also given rise to debates regarding the vulnerability of stakeholders against the misappropriation of funds by the management and their lack of control in having a say in company matters. The failure of companies in recent times along with the historical cases whereby various companies were forced to shut down on account of such scandals (including BCCI, Maxwell Communications etc) has prompted researchers to probe into the matter and suggest effective solutions and recommendations with regard to various corporate governance issues. The literature on impact, influence and consequences of lack of corporate governance on financial frauds has grown over the years which reaffirm the consensus on the issue regarding its significance. This study

Effects of Training and Development on Overall Organizational Research Paper

Effects of Training and Development on Overall Organizational Performance - Research Paper Example With employees’ development, an organization is able to retain them at their place of work for their own growth and for the growth of the organization for they will be able to fill new positions arising in the organization. In this paper, I will generally discuss training and development on overall organizational performance through work of HR management. I will also discuss how the human resource department seeks to improve the overall performance of its employees through training and development programs. The paper will deal mainly with the effects of training and development programs in improving employees’ performance and how it helps an organization to realize its goals by giving different perspectives from different authors and researchers. Training and development are essential to the success of all organizations. This is because; it ensures the ongoing managing of the performance of employees in organizations. Employee pieces of training not only set goals for t he employees but also monitors and motivates them in achieving the set goals. All human resource management should initiate training and development programs in their organizations so as to nurture professionals and a staff that is competent. It is vital because of the changes in economic and technological trends and the increase in the pace of modernization. All organizations need training and development so as to be able to grow faster with the changes. Training and development increase employees’ performance and it also increases the achievement of organizational goals. It is a fact that training and development of employees enhance eventual employee’s productivity and performance in an organization. Many organizations have occupied their staff in training and development programs so as to improve their performance. The performance of employees needs to be upgraded regularly. For an organization to meet its goals there is a need to instigate training, development, a nd employee evaluation programs. The best and most powerful tool in human resource training and development in e-learning. Online learning is very important because nowadays, everything is done technologically and all employees should be technologically literate. New technologies help in the improvement of an organizations performance. Even though there were cases whereby most employees were resistant to change, presently, they do embrace change. Due to this, most organizations are giving their employees training and development in their organizations for better performance. A research conducted by Rivera  found out that the human resource management is very confident and keen on the positive effects that training and development programs bring to their organizations (56). Many HR professionals interviewed during this research confirmed that the success and excellent performance of an organization highly rely on the constant training and development of its employees. The same rese arch revealed that many employees are happy with the training given to them and they also confirmed that it has improved their performance and it has increased their self-efficiency.

Apply The Prescribed Ethical Decimation Making Model (P.30 ) Using The Essay - 1

Apply The Prescribed Ethical Decimation Making Model (P.30 ) Using The case the Torture in Iraq - Essay Example However, the issue of torture has in recent times, enthused debate surrounding the interrogation methods used by the United States. In 2003, the entire world was shocked by numerous snapshots of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. The photos were taken by U.S. soldiers using cell phones and digital cameras, and showed detainees subjected to harsh and humiliating treatment by the U.S. troops. For instance, one photo portrayed a handcuffed, horrified prisoner accosted by a snarling military dog straining to break loose from its leash. Other photos showed nude prisoners forced to lie on top of each other in a stack or to act out sexual deeds. Numerous pictures displayed nude, hooded inmates manacled in painful conditions to beds and cell bars. In other photos, some inmates had bleeding wounds; others seemed to have wires attached to their bodies However, what was more shocking or disturbing is that, some of the photos displayed soldiers (both males and females) posing next to the maltreated prisoners, smiling, seeming to sadistically enjoy the abuse. In their response to the public outcry generated by the pictures, soldiers clarified that they had been given orders to â€Å"soften up† the detainees for more methodical interrogation there can be little doubt that the prisoner abuses at Abu Ghraib and some of the interrogation techniques used by the United States qualify as torture by the standards of international law. As it has been outlined above, torture is unethical and governments and it personnel refrain from. In order to clearly understand the ethics behind it this paper is going to focus on a case study, The Torture in Iraq, moreover, this paper is going to dwell on the prescribed ethical decimation making model as proposed by terry Cooper in his book, the Responsible Administrator: An Approach to Ethics for the

Unemployment and People Essay Example for Free

Unemployment and People Essay Since the dawn of human history, individual needs have been prioritized by every human being. These individual needs can be met by proper sources of employment. After the transformation of the world from a feudal to an industrial society, the needs of an individual have risen sharply, giving due importance to finance. In Pakistan, due to gigantic rise in population, individual finances have been disturbed a lot. This is because of rising unemployment. According to Samuelson: â€Å"Unemployment occurs if there are qualified workers who would be willing to work at prevailing wages but cannot find jobs. Unemployment Situation in Pakistan: According to Economic Survey of 2010-11, population of Pakistan is 177. 1 million. Total labor force is about 54. 92 million out of which 51. 87 million is employed and remaining 3. 05 million is unemployed. Rate of male unemployment is 5. 6 % and female unemployment is Causes of Unemployment Every year many new graduates are added into the labor force but few of them get very good jobs; some others get a reasonable one but many keep on looking for jobs for a long time. There can be a number of reasons for young men to be unemployed. A lack of realistic approach is one of the reasons of being unemployed. Youth have their dreams and some are ambitious too. Their ambitious nature leads them to dream about very unrealistic goals in life. Degree holder youth usually aspire for a white collar job in a big company such as in a multinational. Their objective is to get a high salary. But when they don’t get such a job they keep on waiting for one and hence not only waste their time but also the opportunities to get some other low salary jobs. Illiteracy Literacy Illiteracy and literacy both are the causes of unemployment in Pakistan. Due to illiteracy people are not able to work and they remain unemployed. On the other hand number of educated is increasing annually but government is unable to create employment opportunities e. g. , students of B. Com. are increasing at very fast speed but they cannot find jobs and admissions for higher education. Rate of illiteracy in Pakistan is 42. 3 %. As in the backward areas of country, the education facilities are not available. Only 2. 7% of total GDP of the country is spent on Education. Even though there are more than 8000 ghost schools in Sindh province, which are not working but are under the control of local landlords. Government schools are unable to provide quality education due to imperfect syllabus, improper education policies, and inefficient teachers. That’s why the students are unable to build their strong base through education. Seasonal Variation There is seasonal unemployment in Pakistan. Seasonal unemployment exists especially in industrial sectors. For example, sugar industries and ice factories create seasonal unemployment. People only work for certain part of the year and mostly remain unemployed for remaining part of the year. Unskilled labor Most of the businessmen in Pakistan are illiterate, ill-trained and unskilled. They think that if they employ more persons they will have to pay more and their profit will decline. These unskilled businessmen cause nepotism and favoritism. It means selection according to relation not according to ability. Here deserving candidates do not get jobs and remain unemployed or under employed. High Population Growth Rate The population of Pakistan is increasing at a rate of 2. 1 %. Due to this high rate about two million people enter into the labor market each year. Such huge labor force cannot be provided jobs due to backward economic condition. People are so poor and illiterate that they cannot differentiate between wright and wrong. Money is there problem. They cannot think of sending their children to school at proper age. People have no regrets on having more children. People are not motivated and are deprived of basic necessities so they cannot think beyond that. High Age of Retirement The higher age of retirement in government sector has closed the employment opportunities for the young, literate and trained person. In Pakistan retirement age is 60 years. Lack of Technical and Professional Education Like the absence of other educational services, there are very few and inefficient institutes for professional training in the country, especially in the rural areas. It is the fact that most of the youth are not properly guided and motivated to choose their proper future career. The students choose the career which does not befit their personality and nature. Thus leading to failure in professional life and they cannot find suitable jobs and if they find one, they cannot deal with the challenges of the job. Technical, professional and vocational institutions are limited in number.

Gestalt theory

Gestalt theory Gestalt theory is based on the idea that the human brain is holistic and it perceives objects as whole systems rather than the sum of its parts. Discuss and analyze the significance of the contributions of Gestalt theory to human perception and cognition. Give 3 examples. As I was reading and researching for this discussion I began to apply these principles of Gestalt perception theories and Gestalt therapy to my family. What I see when Jaci (my 4 year old daughter) looks at things and gives me a description of what she is seeing her perception is very different than mine or my partners. Jaci is very creative and can see and do things much different than we do as adults. She has a subscription to highlights puzzle books. In these books there are several hidden pictures and she has a difficult time Gestalt basically means â€Å"unified whole† which refers to theories of perception developed during 1910- 1912 by Max Wertheimer and Wolfgang Kohler. The prominent founders of Gestalt theory are Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Kohler, and Kurt Koffka. Gestalt theory attempted to describe how people organize things into groups which developed unified whole. Wertheimer suggested the idea of â€Å"apparent motion† an example in Goodwin, (2009) is â€Å"if an interval between a flashing light is only 60 sec then the perception is not of two separate lights but of one light that is moving.† Wertheimer called this perception the phi-phenomenon. Wertheimer wrote a paper â€Å"Laws of Organization in Perceptual Forms† where he introduced several other principles related to perception and cognition. These proposed principles he argued were the answer to understanding how individuals perception. The principles that were applied to understand this visual perception was similarity, anomaly, continuation, closure, proximity, and figure and ground. Gestalt is also known as the Law of Simplicity or the Law of Pragnanz (â€Å"good figure†), which states that every stimulus is perceived as close to our reality, as possible (Goodwin, 2009). Gestalt theorists believed that the whole is greater than the parts. In other words, the whole (a car) carried a different and greater meaning than its individual components (tire, paint, metal). When we look at the car (whole) a cognitive process takes place instantaneously; the mind makes a jump from understanding the parts (tires, paint, metal) to recognizing the entire car. A simple composition may have only one figure however in a complex composition there will be several things to notice. We have a tendency to look from one object to the other and they each become figure however they cannot both be seen as figure and ground at the same time. The focus at any moment is the figure which then presumes that everything that is not figure is ground. An example of this would be how camouflage works. It is a purposeful attempt to have the figure blend into ground. All tanks during the gulf war changed camouflage from the green camouflage of earlier wars to a brown base so that they could blend in with the sand. Because Gestalt theory suggests that things that share the same visual characteristics (color, texture, shape, size and value) they then are seen as belonging together. This example illustrates how camouflage attempts to do just that, visually seeing the tank and the terrain as one thus, keeping soldiers safe from harm. Gestalt theory continues to be seen in psychology today with several of his ideas. Lewins theory about the power of the group and idea of a state of equilibrium are still powerful today. My work today is strongly focused on the group dynamic and the power of the group and part of the education involves our intrinsic need to seek equilibrium.

To Download Or Not To Download :: essays research papers fc

The Internet is an extremely useful resource. Using it, one can obtain information on nearly any topic. A relatively new item of Internet technology for sharing music has emerged and brought with it, countless legal debates: Napster. Napster allows people to share music files, discover new artists, and become part of the online-music community. Although Napster’s opponents argue that sharing music files is immoral and should cease immediately, the positive elements that Napster brings to the Internet overshadow any regret for its use. Marc Geiger, executive of â€Å"Artist Direct,† an online music-marketing firm and Napster champion, states, â€Å"Napster is totally community oriented. It brings artists and fans together, and can allow struggling musicians a chance to be heard; that’s what the program is all about. The more people hear the songs, the more they want {to} buy the CD† (Sullivan). Struggling musicians who do not receive widespread media coverage to enhance their own album sales find Napster invaluable (Sullivan). These avid Napster supporters can use the medium to distribute and publicize their music with literally no cost (Sullivan). Richardson, CEO of Napster, Inc., is promoting the good side of the software, and trying to make upset artists understand that this program is for the little guys (Sullivan). Richardson maintains that Napster will not hinder music sales, but will have an opposite effect (Sullivan). Napster is an MP3 file-sharing program that enables users to share their music with one another. Anyone with a computer can download the program, sign the user agreement contract and then start swapping music. The program includes chat features, top music sharing lists, search capabilities, charts showing the status of the file transfer, and other assisting utilities (Allen). The chat rooms allow users to converse and exchange information with other people â€Å"in† the room (Allen). The search feature allows the music consumer to search by song title, artist, along with a myriad of other variables. The file transfer element of the program allows listeners to manage file downloads (files which they are receiving) and uploads (files which others are copying) (Allen). Napster also includes a â€Å"library,† a utility for sorting and listing music files stored on a given computer (Allen). Napster users can also listen to their newly downloaded files with Naptster’s built in mp3-player (Allen). The program is easy to use and does not contain too much technical jargon (Allen). A Northeastern student named Shawn Fanning developed Napster in his college dorm room to share ideas and music with his friends.

Ian Wilmut and the Cloning of Dolly Essay -- Science Genetics Papers

Ian Wilmut and the Cloning of Dolly Definitions of creativity vary based on different people’s interpretations, yet most people agree that creative individuals produce new ideas that can completely change or invent a domain. According to Howard Gardner, creativity is not limited to a single domain, but is unique for all seven domains. Creativity is based on three core elements: the relationship between the child and the master, the relationship between an individual and the work in which he/she is engaged, and the relationship between the individual and others, such as family and friends (Gardner, 9). I believe that Ian Wilmut is a creative master in the logical mathematical domain because in July 1996, he completely changed his field by successfully cloning the Finn Dorset lamb, Dolly, from an adult cell. Since I am a pre-med or pre-vet zoology major, Wilmut’s discovery has truly inspired me and has exposed me to the endless possibilities in genetic engineering and medical research. Ian Wilmutâ€⠄¢s controversial discovery stunned the world by proving that cloning from an adult cell is possible and it opened doors to future cloning research. His dexterous discovery has shown potential for human cloning and supports the fact that Ian Wilmut is a master in the Logical-mathematical and Naturalist domain because of his scientific and genetic impact on the world. Ian Wilmut’s discovery is so significant and undoubtedly warrants him as a master in the scientific world as well as in the logical mathematical intelligence. In order to clone Dolly, Ian Wilmut invented an extremely complex process. Click here for a pictorial summary of the cloning process. Prior to Wilmut’s shocking revelation, most scientists were sure that succ... ...ids. Internet. 3 May 2000. â€Å"Professor Ian Wilmut.† BBSRC News and Events. Oct. 1999. 23 Nov. 2001 http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/news/features/99oct/99_10_record.html â€Å"Roslin Institute, Edinburgh.† 2000. 23 Nov. 2001 www.roslin.ac.uk. â€Å"Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer Tutorial.† 22. Nov. 2001 http://www.molbio.princeton.edu/courses/mb427/2001/projects/09/transfertutorial.htm. Travis, John. â€Å"Cloning Hearing Creates Media Frenzy. Science News 160: Aug. 18, 2001. 4 Dec. 2001 http://www.sciencenews.org/20010818/note11.asp Travis, John. â€Å"Dolly Was Lucky.† Science News 160: Oct. 20, 2001. 4 Dec. 2001 http://www.sciencenews.org/20011020/bob15.asp Wills, Christopher. â€Å"A Sheep in Sheep’s Clothing?† Discover Jan. 1998: 22-23. Wilmut, Ian. â€Å"Cloning For Medicine.† Scientific American. Dec. 1998: 58-63+. Wilmut, Ian. â€Å"Dolly’s False Legacy.† Time. 11 Jan. 1999:74-77.

Is Capital Punishment Necessary? Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Top

Is Capital Punishment Necessary? In 1980 Clarence Brandly, a black high school janitor, and his white co-worker found the body of a white female student. As the police interrogated them, the officers told them, "One of you is going to hang for this." As he was looking at Brandly, the officer said, "Since you're the nigger, you're elected." Brandly was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. The evidence against him was weak and the police disregarded other leads. In 1986, a volunteer group devoted to freeing wrongly convicted prisoners came to Brandly's assistance. Meanwhile evidence surfaced that another man had committed the crime that Brandly was convicted for. He wasn't released until 1990 (http://www.aclu.org/library/case_against_death.html/#eight). The death penalty is one of the most controversial topics in the world. The numbers of people who support the death penalty is diminishing for many reasons. The leading reason: discrimination. Punishment is only effective if it is constantly enforced, and capital punishment can't be enforced all the time. Third, people who commit crimes of personal violence may or may not premeditate the crime. Also, severe punishment can discourage crime, but is death better than life-long incarceration? Lastly, death is irreversible. Since 1990, in the United States, there has been an average of more than four cases each year in which an entirely innocent person was convicted of murder and sentenced to death (http://www.acle.org/library/case_against_death.html/#eight). The American public support of the death penalty is declining. Actually, the United States is the only Western industrialized country where people are still being executed.... ...ecuted. Is the death penalty really necessary? With the death penalty, there is a chance of executing an innocent person. The crime committed is not always thought out. Additionally, long-term imprisonment is enough to discourage some crime. Plus, there is no way to enforce the death penalty immediately and consistently. There is much discrimination in the court systems in the past and today. Also, the public support of the death penalty is decreasing. With all of these reasons it will make one wonder if the death penalty is needed in our society. Jesus rejected violence. His life and teachings invited people to a new style of living. Intimacy and trust, compassion and forgiveness, concern for justice and nonviolence were key aspects of this new life (http://americancatholic.org/newsletters/AFA/an1000.asp). Why can't we live like this instead?

Hitler’s Rise To Power: An Inevitable Offshoot of the Great Depression in Germany

The Great Depression caused by the Stock Market's collapse in 1929 affected the American economy like no other economic crisis in its history (Samuelson, n. d. ). Being the most severe depression experienced by the industrialized Western world (Nelson, n. d. ), its effects rippled to other economies, especially to that of Germany. The German economy was notably vulnerable because it was built out of foreign capital and was dependent on foreign trade (Gavin, 1996). The Depression abruptly restructured German society and thus, led people to seek any solution to end the crisis. Hitler proved to be the solution that Germany was looking for. Although his views were unpopular among the public, he took advantage of the hopelessness which the people felt during the Depression. Moreover, other factors that were already present in the 1920s sped his rise to popularity. Some of these were: long term bitterness among the people brought about by the Treaty of Versailles and the First World War; ineffective constitution; money for Hitler's campaign and propaganda; the existence of propaganda and programmes; Stormtrooper attacks on other parties and on Hitler's detractors as well as his personal atributes. After 1929, two other influential factors aided Hitler and ensured his success politically: the Great Depression and Hitler's recruitment by Hindenburg (Clare, 2006). Hitler's rise to power was successful and yet avoidable. His success was largely due from external factors which he exploited using duress, brilliance and propaganda (Clare, 2006). Indeed, if the Depression had not happened; chances are, there would have been no Hitler. References Clare, John. (2006). How Was Hitler Able To Become Chancellor in January 1933?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Greenfield History Site.   Retrieved December 11, 2007 from    http://www.johndclare.net/Weimar7.htm Gavin, Philip. (1996). The Rise of Adolf Hitler: Great Depression Begins. History Place Site.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Retrieved December 11, 2007 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/riseofhitler/begins.htm Nelson, Cary. (n. d.). About the Great Depression. Modern American Poetry Site. Retrieved   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   December 11, 2007 from http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/depression/about.htm Samuelson, Robert. (n. d.). Great Depression. The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics. Library of Economics and Liberty Site. Retrieved December 11, 2007 from   Ã‚  Ã‚   http://econlib.org/library/Enc/GreatDepression.html

International Oil Security: Problems and Policies Essay

Energy security was a priority of the Bush Administration in 2001. In a larger context, global oil security is a major concern of the world, the United States in particular. Oil security is not about depleting reserves and having continuous supply to cover demand, but the real issue is the oil costs. International Oil Security involves two things: (1) oil producers control the supply and price of the commodity, and (2) volatile oil price creates have disruptive effects on macroeconomic situations. In the 1970s the downtrend and the inflation of industrialized economies were the results of oil price shocks. These price shocks were mostly caused by unanticipated and drastic changes in supply, demand, and inventory which were all destabilizing. Since the late 1990s OPEC controls the global oil market because it owns 45% of oil reserves and its global output share could double in the next decade. The oil market is a volatile one. When supplies are low, prices go up to meet the demand. A shock comes when there is big shift in the supply that send prices soaring. Such big swings may bring disastrous effects on the macroeconomic equation. The oil businessmen may cushion their financial risks without considering the oil-intensive component of the economy. The case of the US shows that: (1) effects on the US depends on its consumption of oil and not on its importation of oil, (2) it would be more expensive to increase its own supply and reduce its consumption, and (3) its military presence in the Middle East has nothing to do with oil imports. The Bush Administration’s thrust is to increase domestic oil production and lessen its reliance on oil imports, develop more efficient energy utilization and seek alternative and renewable energy resources. Legislations providing tax breaks and converting ANWR for oil exploration and production were passed. Still, increasing output will reduce the magnitude of oil shocks slightly by keeping the prices down and decreasing the intense effects of oil on the economy. ANWR appears to be a bad idea, primarily because of the social and environmental impact it carries. From a macroeconomic view, decreasing the oil intensity of its economy is paramount to ensuring its energy security. Cost-effective conservation measures and regulated minimal adjustments have insignificant effect on petroleum prices. It would take stronger policies to complement conservation and efficient utilization to boost its oil security efforts: (1) better management of oil reserves, (2) protection for the low-income sector who is most sensitive to price swings, (3) exploring other alternative fuel sources, (4) providing for energy use that ride the tide of price changes, and (5) developing non-fossil based fuels. In the final count, energy security can be had depending on the high costs of oil and the critical research and development needed.

How do you configure hardware and software Essay

The most common colour depths are:   16 colours   256 colours   Ã¢â‚¬Å"High Colour† (16 bit, or 65,536 colours)   Ã¢â‚¬Å"True Colour† (24 bit, or over 16 million colours) Higher resolutions are greater number of colours require more memory. At 256 colours, each pixel requires one byte of memory. There are 8 bits in a byte, so each pixel in High Colour requires two bytes, and each pixel in True Colour requires three. Because of this, some video cards may restrict you to fewer colours in higher resolutions, due to the amount of memory required. For example, a True Colour display with a resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels would require memory of 1280 x 1024 x 3 = 3,932,160 bytes, or nearly 4Mb! Drivers Different printers have different features, such as the ability to print in different fonts, and different resolutions (i. e. numbers of dots per inch) when printing graphics. Even where there are common features, such as the ability to print in bold, the codes that the computer needs to send to switch that feature on and off can vary from model to model. What the computer requires is some software called a driver, which can translate the codes generated by the program into codes suitable for the printer. In Windows, the drivers are installed centrally in the Control Panel so that each application, e. g. Excel or Word, can use the same drivers. In the days of DOS, each program often had its own printer driver. Other hardware devices, such as video cards, modems and scanners also require drivers. These perform the same function, allowing the computer to control the device. Sometimes the same driver can be used for similar devices (e.g. you may hear about â€Å"Hayes compatible modems†, or â€Å"HP LaserJet compatible printers†), but even in these cases it is often only by using the specific driver for that device that the most advanced features can be utilised. WYSIWYG and TrueType Fonts One of the problems with printing from a word processor or other application is that your text may not appear on paper as it did on the screen. With modern Graphical User Interfaces, this should be less of a problem, but with older â€Å"character-based† systems (such as DOS, or UNIX), fonts on the screen were not â€Å"proportionally spaced†. Characters could only appear at fixed intervals across the screen, and so it wasn’t possible to insert fractions of spaces to justify the text. This meant that sometimes you could print out justified text, but not see what it was going to look like on the screen. A solution to this problem came with the arrival of WYSIWYG user interfaces. WYSIWYG stands for â€Å"What You See Is What You Get†, and means that your print should appear exactly as it does on the screen. Word (in Page Layout View, at least) is a WYSIWYG word processor; you get exactly what you see as you are typing. Other word processors, such as WordPerfect 5. 1 offer a halfway house solution, with a character-based input screen, and a graphical print preview. Even with GUIs and WYSIWYG word processors, there was still the problem of the fonts being used in the printer not being exactly the same as the ones used for display on the screen. This could lead to things not quite lining up, or not appearing as expected. A solution for this came with TrueType fonts. A TrueType font is used by Windows both for display on the screen and for printing. When you select a typeface in, say, Word, the TT symbol indicates a TrueType font. If you select one of these, you can be sure that your document will appear in the same way on paper as it did on the screen. Limitations of Hardware and Software Sometimes, due to the limitations of the hardware or software being used, a system will not be able to fully exploit the features of a peripheral. You will not be able to use certain fonts that a printer may support, for example, if the word processor you are using will not let you select that font, or if you are printing from, say, Notepad. Also, there is no point in you being able to scan things in 24-bit colour (i.e. 16 million colours) if your monitor cannot display that many, or you need to save the image as a GIF (GIFs only support 256 colours; if you want more colours than that, save your picture as a jpeg). Some modern printer drivers are applications in their own right, and have minimum hardware requirements specified. The drivers for my printer at home, for example, will not run on a 386. Examination Questions When installing or configuring a particular word processing package, the documentation states that the correct printer driver must also be installed. What is a printer driver, and why is it necessary? (1997) A company sells a range of health foods at five different shops. It also sells directly to the home from a number of vehicles. There are hundreds of different items of stock and many items are seasonal, so items in stock are constantly changing. Customers purchase goods and pay by cash, cheque or credit card. The company is considering a computerised system to help manage sales and stock control. Discuss the capabilities and limitations of current   communications devices,   input devices,   output devices and   storage devices.

Frankenstein and Blade Runner Comparative Study Essay

Through a comparative study of Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein and Ridley Scott’s film Blade Runner it is possible to gain an understanding of the notion of what constitutes humanity. Despite bearing different contexts, the texts embody parallel values that reveal the fundamentals of human nature. Shelley uses elements of Gothic literature and Romanticism to highlight the value of moderation through Victor Frankenstein’s pursuit of knowledge and the resulting ramifications. Similarly, Scott’s film, set in 2019, reflects concerns of the late 20th Century and the consequences of emerging technological advancements and globalisation. In addition, Scott demonstrates Post Modern views of the nature of our existence in a world of rampant corporatism. Ultimately, both texts are shaped with the values of their respective contexts but each explore the dangers associated with the usurpation of God by man, emphasising the inexorable nature of humanity. Shelley’s Gothic novel, Frankenstein, explores the complex nature of mankind by considering the consequences of an unrestricted pursuit of science. A rise in scientific experimentation with Galvanism during Shelley’s time is reflected through the protagonist Victor as he uses it to bestow life. Shelley portrays Victor and the Creature as complex beings, demonstrating both inhuman and human qualities. Despite this, the subsequent rejection by his creator and the De Lacy family drives the Creature to ‘eternal rejection and vengeance of mankind’. Victor’s initial response when meeting the creature, demonstrates his savage, cruel treatment and lack of responsibility towards his creation. â€Å"Devil I exclaimed†, â€Å"Do you dare approach me? Begone vile insect!† The Satanic imagery of ‘devil’, positions the creature as evil and through the rhetorical question and exclamation, we learn of his aggressive and contemptuous feelings towards the creature. The metaphor of ‘vile insect’ further reflects Victor’s disgust and anguish in creating his being. This reflects Frankenstein’s superiority in comparison to what he sees as an inferior, inhumane object. In her Gothic novel, Shelley demonstrates to audiences the question of who we are, through the actions of Victor and the Creature and the questions of what constitutes humanity during her time. Similarly, Scott utilises the film noir genre to depict the dystopian society during LA 2019, whilst reflecting concerns of power and unrestrained knowledge on the world. Scott is influenced by concerns from the 1980’s of capitalist greed, eventually influencing society’s treatment of the environment, reflected through Tyrell’s main objective, â€Å"commerce is our goal†. The opening scenes reflect a dystopian world enthralled by technology and consumerism, shown through the neon bright lights. The extreme long shot highlights the blazing fires within the gigantic city representing a dystopian world and a reflection of hell. The contrast of the blazing fire against the dark city portrays the absence of nature of LA in 2019 and a world encapsulated by technological overload. This gloomy image is reinforced with the non-diegetic sound of the aircrafts, providing the responder with an eerie atmosphere. The effects of the rise in scientific advancement are emp hasised through Tyrell’s isolation, much like Victor in Frankenstein. Despite differing contexts, both Shelley and Scott portray these notions and reveal their effects on humanity and the world. Furthermore, Frankenstein is a cautionary tale as it warns of the dangers of attempting to usur[ God, through contrasting images of the Romantics view of the sublime. The depiction of the beauty of the outside world reflects the Romantic concern regarding the preservation of nature in which the Industrial revolution was a precursor for. Victor seeks the natural world to mollify his anguish about the recent deaths of William and Justine. Shelley’s vivid descriptions of the natural landscape convey a Romantic appreciation of the beauty of nature, but they are intertwined with a sense of Gothic terror. The â€Å"eternity of such scenes†, the â€Å"savage and enduring scenes† and the â€Å"wonderful and sublime† feeling of the natural world enables Frankenstein â€Å"to forget†. The use of bucolic imagery shows the value that Shelley places in the beauty of the natural world. The fact that nature enables Frankenstein â€Å"to forget† his guilt fo llowing William’s murder indicates a strong connection between humanity and the natural world. â€Å"While I watched the storm, so beautiful yet terrific†¦This noble war in the sky elevated my spirits† Shelley’s use of rich imagery as well as religious imagery in ‘elevated’ provides connotations of beauty and a pristine place. Scientific advancements during the time reflect Shelley’s concerns of the dangers of unrestrained scientific knowledge during her context. Furthermore, Blade Runner reflects a postmodern questioning of the nature of humanity whilst exploring concerns of capitalism, leading to a diminishing of moral principles. Scott illuminates the dehumanising effects of such progress, foregrounded through Deckard’s â€Å"retiring† of the Replicant Zhora. Here, the stylistic placement of the transparent cloak places further emphasis on the violence of her death, with a slow-motion low angle shot conveying her heightened sense of humanity within her last moments. The frantic camera movements before Zhora’s death indicate that she is more than just a replicant, bringing on questions of what constitutes a human, reflecting postmodern views. Additionally, the depiction of a tear running down Pri’s face whilst she lies on the sidewalk surrounded by blood combined with sultry, non-diegetic sound and that of a heartbeat, reinforces this questioning of humanity. This is juxtaposed with Deckard’s emotionless features and the monotonous drone of the droid, suggesting that our artificial creations can lead to the dehumanisation of mankind, undermining our humanist framework and hence, cautioning us of the dire consequences of unchecked scientific progress. Blade Runner reflects ideals during the late 20th century of who we are, through the comparison of the replicants and humans, and inevitability reflecting the complex nature of humanity. Despite differing time periods both Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, explore similar concepts and values relating to their contexts. Frankenstein reflects Romantic concerns for the rise in technological overload and the effect this has, eventually leading to the questioning of humanity. Similarly Scott reflects these same ideals through Post Modern concerns of the time. Despite displaying similar concerns, both Scott and Shelley express these values and ideals in relation to their contexts.

Amendment One Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Amendment One - Essay Example These rights, including the rights of free speech and free press, were hailed as democratic constitutional principles in the first founding of the nation, (American Government 4:111), and the Fourteenth Amendment states that no state can deprive any American citizen of the "equal protection of the laws" (American Government 9:358). It is this nation that Thomas Jefferson envisaged to change into an "Empire of Liberty", of the people, by the people, for the people (American Government 4:116). And the Supreme Court, in all the history of America, has largely strived to uphold these principles. As public trust in government and its affairs wanes with time, especially in the recent decades, the Court becomes ever more venerable and an ever important beacon of hope in the eye of the people. However, some view the increasing influence of the Supreme Court as a blow to democracy. Whatever the case may be, the Court has shaped the practical implementations of the Amendment through its rulings in various cases. No racial and religious discrimination, as proposed by the Amendment has somet

WE 2 &3 Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

WE 2  Response - Essay Example This includes rehabilitation, educational opportunities and job training, which will significantly deter growth of crime. For the past thirty-years, the United States relied on Incapacitation as a way of punishing offenders. But presently, rehabilitation is considered more efficient. Employees proposed this in the correctional facilities. However, the success of the rehabilitation process is usually dependant on probation supervisor and offenders interest. On the other hand, efforts to properly rehabilitate offenders have been derailed by a number of factors, namely, large caseloads, low pay, and weird goals. This is, as a result, of old policies that were less concerned about the correctional officers and recovery of offenders. Consequently, the rehabilitation process is negatively affected. Probation refers to a period within which the offender is under watch as directed by the court as an alternate judgment. Furthermore, it has imposed on offenders, waiting to serve their jail term. It plays a significant role in reforming offenders. The success of probation is possible with the existence of a probation officer. They are usually tasked with the responsibility of doing the following to the offender, monitor their progress and secure jobs, maintaining contact with employers, and arranging for job interviews. The possibility of an offenders being transformed relies on their willingness to change and attitude towards their officers. The constant evolution of the probation process, through three phases, has raised hopes regarding the ability of probation officers to provoke behavioral change. In the 1990’s, there was the formulation of the community correction models. Its role was to provide intervention during supervision of offenders. However, the outcome of fusing treatment with supervision was problematic. For this reason, the results were contrary to the expectation. The use of evidence-based practices identified factors

Article Presentation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Article Presentation - Assignment Example In addition, they should establish the ability to implement EBP in the day-to-day operations of a mental institution. The study focuses on the integration of the most effective measures available in current research. The methodology employs research evidence that is backed by clinical expertise and patient values in order to facilitate the clinical decision making process. The study is based on the ideologies that customs, norms, expert opinions and established rituals are no longer acceptable practices in the decision making process. Instead, there is a need for a deliberate process that takes the values and preferences of patients into account. The article argues that, this perception demonstrates that EBP is a clinical strategy that can aid problem solving. Consequently, emphasis is placed on identifying the best research evidence and integrating it in the decision making process. The process will ensure that clinicians are providing the best care that fulfills the needs of their patients. Increasing interest in mental health issues has prompted researchers to increase the body of knowledge available on the topic. As a result, mental health nurses can refer to a growing EBP base. However, many researches are done in a controlled environment. Consequently, effectiveness may be inappropriate in a real world setting where there are limitations such as limited organizational resources, workforce issues, lack of sufficient staff education and training. Many psychiatric mental health (PMH) issues have not been addressed. The failure to research or define them can be attributed to ethical issues. In this instance, the best recourse for mental health professionals is to hold discussions on the recommended intervention measures. They should also highlight the potential risks and benefits involved. In addition, they should study the available alternatives before settling on one course of action. In spite of the increasing application of

A retail sales presentation Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A retail sales presentation - Coursework Example He is able to ascertain his customers’ needs and goes direct to providing a solution for these needs through transfer of his confidence about the pens’ benefits to the customer at the same time appealing to the customers’ emotion about how the brother will feel about them concerning the gift and as such the customer is able to make a wise fast decision to purchase it. The sales person is able to recognize when to ask for the order with a strong call for action which will definitely result in more sales closed. Overall, the salesperson handled the sales process very well. He made the customer feel comfortable with him; he understood his needs and had the right solution for those needs. He asked for the sale and closed the deal. Ron Kapra only thinks about sales and not service. His strategy is very short term. Company loyalty is at stake due to the unauthorized disclosure of product launch information. Ron and Bill are not morally upright when they go beyond their company ethics as demonstrated. Ron needs to understand the value of long term relationships with his clients and at this point he doesn’t seem to push on that line. As for Bill, company loyalty should be critical to overall company success. Premature release of company information may result in insurmountable losses especially from competitors. If I was Ron, I would use the launch information to develop a solid strategic plan, scale down on promoting the Laserton I product and wait for a recall of Laserton I as I wait to push Laserton II to the market. After all, the cost of Laserton I will be refunded to the company and they will have more money to purchase more Laserton II stocks. If I was Bill, I would ask for official redress of the matter with Bill and a high level executive and explain my position. If they will not see my point of view, then I will go ahead and down play promotions for Laserton I. I will inform my customers that a good

HR external consultant recommendation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

HR external consultant recommendation - Essay Example The HR Director has reservations about the transferability of the HR systems from an American context to the EU legislation, cultural and HR aspects. There are also concerns regarding the induction process for the expatriate workers. This paper aims at discussing the problems that Fantasia Corp will be anticipating in the process of implementing an HR system developed in the US in France. This paper will also give suggestions on how Fantasia Corp can overcome these challenges. In the last few decades, there has been a significant increase in the rate in which business organizations opt for global operations. Going for global markets present companies with more opportunities. Similarly, Fantasia Corp has also opted to expand their operations to Europe, with France being their targeted country. Recent researches reveal that organizations operating in different geographical environments usually have to operate under different HR practices and policies (Festing 2012, p. 43). This is due to the difference in social, political, cultural, and economic factors. Just like many other managerial practices, HRM is always affected by cultural beliefs. This is a factor that multinational corporations must take into consideration when intending to transfer some of their HR practices and policies to another country. Some of the practices that are socially allowed in America might not be admissible in France. This is a clear indication that some of the practices that have been successfully used by Fantasia Corp in the US might not be applicable in France. Therefore transferring the HR system used by Fantasia Corp in the US to France might have some performance consequences of their operations in France. HR researches have it that multinational corporations such as Fantasia Corp have to adapt to a certain degree to the cultural beliefs and practices of a host country. It should not be forgotten that in their operations

Poem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Poem - Essay Example Dickinson’s use of symbolism and personification in describing her journey, or rather, her encounter with death helps bring out her point of view. Dickinson’s use of symbolism shows during the drive in the chariot which symbolizes her journey from the living to the dead. She passes from childhood (â€Å"We passed the school, where Children strove†) to maturity (â€Å"We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain†) then to her time of dying (â€Å"We passed the Setting Sun†) then eventually to her grave (â€Å"A Swelling of the Ground†). Notably, there is the repetition of the word â€Å"passed† which brings out the theme of symbolism. In stanzas three and four, Dickinson uses the word four times as the carriage symbolically moves down the path of life from the children and the grain, which are both living to the time of transition, or death, the setting sun. From this point onwards, the time stops, and it is the sun that passes them. This shows that they passed out of time of the living into the time of eternity where only time can pass them. The transition starts as when the sun sets, and ever ything becomes dark thus welcoming the damp and cold of the night (â€Å"dew drew quivering and chill.†) The use of personification in the poem occurs in two instances as Dickinson takes us through the drive with death. First, she personifies Death itself into a gentleman caller because she refers to him as a ‘he,’ in stanzas 1 and 2 while the rest of the stanzas she uses ‘we’ to show that two people are together. She also uses capital D when mentioning Death thus stressing the fact that Death is a name of a gentleman, and all names of people begin with a capital letter. Secondly, Dickinson personifies the setting sun when she refers to it as a ‘he’ when she says â€Å"Or rather He passed Us.† In this case, she acknowledges the capability of the sun as a point of transition. In the

Volunteer Experience Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Volunteer Experience Reflection - Essay Example Then consolidate the information to have a better experience and knowledge that can be related to sculpture. I chose the Abu Dhabi International Sculpture Symposium [ADISS] 2010, which is the capital city located in the United Arab Emirates. I thought that I will be able to find more information in Arabic, however, I was surprised that there were more information in English. Also, this symposium was initially planned to be an annual event, which started from the 25th of February to the 7th of April 2010, but for some unknown reason, the symposium did not happen as planned. I tried to broaden my search about the sculpture in Abu Dhabi, and found that there were more types of sculptures that existed. One was the sand sculpture in 2011, and the other is the sound sculpture in 2014. I believe that since these kinds of sculptures are quite new, people will be quite interested in finding out more about them and seeing them. With my experience in researching about the ADISS, I came up with several realizations and learnings that made me appreciate these sculptures, and tourism as a whole. First, I learned that there is another side of tourism that we should also focus on. Festivities and events, are parts of culture too, and it should also be part of the interests of people who visit Abu Dhabi, or any place visited by tourists. I realized that to be able to really learn about the culture or art of a particular destination, the tourists must be able to experience first-hand, and immerse themselves in the culture of the place that they visited. By doing so, the tourists will be able to appreciate and fully understand how and why such beliefs or festivities happen or are being celebrated. Good experience from tourists will eventually lead to more interested people coming into the region, thus improving the tourism in the region. I also observed that this kind of art does not have much

Should mortgage lenders be nationalised Essay Example for Free

Should mortgage lenders be nationalised Essay Following recent disturbances in the world economy some governments came to a conclusion that it is in their duty to intervene and solve the growing problem. In this case the problem of mortgage lenders. As with every action from government, it is important to assess whether there truly is a market failure or not. To begin with, a closer look at how this situation arose would be essential. Over recent years, the housing market not only in UK but around the world as well had been enjoying a period of prosperity. House prices were ridiculously high, though no one seemed to be bothered by that. Residential Mortgage Backed Securities (RMBS) played a key role in that, as this security type let a vast number of homebuyers to take loans. Investors thought that might just be a perfect opportunity to make some profit, so they also joined this house of madness by lending money to mortgagors through the banking system. However, nothing lasts forever. Investors realised that there is a risk of their money not being returned either on condition that banks and/or lenders fail, therefore they immediately left the market causing dry up of mortgage finances. So, there it is. This is where government ought to, in mortgage lenders opinion, step in, pump money and let the vicious cycle continue. Indeed, there is a market failure. A failure that only government can solve. Should it though? Isnt the true idea standing behind the capitalism to reward the hard-working, the smart and punish the lazy, the reckless? Why should the latter ones be protected? Why should tax payers money be spent in such a wasteful way? Nationalising UKs Bradford Bingley alone has already cost à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½150bn. In fact, only a small number of banks is to be blamed for this state of affairs to have taken place. Their irresponsible high stake risk taking actions led to a disaster that, now, they want all of us to bear the cost of. How unreasonable that must sound to a person who doesnt even have a mortgage? Weve had ten years of allowing banks to do what they wish really, to give them absolute freedom to lend. Alex Brummer, City editor, Mail on Sunday However, with nationalising it would be assured that Bank of Englands base rate is reinforced and has a real life implications, as it has been recently revealed that some mortgage providers do not cut their interest rates in line with the one set up by BoE. Moreover, it has been stated by government authorities and banks representatives on numerous occasions that improving access to capital is crucial to get the economy working again. That might actually be the case with a reduced borrower exploitation. Nationalised industries are supposed to be in the best interest of society, therefore hopefully there will no longer be banks trying to unfairly steal peoples possessions by taking a use of their lack of knowledge, charging enormous rates, making it harder for those who already find it difficult to keep up with repayments. Government would be able to offer competitive deals for everyone, and with market forces coming in, other lenders would have to follow the trend as well. It is the period of nationalising that needs to be taken into consideration, too. United Kingdom Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, emphasised that this process in regards of Northern Rock is only on a temporary basis, yet still it would be more realistic to count in years rather than months instead. That is how long it is expected for NR to repay the loan from taxpayers. That situation is extremely rare these days, so an accurate estimation of when the government will loosen its grip on the bank is hard to predict. Worth mentioning is the fact that it was only after 16 years of Rolls-Royce emergent nationalisation in 1971, that all its shares were sold to private owner. What would happen if the mortgage defaults continued to rise though? What if the plan would fail? And more money would be needed in attempts to solve the problem? Taxpayers would be left with a very large bill to pay for financial bailout. And this leaves us with the question how would the government fund further bailouts? Increase taxation? Cannot, this would cause a slowdown of an economy. Income tax lower income, lower consumption. Indirect taxes higher taxes, lower consumption. Doesnt sound good. Borrowing? Cannot. The so-called Golden Rule of fiscal policy is that the government should not borrow in order to finance current spending, and that any borrowing the government does undertake is for investment. I wouldnt consider rescuing awfully managed mortgage lending banks as a form of investment. I have no doubt that Mrs Thatcher would more than happily get rid of collapsing institutions. In her opinion, what doesnt work, shouldnt be allowed to work at all. Bailing banks out is a wrong idea in terms of externalities, moral hazard in particular. If they [banks] would know that there is the Government standing behind, fully prepared to save them in case of failure, they would feel more secure about themselves, with a higher willingness to take risk. They wouldnt bear all the consequences. Northern Rock and Bradford Bingley did not. Where is the capitalistic ideology of laissez-faire? Just leave it alone. Events should take their own courses, whereas government generally ought not to intervene in the marketplace. Looking at the situation in a more positive light though, financial conditions will improve in few years time, and by then the Government will be able to sell banks for much more attractive prices (e.g. Virgin trying to buy Northern Rock, but the offer was too low in Governments opinion) in order to compensate and benefit taxpayers. Still, I am not really convinced with the view of governments nationalising mortgage lenders. As a free market economy supporter, I strongly believe that the market should be free of any governments intervention nor regulation, besides the minimum function of maintaining the legal system and protecting property rights. To finalise, I would like to quote a man, whose words cannot summarise my essay better, The nationalisation of Northern Rock is a disaster for the taxpayer, a disaster for this government and a disaster for our country.

Acc 422 final exams Essay Example for Free

Acc 422 final exams Essay 1) Which of the following is NOT considered cash for financial reporting purposes? 2) What is the preferable presentation of accounts receivable from officers, employees, or affiliated companies on a balance sheet? 3) Which of the following is considered cash? 4) If a company employs the gross method of recording accounts receivable from customers, then sales discounts taken should be reported as 5) Assuming that the ideal measure of short-term receivables in the balance sheet is the discounted value of the cash to be received in the future, failure to follow this practice usually does NOT make the balance sheet misleading because 6) Which of the following methods of determining annual bad debt expense best achieves the matching concept? 7) The accountant for the Orion Sales Company is preparing the income statement for 2007 and the balance sheet at December 31, 2007. Orion uses the periodic inventory system. The January 1, 2007 merchandise inventory balance will appear 8) Eller Co. received merchandise on consignment. As of January 31, Eller included the goods in inventory, but did NOT record the transaction. The effect of this on its financial statements for January 31 would be 9. If the beginning inventory for 2006 is overstated, the effects of this error on cost of goods sold for 2006, net income for 2006, and assets at December 31, 2007, respectively, are 10) Assuming no beginning inventory, what can be said about the trend of inventory prices if cost of goods sold computed when inventory is valued using the FIFO method exceeds cost of goods sold when inventory is valued using the LIFO method? 11) Which method of inventory pricing best approximates specific identification of the actual flow of costs and units in most manufacturing situations? 12) All of the following costs should be charged against revenue in the period in which costs are incurred EXCEPT for 13) In no case can market in the lower-of-cost-or-market rule be more than 14) When the direct method is used to record inventory at market 15) An item of inventory purchased this period for $15.00 has been incorrectly written down to its current replacement cost of $10.00. It sells during the following period for $30.00, its normal selling price, with disposal costs of $3.00 and normal profit of $12.00. Which of the following statements is NOT true? 16) The retail inventory method is based on the assumption that the 17) A major advantage of the retail inventory method is that it 18) In 2006, Lucas Manufacturing signed a contract with a supplier to purchase raw materials in 2007 for $700,000. Before the December 31, 2006 balance sheet date, the market price for these materials dropped to $510,000. The journal entry to record this situation at December 31, 2006 will result in a credit that should be reported 19) The cost of land typically includes the purchase price and all of the following costs EXCEPT 20) Cotton Hotel Corporation recently purchased Holiday Hotel and the land on which it is located with the plan to tear down the Holiday Hotel and build a new luxury hotel on the site. The cost of the Holiday Hotel should be 21) If a corporation purchases a lot and building and subsequently tears down the building and uses the property as a parking lot, the proper accounting treatment of the cost of the building would depend on 22) The period of time during which interest must be capitalized ends w hen 23) Which of the following assets do NOT qualify for capitalization of interest costs incurred during construction of the assets? 24) When computing the amount of interest cost to be capitalized, the concept of avoidable interest refers to 25) The King-Kong Corporation exchanges one plant asset for a similar plant asset and gives cash in the exchange. The exchange is NOT expected to cause a material change in the future cash flows for either entity. If a gain on the disposal of the old asset is indicated, the gain will 26) When a plant asset is acquired by issuance of common stock, the cost of the plant asset is properly measured by the 27) The cost of a nonmonetary asset acquired in exchange for another nonmonetary asset and the exchange has commercial substance is usually recorded at 28) Which of the following principles best describes the conceptual rationale for the methods of matching depreciation expense with revenues? 29) If an industrial firm uses the units-of-production method for computing depreciation on its only plant asset, factory machinery, the credit to accumulated depreciation from period to pe riod during the life of the firm will 30) Which of the following most accurately reflects the concept of depreciation as used in accounting? 31) Prentice Company purchased a depreciable asset for $200,000. The estimated salvage value is $20,000, and the estimated useful life is 10 years. The straight-line method will be used for depreciation. What is the depreciation base of this asset? 32) Harrison Company purchased a depreciable asset for $100,000. The estimated salvage value is $10,000, and the estimated useful life is 10 years. The straight-line method will be used for depreciation. What is the depreciation base of this asset? 33) Starr Company purchased a depreciable asset for $150,000. The estimated salvage value is $10,000, and the estimated useful life is 8 years. The double-declining balance method will be used for depreciation. What is the depreciation expense for the second year on this asset? 34) Costs incurred internally to create intangibles are 35) Factors considered in determining an intangible asset’s useful life include all of the following EXCEPT 36) The cost of purchasing patent rights for a product that might otherwise have seriously competed with one of the purchasers patented products should be 37) Malrom Manufacturing Company acquired a patent on a manufacturing process on January 1, 2006 for $10,000,000. It was expected to have a 10 year life and no residual value. Malrom uses straight-line amortization for patents. On December 31, 2007, the expected future cash flows expected from the patent were expected to be $800,000 per year for the next eight years. The present value of these cash flows, discounted at Malrom’s market interest rate, is $4,800,000. At what amount should the patent be carried on the December 31, 2007 balance sheet? 38) Mining Company acquired a patent on an oil extraction technique on January 1, 2006 for $5,000,000. It was expected to have a 10 year life and no residual value. Min ing uses straight-line amortization for patents. On December 31, 2007, the expected future cash flows expected from the patent were expected to be $600,000 per year for the next eight years. The present value of these cash flows, discounted at Mining’s market interest rate, is $2,800,000. At what amount should the patent be carried on the December 31, 2007 balance sheet? 39) General Products Company bought Special Products Division in 2006 and appropriately booked $250,000 of goodwill related to the purchase. On December 31, 2007, the fair value of Special Products Division is $2,000,000 and it is carried on General Product’s books for a total of $1,700,000, including the goodwill. An analysis of Special Products Division’s assets indicates that goodwill of $200,000 exists on December 31, 2007. What goodwill impairment should be recognized by General Products in 2007? 40) The intangible asset goodwill may be 41) The reason goodwill is sometimes referred to as a master valuation account is because 42) Goodwill 43) If a short-term obligation is excluded from current liabilities because of refinancing, the footnote to the financial statements describing this event should include all of the following information EXCEPT 44) Stock dividends distributable should be classified on the 45) Which of the following items is a current liability? 46) A company offers a cash rebate of $1 on each $4 package of light bulbs sold during 2007. Historically, 10% of customers mail in the rebate form. During 2007, 4,000,000 packages of light bulbs are sold, and 140,000 $1 rebates are mailed to customers. What is the rebate expense and liability, respectively, shown on the 2007 financial statements dated December 31? 47) A company offers a cash rebate of $1 on each $4 package of batteries sold during 2007. Historically, 10% of customers mail in the rebate form. During 2007, 6,000,000 packages of batteries are sold, and 210,000 $1 rebates are mailed to customers. What is the rebate expense and liability, respectively, shown on the 2007 financial statements dated December 31? 48) A company buys an oil rig for $1,000,000 on January 1, 2007. The life of the rig is 10 years and the expected cost to dismantle the rig at the end of 10 years is $200,000 (present value at 10% is $77,110). 10% is an appropriate interest rate for this company. What expense should be recorded for 2007 as a result of these events? 49) A contingency can be accrued when 50) Mark Ward is a farmer who owns land which borders on the right-of-way of the Northern Railroad. On August 10, 2007, due to the admitted negligence of the Railroad, hay on the farm was set on fire and burned. Ward had had a dispute with the Railroad for several years concerning the ownership of a small parcel of land. The representative of the Railroad has offered to assign any rights which the Railroad may have in the land to Ward in exchange for a release of his right to reimbursement for the loss he has sustained from the fire. Ward appears inclined to accept the Railroads offer. The Railroads 2007 financial statements should include the following related to the incident: 51) Which of the following contingencies need NOT be disclosed in the financial statements or the notes thereto? 52) The covenants and other terms of the agreement between the issuer of bonds and the lender are set forth in the 53) If bonds are issued initially at a premium and the effective-interest method of amortization is used, interest expense in the earlier years will be 54) Bonds that pay no interest unless the issuing company is profitable are called 55) Minimum lease payments may include a 56) An essential element of a lease conveyance is that the 57) While only certain leases are currently accounted for as a sale or purchase, there is theoretic justification for considering all leases to be sales or purchases. The principal reason that supports this idea is that 58) In the earlier years of a lease, from the lessees perspective, the use of the 59) In a lease that is appropriately recorded as a direct-financing lease by the lessor, unearned income 60) In order to properly record a direct-financing lease, the lessor needs to know how to calculate the lease receivable. The lease receivable in a direct-financing lease is best defined as