Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Family Nursing Diagnoses Essay

The family discussed in this paper consists of five children belonging to two parents. Included are the father (PF), age 60, the mother (EF), age 54, and five children (CF, JF, AF, KF, KF), whose ages are 18, 16, 14, 12, and 9. All of the children are biological to the two parents who have been married almost 30 years. The father is a small business owner of a furniture store in downtown. He is the sole financial support of the family. The mother is a stay at home mom and home-schools the three younger daughters. The children are all almost two years apart except for the youngest. The oldest son, CF, lives at home and has just graduated high school after being home-schooled by his mom for most of his grade school life. He will be attending college in the summer and fall. The second son, JF, lives at home and is going to be a junior at a private high school in Raleigh this coming school year. The three younger daughters all live at home and are home schooled by their mom. In general, the family stays very busy with their individual lives. They make time almost every night before bed to get together and have family worship. The kids would like it if they had more time with their dad but say that he works a lot and that it is okay because they understand why. The mom would like to have more time to plan meals for dinner but is so busy that she has to buy their meals from a company that pre makes them and freezes them. The mom says that she used to be able to cook before she had kids and even had time to exercise but now she just barely has time in the day to get  everything done on her list. The husband spends six days a week at work, 12 to 14 hours every day. It is all he has known for the past 30 years. He would like more time to spend with his kids but somebody has to run the business and ensure that the family is provided for. The whole family agrees that they wish they did more together as a family outside of their home and going to church. Their biggest concerns are a lack of time and a conflict in everyone’s schedules as well as a desire to work on their diet and nutrition. After asking them, they would love to go to the park together and go on vacation as a family more often than once a year, which is stressful enough to plan that. The wife hopes to be able to start cooking meals again for the family and planning healthier snacks for the kids. The husband says that he pretty much eats pepperoni pizza every day. The family is very close to their extended family, which is huge. For the most part, the family spends as much time as possible with the mom’s parents. The kids all have strong bonds with their grandparents. These relationships are very important to the family. Using the Friedman Family Assessment Model helped me to gather and organize my verbal conversations I had with the family. It was helpful in pinpointing appropriate nursing diagnoses and health issues for this family. The family structural assessment was broken down into communication, roles, power, and family values. Communication between the family members was easily assessed from conversation. The three younger girls tell me that they get along most of the time and do everything together. That being said however, the oldest daughter, 14, expresses that she sometimes feels held back from doing teenage things because her two younger sisters cannot be included. The boys share a room together and get along quite well. It is important to note that they both have very different schedules and do not spend a whole lot of time together like they used to be able to do. They both tell me however, that they are still best friends. The oldest brother jokingly says that his younger brother, JF, can be really annoying and loud sometimes and then the whole family chimed in saying, â€Å"Oh yes that’s our JF!† JF agreed smiling. Between the mom and dad there was little emotional  conversation noted and it got very awkward when I started to ask about their communication. The dad said shortly that it was â€Å"just fine.† The mom obviously disagrees because she rolled her eyes at me. Seems to be a lot of tension between the parents when it comes to communication. The mom later told me that they are working on it and some days are better than others. The dad was very good about keeping the kids under control when it came to family meetings with me. At times, everyone would be talking and it could get loud but PF would get the kids to be quiet and remind them to be respectful of whomever is speaking. I can see that the kids all respect and love their father. He is constantly joking around with them and can be very sarcastic. The kids love this but the wife, not so much sometimes. The family’s roles were very clearly defined. The mom makes the rules at home. She actually does a lot for the home as far as maintenance and improvements go. She also pays all of the bills and manages all of the money. The mom also home-schools the three youngest girls and spends her days taking them to different classes and activities. The mom is also the disciplinarian of the kids when it comes to grounding them or even taking the door off of their bedroom. On top of everything, the mom also makes sure there is food on the table every night. Over the last few years this has been a struggle for her because she does not have the time to plan healthy meals like she used to. She is not even able to cook them anymore and has to buy their meals from a company that pre-makes them and freezes them. The dad stays busy running the small furniture business downtown. He gets home from work around 6 o’clock every night and is exhausted. He does all of the yard work, with the help of they boys, and he says that he enjoys it because he gets to get up on his big tractor. The dad also manages the rental house they have next door. There is a lot of stress on the dad being the sole financial provider of the household. Community and public health nursing assesses the relationship of variables in the community with the patients and overall health. Personal upbringings, culture, religion, and ethnicity are all variables that are considered in order to have a basic understanding of the community’s framework. After doing the family assessment, using my windshield survey, and current  research, nursing diagnoses related to this family and interventions with potential outcomes will be discussed. Nurses are advocates for patient whether it is within a hospital or in community health nursing. Advocacy in community health is the nurse advocating the family or community’s needs to organizations and businesses that can or are supposed to help the community. Incorporating Jean Watson’s theory of caring is important when providing education for a family within a community. Watson’s theory uses a contemporary holistic framework viewing the persons into dimension of body, soul, and mind. Nursing is always changing yet the foundation and values will forever stay the same; evident by Watson’s theory of caring. This caring theory is a moral/ethical foundation for professional nursing. Caring science is a sacred science that acknowledges the connection of nurses with the human-environment field (Watson, 2012). The nursing profession must be careful in sustaining meaningful, ethical, philosophical foundation to its’ science and theories (Watson, 2012). There are three nursing diagnoses that apply to this family based off of the assessment: knowledge deficit related to emotional state affecting learning, imbalanced nutrition more than bodily requirements related to lack of knowledge of nutritional needs, food intake, and/or appropriate food preparation, and lastly, activity intolerance related to insufficient sleep or rest periods. Healthy People 2020 leading health indicator of nutrition, physical activity, and obesity applies to this family’s vulnerability. Most Americans do not eat a healthy balance diet in combination with no getting enough exercise therefore leading to obesity (Healthy People 2020, 2015). Generally speaking, the family is not obese, however, a few are a bit overweight and the boys and dad have no muscle tone due to either stress (on the dad’s part) or lack of physical activity (on the boy’s part). Three interventions related to the nursing diagnoses and the Healthy People 2020 LHI include; educating the family on time management and prioritization, having a family dietician consult meeting with the family on better eating habits and balanced convenient meals, and establish guidelines and goals with the family for physical activity. A recent study done on time management shows the effectiveness of time prioritization coaching (Boniwell, Osin, & Sircova, 2014). This article may be an effective tool in  addressing the family’s imbalance of time management and perspective therefore resulting in improved stress over a lack of time. Conflicting values may be a closed mindedness towards approaching time management through coaching and the family will therefore not make improvement on time management. Due to the nature of coaching, there may be some ethical issues such as upholding a professional relationship, maintaining expertise, respect, and competence in coaching. That being said, the family could benefit a lot in time prioritization coaching. In order to address the imbalance of nutrition diagnosis, a recent clinical study shows that online dietician services can help families with what they eat on a specialized personal level. With the Internet ever evolving, why not be able to meet with a dietician onl ine that can evaluate the family’s nutritional status and provide healthy interventions (Brandt, Pedersen, Glintborg, Toubro, Nielsen, Eysenbach, Sendergaard, 2014). This may be just what the family needs; internet-based interactive and personalized weight management. Family values may differ in that they do not feel they need to spend money on a dietician program of any kind and know what is healthy and what is not. Basically, the family may be somewhat in denial therefore preventing the family from receiving education and personalized information to improve their diet. Ethical issues include the risk for developing an eating disorder, maintaining a professional relationship, and the management of patient data must be secure. Addressing the nursing diagnosis of a need for physical activity will require improvement on time management. The family needs to be provided with a list of activities that can be done together as a family and on their own. The mom would love to join a gym but in the past when she does join she never finds the time to go. In order to solve this problem, the mom needs to sign up for classes that are at a scheduled time so that she can put these times in her schedule and make the time for her to go. A conflicting value of the mom may be that she feels she should be spending that time with the family instead of on herself, which would prevent her from getting the physical activity she needs to improve her health. Ethical considerations for improving the family’s physical activity include respecting the individual’s wishes, offering a non-judgmental environment, and protecting the individual’s information. References Boniwell, I., Osin, E., & Sircova, A. (2014). Introducing time perspective coaching: A new approach to improve time management and enhancing well-being. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching & Mentoring, 12(2), 24-40. Brandt, C. J., Brandt, V., Pedersen, M., Glintborg, D., Toubro, S., Nielsen, J. B., Eysenbach, G., Brandt, K., & Sendergaard, J. (2014). Long-term effect of interactive online dietician weight loss advice in general practice (LIVA) protocol for a randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Family Medicine, 1-6. Healthy People 2020. (2015). Leading health indicators. Retrieved from http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/Leading-Health-Indicators Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2012). Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community (8th ed.). St. Louis, Mo: Mosby Elsevier. Watson, J. (2012). Human caring science (2nd ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Review of Anxiety Scales for Children and Adults Essay

Abstract   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Psychology testing is very abstract form of testing.   It needs to be based on good research and solid evidence in order to be considered effective.   This review goes in depth to examine the use of this test and how valid it is at proving the existence and level of anxiety in children and adults.   There are many items and aspects of the test reviewed herein, including, the normative sample group, the construction of the test and the overall effectiveness of the test to come to a plausible conclusion and diagnosis.  Ã‚  Ã‚   This review should serve as a good guide in how to best use this test and what aspects may need to be revised in order to provide a more efficient and useful test. Test Name: Anxiety Scales for Children and Adults. Author: Battle, James Publication Date: 1993 Publisher Information: PRO-ED, Inc., 8700 Shoal Creek Blvd., Austin, TX 78758-6897 Prices as of 1994: $84 per complete kit including examiner’s manual, 50 Forms Q, 50 Forms M, scoring acetate, and administration audiocassette $31 per examiner’s manual $19 per 50 Forms Q or 50 Forms M $6 per scoring acetate $14 per administration audiocassette. Online Availability:   This test is only available in written form or a tape recorded form. The test, ‘Anxiety Scales for Children and Adults’, is intended to show if a person has anxiety and, if so, at what level they have anxiety.   It seeks to show the presence and level of anxiety through a series of questions that relate to symptoms of anxiety.   The test is only arranged based upon age with one group for grade nine and under and the second group being grade 10 and above.   There is a different test form for each group.  Ã‚   However, the test does not separate out by gender or using any other factors except the two age groups.   The test could be described as being both unidimensional and multidimensional.   This is based upon the fact that the only differential is the basic age group. â€Å"No factor analyses, internal consistency coefficients, or empirical-criterion keying (item scores for anxious versus non-anxious persons or treatment effects studies) are reported. No controls for faking are indicated. Although developmental differences between elementary (second through sixth grades) and junior high (seventh through ninth grades) students were reported, no other age changes are indicated. Particularly important would be an examination of high school students versus adults and age changes through each elementary grade. A face/content examination indicates the majority of items relate to generalized anxiety and physiological symptoms, with some attention to setting and stimulus triggers. up. â€Å" (Oehler-Stinnett,2007)   There are no distinguishing points made for gender, race or even specific age, as mentioned in this quote from the Oehler-Stinnett review of the test.   As far as theoretical and empirical foundations, this test is very limited.   The test development was not sufficiently reported to allow for any hypothesis to be made.   Additionally, the lack of sub-scales and any rationale support for the procedure is a great default for deciding if the test has any clinical application. There is also a problem with the actual use of information in the test.   The questions are not properly defined as to what, if anything, makes them an anxiety trigger and worthy of being used to determine if a person suffers from anxiety.   Ã‚  It is only stated that they are symptoms commonly reported by people with anxiety.   As this analysis of the test reports, this leads to questions about the validity of the test:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"The specific sources of the item pools from which the author selected the items are unknown. It is merely stated the items represent symptoms typically reported by individuals experiencing anxiety. The final items that appear on the scales apparently have never been subjected to item analysis, internal consistency analysis, and factor analysis, all of which are standard scale construction procedures.† (Merenda,2007) The test manual does not caution nor imply that such limitations exist and the catalog actually reports erroneous information as to the size of the sample group.   The test is intended to be used for the diagnosis, treatment and research of anxiety.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The test is in two different formats.   The children’s, Form Q, and the adult’s, Form M are both designed to reach the same outcome, however, they are designed to be easy to complete for the different age groups.   Form Q is a simple yes or no choice test and has 25 questions.   Form M is a rating system test where individuals will choose from one to five, with one being always and five being never, and is comprised of 40 questions. There are no subscales to this test.   The only scale for the test was constructed without analysis of item, internal consistency and factor.   Each test has its own scale.   The scales are both pretty basic with the only outcome being if the individual has anxiety and if so, the intensity of the anxiety.   There is no allowance for faking or the possibility of conditions of a similar nature, such as depression.   The total testing time is ten to fifteen minutes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The administration procedure is straightforward in nature with instructions for Form Q to be answered with a yes or no answer and Form M is to be based upon the 5 point scale given.   The tests are in written, paper and pencil format with the questions to be read by the individual taking the test.   There is an allowance for oral administration and other modifications, if necessary to assist the administration of the test.   The test can be given individually or in a group setting.  Ã‚   The test administrator is expected to have knowledge and familiarity with psychometrics and understand the standards of good test evaluation and use.    The manual specifically points out that the administrator should have knowledge of the American Psychological Association’s published standards of good test development and use from 1954.   There is no reference to special circumstance or any special considerations that should be made in the test administration.   There is the recommendation that the test interpretation should be conducted under the supervision and assistance of a psychologist or other professionally trained individual. The type of scoring for Form Q is based upon the amount of yes or no answers.   Form M scoring is based upon the rating given to each question.   The raw scores are totaled and used to determine the level of anxiety based upon a classification table that goes from very low to very high.     There are tables to help convert the percentile ranks and T-scores. The actual instructions for interpretation of the raw score, classification, percentile rank and T-score is very limited.   In fact, the conversion tables for each type of score are not in complete agreement with each other.   This insinuates that only one type of score should be used to score the test, not a combination of the different scoring options.   There is also a question as the reliability of the scoring system used for this test. â€Å"†¦ for the scale to be acceptable as a measure of treatment effects, all coefficients should be in the .90s. As noted, no internal consistency coefficients (alpha) were reported; therefore consistency of the scales in measuring the construct of anxiety cannot be examined. Standard error of measurement was also not reported in the reliability, scoring, or interpretation sections.† (Oehler-Stinnett,2007) The tables and scoring instructions are included in the manual. The technical evaluation of this test reveals numerous flaws.   The manual does not give a full explanation of the normative sample.   The description is rather simplified and gives the overview that the normative groups and reliability/validity groups overlap.   The data was collected in 1987 or 1988 and consisted of 247 adults for Form M, ages 15 to 63, and for Form Q it was based on 365 children of elementary school age and 433 children of junior high school age.   Both groups were from the Midwest. The children group was equal in the ratio of males to females.   The adult group had about twice the number of females as males.   There is no information given as to the demographics of the groups in terms of minorities and no representation of SES levels, clinical populations or the exact ages of participants.   There was distinction given for gender.   The limited information makes it difficult to fully evaluate the sample groups effectiveness in standardizing this test. The reliability of the test is based upon two testing, the original test and then a 2 week retest.  Ã‚  Ã‚   The retest rate was at .84 for elementary age, .86 for junior high age and .96 for adults, which are all acceptable rates.   The short retest period, however, does not allow for sufficient confirmation of a hypothesis and does not meet standards that are acceptable for the measuring of treatment effectiveness.   Additionally, there is not enough consistency in the scales to allow for an accurate measurement of anxiety levels between the original test and retest. The validity of the test, Form Q, is given based upon comparison to the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children and the Nervous Systems subtest of the California Test of Personality.  Ã‚   The scale, however, is compared to the North American Depression Inventory for Children and the Culture-Free Self-Esteem Inventory.   Form M is compared to the Taylor Anxiety Scale for Adults and the Nervous Symptoms subscale of the California Test of Personality.   Constructs were as high or higher in correlation.   However, this is not discussed in detail in the manual.   The validity coefficients according to gender showed similar patterns. The T-tests showed no major difference in the scores of Form Q, according to gender. For M showed a higher score for females than males, but there must be consideration for the fact that there were twice as many females as males taking this test.   When looking at the mean, the difference was not major.   The lack of validity evidence can not be overlooked.   There are no studies that indicate the scale can accurately prove the difference between someone who is experiencing anxiety and someone who is not.   Additionally, there is a lack of supporting evidence for the use of this test in diagnosis and treatment of anxiety. A practical evaluation of this test shows no major indications of a problem.   The use of two separate forms for different age groups allows for the test to be easy to use and understand for each group.   Additionally, the availability of oral administration ensures those with limited reading abilities will be able to take the test and understand it.   The actual image of the test is rather plain and simple. It is presented in a straight forward, non-confusing manner. Form Q is presented in a yes or no format and Form M gives a scale that allows a rating from one to five with one clearly labeled as always and five as never.   There is nothing that stands out about the appearance of the test.   It is acceptable in terms that it is easy to use and understand for the participant. The straightforward nature of the test makes it easy to comprehend.   Form Q is a choice of two answers, which is well suited for the intended age group.   Form M gives a scale that allows for a more descriptive analysis of answers.   The test is intended to be taken by the participant reading and answering on their own, but the availability of oral administration allows for the test to be easy to take for all levels of comprehension.   The administration directions are quite clear and leave no room for question as to how it is to be done.   The test is to be given in a ten to fifteen minute time period.   It is manually administered, taken and scored.   Scoring is based upon the scales given in the manual.   It is advised that scoring be done under the supervision of a professional trained in psychology. This test has many weaknesses.   It is not fully backed by research and is not completely validated.   It lacks major aspects of an acceptable test, including the fact that scoring results are often inconsistent.   The scoring scales are not consistent with each other and there are no sub-tests to give an in depth look into the results.   Additionally, the lack of a reliable normative sample group is very concerning to a professional who is in need of a test that is reliable and valid.   The major strengths of the test is the actual make up of the test.   It is easy to understand and easy to score. This test would be best used for a general idea of a person state of anxiety.   It should be used in combination with other diagnostic measures and not as a sole source of diagnosis.   In order to make this test more effective and useful to a professional, it should be updated with more normative sample group tests, a better scoring system and more definition as to the age levels for each test.   Additionally, it would be helpful to include more differentiating information based upon specific age and race.   If updated, it should also be closely examined to fit into standards for tests of this nature. Reference Merenda, Peter F. (2004). Review of the anxiety scales for children and adults. University of Rhode Island. Oehler-Stinnett, Judy. (2004). Review of the anxiety scales for children and adults. Oklahoma State University. Wood, Richard J. and Zalaquett, Carlos P.(ED). (1998). Evaluating Stress: A book of resources, Volume I. Scarecrow Press.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Women in Shamanism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Women in Shamanism - Research Paper Example When giving a reflection on the mainstream history, it is important to understand that the references on women, and the power they possess emanates greatly from the periods of the Goddesses. On the other hand, Znamenski (351) denotes that there is very little written on the role of women in advocating for religious doctrines, as well as issues in politics, rites of passage, economic affairs, world leadership etc. Scholar further denotes that women who have been written about, such as Jeanne d’Arc and Mary Magdalene have had a false representation, through the views of the masculine, or either victimized for their courage and bravery in speaking up (Holyoak, 413). It is important to understand that the society placed certain requirements for women. They had to be wives, mothers, as well as perform other feminine duties in their homes. Women who took up the roles of shamanism were unable to fulfill these roles that the society expected of them. Over the years, female shamans have suffered great discrimination and bad treatment from their communities. For example in the Korean communities, female Shamans did not have any respect from the people, and they used to live in a very poor life. Scholar denotes that these shamans have always been viewed as witches, and this is because of the manner of their dressings and behavior (Znamenski, 351). These people normally dress in very ugly dresses, wearing scary masks, and behaving under trance, as if speaking to spiritual objects. Some communities believe that Shamans have the capability of travelling to the unseen world, and communicating with spirits (Znamenski, 352). Some communities associate these aspects with black magic, and demonic forces. Based on this ground, Scholar believes that female Shamans only masquerade as medicine people, but in real sense they are witches, having learnt their trade from demonic forces. It is important to denote that the culture of contemporary

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Hedda Gabler, examine her character. How does she arouse both sympathy Essay

Hedda Gabler, examine her character. How does she arouse both sympathy and scorn Using support from the play, explain and justify Shaw's observation about Hedda's character and the difficulty in playing it - Essay Example She tries to evade Tesman; even she does not hesitate to allow her ex-lover Ejlert Là ¸vborg to commit suicide. She rather provokes him by giving him a pistol. It is not that she unsympathetically or villainously commits this crime of provoking Lovborg’s suicide; rather she does so to assert her being in her ability to possess and manipulate her romantic hero whom she once dumped because of his recklessly free nature. It is true that she is unsympathetic towards Lovborg and others, including Tesman and Aunt Julle, who represent the social restrictions. Though she cannot but be unsympathetic to them, she herself bears secret sympathy for them, as George Bernard Shaw, in a letter to Elizabeth Robbins, says, â€Å"You were sympathetically unsympathetic, which was the exact solution of the central difficulty of playing Hedda.† () Hedda, a fancy-flyer entrapped by the social expectations of wifehood, is continually torn apart by her sense of the standards of appearance and her love for freedom. Her â€Å"aimless desire for freedom† makes her reproachful towards those who may meddle in her desire. In the very beginning of the play, Hedda is found to take savage delight in manipulating people to achieve her end. She instinctively hates Tessman’s relatives and family. This is because her expectation of an aristocrat life is not fulfilled and also the boundary of Tessman’s household does not allow her to enjoy the freedom. Hedda has an extremely freedom loving mind. In the beginning, she hates pregnancy, motherhood â€Å"make a claim on her freedom† (Ibsen 45). She does not like to be a mother, because it would bind her more with the duties and responsibilities. Like any typical woman of Ibsen’s plays, she is a fancy-flyer who has been stuck into harsh reality. Her high background shows that she has been pampered in her father’s house. Being devoid of any knowledge reality, she tries to dominate matters,

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Analysis of a Job Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analysis of a Job - Assignment Example Further, the traditional career stages will be examined and the plan that will help to avoid declining employee performance during certain stages in the career will be worked out. To appoint the best person for a certain job position, it is essential to understand the nature of that job. Here the job analysis helps to develop such understanding, exploring the tasks that will be performed in a job, the competencies that are required for doing those tasks and the link between the tasks and competencies. Job analysis can also be used to identify not only job requirements, but also fields that need development. For the administrative assistant in the newly formed organization, there should be created specific job description, because such person will deal with everything in the company and will be its ears and eyes. The description of job duties should be practical, clear and accurate to effectively define company needs. The administrative assistant is required to: possess at least one foreign language; to be able to coordinate visitors coming, create agendas and transfer maps; organize business trips (purchase tickets and book accommodation); be able to prepare documents for obtaining visas (to prepare all necessary document that precede visa getting: the invitations, the company guarantee documents, etc.); support company expats and missioners (to prepare all necessary document that precede getting residence permit and the registration in the apartment: the official invitations); assist in creation of corporate business policies and procedures that relate to the position; assist in budgeting the expenses and making the reports of the services and goods related to the position; check and track the correctness of the documents provided by the third parties: the waybills, tax invoices, the write off acts etc.; assist in checking of the correctness of the

Coursework in financial reporting & corporate governance Essay

Coursework in financial reporting & corporate governance - Essay Example The emergence of the concept of corporate governance can be attributed to certain events in the recent past which have shaken the business world. Accounting frauds such as Arthur Anderson, Enron, Satyam and World Com etc in the last decade resulted in loss of shareholder in the way the companies are governed. These disclosures along with the dot com bust which itself had its own share of corporate mis-governance made people loose confidence in the stock markets and the way that the companies are governed. The resulting market fall along with the tremendous impact on the society (loss of jobs, and damage to customers, and financiers) made it necessary to have a systemic framework which shall define the working of a public listed company. More recently, the financial slowdown of 2008-09 has once again raised concern over the governance of such large organizations. The greed to make profits while ignoring risks involved and the eventual loss to the society has made it necessary to have a strong board of directors which has the complete knowledge of the companys operations, policies and business. In a nutshell, the following reasons can be listed for the growth in importance of Corporate Governance: There have been many steps in setting out the standard for safeguarding the interests of the society and stop the occurrence of happenings like the Enron, Maxwell Communications and so on. Amongst the first one was the Cadbury report titled â€Å"Financial Aspects of Corporate Governance† published in the year 2002 (The Committee on the Financial Aspects of Corporate Governance, 1992). Subsequent standards were set up in the form of OECD Principles of Corporate Governance in the year 1999 and the Guidance on Good Practices in Corporate Governance Disclosure. British Airways (BA) and British Petroleum (BP) are the two large UK plcs that we will be comparing for the purpose of this paper. British

Friday, July 26, 2019

Analysis of a Bankruptcy for a Firm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis of a Bankruptcy for a Firm - Essay Example As a result of this, it becomes imperative to predict if any firm has chances of going bankrupt. Accurate forecasting of bankruptcy enables a firm to take corrective actions, and thereby reducing losses, and possibly even prevent bankruptcy. Hence, bankruptcy prediction is a topic of great interest and attracting a lot of research. There are two kinds of bankruptcy prediction models, generally found in the literature. The first is the accounting based models, which include logistic regression models. The second category is the market-based model, which include Merton Models. Fitzpatrick (1931) used the approach of using ratio analysis to compare bankrupt and successful firms. His univariate model of using 13 ratios to indicate failure was first attempt of such kind to predict industry failures. However, no significant relationship could be established between the model and failure. The work done by Beaver (1966) is considered as the first pioneering work in the field of bankruptcy prediction. He proposed that the firm can be seen as a â€Å"reservoir of liquid assets, which is supplied by inflows and drained by outflows. (†¦) The solvency of the firm can be defined in terms of the probability that the reservoir will be exhausted, at which point, the firm will be unable to pay its obligations as they mature†. Beaver used 30 ratios to develop a univariate model. These ratios were applied to 158 companies, half of them as bankrupt and the other half as successful firms. The finest ratios were the â€Å"working capital funds flow/ total assets†, and â€Å"net income/ total assets†. These ratios correctly identified 90%, and 88% of the cases. This study was followed by Altman’s model (1968, 1983). He applied multiple discriminant analysis to 33 pairs of bankrupt and successful firms. He proposed that bankruptcy could be explained by using a combination of 5 financial ratios.  Ã‚  

Thursday, July 25, 2019

In management of organisations, why is it important to be clear on how Essay

In management of organisations, why is it important to be clear on how workforce culture is defined; managed and influenced - Essay Example Culture can also been defined as â€Å"the interweaving of the individual into a community and the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes members of one known group from another† (Ogbonna, 1996). Culture acts as glue and binds the culturally diverse workers together removing their differences. It dictates the way things should be done in a particular work environment. Though there are reservations to their view, yet a vast majority of the researchers are of the view that realization of a solid organizational culture is the first and foremost requirement of practical strategic planning and plays a pivotal role in determining the performance of the organization (Brown, 1998 cited in Kemp and Dwyer, 2001, p. 78). Realization of a strong culture favors identification of employees whose performance counts a lot in the achievement of organizational objectives. Managers can indeed, use culture as a tool to achieve unanimity of responses in the employees and incorporate ethics in the work practices. Smooth functioning requires development of a coherent culture in any organization. A coherent organizational culture integrates independent departments within an organization and makes them united. This union earns an organization competitive advantage over others in the market. It is not easy for the competitors to imitate such an organization. Cultural web explains the way a culture modifies human behavior in the context of an organization, and how the change affects the organization itself. The strategies an organization bases its plans upon are conventionally preserved in such organizational documents as annual reports. However, the underlying traits of these strategies that actually shape an organization’s paradigm show up in the interaction of employees working in the organization. Indeed, the assumptions forming the base of strategies are so

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

The Improvement of Customer Service in Argos Essay

The Improvement of Customer Service in Argos - Essay Example Argos was founded in 1973 by Richard Tompkins. It has been part of the Home Retail Group since 2000 which is the market leader in the home and general merchandise market (Management Today 2010). Together with Homebase, Argos is one of UK’s leading brands, selling products throughout UK as well as the Republic of Ireland (Management Today 2010).  Argos was founded in 1973 by Richard Tompkins. It has been part of the Home Retail Group since 2000 which is the market leader in the home and general merchandise market (Management Today 2010). Together with Homebase, Argos is one of UK’s leading brands, selling products throughout UK as well as the Republic of Ireland (Management Today 2010).  Argos is a unique multi-channel retailer well-known for offering customers choice, value, and convenience. Argos sells general merchandise and home products in over 750 stores all over UK and Ireland through their twice-yearly catalogue, over the internet, and through the telephone.   Argos is currently struggling to retain its viability and profitability. Operational strategies are being contemplated, including the use of internet technologies on its operations. The struggling Argos intends to do a digital makeover of its business operations. This move will replace traditional catalogue and may close or relocate at least 75 stores. Home Retail Group, the parent company, intends to reduce the circulation of traditional Argos catalogue, although it still believes that print marketing will still be relevant to its retail business  

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - Essay Example One of the solutions that have been applied to facilitate the provision of solutions to the identified mental challenges is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. This is psychotherapy approach that focuses on solving dysfunctional mental, emotional, maladaptive characters as well as inappropriate mental challenges through processes that entail. The examination between these cognitive facets based on goals. The essence of systematic review of the relationship between mental processes is pertinent for providing effective solutions for identified mental challenges. The process of developing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy was achieved through a process that involved behavioral integration. Behavioral Integration was a process that focused on modification of individual’s cognitive behavior, however due to its inefficiency, this method was later integrated with techniques that facilitated review the relationship between cognitive behaviors, thus the development of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. There are various benefits that students aspiring to focus on solving mental challenges can access by applying Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as one of the methods. To begin with, research has shown that the application of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is pertinent for provision of mental health treatment owing to the fact that it has been proved to be efficient in solving a series of different mental health challenges through application of certain procedures and processes. In addition, this technique is important to students, with an interest to solve cognitive and emotional challenges facing the society owing to the fact that it creates a platform for students to interact with their patients, thus increasing their understanding of various issues ascribed to cognitive challenges. The interaction is usually facilitated by certain experiments that the students may engage in as they undertake their psychotherapy activities. One of the Cognitive Behavioral Strategies that my

Monday, July 22, 2019

Bus 557 Assignment Essay Example for Free

Bus 557 Assignment Essay Ethics behavioral aspect of accounting is a special area of accounting that is developed to address such aspect of human information processing behavior, judgment quality, accounting problems created by users and providers of accounting information as well as their decision making skills. Secondly, paper will describe the organization, the accounting ethical breach and the impact to the organization related to ethical breach. Thirdly, this paper will determine how the organizational ethical issue was detected and how management failed to create an ethical environment. In some cases, some company pledged its own stock to ensure that partnerships would be able to borrow money. And when Enron stock started plummeting, the whole thing fell apart. Fourthly, this paper will analyze the accounts impacted and or accounting guidelines violated and the resulting impact to the business operation. They operated as the masterminds behind the system to defraud investors. The banks, by offering fake, illegal and not approved by regulators deals, played a significant role in helping Enron falsify company financial statements and mislead investors. Finally, the paper will discuss as a CFO which measures could have been taken to prevent this ethical breach and how each measure should be implemented in the future. First of all, there should be analysis of culture within the organization including norms of behavior, standards of conduct, values, perspective of attitudes, perceptions, there seems to be pressure to commit misconduct, communications, risks and vulnerabilities Review of Accounting Ethics Page 3 Given the corporate ethical breaches in recent times, assess whether or not you believe that the current business and regulatory environment is more conducive to ethical behavior. Provide support for your answer. Ethics behavioral aspect of accounting is a special area of accounting that is developed to address such aspect of human information processing behavior, judgment quality, accounting problems created by users and providers of accounting information as well as their decision making skills (Ponema, 2009). Existing businesses and regulatory environment is more conductive behavior because some companies and managers feel as though they can get away with it. The unpredictable increase and collapse of the Enron Company set off a long-burning fire under the American social conscience. From every crevasse and corner, voices rose demanding increased accountability, demanding tighter regulation, and demanding that the unethical be brought to justice. Clearly, in such estimation, those at fault should have been punished business. Many transformations in the business environment have taken place, including immoral conducts and the tendency for corruption. Unethical accounting behavior is also included as a consequence. (Sims, 1992). So the government has been forced to increase regulations and inspect actions taken in business, most especially after the Enron, Tyco, WorldCom and other unethical accounting scandals. As a result of the mentioned scandals, the government then passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in 2002 providing regulatory requirements for better precision in business action, accountability and assurance of ethical accounting behavior by publicly held companies and accounting firms. According to White (2000), the total number of boards of directors who set ethical codes of conduct within organizations has increased from 41 percent in 1991 to 78 percent. Review of Accounting Ethics Page 4 According to the Wall Street Journal about 79 percent of youth in the United States do not believe in the presence of moral principles in business. There should be a business foundation, especially in accounting which should provide society with adequate information about companies and industry. Accounting is more and more involved in consulting, so it requires high ethical standards to built trust between clients and companies (White, 2000). Even if society does not believe in the honesty in any business, I think that ethics and ethical behavior are very high priorities for companies today and this is proofed by the increasing number of companies currently applying ethical codes of conducts. Codes of ethics are arrangements that are frequently used as a force to promote ethical behavior. There are many ways that a business could operate ethically. They can impose legal actions and fines. This could then remove destruction to any firm’s reputation, and protect and / or increase the capital of any shareholder. Paying special attention to Shareholder value, cost control, creating a competitive advantage and avoiding internal corruption would also be a help. A firm’s unethical behavior could also contribute to the organization’s productivity level being lower over time. Because of all these aspects I believe that the current business and regulatory environment is more conducive to ethical behavior. Based on your research, describe the organization, the accounting ethical breach and the impact to the organization related to ethical breach. Enron Corp. was an energy company born from a mildly innovative 1985 deal that combined two boring businesses: an Omaha-based natural-gas-pipeline company named InterNorth and a similar Texas company called Houston Natural Gas. Instead of just delivering gas to customers at a modest profit, Enron decided to use newly deregulated pipelines to match other buyers and Review of Accounting Ethics Page 5 sellers in the energy industry. Enron became a gas trader, which would be much more exciting than just building pipes and transporting gas. Moreover, Enron was managing its own employee pension funds. This should not happen because it allowed the company to use these funds for the advantage of the company only, without taking care of their employees. Besides, Enron should have a code of ethics that prohibits managers and executives from being involved in another business entity that does business with their own company. Usually, codes of ethics are voluntary, but the board of directors should set them up as the important restriction of company. According to the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics (2002), legal and regulatory structures would trigger Enron’s bankruptcy. Initially, Arthur Andersen LLP would provide consulting and the audited reporting services noting the financial results of their consulting activities. This occurred because it was allowed by current law and regulations imposed by the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC). I see this as fault of within the legal structure and an evident conflict of interest. Additionally, another conflict of interest occurred in Enron by hiring and paying its own auditors. It is understandable that the auditors did not issue an adverse report on the company that was paying them. The conclusion coming from this situation is that private companies should not be allowed to pay for their own auditors.. Moreover, Enron would also expand into other business areas, including water, fiber optics, newsprint, and telecommunications (Halbert T Ingulli, E. (2009). Legal structure permits managers to enter these arrangements, which constitute a conflict of interest. The managers and executives should take care of the best interest of the company and its shareholders because the law leaves them with freedom, to choose what it is the best interest of the company. There are no doubts that Enron’s officers did not act within the scope of their Review of Accounting Ethics Page 6 authorities. A few days before the outstanding loss of Enron was made public, workers who audited the company books for Arthur Andersen had been given an extraordinary directive to damage all audit material, except for the most basic work papers. Even if, there are no rules for how long company should keep its documents, it was illegal. (Halbert T. Ingulli, E. (2009). Determine how the organizational ethical issue was detected and how management failed to create an ethical environment. Enron Corporation is a classic example of organizational-level corruption. Halbert T Ingulli E. (2009). Enron debacle is not just the story of a company that failed; it is the story of a system that failed. And the system didnt fail through carelessness or laziness; it was corrupted. â€Å" According to Report of Investigation by the Special Investigative Committee of the Board of Directors of Enron Corp (2002), Enron employees involved in the partnerships were enriched, in the aggregate, by tens of millions of dollars they should never have receivedFarrow by at least $30 million, Hooper by at least $10 million, two others by $1 million each. Any of these employees, except Farrow, did not obtain the permission required by Enrons Code of Conduct of Business Affairs to own interest in the partnerships. Moreover, many Enron transactions were designed to accomplish favorable financial statement results. These examples show that Enron’s officers put their own interest ahead of their obligations to Enron. The company allowed chief financial officer Farrow to set up partnerships that enabled Enron to report pretty much whatever numbers it needed to keep Wall Street happy. In some cases, the company pledged its own stock to ensure that partnerships would be able to borrow money. And when Enron stock started plummeting, the whole thing fell apart. (Farrow made off with millions of dollars for himself, but his depredations played no significant role in Enrons fall. ) . When Review of Accounting Ethics Page 7 forensic accountants finally got a look at Enrons books in late 2001, they discovered that the company had been reporting incorrect numbers for at least five years. Analyze the accounts impacted and / or accounting guidelines violated and the resulting impact to the business operation. Perhaps Enron could have been somewhat successful by branching out into the commodities business creating an international, privatized water market. Enron’s leaders in 1998 set up a subsidiary called Azurix with a major water concession in England, but British regulators cut the firms rates-and Enrons style was significantly cramped. Azurixs expansion into Brazil also worked out badly due to local politics. Enron hid the mounting debts in an off-the-balance-sheet partnership. This became a common Enron technique and led to the kind of debt load that became unsustainable when investors lost confidence in Enrons numbers (Snider, 2006), according to Snider (2006), Farrow, the former Enron chief financial officer, said that Enron’s banks played important role in the corporation fraud. They operated as the masterminds behind the system to defraud investors. The banks, by offering fake, illegal and not approved by regulators deals, played a significant role in helping Enron falsify company financial statements and mislead investors. It was the banks that instructed Enron how to deal with the company’s significant financial challenges. If stated, dividend targets could not be met by Enron, and the company would have had to generate more cash flow to maintain its credit ratings. The banks assisted to design the fake and deceptive deals. The banks helped Enron to hide the debt which was not showing up on the books by replacing bad assets through creation shell companies. These shell companies, run by Enron executives who profited richly from them, allowed Enron to keep hundreds of millions of dollars in debt off its books. Also, loan transactions were reported as cash flow instead of debt. These finances were not shown in the financial statements. Review of Accounting Ethics Page 8 This action would lead the company’s stock and hurt most of investors across the country (Halbert T. Ingulli, E. (2009). As a CFO, recommend which measures could have been taken to prevent this ethical breach and how each measure should be implemented in the future. Enron was liable for the action of its agents and employees, because most taken actions, which lead Enron into bankruptcy, were taken inside the corporation. Enron officers and managers repaid the banks by access to special deals; premium payments and insider access to future beneficial transactions (Maximizing Business Performance, 2007). In order to avoid situation that took place in Enron Corp. there are some actions that should be taken within an organization. First of all, there should be analysis of culture within the organization including norms of behavior, standards of conduct, values, perspective of attitudes, perceptions, pressures to commit misconduct, communications, risks and vulnerabilities. The Code of Ethics should be complied by Board Members and Senior Executives as well as by all employees. Measures they recommend should include staff training, evaluations of compliance systems, appropriate funding and staffing of the corporate ethics office. An organization has to make sure that consulting and auditing are separated while financing auditing has its independence with integrity. Moreover, managing proper communication regarding expectations, requirements, goals and roles at all levels is significant to constitute ethical behavior within an organization. Establishing an Ethics Committee helps to focus on ethical conduct and empower employees to make decisions according to organization’s values. Enron and other corporations need better financial disclosure mechanisms. The Financial Accounting Standards Board, responsible for rule making in the area, has to create regulations and standards that are more Review of Accounting Ethics Page 9 forth right and understandable to ordinary people. In addition, corporations need more responsible public servants, instead of creating more laws. We need to teach people to be responsible for what they have done, just as we have held the business people to accountability. Conclusion Since the objective of accounting is to provide relevant, timely information for user decision making, therefore, Accountants must behave in an ethical manner so that the information they provide will be trustworthy and, thus, useful for decision making. The purpose of ethics in accounting is to direct accountants to abide by the code of conduct that facilitates and encourage public confidence in their services. Ethics are moral principles that guide the conduct of individuals but unfortunately, some accountants sometimes behave in an unethical manner. These ethical violations led to fines, firings, and lawsuits. In some cases, accountants were criminally prosecuted, convicted, and sent to prison. References Snider, D. (2006, September 26). University of California, San Francisco. UC Says Farrow Implicated Banks in Enron Fraud. Retrieved April 27, 2013 from http://ucsf. edu/ stories/uc-says-farrow-implicated-banks-in-enron-fraud Halbert T Ingulli, E. (2009). Law Ethics in the Business Environment: 2010 custom edition (6th ed. ). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning White J. (2000). Ethics in Business. Retrieved April 27, 2013, from http://www. pro2net. com Sims, R. R. (1992). Journal of Business Ethics, 11: 651–662. Committee of the Board of Directors of Enron Corp. Retrieved April 27, 2013, from http://fl1. findlaw. com/news. findlaw. com/wp/docs/enron/specinv020102rpt1. pdf

Solar Power The trends and future of solar power generation Essay Example for Free

Solar Power The trends and future of solar power generation Essay Solar power is being increasingly conceived as a possible alternative to traditional energy sources, given the rise in costs associated with traditional energy sources. Although it had for long, been considered as highly uneconomic; this notion has been changing with the improvement in technologies. It should be noted here that generation of solar power is currently highly dependent on government subsidies. These subsidies are very essential for projecting solar power as an alternative to electricity from traditional fuel sources. However the cost of manufacturing and installing solar power generation system has been considerably decreased during the last two decades, during which the installed capacity too rose phenomenally. This scenario is in stark contrast to electricity generation from traditional sources where the generation costs increased with the rise in natural gas prices. The need for more power plants to meet the increasing consumption needs, the need to cut emissions and adopt other pollution control measures, only keep pushing conventional electricity prices further and further. The global solar capacity is anticipated to be about 20 to 40 times its current levels, by 2020, growing by 30 to 35% each year. The solar power generated today would correspondingly rise from 10 gigawatts to 400 gigawatts by 2020. However, despite the prospects for solar power, the solar power generation field is in its early stages; such that even if the estimated capacity level reaches the said 20 to 40 times its current level, it would only account for 3 to 6% of the electricity generation capability or 1.5 to 3% of the total output in 2020. It is now anticipated that in three to seven years from now, unsubsidized solar power should be available to the end customer at costs compatible to electricity produced by fossil fuels or other alternatives to solar. Parts of US and Italy, Japan and Spain are expected to see the equalization of solar and traditional power costs due to favorable trends and encouraging factors prevailing in these regions. Currently unsubsidized solar power costs about 36 cents per kilowatt-hour. This is expected to be around 12 cents per kilowatt-hour by 2020. The current solar technologies used are silicon-wafer photovoltaics, thin-film photovoltaics and concentrated solar thermal power. Each of these technologies have certain advantages with regard to particular usages. Through innovations and cost cuttings, the technologies strive to be more efficient, with enhanced applicability. The power conversion efficiency is the amount of electricity generated by the solar radiation corresponding to the surface of the photovoltaic cell, for a particular time period. Efficient systems are directed towards weighing less, with a smaller radiation collection surface, low cost transportation and installation. Photovoltaic refers to the solar panels which convert solar energy to electricity. The photovoltaic material is mainly formed of pure silicon, which emit electrons when subjected to solar radiation, thereby producing an electric current. While basic photovoltaic cells are used in calculators and wrist watches, more higher versions are used for powering water pumps, communications equipments and several other off-grid requirements. Photovoltaics are increasingly used as an additional or alternative for utility purposes already serviced by electric grid. More and more people increasingly opt for photovoltaics for several reasons like environmental, economic, emergency requirement, rising electricity costs etc. The silicon-wafer photovoltaics account for about 90% of installed solar capacity. It is particularly used in rooftop applications associated with space restrictions. Although these are doubly efficient compared to thin-film photovoltaics, their installation is costly. The solar panels themselves are costly too, requiring larger quantities of silicon photovoltaic material compared to thin film photovoltaic solar cells. Another disadvantage is that the theoretical efficiency limit of the photovoltaic single-junction silicon wafer cell, set at 31%, has been neared by several companies already. Although the limit of 31% can be extended by advanced techniques, these could lead to increased production costs. The commercially produced thin-film photovoltaics have only been recently proved to reach efficiency levels of about 10%. The lower efficiency levels with respect to silicon-wafer photovoltaics is achieved by very low usage of materials, requiring only about 5% or lesser than that needed for silicon wafer photovoltaics. The manufacturing costs associated with thin-film photovoltaics is almost half that for silicon-wafer, with tremendous prospects of increasing the costing gap in the long run. Thin-film photovoltaics are more used in large area installations, flat rooftops etc. While silicon-wafer based photovoltaics are capable of providing high output even for a quarter of a decade, the longevity of thin film are uncertain. Cadmium telluride is perhaps the most prospective thin film technology that have been developed commercially. However, the toxicity levels associated with cadmium and the availability of telluride are worrisome factors. The concentrated solar thermal power technology converts solar radiation to heat using mirror arrangements. These are then converted to electricity through heat conversion methods. The concentrated solar thermal power is appropriate for village requirements of 10 kilowatts as well as for grid applications involving several hundred megawatts (SEPA, 2008). These can be installed at the vicinity of the customers, thereby lowering transmission and distribution costs. Although these are the lowest in terms of associated costs, they require plenty of open space and very demanding solar conditions. The concentrated solar thermal technology mostly uses the usual components like reflectors and pipes, and therefore the prospects of costs reduction are less. The challenges confronting the advancement of solar power are those that are relevant to any upcoming or emerging sector. Given the intense competition, companies involved in manufacturing of solar power generation equipment must slash their costs by improving their manufacturing process of solar cells. The spurt in solar power activity has brought in funds from venture capital and private equity firms. An amount of $3.2 billion invested in the year 2007, saw new players in the solar power generation, who contributed to excess supply and falling prices. Early entrants like Dow Corning and Wacker as well as component developers like First Solar and SunPower saw high margins. At May end this year, the Abu-Dhabi based Masdar announced its entry in the manufacturing of thin film photovoltaic products. With an investment of $2 billion, the company expects to produce the state of art thin film modules, through a three phase strategy. (Ghelfi, 2008). On the previous day to this announcement, Q-Cells, the German solar cell manufacturer, announced an investment of $3.5 billion for developing a production center in Mexico, for manufacturing thin film modules. According to First Solar Inc., a company involved in manufacturing of solar modules, its average manufacturing cost for solar module in 2007 was only about $1.23 per watt. The company attributed the low cost to its thin film semiconductor technology compared to crystalline silicon modules, manufactured traditionally. The company expects to become the first solar module manufacturing company to provide non-subsidized solar electricity at retail electricity rates by 2010. A single manufactured solar module is about 2ft by 4ft, employing cadmium telluride as the absorption layer which provides high conversion efficiency with very little semiconductor material. From 2005, there had been an increasing demand for silicon from the solar module, solar cell and solar wafer manufacturers. Due to the insufficient supply of crystalline silicon, the solar modules and cells manufacturers’ utilization rates fell. The utilization rates fell to 70% in 2005 from 86% in 2004. With the demand increasing considerably, the German cell manufacturer ErSol Solar Energy reduced its 2007 expectations from 70 megawatts to 55 megawatts, due to fall in wafer supply. The supply shortfall led to a huge hike in silicon prices. The price of the silicon raw material shot to $45 a pound in 2007 from $20 in 2003. The higher prices in turn brought many companies into the business of silicon manufacturing. Silicon production rose by 14% in 2007 and is expected to rise by 43% in 2008 and by 50% in the each year 2009 and 2010. By 2010, the supply shortage and the resulting high prices would be taken care of. According to investment columnist Jim Jubak, rising prices of natural gases, slow developments and cancellations associated with nuclear and coal plants respectively, are pushing the price of solar stocks. Solar cell companies too are highly dependent on technology just as any other computer chip makers or cell phone one or television manufacturers. A bill seeking to extend the existing tax break for another six years have been passed by the House Ways and Means Committee. Jubak estimates that with everything looking in favor of solar power, the revenues in the solar industry are very likely to increase phenomenally (Jubak, 2008). Lux Research projects revenues to climb 27% annually, on a compounded basis through 2012. Another estimate from Clayton Securities suggests 17% annual compounded revenue growth through 2016. Â  REFERENCES Solar Electric Power Association (2008) Solar Electricity Basics [Electronic Version] Downloaded on 29th June 2008 from http://www.solarelectricpower.org/index.php?page=basics Jubak J., (2008) 3 high powered solar stocks [Electronic Version] Downloaded on 28th June 2008 from http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/JubaksJournal/HighPoweredSolarStocks.aspx Ghelfi C. (2008) Masdar getting into thin film solar business Electronic Version] Downloaded on 27th June 2008 from http://media.cleantech.com/2904/masdar-getting-into-thin-film-solar-business-abu-dhabi Lorenz P., Pinner D. Seitz T., The economics of solar power. The McKinsey Quarterly [Electronic Version] Downloaded on 27th June 2008 from http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/my_profile.aspx

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Impact of British Colonization on the Gulf

Impact of British Colonization on the Gulf 1. Introduction The term ‘colonization’ is used to refer to the active spread of political and economic power over a region, on the part of a country which has occupied the location, and which is normally far in advance of it, in terms of military and technological prowess. It can be defined by the movement of foreign nationals to the location, or by an official seizure of power over the region, either via political or military means. This process can be triggered by many different things – a swollen population, economic upheaval, social disturbances, and even religious conflicts within the region being colonized. Yet, all of these factors can be linked with expansionism, intrusive humanitarianism and the goals relating to national development, to at least some degree. The act of colonization can be led by the government, or it can be an independent endeavor, helmed by big business. However, before the process can be started, any and all native citizens are first required to be restrained and integrated, or adapted to the customs of the invaders; or else, an agreement has to be drawn up, via the obligation of a treaty or official alliance. The British Empire was made up of the states, domains, provinces, dependencies and terrains which were governed and controlled by Great Britain. It has its beginnings in the foreign trading routes created by Britain, between the 16th and 18th century. At its peak, it was the biggest overseas kingdom ever seen and, for more than a hundred years, it was the primary world leader. By the end of 1922, Britain controlled more than 458 million people around a fifth of the global population. The empire itself stretched across more than 33,000,000 km squared, which is approximately a quarter of the area of the planet. Unsurprisingly ten, its political, legal and cultural norms travelled far and wide. At its strongest point, the adage ‘the empire on which the sun never sets’ was commonly used to refer to the British Empire, as its huge surface area meant that the sun would always be shining in at least one of its newly acquired domains (see Exhibit 1). [1] 1.1 Definition of colonization According to the Collins English Dictionary, the word colonialism can be defined as ‘the strategies and regulations of a power, in spreading influence over vulnerable populations or regions.’ The Merriam-Webster Dictionary actually provides no less than four definitions, which include ‘something representative of a colony,’ and ‘influence by one power, over a vulnerable region or population.’[2] The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy utilizes the word ‘colonialism’ to refer to ‘the practice of European invasion, and the spread of political influence, across the planet – this includes the United States, Australia and portions of Asia and Africa.’ It explores the disparity between colonialism and imperialism, claiming that ‘as a result of the complexity of constantly separating the two words, this definition will refer to colonialism as a widespread notion, relating to the process of European political control, from the 16th to the 20th century, which culminated in the national emancipation protests of the sixties.’[3] 1.2 Objectives of colonization 1.2.1 Political Purpose The political purpose can be assimilate in improve the colonial position in competition for advanced positions on the ladder of the international forces, in order to expand its influence in the international community and make it more powerful to control the international resolutions and directed to its advantage. [4] 1.2.2 Economic Purpose Colonization can be to have new source for raw materials that country needed, the Europe industrial revolution that happened in the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century create a need for new source of raw materials for the new industrials. The industrial revolution created a wild manufacturing movement, spread across large factories in the colonial states and that led to have surplus in the goods, and colonization allow them to have new markets to sell their products. Get cheap labor, the colonial powers worked to move millions of people from areas colonized to other areas, in order to employ low-wage or trade them as slaves. At present, many of the industrial countries transfer some of its factories to developing countries, to take advantage of cheap labor in these countries. Secure transportation routes was one of many purpose for colonization, many countries resort to colonize new areas to secure transportation routes to different areas, in order to protect property and maintain its vital interests, and use commercial stations. [5] 1.2.3 Culture Purpose When you look at the linguistic map of the world, we find that the colonial language to replace the local language in the colonial countries; Most of the Spanish colonies in America, the Latin used Spanish as an official language, and English is the official language of a number of British colonies such as India and Nigeria, and South African, as French is the official language in the French colonies, such as Chad, Mali, Senegal, and the Portuguese language is the official language of Mozambique as a former Portuguese colony. If we apply it to the second language in a number of countries, we find that they colonized the language, as is the case with English in Iraq, Egypt and Jordan, which is in line with what the world Tritscka said of that language is the basis of the booming trade, as the nation does not lose its colonies associated language and culture, even if interrupted political association. [6] 1.2.3 Religious Purpose Colonization has been associated with the presence of a number of campaigns and missions consignments religious missionary, a number of them have succeeded in evangelizing sectors of the population of the colonies, and was the most prominent cases of success in this area in African countries such as South Sudan and southern Nigeria. 1.3 Types of Colonization It is common for scholars to make a clear distinction between two closely related manifestations of colonialism. ‘Settler colonialism’ refers to mass movements, usually driven by religious, political or economic motives. ‘Exploitation colonialism’ did not involve as many migrants, and instead placed emphasis on the availability of goods for international trade, usually at the centre of the empire. This latter definition relates to the use of trading stations, as well as bigger domains in which migrant colonists would manage most of the political and economic logistics. Yet, they would still lean heavily on native assets for labour and goods. Just before the culmination, and eventual eradication, of the slave trade, if native labour was not accessible, it was common for slave workers to be shipped to America, by migrant colonists from either Britain, France, Holland, Spain or Portugal. For instance, a plantation based settlement would be an exploitation colony. Yet, invading forces would take advantage of both types of colonialism, in various different domains, contingent on what sort of cultural, economic and topographic conditions confronted them. ‘Surrogate colonialism’ is used to refer to a colonisation venture, funded by a dominant power, in which the majority of the migrants are not native to this power. ‘Internal colonialism’ relates to imbalanced organisational influence, shared between regions of a nation state – the primary motivator of manipulation is the government itself. 2. Colonization in the Arabian Gulf The unique location of the area was the cause of the greed of others and a direct motivates them to attacks; in order to control the strategic location, and undermine its authority in this vital region. Arabian Gulf experienced multiple stages of the foreign presence began to phase control of the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch occupation stage then stage British colonization. Portuguese ambition to expand began in the fifteenth century, that ambition stemming from the desire to explore, and the desire to spread Christianity around the world. This expansion began in the Indian Ocean during their trips to west coast of Africa and southern deserts; and in order to get the goods and slaves. The fall of Portuguese in 1625 after the Battle of Bandar Abbas had a big role in paving the way for the Dutch and the British to enter the region, and in a short time its became a Dutch trading station at Bandar Abbas which was the most active and successful areas; where traded sugar and spice and Indian fabrics, copper, iron, have concluded with Shah Abbas I in 1623 a contract for the silk trade. With the beginning of the seventeenth century, the Dutch became dominant force in the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Gulf. The Arabian Gulf was a battle field for European conflicts, specifically the British and French, but in 1810 the British navy campaign managed to hit the island of Mauritius, which was the start of the French attacks against the British rule; enabling them to become the only dominant force in the region. British’s began in this period to conduct surveys in the ports, and in the pearl banks; to identify the nature of the area, which has increased the denominators activity in tracking the British ships in the Indian Ocean (1811- 1818), Until they got to a distance of about 60 km from Bombay, which prompted the British to develop plans to destroy the power of denominators and weaken their union; because they see in them a group of pirates, sending a campaign led by General Kiir to Ras Al Khaimah, as a result, the British took control complete control over Arabian Gulf. Login began with the Gulf sheikhs in the peace treaties, the best known: Treaty (General Peace 1820). Since that time, British placed a naval force in Ras Al Khaimah, and then force in Qeshm; and to oversee treaties signed. 3. The impact of British colonization in the Arabian Gulf Any colonization will leave impact on the colonist, its can be positive or negative and to be more realistic it usually will be mix between them and the British colonization is no different, the Gulf area which was one of British colonists suffered politically, economically, and socially and in the same time they benefit from that colonization. The British colonization on that time ended a lot of wars and fights between tribes in Gulf and secure the area which gave people there the feeling of safety, British colonization organized the trading between the gulf and India and eliminate the pirates by agreements with the gulf presidents at that time mostly with Oman and United Arabic Emirates, on other hand British Colonialism altered the geographical map of the Gulf and drew the boundaries and appointed leaders over the Gulf countries. After WWII, the British were in Palestine, Iraq, Arabian Gulf, the Indian Subcontinent, Malaya, and Brunei. It replaced the educational, legal, and economic institutions. British colonialism replaced Muslim self-rule under Islamic Law, which had been in existence from the time of the Prophet Muhammad, by their European lows. The Muslim world’s centuries of long struggle with Western colonial rule was followed by authoritarian regimes installed by European powers. The absence of stable states has led many to ask whether there is something about Islam that is antithetical to civil society and rule of law. The answer to this question lies more in history and politics than in religion. Modern Muslim states are only several decades old and they were carved out by European powers to serve Western interests. British set the borders for Iraq and Kuwait and created a new entity called Jordan. Such arbitrary borders fed ethnic, regional, and religious conflicts including the Lebanese Civil War between Christians and Muslims, the occupation of Lebanon by Syria, the Gulf War, which resulted from Saddam Hussein’s claim to Kuwaiti territory, and the Israel-Palestinian conflict. One of the biggest borders problems that stile exist the one between United Arabic Emirates and Saudi Arabia, without a doubt the origin of the border problems due to the maps that drawn by the British to the region but also Saudi Arabia greed that have borders problems with all Gulf countries contribute take that problem to other level. The dispute between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, has begun after the independence of the United Arab Emirates in the early seventies of the last century. The dispute was about the Buraimi Oasis, which was at the same time a subject of dispute between Abu Dhabi and Oman, which ended up sharing the region. And away from the logic, Saudi Arabia imposed on the UAE unfair deal when dropped their demands in the AL-Ain area and desert Dhafra according to Jeddah agreement to the border with the UAE in 1974, attached to it by recognizing the UAE, and got in return some areas. That agreement separated UAE and Qatar, and give Saudi Arabia 80% of the oil that was between the countries (see Exhibit 2). We can see on that example how the British colonization even after it withdrew from the area produced contrasting appreciations, it give the preference for Saudi Arabia over UAE and a lot of oil that belong to Saudi Arabia today could be belong to UAE or at least could be joint field between the two countries. Also these borders separated UAE from Qatar which give the advantage to Saudi Arabia again, before the British colonization there was prosperous trade between UAE and Qatar throw their borders but after the new borders set they had to pass Saudi Arabia to reach each other which lead to weakness this trades and in the same time benefit Saudi Arabia (see Exhibit 3). Political and economic models were borrowed from the West to replace the Islamic political and economic systems after independence from colonial rulers in the mid-twentieth century, creating overcrowded cities lacking social support systems, high unemployment, government corruption, and growing the gap between rich and poor people. Rather than leading to a better quality of life, Westernization led to the breakdown of traditional family, religious, and social values. Many Muslims blame Western models of political and economic development as the sources of moral decline and spiritual malaise. On other hand, the British colonization period strengthens the bonds between Gulf countries and western countries, and these relations still existing until today, and we can clearly see it in the trading products between countries and how Gulf countries rely on Europe and epically on British to import lot of goods. On other level we can see the influence of that colonization on the political system, where all Gulf countries leaders are from the royal family and not elected by people, on social and culture level the British colonization had a big influence on the people in the gulf region, because of all other factors we mentioned before and how close the Gulf become from British the people started to gain some habits from British culture. For example most people in Gulf and other colonies with was colonized by British like Egypt and Iraq started drinking tea and consider it necessary part of their daily life, which is originally an English habit. Another culture effect we noticed is the language influence, lot of our words that we used today are taken from English language for example in Kuwait we say the â€Å"tire† while it’s in Arabic language â€Å"Etar† and there are lot of other wards. But the language influence didn’t stop there. In recent years, the subjects of global English, and language based imperialism, have been explored in great depth – not least in the Arabian Gulf, where Arabic is still the main tongue, even if it is gradually becoming less used and less prevalent, particularly in regards to the proportion of speakers. In many ways, the English language is now a representation of the internationalization and transformation, resulting from the hydrocarbon profits which support many of the Gulf nations. As these countries attempt to expand their economies, retain skilled professionals, and prepare natives for life on the international stage, the English language has become a much talked about issue in discussions on religion, politics and society. In fact, it is regularly held responsible for the decay of Islamic lifestyles. Whilst the prominence of the English language certainly comes with disadvantages, a high proportion of young workers seem to understand its benefits, and are much more willing to utilize it within business, law and science sectors. According to many of these people, poor English skills are one of the biggest limitations on the development of private sectors. According to the research of Karmani, which has monitored the development of the English language learning sector, in economic and social terms, in Arabic countries – these motivations, linking back to the fifties and seventies are entrenched in the political world, and have become reciprocally aligned.[7] A lot of workers in the Gulf come from domains which used to be controlled by the British Empire (regions like India and Pakistan), so the English language continues to have an important function for many. It can function as a primary ‘lingua franca,’ particularly in regards to disparate emigrant populations, and between Arabs and emigrants. In some of these nations, the emigrant population accounts for more than 81% (CIA, 2011).[8] A collective anxiety, across the Gulf nations, relates to the decay and possible abandonment of Arabic, as a written and verbal tongue. In fact, there are lots of people, across the Emirati and the Arabic regions, who are extremely worried about the impact that this kind of linguistic transition is bound to be effecting on the integrity of the Arabic spoken in the UAE. 4. Conclusion Colonialism is a practice of domination, which involves political and economic control over the colonist areas. Economic Instability, political weakness, revolutions and other factors can be the reason of colonization. The goal of colonization can be increase its power and influence globally, find a new source of row materials, widens its culture over the world, and expand its religious. Arabian Gulf went throw many colonialisms, the British colonization was the last one which controlled the area to achieve specific goals one of them to secure the trades that have established with India. Although that, Arabian gulf got freedom for a while now but we still can see that the impact of that colonization exist on several levels: political, economic, and social. Here we have to mention that the impact of the colonization is not always negative there are some positive impacts, like the economics relationship that existing between British and most Gulf countries and also the improvement in education process in these countries. On other hand colonization some time can create preference for one country over other country, like the dispute between Saudi Arabia and UAE over boards and how Saudi Arabia took over the oil fields. Exhibit 1 British Empire Exhibit 2 UAE-Saudi Arabia Boarder Exhibit 3 UAE-Qatar Boards [1] Colonization. The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2014. Encyclopedia.com. (November 17, 2014). [2] Colonialism. Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster. 2010. Retrieved 5 April 2010. [3] Margaret Kohn (2006). Colonialism. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford University. Retrieved 5 April 2010. [4] Anton Mata (1993). â€Å"Tarak Al-Estiamar in Arabian Gulf†. Beirut. Dar Al-Jeal. [5] Anton Mata (1993). â€Å"Tarak Al-Estiamar in Arabian Gulf†. Beirut. Dar Al-Jeal. [6] Jameil Baiton (2002). â€Å"Tarek Al-arab Al-hadeth†. Beirut. Dar Al-Amal. [7] Karmani, S. (2005). Petro-Linguistics: The Emerging Nexus Between Oil, English, and Islam. Journal of Language, Identity and Education, 4.2, 87-102. [8] CIA Factbook. (2011). United Arab Emirates. 18 Nov. Web. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-worldfactbook/geos/ae.html

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Spanish-Amerincan War :: history

Spanish-Amerincan War With the assassination of President McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, not quite 43, became the youngest President in the Nation's history. He brought new excitement and power to the Presidency, as he vigorously led Congress and the American public toward progressive reforms and a strong foreign policy. He took the view that the President as a "steward of the people" should take whatever action necessary for the public good unless expressly forbidden by law or the Constitution." I did not usurp power," he wrote, "but I did greatly broaden the use of executive power." Teddy's years as a child were not all gasping for breath. Teddy was a very curious child. He loved to go outside into the woods and watch and study birds and the surrounding wildlife. He liked to record data about the animals, and enjoyed experimenting. When he grew up, he wrote books about nature, and went on trips to the mountains of New York often. Teddy and his father believed Teddy could overcome his sickness. Mr. Roosevelt set up a gym in the Roosevelt's house. Teddy worked out more and more, and after a while began to get stronger. But none of this happened overnight. When Teddy went to Harvard for college, he and a friend published a book called "Summer Birds of The Adirondacks." During college, Teddy also was deeply saddened when his father died on February 9, 1877. On October 27, 1880, Theodore Roosevelt walked down the aisle. He got married to Alice Lee. Theodore also went to Columbia University Law School. He also wrote a book called "The Naval War of 1812." He went to balls and opera's. And was a very busy man. In 1883, Theodore went West for a year. When came back from the trip, a new baby girl was born. Unfortunately, soon after the baby was born, on February 14, in the early morning, Teddy's beloved mother died. If that were not enough, Alice died of Kidney Disease that afternoon. Teddy, still grieving from the loss of Alice and his mother, went to the Dakota Territories for several years. He later said that he wouldn't have been the same if it wasn't for the years he spent in the Dakota Territories." When he got back from the Dakota's he married Edith Carow. In the Spanish-American war in 1898, Theodore was the commander of a cavalry known as "The Rough Riders.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Function of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) :: Politics Political Essays

Function of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Functioning as a Palestinian government, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was founded in 1964 as a political body representing the Palestinians in their efforts to reclaim their country from the Israelis. Originally an umbrella organization of refugee and military groups, it was ultimately joined by professional, labour and student associations and also by some individuals. The purpose of the PLO is to help the Palestinians "to recover their usurped homes" and to replace Israel with a secular Palestinian state. To that end, it has been responsible for commando acts both in Israel and in other countries. The PLO works through three parts: 1.the Executive Committee, a decision-making body 2.the Central Committee, an advisory body 3.the Palestine National Council which is generally viewed as an assembly of the Palestinian people Yasser Arafat has been the head of the PLO since 1968. In 1974 at an Arab summit in Rabat, Morocco, the PLO was recognized as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people". Subsequent to this, Arafat addressed the United Nations where the organization was given official observer status. In 1970 the PLO commandos fought a short but bloody war with the Jordanian army after which they were expelled from that country and settled in Lebanon. Little by little, they became a state within a state, and thus contributed to the disintegration of Lebanon after 1975. The aftermath of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 was to disperse some 12,000 PLO members to Syria and other Arab countries. Those loyal to Arafat made their headquarters in Tunis, where an Israeli bombing raid in 1985 severely damaged their headquarters and other buildings. Palestine is the ancient name of a Middle Eastern country situated on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Its size has varied greatly throughout its history and its exact borders are even now in dispute. Its location at the junction of trade routes linking three continents has meant that it was a melting pot for religious and cultural influences. It has also, unfortunately, been a natural battleground for the region's powerful states and thus subject to domination by them, the first of these being Egypt in the third millennium BC. Function of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) :: Politics Political Essays Function of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Functioning as a Palestinian government, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was founded in 1964 as a political body representing the Palestinians in their efforts to reclaim their country from the Israelis. Originally an umbrella organization of refugee and military groups, it was ultimately joined by professional, labour and student associations and also by some individuals. The purpose of the PLO is to help the Palestinians "to recover their usurped homes" and to replace Israel with a secular Palestinian state. To that end, it has been responsible for commando acts both in Israel and in other countries. The PLO works through three parts: 1.the Executive Committee, a decision-making body 2.the Central Committee, an advisory body 3.the Palestine National Council which is generally viewed as an assembly of the Palestinian people Yasser Arafat has been the head of the PLO since 1968. In 1974 at an Arab summit in Rabat, Morocco, the PLO was recognized as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people". Subsequent to this, Arafat addressed the United Nations where the organization was given official observer status. In 1970 the PLO commandos fought a short but bloody war with the Jordanian army after which they were expelled from that country and settled in Lebanon. Little by little, they became a state within a state, and thus contributed to the disintegration of Lebanon after 1975. The aftermath of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 was to disperse some 12,000 PLO members to Syria and other Arab countries. Those loyal to Arafat made their headquarters in Tunis, where an Israeli bombing raid in 1985 severely damaged their headquarters and other buildings. Palestine is the ancient name of a Middle Eastern country situated on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Its size has varied greatly throughout its history and its exact borders are even now in dispute. Its location at the junction of trade routes linking three continents has meant that it was a melting pot for religious and cultural influences. It has also, unfortunately, been a natural battleground for the region's powerful states and thus subject to domination by them, the first of these being Egypt in the third millennium BC.