Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Organizational Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organizational Analysis - Essay Example Human resource plays a very important role in the development and success of any organization so was the case with Wal-mart. Sam Walton from the start of this business was surrounded by the most creative and hardworking employees. The employees are still working with their complete dedication and interest to achieve the goal of the mission statement. There are many internal and external challenges faced by the Human resource of Wal-mart such as the employee turnover rate, less capable employees in the developing countries, world politics, economics, inflation, exchange rates, etc. However, Wal-mart successfully faced all the hurdles in its way and qualified to be considered the largest retailers chain in the world. But there is always a room for further improvements and achievements and to fill that gap Wal-mart should continuously come up with new and different ideas to remain dominant in the retailer’s world. Organizational Analysis of Wal-mart Today, the customers not only want to buy things that they want but they actually want to enjoy their shopping experience. Now customers want a lot of merchandize available under one roof with the satisfying services and lowest possible prices, friendly and pleasant shopping environment with free parking. Wal-mart promises to give all of this to its customers (Walton, 2012). Wal-mart is a super store which features maximum number of high quality merchandize with comparatively low prices and gives its customers an everlasting shopping experience. It serves more than 200 million customers per week (our story, 2012). It has retail stores, online services and mobile alerts operating in 27 countries under 69 different banners. The first Wal-mart store was open in 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas. Sam Walton’s unparallel devotion to the company and the leadership skills lead the organization to where it is now standing. He was the man behind the success of the unique retail store. He believed in leadership through serv ice and customer satisfaction. The basic idea behind Wal-mart was to serve the customers with low prices and great service. The target market of Wal-mart is that segment of customers who want multiple things such as grocery, electronics, apparel, stationary, decorative, and every other thing under one roof. These customers want a pleasant buying experience and goods services and satisfaction along with low prices. Wal-mart is very successful in fulfilling its customers’ requirements and therefore it has started the online and mobile services as well considering the current market trends and intense competition. The customers who believe in saving and spending good lives are the real customers of Wal-mart. In 1960, the whole idea of retail stores was changes as the Wal-mart step in the world of retailers. By 1967 Wal-mart was able to own 24 stores with $12.7 million sale (history timeline, 2012). Later in 1980’s the first Wal-mart supermarket was opened with general mer chandise. In 1987 the company installed the largest satellite communication system in the United States of America. In 1990’s Wal-mart was marked as the most successful and the biggest retail store. By 2002, Wal-mart was among the 500 ranking of the America’s companies. In 2012, the company has celebrated its 50th anniversary with 2.2 million associates, 200 million customers and 10,000 stores in 27 countries. Mission Statement Wal-mart was made with the mission of

Monday, October 28, 2019

Concentration Camp Sourcework Essay Example for Free

Concentration Camp Sourcework Essay In Source 5 Reitlinger says that more than a hundred thousand people must have known. If this is correct then why did no-one take the blame for it at the end of the war? Or even do anything to help the Jews? How well supported this claim is depends on the other sources. Source two agrees with Reitlingers claim as it says All the same rumours did circulate about dreadful deeds in the East this concurs with had not heard the same story in Reitlingers source. Also in Source 2 it says Because of the Nazis much publicised resettlement plans this again agrees with Jews had disappeared in Reitlingers source. In conclusion Reitlinger is supported, by Source 2, about rumours being spread and that people had seen Jews disappear. Source three is a very neutral source to the credibility of Reitlingers as it says Workers at an extermination centre in Austria were told Keep quiet about this or face the death penalty' this almost contradicts what Reitlinger says about people knowing about the camps. If the workers in the camps were threatened with their lives then would the hardly gossip to neighbours? Also in source three is says that when the crematoria were turned on it caused a power- outage outside Dachau, the people would obviously notice if their power was turned off so this supports Reitlingers claims. Source 6 contains much information and it supports Reitlingers claims as it contains information concerning an SS man declaring on a train that 2000 Jews were being murdered every week at Auschwitz if this SS man was concerned about secrecy would he have said it on a busy train? Source 6 also goes into some detail about the BBC laughing a broadcast campaign on the extermination of the Jews which provided information for any Germans that held a radio and it also says that The leaflets dropped by Allied planes also relayed information on the annihilation policy I think that the German people would have had enough information to confirm the rumours they might have heard. Source 8 contradicts Reitlinger as it says All swore that during the past few years they had no idea what had been going on in the camp outside their town this is important to note as the people themselves are saying they hadnt heart anything. There is a possibility that they could have been lying or faking their knowledge of the situation as evidence shows the general knowledge of people living around the camps. Source 10 supports Reitlinger as the author says The Jews are disappearing in throngs this matches with Source 5s not know most of the Jews had disappeared I would have to conclude that Reitlinger was probably correct in his estimate of German knowledge of the concentration camps as a good portion of the evidence in the sources tells us that it is plausible to estimate figures as grand as a hundred thousand people. I think many of the Germans did in fact know about the camps either by the rumours or by radio or by information pamphlets and therefore it begs the question as to why they didnt do anything to help the suffering Jews. Were they afraid of the strict penalties? Some had put their lives on the line by telling people about the camps why didnt they do anything? The answer to this is that although the people may have known there was nothing that they could have done to stop it completely and therefore could not be really held responsible for not helping.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Essay --

The Boer War has been the focus of a considerable body of fiction numbering over two hundred novels and at least fifty short stories in English, Afrikaans, French, German Dutch, Swedish and even Urdu if we count the translation of Rider Haggard's Jess in 1923. For the social and literary historian it provides over a hundred year record of the relationship between literature and history. The vast majority of novels and short stories about the Anglo-Boer conflict were published around the time of the war and reflect the values and attitudes to British imperialism. Some of the titles published then give a fairly accurate impression of the patriotic fervour which found its way into print: B. Ronan, The Passing of the Boer (1899); E. Ames, The Tremendous Twins, or How the Boers were Beaten (1900); C.D. Haskim, For the Queen in South Africa (1900); F. Russell, The Boer's Blunder (1900); H. Nisbet, For Right and England (1900) and The Empire Makers (1900). Among the more notable literary figures of the day who were closely associated with the events of the Anglo‑Boer conflict were Rudyard Kipling (1865‑1936); Winston Churchill (1874‑1965); H. Rider Haggard (1856‑1925); Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859‑1930); Sir Percy Fitzpatrick (1862‑1931); Edgar Wallace (1875‑1932); and John Buchan (1875‑1940)). Some of the most interesting names associated with satirising the Anglo‑Boer conflict include H.H. Munro (Saki) (Alice in Pall Mall, 1900); G.K. Chesterton (The Napoleon of Nottinghill, 1904), Hilaire Belloc (Mr Clutterbuck's Election, 1908) and Kipling: "Fables for the Staff", published in The Friend in 1900 in which he lampooned the incompetence of the British general staff. Douglas Blackburn's A Burgher Quixote (1903) is one of the most unde... ...any Boers from the Cape, and later the two republics, who joined the National Scouts and fought for the British, but there were many Cape Boers who joined the commandos. This aspect of the war produced some of its finest responses in fiction, for example Herman Charles Bosman's short stories "The Traitor's Wife" and "The Affair at Ysterspruit", and Louis C. Leipoldt's novel Stormwrack (1980). The question of divided loyalties is a large issue in Boer War fiction. Nor did the conflict end with the war. As late as 1980 a successful Australian film Breaker Morant was based on Kenneth Ross's play and Kit Denton's novel The Breaker (1973). The Boer War has continued to be a popular subject for escapist fiction. Whereas the writers at the height of the Empire were overwhelmingly British, with the decline of imperialism the field is now dominated by South African writers

Thursday, October 24, 2019

The Hound of the Baskervilles Essay -- English Literature

The Hound of the Baskervilles At the start of the story the setting is described through the legend of Sir Hugo Baskerville. Sir Hugo is described in the legend as a â€Å"wild, profane and godless man† This suggests that his inhumanity and â€Å"evil† make him a potentially viable enemy who will stop at nothing. It is Sir Hugo that sets the tone for the setting. Sir Hugo uses his power and Baskerville Hall as a prison for the young girl. She manages to escape by â€Å"the aid of the growth of ivy which covered the south wall.† The ivy indicated the age and wildness of the hall and its setting. The â€Å"moon† is â€Å"shining bright† and the act â€Å"which was liked to be done† on the moor adds to the sense of danger and isolation that we, as readers, encounter at the start of this tale. As grown men leave the impression of â€Å"screaming† and fear being associated with the moor, we are going to be given one final warning, â€Å"caution you to forbear from crossing the moor in those dark hours when the powers of evil are exalted† which tells us that this setting is both dangerous and a potential trap for those who dare to live there. We also learn about the death of Sir Charles. â€Å"The day had been wet† and the wild, untamed environment sets the tone perfectly for a mysterious death such as this. We are told that â€Å"there is a gate which leads out onto the moor.† This gate is like a barrier between the moor and Baskerville Hall that separates good from evil, and if anyone were to cross this barrier then anything could happen to them â€Å"Sir Charles lay on his face, his arms out, his fingers dug into the ground, and his features convulsed.† This creates a sense of isolation as it seems as if the only safe place on the entire moor is Baskerville H... ... find out who the man on the tor was. Watson says that â€Å"there was this feeling of an unseen force† out upon the moor, and because he is supposed to be acting as Sherlock’s eyes and ears, he is compelled to find out who or what this â€Å"unseen force† is. Watson goes up onto the tor which he describes as a â€Å"barren scene† and there he feels a â€Å"sense of loneliness and mystery and urgency.† Watson feels as if â€Å"the unknown might be lurking there,† and when Sherlock is discovered he reveals that the â€Å"figure of a man upon the tor† that Watson had seen upon the night of the convict hunt had indeed been Sherlock, when he admits â€Å"I was so imprudent as to allow the moon to rise behind me.† Because the unknown figure turns out to be Sherlock the mystery of the Barrymore at the window remains unsolved and the moor is still a place full of secrets and unanswered questions.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Foreign Policy 1776-1807 Dbq

During the Washington, Adams, and the Jefferson administrations, the United States was thrust into the decision of joining either Britain or France, the two most powerful European nations. In determining the effects of foreign policy on the developing nation, one must establish the overall direction of the United States took. As a budding nation, George Washington proposed the idea of neutrality in order for the country to have no involvement in European affairs. However, Federalists and Democratic Republicans were outraged by this decision since the Federalists supported the British while the Democratic Republicans supported the French. Neutrality also allowed the United States to temporarily smooth its relations with Europe because of commercial interest. Therefore, neutrality, instead of siding with either Britain or France or through their commercial interests, was the obvious direction taken by foreign policy. After witnessing and being involved in uncontrollable European affairs, the growing nation of the United States concluded that an international policy of neutrality would be the best option in the area of foreign affairs. During his presidency, Washington decided that it was best for America to stay neutral. As stated in his Proclamation of Neutrality that any American providing assistance to any country at war would be punished with legal proceedings (D). He was aware of the possible dangers that would occur when allying with a certain country. The country was too new to enter any wars or deal with wars of foreign countries. â€Å"Europe has a set of primary interests†¦Hence she must be engaged in frequent controversies, the causes of which are essentially foreign to our concerns† (J). Even in his farewell address, Washington advised the fledgling nation to not get involved in European affairs or make permanent alliances, to avoid sectionalism, and to not form political parties. After Washington resigned from office, John Adams tried to maintain the position of neutrality as the second president of the United States. He did as much as he could in avoiding war with France. Even before his presidency, in response to a proposed alliance with France, he argued that â€Å"†¦we ought not to enter into any Alliance with her [France], which should entangle Us in any future wars in Europe, that We ought to lay it down as a first principle and a Maxim never to be forgotten, to maintain an entire Neutrality in all future European Wars† (A). However, after the XYZ Affair, in which French agents demanded a large bribe for the restoration of diplomatic relations with the United States, a Quasi War erupted between France and America. The Convention of 1800, also known as the Treaty of Mortefontaine, was a treaty between the United States and France to settle the hostilities that erupted during that war (I). When Thomas Jefferson became president, it was a peaceful transition from Federalist to Democratic Republican. Despite the differences between these political parties, Jefferson also tried to maintain Washington’s idea of neutrality. In his Inaugural Address in 1801, he states â€Å"We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists† and that there would be â€Å"Equal and exact justice to all men, friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (K). Even as a last resort to the Louisiana Purchase, he told Monroe to make an alliance with Great Britain if the Louisiana Purchase did not work out. In all three of their presidencies, Washington, Adams, and Jefferson decided that it was best for the new nation to enter a state of neutrality. Despite its neutrality and unwillingness to enter war with the European nations, the United States were being forced to side with either Great Britain or France, Europe’s most powerful nations. During Washington’s presidency, the revolutionary government of France sent diplomat Edmond-Charles Genet, also known as Citizen Genet, to America to propagandize the case for France in the French war against Great Britain, which created the network of Democratic Republicans. Washington demanded the French government recall Genet, and denounced the societies. The United States were in a conflict with Britain, as the British were seizing American ships and impressing sailors. Hamilton and Washington designed the Jay’s Treaty to normalize trade relations with Britain, remove them from western forts, and resolve financial debts left over from the Revolution (F). John Jay negotiated and signed the treaty in 1794. However, many disputes rose from this decision. James Madison criticized that the treaty stated to open West India ports to the United States, yet Britain refused to follow these regulations (G). During Adam’s presidency, the XYZ Affair, which was supposed to have been the negotiation between America and France on the seizure of American ships, threw the United States into a Quasi War with the French. In the aftermath of the undeclared naval war with France, the Alien and Sedition Acts were passed, which allowed the president to deport hostile aliens, increased residency requirements for citizenship, and banned criticism of government policies or officials. After the United States’ conflict with France, Jefferson, a Democratic Republican, considered the possibility of an alliance with Britain. While Britain and France were both seizing American ships, Britain had the strongest navy and was thus able to force the American sailors into its navy (M). Jefferson believed that this conflict would cease if the United States agreed to establish an alliance with Britain. Torn between the conflict of siding with either France or Britain, the United States agreed to remain neutral. Although neutrality in the new nation was favored, there was a possibility of joining either Britain or France depending on which one was more financially beneficial. After Jay’s Treaty, which was signed with Great Britain during Washington’s presidency, Spain did not want the United States to side with the British and wanted to smooth its relations with the fledgling country. Pinckney’s Treaty, signed on October 27, 1795, established the intentions of friendship between the United States and Spain. The treaty also granted the States use of the Mississippi and right of deposit at New Orleans (H). In the Treaty of Paris in 1783, â€Å"It is agreed that the people of the United States shall continue to enjoy unmolested the right to take fish of every kind on the Grand Bank†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and that â€Å"The navigation of the river Mississippi, from its source to the ocean, shall forever remain free and open to the subjects of Great Britain and the citizens of the United States† (E). Thomas Paine stated that commerce would secure the friendship with Europe because Europe wants America to have a free port (B). Jefferson, fearing the power of the neighboring French in the Louisiana Territory, sent Monroe to Paris to negotiate the purchase in 1802. Their interest was only in the port and its environs. They did not anticipate the much larger transfer of territory that would follow. The purchase greatly benefited the United States because it granted them access to the entire Mississippi River. Also, as a result of impressments of American sailors, Jefferson established the Embargo Act of 1807, also known as the Nonintercourse Acts, restricting American ships from engaging in foreign trade between the years 1807 to 1812. Jefferson believed that without trade with the United States, Britain and France would fall into an economic crisis. However, the Europeans nations did not bother with America and traded with other countries, causing the new nation’s economy to fall. This outraged the general public, and when Jefferson left office, these acts were repealed. Commercial interest helped the United States to choose between siding with either of the European nations or remaining neutral. Throughout the Washington, Adams, and Jefferson administrations, Britain and France tried to force the United States into allying with either of the two nations. Although it was tough to maintain, neutrality was established in the country by Washington. The decision brought various problems for the budding nation, but it still stayed strong.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

New England Puritans essays

New England Puritans essays The Puritans came to America to fulfill many of their Socio-cultural and political aspirations. Their main goal was to purify all the religions. Massachusetts, the town were the Puritans settled, was known as the city upon a hill for the rest of the world to see as an example. Many of their aspirations were fulfilled in many ways, even though they had to go to extremes to accomplish them. One of the first steps that the Puritans took to cleansing people so that they would be acceptable to God was to educate. By educating people, they could read and study the bible. Puritan towns had many schools as soon as 5 years after they were founded. Not only were they focused on the citizens education but the clergy as well. A continuing goal was to further education among the clergy, and so ensure that not only were the right and righteous ideas and understandings being held and expressed, but that the expressions were in fact messages received by a comprehending audience. Out of this goal came many colleges which young men attended to become a priest, including the oldest college in America, Harvard. The puritans werent interested in helping everyone, only those who were ordained by god. This caused many controversies because some who were ordained by god thought that since god had chosen them to be sent to heaven, they could do whatever they wanted and their souls wou ld find heaven. Not only were they concerned only the ordained ones, but these ordained ones had to be perfect in Gods eyes. They believed that the community had to be perfect by the words of the bible; otherwise God would not resurrect them up to heaven. If people were not following the word of god, the Puritans would expel many people or even kill them. One example of them killing for god was the Salem witch trials. There was a group of kids going around pretending to be possessed and accusing whoever t...

Monday, October 21, 2019

5 Steps in a Full College Book Review Dig into the Work at Hand

5 Steps in a Full College Book Review Dig into the Work at Hand 5 Steps in a Full College Book Review: Dig into the Work at Hand Most college students find writing book reviews rather difficult than enjoyable. It is supposed to be a thorough description, critical analysis, and evaluation of a book. Students can confuse a book review with a book report or book summary. A book review is not a narration but rather a critical analysis. Book reviews mostly focus on the themes, ideas, relevance, and limitations citing evidence from the book. In general, a college book review should present a clear and detail oriented evaluation of the quality of the book. On average, a book review should be approximately 500-1000 words. However, the word count might differ depending on the complexity and length of the book. How to Write a College Book Review Though different book reviews may vary, when it comes to a tone, style, subject and length they all have the same format. So, the steps that you should take while writing a college book review corresponds to the parts you need to work on. Read and understand a book. After you get the task to write a book review, the first step you’re recommended to follow is to read and understand the book. No additional resources can reveal totally the book content. Understand all the themes in the book and the message the author intended to communicate to the audience. Without taking this step, there is no sense to pass on. Introduce the book and its author to readers. As you understand this part is supposed to be an introduction that includes all the relevant details about the author and his or her book you’re going to analyse the name of the author, the book title and the major theme. Besides, you can add the book edition, the place of publication if this information is mentioned in the book. Give the basic information about a book. This part is called a summary in which you should focus only on the key issues in the book. There is no room for narrating the whole story. In fact, this section should not be more than 200 words. Carry out a critical evaluation. This section is considered to be a main one which is mostly targeted by examiners. Your task is to evaluate and analyze based on the author’s perspective as well as your understanding citing evidence from the book. You are free to critique or even state the limitations of the book if any. Conclude your reading. The conclusion largely depends on the evidence you have presented in the main section. It is also important to note that no new evidence can be presented in the final paragraph. Answer the question if you would recommend the book to others by underpinning your statement. With this practical guideline, writing a book review should be like a walk in the park. And each step will surely bring pleasure to you if only you follow them correctly without skipping. In   case you doubt in writing any part of a book review, you always can be supported by our quick professional help in writing. Our academic writers are ready to deal with a custom book review as required by your instructor. Start meeting academic requirements together with our expert team.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Banking Risk Management

Banking Risk Management Credit Risk Models The Black-Scholes-Merton Model There are various credit risk models, which have been proposed by researchers in order to reduce the risks associated with future transactions. One of these models is the BSM framework structured models. This model was proposed by Merton in 1974. He derived the value of an option from a company, which could default loan repayment (Merton, 1974).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Banking Risk Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Black-Scholes-Merton model assumes that there is a latent firm asset value, which is determined by the company’s future cash flows. This model is used to determine the firm’s debt and equity value. This model includes components, such as risk free interest rates, asset payment ratio, and asset risk premium. Merton (1974) argues that the asset return rate and the risk free interest rates are the constants which are non-sto chastic. The model also assumes that the company’s capital structure relates to a pure equity and a single zero coupon debt, which matures within a given time. Incase of a default experienced by a company, the stock price of the defaulting firm is expected to go to zero. According to this model, the debtor is assumed to be a seller in the European put option. On the other hand, the equity holder is assumed to be a buyer of European call option (Merton, 1974). The model uses the Black –Scholes option pricing in order to determine the relationship between the equity market value and the bond market value. Shibita and Yamada (2009) proposed the BSM structural model to a bank, which was just this side of bankruptcy. This helped the bank in its recovery processes. According to Shibata and Yamada (2009), the banks choice to continue operating or be liquidated plays a vital role on the losses of the loan. They assumed that this decision should be made severally at a certain t ime after the bankruptcy. Individual-level reduced-form models This refers to the models which are not of the class of structural models. At the individual level, a reduced form model can also be described as the credit scoring one. This model was developed by Altman (1968). The credit scoring model uses linear and binomial models to regress the defaults among companies.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It identifies various accounting components, which have statistical explanatory capability, in order to differentiate between the defaulting and non defaulting firms. After estimating the coefficients of the model, the loan applicants are given a Z-score in order to classify them as good or bad. Several decades after its proposal, the credit scoring model got a significant development. Altaman and Saunders (1998) discussed the wide spread of the individual level mode l and its major developments over the years. Altman and Narayanan (1997) evaluated the historical accounting variables used in the credit scoring models across the world. According to them, most of the studies proposed the use of financial ratios, which determine profitability, and liquidity. These financial ratios may include market value equity/debt, (EBIT)/sales as well as working capital/debt. Altman (2005) proposed a scoring system known as Emerging Market Score Model to use to define the emerging corporate bonds. Portfolio reduced form models These models were proposed by Jarrow and Turnbull (1992). According to them, the idea of these models is related to the concept of risk neutral. Risk neutral is a common technique used to predict the probability of the future cash flow. It helps in computing the asset prices by using risk neutral default probabilities. Jarrow and Turnbull (1992) used the idea of risk neutral to develop the credit risk premium which is also known as the cr edit spread. They decomposed the credit risk premium into two components. Poisson /Cox process model This is a subclass of the portfolio reduced form models. It was developed by Jarrow and Turnbull (1995), and it can be described as the simplest model of the portfolio reduced form model. In this approach, the default process is assumed to be a Poisson process with a constant intensity where the default time is exponentially distributed. Markov chain model This is a credit risk model, which was originally proposed by Jarrow et al. (1997). This model considers the default event as the absorbing state and the default period as the first period when the Markov chain hits the absorbing state.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Banking Risk Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Factor model This is a credit risk model, which puts into consideration two vectors of explanation variables. The first vector is a set of macr o economic variables, such as interest rate, inflation rate, money supply growth as well as GDP growth. This vector explains the systematic risk, which causes default events. The second vector involves a set of firm-specific variables, which determine individual risk. According to Pederzoli and Torricelli (2005), the variables are considered simultaneously. Conclusion The credit risk models have various shortcomings. For instance, the BSM framework structural model consists of several simplified assumption in its derivation. The simplified assumptions restrict the applied value of the model. This has made the subsequent researchers focus on reducing these assumptions. The individual level reduced form models may not pick up fast moving developments in borrowers conditions. This is because the model uses explanatory variables, which are based on accounting data. According to Agarwal and Taffler’s (2008), credit scoring models, such as Altman’s Z-score, may not be used t o forecast distress as compared to the structural models. References Altman, E 2005, An emerging market credit scoring system for corporate bonds,  Journal of Emerging Markets Review, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 311-323. Altman, E, Saunders, A 1998, Credit risk measurement: Developments over the last 20 years, Journal of Banking and Finance, vol. 21, pp. 1721-1742. Gordy, MB, 2000, A comparative anatomy of credit risk models, Journal of Banking  and Finance, pp.119-149.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Jarrow, R, Turnbull, S 1997 A Markov model for the term structure of credit risk spreads, Review of Financial Studies, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 481–523. Merton, C 1974. On the pricing of corporate debt: The risk structure of interest rates.  The Journal of Finance, vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 449–470. Saunders, A Allen, L 2002, Credit risk measurement: New Approaches to Value at  Risk and Other Paradigms. John Wiley Sons, New York.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Plan of Action Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Plan of Action - Term Paper Example Maria has misunderstood things here. She has put the blame upon the company on a totally different tangent altogether. There is no reason why she should be blaming the company for her poor communication skills and traits that she has been displaying over a period of time. She believes that she is being maltreated as there is a bias within the company but this is not something that has been pondered upon deeply by the people who are sitting within the helm of affairs in the company. Maria must know that any company within the business world exists to satisfy not only the customers but its internal publics as well, which comprise of its own employees who are the most prized possessions that these companies can ever have. When Maria says that the company is treating her in a shabby way, it is the bias which is reflected in her understanding and not the way in which work gets done within the domains of the organization in the long run (Kim 2002). What the company has to do in such a sett ing is to make Maria realize that she is in the wrong, and that she shall have to be treated fairly no matter what happens. However at the present, Maria has become disgruntled because she believes that she is being hard done by due to her color and Latin ancestry. The scenario could be avoided if the company took a more proactive approach and told Maria where she was lacking before announcing the promotions for the employees. This could have made the entire effort look genuine and there would not have been any resentment whatsoever.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Role as a Mentor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Role as a Mentor - Essay Example Mentoring is a concept and practice that is associated with providing professional learning in health care. This practice has changed since 1970 significantly and was officially implemented in nursing in 1980. There are different tittles that are used in connection with the role of mentoring. Role of Mentors Mentoring activities are aimed at providing safe and effective skills for students in health care practice. It helps professionals provide informed guidance to students while they are in a practical situation (Martin and Mackinnon, 2007, 41). Mentors should have the knowledge and skills to hold up learners and offer secure surroundings for learning. There are roles within mentorship that overlap, even though there are distinctions between these roles. When these roles change, a clear distinction between mentoring and coaching is established. The term ‘mentor’ has changed to signify a person who guides individuals during their developmental years to progress and achieve their identity (Martin and Mackinnon, 2007, 41). The term is implemented in nursing education for students to achieve safe and effective clinical skills during their practice. The role of a mentor is to support learning in the practice situation. There are overlapping roles of a mentor; thus, he is expected to show certain characteristics during a practical situation. There are different roles of a mentor and a lecturer in that a mentor focuses on individual students in practice while a lecturer focuses on learning environment. In nursing practice, the word ‘mentor’ is defined as a midwifery or health visitor who supervises students in clinic situations. Mentors also help in facilitating learning in clinical settings. Mentors have different roles that include nurturing, role modeling, functioning, and sustaining a caring relations hip over time. Mentors should have good communication skills for them to understand the principles of adult education. The role of mentors is widely utilized, and it may appear as an obvious aspect offered to learners. Students need mentors to ensure they have safe practices. Mentors also ensure that students acquire competence in their fields of learning. In nursing and health profession mentors guide, support and act as role models to their students. It is the responsibility of a mentor to structure a working environment for learning, hence facilitating constructive and honest feedback. A mentor ought to be friendly and encourage the students while they are in a learning situation. Students who have been on placement can take advantage of mentoring by applying for that post after qualification. Mentorship enables students to attain competent practice as long as it is established on a supportive basis. It is suggested that people might benefit from having a mentor in their lives. B oth parties select this role, and the mentor can be a parent, friend, or a senior peer. Students select mentors for guidance and counseling. However, mentors identify different reasons for mentoring roles. Research has identified different roles for mentors such as guidance and counseling. Aspects for Change The mentoring process combines various factors that are effective and essential for learning. Mentors need to create an environment for learning and display leadership skills for students to emulate. The mentoring process should emphasize assessment and accountability. Establishing an effective learning environment is significant because it contributes to sufficient clinical experience. This relationship assists the mentor and students in

Religion is the Cause of War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Religion is the Cause of War - Essay Example Basic human nature has proven over the course of the past centuries that humans ultimately seek to be defined based upon what they are, what they are not, and how they view themselves as well is how others view them. Many times this level of distinction was defined on terms of geographical origin, ethnicity, race, gender, language, or another means of separating and defining people (Eberle, 2012). However, arguably one of the most important means by which individuals from a variety of different locations, races, languages, and/or ethnicities can be divided is with regards to the division that religion so often provides. More powerful than the determinants which have already been listed, religion divides people based upon a nebulous belief system. Due to the fact that personal belief is almost invariably tied to worldview in the way that the individual perceives their surroundings and the reality in which they live, the reader can come to a basic understanding and realization for why such a multitude of many different religions, schisms, and splinter groups exist within the current paradigm. Accordingly, rather than stating that religion is the root cause of all global conflict, it will be the understanding that this analysis will point towards and defined that religion is one of the primal motivators for both current and past conflict. Due to the powerful way in which religion unites a wide variety of individuals from different walks of life, races, ethnicities, languages, and geographical origin, it represents one of the more dangerous aspects of the means by which individuals to find themselves and â€Å"the other†. One does not need to look very hard in order to identify some of the ways in which religion of the past has helps to motivate individuals to commit heinous atrocities. For instance, even a cursory review of tissue of the Abrahamic faiths, Judaism and Islam, illustrates a number of instances recorded in their respective holy books in which t he followers of these religions were encouraged to commit unspeakable atrocities upon heathens/nonbelievers/infidels or any other such group that their supposed deity commanded that they destroy. Although opponents to such an understanding of religion would merely point to the fact that this occurred many thousands of years ago and cannot be understood as representative of current faith and the means by which war is waged, one need look no further than the situations around the globe represented within the following: the Bosnia conflict, the war in East Timor, the war ensued on, repression of minority religious groups in countries as diverse as Iran, Egypt, Mali, Burma, India, Armenia, as well as a host of others (Eberle, 2012). Ultimately, although religion can be a powerful force for good in the world, the fact of the matter is that it all too often is hijacked as a means of differentiating one people group from another, encouraging one form of strife directed at another, or merel y making one group or entity feel somehow superior to another (Henne, 2012). In such a way, religion can be seen as the ultimate division whereby elements of classism, racism, and a host of other judgments are included as a means of defining who is ultimately worthy of life and who is not. In such a way, it can easily be understood by the reader why religion has a powerful role in encouraging violence towards other groups and/or nations that can somehow be dehumanized by a given belief system. This has of course happened far to many times within the past as religion has been used, and still is used as a motivator to create something of a faceless enemy which can more readily be destroyed without questions of conscience.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Internal controls Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Internal controls - Case Study Example b) I would bribe the salesperson to make an invoice which is much less than the original amount and later share the profit with this employee. Later, I can also return some items and claim a much higher amount than the actual value of the items. This would help us double charge the company and defraud a much higher amount from Richard’s Furniture Company. Also the assistant manager and manager can defraud the company by manipulating the sales records by joining hands and prepare understated sales report and keep some cash with them. c) The company works on the double checking principle. The records are checked thrice. Another important strength of the company is that invoices makers and the cashier are different people. Data Entry Accountants sit in the head office and cashier and accountants have no link. This leads to transparency. The company also has assistant manager and manager to review the entire process. Bank reconciliation is also used to make sure that frauds are minimized. Since cashier and invoice makers are different people, they can be held accountable. There is a trace for the company to find out who made the mistake. A wrong invoice is the mistake of the sales person and if cash collection is less than it is the fault of the cashier. Similarly, cashier and sales persons cannot defraud the company without the support of the customer because they cannot manipulate the books as accountants sit in the head office and they have no say whatsoever in the daily operations of the business. All of this h elps the company to attribute the fraud to the fraudsters and to make sure that the strong control is levied by having independent people for accounting, cash collection and invoice making. This would keep a check on all people and chances of frauds would be minimized. d) The company can minimize the customer risk

Business strategies of Zara Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Business strategies of Zara - Essay Example This research will begin with the PESTEL analysis of Zara. PESTEL is a tool which helps in analyzing the external environment for the company. This tool divides the macro environment into six factors which are Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal. The PESTEL tool will be utilized to assess the impact of these external factors on the apparel industry in Spain. Among several measures, the Spanish government has increased the corporate tax rate from 24 percent to 24.75 per cent including royalty payments. The increase in tax rates would be effective from 01 January 2012. The increase in tax rates has also been imposed on multinational corporations investing in Spain. The increase in corporate tax rate has led to an increase in the prices of garments and affected the apparel industry of Spain. The current economic situation of the economy is very weak and the average GDP growth of the economy has been very slow since 2007. The GDP growth of Spain was 3.7 p ercent in the year 2009 and 0.2 percent in the year 2010. There has been a major decrease in consumer spending and employment. However, the apparel industry of Spain has been recovering steadily amidst the recession. The export value of garment increased from $68,120 in the year 2009 to $88,821 in the year 2010. As estimated by the analyst the rise in consumer spending on textiles and food would increase by the end of the year 2013. Social As per a survey conducted by Fashion United, a resident of European Union spent 5.3 percent of their salary on clothing and footwear (Fashion United, 2013). This reflects that fashion plays an integral part in the lives of Europeans. Europeans like wearing fashionable clothes and footwear as it enhances their personality. The apparel industry manages to yield profits even amidst a slow economy. Technological Technology plays a pivotal role in the fashion industry. Information Technology has helped the fashion companies of Europe in improving the supply chain management. Majority of the fashion companies use their official website as a medium to communicate and provide information to their customers. European fashion companies use their website extensively as an important communication tool. Technology like Location Based Mobile Technology permits the retailers to track and communicate with their customers (Wang et. al., n.d.). Environmental Most of the European companies have introduced their own environment policies which believe in the conservation of environment and preventing environment degradation. Fashion companies in Europe have introduced their own environmental policies which include usage of ecological fabrics and biodegradable materials in the manufacturing of clothes and footwear. Legal Plagiarism is a huge offence in the fashion industry (Jones, 2005). As per the intellectual property act the company can obtain ownership rights for its work to prevent plagiarism (Canberra Institute of Technology, 2011). In the year 2007, John Galliano was found guilty by the court of France for plagiarism for copying the design of Willam Klein (Daily Mail, 2007). The retail companies found guilty of plagiarism will be tried in the court of their respective countries. Porter’s Five Forces Model Before developing a business strategy, a company needs to identify the forces which affect the profitability of an industry (Henry, 2008). The five forces are as follows 1) Threat of new entrants: If a particular industry is witnessing high profit then it would naturally attract new entrants. A lot of time and cost is invested by the

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Internal controls Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Internal controls - Case Study Example b) I would bribe the salesperson to make an invoice which is much less than the original amount and later share the profit with this employee. Later, I can also return some items and claim a much higher amount than the actual value of the items. This would help us double charge the company and defraud a much higher amount from Richard’s Furniture Company. Also the assistant manager and manager can defraud the company by manipulating the sales records by joining hands and prepare understated sales report and keep some cash with them. c) The company works on the double checking principle. The records are checked thrice. Another important strength of the company is that invoices makers and the cashier are different people. Data Entry Accountants sit in the head office and cashier and accountants have no link. This leads to transparency. The company also has assistant manager and manager to review the entire process. Bank reconciliation is also used to make sure that frauds are minimized. Since cashier and invoice makers are different people, they can be held accountable. There is a trace for the company to find out who made the mistake. A wrong invoice is the mistake of the sales person and if cash collection is less than it is the fault of the cashier. Similarly, cashier and sales persons cannot defraud the company without the support of the customer because they cannot manipulate the books as accountants sit in the head office and they have no say whatsoever in the daily operations of the business. All of this h elps the company to attribute the fraud to the fraudsters and to make sure that the strong control is levied by having independent people for accounting, cash collection and invoice making. This would keep a check on all people and chances of frauds would be minimized. d) The company can minimize the customer risk

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Investigative Lab Proposal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Investigative Lab Proposal - Assignment Example eshwater that has a pH of 6.0–8.0, a 5.0–19.0 dGH water hardness and 4 to 41 Â °C temperature range Despite they they may not survive long enough at higher temperatures. Infact, they are taken to be not suited to living in a tropical fish tank that is heated, as they are employed to the greater oxygen amount in unheated tanks as well heat can burn them. (Copp and Sayer, 2010) Materials: Infrared gas analyzer, Fish tank with a heater, three gold fish, thermometer and two hot water bags. For this experiment, Gold fish 1 will be placed directly into the fish Tank with temperature near to 40c . Gold fish 2 will be placed in fish tank with room temperature. Gold fish 3 will be placed in fish tank with a temperature near to 4o0c.The temperature recording will be done through placing the thermometer in the fish tank. The machine will be expected to match after every five minutes. Alteration will be done at different points. The experiment will be carried out to ascertain if temperature has a significant effect on respiration rates of the Gold fish. It is based on the fact that there is kinetic energy alteration of enzymes involved in respiration with change in temperature thus its rate of reaction can either be faster or slower Copp GH, Sayer CD (2010) Norfolk Biodiversity Action Plan – Local species action plan for crucian carp ( Carassius carassius). Norfolk Biodiversity Partnership Reference:LS/3. Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft, 9

Islam and Christian Traditions Essay Example for Free

Islam and Christian Traditions Essay Christianity and Islam see recurring themes in beliefs and practices. They share stories from past prophets that declare they know the word of God. God tells prophets about a time before earth and gives them knowledge to spread to man. Life holds sanctity that is not for man to wander and do as their physical bodies might allow. Both Islam and Christian traditions make examples and tell the history of how God desires man to live. There are foretellings of vast destruction when man lives among evils and sin. Muslims say that, like God, Allah will see and end of man and will only accept the faithful into paradise. Traditions of Christianity and Islam can relate to each other by commemorating a higher power as known as God. The higher power in Christianity is known as God, while the higher power in Islamic traditions is known as Allah. In Islamic traditions, Allah shouldnt be confused with the God known in Christianity because the word Allah is translated as the God in Arabic. Christian and Islamic traditions have cosmogony, eschatology, afterlife, moral codes, and duties that serve the purpose in their existence. Both Islamic and Christian traditions will see some similarities and recurring prophecies that exist in their practices. Christian traditions and cosmogony can be found in the Bible. The Bible is many stories that contains passages from prophets of God and is compiled of several books. The book of genesis describes how God created the universe. He made light, darkness, heaven, earth, fruits and vegetables. On the fifth and sixth day of the week to create the universe and earth, God made beasts and made man that resembles the appearance of God. Genesis 1:29 said to man, I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food (BibleGateway, 2011). God warns Adam and Eve, the first of all mankind, that there is forbidden fruit that cannot be touched. Genesis 3:3 says, But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die (King James Bible Online, 2013). When Adam and Eve consumed the forbidden fruit despite Gods warning, Adam and Eve were cursed by God to multiply the earth. Eve, the first woman, was created by God to provide Adam, the first of all man, companionship. It was in her mistake that Adam fell under temptation to then be commanded by God to take power of beasts and man to begin the teachings of God on earth. Prophets of God taught man to obey commandments in order to be prepared for the end of the world. Prophets, pastors, preachers, or bishops in Christian sects will preach the gospel of the Bible that predict when Christ will return to earth and reach final days before heaven. Most interpretations of the Bible explain how there is good and evil; Evil will cause suffering for mankind. Christians believe that Christ will return and save those who are faithful to God when there is a final judgment of man. Matthew 24:14 reads, And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come (Christian Bible Reference, n.d.). Evil will be taught through deception, so God will need true believers. There will be a place in heaven for Christians to live with God after their trial on earth. Man will be accepted into heaven if he upholds morals and duties that Christians are taught. Many Christians believe that heaven is a place on earth. The book of Luke (21:32-33) reads, Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away, till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away (King James Bible Online, n.d.). In heaven there will once be so much evil that the wicked will overpower the good through violent wars. Like earth, God will create a new heaven for the blessed people. Heaven will be free from evil for many years until its end of days only through destruction and misery upon its holy place. In heaven killing is much of a sin as earth. God commands man not to sin such as killing, adultery, worshiping idols, and stealing among other things. If man upholds these morals and duties, he will be accepted to heaven when salvation comes. Traditions in Islam are similar religious practices that are commemorated through the Quran and are told how the earth and man were created. Like Christians, Muslims believe that Allah, or the God, created a heaven, a world, and the universe with all materials in it that are living or not. The book of Surat Al-Baqarah (2:29), in the Quran, reads, It is he who created for you all of that which is on the earth. Then he directed himself to the heaven, (his being above all creation), and made them seven heavens, and he is knowing of all things (Quran, n.d.). Islamic traditions began when the prophet Muhammad spoke with Allah. Allah told Muhammad of the creation of the first man on earth, who is known as Adam, who had a female companion. Allah also told Muhammad how Adam ate the forbidden fruit when he was restricted not to do so. Muslims eschatology tells how there will be an evil presence who will be violent and cause destruction. There is also an afterlife of heaven and hell as Christians believe. Although the evil are wicked, they too will be brought to heaven and see a final judgment from Allah. And as for those who disbelieves, I will punish them with a severe punishment in this world and the hereafter, and they will have no helpers (Quran, n.d.). Islamic traditions say how there will be an end of time. There will be warnings from Allah on earth. An antichrist will appear before the last day who will be cruel to man. Followers of the antichrist and the unbelievers of Allah may never reach heaven. Heaven will be a paradise that the Quran describes, No empty talk will they hear there, nor any call to sin, but only the tiding of inner soundness and peace (Religious Tolerance, 2005). Morals and duties are important to Muslims in order to avoid sin and reach heaven. Allah tells prophets of his commandments so that man will be holy and plentiful. The ones who break the covenant of Allah even after its (binding) compact and cut (off) what Allah has commanded to be held together and corrupt in the earth, those are they (who are) the losers (Quran, n.d.). Allah tells man not to steal, murder, disobey parents, covet, or commit adultery among other things. When man disobeys Allah, they are expected to know sin from righteousness and should repent for forgiveness. ..Except for those who repent after that and correct themselves. For indeed, Allah is forgiving and merciful (Quran, n.d.). The man who doesnt repent may be a sinner for life and will be questioned on judgment day. The Islam and Christian traditions both believe in a God that share similar interests for mankind. God and Allah teach man how they can return to heaven after their days on earth after Adam and Eves tribulations. Prophets will spread the knowledge to man from God as a lesson not to fail under certain temptations and have faith in God to live in paradise with him one day. After time, the rise of evil is bound to cause awfulness when man turns to disobedience and non believing even during a salvation. Heaven will be free from sin and man can live in a peaceful place until it is once again ruined by tribulations. God will continue to confide with man in order for glory to persevere.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Gender Differences in Personality

Gender Differences in Personality With relevant theory and research evidence, critically discuss the view that there are gender differences in personality One’s sex, or biological reproductive chances, can be seen as a discrete component to one’s gender, or their psychological perception of themselves used for identification (Phares, 1991). These perceptions of gender differences can be extremely influential from an early age, as seen in Rubin, Provenzano and Luria (1974) study examining the gender-role stereotype labels parents place on their children from a young age. Girls were described as ‘cute’ or ‘sweet’ whereas boys were described as ‘stronger’, both gender specific traits, even though the babies were almost identical in weight, height and activity. Gender differences can be predominantly seen in personality and have been apparent since ancient civilizations. Monuments would depict essentially feminine or masculine characteristics, females were originally viewed as ‘incomplete’ or imperfect males, and these ideologies persisted for years with reinforcement from p hilosophers such as Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas (Friedman Schustack, 2009). Personality, defined by Holt (2012), is the ‘distinct and enduring way in which we perceive and behave in life situations’. The view of differences in personality gender traits can confirm the defined enduring nature, with the female assuming an expressive role, directed towards nurturing and caring tendencies. The male takes on an instrumental role, exerting dominance and competitiveness (Parsons, 1955). However, it is reasonable to question and explore how these gender differences can be measured, the theories behind them and whether female and male traits can really be distinguished into two separate categories in today’s society. The Five Factor Model (McCrae and Costa, 2003) is a trait approach that has attempted to identify and measure gender personality traits. They distinguish women as scoring higher in neuroticism and agreeableness, whereas men scored higher on some aspects of openness and extraversion, such as openness to ideas and excitement seeking. However neither gender scored significantly on conscientiousness (Chapman, Duberstein, SÃ ¶rensen Lyness, 2007). Other trait approaches have endeavoured to classify masculine and feminine traits as multi-dimensional and overlapping. For example the Bem Sex Role Inventory classifies individuals to feminine, masculine, undifferentiated and androgynous (expressing both female and male traits) categories (Bem, 1974). Sexual behaviour and emotion has also been studied to a great extent to help further differentiate between gender differences in personality. Schmitt, Shackelford and Buss (2001) stated that men prefer short-term sexual relations with many partn ers, compared to women who prefer one stable partner over a long period of time. This can be seen in Clark and Hatfield (1989) findings where 3 out of 4 male students would enthusiastically agree to a one night stand compared to none of the women accepting the offer. Holt et al (2012) also state that when looking for a partner, men would seek a younger woman, whereas women prefer older and ‘well to do’ men. These are all gender specific differences in personality that can be explained by gender difference theories. Firstly, biological effects on sex have been suggested to have a major influence on gender personality and behaviour. In terms of genetic influence, the prenatal stage of foetus development can be manipulated to affect gender-specific traits when born, such as higher levels of aggression. Parsons (1980) exposed animal male and female embryos to androgens, the male hormone, during early prenatal development. After birth, both sexes produced higher levels of aggressive play compared to animals not exposed, which suggests the presence of male hormones had an influence on the physical development and personality of the foetus. This supports the idea that aggression can be seen to be predominantly a ‘male trait’ in Reinisch and Sanders (1986) findings. Male and female participants were asked to rate themselves on their physical and verbal aggression. Even though both sexes reported similar verbal aggression, males reported much higher demonstrations of physical aggression. Ho wever, this is not always the case, as Feshbach (1969) work describes, females largely exclude and reject newcomers compared to males, which is a form of indirect aggression, suggesting the cognitive intent of the aggression presented by females may be further internalised, compared to the outward aggressive display be males. This biological view to gender differences in personality can be related to the evolutionary perspective that males and females are genetically adapted for successful reproduction and preservation of their genes. Evolutionary pressures led to natural selection that created fundamentally different gender roles to promote survival (Shaffer, 2009). Males needed to seek as many partners as possible to ‘spread’ their gene, whilst females needed to avoid wasting their short reproductive opportunities by finding a mate that will protect and provide. This in turn created the gender roles seen today including masculine traits in their personality such as co mpetitiveness, assertiveness and aggression, compared to feminine traits such as nurturing, kindness and gentleness (Geary, 1999). Furthermore, Buss (1995) describes male superiority in visual spatial performance as skills gained from natural selection due to their advantage for hunting, killing and providing for the family. The evolutionary theory can be seen in sex differences in the personality trait jealousy, for example Buss, Larsen, Western and Semmelroth (1992) found that men portray more jealousy over the idea of their partner sleeping with another male, compared to women who present more jealousy over the idea of their partner being in love with another woman. Males don’t want the risk of providing resources for a child that may not be theirs, whilst women don’t want their mate to abandon them and leave them with nothing. However, these evolutionary differences in gender personality are not always consistent. Buss (2003) found that some women instead like to e ngage in casual sex with multiple partners because experience has resulted in securing better genes and better resources. This consistency between both sexes therefore leads to question whether females and males really do have specific differences, and suggests socialisation and learned experiences may have more of an impact on gender differences than biology. The Behaviourist approach to gender differences suggests that social learning has created gender-typed personality characteristics. Through operant learning, modelling, observation and classical learning, children develop gender- typed traits that can be used for identification and as a primary socialiser (Bandura Bussey, 2004). For example Henley (1977) describes operant conditioning in a little girl called jenny. Her mother tells jenny off for dirtying her party clothes, and praises her for showing passive and gentle characteristics, which are all reinforcements. Moreover, Peters father wrestles with peter, watches football games with him and promotes more aggressive behaviour, teaching and confirming to peter that these are the traits a male should portray. Repetti (1984) further explains how these gender traits are reflected in the types of toys children are given to play with. Girls were found to be given female orientated toys such as dolls, whereas boys were given masculine t oys such as cars or guns, reflecting the gender-typed personality traits. Also, Maccoby and Wilson (1957) studied the orientation towards same-sex role models in children. They found after the children had watched a film presenting interactions between opposite sex characters, the children recalled more information about the character that mirrored their own sex. The children’s memories had a ‘sex-linked’ quality. However, it could be suggested that socialisation is not a successful theory in determining gender differences in personality. Friedman and Schustack (2009) describe the David Reimer case, where a child, who was born a boy, was brought up and socialised to be a girl after a circumcision went wrong. David was given hormones and was taught to be caring, nurturing and take on a feminine role. However when David reached his teenage year he returned to his male identity, after what he described as an unhappy and ‘misleading’ childhood. Money and Ehrhardt (1972) insist that socialisation is still primary to gender assignment, as their research findings of androgenized girls suggest that before 18 months of age, it is possible to bring up a child as the opposite gender because the child hasn’t ‘internalised’ the gender at that age. However ‘failure’ to correctly socialise gender can still be seen today. Friedman Schucstack (2009) outline Dr. Joan Roughgarden case. She was born a boy and lived 52 years of her life as one. She was socialised to be masculine and had the biological make up of a boy, despite always seeing herself as a girl, and consequently ended up having a sex change. These findings suggest that human gender personality cannot solely be reliant on socialisation, however they do suggest that there still are differences within gender traits and socialisation advocates what traits each gender ‘should’ portray. The significance of different gender traits in gender socialisation is part of the explanation for gender schemas incorporated in the cognitive approach to gender differences. The gender schema theory suggests that culture and socialisation provide organised mental structures that help understanding of the way in which a male or female should behave and think (Bem, 1981). Gender schemas act as cognitive filters to help humans depict gender relevant material, and to use it in everyday life. For example Deaux and Major (1987) describe these cognitive filters being activated by each gender as females enter a beauty salon and males enter a car repair shop. Again, gender differences can be seen to be realistic and apparent. Nevertheless, the theories above do not explain concisely why there are female and male traits in personality. An Integrative theory could be used to see how biology, social-learning and cognitive developmental can overlap and contribute equally to gender differences. This theory suggests that different processes are important at different stages of development. As Halpern (1997) suggests, the prenatal stage consists of biological gender processes developing physically. Birth to three years consists largely of social learning about gender differences and gender schema comes in at three to six years of age. This theory shows a dynamic and interpretive way in which gender traits can be developed and distinguished. On the other hand, all these theories do not take in to account cross cultural differences, individual findings and the growing concept that gender differences all together may be disappearing. Sue and Sue (1999) suggest that African American families, compared to white American families, are observed to be matriarchal, where the mother of the family is the head decision maker. These findings suggest that what would be considered as ‘masculine’ traits can be seen presented in women. Mead (1935) observed differences between two New Guinea people, where in one group, both sexes would display certain considered ‘female traits’ of nurturing and caring, and both sexes of the other group would display certain male trait characteristics such as aggressiveness. These trait findings are opposite to what would be expected to be found in western culture and can suggest that gender traits are not as specific and defined as first thought. Research also suggests that soci al-class can affect the flexibility and ‘acceptable’ gender traits presented by men and women. For example Shaffer (2009) states that people from middle-class background have overall more acceptable views of gender trait presentation in men and women. They may feel more flexible to the idea of a male demonstrating a nurturing role, and a woman being the sole bread winner of the family, than working-class people. This can be seen as a typically modern idea, and can suggest that women and male gender personality traits are swapping, in terms of the roles they take on. This can therefore suggest that male and female gender personality traits are not so specific, but are only presented by the certain sex at certain times. This idea can be seen in Weisner and Wilson-Mitchell (1990) study where children raised in ‘countercultural’ homes, instead of traditionally at home with a mother and father, are seen to present an equal amount of male and female traits, and a re less gender-stereotyped. However, these children are still very aware of the traditional gender traits and the differences between them. Finally, this is not to suggest that cultural differences don’t mirror typical western views of gender trait differences. Williams and best (1990) carried out a longitudinal study over 30 different countries were they found overlapping traits most common found in both women and men, such as aggression and nurturing tendencies. Overall, gender differences in personality are both clearly affected by biological and behavioural influences. Males are born with an evolutionary inclination to behave aggressively, and this behaviour is encouraged by socialisation from parents and other role models. This can be seen in female evolutionary inclinations to nurture and protect their children, and socialisation such as being encouraged to play with dolls and care for them promotes these gender traits. Generally, gender traits in personality present more similarities between females and males than they do differences, but this does not mean they do not exist and are not portrayed differently over cultures and social classes. The way gender traits in personality are measured can determine to what extent male and females differ, but with modern ideas becoming the forefront of gender trait presentation, the distinguishing of gender differences in personality may be swapping over, becoming narrower, and becoming far less de fined.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

The Life of Jeremiah Essay -- The Prophet Jeremiah

The Life of Jeremiah Jeremiah may be one of the most intriguing and revealing of the Old Testament prophets. With his continual return to god and the constant struggle between his heart and the voice of god. This elevates him as a human being and not just as an instrument of god (Paterson 144). He is one of the most human of prophets mentioned in the Old Testament and at the same time most Christ like in aspects of his sermons and works. His story has intrigued many for it is of human weakness and strength (Paterson 139). Let us now take a look at his life and at his works. To fully understand the meaning behind his sermons and predictions we must first look at what a prophet is and what he holds true. The word prophet means to speak by delegated authority (Paterson 3). Prophets speak because they are commanded to by a higher power (Paterson 4). Their beliefs were the beliefs of the living god and to make god visible to their people (Paterson 8). They also believed that "life was unity and every thought and activity had to be brought into subjection to god (Paterson 9)." The prophets also stood for religious integrity (Paterson 10). With this understanding of what a prophet is we can now take a look at his life. Jeremiah was born in Anathon a small village six miles from Jerusalem. He was born to a priestly family whose origins have been traced back to Moses. Jeremiah was heir to many spiritual heritages and riches. "He was steeped in the finest Hebrew piety and nourished on its sacred traditions (Paterson 141)." Jeremiah began his prophecy during the reign of Josiah. During this time there was much prosperity and political independence. He was very concerned with the social inj... ...leadership them telling them to not expect a swift return to Jerusalem, but to build homes and starts businesses. During the worst days of the siege in 588B.C.E. Jeremiah purchased some ancestral land. With this act he was affirming his deepest faith in Yahweh that he would not abandon his people and remove them from the Promised Land forever. Jerusalem finally fell in 587B.C.E. actualizing Jeremiah's fears and predictions. Jeremiah was captured during the fall but was later released to travel where he pleased. After the assassination of Gedaliah in 582B.C.E., Jeremiah was forced to travel with refugees to Egypt where he continued to prophesize until his death. Jeremiah is one of many prophets spoken about in the Old Testament. Many of his prophecies and sermons were controversial but they had a meaning and these meanings can still be put to use today.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Social Classes of Industrial England in Charles Dickens Hard Times Ess

Social Classes of Industrial England in Charles Dickens' Hard Times In his novel, Hard Times, Charles Dickens used his characters to describe the caste system that had been shaped by industrial England. By looking at three main characters, Stephen Blackpool, Mr. Josiah Bounderby, and Mr. Thomas Gradgrind, one can see the different classes that were industrial England. Stephen Blackpool represented the most abundant and least represented caste in industrial England, the lower class (also called the hands) in Charles Dickens' novel. Stephen was an honest, hard-working man who came to much trouble in the novel, often because of his class. He came to Mr. Bounderby one day seeking a divorce from his alcoholic and runaway wife who did nothing but drink his earnings away. When he asked about if there were any laws that could separate them, Mr. Bounderby replied that there was but "it's not for you at all. It costs money. It costs a mint of money" (70). Later, Stephen was framed for the robbery of a bank, in part because of his class. Young Tom Gradgrind made it appear that Mr. Black...

Incarceration Essay

There has been a lot of discussion regarding the prison population in the United States but little efforts have been engaged in regard to the transformations observed in the composition of the jail population. The law enforcement agents are under obligation by the federal, state, and local authorities to arrest and confine individuals who are criminal suspects. It is the duty of our judicial system to imprison individuals who are crime convicts. The confinement that is imposed on individuals whether prior to or after conviction is what is referred to as incarceration. Any person irrespective of race, color, sex, and age is subject to incarceration at least in theory according to the constitution. Studies have however continued to show increasing imbalance in our penal institutions as more African Americans and Hispanics continue to account to a slightly larger percentage in comparison to the whites. This paper shall present an analysis of the structural inequality as observed in the judicial system within the United States. Structural Inequality: Structural inequality is something that is affecting virtually all societies around the world. This phenomenon however does not stem from the variations amongst individuals as generally thought, but it can be attributed to the meanings and values that individuals hold in regard to these variations. These values and meanings become systemized and thus the foundation of inequality in our society. The society becomes stratified based on differences between the individuals. This leads to a hierarchical society where prejudicial values and attitudes are developed which affects the views held by the different categories of individuals (Bartels-Ellis, 2010). The US is among the world’s most leading jailers with a rating of 750 imprisonments in every 100,000 individuals (Williams, 2009). The prison population is however disproportional with African Americans and the Hispanics and other minority groups accounting for a larger percentage compared to the majority whites. It is estimated that over 60% of the prison population is from the minority groups. The imbalance in the incarcerated population has been attributed to the war against drugs that has gained momentum in the recent past. This has had a toll on the minority groups though studies have continued to indicate that drug use is also a significant phenomenon amongst the whites. The judicial system has therefore been accused of racist discrimination when it comes to matters of fair and effective judgment (Williams, 2009). Racial Bias in the Judicial System: Racial inequalities have been observed when it comes to judicial matters in the United States. There are great variations in the incarceration of different racial groups that make up the population of the US (Martel, 2008). Studies have continued to reveal the unending trend of disparities in the criminal justice system as revealed by the United States Census Bureau in 2000. According to the Bureau, there is un-proportional representation in the incarceration within the US penal institutions which happens to favor the whites. As of the year 2000, out of close to 2 million adult prisoners, 63% were from the minority groups including the African Americans and Latinos. Such disparities are in contravention of the general population as it has been established that the minority groups account for only 25% of the general population (Human Rights Watch, 2002). Statistics: According to Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM), in every twenty blacks aged over 18, one is likely to be in prison whereas for the whites, the imprisonment rate is put at one in every 180 individuals. The African Americans and the Hispanics comprise of about 2/3 of the prison population. As of the year 2001, African American males and Hispanic males had a higher chance of being imprisoned compared to the whites. The blacks had a 32. 2% chance; Hispanics 17. 2% chance; whereas the whites had a 6% chance. In the year 2003, African American prisoners accounted for a larger portion of those serving a term of more than one year at 44% of the prison population followed by the whites at 35% whereas the Hispanics accounted for the remaining 19% (Families Against Mandatory Minimums Foundation, 2010).

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Violent Media Is Good for Kids

Violent Media is Good for Kids Analysis From infancy onward, parents and teachers have drilled into the young generation that violence should be avoided at all costs. They have preached cooperation, tolerance, and â€Å"using one’s words† as tactics to combat difficult situations. Although those lessons are valid, Gerald Jones claims there is an alternative way. In his essay, â€Å"Violent Media is Good for Kids,† Jones argues that â€Å"creative violence- bonking cartoons, bloody videogames, toy guns-gives children a tool to master their rage† (Jones).In other words, media violence, used correctly, can serve as an alternative method for powering through adolescence. By reading and writing violent stories, children are able to express themselves safely and even escape from the sometimes harsh reality. Jones effectively supports this stance using the three rhetorical appeals- ethos, pathos, and logos. To affirm his credibility on the matter, Jones employs t wo tactics. First, he goes into detail about his expertise and past history with media violence to confirm his credibility as the speaker. Then, he uses the powerful tool of rebuttal to show the credibility of his argument.Throughout the essay, Jones discusses his past with violent media. He begins with discussing his professional career as a comic book writer. Later, Jones mentions his three-year long project with Dr. Melanie Moore, a psychologist who works with urban teens. This project produced Jones’s most useful tool in using violent media for good. According to Jones, his program, Power Play, â€Å"helps young people improve their self-knowledge and sense of potency through heroic, combative storytelling† (Jones). Discussing his past with the realm of violent media makes the audience feel like Jones is a competent and trustworthy source on the matter.To further contribute to ethos, Jones uses a rebuttal. In his essay, he mentions that many psychologists argue tha t violent stories breed more violence- such as the recent increase in columbine shootings. They say people use media violence as a driving force for real life violence. Jones acknowledges these points. However, he refutes them by saying that â€Å"it’s helped hundreds of people for everyone its hurt, and it can help far more if we learn how to use it† (Jones). In other words, when we channel violent media into heroic battles of good versus evil, it can empower a child in need.This rebuttal contributes to the objectivity of the essay. It shows that the author did his research so well that he can recognize opposing viewpoints and refute them. The author also effectively supports his thesis through pathos. To evoke strong emotion in his readers, Jones appeals to the audience’s feeling of vulnerability in their youth. Recognizing that during adolescence most people feel powerless, he tells engaging stories of his own and his son’s rise to power through comic books to give the audience something to connect to.As these stories are told, readers reminisce about those days, and feel joy in knowing that there was a happy ending. The feelings created make the audience look positively at the essay and relate to it. Lastly, Jones uses logos to solidify his argument with concrete evidence. This is done by giving two real-life examples of girls that were helped through childhood by writing violent media. In both cases, Jones personally assisted these girls during a difficult time, and got them started on their path to future successes. The first example involves a little girl, Emily, whose parents were separated.Her main problem was her violent fantasies. Because she didn’t have a proper outlet, she acted out aggressively. Jones stepped in and channeled her fantasies into stories. At the end of the day, she was still fiery and strong, but she was able to control herself in public. In fact, she even became a student leader in her school. In this case, violent media gave a child an outlet for her aggression. The second example involved an older girl in a very chaotic family situation. She was surrounded by fighting, alcohol, and peer pressure. Jones stepped in with the power of writing.His use of the Power Play program helped the girl escape from her reality. In the girl’s stories, she was powerful and invulnerable. She was able to ignore the world going on around her for a period of time. This proved to be very beneficial. She stayed out of trouble, and grew up to be a writer and political activist. In this case, Jones showed how media violence helped someone power through adolescence and contribute to a very successful future. Jones uses the two examples above to drive home his argument. By employing real life examples, he is able to not only provide concrete evidence, but also put a face to the fact.Instead of spewing a list of facts, he gives two examples the audience could relate to and better visualize. Th is makes for a stronger use of logos. It seems that Gerald Jones had his work cut out for him in writing this essay. He had to take the hardwired belief that violence is bad and convince the world that â€Å"Through immersion in imaginary combat and identification with a violent protagonist, children engage the rage they’ve stifled, come to fear it less, and become more capable of utilizing it against life’s challenges† (Jones).By using ethos to give credibility to himself and his argument, pathos to evoke strong emotion and connect the reader to the essay, and logos to make the argument solid, Jones is able to effectively argue his thesis. Work Cited Jones, Gerard. â€Å"Violent Media is Good for Kids. † Current Issues and Enduring Questions. 9th Edition. Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau, Eds. Boston: Bedford St. Martin’s Press, 2011. 195-199. Print.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Issued of the ligalization of drugs Research Paper

Issued of the ligalization of drugs - Research Paper Example Illegalization of various drugs such as cocaine, marijuana and heroin creates a major social problem and conflicts in the society thus making the government lose substantial financial resources annual. The government should therefore legalize the use of drugs and create effective systems that are easy to manage in order to curb the menace s the discussion below portrays. Legalizing drugs has more advantages than the current state of affairs has. Some of the illegal drugs have medicinal value a feature that continues to enhance their usage. A drug like marijuana is among the most commonly abused dug in the United States. Users of such rugs cite its medicinal value. As such, the government should make marijuana a prescription drug a feature that would ease access to such drugs thus limiting the violence and crime often associated with the illegal outfits that peddle the drugs. â€Å"Decriminalization of drugs would lower the cost of regulating the use of the drugs in the society since it creates systematic structures for the supervision of the industry† (Leuw and Marshall 89). Legalizing the drug would lower the cost of sustaining the various law enforcement agencies in the country. As stated earlier, the government spends billions of taxpayers’ money in running various police outfits and correctional facilities most of which are strained by the high number of drug offenders â€Å"most of the inmates in penitentiaries have drug related cases. Marijuana is the most common case in the prisons† (Husak 121). This implies that by legalizing such a simple drug as marijuana, the government would save billions of dollars for use in other sectors of the economy thus enhancing the economic growth in the country. The reduction in the pressure in such facilities would create room for the effective and efficient management of the prisons thus enhancing the creation of a cohesive

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

MBA - Corporate Finance - Capital Budgeting - 6 question Essay

MBA - Corporate Finance - Capital Budgeting - 6 question - Essay Example c. Mutual exclusivity requires a business organization to choose only one project. Consistent with the goal of every company to maximize its wealth, the project with the higher NPV is chosen regardless of the investment cost. Thus, project B is chosen over project A even though its IRR and MIRR is lower. Since the lowest even life cycle of the projects under consideration is 12, the Equivalent Annual Annuity is utilized in order to make the best decision. Thus, the present values of cash flows within the first three years of each project are computed. Afterwards, these are divided by the PVIFA of the projects. For project A, this means dividing it with the PVIFA within 3 years at 8% while for project B a life of 4 years and 8% discount rate is utilized. At the end, the four year alternative is chosen because it has a higher NPV of ($63,100.92). a. Any investment should still be evaluated regardless of the fact that the investment is higher than the cash inflow. It should be noted that the profitability of an investment is not solely based on whether the investment exceeds the cash inflow because of the time value of money. Evaluation of the project using different required rates of return also reveals that NPVs can be positive or negative depending on the discount rate. b. For this project, there are two computed IRRs which is due to the fact that there is a change in the sign of cash flow for the project’s life span. For the first year, there is an outflow (negative cash flow) while in the second year cash flow is positive. During the end of its life, the project again has a negative cash flow. Since, the sign changes twice, two IRRs are expected. As computed by Excel, these IRRs are 10.09% and 20.81% indicating that NPVs are zero in these discount rates. c. Figure 1 in the Appendix shows the computed NPVs at discount rates of 5% (NPV=-$730.16) , 15% (NPV=$215.50), 18% (NPV=$159.44) and 25%

Monday, October 7, 2019

An Analysis of Contingent Liabilities and Assets Essay

An Analysis of Contingent Liabilities and Assets - Essay Example It will first examine the link between uncertain transactions and mainstream accounting, will review the rules pertaining to the recognition of contingent assets and liabilities and examine the similarities and differences with US accounting standards.Purpose of IAS 37 A provision is a charge against profits for the purpose of offsetting liability or loss (Hanif, 2005). From this definition, there are three possible reasons why these provisions would be made: 1. For liabilities and changes like provision for income tax. 2. For valuation adjustments for fixed assets like the provision for income tax. 3. For valuation adjustments for current assets like the provision for bad and uncertain debts (Hanif, 2005). Contingent liabilities and their position in financial accounting have a strong connection with recognition (Robinson, 2008). Recognition is the process of incorporating items that meet the definition of elements in financial statements (asset, liabilities, equity, income and expe nses) into the balance sheet or income statement (Robinson, 2008). The fundamental requirement for recognition is probability and measured reliability (Arboleda & Bessis, 2011). In other words, for a transaction to become an element in a financial statement, it must have a high chance of being carried out. It should also be measured reliably. Porter and Norton (2010) explain that recognition occurs when an economic event is recognised by words (e.g. cash, numbers, amount), can be measured by attribute (i.e. historical cost concept) and by unit (i.e. currency). Although some items are easy to recognise, such as cash and bank balances, other provisions are not so easy to recognise and can be carried into the financial statement. These provisions are liabilities of uncertain timing or amount (Alexander et al., 2007), i.e. they do not fit the orthodox criteria for recognition. A contingent liability is a present obligation that involves a possible outflow, which has no reliable estimate (Alexander et al., 2007). A contingent asset, on the other hand, is an asset whose economic benefit depends solely on future events outside the control of the company (Investopedia, 2012). IAS 37 is meant to ensure that the proper recognition criteria and measurements are applied to provisions made for contingent assets and liabilities (Ernst & Young, 2011). It encourages significant disclosure in financial statements in relation to nature, timing and amounts (Ernst & Young, 2011). The IAS makes a distinction between provisions and contingent liabilities. In other words, not all contingent liabilities need a corresponding provision to be created for them. Contingent liabilities are not recognised as liabilities because they are only possible and confirmation of payments occurs only after action is taken by an external entity. Second, they are present obligations that either do not meet recognition standards or no reliable estimation system exists for them. As such, it would be wron g and potentially fraudulent to recognise them. In the Deloitte textbook (2012), three examples are given to clarify the different types of liabilities in relation to contingent liabilities/assets. When goods are received and invoices are issued for them, they can be recognised as trade payables or debtors because there is no degree of uncertainty. They are assets. If goods are received

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Fair Value Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fair Value - Essay Example Thus, the AASB framework provides the general guidelines, establishing the way a company should measure all its assets. The aim of the act is to avoid inconsistency of the various methods of measuring fair value, providing a more rigorous framework, for all companies. Thus, the market value of any current asset will be measured by the replacement cost of the services or benefits currently embodied in the asset. One very disputed and problematic point concerned the market value of different assets that weren't commonly traded on the open market, such as buildings or other possessions of this nature. The conclusion reached by the AASB researchers and specialists was that the best way to measure the market value of such assets would be by comparing the selling-prices of other buildings in the area. Although controversial at first, this rule was, seemingly, the best one to follow in establishing the potential selling price of any asset held by a company. The concepts of "current assets" and "current liabilities" are also defined by AASB, as being "an asset that is expected to mature or be realized within a 12 month period", while current liabilities are those liabilities that are "expected to be paid, settled or extinguished within a period equal to or less than 12 months from the reporting date". FASB and IASB board members met on 12th of May, 2006 to discuss and establish the revenue recognition methods that should be used. In doing so, there were some factors that had to be acknowledged as important to the recognition of any revenue. First on the list was customer acceptance, which lead, after thorough examination and in-depth discussions, to the conclusion that: "Revenue shall be recognized if the customer must accept performance to date. That is, the contract's legal remedy for breach is, or is like, specific performance or in the event of customer cancellation, the customer is obligated to pay damages reflecting performance to date." (see http://www.fasb.org/board_meeting_minutes/04-27-06_rr.pdf) "We're hoping that there will be more consistency in the way companies approach fair value measurement, and less diversity in practice from the user's perspective. Users should have more confidence that when they look at those disclosures about what is being shown at fair value and the methods used, they'll have better information to use to assess the quality of earnings and how they view the reliability of the estimates being made.", stated FASB board member, Leslie F. Seidman (Glenn Cheney, "FASB standard clarifies fair value measurement", 16 Oct, 2006,). From this point of view, the AASB framework provides rigorous guidelines, avoiding misunderstanding and inconsistency. Still, as all regulations were changed and revised, many companies complain that they have a difficult time in applying them, and that many criteria provided by this statement have been so frequently changed and discussed that the danger of misinterpreting or failing to respect the newest changes is real and impossible to ignore. Given the fact that the market value is mainly based

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Film Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Film Reflection - Essay Example It tries to explore the complex character of indigenous relationships, cultures and modern realities specifically the relationship between the fathers and sons in Native America. It is the story of one young Native man called Victor Joseph (Adam Beach) who stays with his mother Arlene (Tantoo Cardinal) in Idaho on the Coer d’Alene Indian Reservation and he has always abhorred his father and is trying to forgive him. After Victor finds out in the beginning of the film that Arnold his father is dead, he and Thomas his childhood friend set on a journey to pick his father’s ashes. During their journey, the two friends struggle with the constraints of forgiveness even as Victor begins to heal. It starts in the reservation in 1998 and there is a flashback to the 4th of July 1976 when there was a celebration of the â€Å"white man’s Independence Day†. It included holding the largest house party. As Thomas narrates over the image of a burning house. Arnold Joseph (Gary Farmer) accidentally sets fire to his neighbor’s house. The fire was uncontrollable and it ended up killing the couple who lived there but their baby was rescued by Joseph from the inferno after Thomas the baby was thrown out of the second story window from the burning house. The lucky rescued baby; Thomas (Evan Adams) is raised together with Victor who are almost of the same age by his grandmother. The grandmother offered her appreciation to Victor for saving Thomas and she told him he had done a good thing, but Arnold replied amidst tears that he did not mean to save Thomas. This tension which is the result of Arnold’s admission that he never intended to do good sets the tone for the entire film. Joseph shaves his hair in mourning but keeps drinking in desperation due to the inferno and its results. When Victor at 12 years old sees how his parents drunk, he got