St.Michael

â€Å"St. Michael the Archangel† For my saint, I picked Saint Michael the Archangel. I picked St. Michael because Michael is my middle name. Saint Michael is a name meaning â€Å"He who is like God† in Hebrew. He is said to be placed over all the angels. He is the Patron Saint of soldiers, security guards, and sick people. Saint Michael is one of the seven archangels, him being one of the three mention in the Bible. He is the leader of the army of God during the Lucifer upraising.It is said by Pope Gregory the Great â€Å"Whenever some act of wondrous power must be performed, Michael is sent, so that his action and his name may make it clear that no one can do what God does by his superior power. † Saint Michael is one of the principal angels. In Latin, the word â€Å"Angel† means messenger, such as a Jeanne-Nicole Saint-Laurent, who earned her doctorate in religious studies from Brown University in June 2009, has been named assistant professor of religiou s studies at Saint Michael's College, starting this fall semester. Dr. Saint-Laurent was a junior fellow at Dumbarton Oaks Research Library in Washington, D. C. , for the 2008-2009 academic year where she researched and completed her dissertation, titled â€Å"Apostolic Memories: Religious Differentiation and the Construction of Orthodoxy in Syriac Missionary Literature. † A specialist in Early Christianity: Christianity in Late Antiquity and Syriac Studies, Dr. Saint-Laurent will be teaching Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxies and Early Christianity this semester, and probably Christianity, Past and Present next semester.Dr. Saint-Laurent earned her bachelor's degree summa cum laude in religious studies and classics from Gonzaga University of Spokane, Wash. , in 2000. She earned a master's degree in early Christian studies from the University of Notre Dame in 2002 with a thesis titled â€Å"The Vita Tradition of Ephrem the Syrian: a Hagiographical and Theological Analysis. â⠂¬  She was a Fulbright Scholar in Austria in 2002-2003, studying at the Theologische Facultat of Salzburg University on a project titled â€Å"Christianity in Late-Antique Austria: A Social History. † I see myself as starting a new journey that I have always wanted to take-it's been my dream really,† Dr. Saint-Laurent said about coming to a college like Saint Michael's. â€Å"I feel very grateful to be here, especially for the all the nice people. † She said her goal was to teach in a small Catholic college where she could work closely with students on texts from the ancient Christian world, and continue her passion for research.â€Å"I hope to instill in my students appreciation of Eastern Mediterranean Christian cultures and history, a greater knowledge of the early Christian church,† she said. I heard about Saint Michael's from my father, a French Canadian, who grew up in the Northeast, and always spoke of this special little college in Vermont,† she said. Dr. Saint-Laurent has published a coauthored essay, â€Å"Tools of the Trade: Instrumenta Studiorum,† in the book Oxford Handbook of Early Christianity (2008), and a solo-authored essay, â€Å"Early Christianity in Late Antique Austria: Eugippius and Severinus,† in Studia Patristica (2006). She has published a book review in Religious Studies Review, and six reports on conferences in Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies (four reports), E-Gorgias, and Syriac Dialogue.She has presented papers at 18 conferences or scholarly meetings, many for the Patristic Society or Syriac conferences. She has also given numerous talks to community groups, church gatherings and retreats on such topics as Early Christianity, Female Mystics in the Medieval Church, History of Monasticism, Saints throughout the Ages, Martyrs and Monastics, Women in the Early Syriac Church, and more. Dr. Saint-Laurent, a resident of Winooski, has run four marathons and loves running. She is also a cl assical singer and hopes to get involved with a choral group.Saint Michael's College is a distinctive Catholic liberal arts college that provides an education with a social conscience, producing graduates with the intellectual tools they need to lead a successful, purposeful life that will contribute to peace and justice in our world. Founded in 1904 by the Society of St. Edmund and headed by President John J. Neuhauser, Saint Michael's is identified by the Princeton Review as one of the nation's Best 371 Colleges, ranking as 9th among institutions in Quality of Life and 2nd in Town-Gown Relations.It is one of only 270 colleges and universities nationwide, and one of only 20 Catholic colleges, with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter on campus. Saint Michael's has 1,900 undergraduate students, some 250 graduate students and 100 international students. In recent years Saint Michael's students and professors have received Rhodes, Woodrow Wilson, Pickering, Guggenheim, Fulbright, National Science Foundation and other grants, and its professors have been named Vermont Professor of the Year in four of the last nine years.The college is currently listed as one of the nation's Best Liberal Arts Colleges in the 2009 U. S. News & World Report rankings. Saint Michael's is located just outside of Burlington, Vermont, one of America's top college towns.  ©2011 Saint Michael's College One Winooski Park, Colchester, Vermont, USA 05439 | 802. 654. 2000 | Privacy Policy Web site Powered by ActiveCampustm Software by Datatel

Internal and External factors at Wal-Mart Essay

In 1962, Sam Walton opened the first Wal-Mart store and the retailing giant has been rising to success ever since. Various factors have played an integral role in the success of Wal-Mart, but without the strong execution of the four functions of management, Wal-Mart would have failed like many others. This paper will discuss in detail the how internal and external factors affect the four functions of management. GlobalizationIn 1993 Wal-Mart formed their International Division which was crucial to their success because they needed to remain competitive with other industry giants. When Wal-Mart entered a new country, careful planning was conducted to meet the demands of that specific country. A recent special on the history of Wal-Mart showed their expansion into China. Wal-Mart’s president did not realize that most families in China do not own a washer and dryer. Therefore, Wal-Mart removed all their detergents designed for machine washing and replaced them with detergent especially for hand washing. Wal-Mart brings thousands of people into their stores worldwide who are looking to begin a new career, as well as, shop. Without the organization of each department within Wal-Mart’s facilities, harmony within the company would crumble. Employees from every department work together to achieve the goals set for each store. Wal-Mart’s goal is to be the largest retailing organization in the world, and has achieved such status by adhering to strict organizing standards. Wal-Mart believes that in order to be a good leader, you must inspire trust and be rewarding. A statement Sam Walton once said is the motto Wal-Mart employees live by: â€Å"It’s more important than ever that we develop leaders who are servants, who listen to their partners – their associates – in a way that creates wonderful moral† (walmartstores.com, n.d.). This way of thinking has been passed down to all employees and has proven to create a productive work environment. Wal-Mart continuously finds ways to guarantee their over-all success by controlling and monitoring the plans they set out. Ideas that work in one  market, may not work in others. In order to find what works best for each market, new ideas are implemented and tracked for success. Ideas that prove to be successful can then be tried in other markets. In order for Wal-Mart to continue to grow, dynamic ideas are required of management frequently. TechnologyTechnology played a big part in the globalization of Wal-Mart. By 1975, Wal-Mart had over 125 stores and $340.3 million in sales. At this time they leased the IBM 370/135 computer system. This system allowed them to maintain inventory control for all merchandise in the warehouse and distribution centers, including prepare income statements for each store. From 1975 to 2004, Wal-Mart experienced a number of changes relating to technology which included in 1983, the company began using the bar coding system which identifies to the system what item the customer is purchasing and its cost. In 1987, they completed the largest satellite communication system that linked the company as whole with two-way voice, data and one-way video communication. (2006)As the company continued to experience phenomenal growth they had to look at newer forms of technology to keep up with the development of so many stores. In 2004, the company announced that it would deploy the radio frequency identification (RFID) technology on January 1, 2005 (2006). This technology allowed their central management system to track new shipments, product purchases, and alerted them when items need to be re-stocked via a wireless communication (Plunkett, 2008). Wal-Mart uses technology to enhance all areas of its business. A one-hour online photo center, for example, allows customers to download photos and pick up the photos at the store of their choice within an hour. In the past, the customer would download the photos and wait for them to be mailed. On the music side, a pilot program involving in-store kiosk at 100 stores lets shoppers buy one song off a CD without purchasing the whole CD. The kiosks let shoppers create custom CDs that can hold up to 100 songs. The finished CD is then picked up at the one-hour photo center. In pharmacy, new technology allows personnel to retrieve a patient’s prescription information at any location simply by knowing the patient’s name and type of medication. The patient does not have to know his or her prescription number, insurance information or at what store the prescription was originally filled  (Wal-Mart Technologies Enhance Visible and Behind-Scenes Services, July 2005). InnovationWal-Mart’s continued drive towards innovation sustains its global footprint. Wal-Mart continues to be a leader in the business world. It’s evident that Wal-Mart strives continually to introduce new and different ways to market their business and uphold competitive advantage and introduce new ways to build relationships with employees, customers, and the humanitarian world. Wal-Mart’s resourcefulness is widely shown in their in-bound logistics. Wal-Mart’s satellite network is the largest private satellite communication system in the United States, this along with its strategic locations for their distribution centers have given them another competitive edge. Unlike other competitors who house less than half of their inventory in distribution centers, Wal-Mart houses over 80 percent in their distribution center; this purpose being more sales space for the stores and 100 percent in-stock position. To cut costs Wal-Mart places distribution centers in locations that allow for no more than a day’s drive between stores. In addition, Wal-Mart’s satellite communication system enables all stores to share information with the distribution center and between the distribution center and its vendors. This communication method allows for an accurate assessment of inventory needs and cuts down inventory overstock. Wal-Mart is now aiming their innovative techniques towards the up-in-coming green trend. The company has created experimental stores that save energy, conserve natural resources, and reduce pollution. Just one example of Wal-Mart’s focus to conserve natural resources and reduce pollution is their efforts to only sell concentrated detergents. This effort is estimated to have an impact that will save more than 400 million gallons of water, more than 95 million pounds of plastic resin, and more than 125 million pounds of cardboard (Walmart.com, 2008). These are just some examples of Wal-Mart’s innovative spirit. Wal-Mart’s clear innovative drive continues to move the company into new and exciting ventures. Diversity Now the internal and external factors that impact the four functions of management (planning, organizing, leading, and controlling) at Wal-Mart come from all parts of the company such as: the board of directors, associates, suppliers, and customers. For example, the Wal-Mart web site states that their â€Å"†¦commitment to Diversity and Inclusion helps†¦Ã¢â‚¬  them â€Å"†¦build and retain a diverse workforce and supplier base† and that commitment is extended â€Å"†¦into the communities where†¦Ã¢â‚¬  they â€Å"†¦work and live through various community outreach programs† (walmartstores.com, n.d.). In addition Bateman & Snell (2007) express that â€Å"†¦you should devote adequate attention and resources to all four functions† of management (p. 18). The Wal-Mart web site indicates that the company values diversity and have made it part of their business plan which is part of their success. Now with that in mind, Wal-Mart has recently been recognized as one of the â€Å"Best Companies for Asian Pacific Islanders† by the Asian Enterprise magazine, which offers a good indication that Wal-Mart has devoted adequate attention and resources to the use of all four functions of management. Now a note from the successful retail giants:As the world’s largest retailer, we value diversity and foster a working environment that enriches the personal and professional experiences of our associates, promotes excellence, and cultivates the intellectual and personal growth of the entire associate population. We make diversity part of our business plan, ensuring we can continue to be a global leader in all aspects of Diversity and Inclusion. (walmartstores.com, n.d.)EthicThe American federation of labor-congress of Industrial suggest that Wal-mart was intended to be sex discriminative to poverty-level wages with the term Wal-mart on their problem to drive some business away and they was hopeful that it was going to be enough to alter the companies policies. This is supported by the center for community and corporate ethics. Wal-mart was tired of this allegation, so they launched a blitz ad in about 100 newspapers, to let everyone know that â€Å"Wal-mart is working for everyone.† â€Å"Spokesperson Sarah Clark denies that the company’s low prices depend on low wages.† Bernstein (2005). The labor leaders believe  that the AFL-CIO wants Wal-mart to look bad with a new publicity campaign. The Wal-mart labor’s plans have stayed the same because of all the negative publicity and it has hurt the employees’ morale of the Wal-mart Inc. Chris Ohlinger, â€Å"CEO of Service Industry Research Systems Inc,† Chris Ohlinger taking a survey on the customers that use to shopper there and do not stop any more because of the public criticism. Wal-mart low prices remain low to help the working poor. â€Å"Wal-mart CEO H. Lee Scoot, asked the employees â€Å"to take the moral high ground† on the further criticism. Wal-mart had just settled with about $11 million on hiring illegal immigrants to clean the stores. This is one the biggest sex discrimination lawsuit in the history of retailer just because the grass-roots organizations do not want this retailer in the area. â€Å"In a five-minute video message to Wal-mart’s workers, Scott told employees that they were expected to do the right thing every time, and he encouraged them to report unethical behavior to superiors or use the company’s ethics hotline, according to spokeswoman Mona Williams.† â€Å"It is a mark of our strength that when we uncover issues, we deal with them, do the right thing and are a stronger company as a result, â€Å"Scott said in the telecast to 1.2 million workers.† Grant (2005)In conclusion people should not always believe what is told to them in the public room, people have to evaluate for themselves and stick to their ethic believes. Reference: Wal-Mart (n.d.). Servant Leadership. Retrieved June 21, 2008., fromhttp://walmartstroes.com/AboutUs/289.aspx(2006). 45 Years of Wal-Mart History: A Technology Time Line. Academy of Information & Management Sciences. Plunkett, J. W. (Last updated February 21, 2008). Retail Technologies Leap Ahead. [Electronic version]. Retail Industry. Retrieved June 21, 2008 from http://www.plunkettresearchonline.com. Wal-Mart Technologies Enhance Visible and Behind-Scenes Services. (2005, July). Retail Merchandiser, Retrieved June 21, 2008, from Business Source Complete database. Govindarajan, V. & Gupta, A. (1999). Taking Wal-Mart Global: Lessons From Retailing’s Giants, Retrieved June 21, 2008, from http://www.strategy-business.com/press/16635507/13866Walmart Completes Goal To Sell Only Concentrated Liquid Laundry Detergent, Retrieved June 21, 2008, from http://walmartstores.com/AboutUs/7603.aspxBateman, T.S., & Snell, S.A. (2007). Management: The New Competitive Landscape. [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-text]. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Retrieved June 10, 2008, from University of Phoenix, MGT330 Web site. Diversity. (n.d.). Retrieved June 20, 2008, from http://walmartstores.com/Diversity/

Opinionated Response to Peer Comment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Opinionated Response to Peer Comment - Essay Example In response, the government implemented many tax rate reductions to appease the people’s rising disgruntlement (Friedberg, 2011). Using Keynesian economic principles, tax cuts will generate more purchasing power. With lesser taxes, the people will have more money to buy good and services. With more tax cuts, the people’s demand for products and services increases. Consequently, with more demand, the stores and other suppliers can sell more goods. With more goods sold, the government can collect more taxes. Basically, the overall effect on the government’s tax collections seems the same (Mankiw, 2008). With more sales, the companies pay more taxes to the government. With more demand for products and services, the factories hire more workers to produce the highly salable products and deliver more services. With more employees, the government can collect more salary-based taxes. As proof, During the George W. Bush Presidency, the president was beset with an economic depression. To rehabilitate and improve the economic depression, President George W. Bush spearheaded permanent tax cuts. As expected, the President Bush Tax cuts increased the public’s purchasing power, rejuvenating the ailing economy (Mankiw, 2008). Getting the substance of the above discussion, the 1940s and later years’ tax cuts met the people’s increasing requests to reduce the high tax rates. The study indicates the importance of implementing the people’s demand for lower tax rates. The study proves that the 1940s and later years’ tax cuts benefit many parties, especially the United States government. Without a doubt, the comment stating the benefits have become popular in the United States during the 1940s when the United States Congress passed tax breaks for some business entities is

English - Cause and Effect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

English - Cause and Effect - Essay Example The concepts of causes and effects have been applied in various disciplines such as philosophy and mathematics. The relationship between causes and effects can be of a reciprocating nature, where an event can lead to certain consequences, which can then lead to the previous event. On the other hand, same causes can lead to different effects, based on the environmental factors and the circumstances surrounding such occurrences. There are various rules that govern the relationships between causes and effects. For there to be a valid relationship between the two, causes must occur before the effects. This way, the effects must be a consequence of the occurrence of causes. The other rule governing this relationship is the fact that the causes must be bordering the effects, without any dividing factors in between them. Additionally, there must be a constant union existing in the causes and the effects, in a way that the causes can play to generate the effects (Gregory, 1992). Thus accordi ng to the rules of cause and effect relationship, any difference in the results must have been generated by a difference in the causative factors. This relationship can be based on what is the contributory factor to a certain problem. In this case, when an individual faces a serious problem, there is a need to seek what could be the real cause of that problem, just before embarking on seeking the solution to that problem. This is necessary because, if individuals do not seek the real cause of the problem they face, there is a likelihood of taking actions towards solving such problems, which in real sense might not help in eliminating the problems. Thus, in a life situation, the analysis of a cause effect relationship is necessary to help amicably solve the life challenges (David, 1975). The complete analysis of the causes of a problem ensures that an individual solves such a problem the first time. This is beneficial, other than tackling an issue when the actual relationship has not been well discovered, which may end up making an individual solve an issue halfway, only to revert to the same later, when the same problem re-occurs (Gregory, 1992). In understanding the relationship between cause and effect, then an individual needs to identify an issue at hand, consider all the factors that are involved or surrounding such an issue, which could have an impact on it, narrow down to the factors most related to that issue and finally pin point the actual factors involved. This way, the causative factors are indentified, which could have caused the situation at hand (Pearl, 2000). The cause-effect relationship has been widely applied in the religious front. This application has occurred in the form of religious doctrines upholding the viewpoint that for every action that, an individual commits, then there must be a corresponding effect. This way, in religion, any good deed will result to good results, while any bad one will give rise to bad implications on the part of the individual involved in the deeds (Pearl, 2000). Such doctrines upholds the viewpoint that the actions individuals do, either good or bad, will have an effect on such individuals, either in this life, or in the life after. More to this relationship, the religious doctrines provides for an explanation in the consideration of intent, rather than the actual act. Thus according to the religious doctrines, the intention of an individual, rather than the

COACH INC. case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

COACH INC. - Case Study Example In addition, there have been some difficult points in the economy that have affected business in the bagging industry. This means Coach Inc. has learned from and expanded on what competitors are doing within in industry in order to stay on top of the market and maintain their business. THE BUSINESS OF BAGGING CUSTOMERS Coach Inc. is an American company dealing in leather goods from bags, shoes, jeweler, wallets and many other products. Coach was started in 1941 and has expanded rapidly in leaps and bounds, especially after the turn of the 21st century, and right now it boasts of over 500 branches worldwide. Coach started as a bagging firm back then and specialized in the manufacturing and sale of leather bags. The company was later bought by a bigger company called Sara. Lee Corporations in the 1970s. Sara Lee was diversifying its merchandise leading to the purchase of Coach among others. This diversification strategy did not work out well for Sara Lee and Coach suffered from lack of focused management (Encyclopedia, 2012). The large portfolio proved hard to handle under one management. In 2000, Frankfort Lee, the CEO of Coach, convinced the management of Sara Lee to allow Coach to run independently. This strategy paved the way for the growth and expansion of Coach. In fact, the company's growth was averaged at 51% per annum since 2002. This paper seeks to establish the factors that contributed to this rapid expansion and what exactly is the reason why the company was less affected by the economic downturn in the later part of the first decade of the 21st millennium. This paper, therefore, starts by outlining the reasons why the company could weather the economic downturn storm and the strategies it employed. It then goes ahead to discussed what Coach did that its competitors did not hence giving it a comparative advantage, lastly, it analyses the success of these strategies employed by Coach Inc. In 2008, a global economic depression hit affecting the United S tates of America and the entire world. During this time, many businesses collapsed and Coach was expected to follow suit. However, Coach expanded its operations to wider markets in Northern America and competed with leading brands. Although the company started as a maker of small leather handbags for ladies, it is currently a leader in the sale of handbags, wallets, luggage, briefcases and many other related products. How Coach Has Managed to be Successful in Challenging Economic Conditions Coach managed to be successful despite the economic challenges as a result of several management and marketing strategies. One management strategy was the creation of a business plan with a corporate strategy. The corporate strategy gave Coach the authority to run its activities independently without the interference of the mother company. This proved to be the decisive step. Coach planned to expand and diversify its operations. The company, which had a narrow range of products that were made of leather diversified into jewelry, eyewear and picture frames production and selling. It opened more stores in International markets, including Canada and China, setting up multiple stores in the countries it ventured into. The large population in China gave the Coach Inc. a ready and wide market for its products. By increasing its market share, Coach was in a position to navigate through hard economic times. Coach managed to cruise through the economic downturn through proper analysis of trends in the fashion industry and market at large. Through this analysis,

How does deforestation of the Amazon affect wildlife Research Paper

How does deforestation of the Amazon affect wildlife - Research Paper Example Over half of the planet’s remaining rainforest is represented by Amazon. It is one of the most bio diverse amongst all the tropical rainforests that are found in the world. Amazon contains about 40000 species of plants, 427 species of mammals, 1200 species of birds, 378 species of reptiles, 400 species of Amphibians, 3000 species of freshwater fish. Since the human settlement has begun in the area there has been rapid scale of deforestation that is going on in the area. The deforestation of Amazon has a tremendous impact on the ecosystem. The present research paper aims to find out Amazon rainforest is mostly located in the state of Brazil as it covers most of the land area of that country. There have been many factors that have led to the deforestation in that region such as agriculture and other allied activities. With least regard for the diverse Amazonian ecosystem and the aspiration of the local people the Amazonian rain forest is being rapidly degraded and the forest area rapidly cleared off with singular approach to move towards a rapid scale of economic growth and development. According to Vieira, Toledo, Silva and Higuchi the highest rate of deforestation in the Amazon rain forest occur in the area known as the deforestation arch. The deforestation arch is typically located in the east west area of the forest. They argue that the cultivation of land in the Amazon since 1960s has been characterized by violent environmental degradation which is the characteristic of frontier economics (Viera, et al 950). The degradation of the forest cover of the Amazon basin works at a pace which assumes that the natural resources are limitless and the economic growth and prosperity is based on boundless exploitation of the limitless natural resources. The researchers argue that there are several factors that have led to the rapid scale of degradation of the Amazon such as human occupation, lack of territorial planning, monoculture, introduction of exotic

Discussion prompt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion prompt - Essay Example In effect, Henry is saying that going to college is a mere excuse to party where students do not learn anything except to have fun. College is reduce to a mere rite of passage and not a way where can be enlightened or educated. When Henry mentioned that college is a mere rite of passage, it was in fact a statement of condescension if not derision because college is no longer a source of education where one can learn and get better but something that a person has to go through just like a ritual. And one does not necessarily learn anything when he passed through a ritual. When it is reduced to a mere rite of passage, it is like comparing college to male circumcision which is a rite of passage among males in certain societies to become â€Å"certified adult†. I do not necessarily agree with Henry that college is a mere rite of passage because people who go there have actual cognitive intelligence to overcome the academic rigors of college. There mere act of going there and going through the entrance tests are already enough justification that people who go to college are educated and has the right attitude to succeed in life because of their effort to be better through academic institution. Even assuming for the sake of argument, people who go to college are generally educated even without the formal credentialing compared to those who did not go to college. This attests that college is not a mere rite of passage but rather an actual learning process where students study to be

Professional or academic experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Professional or academic experience - Essay Example The aim was to uncover the hidden talent in a child and nurture it. The task was daunting; we were four of us, we had few resources and were expected to make a success of a venture the size of which was intimidating enough without the added burden of our regular school curriculum and teaching assignments. The only factor in our favor was that we had a couple of months to plan it. However there were a thousand things that could go wrong and the biggest problem was raising the funds to conduct a contest of this size. The computer department of my school was special because at that time very few schools could boast of having even a few computers much less a computer section. I was the head of the department and had helped set it up. The school had organized many inter-school contests in such varied fields as dance, music, debates, quizzing etc. Naturally since we had such a hi-tech computer section we were expected to organize an inter school computer contest. As head of the department this was solely my responsibility and I had only a couple of months to plan it, and show results. I had to do some fast thinking about how I would go about this with the few resources available – both financial as well as in terms of man power. The first thing I did was call a meeting of my department. It was a brain storming session where every idea was put down on paper and discussed threadbare. We finally had a broad outline of the kind of contests we could organize for each of the various age groups that would take part; as well as a rough plan of dates that would not interfere with the school curriculum and exam timetable. We decided to invite an outside party to conduct the contest to make it absolutely fair and transparent. This would involve being able to convince a third party with the necessary credentials and expertise to help out. The name of the contest was very important and had to be decided early. After

Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry Term Paper

Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry - Term Paper Example Adapting a classic piece of literature into film is a sophisticated task.The adapter has duel responsibility. On one side,he or she has to preserve the originality of the classic and on the other,he/she must be able to communicate the real meaning of the piece of literature. Utilizing a verity of techniques Daniel Petrie, the director of the film , A Raisin in the Sun(1961) did not only preserved the originality of the play, but also successfully transferred this classic of Afro American literature into a highly commendable film. Let me first discuss those adaptation techniques briefly. There are seven ways in which an adapter can transpose a play into movie (Desmond and Hawkes, 2006). These are visualizing the set, lighting, casting, musical tones, symbols and motifs, camera angles, and shot length. However, a creative filmmaker would not rely upon just one technique and would employ a variety of tools to make a movie engaging. Daniel Petrie used creative frame composition and shot variation to communicate the strong and shared emotions within the Younger family. Further, he brings the climax of the movie by capturing facial expressions of the characters in a close up. Moreover, he added or omitted various scenes and dialogues during the process of adaptation in order to make the flow of the film . Similarly, he creatively used music to communicate the real feeling of the characters and to move his audience In A Raisin in the Sun, the strong shared emotions and relationship of the black family play an important role to the overall development of the plot. The director communicated this emotional empathy with a creative series of shots and compositions that visually represented the shared emotions. Through the employment of this technical cinematic method, Petrise actually emphasized many important scenes of the play in his film. For instance, in Act Two, Scene One of the written play, for the first time in film, he uses frame composition to share the collectiv e family emotions. In fact this scene communicates a wide range of feelings. When Mama shares her purchase of the house in a better neighborhood, she herself and Ruth seems relieved and satisfied. Contrary to both the women, Walter not only seems angry and despairs but his dream of opening liquor shop seemed sunken. However, on the other hand Mama herself shows fear of the Walter’s possible reaction towards her decision. Screenplay script runs with an array of emotions and the filmmaker successfully expresses those emotions visually. The director utilized camera perfectly to capture those changing emotions on the actors' faces. For example, Walter mood changed from disbelief to dissatisfaction on hearing that the money has been used to buy a house instead of its investment in business. On the contrary, Ruth was extremely happy. But when Mama told them the location of the house, Walter became angry while Ruth’s frame of mind changed from joy to worry. Thus apart from di alogues, film depicts a vast spectrum of emotions through visuals. Petrise choice of using face-close-up is really effective. Petrise uses camera angle to create emotional effects. In Scene Three of Act two, he uses mirror to reflect Walter’s inner conflict . The camera cuts back and forth between Walter and Mr. Lindner. Through this technique, the director not only intensified the emotional meanings of the scene but also reflects Walter’s changing understanding of Mr. Linder offers. Film is a visual media therefore it is always preferable to rely upon emotions for the climax instead of dialogue (Duncan, 2006). Petrie's another smart choice is his exposition of climax through emotions rather than dialogues. These are the emotional moments when Bobo reveals about Willy’s run away along with their investment. This is disturbing news not only for Walter and Bobo, but for all the Youngers. During these critical moments Petrie’s framing Ruth into the scene is an ingenious choice as her reaction on such news is what viewers want to note. Moreover,

The Overall Strategic Plan for Blackberry Research Paper

The Overall Strategic Plan for Blackberry - Research Paper Example According to Rhandawa et al (2009), Blackberry was founded in 1984 and it is headquartered in Waterloo, Canada. Blackberry’s strategic plan is to target professionals through the provision of a range of activities such as push email, mobile telephony, text messaging, internet faxing, web browsing and additional wireless information services (Moro, 2007). Jim Balsillie, co-founder of RIM, sums up the strategic plan for RIM â€Å"easy in, impossible out† which implies that it is very easy for corporations to install their email system, but because the way the proprietary RIM software and servers work, it’s almost impossible to extract (Harnish, N.D). Thus, the strategic plan is based on the notion that the products are strategically designed to appeal to the interests of the targeted customers and it is almost impossible for rival competitors to imitate the same strategy. It can be seen that RIM is at the forefront of designing, manufacturing, and marketing innovat ive mobile communication devices. This strategy makes it clearly different from other rival competitors in the market for Smartphones and is mainly based on productivity and utility in terms of the services offered. However, the industry itself is highly competitive where there are companies like Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson as well as Apple competing for the same customers in this particular Smartphone industry. Research has however shown that if RIM wants to continue its dominance in the market, it needs to market its devices moreover in Asia and Europe (Rhandawa et al, 2009). However, Blackberry of late has come under the spotlight for firing influential people who are seen as suggesting ideas that are within the scope of its strategic plan. For instance, the CEO was fired in 2011 though it was popularly stated that it was a resignation (Yarow, 2011). There have been some reports that anyone who goes against the culture of the organization with regards to its strategic plan is o ften viewed as a villain. The organization does not see itself in a position where it diverts from its outlined strategic plans. Such a stance has drawn criticism from other quarters and this is the reason why there is need to develop a Human Resources strategic plan for Blackberry which is based on its overall strategic plan. Thus the following section of the essay seeks to develop a strategic plan for Blackberry as well as to outline how it will be aligned with the organization’s plans organization’s plans as well as the measures that can be taken to implement the HR strategic plan. Strategic HRM for Blackberry Currently, the HRM strategy for RIM is mainly concerned with the optimum performance of the employees whereby the interests of the employees are not given due consideration (Harnish, N.D). Priority is given to the overall goals stated in the strategic plan of the company and this is the reason why the company has been criticised for bad HRM practices. As such, a strategic human resources management (SHRM) plan ought to be implemented. Basically, SHRM can be defined as the combination of human resources management with the strategic aims and objectives/plans in order to enhance business performance as well as the culture that promotes innovation, flexibility as well as the competitive advantage (Becker & Huselid, 2006).

African People in the Global Village Essay Example for Free

African People in the Global Village Essay Certain things happen in one’s life, whether one likes them or not. You can not stand apart from it; you need to experience the process of going through it. Let me give the example of a car. It has two types of movements-forward movement and lateral movement. The energy (petrol, gas etc. ) relates to forward movement, without which the car can not start. You have no control over it. As for the lateral movement, you as the individual driving the car, have the control over its speed-you can drive it through the royal road, narrow lane, drive at 120 kms. per hour or just 30 kms- or not drive at all. Just lock it in the garage for days together! You are living in a changing world- very fast changing world. The modified lifestyles, due to industrial revolution, the modern materialistic civilization, the internet revolution, are mind-boggling. You need to run your race, accelerate the steps, clear the hurdles and move towards the goal. Stop in between at your own peril! Survival under tough conditions and competition are not magic. Nor an element of chance is involved. The wise saying goes, â€Å"When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. † Survival will be extremely difficult for the African people in the global village, unless tangible steps, all-comprehensive projects are drawn up and implemented with speed and imagination, by responsible leaders and people. The test of the leadership lies in involving the people actively and willingly in such projects. African people in the Global village- the summary: Africa is a big continent. The vastness of the area, multiplicity of ethnic conflicts, the fierce tribal loyalty prevailing even today, the religious factors, the difficult past, the historical factors some of which do exercise telling effect on the African society and mind-set even today, render the solution difficult. John K. Marah, who is the Associate Professor and Coordinator in the African and African-American Studies Department at SUNY at Brockport, makes a concerned and well-studied approach to offer solution in the book African People in the Global Village and the possible direction which they need to follow. Moreover, due to historical reasons, African people (the black race) are spread all over the Western World. They are a noticeable political force, an awakened society in Countries like USA. Marah categorically opines that it is no use brooding over the past, its failures and bitter memories. He does the examination of the present situation from an open-minded perspective. Confrontation at every stage is not going to help the cause of the African people. They have to know their place and find out the ways and means to evolve within the global village. He calls it ‘multidisciplinary approach and well-rounded understanding’. Right from the beginning of the book, Marah is aware that he is up to a difficult task, and the subject matter of the book, â€Å"African People in the Global Village,† can not be discussed in isolation. Yet, he takes the direct plunge into the serious subject matter. The book has neither a preface nor a forward. For a highly sensitive and complicated subject like this, author’s detailed background would have been a helpful factor, but that is not given in the book. The biographical sketch is not provided. Nevertheless, it is a determined and well-informed effort to broach the subject matter which is so vast viewed from tough, social, political, historical, economic and cultural perspectives. The problems are ever growing like the octopus expanding in many directions and only a radical solution like Pan-Africanism is the solution according to Marah. But, to define Pan-Africanism is not the easiest of the tasks. He concludes that African people have no other choice but to move forward at a rapid pace, with the qualities of head and heart-be dynamic without destruction! Marah begins his book on a tough note. â€Å"African Sensibilities in the Global Village. † He fails to give a clear message in this chapter one can not expect him to do so. The subject matte is so vast, complicated and the concern of Marah to offer a desperate solution to a desperate situation can be seen. He realizes his limitations-the subject matter he is up to tackle can not be discussed in isolation—by referring to the conditions of the African people alone! Their so-called more fortunate brothers in America also have their own problems and deep fears on many vital and fundamental issues! It would be prudent to link the problems of the black people of America with the black people of Africa, as Marah rightly argues. At the end of the chapter he specifies, `in this book we examine the position of African people in Africa and the United States with particular emphasis on some of their salient predicaments in the global system. ‘( Marah, 1998 p. 16). Having said this, Marah realizes about the uphill task ahead for him, for he fails to give appropriate solutions or alternatives. The discussions in the book naturally and essentially take him to outside Regions, where black race matters. In chapter 4, he discusses this aspect in detail. The black people issue is like the issue of a flowing river. It can not be discussed in parts. The river as a whole will have to be discussed to understand it. Its beginning, its course of flow and the area through which it passes, etc! Marah has a message for the black people and the leadership. Some inspiring political and economic leadership has to take over and lead, to achieve the set goal. He makes a case for the entry of socio-spiritual leadership to play its role, because what the Global Village Africa needs is not only fine projects but fine individuals to implement the projects-that is what he means when he says about the ability of the people to survive in a new environment. New skills are required to push ahead in such circumstances. The thought process of the people requires a new orientation and change. When the thoughts are changed, the mind is changed; when he mind is changed, the man is changed; when the man is changed, the society is changed; when the society is changed, the nation is changed; when several such nations are changed, the African continent will change for the better! Then only the African people in the Global Village will achieve plenty and prosperity. For survival, wherever may be it, certain basic skills are necessary, and African People in the Global Village, are no exception. Education gets top priority—the ability to read with understanding. Speak boldly so hat others can understand and appreciate your problems. It is not that you expect sympathy from others; but in a democratic society, when your fundamental rights are guaranteed by the Constitution, you need not be condemned by anyone either-you need not live your life like a baked potato always. The majority of the ills of African People are due to poor response to globalization. This lethargy is frightening and it will continue to bother and trouble them in every aspect of life, unless something tangible is done as quickly as possible. African people will head for an economic and social disaster and moral doom, if they do no wake up and react speedily.

Requirements for Healthcare Organization | Case Study

Requirements for Healthcare Organization | Case Study TASK I A SUMMARY ON THE NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS OF CONCORDIA HEALTHCARE LTD. RELATIVE TO: I. Internal Organizational needs First and foremost, ABC Concordia Healthcare Ltd. Requires that the staff, partners, members, directors will consider and respect the Equality and Diversity Guidance and Policy. This organization is committed to delivering quality health care services to the clients without prejudice on them due to race, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, disability, religious affiliation, marital status, employment status and political opinion and characteristics. All clients should be treated equally and fairly. Professionalism on the part of the staff, partners, members and directors should be observed. No client should be discriminated; instead, promotion and accessibility of health care services should always be the ultimate mission of everyone. Quality healthcare services will result to the increasing demand by diverse clients. The ABC Concordia Healthcare Ltd. will be sought by the community and the clients they serve. A good name will be established for and in behalf of ABC Concordia Healthcare LTD. II. External Needs of ABC Concordia Healthcare LTD. To achieve the goal of this organization, that is the promotion of equal opportunity and accessibility of quality healthcare services to all clients, they are also considering their external needs. A. Meeting clients’ needs Appropriate steps must be considered to be able to meet the diverse needs of clients. 1. Identify the needs of clients who come from different communities. Clients come from different communities with different cultural background and upbringing. So, they also have different needs. These needs have to be catered well. 2. Formulate the policies and procedures that will be undertaken to meet clients’ needs. Policies should be done regularly because these are guides for decision making. Policies encourage coordination and integration of actions and plans within and across functional areas of an organization. The policy making process involves the following: a. Identifying the problem b. Formulating the policy c. Implementing the policy d. Evaluating the results 3. Specify the services that should be provided to the following group of clients: a. Clients with a disability b. Clients who are unable to communicate effectively in English c. Carers, children and the elderly d. Members of religious groups e. ethnic groups, nationalities f. Lesbian, gay or transgender people B. Communication Plan To avoid miscommunication, the ABC Concordia Healthcare Ltd. also provides the following: 1. A Communication Plan is prepared to disseminate the policies and procedures to ensure that all services are provided to the clients. 2. Steps to be followed and the requirements to be accomplished are also given to access the healthcare services 3. Orientation and training for the employees, members, partners, staff, and directors are done for effective implementation of the plan. FAIRNESS AND JUSTICE A just and fair treatment can be the strongest asset in any organization especially if there is competition. ABC Concordia Healthcare LTD. has laid some policies with emphasis on the following: a. Dealings with third parties – this organization does not unlawfully discriminate other Healthcare service providers. b. Dealings with contractors- ABC Concordia Healthcare Ltd. engages contractors on the basis of their skills, experience and ability. There is no discrimination whatsoever based on age, gender, marital status, race, religion, etc. c. Employment – Job applicants are treated equally and fairly. Recruitment and selection procedures and terms and conditions of employment, training opportunities, promotion and transfer, grievance and disciplinary process, demotions, dress code, bonus schemes, work allocations and other employment related activities are carefully relayed to employees and applicants. d. Recruitment and Selection- ABC Concordia Healthcare LTD ensures that the workforce is: Taken from the widest pool of qualified applicants . Job openings are open to all. Effort is directed towards the dissemination of the information that will reach all interested applicants. Employment opportunities are based on personal merit and fitness. Performance is considered in this regard. Priority is given to applicants from all sections of society especially the underrepresented in the workforce. This is where fairness is evident. No one is discriminated simply because he belongs to the underprivileged and the handicapped. ABC Concordia Ltd. has lawful exemption (genuine occupational requirements) to be used suitable to meet the special needs of a particular group. People with special needs are those coming from different ethnic and cultural background; gender (especially the gays, lesbians and transgender people), carers, etc. Recruitment agencies of ABC Concordia Healthcare Ltd. know the requirements not to discriminate. Fair and equal treatment should always be borne in mind. There is a wholesome working environment respecting the employee’s beliefs and diverse background. Terms and conditions of service for employees comply with anti-discrimination legislation. The organization identifies the diverse training needs of the workers. A plan is made which includes the details of the training to be provided, who will be trained, and when the training will be provided. Those identified are informed of this quality and diversity and training plan. Acts of unlawful discrimination on any of the forbidden grounds by employees, partners, members, directors will be subjected to disciplinary action. Appropriate action is imposed to any person employed who commits unlawful acts of discrimation. All complaints will be investigated in accordance with the grievance procedure of the organization. ABC Concordia Healthcare Ltd. will monitor and record equal opportunities and information about staff and all employees. These pieces of information will be used exclusively for equal opportunities monitoring and have no bearing on opportunities and benefits. The organization will provide equal opportunities to the Human Rights Services Commission as required in relation to personal and clients under the terms of the legislation. Operation review of the organization will be conducted twice a year. Remediation will be imposed on non-compliance under the policy to equal opportunities. THE IMPACT OF PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION ON INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP 1. Prejudice and discrimination are acts of disrespect on the uniqueness of every individual. â€Å"Individual differences should be recognized although human beings are similar in many ways.† 2. Prejudice and discrimination may cause stress. â€Å"Typical causes of stress are: new work procedures, work overload, differences between the organization and employees values, frustration and role ambiguity. Workers are likely to suffer mental and physical symptoms as a result of pressure.† 3. Prejudice and discrimination hampers the individual’s desire to grow and to achieve his goal. If an individual is constantly discriminated, he loses his self-confidence. Thus, he can’t perform his task well. When prejudice is felt in an organization like a Healthcare Provider, the client would lose his motivations to get well and to become fit again. Nobody encourages him and nobody values his human dignity. 4. Discrimination and prejudice are non-humanitarian actions. This will deprive the act of getting people work together to accomplish desired goals and objectives at minimum cost and maximum profit.† 5. Commitment is obtained through kindness. Hence, organization should be fair and impartial, free from biases in dealing with employees and clients. 6. In Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, belongingness, love, affection and acceptance are among the basic needs of man. When there are discriminations of whatever nature, then there is no love, affection and acceptance. 7. Discrimination and prejudice is against the Civil Rights of people. â€Å"Civil rights guarantees fair and equal treatment for all people regardless of race, religion, ethnic origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disabilities, or personal beliefs.† On July 2, 1964, Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibiting discrimination based on a person’s race, color, national origin, religious beliefs and sex. PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS TO ADDRESS GAPS IN THEIR SYSTEM PROCESS 1. Plan for review and monitoring on the compliance of equality and diversity issues should be prepared Separate from that of the communication and training plan. 2. Team meetings should be done regularly to track and discuss the progress of implementation. A special meeting may be convened also at any time to consider urgent matters. 3. Roles and responsibilities of the persons manning the organization should be clearly specified like: a. Director/ manager b. Staff c. Employees d. Other support personnel 4. Time scales for planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation should be clarified. 5. Periodic audit on the organization’s financial status is important. This is one component of the overall performance management framework. As an initiative is implemented, the outputs and outcomes are monitored, refined and then evaluated. 6. Policies should be revisited from time to time. Substantial amendments maybe necessary to ensure the stability of the organization. 7. Human resources are important in any organization. Performance assessment should be conducted as basis for planning skill enhancement training and updating. 8. Facilities and other material resources should be equally allocated. Insufficient or outmoded materials may affect the efficacy of attainment of the organization. 9. Facts should be gathered and use them as supporting evidences in order to analyze the programs and services and in turn may serve as guide for proper actions.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Prefabrication As Construction Method Construction Essay

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Prefabrication As Construction Method Construction Essay The aim of this research is to establish whether an increased use of off-site manufacture will produce a more energy efficient housing stock, as the UK gets closer to its carbon reduction deadline. The objectives of this study are; To identify the key advantages and disadvantages of prefabrication as a construction method, and to establish how these are achievable compared to traditional methods. To identify the current requirements for energy efficiency in new build houses. To identify the requirements of the Climate Change Act 2008 and how this will affect the construction industry. To establish the current use and opinion of prefabrication/off-site manufacture in the construction industry The UK is legally bound to cut its green house gas emissions under the Climate Change Act 2008. These cuts are a 34% reduction by 2022 and an overall 80% reduction by 2050, compared to the baseline emission value from 1990. This is not a scientific quantitative study of the actually energy efficiencies of the construction method, but more of an in-depth qualitative study of the features of prefabrication. This will be done by reviewing existing literature on the topic and comparing this to actual opinions and use in the construction industry. These opinions and the level of implementation of prefabrication within the construction industry will be established using questionnaires. From this analysis it is hoped that there are environmental benefits to using off-site manufacture/prefabrication. This should then be shown in the construction industry by its increasingly use. With the UKs housing stock producing approximately 30% of the UKs total carbon emissions, it is a sector where huge environmental gains can be made (House of Commons 2005). Although the Climate Change Act 2008 is not specifically aimed at the construction industry, the Chief Executive of the Committee on Climate Change, David Kennedy has called for action in four key areas; the method by which electricity is produced, increasing the use of electric transport, reducing the carbon footprint of farms in the UK and an increase in the construction of energy efficient homes (Adam 2010). Many reports, especially from prefabrication manufacturers themselves state the benefits of off-site construction over traditional methods. These include an increased speed of construction, better health and safety conditions on-site, better quality of final product and a lesser total cost when economies of scale apply. However when observing construction sites; off-site construction seems to not be included and traditional methods of construction seem to dominate. This study aims to find out the actual use of prefabricated, off-site components within the industry, and the reasons professionals have for either using, or not using this construction method. The hypothesis for this study states that the current use of off-site manufactured components will have a positive correlation to the perceived benefits from using them. For example if the perceived benefits of the using off-site manufactured components are great, then it is predicted that their use will be common within construction. Conversely if the features of prefabrication are not greatly beneficial compared to traditional methods, it is predicted that the use of off-site manufacture in the construction industry will be low. These assumptions have been made due to common reasoning, being that; if something is more beneficial than another, it will be chosen more often. Some basic problems that may occur in this particular research project could involve the participant design. For example because this is a small scale research project, only a reasonably small number of professionals will be contacted to complete the questionnaire. This will mean that the results from the data collected can not be generalised to the rest of the construction industry. Another problem may occur with the return rate of the questionnaire. The expected return rate is 30%; this means that from the 60 questionnaires sent, around 18 are expected to be returned. Another problem may occur because the information produced about the systems is usually produced by the manufacturers themselves, and may be biased. The hypothesis will be accepted if the primary literature search states that there are clear advantages to prefabrication, and the industry study shows that it is being increasingly used as a construction method. It will be rejected if there is no significant correlation between the reported benefits and the use of the construction method. This dissertation will take the following structure. First a literature review will be undertaken to establish all known information on the subject area. This section will include analysis of literature to establish what the stated benefits of prefabrication are compared to traditional methods of construction. Examples of each construction method will be analysed and areas where the benefits or disadvantages arise will be highlighted. The Climate Change Act 2008 will be reviewed to ascertain the requirements the UK is legally bound to fulfil. The current energy efficiency requirements will be taken from a study of the Building Regulations. Then a methodology will be created which will involve formulating questions that have not been answered from the literature review. A participant design will be identified and a justification for its selection made. The selection and the rationale behind the research method chosen will then be made. The questionnaires will then be sent out and the data analysed from the information collected. A series of tables and graphs will be produced to identify any significance in the results collected. A discussion will then take place to deduce why the data collected has been produced and the impact it may have on the information we already know. Conclusions will then be made that will summarise the findings and show any limitations to the study that should be rectified if done again. This section may highlight areas for further research. At the end of the document, a section of references and appendices will be included. 2. Literature Review 2.1 Prefabrication Prefabrication is a term used to describe the construction of buildings or building components at a location, usually a factory, remote from the building site. (Emmitt, S. 2010) Prefabrication can also be known as off-site prefabrication (OSP), off-site manufacture (OSM) and as a modern method of construction (MMC) (Taylor 2010). It has been used in mass production of housing since the early twentieth century (Arieff, A 2002). Prefabrication need only affect the construction process and not the end-product (BRE 2001). It is common practise nowadays to use prefabricated components such as trussed roofs and precast concrete sections, however for the purposes of this study, the terms prefabrication and off-site manufacture are applied to bigger components, such as fully fitted toilet pods shown in Figure 1ab and external wall blocks with windows preinstalled and internal finishes applied. Figure 1a Source; http://www.archiexpo.com Figure 1b Source; http://www.stcinc.net/bahamar.html Figure 1a/1b; a prefabricated toilet and kitchen pod, ready to be lifted and secured on-site. Image and performance problems in the past have hindered the use of prefabrication, so it is useful to study the history to see if the same problems exist today. The mass production of prefabricated components started in the early twentieth century; however there are examples of its earlier use, including the UKs first iron bridge constructed in 1779 at Colebrookdale (BRE 2001). The major push for the use of prefabrication in the housing market occurred after both the First and Second World War (Arieff, A 2002). This was due to the period of reconstruction to account for the lack of new buildings constructed during the conflict, and the existing buildings that were damaged as a consequence of the conflict. Prefabrication suited the needs of the times as it provided a fast and affordable solution to the housing shortage. It addressed the lack in construction skills that existed after the wars and provided jobs in the factories for many people. It also provided a solution as to what to do with the large facilities that were constructed for armament manufacture during the war. Prefabrication enabled effective material management, reducing wastage. This was important at the time as there was a shortage in materials after the massive focus on production of components used for war. In October 1944 the Housing (Temporary Accommodation) Act was passed that gave the Government the power to spend  £150M on the construction of temporary housing. This led to around 157,000 temporary houses being erected from 1945-1948 (BRE 2001). This figure is less then was anticipated by the programme and subsequently led to the poor perception of the construction method. Factors that have also slowed development of off-site manufacture include the poor quality of earlier systems, the difficulty involved with the maintenance of systems installed after the war and the poor attention to detail that was incorporated into their design also hampered the development (BRE 2001). Due to the difference in physical construction processes compared to traditional construction, prefabrication produces the opportunity to capitalise on many benefits. Therefore new OSM systems boast many advantages from using off-site manufacture as a primary construction method. These include an increased speed of construction. A case study from modular building contractors Unite Modular Solutions reports of a 76 module, 32 self contained flats scheme in London that was fully erected in 8 days (Unite 2009). A study undertaken by Davis Langdon and Everest found that for the Peabody Trusts Murray Grove project in East London, a saving of 18 weeks was achieved compared with a conventional project (Davis Langdon Everest 2002). Due to the factory conditions in which the components are constructed, a higher level of quality can be incorporated into the end product. Problems occur on-site when adverse weather conditions affect the quality of components such as concrete. When the weather is adversely hot, too much water evaporates from the concrete whilst it is curing. If the temperature is too low the chemical reactions that happen during curing will take place too slow. Both these extremes will have detrimental effects on the compressive strength of the cured concrete (Mittelacher 1985). There is also less movement and shrinkage when the project is completed that means that the quality of the finishes and the level of attention to detail permissible mean that snagging time is reduced at the end of the project. This is the added time of making sure the finishing quality is satisfactory. The use of prefabrication can improve the health and safety conditions on-site. This done by eliminating the congestion on site as well as the amount of working from height that is necessary. This is because anything that is needed to be done at height can be done in the factory conditions on platforms under correct supervision. A paper produced by the Health and Safety Executive reports that HSE: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦statistics indicate that fatal accidents in construction are five times more likely than in the manufacturing sector. (Taylor 2009) The main advantage that makes OSM relevant to this study is the environmental benefits it is reported to bring to a construction project. With a higher standard of quality, optimum thermal efficiencies and air permeabilitys can be achieved consistently using OSM. When construction takes place on-site, there is more of a chance of thermal bridges and insufficient workmanship to reduce the thermal efficiencies of a component. In a factory, standardised components can be used in a controlled environment with correct supervision to achieve minimal tolerances in products. Less waste is produced during the manufacture stage compared to traditional methods of construction. This is due to lean processes and the efficient use of resources. The opportunity to re-use and recycle materials is also increased due to the controlled factory conditions. The factory environment means that components are produced correctly the first time, limiting waste. Another benefit is that the final design is locked at an early stage, so the opportunities for variations on-site are limited, and so less waste is generally produced. New OSM systems are constructed of a light weight steel frame, which has a reasonably low amount of embodied energy compared to materials such as concrete (Greenspec 2010). Clearly systems could be used that are more harmful to the environment than traditional methods of construction, however reports show undoubtedly that there is more potential to produce more environmentally friendly buildings using OSM. However there are disadvantages to using OSM. One contentious aspect is the cost. There are two sides to the argument; the first being that the process of using prefabrication is more expensive. A study by Davis Langdon showed that there is on average a cost premium of using OSM of between 10% and 25% (Rawlinson 2009). Others accept the premium in cost, however believe the loss in money is regained due to the reduced construction time and reduced snagging time due to the better quality. They also argue that the components are better designed for ease of maintenance and repair and so a saving can be made in the long term. The report by Rawlinson (2009) does state that the costs are regained through these savings for some or all of the costs, but does not quantify the amount. Other problems include the high set up costs of using the construction method. The majority of the construction work that is undertaken in the UK uses traditional methods of construction. Therefore there is only a very small skill base of trades people who are competent with the OSM processes. Although the training to learn these skills is not rigorous, over the entire United Kingdom it would amount to a sizeable sum. The cost of establishing prefabrication facilities is also very high and so this may be a factor as to why the construction method is not widely used. The aesthetics of OSM may also be a factor that has reduced the use of the construction process throughout the UK. The poor perception to past systems and very modular design of many OSM structures mean that the construction method does not suit everyones tastes. 2.2 The Climate Change Act 2008 The Climate Change Act 2008 is a piece of legislation that legally binds the United Kingdom to reduce its green house gas emissions. The main green house gas (GHG) which causes concern is carbon dioxide (C02). The reduction targets are an overall GHG emission cut of 80% by 2050, with an interim deadline of a reduction of 34% by 2022. This is compared to a baseline figure from 1990 of 593 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (MtC02) (National Audit Office 2008). Therefore a reduction of 34% is an emission level of 391MtC02 in 2022, and a proposed emission of 119 MtC02 for the year of 2050. The other GHGs named in the Act are methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride (Climate Change Act 2008 s24.1). The Act also makes provisions for other gases to be added to this list by the Secretary of State if they become of interest (s24.1g). Section 32.1 of the Act states that an independent body must be created, named the Committee on Climate Change. The duties of this body include providing advice on whether the GHG reduction targets should be altered and to what extent in order to meet them (s33), advising on the carbon budget (s34), advising on aviation and shipping emissions (s35), presenting progress reports to Parliament (s36) and to provide advice and assistance upon request (s38). The Act states that the Secretary of State, currently Chris Huhne, must set a carbon budgeting system. This is the process of stating the allowable GHG emissions within 5 year periods. This figure is set with the advice of the Committee on Climate Change (s9). Three of these periods are set at a time. The first 3 periods are 2008-2012, 2013-2017 and 2018-2022. The next 3 budget caps must be set by June 30th 2011 (Climate Change Act 2008 s4.2a+b). The United Kingdom is the first country to legally show its intentions for cutting its carbon emissions. The Act is aimed to pave the way for cutting emissions for other countries. In a video made by the Committee on Climate Change about building a low-carbon economy, Martin Parry member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says that the Act will set a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦landmark example to what other countries can do. It is hoped that the Act will increase the UKs energy awareness and help improve our carbon management. The Government hopes that this will move the UK into a low-carbon economy. It is hoped that because the Act is a long term measure, covering 40 years, it will encourage businesses to invest heavily in low carbon technologies, as there is reassurance that returns will be made from investments now. It has been established that the main area where the UKs GHG emissions can be reduced is in electricity production. In EcoCentroGen newsletter August 2009, it is reported that the Government predicts that around 40% of electricity will be from low carbon sources by 2020. However significant savings in emissions can be made in both the transport and housing industry. In the same newsletter, it is reported that by 2020: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦7 million homes will be involved in energy saving schemes, and more than 1.5 million households will be supported to produce their own clean energy The Chief Executive of the Committee on Climate Change, David Kennedy, highlighted four key areas where emission cuts can be made. These were electricity production, housing, transport and farming (Adam 2010). With about 27% of the UKs energy being consumed in the housing sector, there are substantial savings to be made (Farookhi 2008). Producing more energy efficient homes will reduce this figure. The Government will try to implement these savings through a variety of means. Examples of these may be through more stringent Building Regulations, financial initiatives for implementing renewable energy technologies, such as grants for installing solar panels or feed-back tariffs or by raising fuel prices. There is however some concern and criticism over the rate of decarbonisation the Act implies. The Kaya identity is an equation that shows the relationship between energy and human factors and the effect the combination of these has on total carbon emissions of a country. This equation states that the only method for reducing carbon emissions is to reduce either population, per capita GDP or the carbon intensity of the UKs economy. Governments tend not to manipulate population or GDP per capita as they do not receive public backing and disrupt economic growth. Therefore Government policies for reducing carbon emissions tend to focus on reducing the carbon intensity of the economy, and the Climate Change is no exception. It is argued that by using the Kaya Identity, the Climate Change Act 2008 has not taken into consideration the effects of population growth and per capita economic growth. It is argued that with the effect of a growing population and economic growth, to meet the reduce d emission targets of 2050, the UK would have to reduce the energy intensity and increase energy efficiency by a rate of 5.4% a year (Pielke Jr 2009). Pielke Jr argues that for this rate of decarbonisation to occur, the UK would have to have the same carbon efficiency as France achieved in 2006, by 2015. This would involve constructing around 30 nuclear power plants. It is argued that this is simply not feasible. Pielke Jr concludes by pointing out these unachievable targets have been set as the Acts approach to emissions reduction is backwards. Opposed to assessing what the ultimate rate of decarbonisation the UK is capable of achieving, and setting targets suitable to this, the Act has set practically impossible targets, and only now they have been made in law, the UK is thinking of ways of achieving them. 2.3 Building Regulations The current Building Regulation requirements are of interest to this study as they show the current energy efficiency standards of houses being constructed today. They will also be the means by which the Government will enforce changes in construction practice in order to meet the GHG emission reduction targets. Building Regulations are statutory instruments that are used to enforce the relevant legislation that dictate good standards of construction and safety in England and Wales. Schedule 1 of the Regulations consists of fourteen approved documents that cover the following subjects (http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/buildingregulations); Part A Structural safety Part B Fire safety Part C Site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture Part D Toxic substances Part E Resistance to sound Part F Ventilation Part G Sanitation, hot water safety and water efficiency Part H Drainage and waste disposal Part J Heat producing appliances Part K Protection from falling Part L Conservation of fuel and power Part M Access to and use of buildings Part N Glazing safety Part P Electrical Safety The Building Regulations are the statutory instruments of the Building Act 1984. The Act makes provision for the Secretary of State to update or create new regulations for the purposes of health and safety, increasing the conservation of fuel or power and preventing waste of water (Building Act 1984 s1). Building Control was first used in London in 1189. This involved the enforcement of rules dictating party walls, rights of light and drainage. Around this time the introduction of consideration in design for fire-resistance buildings and means of escape in case of a fire were developed (Stephenson 2005). After the Fire of London in 1666, the first building Act became law. This Act made provisions for surveyors to be selected to ensure that the regulations we obeyed on construction sites. In 1984 the Building Act was passed and consolidated the various previous regulations to produce one main piece of legislation. Most building work requires Building Approval. This is the process of checking work done onsite complies with the Building Regulations. The duty of checking compliance with the Regulations is undertaken by Building Control Bodies. These approved inspectors can be from the Local Authority or they can be from the private sector (http://www.planningportal.gov.uk). Some forms of construction are exempt from the Building Regulations. These include porches, conservatories and some garages which are all subject to size, use, description, design, location and other requirements. If these requirements are not strictly met then the construction work requires building approval (http://www.kingston.gov.uk/browse/environment/buildingcontrol). The responsibility of following the Building Regulations falls to the person carrying out the work. To whom this responsibility falls to should be confirmed at the start of the work (Building Regulations Explanatory Handbook s2.4 2005). The Building Regulations state the allowable U-value of components to be used in new dwellings. U-values show the ability of a building component to conduct heat. Approved document L1B 2000 outlines the target minimum U-value of building components. To increase the energy performance of the overall building, the U-values of components must be as low as possible. Under Part L 2002, the U-Value of new build cavity walls is 0.35 W/m2K. For a comparison a 225mm solid brick wall has the average U-Value of 2.0 W/m2K (http://www.syec.co.uk/factsheets/U_value_factsheet.pdf) The Building Regulations also state the allowable air permeability of new build dwellings. This is the rate of air leaving the building as well as the rate of new air entering the building. A low air permeability figure means that the air will not escape and energy will not be wasted. Under Part L of Schedule 1 of the Building Regulations the allowable air permeability is stated as  10m3/hm2 at 50Pa. These figures are relevant to this study as the benefits of a higher quality product coming from a factory environment, mean that these figures may be more easily achieved using prefabrication and off-site manufacturing techniques. 2.4 Literature Review Summary From the research of the respective literature the benefits of prefabrication have been presented. These are the increase in quality, speed of construction, health and safety on site and the environmental benefits these bring. The disadvantages the OSM produces as a construction method are an increase in the project cost, a potential unattractive aesthetic aspect and the high set up costs associated with new OSM facilities. The Building Regulations have been studied to show the standard to which new homes are built as a comparison to OSM. The targets of the Climate Change Act 2008 have been established. These are a 34% reduction by 2022 and an overall 80% reduction by 2050 compared to a baseline figure from 1990. In order for the UK to meet these targets, four key areas have been highlighted for action; one of these is the energy efficiency of the UKs housing stock. Studies have shown that these targets are very ambitious and for them to be achieved a radical change in how we design and build houses must be undertaken. From identifying the benefits of prefabrications, an argument can be made that this construction method could be the answer to producing more energy efficient homes. A methodology must now be formulated in order to collect data from the construction industry. This will involve identifying the participants for the study and a method for collecting data from them. It will also involve creating questions that will produce the required data. 3. Methodology 3.1 Scope of the Chapter This chapter will establish the method for collecting the data relevant to this study. It will set out the research aims and the rationale behind their selection. A section that explains the types of information studied will be included as well as an explanation of the participant design. A method for the analysis of the collected data will then be established. 3.2 Statement of Research Aim The aim of this research is to establish whether an increased use of off-site manufacture will produce a more energy efficient housing stock, as the UK gets closer to its carbon reduction deadline. The objectives of this study are; To identify the key advantages and disadvantages of prefabrication as a construction method. To identify the current requirements for energy efficiency in new build houses. To identify the requirements of the Climate Change Act 2008 and how this will affect the construction industry. To establish the current use and opinion of prefabrication/off-site manufacture in the construction industry 3.3 Rationale of the Research With the UKs housing stock producing approximately 30% of the UKs total carbon emissions, it is a sector where huge environmental gains can be made (House of Commons 2005). Off-site manufacture enables an improved finished quality so that optimum thermal efficiencies and air permeabilitys can be achieved consistently. Other benefits are that less waste is produced during the manufacture stage compared to traditional methods of construction and there is an increased opportunity to re-use and recycle materials in factory conditions. With the UK legally bound to reduce its GHG emissions by 34% by 2022 and 80% by 2050, action is required to make housing more energy efficient. 3.4 Secondary Research To establish the advantages and disadvantages of prefabrication, the current Building Regulations for energy efficiency and the targets set by the Climate Change Act 2008, a literature review was undertaken. This was done to establish all the information that is already known on the topic and to highlight any areas of study that have already been conducted. 3.5 Primary Research 3.6 Research Sample 3.7 Method of Analysis 3.8 Summary of Chapter

SPAM: The Unethical Email Phenomenon Essay -- Internet

SPAM: The Unethical Email Phenomenon It's what's for breakfast. As I wake from my deep sleep of twelve hours, I step out of bed and go about my daily summer routine. I wash my face and peruse through the fridge for something to eat; its noon, meaning the mail is in. I step out of the house to check the mailbox. I’ve always looked forward to receiving the mail, as most people do until they are old enough to pay the bills. I bring back the mail to the dining table as I commence to eat the leftover SPAM my mom cooked and hope for a magazine or catalog to look at. As I sift through the hoard of envelopes at my disposal, I sort them into their respective categories: â€Å"Bill, bill, junk mail, letter, junk mail, letter, catalog, bill, junk mail, magazine!† I toss out all the junk mail and keep the stuff I really am going to read: the sports catalog and car magazine. After finishing breakfast, I head back to my room and turn on my computer, log onto the internet and check my yahoo email inbox. As I log into my account, I notice the glowing red warning that my inbox is at 101% capacity. I receive 8 new emails, 5 of which are obvious junk mail, 2 mysterious emails addressed to my name, and another email which I was expecting from a teacher. I immediately delete the obvious SPAM which I have trained myself to notice right away after years of internet use, then spend time to open and view both mysterious emails which also turn out to be SPAM. After all that energy is spent, I am finally able read my teacher's important e-mail. Remembering that my inbox is blinking red, I delete the bulk mail folder that yahoo has graciously provided as a SPAM filter, which holds 94 new SPAM emails, then finally empty out my email trash. Luckily,... ...SPAM Bill ." San Jose Mercury News 24 September 2003 : 1A. [11] "SPAM - Unsolicited Commercial E-Mail ." 23 October 2003 . Electronic Privacy Information Center. 15 November 2003 <http://www.epic.org/privacy/junk_mail/spam/>. [12] "E-MAILS SENT TO HOUSE FILES FOUND TO PRODUCE HIGHEST RETURN-ON-INVESTMENT FOR SOLICITING DIRECT ORDERS." DMA Press Release. 13 October 2003. DMA. 14 November 2003 <http://www.the-dma.org/cgi/disppressrelease?article=518>. [13] Krim, Jonathan. "Spam's Cost To Business Escalates ." Washington Post 13 March 2003. Business. 3 November 2003 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A17754-2003Mar12>. [14] Black, Jane. "Before Spam Brings the Web to Its Knees." Business Week 10 June 2003. Special Report: The Social Web. 12 November 2003 <http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jun2003/tc20030610_1670_tc104.htm>.

The Participial Adjective Part of English :: Free Essay Writer

The Participial Adjective Part of English I’ve always found the I-N-G words in English grammar rather annoying and bothersome. Of course Gerunds are I-N-G words that look like verbs but act like nouns in sentences. For example the sentences â€Å"Skating is fun,† â€Å"My favorite sport is skating,† â€Å"I like skating† and â€Å"There are many moves in ice skating† show the Gerund skating as a subject, as a predicate nominative following a linking verb, as a direct object following an action verb and as an object of the preposition â€Å"in.† Gerunds only occasionally give me a hard time as in the cases of me not wanting to own a lightning rod out of fear of being electrocuted or me wondering in which direction a newspaper heading is actually heading. The I-N-G ending (or Present Participle) words that behave like verbs occasionally give me a hassle. I sometimes speculate that â€Å"mowing lawns† could cut me up pretty good and that â€Å"pet grooming† advertised on a sign makes me think, â€Å"I don’t want any pet grooming me!† I mean â€Å"painting houses† could change your skin color in-a-hurry and â€Å"hearing aids† sounds plenty more dangerous than H-I-V. Revolving charge accounts can make you dizzy if you watch one long enough, and I often wonder if fencing companies sometimes abandon using sabers and instead fight with swords? If an idea is swimming around in my head, would I then be a candidate for contracting water on the brain? Incidentally I believe that eating crow is for the birds, particularly the buzzards, but I prefer telling the truth while standing up rather than lying on the ground. And how could a person ever be caught throwing a tantrum unless the spectator knows exac tly what a tantrum looks like and how much it weighs. And once at a circus sideshow I was gullible and paid a dollar to see â€Å"the man-eating crabs† only to walk into a back room and see a man sitting at a table eating crabs. Sure stupid jokes can be made by inter-playing ing verbs but it’s when the Present Participle is used as a Participial Adjective that my patience and tolerance are absolutely tested to their limits. I mean how would you like to go into a large contingent of stores and have to compete with a shopping mall. And why don’t hunting lodges walk around in the middle of the forest with loaded shotguns?

Computer Crime :: essays research papers

Computer Crime Advances in telecommunications and in computer technology have brought us to the information revolution. The rapid advancement of the telephone, cable, satellite and computer networks, combined with the help of technological breakthroughs in computer processing speed, and information storage, has lead us to the latest revolution, and also the newest style of crime, "computer crime". The following information will provide you with evidence that without reasonable doubt, computer crime is on the increase in the following areas: hackers, hardware theft, software piracy and the information highway. This information is gathered from expert sources such as researchers, journalists, and others involved in the field. Computer crimes are often heard a lot about in the news. When you ask someone why he/she robbed banks, they world replied, "Because that's where the money is." Today's criminals have learned where the money is. Instead of settling for a few thousand dollars in a bank robbery, those with enough computer knowledge can walk away from a computer crime with many millions. The National Computer Crimes Squad estimates that between 85 and 97 percent of computer crimes are not even detected. Fewer than 10 percent of all computer crimes are reported this is mainly because organizations fear that their employees, clients, and stockholders will lose faith in them if they admit that their computers have been attacked. And few of the crimes that are reported are ever solved. Hacking was once a term that was used to describe someone with a great deal of knowledge with computers. Since then the definition has seriously changed. In every neighborhood there are criminals, so you could say that hackers are the criminals of the computers around us. There has been a great increase in the number of computer break-ins since the Internet became popular. How serious is hacking? In 1989, the Computer Emergency Response Team, a organization that monitors computer security issues in North America said that they had 132 cases involving computer break-ins. In 1994 alone they had some 2,341 cases, that's almost an 1800% increase in just 5 years. An example is 31 year old computer expert Kevin Mitnick that was arrested by the FBI for stealing more then $1 million worth in data and about 20,000 credit card numbers through the Internet. In Vancouver, the RCMP have arrested a teenager with breaking into a university computer network. There have been many cases of computer hacking, another one took place here in Toronto, when Adam Shiffman was charged with nine counts of fraudulent use of computers and eleven counts of mischief to data, this all carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail.

Revenue-Recognition Problems in the Communications Equipment Industry Essay

1) In late 2000, Lucent announced that revenues would be adjusted downwards by $679m as a result of revenue recognition problems. Yet the firm’s market capitalization plummeted by $24.7bn. Why do you think the market reacted so negatively to Lucent’s announcements of the problems? The large drop in market capitalization is probably due to several factors. Historically, Lucent had successfully met analysts’ projections for 15 consecutive quarters before announcing, in January 2000, a major shortfall in profits relative to previous expectations. In June, the quarterly balance sheet reported an operating loss of $301m (for the first time since 1998) while warning of weaker profits in Q4. In addition, the revenue recognition issues announced by the new CEO appointed in October were surely perceived as an indication that Lucent’s management was managing revenues and therefore a possible cause of a future fall in revenues. This led investors to modify their earnings expectations in light of the revenue-recognition problems faced by the firm. Since a company’s share price reflects forecasts of future cash flows, and Lucent’s Q3 and Q4 revenues were substantially written-down, investors would rationally expect future earnings to be affected as well. In an efficient market environment, the $24.7bn in lost market capitalization would equal the discounted value of these expected cash flows. However, it is also likely that the repeated missed expectations caused an overreaction by investors, as the company was forced to revise its revenues downward two times over the span of two quarters. This probably raised fears in the market of more widespread problems with the firm’s accounting practices. It should also be kept in mind that the Internet bubble had just burst and a technology related company announcing an operating loss and lower revenues could easily cause a panic selloff among investors, as typically happens when a speculative bubble bursts. 2) What are the specific revenue recognition problems faced by Lucent? On December 22, 2000, Lucent announced a $679m downward adjustment in revenues  of their fourth-quarter financial statement from September 2000. There were four different reasons for the adjustment. First of all, Lucent stated $125m of recorded sales that did not meet the company’s revenuerecognition rules. These revenues were included in the financial statement due to â€Å"misleading documentation and incomplete communications between a sales team and the financial organization†. Additionally, Lucent sold $452m worth of equipment to system integrators and distributors and recorded them as revenues. In fact, the products were not passed on to the customers, because of their weakened financial condition, and Lucent had already verbally agreed to take back the equipment. Therefore, the sales could not be accounted as revenues. Thirdly, sales teams had verbally offered credits to customers worth $74m and booked them as revenue in order to boost the fourth-quarter numbers. As the credits were meant for use at a later date without an actual sale of equipment taking place, these could not be accounted as revenues in the fourth-quarter. Finally, sold equipment worth $28m had not been completely shipped, leaving the service incomplete. Since this violated the first revenue recognition criteria â€Å"The firm has performed all the services or conveyed the asset to the buyer†, recognition of these revenues is not in line with regulation. 3) What financial statement adjustments will Lucent have to make to correct the revenue recognition problems announced in late 2000? In our treatment of the accounting figures we found it necessary to make assumptions relating to tax rates and COGS, as the information is not given directly. In deciding which tax rate to use for the adjustments we have two obvious alternatives; either assume a corporate tax rate of 35%, or calculate the average tax rate based on the presented financial statement. However, due to certain revenues and expenses being non-taxable we have opted to discard the average tax rate as a suitable estimate, and assumed a corporate tax rate of 35%. In relation to the Cost of Goods Sold, Lucent faces the problem that some of  their goods are tangible (communications equipment) while some are intangible (software licenses, services etc.). We are aware of the fact that Lucent’s intangible assets are subject to different costs as its tangible assets, and therefore have to be restated differently. However, we do not know the costs of neither intangible nor tangible assets due to a lack of information and thus assume a representative cost mix that is proportional to total revenues. Hence, we use the average COGS (69% of revenues in Q4, 2000) when we calculate the restatements. In the balance sheet, we treat the physical goods as â€Å"inventory†, and intangible goods as â€Å"other current assets†. When readjusting the income statement and balance sheets we need to reduce the revenues by a total of $679mn, with a corresponding reduction in accounts receivable. The cost of goods sold is reduced by $470mn, as per our assumption above relating to the average cost of goods sold. On the balance sheet this is reflected in the increase of inventories for tangible sales, and other current assets for intangible sales. This leads to a reduction of pretax income of $209mn, and subsequently a reduction in income taxes of $73mn. In the balance sheet this is represented by a reduction in the deferred tax liability (current liabilities in Lucent’s balance sheet), and finally a reduction in stockholders retained equity by $136mn. 4) How would you judge whether a firm is likely to face revenue recognition problems? Revenue-recognition problems in Lucent’s case emerge from mismanagement of the financial statements by all parties involved in compiling them. For instance, the initial $125 million adjustment was due to miscommunication between the sales team and the financial organization. The lack of a proper internal reporting organization or of efficient external auditors therefore is a sign of increased risk of revenue misrepresentation. It is also important to mention that the events described in the case occurred before the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was enacted. This means that, at the time, financial statements did not require a seal of approval from top management in order to be published. The fact that these reports were approved and published suggests awareness and involvement of the board of administrators in the revenue-recognition problems. Making CEOs accountable  for the financial statements was an important step toward prevention of unwanted accounting practices. From a broader perspective, companies are constantly subject to the need of reaching – and beating – the market’s profitability expectations. Missing these targets may result in a steep share price fall, especially considering the â€Å"herd mentality† that is prevalent during market bubbles. Investors will typically overreact at the first sign of negative news from a company, triggering sharp sell offs in stock, as was the case with Lucent, during the height of the dotcom bubble. Further revenue misrepresentation drivers we can deduce from Lucent’s case are: firstly, firms providing financing solutions to customers may fall into the temptation of using these tools in order to boost their quarterly revenues by granting credits to clients. In fact, computing Lucent’s Account Receivables / Turnover ratio, it is observable that average collection days increase substantially from 1998 (85 days) to 2000 (119 days). This means that Lucent was selling products extending financing rather than collecting cash. Secondly, when companies rely on a distribution network rather than on direct sale it is easier for them to engineer revenue-boosting activities (e.g. provide distributors with more than what can be sold and take back the equipment later on). Thirdly, relying on big clients accounting for a large percentage of revenues increases may enhance corporate relationships, thus facilitating non-transparent verbal agreements or offbalance-sheet operations (e.g. financing, discounts). In addition, any changes in accounting practices and assumptions accounted for in the income statement should be investigated closer as a possible case of accounting fraud, as in the case of Lucent. In the 1st quarter of fiscal 1999 $1.3bn is booked as a â€Å"cumulative effect of accounting change†. This is enough to say that a revenue recognition problem exists, but certainly warrants further investigation. Finally, incentives of a more general nature to accounting malpractice include regular evaluation of company credit quality by rating agencies, and distorted compensation incentives for management. The former occur at regular intervals, providing incentives for management to â€Å"polish† a firm’s balance sheet prior to evaluations by the agencies, while the latter usually  involves stock options. Since employees are only allowed to sell their options at certain dates, they have an incentive to push the company’s share price up through accounting manipulation, prior to executing their options. 5) Assess whether any of Lucent’s competitors are likely to face revenue recognition problems in the coming quarters. Cisco Systems’ multichannel approach to sales and marketing includes a direct sales force to distributors, value-added resellers and system integrators. This could allow them to boost their revenues by selling excessive amounts to distributors close to the end of a quarter and taking the equipment back afterwards. On the other hand, Cisco does not rely on a single client, but has a diversified client base. In addition, the financing that Cisco provides is clearly reported on the balance sheet as noncurrent long-term lease receivables, which clearly differs to Lucent’s approach concerning verbal agreements about credits to clients. Unlike Cisco, Juniper Networks mainly relies on one large customer, WorldCom, who generated 18% of their revenues in 2000. Thus, they were highly dependent on that client and had most likely build up a close relationship with them, both concerning equipment sales and credit granting. This increases the risk of false revenue recognition due to either channel stuffing or the sale of equipment (meant to be taken back if not sold) close to the end of the quarter. Nortel is mainly a service provider, in fact 82% of its revenues are made up by services. This could be a red flag for revenue-recognition issues as services may have no clear delivery date and thus allow revenue management. In addition, Nortel granted credit to its customers of $5.6bn, of which only $1.5bn had been used. This could mean that Nortel is trying to attract customers by aggressively offering financing. On the other hand, Nortel does not depend on any single client. We did not find any significant pattern in insiders’ dispositions of their stock options to indicate fraudulent activity, neither for Lucent or any of their competitors. We also closely examined the two key ratios â€Å"Account Receivables Turnover† and â€Å"Cash Flow Return† for Lucent and its competitors (Juniper Networks has been excluded due to data absence). As can be seen in  the following graph all cash flow returns recently started to decline, which could raise concerns with regards to their revenue recognition policy. In Cisco’s and Nortel’s case one can see that this change is due to a parallel decline in cash flow from operations as well as an increase in sales. However, this movement by itself is not a red flag and could be due to other factors, which calls for a more detailed investigation. We can see that the suspicious decrease in cash flow return is mainly due to a substantial increase in sales and can also be seen in a substantial increase in accounts receivables. Hence, we looked at â€Å"accounts receivable turnover† or more precisely â€Å"days sales outstanding† and found that the average level over the course of the previous three years stays approximately the same while showing a negative trend for Cisco and even constantly decreased slightly for Nortel. This is a very good sign and means that these two still manage to collect their receivables in a timely manner although sales increase rapidly. Cash Flow Returns should therefore stabilize again in the ne ar future. Lucent’s Account receivables turnover on the other hand, as already elaborated in the previous question, steeply increases. This may indicate Lucent was selling products by extending financing to customers rather than collecting cash since we cannot apply the same argumentation as for Cisco and Nortel in Lucent’s case.