Job Design at Pepperdine University Essay

This case study primarily focuses on the dimensions of specific roles for Pepperdine University employees. The aspect of job analysis or job reviews is an overall exploration of specific responsibilities accountabilities and duties of specific jobs. This is quite a lengthy process that requires the gathering of background information and the creation of a job specifications and descriptions. This case study highlights the roles of several employees at the Graziadio School of Business and Management at the Pepperdine University. Job design There is no definite job design that can be clearly identified at the Graziadio School of Business and Management therefore most of the observations can only be inferred from obervation of employee duties and responsibilities(Cummings & Worley, 2009). Job design is supposed to determine the manner in which specific jobs are supposed to be carried out and how this ultimately affects the individuals worker as well as the overall work place. This includes aspects such as employee authority, processes of decision making, amount of respnsibility among other criteria. It was noticed in the case study that there were three jobs that would be categorized in the same job design group and these were the program administrator, the administrative assistant and the faculty director. The roles of employees in these positions have distinct job descriptions but from their duties it is clear that they are interdependent. Another issue that is dealt with in this case study is that of employee rewards. From the example in the test, the university clearly appreciated the diligence and loyalty of the Program Administrator and for this he was to be rewarded through the enrichment of his current position. The job enrichment was partly due to the personal character of the Program Administrator because he was able to exhibit diligence and patience for 15 years. Assesment of an  employee’s persoanality is therefore key when an organization is considering formulating a formal job design model. Skill appraisal In the case of the Program Administrator, it was evident that the specific duries were very varied in nature ranging from student recruitment and supervision to advisory roles. Other aspects in this analysis include the assesment of task identity, task significance as well as job autonomy (Cummings & Worley, 2009). Planning and implementation The planning of this study was quite thorough and widely encompassing. There was a great deal of assesment and also use of diagnostic models which were associated with individuals and groups. All the models that were used were carefully structured and diagnostic in nature. They included the issues to do with design components, inputs, and output of both individual and group job specifications. The reason was doing group diagnostic was deemed necessary is because the organizational make-up is considered as a primary input that needs to be properly examined. This brings out the functions of group dynamics. However, to bring out the individual aspect of the study, the plan included an individual job level assesment to offer infomation regarding issues like individual task significance, task autonomy, identity and all the feedback that can be achieved from all this collective data. Overall the planning of the case can be considered quite thorough. Reference Cummings, T, Worley Christopher. (2009). Organizational Development & Change. South-Western CENGAGE learning, 9th Edition

Sarah Dessen Research Peper

Love is a powerful thing, but can be quickly damaged when those who love, abandon their loved ones. Author Sarah Dessen portrays many themes and subjects in her works, most of which include love, friendship, romance, and abandonment. One of Dessen's works is Lock and Key, where Dessen's story telling method fits the feel of the story, allowing it to move forward as Ruby lives day by day but still clings to her past. It's a thought provoking and intelligent story about all kinds of relationships and love.Another novel by Dessen is Along for the Ride which is also about new elationships, romance, and getting through the past. It feels as if Auden is sharing confidence as she discovers that people are not easy to figure out and can change. She is quite the original character. Author Sarah Dessen deals with the theme of abandonment and romance in the novels Lock and Key, and Along for the Ride There are many traits and characteristics that come along with all characters. The main charact er from Along for the Ride is Auden. She is an independent young woman who never got to experience a normal childhood.Since Auden was never given ttention she always did what her parents wanted trying to get some recognition, so she immersed herself into her school work in order to succeed like her parents. Auden is a very smart individual; she went to private schools her whole life, and got accepted to her first choice of college. The main character from Lock and Key is Ruby who is very independent and does not take help from others. Everyone has abandoned her so why wouldn't people she met in a new place do the same? So she grew up thinking that no one could be trusted.She is closed off and does not open up to people; she is alone most of the time and prefers it that way. Both Auden and Ruby grew up independently, they were abandoned by their parents in form of parenting and had to grow up as an individual, which led them to stay closed off from others. The selections didn't only have main characters with common traits but also shared some similar themes. When reading a story of any kind there always themes expressed throughout. Some themes are obvious while others are vague. And some stories have multiple themes while others have one.Some of the themes expressed in both novels are: it's important to be able to open up to others and express ndividuality; certain people can be trusted over time; Friendships are important and can be found in unexpected places; Finding friends can also help a person find themselves. Also for both novels, it's never too late to do anything. A person should never feel like they can't do something because the time for it passed; don't Judge anything or anyone; when a person meets someone new they shouldn't instantly judge and categorize the individual; No one ever knows who a person is Just from their looks.Express individuality be able to open up; No one should close themselves off to anyone. Both novels shared many similar theme s, and have expressed the struggles that the characters had to deal with. We all face many struggles throughout life, some harder than others. Throughout the novels Lock and Key and Along for the Ride both the main characters, Ruby and Auden, face many struggles, involving many things from love and romance to family and abandonment. Ruby feels alone and lost after being abandoned by her mother and so many other people in her life.Ruby never received any attention trom ner mother growing up; the li ttle attention sne d receive was violent and not welcomed. Ruby was never really told the truth; her mother made her think her father wanted to leave her and her sister wanted nothing to do with her, which caused Ruby to struggle and suffer greatly. Auden never had the childhood most children had experienced. Missing out on many things, she wasn't like most kids her age. Auden always met their high expectations for school and what they approved.She was never given much of any attention fro m her parents so she was immersed in school while other kids would be immersed in friends and sports. Since she always met her parent's expectations she was never given any of the attention she deserved. Both characters faced struggles of being abandoned they were completely ignored and kept to themselves. All people are used to routine one way or another, whether they are used to the same set schedule every day or they are used to the routine of change. Auden always enjoyed being alone, up all night going to same cafe every night.She was used to the same old schedule, living with her successful mother, keeping to herself mostly, and going to school. Ruby was used to the always changing, unexpected life style. Alone with Just her mother, Ruby was always moving around until her mom left too. She as used to living on her own as a teen when abandoned by her mother for good. She was used to her mother's unexplained absences, and her mother abandoning her once and for all was Just a part of the routine she was used to, chaos. But routines break and so does the chaos, opening up new beginnings.We may have the routines that we stick to but everything changes; the only thing constant is change, which opens up new beginnings. Auden changes her regular routine when she goes out of her comfort zone and decides to spend the summer at her dad's. Auden tries things she normally wouldn't, feeling she missed out on a lot. She makes new friends and gets more involved with the people around her and mostly her family. Auden learns it's never too late to do what she missed out on. With Auden's new start, her and her new friend Eli make a quest to do what Auden's missed out on, and along the way learn the true meaning of friendship.Opening up for Ruby is difficult; she likes to hold things in; she does not ever express her feelings because with her upbringing she felt no one could be trusted; in her new home, however, she is learning that it's okay to open up and take help when sh e needs it. Ruby, once being closed off, learns o change for the better; she starts to open up and reach out to others which she wouldn't normally have done. It was difficult for Ruby to get used to such a new lifestyle, now in a big, expensive house living with her sister who she thought had abandoned her, with new people, new friends, new things learned and to be learned.Both of the girls, Auden and Ruby, change and start off on new beginnings in new environments; they both start to reconnect with who they had been abandoned by. They are also starting to open up to new friends, some whom seem to be a little more than Just friends. Love is powerful and healing; it is all around us, and it is what helps us to keep on pushing through the hardships in life. Friendships, friends, or any relationships were the last thing Ruby was looking for, but over time relationships and friendships began to develop in the least likely of places.

Kennedy’s New Frontier

The New Frontier a term used by John F. Kennedy in his inaugural speech in 1960 that revealed Presidents Kennedy's intention to create programs to aid in economic, International and social issues with a clear focus on key points such as Increasing the economy, creating international aid programs, adding to national defense, and the creation of a more ambitious space program. Although met with resistance from congress President Kennedy was able to fulfill some of the Initiatives mapped In his acceptance speech.Economically, he was able to pass bills providing financial lad to depressed Industrial and rural areas (Davidson, 2005), Increased the minimum wage and blocked big business from price gauging. Socially, he was an advocate for call rights for minorities and women. Internationally, President Kennedy accomplished two major agendas with creation of the Peace Corps and the Alliance for Progress. The peace Corps concentration was education In poorer nations and the Alliance forProgre ss focused on assisting Latin American with health and education. President Kennedy increased the armed forces ground troops and signed an agreement with the Soviet union to limit nuclear testing to underground only. He also advocated the expansion of the U. S. Space program including challenging congress to authorize a manned space mission to the moon in efforts to surpass the Russian cosmonaut orbiting the world after Kennedy's inauguration.Despite resistance from Congress ND his untimely death President Kennedy's New Frontier Program in many ways was considered a great success by influencing reform socially, economically. Internationally and politically. References Davidson, J. (2005). Nations of nations: A concise narrative of the American republic. New York: McGraw-Hill. New Frontier. (2012, March 24). In Wisped, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:33, April 13, 2012, from http://en. Wisped. Org/w/index. PH? Title-New Kennedy’s New Frontier The New Frontier a term used by John F. Kennedy in his inaugural speech in 1960 that revealed Presidents Kennedy's intention to create programs to aid in economic, International and social issues with a clear focus on key points such as Increasing the economy, creating international aid programs, adding to national defense, and the creation of a more ambitious space program. Although met with resistance from congress President Kennedy was able to fulfill some of the Initiatives mapped In his acceptance speech.Economically, he was able to pass bills providing financial lad to depressed Industrial and rural areas (Davidson, 2005), Increased the minimum wage and blocked big business from price gauging. Socially, he was an advocate for call rights for minorities and women. Internationally, President Kennedy accomplished two major agendas with creation of the Peace Corps and the Alliance for Progress. The peace Corps concentration was education In poorer nations and the Alliance forProgre ss focused on assisting Latin American with health and education. President Kennedy increased the armed forces ground troops and signed an agreement with the Soviet union to limit nuclear testing to underground only. He also advocated the expansion of the U. S. Space program including challenging congress to authorize a manned space mission to the moon in efforts to surpass the Russian cosmonaut orbiting the world after Kennedy's inauguration.Despite resistance from Congress ND his untimely death President Kennedy's New Frontier Program in many ways was considered a great success by influencing reform socially, economically. Internationally and politically. References Davidson, J. (2005). Nations of nations: A concise narrative of the American republic. New York: McGraw-Hill. New Frontier. (2012, March 24). In Wisped, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:33, April 13, 2012, from http://en. Wisped. Org/w/index. PH? Title-New

Antibiotic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Antibiotic - Essay Example Bacteria are microorganisms present in many water and soil habitats. These microorganisms are diverse in terms of shape, size and ability to cause infections. While many of bacteria species are non-infective, some strains cause infectious diseases including respiratory diseases such as tuberculosis, cholera, anthrax and many others. Antibiotics are increasingly being used in agriculture to prevent and treat bacterial infections in livestock. Antibiotic agents are also being used in livestock feeds and water to prevent and control bacterial infections. This therefore suggests that different types of antibiotics are being given to healthy livestock. These drugs accumulate in the body, creating antibiotic residue that is eventually eliminated from the system if the drugs are discontinued. However, the increased use of antibiotics in livestock has raised concerns about growing bacterial resistance against these drugs. Current efforts in agriculture focus on producing healthier livestock. This trend has led to increased use of antibiotics to promote growth, fight infections and compensate for unsanitary rearing conditions. However, the accumulation of antibiotics in food animals (antibiotic residual) poses significant risk to humans. For instance, antibiotic overuse in livestock as been associated with increased antibiotic drug resistance in humans. This leads to high levels of the drug in the system of these animals. High concentrations of the drugs kill most of the bacterial strains in these animals, especially the strains that are sensitive to the particular drugs or drug combinations. However, the sustained exposure of bacteria to antibiotics leads to the selection of bacterial strains that have the capacity to withstand high drug levels. These bacterial strains develop resistance to the drug and their relative population exceeds that of the sensitive bacterial species. This is especially

GDP as a measure of welfare Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

GDP as a measure of welfare - Research Paper Example Russia for instance has been having an education system that determines its future economic development as it specializes in providing learners with basics in various fields like technology and trade. This therefore shows particularly that GDP can be the only factor to be used to gauge the performance of an economy in a country. Education at large is an expenditure to the economy therefore it should be counted during the measuring of Russsia’s standard of living. The life expectancy of both Russia and Kuwait is high and it is depends heavily on the economy due to expenses used in these two states to ensure that the life expectancy is very high as it looks at spending in good medical facilities and the higher the life expectancy the higher the future economic growth. This two states have tried to encourage for an equal balance in terms of income among the individuals. They do this by setting standards by a certain level to suit every individual there during the calculation of the living standards of the country and the measures included. Hence the GDP per capita have a close relationship with these other alternative measures in determining the living standards. These alternative factors should at all cost be included in the measure of living standards across these two nations economically. Another important measure of the living standard is the taxation rate in the economy of the involved countries. This simply adds to the revenue income of a nation at total budget which qualifies it to be used as a determinant in measuring the standard of living since it entails income of the authority government which is the overall income to the country. The large the tax rate the higher the income revenue to the government. The six countries as shown with their respective tax rate. Kuwait belongs to the same category as Russia because

Effective Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Effective Advertising - Essay Example Advertising is one of the promotion tools that firms use to interact with the consumers. Known as above-the-line-promotion sometimes, it is a paid-for interaction with the customers to inform or persuade about the product the company is providing, e.g. TV or Magazine advertising. Advertisements are generally focused towards the right target market by opting for the right communication bridge i.e. Media. But it is also true that many people who are not willing or able to buy the product may see the advertisements too. Outstanding advertising operations can lead to increased consumer awareness and turnover for the product, thus positivity can be achieved such as brand loyalty. There are two types of advertising: Informative and Persuasive. Informative are adverts that give information to potential purchasers of a good, instead of just trying to create a name. Price or features of the product can be written on it, or to be more relevant, places where the product can be found. Firms use this type of advertising because it is effective when it is trying to stimulate introductory interest in consumers for the product that is not been known before, or trying to inform about the design or specifications. Another type of advertising is persuasive advertising. This is needed to create a distinctive notion of the product, although it doesn’t reveal all the information of the product i.e. price or place it can be found at, or materials used to create the product. It is rather done to ‘play’ with the minds of the consumers so that consumers can differentiate about the particular product and other products of the same kind available in the market. â€Å"The more informative your advertising, the more persuasive it will be.† (Shields, 2007). On the other hand, not all advertising is focused on the end user. One type of advertising is targeted at retailers to stock and sell products to consumers and, if possible, to provide a better image than rival products. This kind of product advertising is most used and printed in business journals and trade digests or business channels which mostly are not available to consumers but only to firms and businessmen. Advertising can be done in many ways. Advertising agencies can be there to provide these services. (Stimpson & Farquharson, 2010). Although it can prove to be expensive, these specialists can offer a complete effective advertising techniques and this can be precious to a business without its own marketing experts or to one that might have experiencing this for the first time. These agencies will charge substantial fees and do the job as: Researching the market, Use cost-effective advertising techniques, Using experts and creative heads to design, filming and printing the adverts, and assessing and monitoring the work done. Effective advertising is the targeting rightly at the right customers through the right media and the right time and marketing what the business has to offer u sing the most relevant and possible technique. Advertising can only be effective if the message has been received and inferred by the receiver (public), and the sender is satisfied that it has been conveyed properly. Key elements of effective advertising are: Transmitter or sender (Firm) Clear-cut delivery of the message Appropriate channel (way of advertising) Receiver (public) Feedback to assess the outcome Advertisements may be characterized into two categories â€Å"Branding† adverts or â€Å"Tactical† adverts for products specifically. This efficient method allows the company to promote a variety of products under its influence at the same time. â€Å"Tactical† advertisements – usually provide a solution to a particular problem. It gives the exact details of the product that is to be sold. Tactical advertisement usually leads to stiff competition from competitors in the industry. Recent researches have been conducted upon this notion whether advertis ing really increases the sales or brand value or not. According to the researches, NASCAR fans were

Trends toward Western-style China and India Essay

Trends toward Western-style China and India - Essay Example marketers of today should understand that, to attract the large youth dominated markets, they must then provide the goods and services that are interesting to the youth and hence these goods and services must focus on music, fashion, technology and other factors that are influencing to the youth. Both companies from India and China emphasize on the importance of value differentiation in developing their competitive advantage strategies. The consumers in these emerging markets prefer value and are willing to consume more of the goods, which they believe are of quality, safe and have utility. In addition, these consumers are shifting upscale and ready to pay more for goods with integrity, reliability and desirable features that are made from high quality material and components (White, 2012). Therefore, it is evident that the old paradigm when consumers preferred price to all other factors is fading in these markets and consumers are shifting gears in their preference and tastes. Thus, this shift seems to be a new critical factor for marketers in in these emerging markets and a wake call to companies to produce new and better products meeting the consumers’ demands, taste and preferences, which ultimately would lead to customer brand loyalty. However, companies in the United States emphasize on the importance of a standardized marketing strategy, which involves marketing consumer goods in a uniform and consistent way across all the marketing mix. These companies view this strategy as the most influential and effective approach to developing competitive strategies. For instance, some companies in the United States standardize all aspects of their goods while others on the other hand standardize a few elements of their goods. However, whichever way or approach the companies use, they are able to make cost savings and ensure consistency of their goods globally (White, 2012). The consumption style of the West involves increased sensitivity to the different economic

Difference among Brick and Mortar Businesses Assignment - 10

Difference among Brick and Mortar Businesses - Assignment Example Web stores refer to a form of electronic business whereby clients directly buy products from a seller over the Internet with no an intermediary service (Recklies 57). Web stores are also referred to as online shops. An online shop excludes the physical equivalence of buying goods or services at shopping centers or bricks-and-mortar retailers. The process is referred to as a business-to-consumer (B2C) Internet shopping. When a company buys from another company it is referred to as B2B online shopping. B2B stands for business-to-business. The largest online retailing businesses are Amazon.com as well as eBay. They are both based in the United States. A catalog business is also another form of retailing. The business trades in a wide variety of personal products as well as household. Most catalog businesses emphasize on jewelry. Unlike a self-serve retail shop, a majority of the items in the catalog shop are not displayed. Clients pick the products from written catalogs in the shop and fill out an order paper. The order is taken to the sales desk, where a clerk fetches the items from the warehouse to a payment and checkout desk. The catalog business has lower prices than other traders plus lower expenses because of the smaller size of the store (Recklies 60). A restaurant’s value chain should incorporate producers, aggregators, processors, distributors, wholesale buyers, farmers markets, consumers plus a wide variety of essential supporters (Recklies 156). Casa Nueva, a restaurant in Athens, had been purchasing local plus practicing season expansion on its own for many years. The restaurant has, however, in the recent days, been applying the value chains elements, and its sells have boosted up.

Art of Negotiation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Art of Negotiation - Research Paper Example Matt, in order to develop his business in Australia, needs to avail quality supply of fabrics from Red Star Holding in China. The negotiation between the two is essential from the perspective of Matt, as the delay in the deal could cause bankruptcy. It is important to note that the fabrics used for the purpose of making shirts also cause rashers to the users. In this regard, there is a need for effective negotiation between the two parties. The effective negotiation would only occur if there is a collaborative approach between the two and hence, seeking for a win-win scenario for both.The theory of Integrative Based Bargaining can be applied in the negotiation process between the two parties. By taking into concern this theory, Matt should focus on the goals of each party and hence, consider the negotiation. Matt should negotiate with Red Star Holding by ensuring that the latter promises to deliver fabrics, which do not cause rashes to the users. This negotiation should be as such th at it creates a win-win situation for both the parties. In this regard, Matt should promote the flow of information between the two parties and hence, understands the need of other parties. This would lead towards emphasizing the attainment of common objectives and the minimisation of any sort of difference prevailing between them. In the course of considering the international context of engaging with business partners from China, it can be affirmed that it is essential to consider certain important factors before the negotiation round.

In the novel of Mice and Men show how Steinbeck represents the theme of loneliness Essay Example for Free

In the novel of Mice and Men show how Steinbeck represents the theme of loneliness Essay The name of the author of this novel is John Steinbeck. He wrote this novel in 1936 and it was published in 1937. The novel is set in a ranch, which is near the town of Soledad, California. Steinbeck got the name for his novel from a poem by Robert Burns called To a mouse, on turning her up in her nest with the plough. At the time this novel was written America was in the period of the Great Depression. This meant people could not find many permanent jobs and so had to travel around the country looking for work. This meant that the workers were sometimes away from their families for a long time and had to travel alone just to try make some money. This was a very bad period in the American history with a high rate of suicide and many people got bankrupt. Usually the workers would stay in a job for a few weeks after which they would travel to find another job, this meant they did not have much time to make friends and so often were very lonely. The main characters in of Mice and Men are George and Lennie. The story is based around them and their time at the ranch. Some of the other important characters are Slim, Curly, Curlys wife and Candy. This novel has many themes in it which include loneliness, the dreams of the workers and also apartheid and sexism. Some of the characters who are lonely are Curlys wife and Crooks. These two are lonely because first of all Crooks is as Black person and at the time Black people did not have the same rights as White people. This meant that Crooks had no one to talk to and usually had to spend time by himself. After a while of spending time completely on his own Crooks thinks that he could be going crazy and he really wants some company. I know this because in chapter four Crooks is talking to Lennie and he say, I seen things out here. I wasnt drunk. I dont know if I was asleep. If some guy was with me, he could tell me I was asleep, an then it would be all right. But I just dont know. This shows that Crooks has been on his own for too long, and now he is not even sure of what is real and what is not. Crooks does not have any dreams because he has been at the ranch for a long time and has seen many peoples dreams destroyed. Another person who is lonely is Candys wife. She is lonely because she is a woman and so none of the men really talk to her. Also because she is the only woman on the ranch she has no other women to talk to either. This means she gets very lonely, however she does try talk to the men sometimes, but this has a bad affect. This is because the men think she is some type of whore or a slut who is trying to manipulate or use them in some way. This is unfair on Curlys wife because they do not know her and all she wants is some company. Also Curlys wife is from the city and so does not know how to do the ranch work and so she usually has to stay in the house on her own. Candy does not like Curlys wife because he thinks she is a tart. The ranch in the novel is near a town called Soledad, however because there are no buildings or people very close to the ranch itself, people inside only have each other to talk to and because Curlys wife is the only female she has no one to talk to and so feels isolated. This is also the case for Crooks because he is the only Black person on the ranch. In the novel, George is a migrant worker who has been traveling around America doing odd jobs with his fellow companion Lennie. George is a small man with small strong hands, dark face and sharp restless eyes. From his description I can see that George is a clever and careful character. Lennie on the other hand is a big man with large pale eyes, and sloping shoulders. His movement had a bear like quality and the way he is described in the novel makes him sound like an animal. George and Lennie travel together because they are friends and have known each other a long time. Also it would be better then traveling alone, because they would have no other companions and so would be lonely. At the start of the novel George and Lennie are in a natural clearing a few miles away from the ranch. They have not got any money because they had to buy bus tickets and had to flee the last town because Lennie got into trouble. George and Lennie have a good friendship but at times it seems that it is a relationship between and father and son. George seems to take the roll of the father and Lennie the son. Even though George complains about Lennie and says that he would be much better off without Lennie, he still needs Lennie for companionship. I know this because in chapter one George says, God a mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy. I could go get a job a job an work, an no trouble. This shows that George sometimes does wish he is alone because Lennie is sometimes just too much trouble and he thinks that if he didnt have to look after Lennie then he wouldnt have all this money trouble. Although, even though he sometimes wishes that Lennie wasnt around he knows that he couldnt live without him. I know this because when Lennie tells George that he can leave if George wants him to and says he can go live in the hills. George apologizes to Lennie for shouting at him and tells him to stay with him. George and Lennie both share a dream. Their dream is to own a piece of their own land where they can live and feed themselves. This is the American dream. For George and Lennie the dream makes them think they are different to the other workers. George tells Lennie how most workers make some money then spend it all in some brothel or bar He then tells Lennie how they are different. He tells him how they have each other and they have a dream that they are working towards. For George and Lennie their dream is very important because it is a way they are getting through life. The dream gives them hope, and that is one human feature that always seems to make people believe that everything will be ok and they will be happy. John Steinbeck shows that their dream is an ideal because it is just too perfect. The dream is about George and Lennie having their own land on which they will have rabbits, a cow and grow vegetables. Also the ways Lennie describes the rabbits shows that it is just a fantasy. He says they will be all different colours, like yellow and green. The readers know that this is impossible and yet they sympathize with Lennie because of his child like innocence. In chapter four George is with the rest of the men at a brothel called Susys. Even though they have gone there to get some relief after the long day they have had, it is quite hypocritical of George to be going to this brothel because he says that he is not one of the men who just goes there and spends all his money. Although we are not told if he does spend any money there it is quite likely he does spend some. This means he is being a hypocrite. In chapter four Lennie goes into Crooks room without being invited. In this chapter Lennie is in Crooks control and when Crooks starts telling Lennie that George has left him and wont come back Lennie believes him and then gets angry. Crooks calms him down because Lennie can be very dangerous when he gets angry or upset. After a while Candy comes in and he and Lennie start telling Crooks about their dream and how it will come true. Even though George told them not to tell anyone they tell Crooks anyway because he is Black and they think it wont matter if he knows. Candy is an old man who has been at the ranch for a long time. He has been allowed to stay there because his hand was cut off in one of the machines at the ranch. At the ranch he works as a floor sweeper. Candy is lonely because he is considered just to be an old man and none of the workers really talk to him that much. He did have a dog which was very important to him because he was his only companion and he had owned the dog since it was a puppy, unfortunately for him the dog became too old and so had to be shot. Also it hurt him more because he was not able to shoot him and the dog was shot by someone else. Crooks is lonely because he is a Black person and on the ranch he is the only one. They do not let him stay in the barn with the rest of the workers and so he has no one to talk to. He only has his books and they are very important to him because they are a form of companionship. Crooks and Candy are both lonely because they have no one who they can really talk with and make friends with. In chapter four they have been left behind while the rest go to Susys cathouse because Candy is considered to be too old and Crooks is Black and so cannot go into many places. Candy gets involved in George and Lennies dream because after his dog gets shot, Candy over hears George and Lennie talking about it and asks them if he could be apart of it. He says he is willing to pay and pays much more ten both George and Lennie combined. This dream gives Candy new hope and therefore feels livelier. When Crooks first hears about the dream he is quite critical about it but the further he hears about it the more convinced he becomes. However he has seen too many peoples dreams broken and so he says he does not want to be apart of it. Steinbeck shows that without dreams people have no hope and without hope life seems to be worthless. He shows that people need dreams, however farfetched they are, so that they feel they have goals and something to look forward to. Crooks has a more realistic attitude towards dreams, he says in chapter four that dreams get destroyed and it ruins people lives. I can show this because he says, an every damn one of ems got a little piece of land in his head. An never a god-damn one of em ever gets it. This is proof that Crooks is more realistic and he knows how the world works. He knows that people never seem to make their dreams come true. Curlys wife is quite young and beautiful. She is lonely because she has no one to talk to. She married Curly because she was upset with her mother and so does not really love Curly. She is a trophy wife for Curly. In chapter four she is the one in charge of all the misfits. She knows this and so she behaves quite badly and is mean to Crooks. When Crooks tells her to get out she tells him to be quiet or she will get him hanged. She tells him that all she has to do is scream rape and he will be hanged. This shows that Curlys wife also has an evil side. In this novel Steinbeck is sexist to women. He does not even give Curlys wife a name, and makes her look like a tart. Also most of the other characters think she is a bad woman, George gives her names such as jail-bait and tart. Curlys wife also has a dream. Her dream is to become a star and become rich and famous. She is quite gullible, we know this because she tells Lennie about a man telling her he would take her to Hollywood and make her a star, but in reality he just wanted her. Curlys wifes loneliness leads to her to own death because she is so desperate to talk to someone she starts to talk to Lennie. Lennie has a childlike mind and so does not really understand her and they both talk about two different things, but for Curlys wife just being with someone is good enough. She then lets him stroke her hair and when Lennie does not let go, she starts screaming, this makes Lennie confused and frightened and so he suffocates her. The writer has shown loneliness in this novel through the actions the characters take and the things they say. Some of the similarities between the lonely characters are that, that both Crooks and Candy are treated differently. This leads to them wanting to get involved in George and Lennies dream. Also Curlys wife is similar to these two characters because she is a woman, but between the three characters she is the most powerful one. Lennie and Candy are similar because they are both coping with life through their dreams. The writer is saying that loneliness is a curse itself and people react in different ways to it. He is trying to say that humans cannot survive when they are lonely and sometimes can go crazy. The novel of Mice and Men is a tragedy and the writer shows that George and Lennies friendship is doomed from the start. He shows that even though they need each other they will never be successful with their dream. With Lennies death the dream is over for both George and Candy. Without Lennie George will have no companionship and so he will be the same as the rest of the migrant workers. George shot Lennie because even though Lennie did not realize it, he had committed a crime and taken a persons life. George knew that Lennie had gone too far this time and knew that he had no other choice. Also he did not want the others to find him because they would have made him suffer and George would not have been able to see that happen. I think that in some ways he did do the right thing because if he let the others find Lennie they would have put him through trials and tortured him, however maybe he should have let the justice system deal with the case instead of taking matters into his own hands. The theme of loneliness in this novel is a very good reflection of the social and economic settings of the 1930s. I think this because many of the issues it covers are typical of the 1930s, such as racism and sexism.

The Role of Women During the Crusades

The Role of Women During the Crusades The Crusades were a series of campaigns led by the Catholic Church. It took place in the Holy Land which was taken over by the Muslims. The Catholic Church urged the Catholic countries in Europe to send men and recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims. The final crusade was the 9th crusade in the Middle East which concluded the entire campaign (Jones vii). After the wars were over many countries were struck with military problems. The effects of the Crusades werent all negative some aspects were positive like the prosperity of economic. Economic was flourishing during this time because all the ships had to pass through Italy. Therefore the entire tradesman came from the Crusades or the Muslims. Therefore the Italian Renaissance was ignited from the effects of the Crusades (Rosenthal, Joel T.). The effects of the Crusades werent only to the men in society, but also to the women. The Crusades created hardship for many common families in Europe and especially Women. Women during this pe riod had to lose their identity as women and go out and fight, they also had to do the role as a father and as the leader of the family, and due to the absence of the husband they took up arts and culture to fill up the missing gap in their lives without their husbands. Women had to go out and fight also in the Crusades to fill up for the dead soldiers. Although women are physically weaker than men they still went out to war. Both sides of the war, Muslim and Christian women both went out to fight. They werent usually the ones fighting out in the battlefield but protected the castle or the base from being attacked. Their effects were being like a defensive wall so that the Muslim soldiers could not overcome a base while the Crusaders were fighting. A problem aroused despite the good job the women were doing. When women appear while looking at men for a long time, the sexual desires of man appear, so the women who were the washer women and the cooks became prostitutes. So after the 2nd crusade the Church prohibited women to go out and help fight in the battles (Crusades-Encyclopedia). During their battles they found out that a major problem with the soldiers was their lack of hygiene. So after the 3rd crusade only washer women were allowed to go to t he battlefield to take care of the lice of the soldiers. The only reason they were allowed to go was because they were very old of age and none of the soldiers had sexual attractions to them (University of Michigan). Women who went to war were not only common women but also royalty. The powerful queen Eleanor of Aquitaine also participated in the war. Even though she was a queen of two countries and despite she was very important in Europe she led 300 female crusaders during the second crusade. The second crusade like the first was a complete failure and the blame went to Eleanor and her women soldiers. The blame was put on her for the supply train she needed to support here soldiers. In reality though, it wasnt her fault but the poor strategies and lack of moral from the men leaders. She was a perfect example of what women could accomplish later in the future (Jones 81). When men from a family went out to the crusades it usually lasted for a couple of years so the women took over the family and accomplished the jobs of the father. When the husband was around it was easy for the women since her jobs were very limited, but when the husband went out to the crusades women decided to send messages to their husbands. During busy times it was highly unlikely that the message would be properly sent so the importance of the women increased greatly. The women had to deal all sorts of problems which arose within the house and in society. Due to the lack of men the women was considered the head, temporarily. When the husband died during battle the wealth and the land would go to the women, therefore socially women became stronger (Free Articles Directory). In those times womens jobs were childbearing, marriage, and housework. Due to the absence of men women became socially active. Royal women for example managed their own courts and solving problems such as knig hts trying to take over the manor using the absence of the husband as an advantage. Despite the gender difference women still fended off men. Peasant women had to do strenuous physical activities to raise and feed the children. The ones who couldnt do these usually left all the material aspects behind and became religious. Due to being a woman they were forbidden from being a priest, so they became spiritual advisers, visionaries, or writers (Rosenthal, Joel T.). This showed that despite the fact that the men werent with them they were able to do things which men could do. This chance became a spark for the women in the renaissance period later in time. Since men were out due to the crusades, women were affected by the absence of the man in the family, to feel the missing gap in life; women took up arts and culture. One aspect of culture was literature. Literature in medieval Europe increased greatly especially in the urban areas. During the medieval times all the books and church scriptures were written in Latin. Therefore women had a chance to learn to read and be educated (Rosenthal, Joel T). To replace the absence of the husbands many women became Trobairitz. A trobairitz is a patroness of literature. They composed lyrics, poems and they recited to the people. They managed to copy books in different languages (Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Tennessee) .The second generations of the patronesses of literature were raised as patronesses of art. After teaching art to the second generation the reputation of the women enhanced (University of Michigan). The idea of being a patroness was not only open to normal people but to royalty also. Many queens became patronesses such as Eleanor of Castille. She was a queen in 1290 of England and was an active patroness of vernacular literature. The books she copied and wrote were about romances and bibliographies on saints (Google Docs). Another royalty was Marie de Champagne who was the daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine. She was an example of the offspring of many medieval women who raised their kids to be patronesses of the arts and cultures. She managed to write a lot of romance poetry, fables and moral tales (Fidel Fajardo-Acosta). These examples of how women became part of the male dominated society. By studying and learning women became knowledgeable which helped develop the country through culture and arts. The crusades although were bloody wars which killed many lives of the Europeans and the Muslims it helped women develop in a male dominated society. By taking over the manors and lands of the husband they learnt skills which they could never have learnt without the crusades. One of the biggest help the women did to society was taking up arts and literature. By taking these aspects it increased the status of the women, improved the literature and arts of the medieval period. When the men were out fighting women at the bases defended the walls and tended for the sick. Although Europe was a male dominating society and prejudice against women through these effects of the Crusades women became noticeable to society. This was the beginning of equality of men and women. MLA: Jones, Sydney. The Crusades: Biographies. Farmington Hills, Michigan: Gale, 2005. vii. Print. Women Warriors During the Crusades. Crusades-Encyclopedia. Web. 14 Feb 2010. . Women-article. University of Michigan. Web. 16 Feb. 2010. . Jones, Sydney. The Crusades: Biographies. Farmington Hills, Michigan: Gale, 2005. 81. Print. The role of women during the Crusades. Free Articles Directory | Submit Articles ArticlesBase.com. Web. 23 Feb. 2010. . Rosenthal, Joel T. Crusades. Microsoft ® Student 2008 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2007. Trobairitz. Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Tennessee. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. . Eleanor of Castille. Google Docs. 3 Sept. 2009. Web. 27 Feb. 2010. . Marie de France. Fajardo-Acosta.com. Fidel Fajardo-Acosta, 2001. Web. 27 Feb. 2010. .

The Metamorphosis of Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck :: The Grapes of Wrath

The Metamorphosis of Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath Tom Joad from Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath is a prime example of a person whose morals and spiritual growth cannot be restricted by the law or any other limiting factor for long. Throughout the novel he develops from a man only interested in his own independent personal desires and needs to one who is devoted to his family and sacrifices his own personal comfort for the benefit of the family. At the novel's end Tom is continuing Jim Casy's generous work of uniting the poor hand laborers against the rich oppressive landowners who are starving the poor with low wages. Tom's concept of family grows with his work uniting the poor to encompass all of humanity. Maslow's Humanistic psychological "Hierarchy of Human Needs" can be used to track Tom's personal development. Humanists believe that humans are constantly striving to be the best person that their present conditions allow them to be. The Hierarchy of Needs lists the needs that humans need to satisfy to reach the next level of development. One cannot move to a higher level of development without first satisfying the more basic levels. The first level includes the physiological needs: food water, and sleep. The next level is safety and security, then love and belonging. Next of the list is a healthy self-esteem and finally self-actualization. One who is self actualized has efficient perceptions of reality, autonomy, fellowship with hum ity, strong and loving interpersonal relationships, and is task centered. At the beginning of the novel Tom has just been paroled from prison serving time for killing a man in a fight. Tom feels he was merely defending himself. He feels no guilt or shame about killing the man and would do it again under the same conditions. Tom's morals allowed him to justify the killing. These morals were instilled in him by his family especially from the strength and love of his mother. Tom is looking forward to "laying one foot down in front of another." At this point in he story Tom has his physiological needs met and is going home to his family to meet his needs of safety and security love belonging. In chapter 6 Tom finds his house abandoned and meets Muley, an old neighbor that stayed behind after his family moved to California for work.

Essay --

Study Information for Test 1 Contents 1. Equation Sheet 2. Test Coverage 3. Test Format 4. Practice Questions Equation Sheet: The following will be provided on a tear-off sheet Equations: Constants: | e | = 1.60 x 10-19 C P = i V From 205: Power = Test Coverage Chapter 26 (Capacitance) 26.1 state and use the definition of capacitance; give the SI unit of capacitance. 26.2 sketch parallel plates charged by a battery and apply the formula for parallel plate capacitance. 26.3 explain why capacitance increases when parallel plates are filled with an insulating material; calculate parallel plate capacitance including the dielectric constant. 26.4 define series and parallel connections of capacitors; use these rules to reduce a capacitor circuit to a single capacitor and battery (if possible); determine the charge and voltage of each capacitor in such a circuit. 26.5 calculate the energy stored in a capacitor. Chapter 27 (Current and resistance) 27.1 define electric current and state the convention for its direction; give the SI unit of current. 27.2 define electric current density for current uniformly distributed over a cross section of wire. 27.3 state and use Ohm's law. 27.4 calculate the power dissipated in a resistor; calculate the resistance of a hot plate of a given wattage and line voltage. Chapter 28 (Circuits) 28.1 describe the functioning of a simple circuit consisting of a resistor and a battery using the analogy to fluid flow. 28.3 define series and parallel connections of resistors; use these rules to reduce a resistor circuit to a single resistor and battery (if possible); determine the current and volt... ...oltage loop rule to determine the charge Q2. †¢ Two sheets (A & B) carrying charge densities of -ÏÆ' and +ÏÆ' are placed at x = 1 cm and x = 7 cm (See the diagram below. Note that the horizontal and vertical scales are different). Two conducting slabs with widths of 1.5 cm and 0.5 cm are inserted between the charged sheets at the locations shown in the diagram. (Ignore fringing effects.) (a) Draw a graph that represents the electric potential as a function of x for x between 0 and 8 cm. (b) Draw a graph that represents the electric field as a function of x for x between 0 and 8 cm. (c) Calculate the potential difference between sheets A and B. Explain how you determined your answer. (d) Suppose the two slabs are connected with a wire. Will the potential difference be greater, smaller or equal to your answer in part (c)? Explain your reasoning.

Philosophy of Education Essay -- Essays Papers

Philosophy of Education An epidemic of fragile families and a savage society filled with countless negative images puts many of our children at risk of becoming victims rather than the victors they were created to be. While all children are blessed with their own minds, talents, and the ability to grow and mature into adults, they must make a way for themselves in a world overwrought with sex, violence, and crass materialism. Because of this, they are handed low self-esteems, broken dreams, and false hopes in the place of options, opportunities, and hope in a better future. Therefore, the purpose of an education is to restore these things into the community, into each family, and into the heart of every student. The variety in talent that our children possess is absolutely remarkable. I believe that each child has some sort of ability that will allow him/her to succeed and function in society as a positive role model. The problem is, however, getting these children to look within themselves for the power to get through their different family situation...

Critical Thinking and Sexual Decision

Critical Thinking and Sexual Decision PSY/265 January 18, 2013 Critical Thinking and Sexual Decision When using value systems for making sexual decisions, you are talking about legalism, Situational ethics, ethical revelation, hedonism, ascetism, utilitarianism and rationalism. Each of these value systems is another way of justifying why you make the decisions you make. According to Rathus, Nevid, and Fichner-Rathus (2011) legalism is when people base their decisions on an external code of moral laws such as religion.Situational ethics is when people base their decisions on what they are facing at the present time. Ethical relativism is when people believe that there is more than one correct moral view and bases their decisions on their principles and their conscience. Hedonism is when people base their decision on if something feels good or not with no regard to any morals. Ascetism is the belief of self-denial of material and sexual desires, therefore making their decisions based o n that belief. Utilitarianism is when people base a decision on â€Å"the greatest good for the greatest number. Rationalism is when people base their decision after weighing the pros and cons about doing something. When it came to me personally I would have to say that I can see myself using two of the value systems. The first would be ethical relativism. Although I do not feel that there is one set of morals, I do base my decisions on my principles and my conscience. An example of this would be when a man thought that he could buy me. He told me that I could have anything I wanted, and that he would pay my bills, as well as making sure that my children would want for nothing and that all I had to do was sleep with him.The catch is, he was married. When facing this choice it was my principles and my conscience that made me say no. The second would be rationalism. The reason for this is because I always weigh the pros and cons before making any decision in my life. These decisions can be anything from how I spend my money, to whom I may have sex with. References: Rathus, S. A. , Nevid, J. S. , & Fichner-Rathus, L. (2011). Human Sexuality in a World of Diversity (8th ed. ). Boston, Massachusetts: Allyn

Review of Financial Statements Essay

Financial statements are essential accounting tools which include balance sheets, cash flow statements, and income statements that provide information on a company’s past and present financial history. Information on financial statements can be used by any number of public and private entities to determine if an organization’s financial status is healthy. Burger King and McDonald’s are two organizations that use financial statements in conducting business. Further, this paper will discuss the financial statements of each company, the firms which audit each companies financial statements, and define accounting concepts, terminologies, and transactions used in the financial statements. Additional information will provided regarding when McDonald’s and Burger King were established and what product and services they provide to the public. Overview of Organizations McDonalds first opened its doors in 1940 introducing the concept of the â€Å"speedee service system† offering french fries, hamburgers, and shakes to satisfy the hungry customer quickly at a low price. Over the next 65 plus years the McDonalds menu has changed from just french fries and hamburgers to salads, wraps, chicken nuggets and many more items which cater to the ever changing tastes of consumers. McDonalds has been criticized over the years as being a major contributor high obesity rates, in part due to the speedee service concept. These criticism have caused McDonald’s to rethink menu items and helped the company to enact numerous changes to the menu which now offers nutritional guides for each menu item and healthier choices such as salads, fruit, and milk. McDonald’s has changed the oil used to fry foods to make the fries healthier and includes a choice of meal sizes and most recently started a new line of coffee drinks, which offers the desired Starbucks taste for a fraction of the cost. â€Å"The fast food chain currently has 31,000 restaurants worldwide and operates in 119 countries and serves approximately 47 million customers daily. McDonalds is also highly associated with the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) that has donated money and services to families and communities for over 35 years to approximately 37 million children and families.† (McDonalds, 2009). The McDonald Corporation pays for most of  RMHC’s global administration cost so that all donations go directly to the community and families. The charity is in such high demand that RMHC plans to expand their programs by 37% by 2010 to better help those in need. Burger King started in 1953 first known as Insta Burger King offering hamburgers to consumers that was cooked on a small cooker called an Insta-Broiler oven; the concept proved to be successful. â€Å"In 1954 the name changed to Burger King, the broiler oven first used was replaced with the flame broiler and soon became popular for offering their flame broiled hamburgers and what is now known as the Whopper burger.† (Burger King, 2009). The next 60 plus years for Burger King began suffering the same criticisms as McDonalds. It seemed all fast food chains were being blamed for the increased obesity rate in the U.S. Burger King followed suit and began making changes to their menus adding chicken, salads, fruit, food nutritional guides, smaller sizes, choice of drinks such as tea, milk, and changing the oil used to fry French fries as well as additional changes. Burger King Corporation is associated with a few charity organizations such as â€Å"Have It Your Way† which works to alleviate hunger, disease, and promotes community education through scholarship programs; the McLamore Foundation provides scholarships and is associated with several charities for When Organizations Were Established Burger King was founded in 1954 in Miami, Florida by James McLamore and David Edgerton. â€Å"McLamore and Edgerton, both of whom had extensive experience in the restaurant business before starting their joint venture, believed in the simple concept of providing the customer with reasonably priced quality food, served quickly in attractive, clean surroundings.† (New York Job Source, 2009), thus, the invention of the Whopper which was an instant success. Today Burger is found in all 50 states and 74 countries and territories throughout the world with more than 11,700 restaurants. In 1967 the Pillsbury Company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota purchased the company and its employees and the company went public in May 2006 at $17 a share. Today the company remains majority-owned by an equity group comprised of Texas Pacific Group, Bain Capital Partners and the Goldman Sachs Funds. (New York Job Source, 2009). McDonald’s was founded by two brothers, Dick and Mac McDonald of San  Bernardino, California. Ray Kroc, a milkshake machine distributor happened on the brothers’ restaurant as he was curious to discover why such a small establishment would need 10 milkshake machines. Kroc was impressed by the speed with which these two brothers were able to provide service in their busy hamburger stand and he asked the brothers for a briefing on their â€Å"McDonald’s Speedee System† and after the briefing he requested and â€Å"secured the rights to duplicate the system throughout the United States. â€Å"Ray Kroc opened his first outlet in Chicago in 1955, 50 years later the number of McDonald’s locations had expanded to over 31,500.† (Albrecht, Stice, Stice, & Swain, 2008, pg. 76). Today McDonald’s averages over 100 million dollars a day and is located in 121 countries around the world. Both companies had meager beginnings and have grown into fas t food superstars. Accounting Organizations Providing Audits Both McDonald’s and Burger King offer burgers, fries, and creamy shakes. However, the differences between McDonald’s and Burger King are far more than golden arches and golden crowns. McDonald’s has both and internal and external audit committees. The internal audit committee is composed of five Directors, each of whom meets the independence and other requirements of the New York Stock Exchange (Santona, 2009). The committee abides by a charter which states all its responsibilities and is reviewed annually. Ernst & Young LLP (Ernst & Young), the Company’s independent auditors, is responsible for performing an audit of the Company’s annual consolidated financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and for issuing a report on those statements (Santona, 2009). The Burger King Corporation also has both internal and external audit committees. The internal committees perform quarterly internal audits that are published for investors, but these audits are indicated as unaudited by an external entity. KPMG LLP is the external organization the Burger King Corporation uses for its external audits. Financial Statements Used and Terminology As a publicly traded company within the United States Burger King Corporation (BKC) has taken all the necessary steps required to abide by the regulations set forth the Sarbanes-Oxley Act  of 2002. â€Å"The annual report for FY2008 includes information such as business information, risk factors, physical assets, legal proceedings, stockholder matters, and finally a comprehensive financial statement.† (Burger King Corp, 2009). This section of the annual report begins with management reports on internal controls which are in place regarding financial reporting which explains in detail the understanding of both the CEO and CFO and their obligation to take full responsibility for the content of the annual report. The report of the independent registered public accounting firm (KPMG) is and additional statement of responsibility from the independent accounting firm which states the firm has reviewed the information. Paged within the reportcontain the balance sheet, statement of income, statement of stockholders equity, and statement of cash flows for FY2008 compared to 2007, 2006, and 2005. While BKC’s annual report was presented in a standard no-frills format, McDonald’s Corporation’s 2008 annual report included graphics and photos as the driver of the information. Along with the financial statements, â€Å"McDonald’s annual report focused on highlights from the menu to the money along with letters of welcome from the Chairman, Andy McKenna and CEO, Jim Skinner.† (McDonalds Corporation, 2009). The financial reporting still included the management’s report on internal controls, the report of independent registered public accounting firm (Ernst & Young, LLP), the balance sheet, statement of income, statement of stockholders equity, and the statement of cash flows. In both instances a dedicated effort was made to satisfy the requirements regulated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Basic Accounting ConceptsIn 2008, McDonalds’ financial report shows annual total revenue at 23,522.4 million dollars compared to Burger King’s 2,455.0 million dollars; a difference of 21,067.4 million dollars; McDonald’s clearly having earned more revenue (MSN Money, 2009). However, prior to 2003, the difference between McDonald’s profits and Burger King’s were even greater. â€Å"From 2001 through 2003 Burger King was losing money, but has made a steady annual gross profit since.† (CNN Money, 2006). Transactions In 2008, Burger Kings’ annual profit was 1,452.0 million dollars and in 2007 the profit was 1,317.0 million dollars, a growth of 135 million dollars. McDonald’s has also encountered gross profit over the past two years, however, at a much greater scale. In 2008 the gross profit recorded was 8,639.2 million dollars and in 2007 a gross profit was recorded of 7,905.2, an increase in profit of 734 million dollars. Accounts Affected by Transactions While the two fast food restaurant chains are no where near comparable in revenue, both chains are increasing revenue year after year. Since 2006, when Burger King became a publicly traded company; like McDonald’s, they both worked to maintain a profitable growth for share holders which has increased the amount of profit each year (MSN Money, 2009). Both companies have cash assets as well as land and property, rental fees, food, supplies, salary responsibilities, and advertising. Financial Statements Affected by TransactionsEach of the transactions listed for Burger King and McDonald’s are provided in detail on a number of the financial statements. Specifically, the profit can be followed on the balance sheet, the statement of income, and the statement of cash flows located in each annual report. In addition these figures are compared to the previous years’ numbers on each of these statements. Conclusion McDonald’s and Burger King have been in business for decades and each company has established its respective company in the hearts of the American people and consumers across the globe when they expanded into global market. Both companies use reputable accounting firms and the same types of financial statements in order to assess the health of their financial status. This paper has shown how important understanding the concepts, terms, and transactions listed on financial statements are in order to better gauge how a company is faring financially on a year to year basis. References Albrecht, W.S., Stice, E.K., Stice, J.D. & Swain, M.R. (2008). Accounting: Concepts and applications, (10 ed). Cengage Learning Center, Mason, Ohio. Burger King Corp. (2009). Company Info. Retrieved June 20, 2009 http://www.bk.com/Companyinfo/corporation/fact.aspxCNN Money. (2006). The King Meets his Public. Retrieved June 18, 2009, from http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/03/06/8370602/index.htmMcDonalds. (2009). Our company. Retrieved June 18, 2009 from http://www.aboutmcdonalds. Com/mcd/our_company.htmlMcDonald’s Corporation (2009). 2008 annual report. Retrieved June 18, 2009, from http://www1.mcdonalds.com/annualreport/index.htmlMSN Money. (2009). McDonalds Corporation: Financial Statement. Retrieved June 18, 2009,from http://moneycentral.msn.com/investor/invsub/results/statement.aspx?Symbol=MCD&1stStatement=Income&stmntView=AnnMSN Money. (2009). Burger King Holdings Inc.: Financial Statement Retrieved June 18, 2009, from http://moneycentral.msn.com/investor/invsub/results/statement.aspx?Symbol =BKC&1stStatement=Income&stmntView=AnnNew York Job Source. (2009). Burger King: World’s second largest food chain. Retrieved June 19, 2009 from http://www.nyjobsource.com/burgerking.htmlSantona, G. (2009). McDonald’s: 2009 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting and Proxy Statement. Retrieved June 20, 2009, from http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/etc/medialib/aboutMcDonaldsinvestor_relations.Par.58.686.File.tmp/2009%20Annual%Shareholders%20Meeting%20Proxy %20Statement.pdf

Americas Obesity Essay

The McDonald’s Corporation wants to be everywhere that children are. The number of obese children has more than doubled since 1980. Many people blame the fast food industry for making the people of America fat. Most of the people in America blames the companies for selling their unhealthy food, advertising and promoting their food to young children, and creating super sized servings. Having said that, there are people who believe that it is the person’s fault for being an unhealthy and obese person. Weintraub’s article â€Å"The Battle Against Fast Food Begins in the Home†, argues that America shouldn’t be blaming the fast food industry or the government, but instead the parents. Weintraub explains how it’s the parent’s responsibility for their own child’s health and I agree with him. I, personally blame consumers but in this case the parents are the one to be blamed since their children are not old enough to understand how fast food affects our health. People are able to make their own decisions in life and every decision should help us in a positive matter. Before we are able to make right choices, its our parents responsibility to teach us. Parents should be able to teach their children on how to make wise choices. Everyone chooses for themselves and the choices we make should reflect on our life style and well being. In Weintraubs article, he states how he treats his kids in his own home and the strict rules he has set for his children to follow. His home is a fast food , free zone or shrine to physical fitness. Weintraubs family tries to cook meals at home as much as possible. They limit television time and he encourages his boys to get out of the house, to either participate in school sports or other outside activities. Weintraub recommends having health care foundations â€Å"encourage these kinds of simple policies in the home† and maybe we might just see a slight change in America’s obesity problem. Clearly fast food companies promote their food to children because they are easier to persuade and manipulate. Many children see McDonald’s advertisements while watching television and they immediately react to it by telling their parents they want to buy this or that. Som etimes parents aren’t able to cook a home cook meal so they turn to fast food. Most of the time their children wanted that in the first place. There are many situations where fast food is the only choice parents have because it’s fast and affordable. In our economy affordable is what everyone wants. Fast food locations are everywhere and anywhere. Weintraubs loaded gun analogy, â€Å"We have laws against parents leaving a loaded weapon where their children can find it and use it to hurt themselves or others. But no one seems to want to tell parents that they need to protect their children from unhealthy foods and sloth.† I agree with what he is trying to portray. In my family, my mother works seven days a week, barely has time to cook a mea. but she still forbids us to eat out or buy fast food. She knows how unhealthy fast food is for people because she has worked at McDonald’s in the past and that could be the result of not wanting us to always eat fast food. It just really all depends on what your parents want you to do. It is the parent’s job to take the initiative for their kids health. Diabe tes accounts for $100 billion a year in health care costs today. The center for Public Health Advocacy took data and the center said, 26 percent of school children are overweight. More boys (32 percent) than girls (21 percent) were overweight. The center blamed the increasing consumption of fast food and drinks, larger portion sizes, availability of junk food on campus, advertising junk food, and the lack of consistent physical education programs in schools. The outcome of that was authors recommending the state enforce an existing law requiring an average of at least 20 minutes per day of physical education, nutritional standards for schools, and working water fountains. Out of all 20 recommendations, only one focused on parents. Authors suggest that schools be required to provide parents with fitness test results on their children and information about the importance of daily physical activity for learning and lifelong health. Weintraub states in his conclusion, â€Å"Before we start talking about banning fast food, let’s do more to encourage personal responsibility.† I have the same opinion and agree with Weintraub. We aren’t forced to eat fast food, we just choose to. Parents should teach their kids at an early age that there are alternatives and other ways to prevent obesity. It is the child’s parents who is accountable for their choices. More organizations should inform parents that they need to influence better exercise and keep track of their child’s eating habits.

Handlin vs. McNeill Essay

Although events in history occurred over a long span of time and development, history first became an academic subject a little more than 100 years ago (McNeill 12). Since then, a plethora of controversies appeared regarding how historians, scholars, and intellectuals should examine and analyze history. Among the initial methods of studying history was the scientific research method, or scientific source criticism, which fundamentally extracts valid, legitimate facts from a diverse range of historical sources. Throughout time, however, the facts derived from this method of historical study gradually altered, leading to a new method of historical study: using facts and combining them with opinions and goals to constitute personal interpretations. As Oscar Handlin zealously asserts, historians and scholars should provide a strict examination of history based on a chronological study of known and verifiable facts as opposed to using verifiable facts as the basis for their own interpretation, influenced by their own group, experiences, beliefs, and personal motives. Through implementing a strict examination of history, historians can successfully detect and eradicate bias in their writings, allow the government as well as individuals to gain an insight into the past in order to secure and progress the future, and grasp the magnitude of truth. First, because strict examination of history based on a chronology and conclusive evidence can aid in discerning bias from genuine fact, historians should utilize the scientific method of research. Although Oscar Handlin admits that historians are never â€Å"totally free of bias† (7), he does claim that removing facts from interpretations eliminates bias, opinionated statements, and fiction from history, which is supposedly the chief goal and use of history (Handlin 5). On the contrary, when scholars employ William McNeill’s method of investigating history through interpretation, biased and one-sided analyses emerge, and, therefore, scholars may elasticize actual truth to suit their purpose. Historians who use interpretation to depict history â€Å"are likely to select facts to show that we-whoever ‘we’ may be-conform to our cherished principles† (McNeill 16). Consequently, a fusion between fact and bias results, distorting the truth and leading to ignorance. Take, for instance, the example of Christopher Columbus. When examined through strict examination based on chronology and evidence,  historians determine truths including the fact that Columbus’s voyages increased Europe’s rate of expedition to the Americas and the fact that Columbus contributed to the horrifying genocide of Native Americans. These derived facts provide insight into two perspectives of Columbus, and so, it diminishes the threats of bias. However, when explored through interpretations to suit purpose or please the audience, historians exaggerate Columbus’s prominence by omitting the negative perspective mentioned above and using overarching descriptions, verifying the detriments of bias. Essentially, the scientific method of research assists historians in limiting the bias and opinion used in their writing to produce exact facts that do not serve to please the audience. In conclusion, when historians adhere to a specific study of history founded on chronology and corroborative facts, they can locate truth amidst clouds of speculation, myth, opinion, and bias, and they can use this truth to advance the human race. Rummaging through the treasure chest of historical sources and only selecting the jewels of absolute truth can facilitate the process of abolishing partiality and attaining objectivity and allow humans to use the past as a tool for enhancing the future. Handlin aggressively proclaims, â€Å"Truth is absolute; it is as absolute as the world is real† (5). If historians truly possess profound feelings and support for the success of humanity, it is crucial that they acknowledge Handlin’s statement. If McNeill’s views are adopted and excessively used, however, absolute truth and its advantageous properties may be lost forever, masked by interpretations involving a blend of fact, fiction, and ideology. By working in accordance and using the scientific method of research, humans can conquer subjective interpretations and win the war against â€Å"faction-a combination of fact and fiction† (Handlin 8).

Victim support and the criminal justice system Essay

Victim support and the criminal justice system - Essay Example Previous Governmental Approaches to Victim Support Over the years, the government has created a great deal of reports on the issue of victim support particularly in relation to domestic violence. The main aim of its 2003 report stated that it was â€Å"determined to prevent domestic violence happening...and to protect and support all victims†.1 As the years have passed, governmental approaches towards victim support have recognised that victims need to be given greater access to and degrees of support, yet this has so far failed to be implemented. It is evident however that the government’s focus on making â€Å"the sentence reflect the crime†2 has caused it to place more focus on the offender’s punishment rather than the victim’s need for support. This is particularly the case in instances of domestic violence. Endless references have been made which recognise the need to support victims in order that they be given help to â€Å"rebuild their live s†,3 yet interest in and focus on this need has been sporadic and never a central aim of the government in the past. However, 2009 saw a renewed need to support women and girls who were victims of domestic violence in particular, and the government once again quoted an onslaught of promising plans and strategies to increase access to support, advice and services.4 Arguably, these were never properly implemented, or were applied in a piecemeal fashion, causing support for victims to be patchy and incomplete at best. The approach of the government has certainly not been without its critics; it has been often commented that years after plans were published, they still have yet to be properly implemented in order to provide the support that victims so evidently need.5 There is evident focus placed on the criminal justice aspect of crime, which greatly derogates attention from providing victims with the requisite support. Indeed, it is often claimed that the government has missed t he point in attempting to support victims,6 a result of its mistaken assumption that â€Å"the criminal justice system alone can deal adequately† with victims of crime.7 The reality of proposals and plans is greatly different from the theoretical promises of those plans; funds have been pumped into arresting offenders while victim support services took a step back due to lack of funding and importance. For example, despite research proving that refuges for victims has a major positive effect, minimal funding was assigned to the creation and maintenance of refuges for victims of domestic violence in particular.8 There is blinding evidence that funding has been improperly directed towards offenders rather than victims; promises to increase the number of Rape Crisis centres have actually resulted in many centres being closed down due to major underfunding.9 The government has placed much focus on and investment in convicting offenders, while studies show that over 90% of victims who were given access to shelters felt that they had majorly improved access to safety.10 The acts of the government and its plans and promises have simply not be implemented in reality: victims still stand in the shadow of inappropriate focus placed on offenders and criminal justice.11 There is little doubt that the approach of the government has been unorganised, unstructured and incomplete, despite reports recognising that it should be the complete opposite.12 Such failure on the part of the

STrategic plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

STrategic plan - Assignment Example It has background in events sponsorship through the MINI Challenge. However, so far, MINI Australia has not yet had exposure to the gym and fitness industry. This report explores the possibility for the creation of the MINI chain of gyms throughout Australia, and analyses the potential success of this project for the purpose of securing the participation of other investors in this long-term undertaking. Analysis of external environment Prior to considering the company’s internal capabilities, it is necessary to look at the Australian automotive industry as a whole. The automotive industry is comprised of two sectors, namely the automotive manufacturing sector and the automotive retail, services and repair sector. The automotive manufacturing sector is dominated by three large vehicle manufacturers (i.e. General Motors, Ford and Toyota), as well as three large truck manufacturers (i.e., IVECO, Kenworth, and Volvo Commercial Vehicles). The automotive manufacturing sector produce s for both the domestic market as well as for the export market; in 2008, production totalled 324,684, or which just slightly over 50% (162,728) vehicles were sold locally, and the remaining 161,956 were exported. In that year, automotive industry exports rose by 14%, with the largest target export market being the Middle East, accounting for 38.1% of export sales. (MSA, 2009). PESTLE Analysis Political Australia is a mature democracy supported by a stable economy. While it has a stable party system, the ruling parties have not historically enjoyed clear majorities in the Senate (Parliament’s upper house). This disadvantage may cause some barriers or introduce delays in having important bills passed. Furthermore, in the recent 2010 election yielded inconclusive results that ushered in once more a coalition government, casting widespread doubts on the ability of this administration to remain in power for the full extent of its three year term (BMI, 2011) Economic Australia enj oys a modern and stable economy backed by a sound financial system and a workforce with a high level of education. There is continuity in policy making, which reduces investors’ risks as well as the vulnerability of the economy to regime change in the government. A measure of economic weakness is introduced, however, by the relatively high current account deficit. This increases the economy’s vulnerability to capital flows and tends to induce greater fluctuations in the currency exchange rate. This in turn causes fluctuations in the prices of commodities and increased apprehensions among the buying public. (BMI, 2011). There are likewise opportunities presented by the country’s economy, as a result of the rapid, region-wide expansion of Asian economies. The region has proven itself resilient to the recent economic recession triggered by the U.S. subprime crisis, and its strong position has created new impetus for diversification of trading ties from the core EU markets. Furthermore, Australia has a relatively lower level of government debt than most developing and developed countries, allowing it greater flexibility in the determination of fiscal policy, in order to provide support for local consumers and business until the global economy recovers from the recent downturn

Tech-Rich Riverside Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Tech-Rich Riverside - Article Example usiness such as restraints and shopping stores has also gained from the free wireless project in that the local residents use the internet in these areas as they are offered the services they need. The Digital Inclusion program played a vital role in achieving the goals of Project BRIDGE. The Project BRIDGE program provided the Digital Inclusion program with staff members who are hired to rebuild the used computers donated from the public, schools and business. Riverside residents especially youths benefited from the program by acquiring employment all over the city. â€Å"SmartRiverside† program was meant to revive the city by establishing environment conducive for Technology Companies to invest. The initiatives include creation of a free Wi-Fi throughout the city and carrying out digital literacy activities. The program achieved this by fostering use and innovation of technology. The creation of free wireless internet access throughout the city, ensuring technology literacy and conducting digital inclusion activities are part of the achievements of the â€Å"SmartRiverside†

Environmental Issues in Dairy Processing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Environmental Issues in Dairy Processing - Essay Example The second important aspect to be considered is the soil inside and around Fonterra Tirau. This is necessary because the materials and processes that are used in the milk processing can be harmful to the environment (soil) if care is not taken in their handling. If leakages or spillages occur, they can foster the micro - organism spread. Nitrogen, which is a major byproduct in the lactalbumin processing can easily leach into underground water and result in contamination of underground water sources. The other concern is that the nature of milk by-products is such that it can hamper oxygen supply in the soil, or disrupt infiltration. These in general would affect soil quality by polluting it, and this would end up even into waterways (Barnett, Robertson& Russell, n.d.).Thirdly, although not much considered is the inconvenience that might be caused by the heavy commercial vehicles, which are constantly moving into or out of Fonterra Tirau. Owing to the fact that they are large, they ha ve the potential to cause much noise and congestion of traffic in the area around Tirau. This is the same case with the heavy plant machinery used. In the light of this, it is the mandate of Fonterra Tirau to ensure that the machinery and trucks accessing the area do not have negative effects to the surrounding (Lundie, Schulz, Peters, & Nebel, 2009).Finally, air quality should be a factor very sensitive, and should be considered as well. Plant processes such as fermenting of lactic casein, bad milk.

Quality Function Deployment of Dell Company Coursework

Quality Function Deployment of Dell Company - Coursework Example The E-Business unit is in charge of running the company’s website, which is the primary source of order information. The Manufacturing department is also integrated into the production system and takes orders from clients through the primary website. Also, Suppliers have a strong partnership with Dell and this enables them to keep various stock levels of Dell products at different time intervals. There is the Customer Service unit that is outsourced and tries to ensure that customer satisfaction is at its maximum(Spulber, 2007). In the UK, like other parts of the world, Dell operates through online sales. Normally, Dell takes orders from its websites. Through these sites, Dell customers give them specifications of what kind of computer they actually want. For orders that are already in stock, the nearest available supplier ships it to the customer and it should arrive in less than 2 weeks. For customized orders that are not already in stock, the details are sent to the nearest manufacturing department, which assembles it and ships it directly to the client in about two weeks. When the customer receives an order, and s/he has some issues with it, the next point of call is to get in touch with the customer care department and present a complaint. This complaint is transferred to the technical and after-sales unit which gets in touch with the customer either directly or through the customer care and makes the necessary move to rectify the problem(Khosrow-Pour, 2004). This process is illustrated in the diagram below: The main competitors of Dell UK are HP and Acer. These two companies also provide similar products and specialize in the same activities that Dell handles. Although this is done with some differences, they are neck-to-neck with Dell in terms of market share and service delivery.  

Creating a plan for addressing the needs and issues in a Essay - 1

Creating a plan for addressing the needs and issues in a muliticultural classroom - Essay Example an that empowers students to achieve their highest potential, which in turn demands an equal, fair, and a culture sensitive teaching-learning process. This process involves specific teaching methods and practices that address the different needs of a multicultural environment. To successfully decide on teaching methods that facilitates students’ learning, a teacher must initially be familiar with the students, both as an individual and as a group (Burnette, 1999).These students will originate from varied backgrounds and may have different learning needs. A classroom may have students with different ethnic, cultural and religious beliefs, or may consist of immigrants who speak only their own native language. Some students may have a different sexual orientation; others may come from lower economic status, or have been raised by a single parent. Instances are also rampant when students have specific learning and physical disabilities that require special teaching provisions. At the beginning of the school year, it may prove beneficial for teachers to complete a student profile. Profile includes anecdotal records, questions that elicit helpful information regarding their individual backgrounds. Informal interviews may also help gain further informatio n and build teacher-student rapport. Promoting Human Relations with Emphasis on Respect and Dignity Because the classroom environment influences effective learning, a teacher must ensure that all students feel welcomed and accepted. In an open and friendly environment, rules must be firmly set against oppressive remarks and verbal abuse that are highly discriminatory. While teaching general values such as human respect and justice may be vague, setting positive examples and providing reinforcement to positive behaviors may be effective. The way teachers relate with the students impacts the students’ confidence, outlook and their capacity to learn. However, some students may be misinterpreted by their teachers. A

NAS Airlines Proposed Marketing Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

NAS Airlines Proposed Marketing Strategy - Essay Example The company has the capacity to evolve to a hybrid operation model with business class seating. The airline company serves 13 domestic destinations and 11 international destinations. Some of the international destinations include the Sana’a route to Yemen in 2009, direct route to Kochi and Kozhikode, India in 2010, Sharm el Sheikh and Assiut in Egypt, in Turkey the airline started services in 2011 in Istanbul, Antakya, and Adana. The company started its services in Karachi and Lahore in Pakistan in 2011,and in 2013 started operations in Dammam and Yanbu in Khartoum, Sudan (Saudi Arabia Tourism Report 33). The company has recently introduced Global Flights program to offer low cost rates between flights in Jeddah and other regions in Asia, Europe or Africa. The launch of Jeddah-London Gatwick services enabled the firm to become the first low-cost carrier to provide service in United Kingdom market. Flynas is the leader of lost cost carrier in Saudi airline since it sets a new s tandard of efficiency in the region. This year the company has had some key developments that include the launch of global flights route program from Jeddah to London and a daily service between Jeddah and Abha to support the increasing capacity of the domestic routes that will drive economic growth in major cities in the kingdom. The expansion program has been possible since the firm has added 3 airbus aircrafts fitted with business economy cabins that amount to a major leap for the firm in the airline industry. Saudi Arabia Tourism Report Q4 2012 (3) says that Saudi Arabia’s FlyNas ends the domestic monopoly market strategy and currently aims to break in the international circles like other airlines. The low cost operator has managed to launch flights between Riyadh-Gatwick and has plans to build long haul operation from the kingdom. In 2014, the company has been successful in the establishment of flights to Kuala Lumpur, Manchester, Surabaya, Casablanca, and Jakarta

Gun control Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Gun control - Research Paper Example The proponents of gun rights argue that the availability of gun in the public spheres allows the people to protect themselves, and this ultimately is a solution to the gun crisis that exist in the affected states. Gun control is indeed not a solution for the violence and killing that are evident in states such as America. The Gun culture is an issue that started back in the 1970s when citizens were given the right to possess a gun as a defense weapon. In the famous westward expansion in the history of America, the citizens were allowed to safeguard their lives from attackers and wild animals in a period that was characterized with war and rivarly. This implies that the initial motive of providing gun rights was to protect the people from criminal acts that were threatening the people. In a period of high crime like the 21stcentury, the purchase of guns has increased as people prepare to counter these crime rates in the public domain. The supporters of the Gun rights argue that this i s the period that people need more personal protection than ever in the history of America (Moorhouse 103-124). Consequently, legalizing the purchase of guns in USA will empower the citizens to be more conscious of crime at their homes. Statistics compiled in 1990 have pointed out to the aggravation of criminal activities in the United States, most of which were perpetrateted by arm owners. Crooker (1) points out that atleast one person dies in America every 18 minutes which amounts to a total of about 30, 000 deathst very year. Of these, less than 50% of people who die are killed while the rest are victims of accidental gun shots and other commit murder using legally owned weapons. The question that emerges from these kind of statistics is whether legal arms or illegal arms result to the increased number of gun deaths in the united states. From the point of critical evaluator, legal arms as well are dangerous in the public sphere and the question of withdrawing gun rights can be ra ised at this point. Withdrawing the public right to own a gun would help to reduce the number of accidental deaths as well as the rate of suicide that has threatened the existence of the citizens in America. On this ground, most supporters of gun control feel that both illegal and legal arms should be withdrawn from the public to ensure that the people are safe from sudden deaths. However withdrawing the gun from the public spheres may not be an ultimate solution to the number of gun deaths that are increasing each day as more rifles find their way into the public sphere. DeConde (172) presents the pros and cons of denying the public the rights to possess legal firearms which has underpinned the death of more citizens every year. Depossessing the public with the right to own firearms will ensure that the rates of suicide would decrease considerably and the consequent drop in the number of people who die from stray bullets. However, the impact that this would have is that illegal arm owners, who are mostly criminals ,would have an advantage over the public, which is likely to trigger higher crime rates in the American society.In essence, this will be leaving the public more vulnerable to criminals which will lead to the death of loyal people and the thrive of criminals. Otherwise, the government would be forced to be more responsible of the security which is practically impossible given the high population

Comparative Study Of Corruption Study Essay Example for Free

Comparative Study Of Corruption Study Essay ABSTRACT   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Having Nordic countries consistently on top of the CPIs least corrupt countries for years, there must be something in this culture and tradition that make them highly regarded as having a clean and honest government. Based on the 2006 Corruption Perception Index, Finland and Iceland are the top two least corrupt countries while Haiti and Burma hailed as the two most corrupt countries in the world. This paper aims to find the reasons why these countries were in their current position in the CPI by comparing their government system, culture and tradition. This paper also aims to find solid evidences that will prove that the culture of corruption is not a matter of effective and efficient policies but on the culture of strict implementation of such policies, the moral and ethical standards of the people and the collective concern of the people to their country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A brief background of the 2006 CPI report is included in the first part of this paper. A separate section, discussing thoroughly the different elements which may contribute to each country’s culture of corruption is the main focus of this paper. Data from competent writers and qualified analysts were compared in order to make readers further understand the economic, political and social status of each country. A brief conclusion is also included, summarizing the main points of comparison between countries. BACKGROUND ON CPI’s 2006 RESULTS   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the 2006 Corruption Perception Index, Finland emerged on top as the least corrupt country in the world, scoring 9.6 out of the 10 clean score. Scoring equally are Iceland and New Zealand. In the CPI 2006 published by the Transparency International, Haiti turned out to be the most corrupt of the 163 countries involved in the survey scoring only 1.8 while slightly on top is Myanmar with 1.9 score. If we are to look into the previous CPI results, we can see that the top Finland and other Nordic countries, Iceland and New Zealand have been consistently on the five least corrupt countries. The question here is who or what makes a country the least or the most corrupt country in the world? â€Å"The CPI is a composite index which uses survey results from business people and country analysts as with their assessment and perception of corruption among public officials and political figures† (J.G. Lambsdorff). This means that the CPI is considered as a competent and reliable material considering that it makes use of qualified people in assessing the existence of corruption. It utilizes different sets of polls relative to perception of corruption, had them compiled and analyzed before it came up with the figures published in the CPI. In 2006, Transparency International made use of 112 sets of polls and survey from independent bodies listed below:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Freedom House: â€Å"Nations in Transit†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Economist Intelligence Unit   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   United Nations Commission for Africa   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   World Economic Forum   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   World Markets Research Center (London)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Merchant International Group Limited (London)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (Hong Kong)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   International Institute for Management and Development (Laussane)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (IDA and IBRD of World Bank)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is also important to note that bribery among public officials and servants is one of the major factors considered by analysts as the major indicator of corruption. â€Å"Political culture and political institutions determine the level of corruption† (P. Tiihonen). It is therefore but fair enough to conclude that corruption begins when bribery is tolerated by anyone in the government or any public office. To have a deeper understanding of corruption, we will try to compare two of the most corrupt countries in the world with that of the two least corrupt countries using different areas and aspects. By doing so, we will be able to assess what factors make Finland and Iceland’s government clean and the factors that brought Haiti and Myanmar on top of the list of the most corrupt countries. ELEMENTS THAT MAKE A COUNTRY CLEAN OR CORRUPT Government and Political System   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Finland has the culture of good governance. Based on the political structure of Finland, we can say that it has one of the best, if not the best system of government. First, Finland is a country that does not recognize social class. This is what they referred to as â€Å"Egalitarian Society† where everyone, regardless of social status is given equal opportunity to avail of the services of the government and to be of service to the people (Tiihonen). Education is compulsory, women are given the full rights for suffrage and political participation as candidates, pension is provided for all citizens who reached 65 years old, healthcare services are free for everyone and education is free from basic to higher education. If all people are able to experience this kind of welfare in their country, it would be far from their means of finding comfort to bribe and accept bribe. Nordic countries like Finland and Iceland live up to their political culture of transparency and corruption free society2. Considering the legal framework of Finland, one can immediately conclude that their government is serious with combating corruption as bribery, which includes both giving and accepting bribe, is a criminal offense (Criminal Code: R1 101/19.12.89). For them money, jewelry, household, special or low interest loans, trips, honorary titles and recommendations are forms of bribes (J. Brady). Nordic countries also have the collective decision structure, wherein decisions are in the hands of a collegiate body making hard for bribery to be tolerated. In complete contrast, Haiti is a country of faltering democratic institutions and unstable political situation making it the poorest country in the Americas5. Recent reports involved government officials in the issue of drug trafficking, particularly the Presidential Security Unit and the Palace Guard4. Reported incidents of violence against anti-government demonstrators, said to be demanding to better public services like water and highways, are clear indicators of the country’s political instability. Growing counts of human rights violations and the Aristede’s government’s disrespect for the people’s freedom of expression are regarded by analysts as â€Å"political humanitarian catastrophe† (J. Regan). Another indicator of the country’s unclean government is the incident of credit union pyramid scheme involving banks which money allegedly came from drug money. It turned out later that the scheme is a scam where the government promised to pay depositors who lost $200 million dollars and so far has not yet been fulfilled6. As with Myanmar, political instability is not too obvious as that of Haiti.   A political observer, in his article entitled â€Å"Magnificent, Troubled Myanmar† the writer described the country as â€Å"beautiful, tragic, natural, and chaotic place†7. In his article, he made mention of the people’s fear of the government by strictly avoiding discussion or making comments about their government even by merely consorting foreigners. In this situation, we can say that freedom and civil liberty is not honored by the government of Myanmar. As with corruption, the author stressed the severely low income of the people of the country, with as low as half a dollar per day for most citizens. Considering their 883% literacy rate, this is a tragic economic situation. Based on this situation alone, corruption, especially bribery is highly expected. In fact, Myanmar’s public servants have negative real earnings (M. Maung). According to Maung, the iniquities in Burma today are driving its people into corruption. Such iniquities include: 9the growing power and wealth of the military rulers at the expense of impoverished masses, the sub-human conditions and plight of hundreds of thousands of displaced refugees stranded along Burmas borders. Ethical and Moral Standards   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Nordic countries like Finland and Iceland, to be a public servant means to of real service to the public. Civil servants in these countries take pride of being a member of a generally honest government. For Finnish society, having a good name means a lot so they really do their best to avoid being accused of any malpractice especially that of related to dishonesty (P. Tiihonen). The Finnish society also maintained their administrative culture of creating efficient civil servants by reserving senior civil service post to lawyers or at least those who earned degrees in law10. The government of Finland also gives its civil servants the responsibility for every decision and action they make. They are left independent in their tasks and do their individual duties with the least supervisory intervention. This is the reason why Finnish government employs highly-educated individuals in the civil service posts11.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Highly in contrast is the situation in the Burmese civil society. In a country as poor as Burma, to accept bribe is a matter of practicality. Bribery is normal in their everyday life where even the service of a lineman needs bribe. Accepting bribe for them is of being resourceful7. Like the people of Burma, Haiti citizens are evidently of low morale since most of them do not take courage to express their dislike and frustrations to their government. The continuing reports of chaos and demonstrations of few brave citizens are indications that these people resort to violence just to seek for the government’s attention. Quality of Life   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Finland is a moral and welfare society where almost everyone enjoys a comfortable life. With free education, pension, health care benefits and honest and dedicated civil servants, I would say that Finnish people might have been the luckiest people in the world. They enjoy their civil rights and political freedoms especially in participating in public issues. For them, everything that concerns the public must be open to all citizens. This means that they are all given the right to question any government policy or decision. Even diaries and records concerning public transactions are literally open to everybody2. Finland also takes pride of their culture of being environment friendly. For them, taking care of their natural resources are powerful means of maintaining their economic edge. As evidence Finland still tops the Environmental Sustainability Index along with Norway, Canada and Sweden11. Considering violence in Haiti and the severe poverty in Burma, it is evident that their citizens are far from enjoying a good quality of life. Political instability, rampant and open bribery, environmental degradation and disrespect of individual freedom are the frustrating realities of life of the people of Haiti and Burma. With widespread unemployment and a negative real wage for most people, Burma is a picture of a real poor country whose government does not seem to care for its people. CONCLUSION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By comparing the two least corrupt and two most corrupt countries in the world, based on the 2006 Corruption Perception Index, we were able to have an idea of how these countries differ on several areas. In our analysis of such areas we were able to draw some information that relates to their system of government and their philosophies which somehow define their stand in the issue of corruption. To summarize the major points of comparison, Nordic countries like Finland and Iceland have the following philosophies for a corruption-free society: Nordic countries strictly do not tolerate dishonesty especially corruption, a principle they call â€Å"ethicality.† Finland and other Nordic countries strictly implement transparency on public records and transactions by literally opening all pubic documents to every citizen. The government also opens its door to criticisms and regard public administration as privilege being a member of an honest and highly regarded circle of civil servants. The Finnish government’s collective decision structure makes it hard for bribery and corruption to enter into the system. Nordic countries maintain a low hierarchical structure where civil servants are highly educated and were left independent and individually responsible for their decisions and actions. This structure also encourages civil servants to maintain a good status in the society by having a clean name. Nordic countries’ legacy of egalitarian society ensures that every citizen enjoys the benefits of being a citizen of a moral and welfare society.   In contrast, this paper have presented the proofs of Haiti and Burma’s political instability, severe poverty, absence of political and civil rights and the government’s lack of concern for its people as causes and at the same time indicators of their corrupt government. By comparing the political and economic situations of the four countries, we were able to find out that corruption is not a matter of policy and laws but the strict implementation of it. Also, that poverty is not an indicator of corruption but a reflection of it. Making Finland as a perfect example, the world must make considerable efforts in implementing its laws and begin to nurture an honest society starting at the public administration. REFERENCES    1Transparency International.â€Å"Corruptions Perception Index 2006†. Retrieved on July 14, 2007 from http://www.transparency.org/publications/gcr/download_gcr#19 2â€Å"Nordics Least Corrupted Nations in the World† Retrieved on July 14, 2007 from http://www.scandinavica.com/culture/society/corruption.htm 4â€Å"Jamaica Still Leading Caribbean Drug Route†CNN News. March 01, 2003. Retrieved on July 14, 2007 from http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/americas/03/01/drugs.caribbean.reut/index.html 5â€Å"Haiti Tops World Corruption Table† BBC News. November 06, 2006. Retrieved on July 14, 2007 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6120522.stm 6â€Å"Aid To Haiti is Unfrozen, but Corruption and Chaos Remain† Retrieved on July 14, 2007 from http://www.allbusiness.com/central-america/289066-1.html?yahss=114-2974554-289066 7â€Å"Magnificent, Troubled Myanmar† Retrieved on July 14, 2007 from http://www.vagabonding.com/travelogue/000038.html 8â€Å"Myanmar† Retrieved on July 14, 2007 from http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107808.html 9Maung, Maya. â€Å"The State of Burmese Economy under Military Management† Retrieved on July 14, 2007 from http://www.ibiblio.org/obl/docs/HRDU%201995/The%20state%20of%20Burmese%20Economy.htm 10Brady, Joe. â€Å"Corruption-Nearly None at All† Retrieved on July 14, 2007 from   http://virtual.finland.fi/netcomm/news/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=25892 11Tiihonen, Paula. â€Å"Good Governance and Corruption in Finland† Retrieved on July 14 2007 from http://virtual.finland.fi/netcomm/news/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=25891 Lambsdorff, Johann Graf. â€Å"The Corruptions Perceptions Index 2006†. Pages 324-330 Lavers ,Tom. â€Å"The Global Corruption Barometer† pg. 13 â€Å"Finland Ranks as Least Corrupt† CNN News. October 08, 2003. Retrieved on July 14 2007 from http://www.cnn.com/2003/BUSINESS/10/08/corruption.index/index.html