Sunday, December 29, 2019

Kant and the Categorical Imperative Essay - 897 Words

Kant and the Categorical Imperative Kant tried to develop a theory of ethics which relied on reason rather than emotion. While he was not anti-religious, he wanted an ethical system which was not clouded by religion, emotion or personal interpretation. He placed emphasis on motives behind an action rather than, like the Utilitarians, the consequences of an action. He believed that consequences were no guide to whether an action was moral or not. His theory is known as deontological, or duty-based, where ends can never justify the means.He believed that there were general rules which must be adhered to in every circumstance. He called these absolute rules of what is good or bad Categorical†¦show more content†¦For example, to tell your sister that she looks good in a dress - which does not in fact suit her - just to make her feel better about herself, would be lying, however good the motive behind it. Not lying, to Kant, is an absolute imperative and he uses a priori reasoning to come to this conclusion. These moral rules are as reliable as mathematical proofs because they derive from first principles. Only free agents (people thinking for themselves and making their own decisions) can make moral decisions. There must be an element of choice - the choice to do good or bad. He assumed that we are all free agents. An action can only possess moral value when it is done for is own sake, for dutys sake, and not for the pleasure of the individual or in the hope of gaining specific outcomes. (Part B): Taken at face value, one could argue that Categorical Imperatives allow no room for compassion in the treatment of women wanting abortions. This is because categorical imperatives are absolute rules which cannot be altered to suit an individual. To Kant, murder is always wrong and this would be the categorical imperative. Kant would have to be persuaded that this categorical imperative cannot be said to cover every abortion. If it could be argued that a human life does not begin at the moment of conception but, say, after 8 weeks, the categorical imperative could be said not toShow MoreRelatedKant And The Categorical Imperative1177 Words   |  5 PagesImmanuel Kant was a philosopher who tried to work out how human beings could be good and kind outside admiration and devotion of traditional religions. Kant was a pessimist about human character and believed that we are by nature intensely prone to corruption. This became more clear to Kant after reading the work of philosopher David Hume. It was this that led him to formulate his life’s project, the desire to replace religious authority with the authority of reason, that is human intelligence. WhenRead MoreKant And Kant s Categorical Imperative1241 Words   |  5 Pages Immanuel Kant, an 18th-century moral philosopher, had contended that the fundamental principle of morality is the Categorical Imperative, from here will be additionally labeled as (CI) or otherwise mentioned. He supported his view by suggesting a pure moral philosophy; a metaphysics of morals that is not solely for rational beings to explore different ¬ sources of basic moral principles that are found through their own observational experience a priori, but additionally for the sake of morality asRead MoreThe Categorical Imperative : Immanuel Kant842 Words   |  4 PagesThe categorical imperative is Immanuel Kant’s improvement on the Golden rule and all rules associated with the Golden Rule. We are called by Kant to act as how we wish all others to act. According to an article in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, â€Å"Kant characterized the [categorical imperative] as an objective, rationally necessary and unconditional principle that we must always follow despite any natural desires or inclinations we may have to the contrary† (Johnson and Cureton). The categoricalRead MoreImmanuel Kant And The Categorical Imperative1437 Word s   |  6 PagesImmanuel Kant, a German philosopher, specifically a deontologist, has two imperatives: the hypothetical imperative and the categorical imperative. These imperatives describe what we ought to do and are only applicable to rational beings because they are the only beings that recognize what they ought or ought not to do. The hypothetical imperative is when an individual’s actions are reasoned by their desire, so they only act with the intention of fulfilling their desires. The categorical imperativeRead MoreEthics of Kant and the Categorical Imperative1817 Words   |  8 PagesKant’s Categorical Imperative What is a categorical imperative? A categorical imperative is a moral obligation which is absolute and necessary in any moral situation and isn’t reliant on a singular person’s desires or wills. For Kant, categorical imperatives are the foundation for morality because they invoke â€Å"pure† reasons for our moral actions and decisions since each rational being reasons to act outside of their own personal desires or will which may cloud judgments or impose a biased verdictRead MoreCategorical Imperative By Immanuel Kant946 Words   |  4 Pagesregardless of religion or belief in a God. Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative, arguably what he is best known for can be summed up for an argument for making the right moral decision, as if they applied to everyone equally. This can be done using a person’s sense of reason, and consideration for others. Likewise these imperatives are the moral obligations you need to follow, despite your desires. While applying this to religions, Kant believed that making a moral choice based on religion was thatRead MoreKant s The Categorical Imperative875 Words   |  4 PagesKant believed that good intentions count. He also thought that the morality of an action is determined by the intentions behind it rather than its consequences. Kant tells that courage isn’t good by itself, but good when combined with good intentions. In Kant’s eyes, consequences are irrelevant to assessments of moral worth. He believed the only appropriate motive for moral action is a sense of duty. Sense of duty is doing something so lely because it is the right thing to do, not just acting purelyRead MoreKant s Categorical Imperative Essay1454 Words   |  6 PagesIn this paper, I will explain the concept of Kant’s Categorical Imperative, and show how he used it to justify why it is wrong to lie to an inquiring murderer. I will note how he arrived at this conclusion, and why I consider it to be the correct moral answer. According to Kant, the Categorical Imperative is the supreme law of morality by which a particular rule that an individual takes as a maxim must be accepted by all rational beings. This universal acceptance is what judges an action to beRead MoreKant s Categorical Imperative Essay1246 Words   |  5 Pagesutilitarianism, Kant was more focused on intent and action itself. This leads into one of Kantian ethics main ideals; you mustn’t treat another human being as a means to an end. Kant’s Categorical Imperative (CI) is a deontological theory, which relied heavily on his belief that humans are all capable of reason in the same manner, on the same level (A Brief Summary of Kant s Categorical Imperative, 2012). Kant recognized 2 kinds of moral ‘imperatives’, a hypothetical imperative (what must be doneRead MoreKant s Categorical Imperative Essay1190 Words   |  5 PagesIn section I of Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative, Kant argues that every huma n being alive is subject to the categorical imperative. Kant came to this conclusion by arguing that the only thing that is good without needing qualification is a good will. Throughout this paper I will discuss Kant’s good will and his three propositions. A good will is an act done from duty and motivated by respect. If a person manifests a good will in action, the respect for duty determines that I do the action

Saturday, December 28, 2019

McCulloch v. Maryland, 1819

The court case known as McCulloch v. Maryland of March 6, 1819, was a seminal Supreme Court Case that affirmed the right of implied powers, that there were powers that the federal government had that were not specifically mentioned in the Constitution, but were implied by it. In addition, the Supreme Court found that states are not allowed to make laws that would interfere with congressional laws that are allowed by the Constitution.   Fast Facts: McCulloch v. Maryland Case Argued: February 23—March 3, 1819Decision Issued:  March 6, 1819Petitioner: James W. McCulloch,Respondent: State of MarylandKey Questions: Did Congress have the authority to charter the bank, and by imposing taxes on the bank, was the State of Maryland acting outside of the Constitution?Unanimous Decision: Justices Marshall, Washington, Johnson, Livingston, Duvall, and StoryRuling: The Court held that Congress had the power to incorporate a bank and that the State of Maryland could not tax instruments of the national government employed in the execution of constitutional powers. Background In April 1816, Congress created a law that allowed for the creation of the Second Bank of the United States. In 1817, a branch of this national bank was opened in Baltimore, Maryland. The state along with many others questioned whether the national government had the authority to create such a bank within the states boundaries.  The state of Maryland had a desire to limit the  powers of the federal government. The General Assembly of Maryland passed a law on February 11, 1818, which placed a  tax on all notes the originated with banks chartered outside of the state. According to the act, ...it shall not be lawful for the said branch, office of discount and deposit, or office of pay and receipt to issue notes, in any manner, of any other denomination than five, ten, twenty, fifty, one hundred, five hundred, and one thousand dollars, and no note shall be issued except upon stamped paper. This stamped paper included the tax for each denomination. In addition, the Act said that the President, cashier, each of the directors and officers .... offending against the provisions aforesaid shall forfeit a sum of $500 for each and every offense....   The Second Bank of the United States, a federal entity, was really the intended target of this attack. James McCulloch, the head cashier of the Baltimore branch of the bank, refused to pay the tax. A lawsuit was filed against the State of Maryland by John James, and Daniel Webster signed on to lead the defense. The state lost the original case and it was sent to the Maryland Court of Appeals. Supreme Court The Maryland Court of Appeals held that since the US Constitution did not specifically allow the federal government to create banks, then it was not unconstitutional. The court case then went before the  Supreme Court. In 1819, the Supreme Court was headed by Chief Justice John Marshall. The court decided that the Second Bank of the United States was necessary and proper for the federal government to exercise its duties.   Therefore, the US National Bank was a constitutional entity, and the state of Maryland could not tax its activities. In addition, Marshall also looked at whether states retained sovereignty. The argument was made that since it was the people and not the states who ratified the Constitution, state sovereignty was not damaged by the finding of this case.   Significance This landmark case declared that the United States government had implied powers as well as those specifically listed in the Constitution. As long as what is passed is not forbidden by the Constitution, it is allowed if it helps the federal government fulfill its powers as stated in the Constitution. The decision provided the avenue for the federal government to expand or evolve its powers to meet an ever-changing world.

Saturday, December 21, 2019

The Impacts of Changing Immigration Patterns of the...

Immigration has gone through many different stages of change just as the nation of Canada had many stages of change. Transformations of immigration during the post-war period greatly impacted the society and immigration patterns of today. These changes included the post-war immigration boom, a less segregating Immigration Act and the rise of multicultural and refugee immigration. Post-war immigration patterns have differed from previous waves of immigration due to their size and source of immigration resulting in a grand change in the ‘face’ of Canada. During the post-war period, Canada benefited from a boom of immigrants. After the war, 1.5 million immigrants flocked to Canada consisting mainly of European immigrants (). These immigrants†¦show more content†¦However, the induction of the Point System coincided with restrictions from the Britain. This made Canada more preferable to various immigrants. The ideals against discrimination of immigrants have since be en an integral part of immigration policy. The new vision for Immigration Act in 1976 led to the increased opportunities for â€Å"visible minorities† and refugees. In the 1986 Census of Canada, a â€Å"visible minority† is defined by Statistics Canada as people of the following origins: Blacks, Indo-Pakistani, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, South East Asian, Filipino, Other Pacific Islanders, West Asian and Arab, and Latin American, excluding Argentinean and Chilean (justice.gc.ca). This new revision of the Immigration Act dealt with many issues with the immigration process from previous revisions. This Immigration Act defined 4 classes of immigrants (independent, family, sponsored family member and refugees). The previous Act of 1952 had only focused on independent and dependent (sponsored) immigrants. Even though this Act supported family reunification of Asian Canadians, it discriminated and placed quotas on many ethnic groups. The Immigration Act of 1976 on the other hand, focused on the right of immigrants to uniform and fair treatment from government officials and generosity to refugees (). This allowed for more â€Å"visible minorities† and refugees to make Canada their new home. For example, by 1978, the number of refugees and reunited families outnumber that of immigrantsShow MoreRelatedThe Latino Journey in the United States: Immigrants Essay1693 Words   |  7 Pagesanalyze the trajectory that this group is in, we must first understand the group’s history in the United States and in territories that would become the United States. In addition, we must look at the origins of the most recent wave of Latino immigration in order to understand their current effect on American society and the intersection between both minority and majority groups. Finally, we get to the apex of this investigation: what lies in the future for Latino Americans in the United StatesRead MoreHow Will An Ageing Population Have An Effect On Australia And The Economy?882 Words   |  4 Pagesand the economy? P1 A major demographic change impacting Australia is the ageing population, it is expected that this change will accelerate over the coming years. (Corcoranb Hana, 2014 pp. 2) The process of this begun during the post-war period and has started to impact Australia’s ability to cater to an ageing population. This is a result of the baby boomer generation beginning the transition from their work life into retirement. (Corcoranb Hana, 2014 pp. 2) The ability to accommodate the ageingRead More Immigration in New York Essay3652 Words   |  15 PagesImmigration in New York I was born 23 years ago in the Dominican Republic, an island located in the Greater Antilles. There is a saying from my country that goes Mi tiera mi corazon meaning my country my love, which explain exactly how I felt about the Dominican Republic. To me the Island of Santo Domingo is the greatest in the World; there are beautiful people, gorgeous weather and all the mangoes I could have eaten. Then one day my parents gave me the bad news, they were moving to this placeRead MoreStudy Guide for US History Essay3594 Words   |  15 Pageslife in 17th century New England with that of the Chesapeake colonies. October 8, 2009 Describe the Great Awakening and the impact it had on colonial America. October 12, 2009 Discuss the powers of colonial governors and assemblies. Give their strengths and weaknesses. Which were more powerful and why? October 13, 2009 Discuss the origins of the Seven Years’ War and what effect the conflict had on the American colonies. October 14, 2009 Describe the meaning of the term â€Å"middle ground†Read MorePrince Edward Islands’ history is a crucial aspect in Canada’s past. The work of historians has3000 Words   |  12 PagesIsland: A Historical Geography of Settlement and Agriculture in Prince Edward Island, Canada, written by Andrew Hill Clark in 1959. Clark wrote on the bias of exploring the broader origins of the Island as its geography was in an ever growing and changing pattern. He maps both the population and agricultural geographies that form the basis of the land question and land development. Canada’s Smallest Province: A History of Prince Edward Island was published in 1973 and edited by Francis W.P. Bolger whoRead MoreAnalysis of Immigration in Canada6747 Words   |  27 Pages2001, the Canadian population is approx. 30,000,000 and immigration represented approx. 0.834% of the population growth.[1]. These numbers continue to increase as Government Immigration policies center the immigrant growth to be on 1% of the population annually.[2] Thousands of people choose Canada to improve their quality of life, due to the limited economic growth in their country of origin. Our detailed research on Canada’s immigration policy clearly shows the analysis of the policy, its implementationRead MorePolicy-makers and Demographic Patterns2871 Words   |  12 Pagestrends in a wide range of spheres; from construction of social and welfare services like schools, family allowances, social security, health and housing; national policies on immigration, agriculture, natio nal defence, to business activity and a study of economic change. Moreover, continuous records of demographic patterns allow for international, temporal and geographical comparisons, what is essential for assessment of progress of development. In the US, for example, Constitution provides for aRead More Islam in Italy Essay2453 Words   |  10 PagesIslam in Italy Problems with format Like many minority communities of varying religious and ethnic backgrounds, Muslims have struggled to define their place in societies around the world. As immigration patterns have ebbed and flowed through the centuries, Italy is one of many European countries that plays host to a growing number of Muslim immigrants.? Muslims struggle with identity, intermarriage, gender relations, worship, education, and civil rights in the context of their new countryRead MoreInfluence of Immigration on the American Culture and Language14362 Words   |  58 PagesInfluence of Immigration on the American Culture and Language CONTENT Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. The Main Part †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Chapter I In Search of America †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 1.1. America: Its Image and Reality†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 1.2. The Reasons of Immigration to the USA†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3. . The Importance of Religious Beliefs: â€Å"One Nation under God † †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Chapter II The Nation of Immigrants†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2.1. American beliefs and values†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Read MoreSocio-Cultural Development17197 Words   |  69 PagesThe social and cultural environment Paul Wetherly Contents Introduction: what is the social and cultural environment? What has it got to do with business? Society, culture and business Demographic trends—an ageing population Immigration and multiculturalism Class structure Inequality A woman’s place? Looking ahead Summary Case study: decline of the working class? 123 150 152 152 153 153 153 Review and discussion questions 125 128 132 135 139 145 149 149 Assignments Further reading Online

Friday, December 20, 2019

Spread of Islam in India - 1409 Words

According to the statistics of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of India the third largest Muslim population of the world is embedded in India. Even though the major religion of India is Hinduism, and Islam is in the second place of its minor religion still it has the largest Muslim minority all over the world (World Directory of Minorities- Muslim of India). This statistics clearly depicts the successful expansion and establishment of Islam in early period of India even though India was populated with indigenous religious beliefs. Islam is a monotheistic religion that was spread with bunch of beliefs and faiths after the Prophet Mohammad. In order to that the colonization of Muslims initiated in India was the key place from where†¦show more content†¦Thus they didn’t find any difficulty in preaching their faiths, beliefs and practices to the people. With the contribution of Muslim traders and merchants Islam positioned in India and spread to South East Asia through it. The accommodation of Islam stabilized by traders with their tolerant attitude as well as their teachings and preaching. Completely different perspective of equality in Islamic belief system from Hinduism, which was the indigenous major religion in India,made the swift conversion of Islam. History Professor of University of Gottingen Tibi Bassan insisted that the â€Å"Islam specifically attracted warriors and also people from the lowest castes, drawn by the promise of spiritual equality rather than the Hindu ideas of successive reincarnations† (54). The Hinduism was socially stratified and it was strictly adapted the caste system and the lower caste people were separated from the society. In order to this Islam was more egalitarian than the Hinduism. Even though the Muslims portrayed into caste system and Jatis they were in union in the name of religion Islam (Ahmad, Reifeld 15). Thus they were not fight into them like Hindus, as they were not stratified. So this radical form of equality in Islam gave hopes to lower caste and separated people in indigenous religious people. The conversionShow M oreRelatedSimilarities Between Hinduism And Buddhism942 Words   |  4 PagesEssay Hinduism and Buddhism were both founded and popular in northern India by 600 CE. Although Hinduism and the Hindu caste system maintained a strong influence in South Asia throughout 600-1750 CE, the Hindu majority eventually gave way as Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, and syncretic faiths gradually moved in and across the Indian Ocean basin by 1750 CE. Even then, Hinduism did spread from northern India through southern India to Southeast Asia. The caste system was maintained from 600-1750 CE,Read MoreThe Islamic Diffusion Of India1243 Words   |  5 PagesINTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH In the 600s, Arab traders were in contact with India. They would regularly go to the west coast of India to trade different goods, like African goods, spices, and gold. As the Arabs began to convert to Islam, the religion carried to the coast of India. The first mosque in India was built in 629, it is called the Cheraman Juma Masjid. The mosque was made in the Indian state Kerala. Islam continued to spread into Indian cities, by immigration and conversion, as the Arab MuslimsRead MoreThe Spread and Localization of Buddhism and Islam into Southeast Asia1659 Words   |  7 PagesThe spread of religion first began through contact with neighbouring countries which gradually expand throughout the years. Buddhism and Islam are one of the most widespread religions across Southeast Asian countries like Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Trade merchants and imperial support of the religion were major factors in the facilitation and localization of the spread of Buddhism and Islam within Southeast Asia. However, there were also limitations presentedRead MoreThe Rise and Spread of Islam1129 Words   |  5 PagesThe Rise and Spread of Islam The world you once knew is falling to ashes and food is become such a scarcity that people are fighting over a few pieces of bread. The political class is too busy fighting among themselves to care for anyone else. Children are roaming the streets and begging for work to feed their dying, hungry stomachs. This is not a scene from a horror movie, but rather the reality of the beginning of post classical era. In these times of hardship the people turned to a higher powerRead MoreSoutheast Asia And The Middle East And North Africa1426 Words   |  6 Pagescolonies are predominantly Christian. In contrast, more than 40% of the population in Southeast Asia practices Islam, making it the most widely practiced religion in the region (Pew Research Center s Religion Public Life Project, 2012). In fact, Southeast Asia contains the highest number of Muslims in the world, surpassing the Middle East and North Africa. The region is heavily influenced by Islam and European imperialism and it†™s shown in the region’s architecture and cuisine. Southeast Asia has aRead MoreThe Islam During The Postclassical Period916 Words   |  4 Pagesfounded the religion known as Islam during the postclassical period. He claimed to hear voices while meditating alone and believed this voice to be that of a higher being. He declared himself the last prophet and formed the Islamic religion on the belief that at the end of time, on Judgment Day, everyone would be resurrected and either have eternal punishment in hellfire or eternal joy in paradise. Islam grew in popularity around the world when Muslim merchants spread across the Indian Ocean in searchRead MoreIndian Encounters:The Turks, The Mongols, and Islam985 Words   |  4 Pagesnonetheless, India and ancient Indian civilization. After the fall of the Gupta Empire in 480, small kingdoms throughout the region, which was invaded by the Turks and Mongols, but was not conquered, would rule India. The northern parts of India frequently were raided and invaded by the Turks, all the way f rom Afghanistan to Central Asia. Muslim Turks decided to rule a state in north India called the Delhi sultanate, which was ruled for several centuries, and in the mean time Islam gained its adherentsRead MoreSimilarities between Beliefs and Philosophies from the World1637 Words   |  7 Pagesthe world around. One ended up with the result of a supreme power controlling the whole world. Different myths and legends established various legends in different parts of the world accordingly. Later established religions spread across the world. One major cause for the spread of religion was of trade and missionaries. QUESTION: What are the various beliefs held in my community and how do they influence an individual on a minor and a major scale plus what happens when ideologies clash? What areRead MoreGlobal Religions of Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism1054 Words   |  4 Pagesrise of new, global religions such as Islam, Buddhism, and Christianity. The spread of these new religions all shared certain unique aspects of spreading. These three religions shared what made them global and universal. Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism, fit the definition of world religion for the reasons that they each were not culturally specific nor gender specific, incorporated other religions and appealed to all social classes and these religions spread by way of war and conquests, trade, eliteRead MoreThe Religion Of The Hajj1734 Words   |  7 Pages Throughout time, many aspects of life have changed in drastic ways. One common thing around the world, no matter where you are, that has evolved is over time is religion. One religion that has changed has been Islam. Something that unites all Muslims is a common belief they have; The Five Pillars. These Pillars allow the Muslim community to become one regardless of their social statue. One of the most changed of these would be the Pilgrimage to Mecca. Also known as the Hajj, â€Å" Every adult Muslim

Friday, December 13, 2019

Effective Performance Appraisal free essay sample

In spite of this fact, however, there are some elements which are common to all effective performance appraisal systems, regardless of the actual method(s) used in the system. These elements will be discussed shortly. However, before examining these common links, a brief overview of performance appraisal as it is currently practised in American organisations is in order. Current Trends in Performance Appraisal As previously noted, controversy over the best performance appraisal system continues. The dilemma was highlighted in the 19 May 1980 issue of Business Week where the editors concluded that managers want a system that will pinpoint specific marginal behaviour that should be reinforced or discontinued, serve as a personnel development tool, provide a realistic assess ­ ment of an employees potential for advancement, and — a particularly hot issue in the 1980s — stand up in court as a valid defence in discrimination suits. Has the search for a best system affected what companies actually do in performance appraisal? A study conducted by Taylor and Zawacki[2] in 1981 set out to answer this question y sending a mail questionnaire to 200 firms located throughout the United States — these companies were selected at random from the Fortune 1000. We will write a custom essay sample on Effective Performance Appraisal or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Eighty-four (42 per cent) were returned and used in the study. The size of respondent firms ranged from less than 1,000 employees (nine), 1,000-5,000 employees (63), and more than 5,000 employees (12). Non-respondent firms did not vary significantly in terms of size. This study, which duplicated a previous one conducted in 1976, asked what kind of performance appraisal system was used for management and blue-collar employees. It also asked for the interval between ratings, productivity and employee reaction to the appraisal system, anticipated changes and respondent satisfaction to the present system. While it is not possible to go into all the detailed findings of this study, some of the most pertinent information is summarised below. ? While in 1976 43 per cent of the respondent firms had used a traditional performance appraisal system (e. g. , forced distribution) and 57 per cent had used a collaborative system (e. g. , MBO), in 1981 these figures had changed to 53 per cent and 47 per cent respectively. In other words, the proportion of companies using a traditional approach to performance appraisal had increased while the proportion of those using a collaborative approach had decreased. Several respondents provided written comments stating that they had changed to quantitative (i. e. traditional) systems in recent years in reaction to legal challenges to their previous collaborative system. In 1981, 39 of the 41 organisations using a traditional system used a graphic rating scale. Of the collaborative forms, 23 firms used MBO and 11 used a BARS system. The percentage of firms not satisfied with their current appraisal system increased from only nine per cent in 1976 to 47 per cent in 1981. In addition, those with collaborative systems were more likely to be satisfied, while the majority of firms with traditional systems expressed dissatisfaction. As far as the effect of the type of system used on employee attitudes went, 37 per cent of the ? IMDS January/February 1988 13 ? companies using a traditional approach felt that it had improved employee attitudes while 63 per cent felt it had not. Of those companies using a collaborative approach, 77 per cent felt it had improved employee attitudes and 23 per cent felt it had not. ? Of the 22 firms indicating that they anticipated changing their performance appraisal system in the near future, 12 were moving from a collaborative system to a traditional system. This is especially interesting in light of the fact that, in the 1976 study, the majority of firms indicating that they were considering a change said that the move would be from a traditional to a collaborative approach. While the 1981 study did not delve into the reasons behind this shift in attitude, Taylor and Zawacki conjectured that it was due to governmental and legal pressures for precise (i. e. , quantitative) measures which overwhelmed a desire to help people develop and grow towards becoming more effective employees. Of the firms surveyed, 49 per cent felt that their performance appraisal system had improved employee performance (roughly the same proportion found in 1976). However, the number of firms that did not believe employee performance had improved as a result of the appraisal process had gone from four per cent in 1976 to 19 per cent in 1981 — and none of these firms anticipated changing their system! (5) The appraiser should be given feedback regarding his/her effectiveness in the performance appraisal process. (6) The performance appraisal system, regardless of the methodology employed, must comply with legal requirements (notably, Equal Employment Opportunities guidelines). Since the factors listed above are consistently highlighted in the literature as essential elements of an effective performance appraisal system, each of them warrants individual attention. Performance Goals Must Be Clearly and Specifically Defined Special emphasis should be placed on this phase of performance appraisal, since the lack of specifically defined performance goals will undoubtedly undermine the effectiveness of the entire performance appraisal process. The key performance areas need to be identified, assigned priorities and stated in quantifiable terms whenever possible. The mutual goal-setting process between a manager and subordinate associated with Management by Objectives is a particularly beneficial way to foster acceptance and internal motivation on the part of the employee[3]. As is often the case, if multiple goals are established, they should be ranked so that the employee has a clear understanding of which areas may warrant more attention and resources than others. Furthermore, every attempt should be made to describe performance goals in terms of their time, quality, quantity, and monetary dimensions. This will reduce the opportunity for misinterpretation about what is to be accomplished and what limitations there are. The quantification of goals will also make it easier for the manager and the employee to measure the employees progress towards achieving the objectives. The need for quantifying objectives is succinctly summed up by George Ordione: If you cant count it, measure it, or describe it, you probably dont know what you want and can often forget it as a goal. There is still too much, do your best, or Ill let you know when its right, going around in todays organisations. If you cant define the desired type and level of performance in detail, then you have no right to expect your subordinate to achieve it. [4] ? To summarise, it would appear that while most firms wish to use a collaborative form of performance appraisal, they feel thwarted by outside forces (notably Equal Employment Opportunities requirements) in their attempts to implement such a system within their organisations. The dilemma, then, is finding a workable solution which will meet both constraints. The remainder of this article will take a look at these two seemingly conflicting areas (effectiveness vs. efensiveness) and how they can be integrated into a meaningful performance appraisal system. Elements of an Effective Performance Appraisal System While various authors use different names and modified descriptions for them, the following factors seem to be universally accepted by most authorities on the subjects as requisites for an effective performance appraisal system: (1) Performan ce goals must be specifically and clearly defined. (2) Attention must be paid to identifying, in specific and measurable terms, what constitutes the varying levels of performance. 3) To be effective, performance appraisal programmes should tie personal rewards to organisational performance. (4) The supervisor and employee should jointly identify ways to improve the employees performance, and then establish a development plan to help the employee achieve his/her goals. The Varying Levels of Performance While setting performance goals is a crucial first step in the process, managers also need to concentrate more attention on identifying what constitutes the varying levels of performance. If the organisation uses the typical poor, fair, good, very good and excellent scale of performance, the manager has a responsibility to identify at the beginning what levels of performance will produce a very good or excellent rating. However, setting specific goals for organisational performance is not enough — managers also need to relate performance to the individuals rewards. Agreeing on what is to be accomplished and what varying levels of performance represent in terms of evaluation and rewards is crucial for the performance appraisal process to be effective[5]. Since the first two steps of this process (i. e. , defining performance goals and setting performance standards) IMDS January/February 1988 14 are closely connected, an example of how these steps might be achieved is warranted. A prerequisite for setting performance goals is to establish job tasks. To measure performance realistically, objectively and productively, we must base our reviews on job content rather that job constructs. Constructs are broad, often self-evident terms which describe a general task, activity or requirement. Richards refers to them as garbage words in terms of their usefulness as performance standards). An example might be communication skills. While few would argue the need for skills in communication for many employees, the problem is how to define the term in light of the requirements of the specific job in question. Will the employee be required to: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Write memos? Write letters? Conduct interviews? Deliver public speeches? Present pr oposals to clients? Describe features and benefits of a product? Resolve face-to-face conflicts? Handle customer complaints? Write job descriptions? Describe and define job standards? Manage meetings? Present ideas to top management? Initiative: Resourceful in taking necessary or appropriate action on own responsibility. Unsatisfactory Poor A routine Often waits unnecessarily worker; usually for direction. waits to be told what to do, requiring constant direction. Satisfactory Good Excellent Seeks and gets added tasks for self; highly selfreliant. Assumes responsibility. Does regular Resourceful; work without alert to waiting for opportunities directions. or Follows improvement directions with of work. little follow-up Volunteers suggestions. Table I. drinks per bottle, etc. In turn, these indicators should be broken down into measurable standards, as shown in Table II. As shown, when identifying what constitutes the varying levels of performance, we need to decide what we can expect in terms of outstanding performance, what is satisfactory and what is the minimum level of perfo rmance we can tolerate. One could argue that these are subjective determinations, and this is of course true. What is important, however, is that once these determinations have been made, performance can be measured objectively against the standard. It is important to keep in mind that standards should be set based on what we require or need in the performance of a job and not on our assessment of a specific individuals ability to do the job. Unless we specify the behaviour we want in the context of job content requirements, it will be near impossible objectively to measure someones performance under the generic construct of communication. We must determine the sort of communicating the job requires of the employee. Some organisations attempt to aid supervisors by providing rating scales which are anchored to descriptions of performance (i. e. , the BARS approach), such as the one shown in Table I. While this type of scale is certainly a vast improvement over those that offer no anchors (rating descriptions) at all, we could still argue over the ratings. The standards are subjective and unmeasurable, both undesirable traits in any performance appraisal system. To overcome these problems, the job should be broken down into responsibilities, with a series of performance indicators provided for each responsibility. In turn, these indicators should be accompanied by objective and measurable performance standards. An example will help illustrate the process. A bartenders job can be broken down into several responsibilities, including mixing drinks, cost control, inventory control, house keeping, safety, law enforcement, supervision, customer relations, etc. In turn, each of these responsibility areas can be broken down into several performance indicators. For example, performance indicators of the job responsibility mixing drinks might include complaints, returns, brands used, appearance, speed, number of Personal Rewards and Organisational Performance To be truly effective, performance appraisal programmes should tie personal rewards to organisational performance. Too many reward systems are based on time on the job, are divided evenly among employees, or offer too little incentive to increase motivation significantly. As noted by Harper[3], performance appraisal systems need to be designed with the three Es of motivation in mind. The first E refers to the exchange theory, which states that people tend to contribute to the organisations objectives as long as they believe they will be rewarded. The second E refers to the equity theory, which states that motivation is tied to the relative, rather than the absolute, size of the reward. For example, if person A does 25 per cent better than person B, but gets only five per cent more in a merit increase, then person A is likely to feel that management has actually punished him or her for doing noticeably better than person B. The third E is the expectancy theory of motivation, which asserts that motivation is a combination of the persons perceived probability (expectancy) of receiving a reward and the worth of the reward. Even when the reward is great, motivation may in fact be quite low if the employee does not believe that he or she has a reasonable chance of achieving the necessary level of performance to get the reward. Conversely, if the employee believes that the probability of receiving the reward is high, there will be little motivation if he or she does not need or value the reward. IMDS January/February 1988 15 Job: Bartender Job responsibilities Mix drinks, etc. Indicators Complaints Returns Measurements used (recipe) Brands used Appearance Time No. of drinks per bottle, etc. feedback to managers about the quality of their performance appraisal ratings would seem to have several advantages: ? ? It is relatively inexpensive and easy to develop and implement. The feedback is based on ratings made by each manager as part of the formal performance appraisal process. This enables the feedback to be tailored to the individual. The feedback can provide managers with a basis upon which to compare their ratings with those made by other managers. This normative type of feedback is rarely available to managers; as a result, there is very little information upon which they can evaluate how lenient or strict they are. A feedback system should help to ensure comparability of ratings among managers, which in turn may increase employee satisfaction with the appraisal process. That is, employees are more likely to perceive that their performance has been evaluated equitably since managers are using the same standards when evaluating performance. ? Job: Bartender Standards Job responsibilities Mix drinks Indicators Minimum Complaints 4/week Satisfactory 2/week Outstanding 0 ? Table II. In summary, then, for a performance appraisal programme to be successful in this area, it must: (1) Tie rewards to performance (2) Offer a high enough level of reward (3) Have the level of reward reflect the relative differences in the various levels of performance (4) Tailor the rewards to the needs and desires of individual employees. Development Plans Ideally, the performance appraisal programme should be comprised of two separate sessions between the manager and the employee. In the first session the manager and employee review the level of performance from the previous period — what went well, what did not, and why. This session also identifies the employees strengths as well as the areas that need to be improved. The manager then encourages the employee to prepare a development plan to be discussed at the second meeting. The development plan is intended to identify areas that should be improved upon during the coming period. The subordinate should be encouraged to: (1) Concentrate on those areas that will affect results (2) Select three or four particular areas for improvement rather than an unrealistic and unmanageable number (3) Set improvement goals that are specific and measurable[6]. Whatever the end result happens to be, the employee needs to be the principal author (although the manager should offer help and suggestions) since people tend to be more motivated to accept and implement a plan of their own making. IMDS January/February 1988 16 Indications of the usefulness of such a feedback system were documented in a study by Davis and Mount[7] in which managers were provided feedback vis a vis the ratings they gave to employees. In response to a questionnaire distributed one week after they had received feedback regarding the quality of their performance ratings, 79 per cent of the managers indicated they were either satisfied (seven per cent) or very satisfied (72 per cent) with the feedback; 93 per cent said they considered it when making subsequent performance evaluations; 70 per cent said it influenced their ratings either appreciably (47 per cent) or substantially (23 per cent), and 79 per cent said the feedback had utility for making managers ratings more comparable. The test results from this study indicated that the feedback also significantly reduced the presence of leniency error (the tendency to skew the rating distribution towards the higher rating categories) in the managers ratings. This is significant from an organisational perspective because of the multiple uses of performance ratings in organisations. Often, performance ratings are the criterion on which selection tests are validated and often provide the basis on which merit pay increases are determined. According to Davis and Mount, improving the psychometric quality of the ratings may enable the tests to be validated more effectively and provide a more equitable method for distributing pay increases — an important consideration, as previously discussed. Conforming to Guidelines Obviously, in addition to the other factors which have already been discussed, another practical consideration which must be taken into account is that any performance appraisal system, regardless of the methods employed, must comply with all Equal Employment Opportunity guidelines. While a complete discussion of this important area is beyond the scope Feedback Regarding Effectiveness It is surprising how infrequently organisations provide their managers with information about their performance appraisal ratings. However, providing of this article, the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures, put together by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and several other agencies in 1978, deserve special mention. These procedures were meant to clarify the exact requirements which appraisal and other selection systems must meet, and include the following points: (1) To continue using an appraisal system that has adversely affected one or more protected groups, the company must demonstrate that the system is valid, that it is job related, and that it accurately measures significant aspects of job performance. (2) The company must establish that there is no other available method of achieving the same necessary business purpose that would be less discriminatory in its effects, and none can be developed. According to the courts, the plaintiff (employee), rather than the defendant (company) must show the availability of the alternatives. The EEOC has told employers what they cannot do, but it has not provided them with definitive guidelines for solving the performance appraisal puzzle. However, some help in this regard was provided in the Autumn, 1980 issue of EEO Today[8]. (1) Base your appraisal on a comprehensive job analysis. EEOC guidelines dictate that you measure job performance against specific, clearly defined standards of performance. The performance you appraise, says the EEOC, must represent major critical work behaviours as revealed by a careful job analysis. Without a clear, written statement of job responsibilities, you increase your risk of EEO liability. (7) Submit the appraisal to several reviewers, especially if it is negative. To prevent conscious or unconscious bias from creeping into the appraisal process, develop a multilevel review system. Have your superior review and sign the appraisal. This system of checks and balances will reduce the risk of losing a court action. Final Comment As can be seen from the foregoing discussion, an effective performance appraisal system involves much more than a mere annual or biennial evaluation of an employees past performance. Nonetheless, astute managers are becoming increasingly aware of the value of their human resources, viewing them as an investment rather than merely an expense or overhead to be minimised. Accordingly, many organisations are taking the time and effort necessary to develop an effective performance appraisal system in order to help their people achieve their personal goals, which in turn allows the organisation to meet its own objectives[9]. Unfortunately, many managers still object that they just do not have the time to make performance review and development an ongoing process. However, if management is defined as the ability to get things done through people, and if we accept the fact that an effective performance evaluation process helps in getting the most important and productive things accomplished, then what else should managers spend their time doing? References 1. Fletcher, C. , Whats New in Performance Appraisal? , Personnel Management, February 1984, pp. 20-2. 2. Taylor, R. L. and Zawacki, R. A. Trends in Performance Appraisal: Guidelines for Managers, Personnel Administrator, March 1984, pp. 71-80. (2) Know the details of your companys 3. Harper, S. C. , A Development Approach to Performance nondiscriminatory policies. You and every other Appraisal, Business Horizons, September-October 1983, pp. manager in the company should aim for the 68-74. uniform application of all appraisal guidelines. 4. Mellenhoff, H ow to Measure Work by Professionals, Management Review, November 1977, pp. 39-43. (3) Avoid subjective criteria. According to the Albemarle Paper Co. v. Moody decision, subjective 5. Richards, R. C. , How to Design an Objective PerformanceEvaluation System, Training, March 1984, pp. 38-43. supervisory appraisals of job performance are 6. Kellogg, M. S. , What to do About Performance Appraisal, inherently suspect if they produce adverse impact American Management Association, New York, 1975. against a protected group. To stand up to the 7. Davis, B. L. and Mount, M. K. , Design and Use of a scrutiny of the courts, these judgements must Performance Appraisal Feedback System, Personnel be considered fair and job-related. Administrator, March 1984, pp. 1-7. 8. Block, J. R. , Performance Appraisal on the Job: Making it (4) Document! Keep records. That is the only way Work, Prentice-Hall, Inc. , Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1981. you can support whatever subjective judge ­ 9. Butler, R. J. and Yorks, L. , A New Appraisal System as ments creep into the appraisal process. (They Organizational Change: GEs Task Force Approach, are inevitabl e. ) Personnel, January-February 1984, pp. 31-42. (5) Aim for a group of appraisers who have common demographic characteristics with the group being appraised. This criterion was established in Rowe v. General Motors. When only white males appraise blacks, Hispanics, women and other protected groups, the courts question the fairness of the. system. Once a system is challenged and shown to have adverse impact, the company must prove its validity. (6) Never directly or indirectly imply that race, colour, religion, sex, age, national origin, handicap, or veteran status was a factor in your appraisal decision. Making any disciminatory statement, orally or in writing, will make your organisation subject to court action. Additional Reading Kaye, B. L. and Krantz, S. , Preparing Employees: The Missing Link in Performance Appraisal Training, Personnel, May-June 1982, pp. 23-9. Performance Appraisal: Curre. Practices and Techniques, Personnel, May-June 1984, pp. 5799. Heneman, R. L. and Wexley, K. W. , The Effects of Time Delay in Rating and Amount of Information Observed on Performance Rating Accuracy, Academy of Management Journal, December 1983, pp. 677-86. The Trouble with Performance Appraisal, Training, April 1984, pp. 91-2. Gehrman, D B. , Beyond Todays Compensation and Performance Appraisal Systems, Personnel Administrator, March 1984, pp. 21-33. IMDS January/February 1988 17

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Chapter 5 Measures of Variability Example For Students

Chapter 5: Measures of Variability Question Answer What is the Measure of variability? It is a number that describes diversity or variability in the distribution. Basically it shows us how much variation and diversity there is within the answers we received. What are the five measures of variability? The index of qualitative variation, The range, The interquartile rage, The standard deviation and The variance What is the Index of Qualitative Variation (IQV)? It is a measure of variability for nominal variables like race or ethnicity. What is the range of the Index of Qualitative Variation (IQV)? It is a number that can range from 0.00 to 1.00. What is the value of the IQV if there is no variation? 0.00 What is the value of the IQV if there is maximum variation? 1.00 What is the equation for calculating the IQV? IQV = Total Observed Differences / Total Possible Differences OR IQV = K(n2 – ?f2) / n2 (K-1) What is the IQV based on? it is based on a ratio of the total number of differences in the distribution to the maximum number of possible differences within the same distribution. What is the range? it is the difference between the highest score and lowest score in the distribution. Which level of variables does the range measure? The Ordinal level What is the Inter-Quartile Range (IQR)? The width of the middle 50 percent of the distribution. It is defined as the difference between the lower and upper quartiles (Q1 and Q3.) What is the equation for the IQR? IQR= Q3-Q1 How is the Box Plot used? It is a graphic device that visually presents the following elements: the range, the inter-quartile range, the median, the quartiles, the minimum (lowest value,) and the maximum (highest value.) How do you calculate the first quartile (q1)? Q1= n (.25) How do you calculate the third quartile (q3)? Q3= n (.75) Where do you start when you are identifying the values associated with the first and third quartile? The bottom, or smallest value (assuming the values are already ordered from highest to lowest) What is the variance? It is the average of the squared deviations for the mean of the distribution. What is the standard deviation? It is the square root of the variance Which measures of variability measure Interval-Ratio variables? Variance and Standard Deviation. What is the equation for finding the variation? sy2= E (Y-Y)^2 / N-1

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Organisational Behaviour and Work Ethic

Question: Discuss about the Organisational Behaviour and Work Ethic . Answer: Generational differences at workplace: The varying trends in demographic signifies for the first the time that there is a likelihood of four generations of individuals working at the same place beside each other in modern workplace. The apparent fall in the work ethic is considered as one of the major contributors of generational disagreements in the workplace. On the contrary, Boomers might be regarded as workaholics and supposedly commenced the trend whereas traditional have been characterised as one of the most hardworking generations (Mullins Christy, 2013). Certainly, the existing notion is that younger generations do not work as hard as older workers do. According to cross-sectional comparison between the age group of 27-40 versus 41-65, it reflected that both group felt it was less important that a workers feel wisdom of pride in 1999 than 1974. Nonetheless, numerous factors further than generational factors create an impact on the work principles of employees. The work ethics of employees differs with degree of educations, level of income and marital status. The notion of hard works may also be associated with the low individuals themselves approaching the task (Wood et al. 2016). For example boomers has been characterised as process oriented where as younger generations emphasis on result irrespective of when and where the task is performed. Younger generation emphasis on productivity and has the ability to carry out the task at their own speed. Several organisations have acknowledged the experience of old workers but they also respect their talents and contribution of new workers by experiencing superior rate of retention. References J Mullins, L., Christy, G. (2013).Management Organisational Behaviour. Wood, J. M., Zeffane, R. M., Fromholtz, M., Wiesner, R., Morrison, R., Factor, A., ... Osborn, R. N. (2016).Organisational behaviour: Core concepts and applications. John Wiley Sons Australia, Ltd..

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

International Business Case Study-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp

Questions: 1.Do you think Bitcoins are approaching being unethical monetary instruments without technically carrying a value similar to Real money? 2.Is using bitcoins unethical? 3.Do you think the bitcoin system is evil as Paul Krugman suggests? Is it similar to a Ponzi scheme? 4.Is Bitcoin is against the central bank or solving money issues? Answers: Introduction Bitcoin is both a digital asset or account unit and computer protocol. It is a digital print of peer-to-peer open source print that was launched by the world developer Santoshi Nakamoto on January 3, 2009. His mysterious formula was considered by a writer as a strategy that the security and use of this technology do not depend on the reliability of the Creator. The protocol was created to read and create the open source for everyone. Crypto currency is a protocol and software based on the entire peer-to-peer transaction and minimum cost allowance worldwide. For years of reality, continuous media coverage near Bitcoin, epic drama, a roller-coaster ride, and lemon studs from major retailers are seen. Bitcoin is used by many new organisations, which is the most common form of effective currency. 1.Bitcoin is an open digital peer-to-peer currency which is not supported by other product, like silver or gold. Bitcoin is almost completely present in the online and digital world, although few bitcoins have been personally linked. The U.S. dollar, Likewise others currencies such as coin or paper currencies being issued by the national banks (Rychlewski, 2013). This means dollars are Federal Reserve Notes which are print at the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing. So the dollar is called the fiat money that means the dollars originate their values from laws and regulation of the United States government. Interestingly, in the United States in the year of 2014, the United States decided that Bitcoin will be taxed as a property not a currency for the IRS or International Revenue Service. IRS defines Bitcoin as a converted currency which can be used as an exchange medium. Technically, Bitcoin refers to the network and technology associated with currency with capitalized "B" when Bit coin refers to the actual currency with a small case "b". Bitcoin has complete disbelief in the control or authority of the underlying philosophy, essentially a completely stateless, market-based method, without interference from any region or country level bank. It is very technical. Bitcoins generated through a procedure called mining (Chen, Tang and Tang, 2013). The involvement of mining process for adding records of transactions to Bitcoin's community ledger is known as the block chain. Bitcoin nodes usage block chains to detect valid Bitcoin transactions. In this present development world, the process of mining is deliberately designed to be resource-intensive and difficult. This means the blocks daily found by miners rest relatively steady. So, basically, to make a Bitcoin "mine", a person must use a sufficient computational power to solve a difficult mathematical problem. 2.Yes, it is true that Bitcoins are unethical for buying illegal products though it allows important functions in criminal operation for causing cyber crime to the country. Protecting against cyber crime became a more and more complex task. Therefore, the organization need to hire capable people, train and remuneration them (Hamburger, 2017). The organisation needs to organise a risk management security system for cybercrime and set up operation and technical environment to sustain awareness and prepare to reproach criticism and restore critical service. The primary form of organised crime where the strong, strict and top crime is identified by the communication. With the appearance of new private channels of electronic communication alternative form of criminal organisation are formed. Corporate and Bureaucratic criminal organization developed the deep division of employment with in the organisation. However, the highly dedicated units involved in the overall structure of confidenti al electronic communication which was rigid. It is so because the fees of internal service create money flows within the organisation. As long as the money transfer is largely based on positive non-anonymous personal relationships, the organisation remains rigid. It would be noted that the cash flow was always an important part of illegal transactions. Due to the emergence of the Bitcoin currency, the situation changes dramatically: Bitcoin uses uninformed tone by the Tor Network together, providing digital goods and criminal services, supplying and providing secretly. The flow of money has always been a dangerous part of criminal activity. Therefore, it is not a large surprise that criminals are comfortable and broadly used in the system of new payment (Bollen, 2017). This leads to the Criminal Service market - A key writer calls - "Criminal Economy. 3.Regarding Bitcoin system, peoples have the highly negative opinion. Nobel winning author Paul Krugman considered Bitcoin is an Evil in an article published in New York Times newspaper. Claiming that Bitcoin offers an essential starting point for moral evaluation only if it has obvious mistake. Bitcoin is a mass of code stored in the computer hardware. It is man operated and thus cannot work independently. It can undoubtedly be used in an immoral way, but this is the evil that it is equivalent to any other currency because it can be used as per as convenience for any kind of immoral purpose (Kaushal, 2016). Considering the fact that Bitcoin should be studied properly for further understanding. In this way, an organisation will see how Bitcoin can be used in good ways and how it stands in position in comparison to other currencies. A standout amongst the most every now and again made moral charges against Bitcoin is the obvious secrecy of those utilizing the money takes into consider ation criminal action to be done openly in ways different monetary standards do not operate. However, those who use Bitcoin do not stand the level of nomenclature. In the first place, all exchanges utilizing Bitcoin are blocked by public chains the divisions in these exchanges are distinguished by their address of Bitcoin which goes about as one type of alias. Therefore, if a person can add his address, he is no longer unidentified. Linking IP addresses can be done in a variety of ways, including data analysis available through block chains and traces (Benson and Chumney, 2011). Also, if a person wants to purchase Bitcoin using other currency, or they could use a bitcoin exchange to convert bitcoin to another currency which requires the need for its bank account and the organic traditional forms of personal documentation used for authentication. This implies that the use of Bitcoin is not anonymous. 4.The Bitcoin practice could reduce the asset transfer by transforming the service which was used for long term. Presently, to transfer large assets requires time and resource which is a very complex matter. To reduce this complex method, Bitcoin's public ledger can replace this. Bitcoin is able to represent real world assets. Companies like Colored coin are already working out ways for using Bitcoin as a physical property (Iwamura et al., 2016). A part of a Bitcoin would identify publicly that who owns that particular property and its history by including records, which enable one to verify all records over the block chain and hand over the title on-site. Likewise, the financial instrument and real estate can compete over block chain rules which will reduce friction and create efficiencies and by allowing individuals to transfer property directly without using help from a lawyer, broker or other to end the transfer. Block chain can also transform identity management. Different types of Identity including driving license and passport which are still using paper based methods. These valuable documents are often forged and stolen. That's why a cryptographic network based block chain can be used to verify individuals identity by monitoring movement across the border. It possible by presenting a Bitcoin key when someone at a checkpoint or a border crossing was instead scanning paper passport or showing (Kaplanov, 2017). This also helps a government officer to verify the key and registering his or her entry into the block chain. It can also be used in different types of identity management like social security numbers and tax identification. Till date, the difference between block chain and Bitcoin is still unknown among people around the world. Some of these clients are going to use this technology to the specific point to cut costs or to add extra revenue streams. Conclusion There is a comprehensive agreement that TOR-Network Coordination with Bombing Bitcoin transactions that supports the new worldwide crime economy. The organisation wants the Tor Network to protect our democracy because Tor's privacy contributes to maintaining free political opinion of the property. Also, the option to ban Bitcoin and to control the flow of illegal money seems promising. It will hamper the important tasks of organisational crime very effectively. In addition to environmental impact, some Bitcoin transactions are anonymous and non-traceable. It is fairly easy to identify this huge power waste which regulates some of the mining firms governing the entire system. Next, to it, Bitcoin will seriously affect the global economy crime, which trusts on non-traceable crypto coins. If the organisation disrupts non-transferable money flow, there will be anonymity exchange of criminal services. Only the proposed conclusion cannot overcome if all concerned countries do not participa te in the bam of Bitcoin. For this reason, Bitcoin should consider additional measures like banning currency exchanges References Benson, S. and Chumney, W. (2011). The Rise and Fall of a Ponzi Scheme: The Ideal Illustration of the Law and Ethics of the Federal Bankruptcy Code.Journal of Legal Studies Education, 28(2), pp.273-330. Bollen, R. (2017). The Legal Status of Online Currencies Is Bitcoins the Future?.SSRN Electronic Journal. Chen, J., Tang, T. and Tang, N. (2013). Temptation, Monetary Intelligence (Love of Money), and Environmental Context on Unethical Intentions and Cheating.Journal of Business Ethics, 123(2), pp.197-219. Hamburger, J. (2017). State Money Transmission Laws vs. Bitcoins: Protecting Consumers or Hindering Innovation?.SSRN Electronic Journal. Iwamura, M., Kitamura, Y., Matsumoto, T. and Saito, K. (2016). Can We Stabilize the Price of a Cryptocurrency?: Understanding the Design of Bitcoin and Its Potential to Compete with Central Bank Money.SSRN Electronic Journal. Kaplanov, N. (2017). Nerdy Money: Bitcoin, the Private Digital Currency, and the Case Against Its Regulation.SSRN Electronic Journal. Kaushal, R. (2016). Bitcoin: First Decentralized Payment System.International Journal Of Engineering And Computer Science. Rychlewski, L. (2013). Waiting Bitcoins.BioInfoBank Library Acta, (1), p.3047.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Review on When the Broken Glass Floats by Chanrithy Him

Review on When the Broken Glass Floats by Chanrithy Him Autobiographical readings are numerous and when such a reading tells about some particular events as the part of someone’s life it becomes obvious that such work is a treasure. Most of the events in the history of different countries are written under the impact of the political regime which exists at the moment of writing a history.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Review on When the Broken Glass Floats by Chanrithy Him specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is obvious that the regime which is running the country at the moment is trying to present its vision of the events. Therefore, when such books as When the Broken Glass Floats appear, many historians are sure that such books are great sources and they have great historical value. The opportunity to look at the events from another side is valuable even though most of the facts are provided on the basi s of the recollections of a child. When the Broken Glass Floats by Chanrithy Him is an important source in understanding the events which happened under the ruling of the Khmer Rouge. The greatest value of the book should be explained via the opportunity to see the events which happened in the society through the perspective of the victim of those events. The victim was a child, however, it does not give the right for critics to ignore the feelings and thoughts of this person. Being a child, the author managed to remember everything what happened. The book is a treasure which is to be saved. One of the greatest values of the book is its truthfulness and the desire to tell the world what was happening. Additionally, this is not just the retelling of the story f life, it is a lesson, a good history lesson. Him starts writing from the poem, the one she composed herself and which tells the reasons why Him needed to compose this memoir. When broken glass floats, a nation drowns, Descendi ng to the abyss. From mass graves in the once-gentle land,Advertising Looking for essay on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Their blood seeps into mother earth. Their suffering spirits whisper to her, â€Å"Why has this happened?† Their voice resounds in the spirit world, Shouts though the souls of survivors, Determined to connect, begging the world: Please remember us. Please speak for us. Please bring us justice. (Him 6) Therefore, it may be concluded that Him felt that her story will help to remember the events which happened in Cambodia better. People are to remember such terrible events in order not to repeat the mistakes and not to make people suffer in the same was as while the Khmer Rouge regime.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Review on When the Broken Glass Floats by Chanrithy Him specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The story in the boo k starts with the times when everything was great and there was no any hazard. Chanrithy Him starts from the days when her parents were children, how their marriage was arrange, how her father fell in love with her mother and other details which are very important for the family in Cambodia. Further, the description of life and family traditions is considered. This part is very important to understanding the Khmer Rouge regime as the description of the ordinary life of simple people helps top see the life of the whole society. Him’s family is taken as the example and it is possible to predict that the society in Cambodia was organized in the same way. This, one of the historical values discussed in the book is the description of life before political changes. The background is important in understanding the reasons how and why the Khmer Rouge regime became possible in that society. The parts where Him refers to the customs and traditions of the society helps to see the full p icture. Such parts are really important as they help use the book for generalization, but not as the personal writing about one family. Explaining the phrase â€Å"the kang prawattasas, the wheel of history† Him states the following, â€Å"The wheel of time or change. The Khmer Rouge often used such terms to threaten us, to force us to follow their rules, their revolution. If we didn’t follow their rules, the wheel of history would run over us. This could mean punishment or death.† (Him14) Such pieces are really important as they help consider the source as the valuable historical piece of writing. Almost each of the chapters in the book contains the pieces of news from the contemporary of that time newspapers. Such pieces help the reader to see the situation how it was presented in the society, how it was highlighted by the journalists and how it was in reality as the further discussion continued from the first person and Him continued remembering what happened with her family. One of the epigrams is taken from the New Internationalist with the purpose to describe a concept titled â€Å"Year Zero†, â€Å"Year Zero was the dawn of an age in which, in extremis, there would be no families, no sentiment, no expression of love or grief, no medicines, no hospitals, no schools, no books, no learning, no holidays, no music: only work and death† (Him 226).Advertising Looking for essay on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This is the phrase which sums up the experience of Chanrithy Him under the reign on the Khmer Rouge regime. The book has a great value for the contemporary historians who have an opportunity to see the events of those time from different perspectives. Works Cited Him, Chanrithy. When Broken Glass Floats: Growing Up Under the Khmer Rouge. New York: W.W. Norton, 2001. Print. This essay on Review on When the Broken Glass Floats by Chanrithy Him was written and submitted by user Lea Y. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Advertisements and De Destruction essays

Advertisements and De Destruction essays In the movie, Advertising and the end of the world, Sut Jhally talks about how advertising is affecting the world negatively. In the beginning of the movie Jhally talks about advertising as a culture. And how physical and simple things dont apply. Jhally stated that if an anthropologist came from mars and based our culture off of advertisements, they would think that we believe in magic, and that normal doesnt apply to us. Some advertisements even come into our personal lives and change our culture. He gives DeBeers as an example of how they have intruded into our lives. Later, Jhally talks about how the advertisements show people as being happy if we buy the product. Advertising tells us that the more we buy the happier we are going to be. Jhally gave us some statistics that show our happiness levels and our wealth levels. And our wealth has gone up but our happiness has stayed the same. Jhally then discusses a survey that they did, and asked people what made them happy. More often than not people said social things and not physical things. Social things are like friends, families, autonomy control, romance, self esteem, and relaxation. Physical things are like economic status, and houses. In the movie Jhally says that products cant provide you with social things, only material. Advertisements are used everywhere. And each one was expensive to make, ads are more expensive per thirty seconds than the biggest blockbuster hit. Jhally gave an example of Jurassic Park and how much it cost in comparison to an advertisement. The movie was something like 236 thousand dollars every thirty seconds an the commercials averaged at about 247 thousand dollars. An example he gave for commercials going to extremes, was the Timex commercial where they flew set builders in from England to the Red Sea to make a two story model of a watch. Now commercials have to do that sort of thing ...

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Behavior and Attitudes essays

Behavior and Attitudes essays ...It is that we are likely not only to think ourselves into a way of acting but also to act ourselves into a way of thinking. (137) Divorce is a major change in a persons life, also an exciting time to move toward new goals and make new commitments. The process of a divorce, I believe is a great example of the attitudes-follow-behavior and behavior-follow-attitude principles. Going through a divorce stirs up mixed feelings of emotion. Some people feel upset, scared, happy, excited, relieved and confused by their situation, regardless if they were the one who initiate the divorce. Due to these conflicting feelings, people try to avoid appearing inconsistent with those around them. They may hide those emotions and use impression-management to appear consistent. In freeing oneself from a marriage, a person also creates a new attitude (self-identity) and goes through the movements of that new role. Though he/she may not feel comfortable going through a new routine, it will eventually feel familiar. By role-playing, we start to behave differently allowing a person to settle into his/her new life and commitments. For example when I first began my divorce, I wasnt sure if it was the right decision due to the fact that we have children, I would be breaking up a family. And financially the children and I would be going into beggar status. However, I did feel excited about being free of all the ugliness that was projected onto my being and being free from physical abuse. I had to get some very destructive thoughts like if only I could love more he would stop being physically abusive or It takes two to fight, out of my mind. I had to readjust my frame of thought and learn that I had rights. And more importantly, my children should be treated better than luggage by their father. If my children and I were going to survive and break this cycle, there had to be some major changes. All I knew to do was ...

Sign of the Beaver Essay Example

Sign of the Beaver Essay Example Sign of the Beaver Paper Sign of the Beaver Paper I read The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare. The genre was historical fiction and Matt, the main character, was a very brave, strong, kindhearted 12 year old boy who had brown hair and was average height. What I admire about matt is that he is a brave kid who was very willing to sacrifice himself to protect the cabin for his family. The story is about a family who lives in Quincy, Massachusetts when one blistering cold winter in 1768, they decide to move to Maine. In the spring Matt and his father went to an area of land that he bought and cleared it out from all the trees. They built a log cabin in a forest. His father would go back to Quincy to get the rest of his family and matt would stay by himself to protect the cabin. He has heard stories about their being Indians in this part of Maine and he has been taught to be very polite to them. His dad told him he wouldn’t come across one if he didn’t bother them. He one day wanted honey from a bee hive that he had seen a couple days back, so he went and was chased by a bunch of bees. He was stung many times but finally tripped on a root and was thrown into a small lake. He was rescued by the feared Indians, who then took him to his cabin and gave him medicine (for his foot he had hurt when he tripped) and new shoes. The next day the Indians came back to matt’s cabin and checked his leg. They said it was sprained. He later in the book found out that the Indians who had saved him were Attean and his grandfather Sankis. Matt made a deal with Sankis that if they taught his skills about the wild he would teach Attean better English. They agreed and Matt learned many skills while Attean learned English or white man signs. Matt bonded with Attean and became his Indian brother. Attean and Sankis then came one day and asked him a very important question. They said, do you want to come with our tribe to live with us and become an Indian. You should read the rest of the book to find out what matt says. The theme of this book is that friends come in many shapes and sizes because when matt, a white boy, becomes friends with an Indian it is amazing. The author chose this title because there are different hunting grounds and Attean’s tribe’s ground was the sign of the beaver. Another good title for this book would be The Boy and the Indian, because Matt, the boy, meets Attean, the Indian. If I had to choose between my Newberry honor book, The Sign of the Beaver, or my Newberry Medal book, Maniac Magee, I would choose the honor book because it wasn’t confusing like the medal book and also it had much suspense. I would give The Sign of the Beaver a 8 because it kept your interest the whole book and was an exciting book.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

A CSR for the Abu Dhabi Culture Authority Research Paper

A CSR for the Abu Dhabi Culture Authority - Research Paper Example The impressive hotel took a total of 3 years to build and was opened in November 2005, however there were a number of restaurants and spas that were not opened until the following year as they were not complete by the time the time hotel was opening its doors to the public (Kempinski Group). The hotel can be said to belong to the hospitality as well as luxury industry considering the expensive cost of staying in even the cheapest room available (Kempinski Group). The organization deals with the provision of room and board among other various services involved in the hospitality industry and besides the provision of hotel rooms, there are a number of other facilities that are present within the structure such as restaurants, spas, and other sporting and health facilities that are available to those who are residing in the hotel (Kempinski Group). The building was designed by an architect named John Elliot who was a Senior Vice President at an international firm whose main specialty was in the designing of luxury hotels called Wimberly, Allison, Tong and Goo. The hotel was financed and is owned by the Abu Dhabi government and is under the management of the Kempinski Group. The hotel cost 11.02 AED to build and is the second most expensive hotel in the world after the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore (Kempinski Group). In total, the hotel has 92 suites as well as 302 rooms. 22 of these suites are reserved for hosting various heads of state with ke y public figures having stayed at the hotel before such as the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair (Kempinski Group). The hotel has also been able to hold its own financially generating an impressive revenue of over 50 million U.S dollars annually (Kempinski Group). The cheapest room that is available in this hotel is what is known as the Coral Room that costs $400 a night with the most expensive being the Palace Grand Suite that goes for $11500 a night (Kempinski Group). There are a number of

Academic Paper Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Academic Paper Review - Essay Example es advance,markets shift,competitors increase,and some products and services become obsolete regularly therefore the succusseful businesses are those that develop new knowledge and disseminate it in the enterprise quickly to manufacture new products and technologies. Maybury et al. (2002) noted that those are the activities that define knowledge-creating company and their business is to ensure continuous innovation. The author of the article sets out to achieve success in businesses through the use of knowledge to achieve the firms goals and objectives. The application of knowledge by the successful Japanese competitors for instance,Matsushita,Kao,Canon,Sharp,NEC,and Honda have made them famous for their capabability to be flexible to market changes,quick responces to customer needs,develop new markets and products and to dominte the emerging technologies. Ichijo and Nonaka (2006) stated that the secret of succeeding in business is the unique approach in the management of creating new knowledge. The article stresses the importance of the Japanese approach that normally seem incomprehensible and odd to other businesses but are used to develop new knowledge of running successful firms. Nonaka (1991) gave an example of the slogan â€Å"Theory of Automobile Evolution† that is a design concept that led to the development of the innovative urban car ,Honda City. The purpose of the article is to explain the focus of the Japanese approach that depends entirely on tapping the tacit and subjective intuitions,hunches of the employees,insights and hence testing those insights and enabling the business to use them as whole. Shibata (2006) noted that the key to successful processes is the ability of the employees to be personally committed to their tasks,their sense of identity with the business and its operation. The author in this article is seeking to present the importance of the business managers to mobilize the workers committment to their work and exemplifying implicit

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Evaluate systems architecture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evaluate systems architecture - Essay Example The kind of memory used on CPUs has to be fast speed and is limited in size. These are the registers. Below is the Von Neumann architecture on which all other architectures are based; Traditionally, CPUs did not have many registers and comprised numerous memory addressing techniques. However, after intensive research, it was found that these features made the computers less efficient. Major issues included rare use of specialized instructions, increased the frequency of memory access due to few general-purpose registers. This feature also reduced the amount of addressable memory space for computers. The time required for instruction execution was also unnecessarily lengthened by lack of registers. An example of such processors is the intel x86 processor. These came up as a solution to increase the efficiency of computers. They use a technique called parallelism, which has the effect of increasing the overall speed of execution of computers. Through data dependency where the output of one operation is the input of the next, concurrency can be achieved. CPUs using VLIW architecture have 64 general purpose registers at their disposal. Their instruction words are 128 bits long which is then divided into 4 atoms each 32 bits long. Below is a graphical depiction of VLIW architecture. Intel was the originator of the EPIC architecture and used it on their IA-64 processor. It clusters instructions before execution. Its instruction word size is 41 bits with 256 registers. The clusters are 128 bits wide. Execution of instructions occurs in cycles. Instructions and data are stored in the computer’s hard disk. For execution, they are loaded in main memory from where the CPU can reference them. The fetch execute cycle then begins. The CPU speed is much faster than memory. The time it takes to fetch an instruction from main memory into the CPU is enough for execution of an instruction. Therefore, CPUs are equipped with an onboard fast memory chip called

Economic growth in China and its impact on American economy Essay - 1

Economic growth in China and its impact on American economy - Essay Example The developed nations have understood that after the implementation of the quota free regime, the Republic of China has captured and secured major share of the industrial and production activities. The Golden Age of the China started soon after its amalgamation with World Trade Organization. The membership of World trade Organization has been of economic and industrial benefits for the country. Secondly, the normalization of the Communist China’s diplomatic relationship with United States, have further boosted the momentum of Chinese economic activities. These two events are important because they signify the recognition of Chinese economy by United States and the world economic community as an equal partner. Since its membership, the country has become an important member of the world economic community and plays an important role in the global economy. The partnership with WTO has increased the scope of China’s market for international trade and investment, and has opened up the World economy for unrestricted China’s exports. Economic analysts have viewed the so far progress positively, and considered it as a positive force for China’s economic development, however others believed that the competition of foreign imports and foreign enterprises in China might destroy important domestic enterprises in China’s agricultural, manufacturing and service sectors. WTO membership will hasten the relative decline of the agricultural sector and the relative rise of service sectors dealing with financial services and telecommunication. Secondly, the state sector will decline relatively to the non-state sectors and efficiency in Chinese enterprises will increase with foreign competition when tariffs are lowered and foreign firms can enter the Chinese market. Although the concerns of the analysts have come up to be true, however the Chinese government’s investment friendly policy and availability of local, cheap and skilled labor

Monday, November 18, 2019

Financial Analysis for Ipplepen Plc Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial Analysis for Ipplepen Plc - Case Study Example As such, the potential of a stock as a profitable investment is often linked to the company's ability to maximise shareholder value which in turn, is mirrored in its financial statements. Financial analysis has gained wide acceptance as a tool in assessing the health and well-being of a business entity. This is also considered as a helpful technique which aids investors in ascertaining the gains and the risks involved in buying and holding company's stocks. This report aims to evaluate the viability of investing in the stock of Ipplepen through the utilisation of an in-depth financial analysis. In so doing, this report will give a brief introduction of the company, its operations, and the recent significant corporate changes. To get a profound evaluation of the financial situation of the organisation, it will diagnose the important aspects of Ipplepen's financial health which include profitability, liquidity, gearing, working capital utilisation, investment, and cash flow. In order to come up with a comprehensive and accurate assessment of Ipplepen, this report makes use of the company's financial statements which include the consolidate income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement for the fiscal year 2006. The required data for the financial ratio computation are transcribed in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets in order to facilitate more accurate and more convenient data processing. For a more adequate assessment, 2005 is used as a comparative year. After the computations, the financial data and computation are double checked in order to ensure correctness. The interpretation of the computed financial ratios are aided by the concepts and theories presented in various finance books, journals, and articles. 3.0. Company Background Ipplepen Plc operates in the UK fashion industry through the wholesale and retail of clothing, footware, and leisure equipment in the British Isles and Ireland. The business organisation has two core areas of operation: stores, which denotes to its retailing activities of clothing, footwear, and leisure equipment; and Manaton, which refers to its activities as a distribution channel of Manaton products. Aside from these operations, Ipplepen generates income from sub-let property and other property related activities. During 2006, its main operation accounts for 99% of its total turnover. Ipplepen currently employs 3762 part-time and 1786 full-time employees to man its operations. 4.0. Financial Analysis Financial ratio analysis is a very essential tool in assessing the financial health of a business entity. Financial ratios are grouped into five categories, each showing a different aspect of a company's financial operations. These are profitability ratios,

Analysis of Two Learning Environment Designs Essay

Analysis of Two Learning Environment Designs - Essay Example The authors conducted a literature review on the significance of working memory and cognitive load on learning performance of students and how the use of multimedia enables the learners to improve their learning by reducing the extraneous cognitive load on the part of the learners. It also discussed the impact of short- and long-term memory in solving problem-based cases, the effects of problem types on students’ thinking process. Based on the literature gathered, the authors conducted a research study to test 3 hypotheses: (H1) participants in synchronized interactive multimedia will outperform unsynchronized interactive media in solving multiple rule-based problem-solving; (H2) Synchronized and unsynchronized multimedia could affect learners’ spatial ability and performance; (H3) demographic factors could affect learners’ ability to solve problems. Study result confirms that all three hypotheses were true.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Microsoft Surface Table: 3D Modelling and Touch Controls

Microsoft Surface Table: 3D Modelling and Touch Controls Background and Context Three Dimensional (3D) Modelling is the process of creating a 3D representation of any surface or object by manipulating polygons, edges, and vertices, in simulated 3D space ­1. 3D modelling is used in many different industries, including virtual reality, video games, TV and motion pictures. 2A 3D modelling software generates a model through a variety of tools and approaches including: Simple polygons. 3D primitives simple polygon-based shapes, such as pyramids, cubes, spheres, cylinders, and cones 3Spline curves a curve that connects two or more defined specific control points. 3NURBS (non-uniform rational b-spline) Computationally complex, smooth shapes designed by bezel curves. Scope and Objectives In this project, the 3D model produced, was the 5G Innovation Centre at the University of Surrey. The final version of the prototype is supposed to be a model of the whole University campus, which would be able to display the temperature, noise levels, and a few other statistics in every single area on the map. In order to record data, an IoT Desk Egg4 was created. This Desk Egg is a multi-sensor suite with feedback mechanisms and wireless communication capabilities. Using this Desk Egg, environmental data, such as light, sound, temperature, noise, humidity, dust density are measured and recorded. Separately, these recordings have limited value, but when combined, and analysed in aggregate, the sensors provide a rich context of its immediate surroundings. 5The objective of this project is to enhance the model with touch navigation capabilities, similar to 3D navigation on a mobile phone or tablet. The current model is constructed for a Samsung SUR40 touch table, running Microsoft Surface. The model has been implemented using PixelSense and in addition, Microsoft Surface Game Studio 4.0 and the Window Presentation Foundation (WPF). To go about enhancing the model, investigations would have to be established, on what changes would be involved to implement touch navigation, before implementation and testing of the aforementioned varieties. Introduction[SO1] Microsoft PixelSense 6Microsoft PixelSense orientation capabilities are used and seamlessly integrated into the application, which also supports multiple simultaneous touch points. The Samsung SUR40 can only run Windows 7, as the Surface SDKs are only fully supported on Windows 7 and not any newer Operating System. Window Presentation Foundation To initiate an application for any Microsoft Surface devices, especially for the PixelSense, the Microsoft Surface Game Studio 4.0 and Window Presentation Foundation (WPF) are required. Rowe (2012) shows a few points that can assist a developer to innovate and create a great application for the Samsung SUR40 Surface Table.7 Implement a darker background as it does better with quality during contact. Multiple screen interactions, in which, the users finger and objects, can be detected. Actions only must be interacted by the users fingers to avoid detection errors, and adding sound effects, acknowledging the users finger interaction, should be done. Ensuring the user immerses into an outstanding experience from the application. Since the PixelSense has 4 corners, it will be more convenient for users to be able to turn the orientation of the application, while offering an easy means of leaving the application. The points of interaction with the application, should be well sized and well-spaced, to prevent manipulation errors during input. Working with Touch Input To implement the 3D touch controls, a key prerequisite for the project is the availability of touch control capability. Using the System Information app, which could be launched from the Run dialog box, with the syntax msinfo32.exe. As seen from the image below, the Samsung SUR40 Surface Table, has 52 individual touch points. This confirms that the table supports the touch interaction and the touch framework is ready to use. Fig 1. The Run dialog, with the corresponding syntax, used to launch the system information window. Fig2. A System Properties window, showing the details on the touch capability. The initial edition of the 3D modelling software has sub-par touch navigation controls, but it makes up in the availability of buttons which are mapped to specific viewing points of the model. Having these buttons provides a way of navigating through, but lack the fluidity of the touch input system you would get from any other 3D modelling software. Fig 3. An image showing the initial edition of the source code, with buttons. Development Environment In order to be able to work on this project, a few software programs have to be installed. These software programs are specifically required to create an application for a Microsoft PixelSense device. These include: Windows 7 Microsoft Visual Studio 2015 Microsoft XNA Framework Redistributable 4.0 Refresh Microsoft XNA Game Studio Platform Tools Microsoft Surface 2.0 SDK Microsoft Surface 2.0 Runtime GitEXT Windows 7 Windows 7 is the latest operating system that the Surface SDK supports, hence, all the programming done, had to be on a PC running Windows 7. Running these programs on a Windows 10 PC, gives an unfixable error. A Windows 7 license had to be purchased. Microsoft DreamSpark provides a free license to the University of Surrey students. Using the downloaded ISO file, a USB boot key was made, using DiskPart, so as to dual boot Windows 7 on the laptop used. Using DiskPart, empties the flash drive of all its contents, its advisable to use an empty drive, or back up its contents. Fig 4. The error shown when the program is being opened on a Windows 10 PC. Fig 5. Image showing the free purchase of a Windows 7 Operating System, using DreamSpark. DiskPart is the Windows built in disk management program, using CMD to call it, the following syntaxes will create a custom USB key for any appropriately sized flash drive: List disk This lists out all the disk drives connected to the system, and their sizes, with disk numbers Disk ###, for easier disk reference. After finding your particular disk, use select disk x, x being the respective number of your disk. This basically tells the program you plan on working on this disk. Clean This clears your drive of previous configurations and empties it. Create partition primary This creates a primary partition on the cleaned drive. Select partition 1 This selects the recently created partition. Active this sets the selected partition as an active partition. Format fs=fat32 This syntax formats the flash drive to a requested file system. In this example, the file system being FAT32, the legacy file system recognizable by most BIOS (Basic Input Output System) firmware. Fig 5. The image shows the procedure for creating a USB Key, Disk 2. Visual Studio 2015 Microsoft Visual Studio 2015 is now a free software, but for the Enterprise version, a key is needed, but as a University of Surrey student, one is provided free of charge, under the DreamSpark account. Fig 6. Image shows free purchase of Visual Studio Enterprise, using DreamSpark. Microsoft XNA Framework and Microsoft Surface SDK A Microsoft Surface SDK installer was downloaded and installed, as an extension, for the Visual Studio 15 suite. This enables Visual Studio to compile on the Microsoft Surface XNA Game Studio framework. The installer sets up two important frameworks, which are the Microsoft Surface WPF and Microsoft Surface XNA Game Studio 4.0. These frameworks are applied to help developers with the creation of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) applications respectively. A successful install will show something like this, when creating a new project in Visual Studio. Fig 7. The image shows a properly installed XNA Game Studio Framework. GitEXT GitEXT is an extension for windows, that helps manage a git repository. The programs source code had to be worked on alongside a few colleagues, as they had other objectives in terms of updating the 3D Modelling software. Using a git repository, helps with management of different modifications and changes between different editors of the same source code. Fig 8. The image shows an installed git extension for version management. Camera Movement Running a camera location around an object is a concept of projecting different views from different positions for audiences. It is an essential task for the developer to implement this concept in the application. In order to implement, a series of matrix calculations are required to move the camera from its current position to a desired place and display the object with high quality and performance. The current camera, as stated earlier, seen in Fig 3, has a fixed position, and does not move around the model, rather, there are fixed points in camera can be. These points are controlled by the arrow buttons. To fix this problem the touch framework has to be implemented. Touch Gesture The touch functionality of the program depended on raw input, and only moved the model round a fixed point. The method of implementation made navigation with the touch screen, somewhat ineffective. The XNA framework installed, comes with a touch input namespace namely Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Input.Touch. After extensive research on this library namespace, using this namespace made implementing a new gesture-based, touch framework for the code straightforward. The namespace provides support for gestures like tapping, double tapping, horizontal drag, and a few others. Development After researching various libraries and namespaces for a substantial understanding of the initial source code, coding began. During initial coding, it was discovered that the method of navigating the model, was rotating the camera round a fixed object, as it gives the same illusion as the model moving round its axes, as opposed to the manipulation of the model itself in front of an immovable camera. Using this logic, the touch code had to manipulate the cameras movement and not the movement of the model. While implementing the touch framework, a few redundancies were removed, such as the buttons used in moving the camera and a few others, to provide for a more immersive experience when using the 3D model. Fig 9. The image shows the 3D model with redundancies removed.