Benefits Of Using Cds Used For Hedging Purposes - 1501 Words

Banks are classified as users or non-users of CDS based on a search of their annual reports for information about the use of CDS. To search the reports, I have searched for key terms and expressions that indicate the use of CDS such as CDS, credit default swap, and credit default contract. Appendix (C) shows the complete list of the banks classified as CDS user or CDS non-user, and their market capitalization. The CDS users represent 50% of the sample and the other half are nonuser. The selected sample will be used to test two main aspects: 1) The effect of the CEOs’ risk-taking incentives on CDS use by distinguishing between CDS use for hedging purposes and CDS use for trading purposes; and 2) How the CDS use impacts the firms’ risk by†¦show more content†¦In 2002 the European Union agreed that from January 2005 international accounting standards/international financial reporting standards (IASs/IFRSs) would apply for the consolidated accounts of the EU listed companies (Barth, Landsman, and Lang, 2008). Starting from 2005, IAS/IFRS adoption has been mandatory in all the member states of the European Union with the ultimate goal of increasing transparency in financial reporting. This adoption of IAS/IFRS therefore represents an extraordinary event for empirical research because evidence shows that the mandatory adoption of IAS/IFRS in Europe results in better qualit y of financial reporting. In fact, empirical studies provide some support to the notion that adopting IAS/IFRS improves the quality of financial reporting and of public information (Palea, 2013). 3.1.4 Data sources In this thesis, secondary data is used to answer the two research questions. The data have been collected from two main sources: bank’s annual reports and Datastream. Following the approach of many prior empirical studies the data on CDS and derivative are hand-collected from banks’ annual reports (e.g., Allayannis and Ofek, 2001; Rajgopal and Shevlin, 2002; Supanvanij and Strauss, 2010). Unlike US firms, compensation data for European companies are not readily available in

Differences in Crime Statistics in the Uniform Crime...

Arguments over crime statistics have been raging ever since governments began counting criminal activity. In 1930 the United States congress authorized the attorney general of the United States to survey crime in America. The Federal Bureau of Investigation was chosen to implement the program. (Schmalleger p.38) The Uniform Crime Reports is the survey taken by the FBI. This measure of crime in America depends on reports to the police by victims of crimes. The UCR Program was developed by the FBI for the purpose of serving law enforcement as a tool for operational and administrative purposes. Through the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the UCR Program was developed. Later, the National Sheriffs Association†¦show more content†¦Arson is an exception to the Hierarchy Rule. One of the problems with the Uniform Crime Reports is that many citizens do not always make official reports. For example, many women refuse to report rapes because they do not want to relive the ordeal. Some citizens feel that the police will not be able to do anything about a crime committed against them therefore they do not report it. Another problem with the Uniform Crime Reports is that Victimless crimes are rarely reported. These are crimes like prostitution, gambling, and drug use. Since many of these crimes are not reported, then the UCR becomes somewhat vague and incomplete. When reviewing crime data, it is important for the reader to note the difference between offenses and arrests. Offenses relate to events and arrests relate to persons. A single offense may involve no arrestees; may involve one arrestee; or may involve many arrestees. National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) is the Nations primary source of information on criminal victimization. Twice each year, data are obtained from a nationally representative sample of roughly 49,000 households comprising about 100,000 persons on the frequency, characteristics, and consequences of criminal victimization in the United States. The survey reports the likelihood of victimization by rape, sexual assault, robbery,Show MoreRelatedResearch Report on Impact of Time Management11320 Words   |  46 PagesCHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the study The public image of the police is measured a number of different ways. Sometimes surveys ask about â€Å"local† police, police in â€Å"your neighborhood† or police in â€Å"your area,† while other surveys ask about the police as a general institution. The terminology used to gauge public support also varies widely, with questions asking about whether respondents â€Å"approve of† or â€Å"trust† the police, have â€Å"confidence in† or â€Å"respect for† the police, or whetherRead MoreJuvenile Delinquency And The Nature Of Police Juvenile9755 Words   |  40 PagesMcCoy (1999) who tested Black’s (1976) theory concluded that there are other extralegal factors besides law and police departmental policies that influence police response. According to them, the race, gender, wealth and education of the victims of a crime influence police decisions whether to intervene in a conflict, to arrest the suspects or to take other actions. This selective enforcement of the law, according to Smith and Visher (1981) is often a reflection of social stratification. Those on theRead MoreEssay Paper84499 Words   |  338 Pagesclimate surveys: adds requirement for personnel equivalent to company level commanders; updates timelines to within 30 days (120 days for Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve) of assuming command, again at 6 months, and annually thereafter (paras 6-3i(13) and E-1a). o Updates confidentiality procedures: adds exceptions to the confidentiality of survey responses; adds requirement to provide inconspicuous location to submit paper and pencil format; provides guidance on group versus individual Read More_x000C_Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis355457 Words   |  1422 PagesIntroduction to Statistics and Data Analysis This page intentionally left blank Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis Third Edition Roxy Peck California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Chris Olsen George Washington High School, Cedar Rapids, IA Jay Devore California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Australia †¢ Brazil †¢ Canada †¢ Mexico †¢ Singapore †¢ Spain †¢ United Kingdom †¢ United States Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis, ThirdRead MoreSolution to Auditing and Assurance Service: 1,12,B, 329605 Words   |  119 Pagesof: (1) obtaining and evaluating evidence about assertions management makes about economic actions and events, (2) ascertaining the degree of correspondence between the assertions and the appropriate reporting framework, and (3) providing an audit report (opinion). Students can also respond more generally in terms of â€Å"lending credibility† to financial statements presented by management (attestation). 1.5 An attest engagement is: â€Å"An engagement in which a practitioner is engaged to issue or does

Role of Women in Shakespeares Plays free essay sample

William Shakespeare (baptized 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English poet William Shakespeare and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England’s national poet and the â€Å"Bard of Avon† (or simply â€Å"The Bard†). His surviving work consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Scholars have often noted four periods in Shakespeare’s writing career. Until the mid -1590s, he wrote mainly comedies influenced by Roman and Italian models and history plays in the popular chronicle tradition. His second period begin in about 1595 with the tragedy â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† and ended with the tragedy of â€Å"Julius Caesar† in 1599. During this time, he wrote what are considered his greatest comedies and histories. From about 1600 to about 1608, his â€Å"tragic period†, Shakespeare wrote mostly tragedies, and from 1608 to 1613, mainly tragicomedies called romances. We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Women in Shakespeares Plays or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page â€Å"William Shakespeare† – Wikipedia) Shakespeare’s plays are famous for many different reasons. The plot, characterization, dialogues, the use of metaphors and symbolic tone and the supernatural element found in many plays. Here the characterization with respect to women’s role in Shakespeare’s plays is discussed. The role of women varies in each play. The women evil found in Lady Macbeth, beauty and wisdom found in Portia, daughterly love and sacrificing nature found in Cordelia and the weak nature and dependence on others found in Gertrude, each one of them has her own uniqueness. Role of Women Two main characters i. e. Lady Macbeth and Portia are discussed to highlight the role of women in Shakespeare’s â€Å"Macbeth† and â€Å"The Merchant of Venice†. Both these characters are very important and main female characters in these plays. Lady Macbeth Lady Macbeth  is a fictional character in  Shakespeares  Macbeth  (c. 1603–1607). She is the wife to the plays protagonist,  Macbeth, a Scottish  nobleman. After goading him into committing  regicide, she becomes  Queen of Scotland, but later suffers pangs of guilt for her part in the crime. She dies off-stage in the last act, an apparent  suicide. The characters origins lie in the accounts of Kings Duff and Duncan in  Holinsheds Chronicles  (1587), a history of Britain familiar to Shakespeare. Shakespeares Lady Macbeth appears to be a composite of two separate and distinct personages in Holinsheds work: Donald’s nagging, murderous wife in the account of King Duff, and Macbeths ambitious wife in the account of King Duncan. Lady Macbeth is a powerful presence in the play, most notably in the first two acts. Following the murder of King Duncan, however, her role in the plot diminishes. She becomes an uninvolved spectator to Macbeths plotting, and a nervous hostess at a banquet dominated by her husbands hallucinations. Her fifth act  sleepwalking scene  is a turning point in the play, and her line, Out, damned spot! has become a phrase familiar to most speakers of the  English language. Analysts see in the character of Lady Macbeth the conflict between femininity and masculinity, as they are impressed in cultural norms. Lady Macbeth suppresses her instincts toward compassion, motherhood, and fragility — associated with femininity — in favor of ambition, ruthlessness, and the single minded pursuit of power. This conflict colors the entire drama, and sheds light on gender-based preconceptions from Shakespearean England to the present. (â€Å"Lady Macbeth† – Wikipedia) Ambition, Cruelty and Guilt Lady Macbeth is far more ambitious than her husband is. When she hears about the prophecies by the witches, she becomes determined to kill King Duncan. This ambition is very clear from these lines of Act I, Scene V: â€Å"Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,    And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full    Of direst cruelty! †(Shakespeare) She urges her husband, Macbeth to kill the king by saying â€Å"she had given suck, and knew how tender it was to love the babe that milked her; but she would †¦ dashed its brains out, if she had sworn so to do it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Shakespeare: Act I, Scene VII) This was the height of her ambition and cruelty. Later on, after the murder, she could not resist her guilt and walked in her sleep, washing her hands murmuring â€Å"Out, damned spot! †(Shakespeare: Act V, Scene I) Then, she committed suicide. Portia Portia is the main female character who is dominated all over the play. She is one of the most beautiful and perfect heroines of Shakespeare’s plays. Young and Beautiful â€Å"Portia, the heroine of the play, is the lady of Belmont, richly left by her father. She is cultured, refined, young and beautiful. The fame of her beauty spreads far and wide and a number of lovers are eager to marry her. (Naque: 127) As Bassanio says: For the four winds blow in from every coast Renowned suitors, and her sunny locks Hang on her temples like a golden fleece, Which makes her seat of Belmont Colchos’ strond, And many Jasons come in quest of her (Shakespeare: 14) Intelligent, Resourceful and Practical: Masculine Self Confidence She is intelligent and prompt, can take quick decisions, and forms intelligent plans of action. It is she who directs Bassanio to go to Venice to the help of his friend, and as soon as he is gone, she decides to go to Venice herself to save Antonio. She handles the situation with great resourcefulness and presence of mind. A servant is at once sent to Padua to get legal advice from a cousin, it is given out that she is going out to some monastery to pray there for the success of her lord, the house is put under the charge of Lorenzo and Jessica, and then promptly she assumes the masculine disguise of a lawyer and with Nerissa, also disguised as a lawyer’s clerk, at once leaves for Venice. Through the trial, she conducts herself with rare masculine self-confidence. There is no masculine shyness and diffidence. (Naque: 128) Her Complete Womanliness The complete and perfect womanliness of her character is very impressive. Her womanliness appears at its best in the casket scene when Bassanio became successful in choosing the right casket. Her surrender before love is the natural and exquisite self-expression of the steady and balanced soul. For herself she would not be better than what she was; and yet for Bassanio’s sake, she would be â€Å"trebled twenty times herself†. She knew that she was â€Å"an un-lessoned, unschooled and unpracticed†; but she was Happy in this, she is not so old But she may learn†¦ Happiest of all that her gentle spirit Commits itself to you to be directed As from her lord, her governor, and her king Surely, it is not the heiress of Belmont that speaks in these lines of felicity and grace – but a woman, the innermost core of whose being has been filled through and through with the becoming spirit of love. (Siddiqui, Syed: 20) Conclusion Comparing both Lady Macbeth and Portia, both are very different from each other. Apparently there is no similarity between them except some similarities. Both are beautiful, shrewd and they have hidden masculine qualities but Portia is the protagonist and Lady Macbeth is the antagonist. Both are standing at two extremes i. e. Portia at the â€Å"good extreme† and Lady Macbeth at the wrong or â€Å"evil extreme†. These two extremes show that how diverse female characters are there in Shakespeare’s plays.

Macbeth Essays (588 words) - Characters In Macbeth,

Macbeth ?Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep? (2, 2, 47) These are words speaking of an evil person. As much of the play Macbeth is about. The play starts with evil, the three witches burrying different wierd objects. As well as throughout the majority of the play, evil is the basis of all within this story. The blood in this story is evil. And I don't mean the blood which pours from a dying king. I mean blood in the sense of gore, and violence. The whole play it self is full of fights. The plot goes from a fight to a scence that plans a fight, to a fight, to a scene with more planning or reflection. It's a viscious cycle in this play. It's all violence. I suppose that would be ok if your making an action movie staring Arnold Schwarzeneger, but this is supposed to be a classic, a tragedy, the only tragedy was that it sucked. A playwrite such as Shakespeare wouldn't have wrote a play of just violence. He actually has good content in his plays. Although there is a bit of good content in this play. There's just no transition of it within the play. It hardly makes any sense. All of this further makes me believe that there are scenes missing. The witches are pure evil as well. they are the ones who filled Macbeth's head with all these visions of power. Which in turn transformed Macbeth into a psychotic killing machine. Before he met the witches, he was an innocent warrior, an honorable fighter of the king. But once the witches filled him with greed, he no longer was a loyalist of the king. He in a short period of time pulled a hundred and eighty degree turn and did the furthest thing from loyal he possibly could of done to the king, he killed him in his sleep. And if that isn't evil enough, he blamed it on two loyal, innocent gaurds, and slaughtered them on the spot. Lady Macbeth is as well pure evil. She is the persuassion behind Macbeth. He would never of murdered Duncan if Lady Macbeth hadn't persuaded him to. Macbeth was too full o' the milk of human kindness. Perhaps Macbeth would have received the throne loyaly and honorably to begin with. Many times Macbeth had tried to back down from killing Duncan, but Lady Macbeth wouldn't of let that happen. She made fun of him, called him down. She did what was necessary to keep him from chickening out. Perhaps Macbeth did whatever she told him to because of sex. Lady Macbeth certainly is made out to be a very sexy woman in the play. She may have used her powers of sex to persuade her husband to perform the irreversible deeds. The murder of Duncan caused a chain effect on Macbeth, making it necessary (in Macbeth's eyes) to kill Banquo, Macduff's wife and children, and all the other innocent casualties. Although there are many evil objects in this play, the most evil of them all is greed. No matter who was more influenced by this power, Lady Macbeth to become queen or Macbeth to become king, it caused this whole predicament. If Macbeth didn't care at all about becoming the king, he probably wouldn't have murdered Duncan to become king, and to later have his life fall apart. Throughout the play Macbeth, there were many very evil people, places, and things. The evil in in the play was a domino effect. Starting with the withches, and ending with Macduff taking Macbeth's head. The evil, be it the witches, his wife, or greed, ended it with a blood bath of revenge.

Grass Farming in The Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan

Grass Farming in The Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan Thesis Statement: Has the study of the book â€Å"Omnivores Dilemma† Impacted on the way people eat?Advertising We will write a custom book review sample on Grass Farming in The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Grass: Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Pasture This section stipulates that the grass farmer utilizes some of the oldest farming practices. It adds that the grass farmer should not just be treated as a traditional farmer but he should also be regarded as the one who has taken all the knowledge that people have acquired over the years and used it in a completely revolutionary manner. The grass farmer grows different species of crops and rears different breeds of animals then allows them to work together so that they can flourish. The grass absorbs sunlight and converts it into energy. Cows on the other hand graze on the grass and in turn fertilize it. Chickens then utilize the bug s that they get from the fertilized soil and thus eliminate pests. This study is important in that it helps people to understand how farmers utilize the different methods of crop production to produce crops and rear breeds that are of high quality (Pollan 54). This study is significant in that it has notified different farmers on how they should allow fertilization to take place naturally in order to ensure that their soil remains productive and free from pests. It is true therefore that traditional farming and rearing mechanisms are efficient in terms of maintaining the productivity of the soil. It is also important for farmers to put into consideration the issue of successful grass farming. For grass farming to be effective, a farmer should ensure that he rears different breeds of livestock to graze in the field which then put natural manure to the field. Farmers should try as much as possible to refrain from applying man-made manure into the field as this would have the long run effect of destroying the fertility of the soil (Pollan 55). The Animals: Practicing Complexity This section describes the manner in which raising of cows, chickens, Larvae, grass, and bacteria play an important role in preventing the need for fertilizers, wormers, and antibiotics. This section is significant in that it demonstrates that all animals depend on each other to achieve specified goals which are specified by farmers. For example, chickens act as the cleaning crew, while the pigs are used to spread manure in the field. This is a complex system and in order for people to catch up with it, they invented the wheel whose goal is to simplify the complex process that is used by chickens and pigs (Pollan 57).Advertising Looking for book review on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Slaughter: In  a Glass Abattoir This section reflects on the Omnivores dilemma. It argues that if people do not have th e ability to feed the animals that they have, then they should refrain from eating them. The section notifies people that death is part of life the animals being slaughtered. They should therefore give animals a good life and death. This implies that people should show appreciation for the animals that they rear and slaughter them using recommended tools. The Market: Greetings from the Non-Barcode People Organic food substances are described by many people as being elitist. This means that it is not possible for the average American to afford organic products. Research has shown that people are very much willing to use their money to meet the needs of their cell phones, giant TVs, and high speed internet but they cannot afford to meet the costs of organic food which have been raised sustainably (Pollan 45). This therefore shows that people do not value the products that add value to their health. They choose other pressures over organics that would add more value to their health. Th e Meal: Grass Fed Most people love consuming products that are not only local, sustainable or organic, but they also love consuming products that are produced on a seasonal basis. It is said that those foods that are grown in seasons have higher nutritive value compared to those foods that are present throughout the year. Seasonal products also add quality and taste to food (Pollan 46). Many people therefore have different experiences in the tastes, enjoyment, and quality when they consume a product that has been produced seasonally. Food that is produced seasonally has a higher nutritional value because of its nature. Impact of reading the Omnivores Dilemma The book â€Å"Omnivores Dilemma† has a very significant influence in determining the way people eat. The book lays its emphasis on whether people should eat fast foods or organic foods. Pollan stipulates that the health of children and the environment plays an important role in sustaining life on earth (56). Pollanâ€⠄¢s readings have also had significant influence on the way people eat. People have therefore found it necessary to consume food that adds more value to their health and hence enabling them to minimize incidences of acquiring health related complications. Pollan’s writing style therefore induces people to adopt more healthy eating habits in order to increase their survival rate. It is therefore advisable for a person to ensure that he reads more of Pollan’s books since they inspire people to adopt healthy lifestyle.Advertising We will write a custom book review sample on Grass Farming in The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Pollan, Michael. The Omnivores Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, New York: Penguin Group, 2006. Print

Surface Tension Definition in Chemistry

Surface Tension Definition in Chemistry Surface Tension Definition Surface tension is a physical property equal to the amount of force per unit area necessary to expand the surface of a liquid.  It is the tendency of a fluid surface to occupy the smallest possible surface area.  Surface tension is a principal factor in capillary  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹action.  The addition of substances called surfactants can reduce the surface tension of a liquid. For example, adding detergent to water decreases its surface tension. While pepper sprinkled on water floats, pepper sprinkled on water with detergent will sink.Surface tension forces are due to intermolecular forces between the liquids molecules at the liquids outer boundaries. The units of surface tension are either energy per unit area or force per unit length. Examples of Surface Tension Surface tension allows some insects and other small animals, which are denser than water, to walk across its surface without sinking.The rounded shape of water droplets on a surface is due to surface tension.Tears of wine form rivulets on the glass of an alcoholic beverage (not just wine) due to the interaction between the different surface tension values of ethanol and water and the faster evaporation of alcohol compared with water.Oil and water separate because of the tension between two dissimilar liquids. In this case, the term is interface tension, but it is simply a type of surface tension between two liquids. How Surface Tension Works At the interface between a liquid and the atmosphere (usually air), the liquid molecules are more attracted to each other than they are to the air molecules. In other words, the force of cohesion is greater than the force of adhesion. Because they two forces are not in balance, the surface may be considered to be under tension, like if it was enclosed by an elastic membrane (hence the term surface tension. The net effect of cohesion versus adhesion is that there is an inward force at the surface layer. This is because the top layer of a molecule is not surrounded by liquid on all sides. Water has an especially high surface tension because water molecules are attracted to each other by their polarity and able to engage in hydrogen bonding.

Patriot's Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Patriot's Act - Essay Example The Patriot’s Act has given more powers to security agents in the United States to conduct searches, gather intelligence without need of warrants. The Act also allowed the government to freeze monies meant for terror groups and online security has also been bolstered. All these provisions in the Patriot’ Act have increased security and thwarted terror attacks against the United States. However, some provisions of the Act have been ineffective in fighting terrorism and most of these acts are stem from foreign based provisions. Introduction The September 11, 2001 terror attack on the United States shocked the country and the world at large. Following the attacks, several security measures from different fronts were initiated to guard against more terror attacks on the Unites States. One of the measures that were initiated was the enactment of the Patriot’s Act, a law enacted a few weeks after the September 11, 2011 attacks. The Patriot’s act contains several provisions that were to safeguard the United States from terrorism. For instance, the act gives power to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other agencies to conduct random searches on an individual’s household. The Patriot act is still in operation till today and President Obama extended some of the provisions of the act that were to expire this year. ... Security agencies in the United States have been given more freedom to investigate or interrogate terrorists from all regions globally. The Patriot act has also led to increased security at border points and entry points into the United States including ports and airports. The Patriot Act had a profound effect on the definition of terrorism especially on the front of domestic terrorism where acts of terrors were taken seriously (Wong, 2007). The act reduced restrictions on security agencies and it gave them power to investigate any American citizen while at the same time, the act allowed American security forces to investigate any foreigner suspected of being a terrorist. The act also allowed American security forces to protect critical infrastructure and demand information concerning any individual in the United States (Smith, 2009). The Patriot Act also gave powers to the secretary of Finance to regulate funds of suspected foreign individuals or corporations involved in corruption. The act has however tightened the noose on money laundering and this has reduced terror activities in the United States. The Act contains provisions that gave power to authorities to detain or deport immigrants involved in terrorism. These provisions have been successful in reducing acts of terror in the United States (Citizen 68, 2010). Increased surveillance of the internet and online activity has enhanced security since it has been effective in curbing theft of sensitive information. In terms of general safety, the Patriot Act has been effective in ensuring that acts of terror against the United States are greatly reduced (Stefoff, 2010). The Patriot’s Act has

International businesse in emerging market Assignment

International businesse in emerging market - Assignment Example The emerging market accelerated growth of its international business, which were up 4% y-o-y. In June 2014, the company planned to invest $20 billion in a gas-fired power complex in Vietnam. In its planning, the company recognized the need to create a partnership with a host well-known company in Vietnam in an attempt to sell its products in this emerging market. It, therefore, collaborated with Vietnam’s state-owned petrol Vietnam. It erected two power plants with a capacity to produce between 6000 and 6500 megawatts of power. In this perspective, the company focuses on capturing the gas and oil market in Vietnam through provision of cheaper prices and diversified oil and gas brands (Regester & Larkin, 2014). It proposed to position its operation in 700 locations and several retail operations. The strategy aims to present its brands closer to consumers and therefore making its brand most accessible products in Vietnam. Vietnam is one of the top five developing nations in Asia. It has a robust middle class, a crucial driver of economic expansion in a developing country. It is valid to argue that middle class mainly supports the policy change significantly to the success of the country and in supporting capitalist democracy. The country has the fastest-growing middle class in the whole Southeast Asia and is expected to double in size from 12 million (2014) to 32 million by 2020. Generally, Exxon Mobil was experiencing various impending challenges in Vietnam such as complex foreign investment laws, corruption in infrastructure projects, lack of comprehensive and transparent legal system and restricted land usage rights (Plunkett, 2014). However, Vietnam is currently undergoing trade liberalization through negotiations toward a free agreement with the European Union (Van Dyke, et al., 2014). The negotiation presents viable market to Exxon Mobil since its objects to

Incendiary Fire Analysis and Investigation Essay Example for Free

Incendiary Fire Analysis and Investigation Essay The significance of the damages and losses brought by fire incidents is beyond any expression of human measurement, thus, the fire responders and investigators are always tasked with challenging accountability that begins from the incidence response to the cause investigation. The fire needs to be extinguish, not only to prevent further damages to the property and protect the victims lives, but also to protect the integrity of the evidences that will be use to understand the root cause of the incident, as some fire investigation escalates to civil or criminal charges. While the fire department’s investigation results are assisting the judiciary of the government to conclude the issues brought by the parties involved, the jurys decision is equally improving the fire departments standards and practices towards these incidents, from the initial response to complex forensic investigations. The prevention of the tragedy, though exigent in nature, is the goal and hope of every party involved, even the fire department. The paper discusses the laws and different court rulings that affect the fire response and investigation procedures. It particularly discusses the analysis and investigation methodology employed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology over the collapse of the New York’s 7 World Trade Center in September 11, 2001, including the investigation results and the responses of the government and other interested bodies from the investigation results. Laws and Court Rulings Related to Fire Investigation and Analysis The scope analysis of the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution during several court proceedings has found its way to fire incidents and investigations that happened in the past. These amendments have been applied to the responses and investigations of succeeding fire incidents. Among the amendments are the following: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fourth Amendment Governing all searches and seizures of person or of property, this amendment of the Constitution, states that any search or seizure must have a probably cause and must have a support of oath or affirmation about the details of the search or seizure. (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2002) While the Fourth Amendment limits the authority of the government over the privacy of the citizen, including his or her properties, even at any cases of emergency, the Fire Department response team are excluded from this law, only during these emergency, better termed as exigent circumstances; thus the responders and investigator are allowed to enter the private premises without any warrant. The exigent circumstance exception spans from the actual response time of the Fire Department until the cause investigation. In 1978, during the Michigan v. Tyler case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled out that the fire department, even without search warrant, has the authority to enter, and remain on, the property under the exigent circumstances until the emergency is over, and even after the fire has been extinguish, within a reasonable time.   (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2002). The Fire Department was given this exception, not only to prevent further loss or damage of life and property, and to determine the cause or origin of the incident, but also to prevent damages to the, or protect the, integrity of the evidences that will be used to understand the cause and origin of the fire incident (Herrera, 2003). While this exception is seemingly advantageous for the   fire responders and investigators, fire departments accountability over this kind of emergencies, and even during the cause analysis and investigations, becomes heavier. The pressure for the fire department comes by controlling the fire intrinsically, for even with the yellow fire tape all ready set up, the emotions, intentions and reactions of other people over this kind of scenario could have significant, and sometimes unexpected, effects as revealed during past fire investigations and court proceedings. The media, the victims, and the other civilians within and near the scene are some of the additional factors that the fire responders need to control. For the involvement of the media in fire incidents, according to the twenty   two year veteran of San Diego Fire Department, Fred Herrera, â€Å"The courts have not defined a clear-cut answer that covers all of the contingencies involved. Differing opinions have occurred at all judicial levels and vary widely from state to state.† In 1999, during the the Wilson v. Layne, the Alabama Supreme court ruled out that the media who accompanied a federal marshal with an arrest warrant violated the Fourth Amendment, while, the Florida Supreme Court ruled out, during the Florida Publishing Co. v. Fletcher, in   1976,   decided that the photographer ride along of a fire marshal into a fire scene did not illegally enter a property (Herrera, 2003). 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fifth Amendment Best known as pleading the fifth, this amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects the suspects from self incrimination, thus giving possible immunity to uncover the cause of, say, incendiary fire incidents (Head). Although during the court proceedings for the Lionti v. Lloyd’s Insurance Co. case, in 1983, where an employee, who allegedly had arguments with the employer, whose business was in financial crisis (the arguments were used as the probably cause for the alleged arson), invoked the Fifth Amendment right to remain silent, the jury still found the employer’s right of no heavy significance to reach the court ruling, since the court favored the testimony of one of the investigators hired by the insurance company. The private investigator testified that the suspected arsonist, the employee, had told the investigator, outside the courtroom, how the employer was suggested by the same employee how to set up the arson (Murphy, 2007). It is true that the Fifth Amendment could be used as a shield for the suspects or anyone in the courtroom, but the counsel nor the investigators should not lose the resources to dig into the truth behind the fire incidents, for that matter. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sixth Amendment Stating the privilege of a citizen to speedy trial, not in shady manner, including the right to have of counsel from an attorney, and the accused’s right to face the prosecuting witness, this amendments sometimes puts the fire responders and investigators into the test of professionalism and integrity. The fire department’s investigation results will define if a case should be filed, and if so, it will also dictate if the case should be civil or criminal, in nature. From the same report, will the actions of the involved party will be based. In some instances, a third party investigation is being hired to gather more information. For the proceedings of possible arson, the fire responders and investigators would normally be invited to testify their finding before the court. Importance of Fire Analysis and Investigation While for the victims, the extent of the damages and losses due to fire incident cannot be equated to any monetary value, as what is usually being broad-casted on TV, for the fire responders and investigator who acted on those situations, the incidence can equally be life changing. Several court proceedings related to incendiary fire has proven the sensitivity of any actions, from all the parties involved. A veteran of this field can never let his or her guard off to control the situation for all the accountability at hand. It is true that when emergency cases happen, it can no longer be avoided, for the very nature and definition of it, but the lessons from these situations are what the fire investigations aim for. Not only the citizen, but also the government and private companies, depends on the information from these investigations, for learning the root cause of the fire incident is vital formulate actions and countermeasures that will lessen the possibility of the incident from happening.

Garbage Essay -- essays research papers fc

On May 16, 1988, the Supreme Court ruled that police officers, without a warrant, have the right to inspect curbside rubbish for evidence. â€Å"Justice Byron R. White’s opinion for the majority said the privacy of garbage bags left outside the home and its immediate surroundings is not protected by the Fourth Amendment because people have no ‘subjective expectation of privacy’ in their garbage ‘that society accepts as objectively reasonable’† (Taylor 559-560). The Supreme Court’s ruling on curbside rubbish is fair because people voluntarily leave their trash at the curb for collection.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution states â€Å"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.† This basically means police officers cannot come into a home and just rummage through personal belongings. However, many people feel the Supreme Court’s ruling is a violation of the Fourth Amendment because they feel rummaging through garbage is rummaging through their personal belongings. A person’s trash is private and can reveal very personal information. â€Å"A search of trash, like a search of the bedroom, can relate intimate details about sexual practices, health and personal...

The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 24

Ella â€Å"Are you sure you want to do this?† I ask Lila for the thousandth time. She piles the last box into her trunk and slides her glasses over her eyes. â€Å"Hmmm†¦ let me think. Go back to a home where I'm nothing but a burden? Or go back to the campus with you and have some fun?† I pick some dirt out from underneath my fingernail. â€Å"I'm just making sure, before you get too committed.† She takes my hands and gives them a swing. â€Å"I want to go with you, okay, so go say good-bye to your dad so we can hit the road.† â€Å"Okay, I'll be right back.† I head across the front lawn for the door when Ethan's truck pulls up in my driveway. I walk up to his window and rest my arms on it. â€Å"So you got my message I take it?† He looks like he just came from work, grease on his face and clothes, and his dark hair has some shavings of rust in it. â€Å"Yeah, I figured I'd come and say good-bye to both of you.† I slant my head to the side and pierce him with an accusing gaze. â€Å"Don't try and pretend that you're here for me.† He places his hand over his heart, faking hurt. â€Å"My heart is breaking and you're making jokes. Wow, you really are evil.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah,† I back up so he can open the door and climb out. â€Å"I'll give you two a minute.† â€Å"I think you've overestimating what's going on between the two of us.† â€Å"Well, I wouldn't have to if one of you would tell me what's going on.† He shrugs and then rounds the back of the truck. Rolling my eyes, I walk into the house to tell my dad I'm leaving and that I plan on coming back in a couple weeks to meet up with Dean. After a long talk on the phone with him – and I'm sure a lot of persuading from Caroline – we decided to meet up here, when Dean can take off work, and give my dad an ultimatum. It's probably one of the hardest things I'll have to do, because I know there will be things said during the conversation that will hurt me. I'm going to push through it, though, because now I understand what I can handle. I find him on the couch, eating a microwave dinner, with a six-pack on the table in front of him. He's watching the television, with a cigarette in his hand, and he barely notices me enter the room. â€Å"Hey Dad,† I say from the doorway. â€Å"I'm getting ready to leave.† He rips his eyes from the television, startled, and I wonder if he was even watching it or if he was dwelling in his thoughts. â€Å"Oh, okay, well drive safely.† I rub my sweaty palms together and walk into the room. â€Å"Dean and I are going to be coming back in a few weeks.† He sets his tray down and grabs a beer. â€Å"What for?† I pat my hands on the sides of my legs uneasily. â€Å"We want to talk to you about something.† He sets the beer down. â€Å"I thought Dean was still here.† I shake my head, feeling guiltier about leaving. â€Å"He went home a week or two ago†¦ but Dad, can you try and take care of yourself a little bit better?† I take a deep breath and throw a hint out into the open. â€Å"And maybe stop drinking so much?† He glances at the row of beers in front of him like he just realized they were there. â€Å"Oh, I don't drink that much, do I?† I sigh and sit down on the couch beside him. â€Å"You didn't used to, but now it's kinda all you do.† He bobs his head up and down. â€Å"Alright, I'll try to cut back.† I know he won't, but hopefully Dean and I will be able to convince him to go to rehab where he can get the help and counseling that he needs. I give him a hug, even though he winces. Then I walk away, hoping he'll be okay, but knowing that until he makes the decision to change all I can do is try to help him.

Health and Body Essay

Well I believe that all six health elements are around our world daily. Because we all have physical health to keep the well being of the healthy balance for our mind and body. The way we treat our body reflects the wellness that our body can obtain. That up to you do you want to live a healthy life or not. Its many ways to keep the physical fitness so that our body can be healthy. Exercises and many sport activities will help get our body in physical shape. But it can also backfire on you just because you are physical fit. Don’t mean you’re physical healthy. Because you can be physical fit but you can have a bad heart or liver. This could happen because you have abuse your body for so many years with eating UN healthy foods, smoking, drinking, and drugs abuse. When you do decide to do right with your body. Your body rejects because it too late. So it important to start earlier sets a commitment and motivation to set many goals. To stay physically healthy and fit. Before it too late. The emotional health is the most important part of our life. With the emotions we carried around has a big impact on our life our emotions help us on what type of lifestyle we want to obtain like the type of friends, jobs, family, and relationships, depending on what type of emotions we carry around. Like for example if you go to work with a real hateful, bitter, lazy, loud complaining and cursing everyone out that coming in your presents . You will lose your job. And that attitude you also loss your family friends and everything you can think of. So that why I said we need all six elements to make it in this world today. Because without the physical, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual and environmental health. Without these Elements you will be emotionally mental and unhealthy to our society.

Quizz on Chapter 1 International Management 10 E Essays

Quizz on Chapter 1 International Management 10 E Essays Quizz on Chapter 1 International Management 10 E Essay Quizz on Chapter 1 International Management 10 E Essay CHAPTER 1 QUIZ 1. The term globalism or globalization generally refers to _____. a. increasing loyalty to your own country b. global competition characterized by networks that bind countries, institutions, and people. c. competition in an increasingly borderless world d. b and c only 2. The hostility to the takeover of Europe’s largest steel company, Acelor, by India’s Mittal Steel illustrates a. the decrease in nationalism and increase in globalism. b. the backlash against globalism. c. the decline in competitiveness in the steel industry. d. ultural differences about the benefits of takeovers. 3. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) a. are generally not competing internationally. b. are major investors in world markets. c. face good opportunities currently as a result of trade shows, export initiatives, and the Internet. d. are unaffected by globalism 4. The three major world currencies today are _____. a. euro, yen, U. S. b. euro, yen, peso c. euro, U. S. dollar , German mark d. euro, U. S. dollar, peso 5. The European Union currently consists of how many nations? a. Ten b. Twenty-seven c. Forty d. Fifty 6. Which of the following countries is not one of the Four Tigers? a. South Korea b. Hong Kong c. Taiwan d. Thailand 7. China has enjoyed recent success as an export powerhouse built upon its _____. a. strengths of low costs and flow of capital b. geographic location in the world c. high educational standards d. close ties with Japan 8. Which of the following statements is not correct about China? a. China joined the WTO in 2002 b. One of China’s key strengths is its excellent infrastructure c. China is stuck halfway between a command economy and a market economy d. China continues to enjoy significant inflows of money from ethnic Chinese outside of China 9. Which of the following statements is correct about India? a. India’s biggest contributor to growth is its excellent infrastructure. b. India is the world’s leader for outsourced back-office services, and increasingly for high tech services c. India is the fastest-growing free-market democracy d. b and c only are correct 10. India’s economic boom is a result of a. reducing protectionism and red tape b. lifting restrictions on foreign investment c. reforming its financial sectors d. ll of the above 11. Which of the following is not correct? a. Foreign investors have become wary of Russia because of recent government action against the Yukos oil group. b. Africa has been ignored by most of the world’s investors c. Because of the political and economic risks in LDCs, they offer no potential international business opportunities d. South Africa has the biggest economy i n Africa. 12. The U. S is offshoring white-collar computer programming jobs to India because _____. a. Indians are better programmers than Americans b. Indians speak better English than Americans . Indian programmers cost one-fourth the cost of equivalent American programmers d. all of the above 13. Political risks are any governmental actions or politically motivated events that adversely affect the _____. a. capacity of the company to survive long-run profitability or value of the company b. personal safety of corporate managers and employees c. company’s capacity to meet consumer needs 14. _____ occurs when the local government seizes the foreign-owned assets of the MNC and provides inadequate compensation. a. Nationalization b. Expropriation c. Confiscation d. Repatriation 15. Suppose the government of Karakozia seizes all assets of Pepsi in Karakozia without offering any compensation to the company. This action on the part of the government is an example of _____. a. nationalization b. repatriation c. expropriation d. confiscation 16. Zagreb Inc. , negotiates a multi-million dollar contract with the government to provide electricity to country A. The government is voted out of power shortly after and the new government changes the contract for all oil producing companies. This is an example of _____. a. barriers to repatriation . expropriation c. confiscation d. micro political risk 17. Micro political risk events are those that affect _____. a. numerous industries or companies b. several other nations in the same region c. one industry or company or a few companies d. managers and employees who are nationals 18. Which of the following is not one of the seven typical political risk events common today? a. loss of technology or intellectua l property rights b. political takeovers and civil wars c. discriminatory treatment in the application of laws d. interference in managerial decision making 19. Expropriation of corporate assets without prompt and adequate compensation is an example of _____. a. economic risk b. political risk c. legal risk d. cultural risk 20. Risk assessment by multinational corporations usually takes two forms: _____ and _____. a. use of experts or consultants; newspaper reports b. use of experts or consultants; internal staff c. use of internal staff; publications d. government risk reports; computer modeling 21. Which of the following is a form of hedging? a. staged contribution strategies b. development assistance c. local debt financing d. ocalization of the operation 22. Representatives of a MNC seek an interview with local government leaders in the Department of Commerce in India with a view to assess the types of policies likely to be implemented. According to Mathis, this is an example of ______. a. qualitative approach b. quantitative approach c. checklist approach d. a combination of all of the above 23. The host country’s legal system is derived from ______. a. common law b. civil law c. Islamic law d. all of the above 24. Tariffs and quotas are examples of what types of policies? a. protectionist b. conomic development c. free market d. political development 25. Some countries rigorously enforce employee secrecy agreements in order to _____. a. protect a firm’s intellectual property b. restrict labor mobility c. avoid costly litigation among firms d. all of the above 26. About 70 countries, predominantly in Europe, are ruled by ______ law, as is Japan. a. common b. Islamic c. civil d. custom 27. Political risk insurance is a form of _____. a. input control b. development assistance c. equity sharing d. hedging 28. When a MNC keeps certain key subsidiary management positions in the hands f expatriate or home-office managers, it is exercising ______. a. input control b. market control c. position control d. bureaucratic control 29. Companies often reduce risk in foreign countries by creating dependency of a subsidiary on the host country. Which of the following is not a means of maintaining dependency? a. market control b. equity sharing c. staged contri bution strategies d. input control 30. Which of the following risk management strategies is not a means of adaptation? a. participative management b. development assistance c. funds sharing d. localization of the operatio

T4RSP Tax Slips for Canadian Income Taxes

T4RSP Tax Slips for Canadian Income Taxes A Canadian T4RSP tax slip, or Statement of RRSP Income, is prepared and issued by a financial institution to tell you and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) how much money you withdrew from or received out of your RRSPs for a given tax year and how much tax was deducted. A T4RSP slip also shows the amount withdrawn from an RRSP under the Home Buyers Plan and for the Lifelong Learning Plan. Money transferred from an RRSP to a spouse or partner under a court order or written agreement in a marriage or partnership breakdown is also shown on a T4RSP. Residents of Quebec receive a Relevà © 2 (RL-2). Deadline for T4RSP Tax Slips T4RSP tax slips must be issued by the last day of February the year after the calendar year to which the T4RSP tax slips apply. Sample T4RSP Tax Slip This sample T4RSP tax slip from the CRA site shows what a T4RSP tax slip looks like. For more information on what is included in each box on the T4RSP tax slip and how to deal with it when filing your income tax return, click on the box number in the pull-down menu or click on the box on the sample T4RSP tax slip. Filing T4RSP Tax Slips With Your Income Tax Return When you file a paper income tax return, include copies of each of the T4RSP tax slips you receive. If you file your income tax return using NETFILE or EFILE, keep copies of your T4RSP tax slips with your records for six years in case the CRA asks to see them. Missing T4RSP Tax Slips If you havent received a T4RSP slip, file your income tax return by the deadline anyway to avoid penalties for filing your income taxes late. Calculate the income and any related deductions and credits you can claim as closely as you can using any information you have. Include a note with the financial institutions name and address, the type and amount of RRSP income and related deductions, and what you have done to get a copy of the missing T4RSP slip. Include copies of any statements you used in calculating the income and deductions for the missing T4RSP tax slip. Other T4 Tax Information Slips Other T4 tax information slips include: T4 - Statement of Remuneration PaidT4A - Statement of Pension, Retirement, Annuity, and Other IncomeT4A(OAS) - Statement of Old Age SecurityT4A(P) - Statement of Canada Pension Plan BenefitsT4E - Statement of Employment Insurance and Other BenefitsT4RIF - Statement of Income From a Registered Retirement Income Fund

Frederick Reichheld - The Loyalty Effect (1990s) Essay

Frederick Reichheld - The Loyalty Effect (1990s) - Essay Example According to Frederick, loyalty is essential because it creates customer retention which is usually the best way to measure how the company creates value. Loyalty also creates value for customers and builds growths and profits.Loyalty is linked to value creation because it reliably measures superior value delivery. Loyalty also brings economic effects such as; As the cost reduces, the revenues will rise increasing the profits. This will provide resources for investing in the business which will bring more profits that will enable the employee to get more compensation and thus they are retained. Increased profits in a company increase the company value and provide incentives for employees, customers, and investors so as to remain loyal to the company. Customer retention involves maintaining the previous or the long-term customers into their business. Normally, the performance of the business in all areas will play a role in retaining customers. A company that makes profits will enable the business to go large scale taking advantage of the economies of large scale. This will enable the business to offer the goods at a low price. There will be good remuneration towards the employees and therefore they will be retained more. When a customer is retained, their value for the future relationship with the businesses also retained. Therefore, retaining customers means retaining that lifetime value in terms of spending and their influencing power to the other possible customers through referrals. (Matthwew, 2011) According to the recent studies, it is cheaper to retain the existing customers than to hire new employees.However, the effect of retention on profitability can be huge because rising the customer retention rates by 5% increases the profits from 25% to 95%.This is because the lifetime value of a given customer is realized and the impact of retention goes beyond retaining this lifetime value.

The Western Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Western Experience - Essay Example Indeed we were going to the new world that we did not know anything about although we felt that there must be wonderful things that we needed. Reaching the new land which was strategically located in the Pacific Northwest part of the country prompted us to take a journey which is popularly known as the Oregon Trail. The hardship we experienced with our children was one of its kinds. I influenced my family because I wanted to start of life in the west. In the beginning, the desire to explore new world overwhelmed me and I could not think about any other thing (Peavy & Smith, 1998). Before the adventure life was very interesting and relaxing especially to women who did not have much to do in their homes. Women did not expect their men to explore the tales of gold and prosperous green land in the west because their husbands were already established businessmen or working on their lands. I initially believed that life was satisfying because I did not lack anything I wanted (Woodworth-Ney , 2008). However, one time I just changed my mind and decided to explore the great things that existed in the west. There was severe depression in the Midwest as well as propaganda from fellow traders and other government officials regarding the fertility and the value of land in the west. I fully packed my wagon with foodstuff such as beans, coffee, dried meat, flour as well as clothing and furniture. Interestingly, I had to drop some of my heavy household items such as furniture because they were too heavy to be carried while crossing rivers (Peavy & Smith, 1998). Although we ran through fairly even country of the Great Plains, there was a good number of obstacles on the way such as the perils of crossing rivers as well as the candid risk of the Indian attackers. We drew our wagons into a circle at night to create a rough-and-ready barrier for fear of the India attacker. Few people died from accidental discharge of firearms or be drowned while we were crossing rivers. In addition, there were other more mundane causes such as diseases, some people would fall off horses and the difficulties of walking along rocky terrain that was full of steep ascents and descents as well as injuries got from overturning and runaway wagons (Woodworth-Ney, 2008). I travelled almost 2000 miles along with other pioneers whom we were forced to travel through five states after the journey began in Missouri. The journey was full of people with different ages and sex. Most of the women we travelled with complained that their husbands forced them to take the journey in search for new places despite the fact that they were already established in their homes (Woodworth-Ney, 2008). Travelling in group was amazing since we could make stories and also for our safety. Some of our properties were being robbed at gunpoint by highway people along the trail. It was really heartbreaking to see women bearing children and losing them on the way due to unbearable conditions thus forcing them to liv e the bodies behind (Morito, 2012). Jefferson wanted to boost the economy by using resources which would arise due to exploration of new fertile land. I currently stay in Williamette Valley. There were several significant technological, infrastructural and economic growths that resulted as the Oregon Trail. Domestic farming was introduced into the West because of enormous herding and introduction of the domestic animals by us. Surprisingly, I can see some of the modern highways and railroads built alongside the Oregon Trail.

Primary Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Primary Nursing - Essay Example Thompson ET all introduces the concept of primary nursing right from the beginning of its start in the 60’s. The sprouting of this particular type of healthcare all through the globe and its major influence to patient care is critically discussed. In this article, the author mainly insists on the influence of technology on this field and how hard it was for nurses back when everything was manual. Since the nurse has to work for 24 hours taking care of her patients, this field is thought provoking and in the early days of its invention, most of the primary nurses took care of fewer patients due to the nature of the work that was involved in the monitoring of the patients. The nurse had to manually move to each patient, take care of them and move to the next one. This was tedious and in most cases, the patients never got that right kind of care that they needed. However, due to technological changes in the medical industry, primary nursing has been on the increase and most insti tutions of higher learning have included the field in part of their study.Bowman ET all has similar opinions and insists that there has been improvements in primary nursing ever since its invention. The author compares the current situation of nursing and how it was in its early days and some of the changes that have been seen in the area. Comparing the way primary nursing was in the 60’s and now, it is pretty obvious that the field has undergone a lot of changes. First is the various means that nurses use to monitor patients.

Importance Of National And Organisational Culture Management Essay

Importance Of National And Organisational Culture Management Essay With the recent acquisition of Nexen Inc. by CNOOC Limited, the problem of managing cross cultural challenges arises. This is because of the cultural differences between China and Canada which both companies represent. This management report addresses the envisaged challenges of national and organisational culture arising from CNOOC acquisition of Nexen, by applying Hofstede cultural models. The report commences with introduction, followed by background of CNOOC acquisition of Nexen. It also discusses meaning and importance NC and OC culture; it then discusses the challenges and management strategies. It would conclude and make recommendations on how to mitigate the challenges. WORD COUNT: 2,498 PRESENTED TO: MS. Gillian Pallis CONTRACT CONCERNING PLAGIARISM I have read the code of practice regarding plagiarism contained in the students introductory Handbook. I realize that this code governs the way in which the Centre for Energy, and Mineral Law and Policy regards and treats the issue of plagiarism. I have understood the code and in particular I am aware of the consequences, which may follow if, I breach the code. I also authorize the centre to scan the e-copy of my research paper through the plagiarism detection software to detect plagiarism. SIGNED: ___________________________________ Date: TERMS OF REFERENCE This is a report by 110024120 an MSC student in International Oil and Gas Management, University of Dundee, Centre for Energy, Petroleum Law and Policy (CEPMLP). The report has been prepared exclusively for and at the request of the Senior Strategy Team of CNOOC Limited to address potential management challenges to the continued effective control of business arising from the acquisition of Nexen Inc. This report is focused on the perspective of delivering suitable management practices in meeting the envisaged challenges. The aim of the report is to present a critical and informed analysis of appropriate managerial strategies and practices for the challenges of national and organisational culture differences in post-acquisition performance. It concludes with some recommendations for consideration by the Senior Strategy Team of CNOOC and Nexen. TABLE OF CONTENTS TERMS OF REFERENCE 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 4 KIFs Knowledge Intensive Firms 4 KIWs Knowledge Intensive Workers 4 CHAPTER ONE 5 1. INTRODUCTION 5 CHAPTER TWO 6 2. BACKGROUND OF CNOOC ACQUISITION OF NEXEN 6 CHAPTER THREE 7 3. MEANING AND IMPORTANCE OF NATIONAL AND ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE 7 CHAPTER FOUR 8 4. THE CHALLENGES OF NATIONAL AND ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE 8 4.1. HOFSTEDE FOUR DIMENSIONS MODELS FOR NATIONAL CULTURE 8 4.2. HOFSTEDE SIX DIMENSION MODEL FOR ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE 9 4.3. ANALYSIS OF THE MODELS AND CHALLENGES OF NC AND OC DIFFERENCES 10 4.4. STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING CULTURAL CHALLENGES 11 13 13 13 13 13 CHAPTER FIVE 13 5. CONCLUSION 13 CHAPTER SIX 14 6. RECOMMENDATION 14 BIBLOGRAPHY 15 APPENDIX 18 HOFSTEDS CULTURAL INDEX, SCORES FOR SELECTED COUNTRIES 18 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS NC National Culture OC Organisational Culture NXY New York Stock Exchange KIFs Knowledge Intensive Firms KIWs Knowledge Intensive Workers CHAPTER ONE 1. INTRODUCTION CNOOC Limited made global headlines on July 23, 2012 when it announced the acquisition of NEXEN, a Canadian based oil and Gas Company at the cost of $15.1 Billion. The acquisition is seen as Chinas largest Oil and Gas Company overseas acquisition Lauren (2012). NEXEN was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Nexen is a global energy company and is listed on the Toronto and New Yorks stock exchange under the symbol of NXY (www.nexeninc.com). Nexen is strategically located in different regions of the world; it has over 3,067 employees that add value for shareholders through successful oil and gas exploration and development. Consequent to the acquisition of Nexen, CNOOC Limited is now among one of the largest independent oil and gas exploration and production companies in the world (www.cnooc.com). According to Barney (1988) many international acquisitions creates value for the acquirer through cooperation and integration to enhance sustainable growth. The objective of acquisition is to bring companies together and increase their competitive advantage through knowledge transfer, innovations and management skills. This is also a justification for an acquisition Fitzgibbon Seeger (2002). However, most international acquisitions come with complex management challenges Hitt, Harrison and Ireland (2001). Many factors are responsible for these challenges. Thus, this management report is aimed to address the envisaged challenges of national and organisational culture to the effective business performance in CNOOC acquisition of Nexen. This report will apply Hofstede (1980) four dimensions models and Hofstede (1990) six dimensions models as literature to argue that the challenges of NC and OC will affect post acquisition performance. The application of the two models is in line with a separate model developed by Hofstede for comparing OC differences. This is also consistent with Schein (1985) argument that organisational culture differences are not the same with national culture. The report will discuss the background of CNOOC acquisition of Nexen. It also discusses the meaning and importance of NC and OC culture; it then discusses the challenges and management strategies. It would conclude and make recommendations on how to mitigate the challenges. CHAPTER TWO 2. BACKGROUND OF CNOOC ACQUISITION OF NEXEN CNOOC Limited was established in 1999 and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange in 2001 and is 70 percent owned by China National Offshore Oil Corporation (www.cnoocltd.com). CNOOC is one of Chinas largest producers of oil and natural gas and is also among the largest independent oil and gas exploration and production Companies in the world (www.cnoocltd.com). According to the chairman Mr Wang Yilin, based on the strategic business objective to expand CNOOC overseas business and deliver sustainable growth, thus complementing the large offshore production footprint in China. Extending its global presence to oil rich region like Western Canada, and other parts of the world are mandates for management to achieve. Consequently, the opportunity for the acquisition of NEXEN is an important part in CNOOC international business growth platform as mentioned by Chief Executive Officer of CNOOC Mr Li Fanrong, CNOOC Press release (2012). The acquisition of NEXEN by CNOOC Limited was announced on July 23, 2012 and approved by NEXEN shareholders on September 20, 2012 at the cost of $15.1 Billion (www.nexeninc.com). The acquisition will bring in benefits for both firms. CNOOC brings in a reassurance of stable company and strong financial base for investment, while Nexen Inc. will play an important part in international business growth platform. However, securing approval and making purchase does not end acquisition challenges. The challenges of acquisition may be ahead of what happens afterwards, the issues after takeover Lauren (2012). For NEXEN a Canadian company with western values and culture, the management and staff are accustomed to working independently. But with the acquisition, they will align with CNOOC as their new Chinese owner with a different culture and orientation Lauren (2012). As both companies are knowledge intensive firms (KIFs) with knowledge intensive workers (KIW) there will be challenging issues on NC and OC differences Alvesson (2004). Thus, this report addresses the challenges of NC and OC in CNOOC acquisition of NEXEN. We will proceed by looking at the meaning and importance of NC and OC. CHAPTER THREE 3. MEANING AND IMPORTANCE OF NATIONAL AND ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE NATIONAL CULTURE This was defined as the collective programming of the mind acquired by growing up in a particular country Hofstede (1991). National culture is reflected in basic values, such as feelings of right and wrong, good and evil, beautiful and ugly, rational and irrational Olie (1990). NC impacts many forms of organisational behaviour, ranging from decision-making styles and human resources management to behaviour in groups Kirkman, Love Gibson (2006). NC is treated as a relatively stable feature that changes very slowly Erez Earley, 1993; Hofstede (2001). ORGANSATIONAL CULTURE Hofstede (1980) defined organisational culture as the collective programming of the mind that differentiates the members of one organisation from others. Trice and Beyer (1984) views it is a system of publicly accepted meanings which operate for a group at a particular time; it is a pattern of shared basic assumptions developed by a group or organisation on how to cope with its environment, that are stable and difficult to change, and difficult to observe because many important parts of culture are invisible Schein (1985); and more so it can simply imply the way we do things around here Deal and Kennedy (1982). IMPORTANCE The importance of national and organisational culture in international acquisition cannot be disregarded Hatch, 1993; Schein, 1985 and Hofstede (1980). Managing international business or acquisition means handling and understanding both cultural differences at the same time. Knowledge of cultural practices across borders is significant for multinationals in order to hold the company together. National cultures are embedded in values, whereas organisational cultures are embedded in practices, when both cultures are ignored there could create challenges that affects post-acquisition performance. CHAPTER FOUR 4. THE CHALLENGES OF NATIONAL AND ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE For the purpose of analysing the challenges of national and organisational culture, this report applies Hofstede cultural models to illustrate the major cultural differences which CNOOC of China and Nexen of Canada represent. Canada reflects the western cultural values wheras China reflects the Oriental Confucian group. The models are identified as follows: 4.1. HOFSTEDE FOUR DIMENSIONS MODELS FOR NATIONAL CULTURE INDIVIDUALISM/COLLECTIVISM This implies disharmony of interests on personal and collective goals Parsons and Shils (1951). Hofstede (1980) culture index (from the appendix) scored Canada 80 while China scored 20. This shows that the Canadians are highly independent of their organizations, preferring personal time, freedom, and challenge, whereas the Chinese employees have a stronger sense of belonging to their organization. POWER DISTANCE This refers to how different societies find different solutions on social inequality Mauk (1977). China scored 80 while Canada scored 39, indicating that Chinese employees are more comfortable with structured hierarchical levels and supervisors who make decisions. Canadians, on the other hand, prefer a more participatory style. UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE This implies the degree to which cultural members are willing to accept and deal with risky situations or unknown future Hofstede (1980). China scored 30 while Canada scored 48, meaning that the Chinese try to avoid risk and anxiety, while the Canadians neither seek nor avoid ambiguous situations. MASCULINITY/FEMININITY This refers to stereotyping gender expectations in organisations Hofstede (1984). China scored 66 while Canada scored 52, meaning that China has medium/high masculinity culture; whereas Canada has a medium/low masculinity culture. 4.2. HOFSTEDE SIX DIMENSION MODEL FOR ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE PROCESS ORIENTED VERSUS RESULT ORIENTED Process oriented cultures are dominated by technical and bureaucratic routines, while results oriented by a common concern for outcomes. In results-oriented units, everybody perceived their practices in about the same way; in process-oriented units, vast differences exist in perception among different levels and parts of the unit Hofstede (2011). JOB ORIENTED VERSUS EMPLOYEE ORIENTED Job oriented assumes responsibility for the employees job performance, while employee-oriented cultures assume a broad responsibility for their members wellbeing. At the level of individual managers, the distinction between job orientation and employee orientation has been popularized Blake and Moutons Managerial Grid (1964). PROFESSIONAL VERSUS PAROCHIAL Professionals usually imply the highly educated members identified primarily with their profession; while in Parochial, the members derive their identity from the organization for which they work. This is widely known as local versus cosmopolitan. OPEN SYSTEM VERSUS CLOSED SYSTEMS This dimension refers to the common style of internal and external communication, and to the ease with which outsiders and newcomers are admitted. It shows that organizational openness is a societal characteristic which means organization cultures also contain elements from national culture differences. TIGHT VERSUS LOOSE CONTROL This dimension deals with the degree of formality and punctuality within the organization; it is partly a function of the units technology: as most companies tend to show tight control, while others like advertising agencies show loose control. PRAGMATIC VERSUS NORMATIVE This last dimension describes the prevailing way of being flexible or rigid in dealing with the environment, particularly with customers. This dimension measures the degree of customer orientation, which is a highly popular topic in the marketing literature Hofstede et al. (1990). 4.3. ANALYSIS OF THE MODELS AND CHALLENGES OF NC AND OC DIFFERENCES By analysing the above cultural models as postulated by Hofstede, in the four dimension models we can identify differences in power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism/collectivism and femininity/masculinity between Canada and China which both companies represent. For the six dimensions models, CNOOC has process oriented culture with beurocratic routines while Nexen is more result oriented having concern for outcomes (www.nexeninc.com). Also Nexen culture are more job oriented while CNOOC have employee oriented culture with broad responsibility for their members wellbeing (www.cnoocltd.com). These cultural differences as illustrated creates challenges of conflicts, costs, and difficulties Hosted (1980; 2001). The cultural differences are also responsible for challenges and obstacles to achieving integration benefits Bjorkman, Stahl, Vaara (2007). It leads to decrease in shareholders value Datta and Puia (1995). It can complicate post acquisition integration and resource sharing Brock (2005). It causes human resource challenges like feeling of uncertainty and insecurity, causing culture clash and negative emotional reactions of employees towards acquisition Elsass and Veiga (1994) and culture collision Cartwright and Cooper (1993). They also lead to communication problems, ego clashes, inter-group conflicts, low employee morale, poor performance and ultimately retention Adkins and Caldwell (2004). However, these challenges can be mitigated by applying management practices and strategies. 4.4. STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING CULTURAL CHALLENGES Managing the challenges of national and organisational culture involves applying management practices or strategies by managers to reduce the challenges. The strategies are as follows: CULTURE INTEGRATION It involves the varying extent to which we can integrate more than one cultural perspective, mind-set, and behaviour into ones identity and worldview. It implies being able to move easily among cultures. It highlights the central importance of developing leaders and managers to the point where they have an ethno-relative experience of cultural difference Randy and Jacob (2009). SYNERGY APPROACH The approach involves adopting the strategy of managing the differences in culture. This implies recognising the challenges and using them to their advantage, rather than ignoring or allowing the challenges to cause problems Adler (1997). Managers therefore should be taught how to respect culture differences at work and how to work with them to maximise the contribution of each employee Cascio (1998). RESPECT FOR HOST COUNTRY CULTURE This means accepting the cultural difference without any judgment. No particular culture should claim perfection over the other culture. Cultures are different and for people they represent the ability to manage life situations and conditions the way they are familiar with for a long time Anisha (2011). IGNORING THE CULTURAL DIFFERENCES The strategy implies a stage where the managers ignore the differences. It later becomes irrelevant as the managers and employees would be having good understanding about each others cultures and practices and they would have to respect the cultures. The employees and managers in this strategy feel that our way is the only way Adler (1997). CULTURAL ADAPTATION This strategy involves mutual understanding and simplification of complicated demanding processes of behaving in a different cultural condition. This step does not mean that the participating partner should give up their cultural background, but rather they should use their knowledge of their own culture to gain knowledge about the partners culture Anisha (2011). CHAPTER FIVE 5. CONCLUSION The challenges of national and organisational culture remain crucial in post-acquisition performance. Although CNOOC may experience many complex problems during the integration process, however the challenges of national and organisational culture differences can be very devastating. This is because most successes and failures of international acquisitions have been attributed to the challenges of cultural differences ( From the analysis of Hofstede cultural models we identify cultural differences between China and Canada which CNOOC and Nexen represent. For individualism/collectivism, it implies that Canadian employees are more independent of their organization, preferring freedom, whereas Chineese employees have a stronger sense of belonging to their organization. In power distance, China employees are more comfortable with structured hierarchical levels while Canada, on the other hand, prefer a more participatory style. With respect to uncertainty avoidance, Chineese tries to avoid risk and anxiety, while Canadians neither seek nor avoid ambiguous situations. In masculinity/femininity, China has medium/high masculinity culture whereas Canada has a medium/low masculinity culture. In terms of the organisational culture six dimensions models; there are cultural disparities between CNOOC and Nexen in the OC. Consequently, we can surmise that national and organisational culture differences are the biggest challenges that could affect international acquisition performance Hofstede (2001) such as that of CNOOC and Nexen. Thus, in order to mitigate these challenges, the recommendations below are made for the senior strategic team to adopt. CHAPTER SIX 6. RECOMMENDATION For CNOOC to enjoy sustained business performance in the acquisition of Nexen, the following recommendations are made to mitigate the challenges of NC and OC: Firstly, CNOOC should adopt culture management approach. This implies the process of developing or reinforcing an appropriate culture in the organisation Pretorius (2004). Culture management is also concerned with culture change, culture reinforcement, implementation and change management. The approach will achieve effective control of cultural difference challenges between CNOOC and Nexen. Secondly, culture training for employees is vital. It will sensitize them to the discriminations, biases and negative feelings of the diverse employees in the organisation Farren and Nelson (1999). Through training, employees can understand cultural diversity that exists between CNOOC and Nexen. Cultural training will also promote cooperation and coordination among employees to enable them live harmoniously and work comfortably. Thirdly, CNOOC should create awareness on cross cultural communication. This is because all levels of communication are affected by cultural dimensions like words, language, body language, gestures, etiquette dos and donts, clothing, gift giving, dining, customs and protocols William (2005). The knowledge of cross cultural communication is necessary because what may be considered perfectly acceptable and natural in China, can be uncultured or offensive in Canada. BIBLOGRAPHY BOOKS SOURCE Alvessson, M. (2004). Knowledge Work and Knowledge Intensive Firms. Oxford University Press, May 20th , 2004. pg102. Deal, T. E. and Kennedy, A. A. (1982). Corporate cultures: The rites and rituals of corporate life. Reading MA: Addison-Wesley. Cited in; Management An Introduction, by David Boddy with Steve Paton. Pearson Education Limited, 2011, Fifth Ed. Pg. 79. Hitt, M., Harrison, J. and Ireland, R. (2001). Mergers and acquisitions: A guide to creating value for stakeholders. Newyork: Oxford University Press. Copyright 2001, Pg5-6. Hofstede, G. (1984). International Differences in Work Related Values (2nd ed.) Beverly Hills CA: SAGE Publications. ISBN 0-8039-1444-X Hofstede, G. (1980). Cultures Consequences: International differences in work related values, 1980, p.25, Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications. JOURNALS AND ARTICLE SOURCE Adler, N. J. (1997). International Dimensions of Organisational Behaviour, Cincinnati, Ohio: South-Western College Publishing. Adkins, B. and Caldwell, D. (2004). Firm or subgroup culture: Where does fitting in matter most? Journal of Organisational Behaviour, 25 (8) pp. 969-978. Barney, J. (1988). Returns to biding firms in merger and acquisitions: Reconsidering the relatedness hypothesis. Strategic Management Journal, 9(S1), 71-78. Bjorkman, I., Stahl, G., and Vaara, E. (2007). Impact of cultural differences on capability transfer in acquisitions: The mediating roles of capability complementarity, absorptive capacity, and social integration. Journal of International Business Studies, 38: 658-672. Brock, D. M. (2005). Multinational acquisition integration: the role of national culture in creating synergies. International Business Review, 14(3): 269-288. Cascio, W. F. (1998). Managing Human Resources Productivity, Quality of work Life, Profits, Boston: McGraw Hill. Cartwright, S. and Cooper, C. L. (1993). The role of culture compatibility in successful organisational marriage. Academy of Management Executive, 7(2): 57-70. Datta, D. K. and Puia, G. (1995). Cross border acquisitions: An examination of the influence of the relatedness and cultural fit on shareholder value creation in U.S. acquiring firms. Management International Review, 35: 337-359. Elsass, P. M. and Veiga, J. F. (1994) Acculturation in acquired organisations: A force-field perspective. Human Relations, 47(4): 431-454. Erez, M. and Earley, P.C. (1993). Culture, Self Identity, and Work. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Fitzgibbon, J. E. and Seeger, M. W. (2002). Audience and metaphor of globalization in the Daimler Chrysler AG merger. Communication Studies, 53(1), 40-55. Hatch, M. (1993). The dynamics of organisational culture. Academy of Management Review 18: 657-694. Hofstede, G. and Bond, M. H. (1988). The Confucius connection: From cultural roots to economic growth. Organisational Dynamics, 14, 483-503. Hofstede et al., (1990). Attitude, Values and Organisational Culture: Disentangling the concepts. Geert Hofstede. Institute research on Intercultural Cooperation, Maastricht and Tilburg, the Netherlands. Hofstede, G. (1991). Cultures and Organisations: Software of mind. Intellectual Cooperation and its Importance for survival, Harper Collins, 1991, pp. 79. Kirkman, B. L., Lowe, K. B. and Gibson, C. B. (2006). A Quarter Century of Cultures Consequences: A Review of Emperical Research Incorporating Hofstedes Cultural Values Framework. Journal of International Business Studies; Washington, 37(3), 285-320. Lodorfos, G. and Boateng, A. (2006). The Role of Culture in the Merger and Acquisition Process. Management Decision, 44(10), 1405-1421. Marks, M. L. and Marvis, P. M. (1986). The Merger Syndrome. Psychology today, 20 (10), 36-42. Mauk, G. (1977). The daily power game, Martinus Nijhoff Social Sciences Division. Olie, R. (1990) Culture and Integration Problems in International Mergers and Acquisitions. European Management Journal, 8 (2), 206-215 Parsons,T and Shils, E. (1951). Toward a General Theory of Action, reprinted as Talcott, Shils, Tolman, Stouffer and Kluckhohohn et al., Towards a General Theory of Action: Theoretical foundations of social Sciencies, Transaction Publishers, 2001. Schein, E, H. (1985). Organisational Culture and leadership. San Francisco: Jossey Bass. Schein, E. (1990). Organisational Culture. American Psychologist, 45 (2), 109-119. Trice, H. M. and Beyer, J. M. (1984). Studying organisational culture through rites and rituals. Academy of Management Review, 9, 653-669. Trompenaars, F. and Hampden-Turner, C. (1980). Riding the waves of culture: understanding cultural diversity in global business. New York: McGraw Hill. INTERNET SOURCE Anisha, C. (2011). Managing Cross Cultural Differences: Strategies to overcome differences. Dept. of management Studies and Research, Gulbarga University, Gulbarga, Karnataka. June 30, 2011. http://www.indianmba.com/Occasional_Papers/OP252/op252.html last visited January 06th, 2013. CNOOC, Press release, (2012). CNOOC Limited enters into definitive agreement to acquire Nexen Inc. http://www.cnoocltd.com/encnoocltd/newszx/news/2012/2062.shtml last visited January 16th, 2013. Farren, C. and Nelson, B. (1999). Retaining Diversity, Executive Excellence, New Delhi: Sage, July, pg.7. http://www.delhibusinessreview.org/v_2n2/dbrv2n2e.pdf last visited January 12th, 2013. Lauren, K. (2012). Nexen to be acquired by Chinas CNOOC for $ 15.1B cash. July 23, 2012 http://www.therecord.com/news/business/article/766128nexen-to-be-acquired-by-china-s-cnooc-for-15-1b-cash last visited January 14th, 2013. Hofstede, G. (2001). Cultures Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviours, Institutions and Organizations across Nations. Sage Publications. http://geert-hofstede.com/dimensions.html last visited January 18th, 2013. Hofstede, G. (2011). Dimensionalizing Cultures: The Hofstede Model in Context. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, Unit 2. http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/orpc/vol2/iss1/8 last visited January 13th, 2013. Nexen Inc, About us; CNOOC Acquisition of Nexen. http://www.nexeninc.com/en/AboutUs/CNOOCAcquisition.aspx last visited January 18th, 2013. Pretorious, W. (2004). The impact of organisational culture on effectiveness. May 08, 2005. http://www.upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd_3162004_131828 last visited January 15th, 2013. Randy, M. and Jacob, M. (2009). Leadership Practice for a Global Society, NASPA Pre-Conference Workshop, March 8th, 2009. http://www.docstoc.com/docs/77255010/Managing-Cultural-Differences-Global-Leadership-Strategies-for-the-21St-Century last visited January 17th, 2013. William Wardrobe, (2005). Beyond Hofstede: Cultural applications for communication with Latin American, Association for Business Communication Annual Convention. http://www.businesscommunication.org/convensionsnew/proceedingsnew/2005new/pdfs/13abc05.pdf last visited January 14th, 2013.

Case Management Essay -- Health Care, Hospitals

Case Management Case management has become the standard method of managing health care delivery systems today. In recent decades, case management has become widespread throughout healthcare areas, professionals, and models in the United States; and it has been extended to a wide range of clients (Park & Huber, 2009). The primary goal of case management is to deliver quality care to patients in the most cost effective approach by managing human and material resources. The focus of this paper is on the concept of case management and how it developed historically, the definition of case management, the components of case management, and how it relates to other nursing care delivery models. History of Case Management The concept of Case management has was first introduced in the 1970’s by insurance companies as a way to monitor and control costly health insurance claims, commonly created by a catastrophic accident or illness (Jacob & Cherry, 2007). Today almost every major health care organization has a case management program managing and directing the use of health care services for their clients. Also, case management by payer organizations is recognized as external case management. Hospitals recognized the need for the case management model in the mid 1980’s to manage the lengths of stay of hospitalized patients and the treatment plans (Jacob & Cherry, 2007). In 1983, the Medicare prospective payment program was implemented which allowed hospitals to be reimbursed a set payment based on the patient’s diagnosis, or Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG), regardless of what treatment was provided or how long the patient was hospitalized (Jacob & Cherry, 2007). To keep the costs below the diagnosis related payment, hospitals ... ...ut supplements nursing care in a health care facility (Jacob & Cherry, 2007). For example, if a hospital’s medical-surgical unit uses a team nursing approach to patient care, a system of case management also might be in place to assist with coordinating the patient’s total care through discharge (Jacob & Cherry, 2007). Moreover, case management is not always necessary with every patient in a health care facility. Typically case management is generally reserved for the seriously ill or injured, chronically ill, and high cost cases (Jacob & Cherry, 2007). In brief, case managers are a unique segment of the healthcare workforce. They share the same goals and standards of practice but are multidisciplinary and have diverse academic educational backgrounds and work environments (Park & Huber, 2009). case management leads to better manage health of individuals. â€Æ'

Character Sketch †Cephalus from Plato’ S Republic Essay

Choose one of the three main characters from Book One of Plato’s Republic (Cephalus, Polemarchus or Thrasymachus). Write a character sketch that shows how the personality, social status, life situation and position affect the views the character holds about life and about the virtue of justice. Include the definition of justice for the character you are describing. In book one, we are introduced to four main characters: Socrates, Cephalus, Polemarchus, and Thrasymachus. Republic takes place in the home of Cephalus and Polemarchus, in the Piraeus. Cephalus is a elderly and financially secure merchant and businessman. He lives his life in moderation, he doesn’t over-reach and try to become too wealthy, and was also not a fan of excessive spending. He certainly wouldn’t approve of the credit card debts that many Americans have. But thanks to his financial security, Cephalus has a comfortable life in old age. By living his life in moderation, the transition to an elderly lifestyle has not been shocking or depressing. Cephalus will admit that these are not his Golden Years, per say – it’s certainly not the greatest period in his life, but thanks to that moderation, he finds the old age to not be as much of a burden as his friends do. His friends are depressed and woeful of their age. They miss the lifestyle that they had in their youth. Because of their age, they can no longer partake in the things they thought made them happy – sex, drugs, rock and roll, essentially. Cephalus has a simple idea of justice. Though he never goes to describe it himself, we can pull some context from his discussion with Socrates to fill in the details. Cephalus is an honest man, and as we said, he lives his life in moderation in all aspects. He doesn’t strive for unlimited wealth, but still values that wealth he has, and likely behaves ethically and morally for that reason. Cephalus keeps his desires at bay – he works hard, and he enjoys himself, but always manages to hold onto most of his money. The problem is, it seems to Socrates to be easier to live a ‘just’ and moderate life, because of the wealth that Cephalus possesses. Because Cephalus values wealth, he seems to put a heavy emphasis on the repayment of debts (and avoidance of debt in the first place as well) in his ideal of justice. He feels that if he can go to his next life not owing anyone a penny, it will lift a burden on his soul, in a metaphysical sense. A peace of mind comes with not lying or engaging in deception – which is easier to maintain when wealthy and not faced with problems (like, for example, feeding and clothing your family – some people will do anything when they are seemingly backed into a corner). Thanks to wealth, Cephalus is (at least in his own point of view) able to live a life without lies, without deception, and without debts.

Philip Pearlstein Two Models with Blow-Up Chair & Salvador Dali Essay

Through the development of art, the fascination of the female body has been a main motif. It is Venus, Roman Goddess of love who has intrigued the artist, and held their attention for well over a few centuries. She has been not only Venus, but also Aphrodite (the Greek Goddess of Love), she has been Mary, mother of Christ in Gothic tradition and she had been found in the countless faces of women depicted by Picasso, Monet, Degas, Warhol (for isn’t Monroe a goddess? ). The link in these references is that this goddess, whomever she is, is holding the fascination of male artist. This is not to say that female artists have not taken up the trend which she invokes, but the purpose here is to discover how differently she is seen through their eyes in comparison with male visions of ‘love’. Pearlstein’s innovation in completing this project is one of Modernism, mixed with Realism. Pearlstein paints an oil painting of two females. They appear plastic wrapped within the canvas due to the severe highlights Pearlstein applies to both of their bodies. They lay beside each other, one on the chair the other next to the chair, and they both appear to be asleep. These two models or Venus’ are full frontal nude. The viewer is unable to see if they are ashamed or not from their faces because one of them is hiding her face and the other one’s head extends beyond the canvas (this is a trademark of Pearlstein). Though both Venus’ are or appear asleep they are active with the coloring and highlights which Pearlstein has seen fit to attribute to them. The line of light glares down the frontal figures body, highlighting the left breast, the stomach wrinkles and over the curves of both of the legs. This mimics the curves and highlights given to the plastic chair which she ‘sleeps’ upon. The other model fades into the background, yet still has that tiny shot of highlight upon the same appendages and other body parts which the first Venus had on her. The interesting item in this painting is that there are two female figures being painted. This is coupled with the fact that here too, like all the ones before it, Venus is apathetic, or at best the viewer is unable to tell what she (they) are feeling. Never mind the composition, Venus is still without a ‘voice’ in this painting. Through the very brief glimpse of feminine fecundity, and pulchritude, Venus remains elusive, and stoic. It has taken the art movement of the 20th century to see the full force of Venus. She has, with the help of female artists, broken her silence. In Dali’s oil on canvas The Persistence of Memory (1913) the theme of paranoia is persistent in this dreamscape. The distortion of the piece exudes a frightening use of spatial mobility and form. Surrealism is a way in which the expression of fantasy can be forthcoming in the world of Art. Dali exemplifies this notion in his use of foreground and background shapes and the pure psychic automatism which is symbolized in the clocks. Dali’s focus in this work is mainly about freedom; although the context of this work is based on paranoia and the weightiness of time the work is also free from previous constraints of other artistic movements in that it is not a painting dedicated to reason or moral purpose. Dali’s painting is that of a dream and reason becomes a series of disjointed objects in space; there is no rhyme in his work unless it is free verse; that is to say that there is no structure as prior to surrealism the viewer is used to seeing structure. Dali’s work often reflect what Virginia Woolf was so diligently experimenting with, which is unconscious writing or free narrative. Dali painted as though the conscious mind was sleeping, and that is why his paintings are so often reminiscent of dreams as Janson states, â€Å"The notion that adream can be transposed by ‘automatiatic handwriting; directly from the unconscious mind to the canvas, bypassing the conscious awareness of the artist, did not work in practice. Some degree of control was unavoidable. Nevertheless, Surrealism stimulated several novel techniques for soliciting and exploiting chance effects† (Janson â€Å"The History of Art 807) . Even the central figure in The Persistence of Memory is portrayed as though it were sleeping. The unfinished background is almost anachronistic with the foreground as it exhibits a cliff sliding off into a body of water. It seems as though Dali made the background on purpose to confuse the viewer since dreams are intended to be symbolic of personal meaning. The sky in the background also seems incomplete with no visible clouds but merely a color palette that drifts off into a sfumato haze. The background however is not what Dali wanted the viewer to be stricken with as a first impression. The central figure of the painting is unfinished as well. Dali painted an eyeball, and a nose and made no more attention to the rest of the figure. This feeling of incompleteness is unnerving and truly embodies the emotional state and perception of dreaming. The painting is purely inspired by that part of Dali’s unconscious mind. Although the painting exhibits that Dali used controlled in certain aspects of the work such as the use of diagonals, and linear shapes, but the overall impression of the painting lies within the angles, the objects and the general ambience of the piece. The clocks themselves prove to be unnerving both their positions and their lack of solid form, as though they are oozing across the plane in the foreground and the limb near the horizon of the painting, as well as across the half finished face. Another artistic ploy that Dali uses in The Persistence of Memory is his use of shadow; not merely darkness but the chiaroscuro so prevalent in the piece. This furthers the theory of this paper that Dali uses surrealism to tap into the unconscious and the dream world. Dali does the opposite in this painting of previous artists; he places the darkness in the foreground of the painting and the brightness in the background. This is symbolic because Dali wants to evoke to the audience that in the dream world the objects that are in front of the dreamer’s face are not always tangible but looming and undefined. In the background the objects are illuminated but this illumination does not add in defining the object because Dali here uses space to further illustrate his unconscious perspective; the objects in the background are too far away and cannot be seen. Thus, each part of the painting is uncomfortably defined. It is almost nonsensical; these objects of Dali’s in space without a coherent theme except for these persistence clocks. The clocks are the main meaning and focus of the painting and it is through these objects that the theory of this paper rests. The clocks present the theme of paranoia (as mentioned prior). Not only are they draped over the main objects in the foreground but their rendering is disconcerting. Each clock offers a different time, and one clock is closed so that the viewer cannot decipher its time. It is interesting that Dali did not distort the closed clock; it signifies a secret and further exemplifies the state of the dream world present in this painting; that is, the one clock that could offer a valid time is closed and unable to be seen by the painter, or the audience. The contention in the painting is that the central figure of the face is sleeping and is thus oblivious to the clocks, to time, to the unfinished landscape. That is the quintessential meaning of a dream; the sleeping figure is unaware to symbolism, to action, to time, and that is how Dali exudes incoherence in the dream world.