Poverty and Crime Essay

Relationship between poverty and crime. Name Course University Tutor Date Introduction There is no single definition of poverty. One definition holds that poverty is the society’s standard of living in a particular time and people are said to be poor when they cannot even afford their basic necessities or if their income is insufficient. Crime is the violation of the rule of law as it is stipulated in the constitution. Its increase calls for measures and sanctions that ensure that social order prevails. There is a correlation between poverty and crime though many who claim that there are some states where poverty is very high have refuted this argument. They argue that the crime in these areas is very is low. This research paper, will discuss intensively about poverty and crime. It will analyze the relationship between poverty and the crime rates, its root causes and means of its eradication. Who are the poor? Poverty is defined differently by various agencies in America. Generally it could be said to be the deprivation of the basic needs such as food, cloth and shelter. Depending on the standards of living opportunities, employment and respect that fellow citizens enjoy their lives but this does not meet that the set living standard is below poverty line. Poverty can be categorized in to three classes namely absolute poverty, social exclusion and relative poverty. These classes have different resources that would promote harmony between the body and the soul. Relative category denotes lack of resources needed for one to participate fully in issues that affect their life. The third class of poverty is what is referred to as an area that lacks Begin Match to source 5 in source list: (8-18-03) http://www. ic. gov. au/conferences/cypc/proceedings. pdfa combination ofEnd Match various necessities Begin Match to source 5 in source list: (8-18-03) http://www. aic. gov. au/conferences/cypc/proceedings. pdfsuch as unemployment, poorEnd Match infrastructure, Begin Match to source 5 in source list: (8-18-03) http://www. aic. gov. au/conferences/cypc/proceedings. pdflowEnd Match income and substandard skills. According to the United Nation’s world summit of social development, poverty is a condition in which one is deprived of the basic needs such as food, clean water sanitation, heath and education. According the 2006 statistics on poverty, the poverty rate in the united state declined from 12. 6%, as it was the case in 2005. When this was translated in to figures it meant that 36. 5 citizens lived in penny, as it was the cases in 2005. Currently about 12% of the population in the United States lives below the poverty threshold. Poverty in America sometimes is not something stable as it fluctuates with time for some people earns more than the set poverty line but in other times, they earn below it. As per the 2001 statistics, minors were the most affected of all groups in the industrialized nations America being the worst because 14. % of the minors lived below the poverty line. This also largely affected the Americans. (Haveman RH. 1987) According to the United States Research Center, the poverty rate has increased over the recent past from what it has been for over twenty-six years. In the past, it was 11. 3 percent but in 2004 it stood at 12. 7 percent though this gradually declined in the year 2006 to 12. 3 percent. In the period between 2000-2006, the poverty level among the minors significantly increased from 16. 2 percent to 17. 8 percent but in following two years it decline to 17. 4 percent. Poverty in America varies across race, family, sex and age but America has registered a decline in poverty rate when compared with the 1990’s figures. This could be attributed to the economic depression. The current rate is still bigger than that of the 1970s. As per the United States Census Bureau, it calculates the rate of poverty by assessing the much one earns and his purchasing power. As it is noted above that poverty varies in America, poverty rate is highest among the juniors who are under 18 years. According to a survey that was done in 1998, the poverty rate amongst children was 18. 9% and this was a decrease from the 1997 figure. The rate of poverty to those who are under six years was 20. 6% in 1998. The rate for those within the bracket of 18-64 was 10. 9%. In 2005 the poverty rate for over those 65 years was 9. 4 percent than that of 2005 which was 10. 1 percent while that of the minors stood at 17. 4% Depending on peoples’ nationality, those who were born in America had a poverty level of 11. 9% or an equivalent of 30. 8 million people in the year 2007 and this was the same as it was in 2006. To the foreigners, the poverty level in 2006 slightly went down to 15. 2% when compared with the 2005 figure and in 207 the figure still went down. Moore D. 2007) Causes of poverty. Poverty has many causes and some of them are overpopulation, unequal distribution of resources high living standards, lack of proper education and skills, lack of employment, economic and distribution of people in a location, natural disasters. Overpopulation can be linked with poverty. In areas that have a lot of people, there is strain in resources as people tend to deplete them because competition there in but this is not a major cause of poverty in US. The real causes of poverty in USA are low wages and lack of reliable and well paying employment. In America over two thirds of all poor households with some children rely on only one or two people who are in jobs. However, many of them are in low paying jobs that cannot help them to meet their needs. Many people do not get jobs because of a number of factors. Some of them do not have the required skills while others are handicaps, personal hazards and general inability to perform. In America people who were sometime in the past employed but due to some reasons such as misconducts were dismissed are poor. They could also have been dismissed due to insubordination, unionism or because of participating in strikes. When people do not get good jobs or are not at all employed, they cannot provide their families with their necessities and hence the high rate of poverty. In America most of the unemployed turn to drug abuse. (Dwarkin R. 2005) Another thing that cause poverty in America is that there is a very high living condition. With little money, it is not possible to get adequate food, shelter and clothing many who claim to be employed are in low paying jobs that pay minimum wages and this is the problem that non employed face. Because USA is a developed nation, the prices of items are very high so anyone earning a dollar a day finds it hard to survive. For example a Mexican can get one dollar in hour and then buy some food for the family. The same case applies in America where food is very expensive; one may earn five dollars in a day only to spend all of this money on food. Generally life standard in America is very high and for this reason many are considered to live below poverty line. This causes most Americans to have physical and mental disabilities and may lead to pathological disorders. This has been a problem to many because once you get addicted to drugs as your life becomes dependent on them. In such a situation, then you prioritize drugs instead of other things that are more important. These drugs cause a mind to fail to function properly and for this reason they cannot secure themselves jobs in America. Mental inability, social problem and disability are some of the challenges that Americans face. Disabled people cannot be able to compete effectively in the search for jobs as physically normal people do. Because they have low incomes, their families give them special attention and this puts strain to their meager resources. These people are also isolated by others something that increases the level of social stigma. Another thing is exclusion in the social processes and this has been another cause of poverty in America. It happens when people do not get a chance of leading a normal life. It occurs to the disabled, the imprisoned and to the people who have language difficulties. The homeless and the ex- prisoners as well as those that are suffering from aids are also affected. These factors have greatly led to the increase in poverty cases. It should be understood that these people though they are not actively participating in social processes, they still require food, shelter and clothing. (Cohen S. 985) Poverty and crime Crime is doing contrary to what is required by the constitution. Many people indulge themselves in criminal activities if they do not meet their basic needs. Most people become criminals because of poverty but it should not be forgotten that others deem it a career. According to the conflict theories, economic strife has been related or associated with crimes. Many people who d o not have any other source of their livelihood, result to crimes such as burglary, assault and robbery. Most of these individuals are socially propelled to behave this way due to their poverty level and social alienation. Increase in per capital income tends to reduce crime rate something that attests to the fact that poverty leads to crime. Crime rate depends on social and cultural factors for example; if many children are born by single mothers then the level of the crime goes up. Most children who are fatherless are more likely to become criminals because they lack proper attention at home as their mother cannot meet their basic needs. They go to the streets to seek solace. Crime rates. There are three things that could be attributed to the rise in crime rates in America. These are for example the rise of outbreaks. This was one major cause of crimes in the 1986 and in 1960s and 70s there were some family policies that were make which resulted to upsurge in juvenile delinquency. The third cause of crime is the saturation of the criminal systems. (Cassdill H. 1962) This has compromised the fight against crime as prisoners are being sentenced for a shorter period than they should and are prematurely released. When this happens, they leave prisons uncorrected. According to a research that was done by the Kirwan Institute increase in poverty was linked to high-level crime rate. This is because when the poverty level goes beyond a certain point it invites crime. In the United States, the high rate of illegitimate births is linked to crime prevalence and this is as a result of many single parented households. When these children do not get the proper care that they deserve, they turn to crimes. According to Milton Eisenhower’s foundation, seventy per cent of all African Americans in America have single mothers. While only eighteen per cent of all the whites have single mother. The increase in single motherhood increases the prospects of people indulging themselves in crimes. Most poor people engage themselves in crimes such as prostitution, selling drugs and even murder while others engage in juvenile crimes. What should be done to control this level of crime rate is to make some reforms in the judicial system to ensure they are more effective. Criminal should be jailed for a term that is equivalent to the crime they committed. The tougher and reasonable judges should be put on the bench to ensure that justice would take its course. Those violent offenders should not be on the loose especially when they are supposed to be serving their term in prison. This is the only way the high rate of crime could be scaled down. The way forward. There are various ways of eradicating poverty in America and one of them is ensuring that property rights that are respected to the letter. Property rights should be seen as the same as human rights. All American citizens have a right to own property wherever they want. If this is properly addressed the gap between the rich and poor would be reduced. The main cause of crime in USA is because the poor living in close proximity with the rich. Also those lacking reliable income are forced to look for alternative means of meeting their basic needs. The presence of both rich and the poor people puts the government in a very tricky place, as it is impossible to collect taxes for it is not easy to determine who should pay and who should not. (Smeeding TM et al, 1990) The United States government can reduce the poverty level by providing the poor with some small amount so that they could start some businesses as it was done in the Western States under a program known as a Welfare State in the 20th Century. Those that should be taken care of are at least the poor and the disabled as they are the most disadvantaged in the society. People are social beings and for this reason they cannot sit back and watch their friends continue suffering so the government should come up with Charity Programs that would allow people to channel assistance of any kind to the poor as the rich might be willing to help them. These organizations should either be voluntary or non-profit making groups. The United States government should embark on subsidized households and medical issues. The government should also analyze the importance of subsidized medical care than the free governmentally supported health care. The poor should be provided with employment by the government as not all poor people lack the relevant job skills. Lack of employment in America is one reason that increases poverty prevalence so if they are given jobs they would be able to meet their basic necessities and this would help in reducing the gap between the rich and the poor. The poor should also be helped in accessing free health care. Most poor people do not even afford to go to hospitals once they get sick and stay at home. This also puts strain on their meager income making them to become even poorer. The government should also offer free family planning programs as many who turn to be criminals are from those households that do not provide them with proper attention. Children from single parented households and especially those that are headed by the mother are more likely to result into becoming criminals. These families should be provided with some family allowances by the government so as they would take care of children properly to avoid them being attracted to become juvenile criminals. The poor who mostly live in ghettos should be provided with better housing facilities for example the government should upgrade these ghettos so that they would enjoy life just like the rich do. This would help in bridging the gap between the rich and the poor Currently the talk on poverty is still on going and has become a campaign tool among the presidential candidates. They are promising Americans what they will do once they become the next US president come the 2008 Election. Obama who is one of these candidates promised the Americans that he would establish Twenty Promise Households and especially in the areas that are affected by high levels of poverty and crime. They would operate just like the Harlem Children’s Home operates. He said he will spend about six US dollars on this program and this will benefit the Harlem, the Town Hall Education and the Town Hall Education. (Kristof N. D. 2008) Both Edward and Obama are challenging Hillary Clinton who up to now has not come up with any poverty reduction proposal. Obama’s speech was mainly on urban and rural areas and most particularly on city initiatives while Edward focused on this poverty issue might have a lot of impact on who will be chosen as the president of the United States of America. Edward said that he would relocate the poor families so that they would be in a place where they would easily access jobs and other facilities. From the research findings, it is safe to conclude that poverty greatly contributes to the rise in crime level that is both are interrelated. This is evident in that poor people inhabit regions that register high crime rate. (Kristof N. D. 2008) When poor people lack their basic needs, they resort to crimes such as drug selling and trafficking, juvenile delinquency and assaults. There are various measures that if they are undertaken, the crime level would definitely go down and some of these are to strengthen the correction and judicial system and to empower the poor people so that the gap between the rich and poor would be closed. This is something that is of prime concern to the 2008 presidential candidates such as Obama who promised to boost the cities initiative especially those that work to help the poor. Indeed, there is a relationship between poverty and crime prevalence in United States of America. Most of the crimes occur in areas that are occupied by the poor people. When people are wallowing in poverty they are prone to indulge themselves in criminal acts. In order to reduce the rate of crime, the government should try to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. The poor should be economically be strengthened and their living standards be uplifted. Houses in the ghettos should be upgraded to improve the quality of life for the poor. To reduce the level of crimes, the judicial system should be adjusted so as to make it more effective. The laws should be enforced to ensure they are followed to the letter.

Cause & Effect of European Exploration

Cause & Effect European Exploration Essay Throughout history, people have been curious about finding new land and exploring. Many different factors stirred interest in colonization and exploration for Europeans. During the 15th and 17th centuries Europe was changing rapidly and had its own reasons for growth. All of Europe had the excitement and hesitation of finding new places. There were many reasons for Europe to grow and expand, some of the causes for Europe’s expansion were; a search for new trade routes, religion, new technology, the desire for new products and gold.Europe wanted to find a new trade route to Asia because they wanted the silk, spices, jewels, and riches from China and India that were very valuable. One of the problems that were faced was that when they arrived in Western Europe, the products had been taxed so many times along the way that they were extremely expensive. They wanted to find a route around so that they could get the goods first. They wanted to find a northwest passage.Christian rulers in Europe wanted to spread their religion of Christianity throughout the overseas exploration, they felt they had a duty to keep fighting for Muslims but also to convert non- Christians throughout the world. Bartolomeu Dias (Portuguese explorer) said that his motive was â€Å"to serve God and His Majesty, to give light to those who were in darkness and to grow rich as all men desire to do. † European explores had better navigation skills and equipment to help them find their way.They had a compass and moveable rudder which allowed the explorers to sail even further than before. They also used an astrolabe which used the stars to determine how far north or south they were from the equator. European explorers were on a mission to find these new lands and new technologies, those causes stimulated effects for the aftermath of the exploration. One of the effects on European exploration was the Columbian Exchange. This exchange consisted of trading between the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia.The Americas sent over squash, pumpkins, turkey, peanuts, potatoes, tomatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, peppers, tobacco, pineapple, cacao, beans and vanilla. Europe, Africa and Asia sent over citrus fruits, bananas, grapes, sugar cane, honeybees, onions, olives, turnips, peaches, pears, and coffee beans. They also sent over items other then food such as grains, wheat, rice, barley and oats. They sent many types of live stock and a huge thing they sent over was disease. The Triangle Trade was another trading system between New England the West Indies and West Africa.New England sent West Africa rum, guns/ gunpowder, cloth and tools. West Africa sent sugar and molasses to New England and New England sent back livestock, lumber, flour and fish. As the trading increased during the sixteenth and throughout the eighteenth century, millions of people were taken out of their home and deported to plantations in the New World. Europeans r isked their lives to explore new lands, the expansion abroad come with hopes for land, riches and social advancement.

Absolute Poverty

POVERTY What is poverty? Poverty is the economic condition in which people lack sufficient income to obtain certain minimal levels of health services, food, housing, clothing, and education generally recognized as necessary to ensure an adequate standard of living. What is considered adequate, however, depends on the average standard of living in a particular society. Relative poverty is that experienced by those whose income falls considerably below the average for their particular society. Absolute poverty is that experienced by those who do not have enough food to remain healthy. However, estimating poverty on an income basis may not measure essential elements that also contribute to a healthy life. People without access to education or health services should be considered poor even if they have adequate food. CAUSES OF POVERTY One of the greatest challenges facing many least developed countries especially in the African continent is the worsening scourge of poverty with its attendant effects of unemployment, malnutrition, illiteracy, HIV/AIDS and destitution. There are many causes of poverty complex and multi-dimensional in nature. They involve among many others gender inequality, economical, political and social exclusion. Therefore any intervention measures designed to respond to the challenges above should be judged by their ability to positively make a significant dent on poverty at a micro level (lower levels of society such as the households or individual levels). There should be a clear linkage between macro level policies and micro level impacts in terms of reducing poverty or at least providing an environment for poverty reduction. Such a policy should be able to facilitate the delivery of basic needs to ordinary citizens and these include access to affordable food, health, education, shelter, water and sanitation, public information among many others. No one should be alienated from these basic and fundamental human rights on account of one’s poor economic status. IMPACT OF POVERTY ON BUSINESS OPERATIONS When a person doesn’t have disposable income he/she make purchases of commodities, goods and services. Therefore many cannot increase their sales. Production output drops. Some companies put their staff on short time. This further reduces disposable income. Financial sectors do not grant credit to low- income earners therefore the financial market suffers. Inflation rises. The GDP of the country drops. The price of goods and services increase. The people with low income and those that receive social grants do not have enough many to but commodities. Companies that do not make high turnovers cannot plough moneys back into communities for social upliftment. ALLEVIATION OF POVERTY BY THE GOVERNMENT Aid refers to the net flow of official development assistance provide by governments, international agencies, and public institutions of the industrialized countries. The term is also used to encompass help (both material and technical) provided by non- governmental organizations (NGOs) and voluntary agencies to countries and people in need, particularly for disaster or emergency relief. The overall portfolio of assistance of a donor, or the range of aid I provides to a particular country, is often referred to as its aid programme. The various recognized categories of aid such as: Bilateral aid * Project aid * Grant aid * Technical assistance * Emergency aid/Disaster relief * Food aid * Voluntary aid GLOBAL POVERTY! IS BUSINESS THE ANSWER? When activists discuss the way less developed countries have missed out on the benefits of globalization, Multinational Corporations are often portrayed as the villains. But to some, they are the solution and the only one. CONCLUTION In conclusion I would just like to say that we, as South Africans, need to show the world that we are strong and we are better prepared for global turmoil than we previously were. WE ARE HERE TO STAY!! Absolute Poverty POVERTY What is poverty? Poverty is the economic condition in which people lack sufficient income to obtain certain minimal levels of health services, food, housing, clothing, and education generally recognized as necessary to ensure an adequate standard of living. What is considered adequate, however, depends on the average standard of living in a particular society. Relative poverty is that experienced by those whose income falls considerably below the average for their particular society. Absolute poverty is that experienced by those who do not have enough food to remain healthy. However, estimating poverty on an income basis may not measure essential elements that also contribute to a healthy life. People without access to education or health services should be considered poor even if they have adequate food. CAUSES OF POVERTY One of the greatest challenges facing many least developed countries especially in the African continent is the worsening scourge of poverty with its attendant effects of unemployment, malnutrition, illiteracy, HIV/AIDS and destitution. There are many causes of poverty complex and multi-dimensional in nature. They involve among many others gender inequality, economical, political and social exclusion. Therefore any intervention measures designed to respond to the challenges above should be judged by their ability to positively make a significant dent on poverty at a micro level (lower levels of society such as the households or individual levels). There should be a clear linkage between macro level policies and micro level impacts in terms of reducing poverty or at least providing an environment for poverty reduction. Such a policy should be able to facilitate the delivery of basic needs to ordinary citizens and these include access to affordable food, health, education, shelter, water and sanitation, public information among many others. No one should be alienated from these basic and fundamental human rights on account of one’s poor economic status. IMPACT OF POVERTY ON BUSINESS OPERATIONS When a person doesn’t have disposable income he/she make purchases of commodities, goods and services. Therefore many cannot increase their sales. Production output drops. Some companies put their staff on short time. This further reduces disposable income. Financial sectors do not grant credit to low- income earners therefore the financial market suffers. Inflation rises. The GDP of the country drops. The price of goods and services increase. The people with low income and those that receive social grants do not have enough many to but commodities. Companies that do not make high turnovers cannot plough moneys back into communities for social upliftment. ALLEVIATION OF POVERTY BY THE GOVERNMENT Aid refers to the net flow of official development assistance provide by governments, international agencies, and public institutions of the industrialized countries. The term is also used to encompass help (both material and technical) provided by non- governmental organizations (NGOs) and voluntary agencies to countries and people in need, particularly for disaster or emergency relief. The overall portfolio of assistance of a donor, or the range of aid I provides to a particular country, is often referred to as its aid programme. The various recognized categories of aid such as: Bilateral aid * Project aid * Grant aid * Technical assistance * Emergency aid/Disaster relief * Food aid * Voluntary aid GLOBAL POVERTY! IS BUSINESS THE ANSWER? When activists discuss the way less developed countries have missed out on the benefits of globalization, Multinational Corporations are often portrayed as the villains. But to some, they are the solution and the only one. CONCLUTION In conclusion I would just like to say that we, as South Africans, need to show the world that we are strong and we are better prepared for global turmoil than we previously were. WE ARE HERE TO STAY!!

Employment and Flag Question

List ONLY Southeast b. List each school separately, spelling out the complete and full name of all institutions c. List only your highest education Incorrect d. None of these The correct answer is: List each school separately, spelling out the complete and full name of all institutions Question 4 Hag question When listing items in the Experience section of your resume you should: a. Only list the experiences you liked b. List items in reverse chronological order, beginning with your most recent experience Correct c. List items in chronological order, beginning with the first experience you had d.Only list experiences which were a minimum of one year in length The correct answer is: List items in reverse chronological order, beginning with your most recent experience Question 5 If need to send in my resume immediately, is it okay to send it without checking for errors? True False Correct The correct answer is ‘False'. Question 6 Job Task items within my Experience section should have the following characteristics: a. Displayed in a bullet point format b. Each begin with a strong action verb c. Each are relevant to the position you're seeking d. All of the above Correct The correct answer is: All of the aboveQuestion 7 Your resume serves as a guide to your personality, goals, skill sets, and experience. A resume can determine whether you'll get an interview or not. Your resume needs to have the following: (select the best answer) a. Relevant personal data such as name and contact information. B. Work history (include internships, part-time work, etc. ) c. Educational background. Question 8 How should I list my responsibilities in my work history? A. Write down everything did in a brief paragraph under the position b. Use brief bullets to list the things I did that meet the requirements for the job I'm applying for c. E action verbs to describe my experience d. B & C Correct The correct answer is: B & C Question 9 The Experience section of your resume should : a. Be truthful b. Include complete employer names c. State specific position titles Question 10 Why should I avoid using resume templates? A. They can be difficult to personalize and may not upload correctly to employer job sites b. They do not appear professional c. They only allow the user to utilize one font style d. All of the above Incorrect The correct answer is: They can be difficult to personalize and may not upload correctly to employer job sites Question 11Should always submit the same resume for each position I apply for? A. Yes, because it contains my entire work history. B. No, because my resume will consistently be updated and should be adjusted to the different positions I apply for. Correct c. Yes, because it is easier to do it that way. D. None of the above The correct answer is: No, because my resume will consistently be updated and should be adjusted to the different positions I apply for. Question 12 speak several foreign languages. Should I list them on my res ume? A. I should always list any foreign languages know and provide my level of proficiency for each .

Night World : Secret Vampire Chapter 2

â€Å"Poppy!† Poppy could hear her mother's voice, but she couldn't see anything. The kitchen floor was obscured by dancing black dots. â€Å"Poppy, are you all right?† Now Poppy felt hermother's hands grasping her upper arms, holding her anxiously. The pain was easing and her vision was coming back. As she straightened up, she saw James in front ofher. His face was almost expressionless, but Poppy knew him well enough to recognize the worry in hiseyes. He was holding the milk carton, she realized. He must have caught it on the fly as she droppedit–amazing reflexes, Poppy thought vaguely. Really amazing. Phillip was on his feet. â€Å"Are you okay? Whathappened?† â€Å"I-don't know.† Poppy looked around, thenshrugged, embarrassed. Now that she felt better shewished they weren't all staring at her so hard. Theway to deal with the pain was to ignore it, to notthink about it. â€Å"It's just this stupid pain-I think it's gastrowhatchmacallit. You know, something I ate.† Poppy's mother gave her daughter the barest fraction of a shake. â€Å"Poppy, this is not gastroenteritis.You were having some pain before-nearly a monthago, wasn't it? Is this the same kind of pain?† Poppy squirmed uncomfortably. As a matter offact, the pain had never really gone away. Somehow,in the excitement of end-of-the-year activities, she'dmanaged to disregard it, and by now she was used to working around it. â€Å"Sort of,† she temporized. â€Å"But That was enough for Poppy's mother. She gavePoppy a little squeeze and headed for the kitchen telephone. â€Å"I know you don't like doctors, but I'mcalling Dr. Franklin. I want him to take a look at you. This isn't something we can ignore.† â€Å"Oh, Mom, it's vacation†¦.† Her mother covered the mouthpiece of the phone.†Poppy, this is nonnegotiable. Go get dressed.† Poppy groaned, but she could see it was no use.She beckoned to James, who was looking thoughtfully into a middle distance. â€Å"Let's at least listen to the CD before I have to go.† He glanced at the CD as if he'd forgotten it, and put down the milk carton. Phillip followed them into the hallway. â€Å"Hey, buddy, you wait out here while she gets dressed.† James barely turned. â€Å"Get a life, Phil,† he said almost absently. â€Å"Just keep your hands off my sister, you deve.† Poppy just shook her head as she went into her room. As if James cared about seeing her undressed. If only,she thought grimly, pulling a pair of shortsout of a drawer. She stepped into them, still shaking her head. James was her best friend, her very bestfriend, and she was his. But he'd never shown even the slightest desire to get his hands on her. Sometimes she wondered if he realized she was a girl. Someday I'm going to makehim see, she thought,and shouted out the door for him. James came in and smiled at her. It was a smile other people rarely saw, not a taunting or ironic grin, but a nice little smile, slightly crooked. â€Å"Sorry about the doctor thing,† Poppy said. â€Å"No. You should go.† James gave her a keenglance. â€Å"Your mom's right, you know. This has been going on way too long. You've lost weight; it's keeping you up at night-â€Å" Poppy looked at him, startled. She hadn't told anybody about how the pain was worse at night, not even James. But sometimes James just knewthings. As if he could read her mind. â€Å"I just know you, that's all,† he said, and then gaveher a mischievous sideways glance as she stared at him. He unwrapped the CD. Poppy shrugged and flopped on her bed, staring atthe ceiling. â€Å"Anyway, I wish Mom would let me have oneday of vacation,† she said. She craned her neckto look at James speculatively. â€Å"I wish I had a mom like yours. Mine's always worrying and trying to fix me.† â€Å"And mine doesn't really care if I come or go. Sowhich is worse?† James said wryly. â€Å"Your parents let you have your own apartment. â€Å" â€Å"In a building they own. Because it's cheaper thanhiring a manager.† James shook his head, his eyeson the CD he was putting in the player. â€Å"Don't knockyour parents, kid. You're luckier than you know.† Poppy thought about that as the CD started. Sheand James both liked trance-the underground electronic sound that had come from Europe. James likedthe techno beat. Poppy loved it because it was real music, raw and unpasteurized, made by people who believed in it. People who had the passion, not people who had the money. Besides, world music made her feel a part of otherplaces. She loved the differentness of it, the alienness. Come to think of it, maybe that was what she likedabout James, too. His differentness. She tilted her head to look at him as the strange rhythms of Burundi drumming filled the air. She knew James better than anyone, but there wasalways something, something about him that was closed off to her. Something about him that nobody could reach. Other people took it for arrogance, or coldness, oraloofness, but it wasn't really any of those things. It was just differentness. He was more different thanany of the exchangestudents at school. Time after time, Poppy felt she had almost put her finger on thedifference, but it always slipped away. And more than once, especially late at night when they were listening to music or watching the ocean, she'd felthe was about to tell her. And she'd always felt that if he didtell her, itwould be something important, something as shocking and lovely as having a stray cat speak to her. Just now she looked at James, at his dean, carvenprofile and at the brown waves of hair on his forehead, and thought, He looks sad. â€Å"Jamie, nothing's wrong, is it? I mean, at home, oranything?† She was the only person on the planet allowed to call him Jamie. Not even Jacklyn or Michaela had ever tried that. â€Å"What could be wrong at home?† he said, with asmile that didn't reach his eyes. Then he shook his head dismissively. â€Å"Don't worry about it, Poppy. It'snothing important-just a relative threatening to visit. An unwanted relative.† Then the smile didreach his eyes, glinting there. â€Å"Or maybe I'm justworried about you,† he said. Poppy started to say, â€Å"Oh, as if, â€Å"but instead she found herself saying, oddly, â€Å"Are you really?† Her seriousness seemed to strike some chord. Hissmile disappeared, and Poppy found that they were simply looking at each other without any insulating humor between them. Just gazing into each other's eyes. James looked uncertain, almost vulnerable. â€Å"Poppy Poppy swallowed. â€Å"Yes?† He opened his mouth-and then he got upabruptly and went to adjust her 170-watt Tall-boy speakers. When he turned back, his gray eyes were dark and fathomless. â€Å"Sure, if you were really sick, I'd be worried,† hesaid lightly. â€Å"That's what friends are for, right?† Poppy deflated. â€Å"Right,† she said wistfully, andthen gave him a determined smile. â€Å"But you're not sick,† he said. â€Å"It's just somethingyou need to get taken care of. The doctor'll probably give you some antibiotics or something-with a bigneedle,† he added wickedly. â€Å"Oh, shut up,† Poppy said. He knew she was terrified of injections. Just the thought of a needle entering her skin †¦ â€Å"Here comes your mom,† James said, glancing atthe door, which was ajar. Poppy didn't see how he could hear anybody coming-the music was loud andthe hallway was carpeted. But an instant later her mother pushed the door open. â€Å"All right, sweetheart,† she said briskly. â€Å"Dr.Franklin says come right in. I'm sorry, James, but I'm going to have to take Poppy away.† â€Å"That's okay. I can come back this afternoon.† Poppy knew when she was defeated. She allowedher mother to tow her to the garage, ignoring James's miming of someone receiving a large injection. An hour later she was lying on Dr. Franklin's examining table, eyes politely averted as his gentle fingers probed her abdomen. Dr. Franklin was tall, lean,and graying, with the air of a country doctor. Some body you could trust absolutely. â€Å"The pain is here?† he said. â€Å"Yeah-but it sort of goes into my back. Or maybe I just pulled a muscle back there or something The gentle, probing fingers moved, then stopped. Dr. Franklin's face changed. And somehow, in that moment, Poppy knew it wasn't a pulled muscle. Itwasn't an upset stomach; it wasn't anything simple; and things were about to change forever. All Dr. Franklin said was, â€Å"You know, I'd like toarrange for a test on this.† His voice was dry and thoughtful, but panic curled through Poppy anyway. She couldn't explain what was happening inside her-some sort of dreadful premonition, like a black pit opening in the ground in front of her. â€Å"Why?† her mother was asking the doctor. â€Å"Well.† Dr. Franklin smiled and pushed his glassesup. He tapped two fingers on the examining table.†Just as part of a process of elimination, really. Poppysays she's been having pain in the upper abdomen, pain that radiates to her back, pain that's worse atnight. She's lost her appetite recently, and she's lost weight. And her gallbladder is palpable-that meansI can feel that it's enlarged. Now, those are symptomsof a lot of things, and a sonogram will help rule out some of them.† Poppy calmed down. She couldn't remember whata gallbladder did but she was pretty sure she didn't need it.Anything involving an organ with such a silly name couldn't be serious. Dr. Franklin was goingon, talking about the pancreas and pancreatitis andpalpable livers, and Poppy's mother was nodding as if she understood. Poppy didn't understand, but thepanic was gone. It was as if a cover had been whisked neatly over the black pit, leaving no sign that it had ever been there. â€Å"You can get the sonogram done at Children's Hospital across the street,† Dr. Franklin wassaying. â€Å"Come back here after it's finished.† Poppy's mother was nodding, calm, serious, andefficient. Like Phil. Or Cliff. Okay, we'll get this taken care of. Poppy felt just slightly important.Nobody sheknew had been to a hospital for tests. Her mother ruffled her hair as they walked out ofDr. Franklin's office. â€Å"Well, Poppet. What have you done to yourself now?† Poppy smiled impishly. She was fully recoveredfrom her earlier worry. â€Å"Maybe I'll have to have an operation and I'll have an interesting scar,† she said,to amuse her mother. â€Å"Let's hope not,† her mother said, unamused. The Suzanne G. Monteforte Children's Hospitalwas a handsome gray building with sinuous curve sand giant picture windows. Poppy looked thoughtfully into the gift shop as they passed. It was clearly akid's gift shop, full of rainbow Slinkys and stuffed animals that a visiting adult could buy as a last-minute present. A girl came out of the shop. She was a little olderthan Poppy, maybe seventeen or eighteen. She was pretty, with an expertly made-up face-and a cutebandanna which didn't quite conceal the fact that she had no hair. She looked happy, round-cheeked,with earrings dangling jauntily beneath the band anna-but Poppy felt a stab of sympathy. Sympathy†¦and fear. That girl was reallysick. Which was what hospitals were for, of course-for really sick people. Suddenly Poppy wanted to get herown tests over with and get out of here. The sonogram wasn't painful, but it was vaguelydisturbing. A technician smeared some kind of jelly over Poppy's middle, then ran a cold scanner over it,shooting sound waves into her, taking pictures of her insides. Poppy found her mind returning to the prettygirl with no hair. To distract herself, she thought about James. And for some reason what came to mind was the first time she'd seen James, the day he came to kindergarten. He'd been a pale, slight boy with big gray eyes and something subtly weirdabout him that made thebigger boys start picking on him immediately. On the playground they ganged up on him like houndsaround a fox-until Poppy saw what was happening. Even at five she'd had a great right hook. She'dburst into the group, slapping faces and kicking shins until the big boys went running. Then she'd turned to James. â€Å"Wanna be friends?† After a brief hesitation he'd nodded shyly. Therehad been something oddly sweet in his smile. But Poppy had soon found that her new friend wasstrange in small ways. When the class lizard died, he'd picked up the corpse without revulsion andasked Poppy if she wanted to hold it. The teacher had been horrified. He knew where to find dead animals, too-he'dshown her a vacant lot where several rabbit carcasseslay in the tall brown grass. He was matter-of-factabout it. When he got older, the big kids stopped pickingon him. He grew up to be as tall as any of them, and surprisingly strong and quick-and he developed areputation for being tough and dangerous. When he got angry, something almost frightening shone in hisgray eyes. He never got angry with Poppy, though. They'dremained best friends all these years. When they'd reached junior high, he'd started having girlfriends all the girls at school wanted himbut he never kept any of them long. And he never confided in them;to them he was a mysterious, secretive bad boy. Only Poppy saw the other side of him, the vulnerable, caring side. â€Å"Okay,† the technician said, bringing Poppy backto the present with a jerk. â€Å"You're done; let's wipe this jelly off you.† â€Å"So what did it show?† Poppy asked, glancing upat the monitor. â€Å"Oh, your own doctor will tell you that. The radiologist will read the results and call them over to your doctor's office.† The technician's voice was absolutely neutral-so neutral that Poppy looked ather sharply. Back in Dr. Franklin's office, Poppy fidgeted whileher mother paged through out-of-date magazines. When the nurse said â€Å"Mrs. Hilgard,† they bothstood up. â€Å"Uh-no,† the nurse said, looking flustered. â€Å"Mrs.Hilgard, the doctor just wants toseeyou for a minute-alone.† Poppy and her mother looked at each other. Then,slowly, Poppy's mother put down her People magazine and followed the nurse. Poppy stared after her. Now, what on earth . . . Dr. Franklin had neverdone that before. Poppy realized that her heart was beating hard. Notfast, just hard. Bang†¦bang†¦ bang, in the middle of her chest, shaking her insides. Making her feelunreal and giddy. Don't think about it. It's probably nothing. Reada magazine. But her fingers didn't seem to work properly. When she finally got the magazine open, her eyes ran over the words without delivering them to herbrain. What are they talking about in there? What's going on?It's been so long†¦. It kept getting longer. As Poppy waited, she foundherself vacillating between two modes of thought. 1) Nothing serious was wrong with her and her motherwas going to come out and laugh at her for even imagining there was, and 2) Something awful waswrong with her and she was going to have to go through some dreadful treatment to get well. The covered pit and the open pit. When the pit was covered, it seemed laughable, and she felt embarrassed for having such melodramatic thoughts. But when it was open, she felt as if all her life before this had been adream, and now she was hitting hard reality at last. I wish I could call James, she thought. At last the nurse said, â€Å"Poppy? Come on in.† Dr. Franklin's office was wood-paneled, with certificates and diplomas hanging on the walls. Poppy sat down in a leather chair and tried not to be tooobvious about scanning her mother's face. Her mother looked†¦too calm. Calm with strainunderneath. She was smiling, but it was an odd,slightly unsteady smile. Oh, God, Poppy thought. Something isgoing on. â€Å"Now, there's no cause for alarm,† the doctor said,and immediately Poppy became more alarmed. Her palms stuck to the leather of the chair arms. â€Å"Something showed up in your sonogram that's alittle unusual, and I'd like to do a couple of othertests,† Dr. Franklin said, his voice slow and measured, soothing. â€Å"One of the tests requires that you fast from midnight the day before you take it. But your mom says you didn't eat breakfast today.† Poppy said mechanically, â€Å"I ate one Frosted Flake.† â€Å"OneFrosted Flake? Well, I think we can countthat as fasting. We'll do the tests today, and I think it's best to admit you to the hospital for them. Now, the tests are called a CAT scan and an ERCP-that's short for something even I can't pronounce.† Hesmiled. Poppy just stared at him. â€Å"There's nothing frightening about either of thesetests,† he said gently. â€Å"The CAT scan is like an X ray. The ERCP involves passing a tube down the throat, through the stomach, and into the pancreas. Then we inject into the tube a liquid that will show up onX rays .† His mouth kept moving, but Poppy had stoppedhearing the words. She was more frightened than she could remember being in a long time. I was just joking about the interesting scar, shethought. I don't want a real disease. I don't want to go to the hospital, and I don't want any tubes down my throat. She looked at her mother in mute appeal. Her mother took her hand. â€Å"It's no big deal, sweetheart. We'll just go home andpack a few things for you; then we'll come back.† â€Å"I have to go into the hospital today?† â€Å"I think that would be best,† Dr. Franklin said. Poppy's hand tightened on her mother's. Her mind was a humming blank. When they left the office, her mother said, â€Å"Thankyou, Owen.† Poppy had never heard her call Dr. Franklin by his first name before. Poppy didn't ask why. She didn't say anything asthey walked out of the building and got in the car. As they drove home, her mother began to chat aboutordinary things in a light, calm voice, and Poppy made herself answer. Pretending that everything wasnormal, while all the time the terrible sick feeling raged inside her. It was only when they were in her bedroom, packing mystery books and cotton pajamas into a small suitcase, that she asked almost casually, â€Å"So whatexactly does he think is wrong with me?† Her mother didn't answer immediately. She waslooking down at the suitcase. Finally she said, â€Å"Well, he's not sure anything is wrong.† â€Å"But what does he think?He must think something. And he was talking about my pancreas-Imean, it sounds like he thinks there's somethingwrong with my pancreas. I thought he was looking at my gallbladderor whatever. I didn't even know that my pancreas was involvedin this†¦.† â€Å"Sweetheart.† Her mother took her by the shoulders, and Poppy realized she was getting a little over wrought. She took a deep breath. â€Å"I just want to know the truth, okay? I just wantto have some idea of what's going on. It's my body, and I've got a right to know what they're lookingfor-don't I?† It was a brave speech, and she didn't mean any of it. What she really wanted was reassurance, a prom ise that Dr. Franklin was looking for something trivial. That the worst that could happen wouldn't be so bad. She didn't get it. â€Å"Yes, you do have a right to know.† Her motherlet a long breath out, then spoke slowly. â€Å"Poppy, Dr. Franklin was concerned about your pancreas allalong. Apparently things can happen in the pancreas that cause changes in other organs, like the gallblad der and liver. When Dr. Franklin felt those changes, he decided to check things out with a sonogram.† Poppy swallowed. â€Å"And he said the sonogramwas-unusual. How unusual?† â€Å"Poppy, this is all preliminary†¦.† Her mothersaw her face and sighed. She went on reluctantly.† The sonogram showed that there might be something in your pancreas. Something that shouldn't bethere. That's why Dr. Franklin wants the other tests;they'll tell us for sure. But-â€Å" â€Å"Something that shouldn't be there? You mean †¦ like a tumor? Like †¦cancer?† Strange, it was hard to say the words. Her mother nodded once. â€Å"Yes. Like cancer.†

The Significance of Marketing Communications Essay

The Significance of Marketing Communications - Essay Example Consequently, the company must communicate with the existing and potential consumers. Communication takes the form of sales promotion strategies and advertisements. Marketing success only comes when a company has a comprehensive understanding of consumers’ demographic structure. Nike Company, for instance, used catchy word â€Å"just do it† to attract customers for its products (Foster, 2011). Despite establishing attractive and quality products for consumers, a competitive market would demand that there exist goodwill between the company and consumers to foster hope that the product on sale will succeed. Such hopes help in building loyalty that keeps consumers to company in question products (Hill, 2014). Marketing communication strategies, therefore, are vital in building good image between it and the citizens as a leading corporate. The image building process becomes a reality when company publicizes its charitable activities. Communication also improves the competitive advantage of the company over competitors (DahleÃŒ n & Lange, 2009). The company maintains a superior advantage over its competitors. The company in question can use communication effectively to expose the competitor’s weakness to its customers. Communication also helps companies to attract talents that the company need to by demonstrating to employees that the company provides the best work environment. Through publications, annual awards provide for the list of best companies to work. Ashton, J. K., & Pressey, A. D. (2011). The Regulatory Challenge to Branding: An Interpretation of UK Competition Authority Investigations 1950-2007. Journal of Marketing Management, 27(9/10), 1027-1058.

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Cloud Computing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cloud Computing - Research Paper Example Cloud computing refers to a new method of adding capabilities to computers through investment of hardware or infrastructures (Sun Microsystem, 2009). In this case, it does not acquisition of software, licensing or training programs of employees. In fact, it offers substantial business applications through the internet, which are accessed from a web. Web 2.0 involves application of Web technologies to the Web in a way that offers control to users through interactive visual presentation. Uses of Cloud Computing and Web 2.0 Cloud computing offers services accessed by businesses from different parts of the world. In fact, the cloud that is accessed by different users across the world is located at a single point to serve all customers and satisfy their needs. Cloud computing enables users and firms to access various software and storage services whenever they need them at a low cost; in fact, this form of deployment is called Software as Services (SaaS). Web 2.0 involves integration of W eb technologies in order to enable automation of a significant part of users’ action during the process of browsing (Guha, 2009). In this case, it enables direct embedment of target webpage into user browser, furthermore, Web 2.0 has facilitated technological advancements that enabled browsing the Web on small devices such as mobile phones, through reliance on Web API, Rich Site Summaries (RSS) and Atom feeds. Required Technology to Use these Tools Cloud computing and Web 2.0 requires infrastructure that entails reliable services that are offered through data centers and built on serves; in fact, these severs have different echelon of virtualization technologies (Handler, Shadbolt, Hall, Berners-Lee & Weitzner, 2008). Therefore, cloud computing require physical manifestation of data centers, whereby computing and storage is shifted from users’ device to a remote location having a large collection of serves, network equipment and storage systems. On the other hand, Clou d computing and Web 2.0 requires computing components such as CPUs and memory, which serves as recipients of two thirds of total energy consumed by servers. Benefits of Using Cloud Computing Setting up infrastructure for cloud computing such as acquisition of serves, data centers, database administrators is a role taken by services provides, users or business pay a price to access these services based on their usage (Sun Microsystem, 2009). Resources management and maintaining infrastructure is taken by the service providers, thereby making the processes of setting up simple. On the other hand, cloud offers increased reliability on network and data access, which is guaranteed and maintained by service providers. In addition, cloud computing offers a significant level of flexibility since data can be accessed from anywhere by users. Benefits of Using Web 2.0 Web 2.0 facilitates free flow of information among internet users, whereby they are able to share ideas and opinions about thei r business. Web 2.0 enables personalization of internet services based on different users’ needs and preferences. It has also facilitated acquisition of information based on users’ requirements, by making websites in a way that provides interactive interface, which is user friendly. In addition, Web 2.0 enables internet users to have easy navigation

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Strategies for Improving Efficiency and Cost Reduction - Essay Example As the shareholders are the legal owners of the company, therefore management has the fiduciary obligation to act in the best interest of the shareholders. Stockholders are often called shock absorbers as they provide risk capital to the company. The stockholders cushion the claims of other stakeholders. The value of any company can decline by as much as the value of equity capital. Without shareholders and their equity, the companies would have all been financed by debts and would continuously face financial anguish which results in liquidation or bankruptcy. The shareholder value approaches favorable strategies, by compelling managers to review business strategies based on prospective cash flows. The more company ability to generate cash, the more it can distribute to its shareholders. In short maximizing shareholders, wealth is equivalent to maximizing company's price. In order to attract the capital equity easily, many companies focus more on establishing shareholder value. Capit al equity is especially sensitive in those companies which are seeking to grow and operates in a risky environment. Every business profit is calculated by deducting expenses from the business incomes. The profit margin varies from business to business as the nature and size of the business requires different kinds of resources. The business needs resources for its development and each of this development has a cost to bear. No matter what type of business is your need human and financial resources needed to establish it. It is the utmost responsibility of the management of any company to provide quality resources at reasonable costs because they play the vital role in the business. The more company ability to generate cash, the more it can distribute to its shareholders. In short maximizing shareholders, wealth is equivalent to maximizing company's price. In order to attract the capital equity easily, many companies focus more on establishing shareholder value. Capital equity is esp ecially sensitive in those companies which are seeking to grow and operates in a risky environment. The profit margin varies from business to business as the nature and size of the business requires different kinds of resources. The business needs resources for its development and each of this development has a cost to bear. No matter what type of business is your need human and financial resources needed to establish it. It is the utmost responsibility of the management of any company to provide quality resources at reasonable costs because they play a vital role in the business.

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Enterprise in events - Essay Example There are also many theories that have come up and they are trying to discuss the real meaning of an entrepreneur. Reasons that have made it difficult to discuss this time is the fact like, why are some people able to start business while others cannot. Also what’s the reason why some businesses succeed while others selling the same products cannot? These are a few of the asked questions when defining who an entrepreneur is. However, this paper will focus on describing what an enterprise is. From the point of what is an enterprise, it will also discuss the possible theories that describing the meaning who is an entrepreneur. Finally this paper will also focus on the real meaning of entrepreneurship as from different literature reviews. Many people are currently managing very big enterprises. Most of these enterprises are successful and they are gaining a lot of profit from them. The main goal of every business is to gain profit. Before we talk about how this businesses are ran, it is important to describe what an enterprise is. From business point of view, enterprise is the measures that are used to encourage people on how to be good entrepreneurs. It also involve spotting ideas and looking for the best ways in which to transform these ideas into reality (King, 2002 p. 23). Therefore, it is important for every enterprise to ensure that profits are maximized. To achieve these goals, all forces of production have to be considered. These goals are achieved through entrepreneurs’ hard work and determination. However, entrepreneurs are the ones who make enterprises run. The big question is, â€Å"who are these entrepreneurs?† To describe who really is an entrepreneur, there are some factors that have to be considered first. There some approaches that can be used to describe an entrepreneur. One of the theories that can be used to describe entrepreneurs is the trait theory. This theory describes

Corporate governance of Westpac Banking Corporation AUSTRALIA Essay

Corporate governance of Westpac Banking Corporation AUSTRALIA - Essay Example Corporate governance has become the buzz word and has accomplished in drawing a good deal of public interest because of its visible significance of corporations and society with respect to economic healthCorporate governance is a complex concept as it deals with many different economic happenings Looking at a broader perspective corporate governance can be regarded as a set of procedures, customs, guidelines, rules and regulations affecting the way a corporation is planned, directed, governed or controlled. It also includes the relationships among the stakeholders and the aims for which the corporation is managed. The main stakeholders involved are the shareholders, management and the board of directors. Along with employees, suppliers, customers, banks the environment and the community as a whole. As mentioned earlier corporate governance is a complicated and multi-dimensional subject. Corporate governance deals with issues of accountability and fiduciary duty, making sure all the guidelines and mechanisms are implemented for the safe guard of shareholders. Another focal point is to achieve optimize economic through corporate governance to emphasize on shareholders welfare.Westpac Banking Corporation was founded in Sydney, Australia, in 1817 as the Bank of New South Wales and merged with the Commercial Bank of Australia and changed its name to Westpac in 1982. Today, it is a leading provider of banking and financial services in Australia, New Zealand, and eight Pacific island nations. It is Australia's oldest bank and offers general banking services to retail, commercial, and institutional customers and provides investment management and insurance. Westpac has strived to reach the position today it has by focusing on such issues only establishing a strong relationship with the stakeholders. "Corporate governance is a field in economics that investigates how to secure/motivate efficient management of corporations by the use of incentive mechanisms, such as contracts, organizational designs and legislation. This is often limited to the question of improving financial performance, for example, how the corporate owners can secure/motivate that the corporate managers will deliver a competitive rate of return." [www.encycogov.com, Mathiesen [2002].] Companies are scored based on specific issues such as board composition, management remuneration, accounting treatment and transparency. [https://www.shareanalysis.com/asp/glossary.asp]. Westpac has always focused upon promoting corporate justice, precision and self-actualization. The corporate governance structure followed at Westpac specifies the proper allocation of rights and responsibilities of the board, managers, shareholders and other stakeholders and properly defines the rules and procedures for corporate decision making. Increased competition, stringent regulatory standards, and continuous change in customer wants and demands have put pressure on global banking companies like Westpac to develop creative and cost-effective business strategies. Some of the examples of how corporate governance is implemented at Westpac are as follows: (http://www.westpac.com.au/internet/publish.nsf/Content/WISEWP+Protection) SSL connection Internet Banking system uses a technology called Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). This creates a secure connection between the customer and the Westpac. This is a highly beneficial technology developed by Netscape, Microsoft and RSA Inc that is supported by most browsers. Encryption Westpac has employed precise security mechanisms to guarantee that the client's information and accounts are secured. The latest encryption technologies have been used to protect the data when being sent over the internet. Westpac Internet Banking uses certificates which generate security "keys" to verify the connectivity with Westpac banking. Every stakeholder has an account with all the details. As information sent between the browser and the Bank is encrypted, it makes it

Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) - Essay Example nologies Incorporated), principally involved in the integration of radiology images information into healthcare enterprise networks improving radiology workflow efficiencies, reduces operating costs and improves medical decision making processes. Thomson One (2004) will be utilized on this financial analysis process for it provides a complete presentation of various companies’ profile, financial statements, and past and projected operations that are very useful to investors, creditors, and other business entities as well for financial analysis purposes prior to business acquisition, purchase, merger, or investment undertakings. Thomson One exhibited quantitative information of the 3-year business operations of Siemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics Limited. Presented were financial statements as of 09/30/2007, 12/31/2006, and 12/31/2005. The most recent financial statement recorded was on 09/30/2007 and the balance sheet have these values (presented in millions): Total Assets (all current and 0 long term) = 784.41; Total Liabilities (all current and 0 long term) = 306.43; Total Shareholder’s Equity (all common equity and 0 preferred equity) = 477.99. For the rate of change year over year starting from 2006 (2005 as the base year), it can be observed that all components of the balance sheet had marginally increased: Total Assets = 83.03%; Total Liabilities = 303.16%; and Total Shareholder’s Equity = 19.83%. By 2007, Total Assets unfavorably dropped by 11.56%; Total Liabilities was decreased by 29.68%; and Total Shareholder’s Equity had increased by 5.95%. For the Income Statement of the company, the 3-year business operations had been profitable with its peak year on 2006 generating a marginal net profit of 262.685 (million), equivalent to 337.99% increase from 59.975 profit during 2005. On 2007, net income had decreased to 49.302, equivalent to 81.23% decrease in profit from the previous year’s business operation. Thomson One presents the 5-year

International Business Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Business Management - Assignment Example The following report talks about the McDonald’s corporation, its inceptions, values and international expansion. Then, the theories are applied and McDonald’s strategies are analyzed in light of these theories. Later, the issues McDonald’s faces as a corporation as it expands particularly in the developing countries are discussed, followed by specific examples of the challenges, from the past, the external environment has posed on the fast food chain. The McDonald’s corporation, whose international division was established in the year 1969, today is the largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants in the world, and serves around 70 million customers on a daily basis in 118 countries. In the 1940 when the company began its operations in the United States under Richard and Maurice (Mac) McDonald, it was a barbeque restaurant. It wasn’t untilm1948 that they decided to reorganize the business as a hamburger joint based on the principles of production line. In 1954 when the milk-shake mixer sales man, Ray Kroc, saw an opportunity in this market and joined the business as a franchise agent in 1955. Ray Kroc negotiated the deal with the brothers and ended up making a franchise deal that gave him the exclusive rights to franchise in the USA. Kroc offered a McDonalds franchise at a price of $950, and took home a service fee of 1.9% of sales. The McDonalds brothers eventually sold out for $2.7million in 1961. The corporation’s first international venture was in Canada in 1969. International expansion in McDonald’s was accomplished through three different means 1) McDonald’s and its foreign subsidiaries, 2) franchisees and 3) Affiliates. Franchising played a major role at McDonald’s. A major factor contributing to the rapid and successful international expansion for McDonald’s has been the way its franchise system has operated. Over the years the corporation has given immense importance to the training and

Aspects of Psychology Unit 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Aspects of Psychology Unit 5 - Essay Example A good example for this stage is Homer and Marge Simpson. They show much affection and caring for their children and these parental acts are the general scenario of Generativity. It is the Simpson’s family that embodies sentiments of affection, caring, greed, self-indulgence, self-centeredness, and lack of enthusiasm in individuals, and the larger world. Integrity versus Despair As defined by Erikson (1997), integrity is a feeling of peace. No melancholies or accusations. The connection between the stages is possibly more evident here than anywhere else: individuals are more likely to reexamine their lives enthusiastically and contentedly if they have made a difference to the world (Erikson, Erikson & Kivnick, 1986), like Warren Schmidt. Schmidt’s personality embodies acceptance and Integrity. However, Schmidt also embodies the opposite nature when he shows feelings of regrets and missed opportunities, or what Erikson refers to as Despair. This stage is an excellent win dow through which an individual can reexamine his/her life—prior to reaching old age (Erikson et al. 1986). Fortunately these days for numerous individuals it is usually possible to make amends, even in the midst of despair. A Study Supporting ‘Generativity versus Stagnation’ According to the study of Kenneth Coll and colleagues (2006) on the psychosocial development of adolescent offender, enhancing generativity and lessening stagnation methods require integrating the five therapeutic exercise of John Bowlby for developing stronger relationship. Basically, the study supports Erikson’s theory by stating that providing an individual a stable foundation to examine a variety of depressing and difficult life features, promoting considerations of means where in to experience relationships with existing major figures, supporting analysis of each relationship linked to building sympathy for the other individual’s ideas, promoting consideration of how exist ing ideas and anticipations emerge from childhood experiences and the embedded meanings from others, and aiding to understand that the detrimental self-realizations are rooted in negative experience and can be altered. A Study Supporting ‘Integrity versus Despair’ According to the study of Kylie Rylands and Debra Rickwood (2001) on ‘the effect of accepting the past on depression in older women’ accepting the past, just like what Erikson argued, was a significant way to reduce depression in people, particularly in older people. The comparative strength of the ego-integrity process of later-life personality, as actualized by making amends of the past, was experimented as a determinant of depression in a multivariate approach consisting of other quite recognized determinants, such as negative and positive affectivity, physical reliance, social assistance, and age. References Coll, K.M., Thobro, P. & Haas, R. (2006). ‘Outcome Evaluation of Adolescent Offe nder Psychosocial Development: A Comparative Study’. Journal of Humanistic Counseling, Education and Development, 45(2), 208+ Erikson, E., Erikson, J.M., & Kivnick, H.Q. (1986). Vital Involvement in Old Age. New York: W.W. Norton. Erikson, E. & Erikson, J. (1997). The Life Cycle Completed. New York: W.W. Norton. Ewen, R.B. (2003). An Introduction to Theories of Personality. Mahwah,

Integrated Reporting Framwork Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Integrated Reporting Framwork - Assignment Example This created the need to improve the financial reporting standards by having in place an improved conceptual framework. The main objective of financial reporting is outlined as providing information that is useful to present and potential investors and creditors in making investment and credit decisions and other users, and also in resource allocation. The previous concept that laid emphasis in providing information to management and owners and others on enterprise performance or profitability in describing how management has performed is lacking enough information. The recognition of every user of financial information is the key for the conceptual framework. IASB recognises the following users of financial information equity investors, loan creditors, suppliers, employees, customers, members’ of public, the government and government bodies. With such robust of potential users it is important to provide financial information in a clear format that benefits all. ... Information should be relevant, have faithful representation, be comparable and finally understandable. These aspects bring in the economic sense of financial reporting. The real world economic value should be elaborated in the financial reports. This brings in the aspect of valuation and measurement aspects. It is important to understand how to express assets and liabilities in monetary terms. The historical cost that has been in use is being phased out by incorporating market value, calculated fair value, depreciated historical value, valuations by actuaries, and finally measurements modified by impairment tests. With increasing reporting aspects it becomes even harder to substantiate all the financial, nonfinancial, social, governance, and environment in reports using the previous reporting framework The US FASB is among the partners who are engaged in developing the conceptual framework defined under the grounds of a constitution, a coherent system of interrelated objectives and fundamentals that can amount to consistent standards and that prescribe the nature, functions and the extent of financial accounting and financial statements. In this context it explains the objectives of financial reporting, the quality aspects of accounting information, elements, recognition and measurement of financial statements. Role of a conceptual framework in setting out the needs of Integrated Reporting The accounting standards board has defined the statement of principle for financial reporting that addresses the concepts underlying the information presented in financial statements. The aim of this statement is to give a framework for consistency and logical formulation of individual accounting standards. The statement allows users of financial

Definition of Friendship Essay Example for Free

Definition of Friendship Essay As a child, there was a plaque on my father’s den wall that I would read everyday. It read, â€Å"A friend is someone who knows all about, and loves you anyway.† I did not understand what it meant. I though it was a cynical quote against friendship, being my father was the sarcastic type. As an adult, I have to admit secret apologies to my dad, because now I understand the concept and meaning, and hold it to be true in my heart of what friendship is about. Being an evolving emotion, friendship enters and flees life, faster than the speed of light. You will never know when you might meet a true friend, and cannot fathom the day that you will part company with one. In the third grade, while playing jump rope with classmates, we engaged in a huge (by a 3rd grader’s opinion) argument, over some unknown aspect of the game. Everyone chose sides and split camps. The repercussions lasted so long in each of our memories; we continued our grudge into the following school years. Eventually, some people moved away, others stayed, some even forgot about the feud. Only the loyal could not let the honor of the pack be diminished. Loyalty is one of the first elements of friendship that we learn as a child. No matter the circumstance, as children, we lived and died, for the name of our neighborhood block, school, and friends. There was nothing more honorable than the chance to â€Å"take one for the team.† We associated loyalty as the sign of ultimate friendship, undying in our young hearts, until we are forced to move away, or attend different schools. As we grow, we understand the price of loyalty to a friend. The act was so innocent that we did not understand why we were being treated this way. You run the risk of being an outcast, shunned by former friends and ridiculed by classmates. Over the years, we begin to deal with the issues of being popular and going with the crowd, and end up forgetting the quality in friendship of being loyal to each other. I played basketball, in junior high school; I wasn’t much of an athlete, but I loved the game. I was put on a team, with some very experience players. One of whom, I did not get along with. She was loud and rambunctious, everything I despised in a person. I guess being her opposite; I must have repulsed her as well. We practiced and played many games, learning each others moves and techniques, and came to understand each others different contribution to the team. Respect is another quality of friendship. As we grow, we understand that the value of friendships mature. We are no longer envious of each other, or jealous. We use each other’s success as a tool to achieve our dreams. When you can appreciate what makes a person different, there is a natural attraction to the unknown. Realizing the fact that you cannot change a person into what you want them to be, will save you time and effort in friendships and relationships. Respect is often tried when a friend is making a huge mistake of something you have already experienced. We try to warn, coax, and plead them to change their minds, and the friendship is tested. The friend might become angry, and may not understand our motives. Though friends may not listen or do what we want them to do, we have to respect their decisions. For we all have to live our own life, and experience our own downfalls. As a part of growing, we often engage in practices we regret. Once I played the game of â€Å"Truth or Dare† with classmates, and was forced to commit an act with another classmate, that we both did not want to do. We were shy about it, and never so much as spoke to each other again after that incident. Years went by, and we continued to go to school together. We were finally able to look at each other and talk about what happened. We were honest and laughed about it, until we cried. We had no shame after we were truthful with each other. Honesty, whether right or wrong, is the ultimate backbone of friendship. As the quote says, a true friend should know all about you. Being honest with your friends will bring respect and loyalty from them. The truer you are with you feelings, the freer you will be. Opening up your heart helps to heal emotional wounds and reminds friends of your appreciation for them. Often times, we forget to remind our friends of how special they are to us and letting them know that you do trust them with your problems as well as you triumphs. As adults we learn that opening up to our trusted friends is natural, not â€Å"corny† and â€Å"un-cool† as in our youn ger days. People don’t talk much about the love friends have for one another. When people describe friends, they often use the word like. â€Å"Like† isn’t strong enough to describe the bond shared between friends. In a true friend, you never get tired of their company, and you can always be yourself. You can confide and depend on them in ways we never knew we could with others. What we must realize is the fact that during our adolescent years, our friends were forced, through school and other activities. As an adult, we make our own choices, and befriend those that we deem worthwhile. We also learn that the number of these friends drops dramatically, in some cases to two or three people. That fact does not mean a person is unfriendly, it is just a reality that there are only so many people who will actually be there for you. When I say there, I mean emotionally, mentally, financially, etc. A true friend can understand why you need a little help this month on bills, or why you don’t want to hang out. Friends can see right through you, like looking through fiberglass. They know just how to approach you, when they are concerned, and take into account your pride and shamefulness. They know how to stroke your ego, and build you up; and break you down and make you humble again. The jump rope queen, the jock, and the shy guy all became my absolute true friends. I did not know it then; but who knows these things? Now as adults, we look back on our past, and wonder why we stuck together. Individually, we have been through good times and bad, arguments and vacations. We have spent months not speaking to each other, and nights where we cannot get off the phone. Like peas in a pod, we stuck together. We have seen each other grow, into people we never thought we would see. Our relationships continue to grow and change over time, but that is expected. There does not seem to be anything else we could do to each other that would tear us apart.

Moving towards a cashless society Essay Example for Free

Moving towards a cashless society Essay In history there was no money but people used to evaluate commodities in monetary terms. People used to make trade of goods for goods that could be estimated to have same monetary value as waved. The person who wanted to buy some commodity could make estimates of the commodity the seller has and compare its value in terms of worthiness to the commodity of exchange. Money was later invented as a tangible form that includes paper and coin. Transactions were all handled in monetary value and different currencies were also put in place for different nations. Different rates were also set up to be able trade efficiently on different currencies. Cash became the day to day ways of trading were one had to have paper money so that they could be able to acquire whatever they want. Banks were developed for easier and safe storage so that no one could get hold of in illegally. Cash or money has the following advantages like that the mode of payment is easier and simple because no so much transactions are made. Counterfeit money is also easy to detect and systemic risks are hardly a problem. There is no paper trail and is a peer to peer mode of payment. It also introduced lots of problem like theft and counterfeiting of paper cash. This led to the revolutionary of cashless society by introduction of cheques where people no longer carry cash but writes cheques that authorizes withdrawals and payments in terms of cash. (Thorndal, 1994) Traditionally deposits have been used for payments at a distance. Deposits can be transferred in a number of ways: payer initiated transfer, direct debit, standing order, check, credit card. With distance to distance payments or mode of trade the demand for are more fast and effective ways of communication and trade came into place. The introduction of ATM card was introduced by the banks to enhance trade. People no longer had to carry cash but could make withdrawals through these cards. The electronic cash system came into place where people can buy things over the internet using cards as a form of electronic commerce. This electronic cash system involves use of cards that have been categorized as credit cards, electronic cash and smart cards. The credit cards involve creating an encrypted channel for use of cards for internet like VISA or MasterCard. Electronic cash uses specially designed software where customer buys electronic cash for digital wallet then sends as payment to merchant. Examples are DigiCash and CyberCash. Smart cards include contact less and swap cards like MasterCard, Visa, Quicklink, VisaCash, Protonn and Danmont. The growth of payment cards reflects their attractiveness to consumers over other forms of payment and credit. Payment cards offer consumers numerous benefits, including better management of one’s expenses, improved recordkeeping, greater shopping convenience, reduction of the risk of theft, float for those who do not revolve balances, rewards from use of cards that are available for additional purchases, and, especially for debit cards, convenience in obtaining cash. I first discuss these benefits and then consider the benefits of payment cards when used to obtain credit. (Wallace, 1983) Payment cards allow consumers to manage their money better by making it possible to anticipate, plan, and match their obligations to their available funds. The payment cards allow consumers to smooth out unexpected expenditures such as car repairs or family emergencies . Payment cards also reduce the costs of record keeping and retaining individual receipts. Checks also offer this advantage but payment cards do not require the additional inconvenience of recording in and then rebalance a checkbook. Payment cards can also reduce the time and transaction costs associated with shopping. Advances in technology have dramatically increased the speed of processing card transactions which are now substantially faster than writing checks. If the ATM is outside of the consumer’s network the consumer must pay a fee to withdraw the money. In contrast transactional users of payment cards pay nothing to use their card. Transaction errors, such as receiving too little or too much change, are also probably higher with cash than with electronic payment card transactions. Another advantage of payment cards is that payment cards can be used in a wide variety of outlets hence helping both consumers and merchants. (Krueger, 1999) Some Debit cards, PIN or online cards allow consumers to withdraw additional cash beyond the price of the purchase for which the card is used thus saving the use of ATM. Unsecured personal finance loans are expensive with much higher initiation fees than credit cards. Credit cards are attractive for consumers for both cost and convenience. General purpose credit cards have also substantially displaced retail store credit. We have also so many disadvantage of using payment cards. One of this disadvantage in that they are risky for customers because they cay be incur fraud easily. People can use your card and pin number once known to withdraw or use your money. Credit cards are also expensive to acquire because they are costly. Payment cards are only acceptable by registered merchants and hence are not applicable everywhere. Card users also incur high interchange fee and cost while transacting using this payment cards. (Prinz, 1999) Specific regulations need to make a cashless society of cards work smoothly. Regulation in the payment card need to be set due to the claim of interchange fees are too high and as a result reduces consumers to overuse payment card. Interchange fees arose from the structure of the Visa and MasterCard networks. Visa adopted a fixed interchange fee which was not linked to the merchant discount charged by individual acquirers. A uniform fee reduced the transaction costs of negotiating separate interchange fees between acquirers and issuers and eliminated the difficulties that issuers faced in monitoring in the merchant discount set by the acquirers. Visa and MasterCard reduced the interchange fees charged to supermarkets hence reducing the merchant discount. Some regulations were also imposed on regulating card frauds that many banks face. Fraud card detectors have been setup and laws governing the enactment of the card fraud have been set to punish those fraudsters. The winners of the cashless society are the consumers or users of the cards because they have been absorbed from the risk of physical theft of money. Even though there are fraudsters, the users are not exposed to so much risk of theft. Card users can effectively purchase things online regardless of the distance because all transactions are done to the and at a very high speed. The losers are the merchants or company providing this services because the have to incur all the expenses of setting up this technology and infrastructure. Lastly they incur the problem of making all transactions possible regardless the distance and parties involved. The merchants incur all this cost and expenses in this cashless society. (Buiter, 2005) Reference Buiter, W (2005): New developments in monetary economics: Economic journal, Vol. 115 Thorndal, J. (1994): Prepaid cards and monetary Review: Danmarks Publishers Krueger, M. (1999): Towards a Moneyless world: Dept of Economics and finance: University of Durham Press Prinz, A (1999): Money in the real and Virtual World: Netnomics journal. Wallace, N (1983): A suggestion for oversimplifying the theory of money: Economic journal