Lonely Miss Brill the Eavesdropper

Miss Brill by Katherine Mansfield is about a middle-aged English teacher who secretly listens to other people's conversation due to her loneliness. Every weekend Miss Brill goes out to the parade in a park and listens to other people's conversation because she has nobody to talk to but her fur coat. She treasures her fur coat as if it's her pet and has conversations with it. Towards the end of the story, she realizes that nobody likes her, therefore she goes home into her dark room and cries.Katherine Mansfield, uses imagery, characterization, and point-of-view uses these three literary elements to inform the meaning of the lonliness. The author uses imagery for the reader to better understand the story and to create the apperance of her loneliness. In the beginning of the story, the author states â€Å"She had taken it out of its box that afternoon, shaken out the moth powder†¦ rubbed the life back into the dim little eyes. † (Mansfield 1)Here, Miss Brill takes out her f ur coat and starts to talk to it and pets it as if it is her pet.From this, the reader can can visually interpret that Miss Brill had no friends or family to talk to when she was lonley. Furthermore, towards the end of the story, a girl at the park says, â€Å"It's exactly like a fried whiting. â€Å"(Mansfield 4) The reader can visualize the story the author intended on how the little girl at the park makes fun of Miss Brill of her fur coat saying that it looks like fried fish. After hearing this, Miss Brill goes home and cries in her dark room. In addition, the author uses point-of-view for the reader to step into the main characters' shoes.In the beginning of the story, when Miss Brill went to the park to watch the parade, the author states â€Å"Wasn't the conductor wearing a new coat, too? She sure it was new. † (Mansfield 1) From this quote, the reader can see that she went to the parade often, enough to know what the bandsmen wore each weekend to perform. Furthermore , the author states â€Å"But to-day she passed the baker's by, climbed the stairs, went into the little dark room- her room like a cupboard†¦ She sat there for a long time.† (Mansfield 4)After coming back from the parade, getting made fun of, she goes to her room in a depressed mood and cries by herself. Lastly, from the begininng of the story, the reader can tell that Miss Brill had a unique personality. From talking and petting her fur coat, to eavesdropping, her character is a bit different from others. Her lonliness could have lead her to eavesdrop on people and have a fur coat as her friend. The author states, â€Å"This was disappointing, for Miss Brill always looked foward to the conversation.† (Mansfield 1), to show her lonliness.In this quote, the reader can see that Miss Brill liked to talk to people and even if she wasn't in the conversation, she would like to listen to them. Furthermore, he author states â€Å"How she enjoyed it! How she loved sittin g there, watching it all! It was like a play. † (Mansfield 3) This quote is explaining how she enjoyed the parade as if it was a play. The reader can see that she entertained herself by going to the park every weekend to forget about her loneliness.The author successfully used these three literary elements for the readers to better understand the story, to create the appearance of her lonliness and visualize interpret what the author was intending to say. Authors using literary elements in their story is important because they can send what they're trying to say to the readers easily with the literary elements. Furthermore, it is important to the readers because the reader's can better understand the story and relate the story to the world. Reading this story, readers can understand people who too are lonely and step into their shoes to understand their feelings.

E Commerce and Business Start Up

E commerce and Business Start up Throughout the evaluation process of a potential new idea and in the development of new marketing strategy E-Commerce needs to be continually assessed. E-Commerce offers the entrepreneur the opportunity to be very creative and innovative; its importance is indicated in the continually increasing amount of both business to business and business to costumer e-commerce sales. It increase on the annual basis, according to com Score Networks, total Internet business reached to $214. 4 billion in 2008, an increase of 7% in internet business as compared to 2007. The $214. Billion was composed of $130. 1 billion Non travel spending and 84. 3 billion Dollars travel spending. Video games, consoles and accessories together was the fastest growing categories constituted of 29%, sport and fitness items 29%, event tickets, 13%, consumer electronics 9%, apparel and accessories 4% and travel spending increase by 7% as compared to 2007 over 2008. Factors that facilita ted the growth of e-commerce are wide spread use of PC’s, the adoption of intranet in companies, the acceptance of internet as the business communications platform and faster and more secure systems.Numerous benefits such as Access to broader customer base, lower info dissemination cost which expand the volume of E commerce. Using E-commerce Creatively: E-commerce is mostly use by most corporations to increase their marketing and sale channels. The internet is especially for small and medium size companies as it enables them to minimize the marketing costs while reaching broader markets. An entrepreneur starting an E commerce venture needs to address the same strategic and tactical questions as any other entrepreneur, but some new specific issues are faced because introduction of new technology used in E-commerce.An entrepreneur should decide whether should do in house or out sourcing for an inter business. In case of in house operations there are computer servers; hardware, software as well as support services are included. And in case of outsourcing entrepreneur can hire web developers to design the company’s web pages and upload them on the internet through ISP. In this case the entrepreneur main task is to regularly update the information on the web pages; another option is that to purchase the software from the local market. The correct decision b/w in-house or outsourcing depends on the size of the business.The 2 major components of internet business are Front end or Back end operations. Front end operations are the websites functions, search options, secure payments, shopping cart. The biggest mistake usually make by the companies is that they believe that the attractive website secure their business, which leads them to underestimating the back end operations. The integration of back end and front end operations represents the greatest challenge for doing internet business and at the same time provides an opportunity for developing a sust ained competitive advantage.Websites: Entrepreneurial firms mostly use websites, about 90% of small businesses today have operating websites, but majority of them are not capable of operating new websites. A good website should be easy to use. In developing a website one should keep in mind that; who is the audience? What are the objectives of the site? What do you want to costumers when they visit the site? In addressing these questions one should effectively organize the website. This requires that the material should be fresh and updated on regular basis.Another most important feature of the website is the search capability; it should be easy to find information about the products and services, which can be accomplished by advance search tools and subject browsing. Other functions that should be available are shopping cart, secure server connection, credit card payments and customer feedback. Speed is the characteristic of a successful website. Tracking costumer information: The motivation for tracking costumer information is to capture costumer attention; care must be taken in doing so to follow the laws protecting the privacy of individuals.Doing E-commerce as an Entrepreneurial Company: For online business one should take care of several factors; first the product should be delivered economically and conveniently. Fresh fruits and vegetables for individual consumers are not appropriate for long distance deliveries and online sales. Second the product should be interesting for larger no of people. Thirdly online operations should reduce the cost. And the 4th one that company can easily draw costumer to its website.

Abnormal Psychology; Defining Abnormality

Abnormal Psychology: Assignment 1- Defining abnormality Defining abnormal behaviour is one of the most difficult and provocative subjects within the field of abnormal psychology as there are a range of methodologies you can use to define abnormalities. Abnormality is a behaviour or condition that strays from what society views as normal and appropriate, consequently causing distress or harm to oneself or those around them.Due to the fact that society has changed through history when defining abnormality, we are now able to define abnormalities using many different scientific and non-scientific approaches. However despite the fact that abnormal behaviour can be defined in more than one way, all have their limitations; therefore generally psychologists will use a combination of the following methods when defining abnormalities. Statistical infrequency is one model used to define abnormal behaviour; abnormalities are defined by how often a certain type of behaviour occurs.How the majori ty of people act are usually classed as normal whereas possessing qualities and traits that are uncommon or rare are usually classed as abnormal. Despite the word abnormal invoking a feeling of negativity, displaying abnormal behaviour is not always viewed as a negative, for example the average human being would not be able to run 100 metres as quick as Usain Bolt as that kind of skill is statistically infrequent therefore according to this particular model he possesses an abnormal skill but would not be classed as having a mental disorder or in need of treatment.The major strength when using this model of defining abnormalities is that it is not subject to personal bias as the standards are set and based wholly on statistics and frequencies; how common certain behaviour is and how often it occurs.However there are many limitations when using this model, as mentioned above there are many abnormal traits that are statistically infrequent but socially desirable such as being ambidextr ous, but according to this model they would be classed as having a mental disorder or in need of treatment which is not the case due to the fact they have an uncommon ability, furthermore there are abnormal traits whist being a statistically frequent type of behaviour they are socially undesirable such as depression.Another flaw is the fact that the infrequency of some behaviours differ culturally and sub-culturally as certain behaviours are socially acceptable in some cultures but not in others, also within certain cultures there maybe differences. In some African cultures being able to speak to the dead or hearing voices may be statistically infrequent but displaying these kinds of traits are viewed as a blessing therefore socially desirable whereas in the U.K if you professed to be able to speak with dead people, hearing voices or receiving messages from god you would definitely raise concerns with regards to their mental state as this kind of behaviour is statistically infrequen t and socially undesirable. One way to define abnormalities is a ‘Deviation social norms’. Deviation derives from the word deviant and this is defined as irregular or unusual behaviour, social norms are the standards of acceptable behaviour set by us and society around us.Therefore deviating from the social norm is an individual or individuals who act out of character in accordance to the social norms set by society. A simple example of deviating from the social norm is rudeness or lack of politeness. Politeness is fundamental when interacting and communicating with each other positively; similarly somebody who is rude is therefore behaving in a deviant way as they are unable to interact with others according to what society expects.However as our culture also defines our social norms within society, likewise the norms we value may not be socially accepted within another culture. A good illustration of this is the contrast of social norms is the United Kingdom and place s in the United Arab Emirates like Dubai, regarding public displays of affection. In the U. K we have a more relaxed opinion of public displays of affection; to a certain extent of course, whilst in Dubai it is socially unacceptable even criminal to publicly display affection even in an environment we may deem as socially acceptable such as the beach.One of the most predominant limitations is that defining abnormalities in this way may be susceptible to abuse, as social norms change through history. What may have been acceptable 50 years ago may not be acceptable now and vice versa, for instance in the case of being pregnant out of wedlock in the 1950’s, many women were sectioned and treated for a mental illness, whereas nowadays it is deemed socially acceptable to engage in sex and procreate before marriage without any reprisals or threat of institutionalisation.However if we were to define abnormal behaviour with the single model of deviating from the social norm, professio nals could in turn label everyone that does not conform as mentally ill which is not always the case. ( Szasz 1974, cited in Cardwell and Flanagan, 2008, page 178) Additionally another limitation of defining abnormalities using this characteristic is cultural relativism. As we know the process of defining a deviation from the social norm is majorly influenced by our culture as it is our culture that defines what a particular norm is.For example a psychologist from the United Kingdom may have a diagnosis for an individual displaying abnormal behaviour, such as walking the streets with a gun meanwhile a psychologist in the United States of America may not. Every culture has their own social norms and within those cultures there are sub-cultures that would have their own social norms therefore the cultural relativity; whether it be cross or sub-culturally has to be taken into account when diagnosing somebody’s symptoms as abnormal.Furthermore in the DSM (The Diagnostic and Stati stics Manual) there is a section that describes certain patterns of behaviour and syndromes that are specific to certain areas and places around the world. Psychologists call this ‘culture- bound syndromes’ which means that there are no universal standards when labelling individuals as abnormal, as disorders vary in conjunction to where you and the disorder originate. There is another way to define abnormal behaviour another model is ‘Failure to function adequately’.Failure to function adequately from the sufferer’s point of view manifests itself when they are unable to cope with the daily demands of life such as working, interacting with others meaningfully, therefore labelling their own behaviour as abnormal; resulting in an individual seeking medical attention. David Rosenhan & Martin Seligman (1989) stated that there are a various features of abnormality other than suffering and maladaptiveness. Other features are unconventional behaviour, observ er discomfort, violation of moral standards, loss of control and irrationality.However just displaying one of the above features is of no great significance, it is the presence of several that would define abnormal behaviour. (www. integratedsociopsychology. net) There are further limitations to this model when defining abnormality, as the patient or professional has to recognise the failure to function adequately is apparent, which is opinion based and may differ. For instance an individual may think their maladaptive abnormal behaviour is perfectly normal and they are coping fine, meanwhile not being able to comprehend their inability to cope, sequentially others may find their behaviour very distressing.However someone displaying adaptive, abnormal habits such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder whilst not posing a threat to themselves or society could still be classified as being abnormal due to unconventional behaviour. Showing signs of distress, irrationality and maladaptive beha viour would usually result in being classed as abnormal but this may not always be the case; for example showing signs of distress such as being depressed may be classed as abnormal behaviour but the individual may feel fine even happy.Again when showing signs of irrationality, you may be causing no harm to professing that you may be Jesus but irrational thoughts about death and killing for instance would raise concern, in turn maladaptive behaviour can be demonstrated when an individual self-harms or mutilates we would class them as portraying abnormal behaviour whereas smoking can be seen as self-harming but not enough criterion to be classed as mentally ill due to maladaptive tendencies.Cultural relativity plays a crucial part in this feature when defining abnormalities as each culture functions in different ways, hence the failure to function needs to be assessed according to their culture. For example, in the United Kingdom dogs are viewed as family members even as companions a nd the harming of, especially eating a dog is a criminal offense punishable by law. Therefore this behaviour would be considered abnormal; whereas in China, dogs are eaten as part of a meal and keeping a dog in the home as a pet would be viewed as abnormal behaviour in China.The standard of one culture cannot be used to judge another as the symptoms and diagnosis are dependent on the cultural ideals and standards upheld by the individual patient. Alternatively another approach used to define abnormal behaviour is ‘Deviating from ideal mental health’. This model uses the similar approach used when detecting physical illness, when diagnosing a physical illness physician’s look for signs of physical health such as regular heartbeat; normal body temperature etc. , so an absence of one of these signs would indicate illness.In 1958, Marie Jahoda through research and secondary evidence developed a theory that if physical illness can be detected by the absence of the sta ndard ‘signs’ of health then alternatively mental health could be also. (en. wikipedia. org) The characteristics she identified as defining someone as being of ‘Ideal Mental Health’ included having an accurate view of reality, integration and ability to deal with stressful situations, capability to grow, develop and adjust, also being able to function at work and hold positive relations even the ability to love.In view of this model it shows that the absence of one the above criteria would indicate an abnormality even a potential mental condition. With all models there are limitations, according to this particular model the majority of people in general would be classed as abnormal or suffering a mental disorder of some kind as most people lack one of the criterion. Marie Jahoda did say that it was the ‘Ideal’ mental health so it would be difficult to gauge the level of abnormality depending on the amount of criterion an individual maybe lackin g.For example someone could be lacking the criterion of personal growth and actualisation resulting in a lack of drive and ambition, but that individual may be completely happy even satisfied regarding the situation; according to Jahoda they would be still viewed as mentally ill rather than just unambitious and lacking motivation. Despite Marie Jahoda using a similar technique used to define physical illness, physical illness have physical causes such as a cough due to contracting a virus whereas being diagnosed as having a mental illness, atients and psychologists are not always presented with physical signs as most mental illnesses derive from trauma in life, for that reason the diagnosis of a mental illness cannot be identified in exactly the same way as a physical illness. Cultural relativism is a compelling limitation as different cultures have different ways of expressing their ‘Ideal’ mental health.For example, according to Jahoda an absence of the criterion of s elf-actualization would indicate the presence of a mental disorder but that is because the western world strives for individuality and acclaim, however some tribal communities in Africa and the Amazon act as a collective and concentrate on working as a group and sharing every aspect of daily life, if the Jahoda criterion was measured against an Amazonian tribe they would be deemed as mentally ill rather than being a caring tightknit community, the cross cultural differences are too much of an dominating factor.The different models described all differ in perspectives. Failure to function adequately focuses on the individual’s sense of abnormal functioning, deviating from social norm concentrates on other people’s perspective and deviating from ideal mental health is an amalgamation of the first two models without taking into account subjective feelings.The classification and definition of abnormal behaviour has many successful approaches but as a single model is not ad equate enough to correctly define abnormalities, although each model definitely gives a good indication, it’s the combination of the described models commonly known as the multi-criteria approach that successfully aids psychologists in correctly defining and diagnosing abnormal behaviour correctly in a patient.References Cardwell, R. Flanagan, C. (2008) Psychology AS: The Complete Companion. Oxford University Press: Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP. Accessed 15. 10. 12 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Marie_Jahoda Accessed 21. 10. 12 http://www. integratedsociopsychology. net/Defining_Abnormality/7'FeaturesofAbnormality'-DavidRosenhan&M. html Accessed 16. 10. 12

Discuss how moving-image(film and tv) based knowledge, drama and Essay

Discuss how moving-image(film and tv) based knowledge, drama and speaking and listening can contribute to pupil self confidence as readers and writers in the light of your study of Macbeth - Essay Example Exposure to the media and technology has increased manifolds in the present age as compared to the past. A major portion of the daily routine is dedicated to an individual’s interaction with the moving image in the form of the theatre, drama or movie. This practice serves to enhance the comprehension of the viewer and his perception is modified accordingly. The viewer analyzes what is projected in the media and in the context of his personal knowledge and experience in the subject matter and therefore starts to interact with the moving image. The greater exposure to moving image and the natural liking humans have for the same has materialized a need for using the moving image as a means of taking an individual’s perception of the literature to the next level. Moving image has a lot of potential to modify an individual’s attitude toward literature in the way in which it facilitates him to grasp the fundamental concepts of literature. Hence, use of the moving image in schools as a tool for developing the students’ interest and involvement in literature is indeed, a realization of the changing demands of education in the today’s media age. Owing to the strong relation of moving image with the cognitive learning, the need for its inclusion in the curriculum is largely felt. It is widely recognized as a new dimension of literacy, often referred to as cineliteracy and is defined as, â€Å"The ability to analyze moving images, to talk about how they work, and to imagine their creative potential, drawing upon a wide film and television viewing experience as well as on practical skills†. (British Film Institute, 2000). In order to gain full advantage of the moving image for educational purposes, it is imperative that the language of moving image is recognized as a separate field that needs to be explored not only by the students but also by the

Childcare Level 3- The questions are listed in the instructions box Coursework - 1

Childcare Level 3- The questions are listed in the instructions box - Coursework Example I will also assist them to acquire language skills in the course (Kate, 2008). In the event of handling learners in childcare, the challenge of local accents prevails since it affects their fluency in grammar. For instance, when a learner with a heavy accent raises a question, there might be grammar errors. In this case, fellow students might make fun of him or her, but it is my duty to shun that behavior and assist the learner to correct the mistake to the expected standard. This will steer more class participation and contribution during discussion hence learners will practice proper grammar and eventually emerge fluent. I would also employ illustrations by choosing one student to read from the blackboard and have the rest of the class repeat after him or her until they achieve a perfect pronunciation of the words and phrases assigned. This will no doubt put into effect positive self images (The Cleveland Clinic Foundation et al, 2009). In the learning environment, learners are usually affected by different misconceptions and errors in understanding concepts and principles of a particular field of study. The learner’s common misconceptions about capitalization features much where the sentence begins on the same line as the previous sentence. Most students are confused since the first example in capitalization the sentence started in the beginning of the line in their single ruled exercise books. The misconception is that capitalization should only be done in the beginning of a line. The solution to this misconception is to emphasize the concept of capitalization in the beginning of every new sentence (Nancy,

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

Plato - Research Paper Example They even shared a common philosophical belief. Stated otherwise, medieval philosophy was a combination of principles from the three societies—the Greek East, Jewish and the Islamic. On the part of Greek East influence, there were many philosophers who served as the instrument to spread its ideology. The first one to heed this call was Socrates, followed by Plato (student of Socrates) then continued by Aristotle (student of Plato). A chain of influence was seemingly transferred from one generation to the other. With regard to Plato, he was able to influence the Middle Ages by his dialogues and creation of an academy. His academy was the â€Å"first institution of higher learning in the Western world† (â€Å"Plato†). On the other hand, Plato’s dialogues were observed to be mere reiteration of his teacher’s philosophy. The dialogues tackled both social and political issues of societies. Notably, during the Middle Ages, there was a call for a deviation from the path of classical learning. It was the period between the Classical Age and Renaissance (Hines). Europe then experienced a change of ideology within its society. The body politic that was once focused on Classical principles was transformed into a community that longed for new avenues towards development. Learning was made open to everyone interested. An emphasis was made with regard to education. Plato’s idea on education was revived but with modifications. Education was not just made available to certain class of people. The strict application of principles was then abrogated. The European community believed that an open access to education is advantageous to all its members. As such, scholars were allowed to use varied methods to institute learning. Moreover, administration of education was not just limited to government authorities. Religious congregations especially those who believe in Christianity have made their own schools. This became the starting point of the establishment

Professional Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Professional Development - Essay Example According to Rosdahl and Kowalski (2008) the nursing profession has its legal metes and bounds and it is a highly regulated profession with appropriate consequences for illegal and unethical practices. As a graduate nurse, it is important for me to master such laws and similar provisions in the practice in order to ensure that my actions in the actual practice are within the legal and ethical bounds (Funnell, Koutoukidis, and Lawrence, 2008). I have noted that there are certain legal provisions in relation to nursing practice that I am not completely familiar with. In other words, there are gaps in my legal knowledge which need to be filled; more specifically, these gaps pertain to my duties in relation to discharge and rehabilitation of patients, as well as my duties in relation to the administration of certain prescription medicines as ordered by physicians. I also noted how gaps in the application of these laws in the actual practice are seen. I know how these cases have been deci ded, but they seem to be vague to me in actual application. It is also important for the nurse to consider the ethical principles which are part and parcel of her practice. These ethical principles are: beneficence, autonomy, non-maleficence, and justice. Beneficence is concerned about doing what would benefit the patient, not what would bring him harm. This is very much related to non-maleficence which emphasizes about doing no harm to a patient. Autonomy is about allowing the patient to make informed decisions about his care. It is about allowing him to make independent decisions. And finally, justice is about giving the patient what is his due, in terms of health services (Borhani, et.al., 2010). 2. Critical thinking and analysis STANDARD: identifies the relevance of research to improving individual/group health outcomes ELEMENT: identifies problems/ issues in nursing practice which may be investigated through research. I have also assessed that I need to improve my investigation and research skills. In order for me to transition as a Graduate Nurse, I need to establish a more evidence-based approach in my practice. Research is an important means of identifying and investigating issues in practice (Brownson, et.al., 2009). The PICO format is one of the most effective means of investigating issues in practice because the PICO (problem-intervention-comparison-outcome) elements assist in settling appropriate research-based interventions for these issues (Fineout-Overholt, Levin, and Melnyck, 2005). In my current practice, I realize that I need to expand my knowledge to cover new knowledge and research-based information which can help in the implementation of appropriate care for the patient. In a study by Coghlan and Casey (2010), the authors carried out their study in an attempt to address the nature of the challenges which nursing research often faces. The authors pointed out that in order to face the issues in practice, the nurses’ role as an action researcher must also be emphasized. This action research strategy can help clear role ambiguity and can balance the political dynamic which often occurs in the nursing practice (Coghlan and Casey, 2010). In effect, I know that by increasing my research, I would be able to improve the resolution of various health issues. The identification of issues must be carried out independently. Traditional education

Interpretation and criticism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Interpretation and criticism - Essay Example At the time when Sontag wrote this, pop art was very popular, which had room only for experience, but hardly much for interpretation. This was also a fall-out of the fact that art critics just before this time were very eager to categorize every work of art into certain theories and pre-conceived notions, which made way for a very forced manner of looking at things. It is also true that music needs to be analyzed in order to be learned, and this involves the dissection of their beloved medium for music lovers who also yearn to master it. But after one has absorbed the technicalities of music, they become a sort of second nature, and do not hinder the love and appreciations of the art form. In fact, when one is aware of how exactly the music is made, the enjoyment becomes keener. It is just a matter of going through the difficult transitional learning phase without losing interest or ardor. From our discussion here it is clear that analysis and interpretation are necessary in order to appreciate and gain an understanding of art. But it is important to do this while keeping fresh the immediate experience that art provides, so as to fully enjoy it and not impose any meanings that even the artist may not have intended in the first place. Athol

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster Research Paper

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster - Research Paper Example However, it is notable that the success of hydropower production is affected by weather variations. Dry conditions lead to water loss through evaporation and also a reduction of water levels in the rivers due to lack of rainfall. This means that there is low availability of water to fill the dams to the required capacity hence reducing the velocity necessary to turn the turbines. Consequently, less power is produced and when that happens, consumers are forced to contend with the possibility of power rationing. Similarly, during heavy rainfall, a lot of silting occurs in the dams and this limits the capacity of the dams to hold sufficient amount of water thereby disrupting power generation (Sherman, 2006). Building of dams requires significantly large chunks of land. This means that displacement of communities may have to take place in order to create space for the construction of dams, which may necessitate compensation thereby raising the initial cost of building these dams. By year 2000, statistics indicate that close to 80 million people had been relocated to allow dam construction worldwide (Sherman, 2006). In addition, arable land may have to be utilized for this purpose and this has the potential of hampering food security in the alienated regions. It may also be important to note that where dams are constructed near human settlement, catastrophes may occur as a result of dam failure. Case in point is the Banqio dam failure in 1975, whereby more than 100000 people lost their lives whereas millions lost their livelihoods after typhoon Nina hit China resulting to unexpected widespread flooding. Several dams including Banqio collapsed as a result and an area of approximately 12000 square kilometers downstream was submerged (Sherman, 2006). Nuclear energy is considered as a viable alternative to hydroelectricity and fossil fuels. It

Commitment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Commitment - Assignment Example Ted has had a demanding, but well paid job in a corporate finance firm but he and his wife Kate has decided to move to St. Louis to start a much more demanding, but poorly paying job as a personal finance advisor. However, the timing of the decision was wrong as the finance sector is going down. The job environment is not favorable. Small businesses are closing by the day; people in corporate world are loosing jobs. Ted and Kate are face with a decision to make: abandon the new job and go back to the old one (work in corporate finance); keep the job and embrace the â€Å"success† ethics of the personal finance advisor world; or keep the job and stick to their ethical convictions. The onus lies with Ted to make a decision, but he could also escalate it. Though Kate is not the decision-maker per se, she has a part to play. Now, Ted has a potentiality to be an exceptional advisor coupled with his moral scope and intellectual versatility. Projections of a vast client-base future with flexible and friendly schedule dominate the discourses of both of them. However, his vast knowledge and admirable ethics sees him sidelined as others in his field with unworthy morals and less knowledge are quite a success. Doing what is right for his clients as against what puts money in the pocket seems to be disadvantageous; only a few of such people get a lucky breakthrough. The non-rational escalation of commitment may occur where both Ted and Kate decides to keep Ted’s new job. This will not be so much as a result of the quest for success as the quest not to loss sunk cost. Thus, judgmental bias will facilitate this escalation. Although Ted recognizes that an initial poor choice has been made, impression management could lead him to embracing the â€Å"success† ethics of his sector which may pose a potential ethical issue. More so, Kate seems to be unfair in supporting the decision of Ted to remain

Cost Information for decision making Essay Example for Free

Cost Information for decision making Essay Two common costing systems used in business are traditionally cost accounting system (job costing, process costing and operating costing) and activity-based costing system (ABC). There are some similarities and differences between these systems. Regarding the similarities, both accumulate product costs throughout the production process and assign those costs to individual units of production. Additionally, product cost under two costing systems consists of direct materials, direct labor and manufacturing overhead. In terms of differences, they are different in the way how the overhead costs are allocated. For conventional costing, it assigns manufacturing overhead based on a single volume based cost driver such as direct labour hours. In contrast, ABC approaches cost from the perspective that products do not cause costs. It requires activities which are the causes of all costs incurred so it allocates manufacturing overhead according to the activities needed to produce the products. Therefore, it highlights the existence of non value added activity which is not existed under traditional method. ABC also differs from conventional costing in the use of several cost pools when allocating the overhead costs. For instance, traditional costing uses only one cost pool to distribute the overhead whereas there are many cost pools involved under ABC. Furthermore, ABC employs both volume-based and non-volume-based cost drivers while conventional costing utilizes only volume-based cost drivers. Another difference is that conventional approach complies with the GAAP so it can be used to satisfy conventional financial reporting requirements. On the other hand, accounting standard board does not accept ABC to prepare financial statements so it can be useful for internal management decision. Under conventional system, there are similarities between job costing, process costing and operating costing. Firstly, they accumulate product costs throughout the production process and assign those costs to products. Secondly, these costing systems calculate the product costs which comprise direct material, direct labour and manufacturing overhead. Lastly, the cost flows for three systems is from raw material to work in process to finished goods and then to costs of goods sold. These first two systems can be distinguished by the following differences. First, job costing system is used by the company which produces unique products or products based on customer orders. Conversely, process costing is for the firms which produce one or a few homogenous products and often have continuous mass production. Second, each individual product costs are traced easily under job costing while process costing makes no attempt to track individual product costs. Thirdly, under job costing, the transfer from one job to another does not take place whereas the production from one process is transferred to next one till the product is full completed under process costing. Next, process costing accumulates product costs in each production department throughout the period while job order costing accumulates product costs to specific units. Operating costing for company which has a mix production system that produces in large quantities but then is customized the finished product. Therefore, operating costing is a combination of process costing and job costing. However, it differs from job and process costing which includes more than two types of cost pools in overhead allocation process. The cost pools are designed to match the separate processes that may be allocated to batches of products. Comment about the quality of your work: According to the assessment criteria, my answer for the question should be marked 7. This is for the following reasons. Firstly, the answer is well-organized into five paragraphs which consist of differences between conventional costing and ABC costing. For instance, the first and second paragraphs demonstrate the similarities and differences between conventional costing and ABC. Apart from this, the answer also points out the similarities and differences between job costing, process costing and operating costing.

Savings and Loans Crisis Essay Example for Free

Savings and Loans Crisis Essay INTRODUCTION In the 1980’s, the savings and loan (SL) industry was in turmoil with the watershed event of this being the implementation of price fixing legislation in favour of home ownership in the 1930’s. Even though it was the basis of the crisis, the trigger lies in more fundamental concepts, including fiscal policy, mismanagement of assets and liabilities, pure imprudence by SL institutions, brokered deposits and the cyclicality of the regulation/deregulation process and this was fuelled by economic reactions such as inflation. It would be ‘unfair’ to attribute it to only one factor. Therefore, to properly investigate the crisis and with a view of having all round perspective of the crisis, this report will discuss this financial disaster’s main causes. The impact of the crisis was borne mostly by the SL industry, the savings and commercial banks in the US and more generally, the US economy. This report will further cover the corrective measures undertaken by regulators and the government with the aim of saving the SL sector as the number of institutions with worsening financial conditions steeply increased. The consequences of this crisis persisted until the early 1990’s and this long term effect is understood by analysing the regulations enacted in the aftermath of the crisis. The main turning point has been the enactment of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act in 1989. Finally, there are essential lessons to be learned from the SL crisis, not only for the SL institutions, but also the banking industry, regulators and the government. CAUSES In the 1930s the SL industry was a conservative residential mortgage sector surrounded by legislation put in place during that period to promote home ownership. At the same time it has its own regulator which is the federal savings and home loan banking loan, and its own insurance firm to insure deposits at SL institutions. However the regulatory and interest rate environment started to change dramatically as from the 1960s when congress applied the Regulation Q to the SL industry by putting a ceiling on the interest rate that SLs can pay to depositors. The purpose was to help thrift institutions to extend interest rate ceiling to them in order to reduce their cost of liabilities and protect them from deposit rate wars since there were inflationary pressures in the middle till late 1960s. Regulation Q was price fixing, and in trying to fix the prices, Regulation Q caused distortion where the costs outweigh any benefits it may have offered. Regulation Q created a cross subsidy, passed from saver to home buyer, that allowed SLs to hold down their interest costs and thereby continue to earn, for a few more years, an apparently adequate interest margin on the fixed-rate mortgages they had at that recent past years. The problem was that the SL industry was not competing effectively for funds with commercial banks and securities market leading to large things in the amount of money available for mortgage lending. The ceiling on interest rate that SL could offer to depositors as per the Regulation Q led dampening of competition for depositors funds between bank and SL. But as new money market funds began to compete fiercely during the 1970s for depositors’ money by offering interest rates set by the market, SLs suffered significantly withdrawal of deposits during periods of high interest rates. This caused outflows from financial institution into higher yielding investment such as capital market instrument, government securities and money market funds. This process is known as disintermediation. Disintermediation has several undesirable consequences. Most important, it both restricted the availability of credit to consumers and increased its cost, particularly for home mortgages, the same consequences affected small and medium sized businesses that did not have access to the commercial paper market. In additional, because normal cash outlays increased to meet deposit withdrawals while cash inflows decreased as new funds were diverted to alternative investments, disintermediation slowed the growth of financial institutions and caused them liquidity problems. To have the cash available to meet withdrawal demands, banks and thrifts were often forced either to borrow money at above-market interest rates or to sell assets, often at a loss from book value. At the same time, rise in oil prices in 1979 pushed inflation and headline interest rates up. Growing inflation in the 1970s received two huge boosts: the first comprised the late-1973 and 1979 oil shocks from OPEC (the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries). Soaring oil prices compelled most American businesses to raise their prices as well, with inflationary results. The second boost to inflation came in the form of food harvest failures around the world, which created soaring prices on the world food market. Again, U.S. companies that imported food responded with an inflationary rise in their prices. In order to combat the increase in inflation, there was a rise in interest rates to encourage people to save and spend less. The Federal Reserve opted for tightening monetary measures in reaction to inflationary concerns. As a result of the subsequent monetary tightening, interest rates rose abruptly and significantly. Interest rates soared from 9.06% in June 1979 to 15.2% in March 1980. Such drastic change in base rates caused the yield curve to become inverted. The spread between the 10 year Treasury bond and the 3-month T-Bill became negative as seen in the table below reaching 373 basis points in 1980. (http://www.milkeninstitute.org/pdf/InvrtdYieldCurvesRsrchRprt.pdf) The graph below shows the variation of US Treasury three-month T-Bill. The large rise and the volatility of short term interest rates is evident from the graph. (http://www.milkeninstitute.org/pdf/InvrtdYieldCurvesRsrchRprt.pdf) The following 10-year Treasury against the effective Federal Funds Rate spread also illustrates how the yield curve inverted during the SL crisis. (http://www.milkeninstitute.org/pdf/InvrtdYieldCurvesRsrchRprt.pdf) With high volatility of interest rates during these periods, the SL industry failed to tackle the risk inherent in the funding of long term, fixed mortgages by means of short term deposits. In other words, there was a mismatch of asset/liability with a negative gap and rising short term interest rates. Aftermath In the1982’s, to attempt at resuscitating the SL industry, Congress tried to deal with the crisis by enacting the Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act in 1980 and the Garn-St Germain Depository Institutions Act in 1982, allowed lower capital requirements, which were based largely on book values rather than more market-value oriented techniques, grossly overstate the health of financial institutions. Regulators relaxed regulatory restrictions by decreasing the net worth requirement from 4% to 3% of total deposits, with additional flexibility of not complying with the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The process of deregulation further included the extension for the period of amortisation of supervisory goodwill and the Bank Board removes the specific limitations for the SL shareholders, changing the minimum 400 shareholders restriction to only one, with no one shareholder or group holding more than 10% and 25% respectively and the acceptance of means of payment other than cash. In particular, rules on net worth changed so that thrifts could continue to operate even at historically low levels. Also, â€Å"supervisory goodwill† was used to balance out the books in terms of capital requirements and accounting numbers. This goodwill had no economic sense and simply helped to compensate any institutions, in a merger, when taking over economically impaired assets of insolvent institutions. All in all, the changes in accounting and capital treatment of supervisory goodwill enabled SL’s to post stronger accounting and capital numbers even though the underlying economic situation had deteriorated. There was a cancellation of the ceiling of the loan to value ratio as well. Forbearance or the decline in regulatory oversight was also a major factor of the debacle. Most importantly, savings and loan interest rate ceilings were removed. SL’s had a large proportion of variable rate liabilities (deposits) funding fixed-rate assets they held 84.5% of their assets as home mortgages. These institutions had a negative GAP as the amount of RSL was larger than that of RSA. GAP = RSA RSL Therefore, they were exposed to any rise in interest rates as the yield on the assets were fixed while the cost of liabilities increased. With the rapid increase in base rate in the 1980’s, FI’s cost of RSL rose faster than they could adjust their return on their assets. They had to maintain a high level of interest paid on deposit to avoid deposit withdrawal. The Net Interest Income – the difference between interest on assets and cost of liabilities decreased significantly. NII = Asset Return – Cost of Liabilities On average, the returns on home loans were 9% with an average deposit rate of 7% which implied a 2% net interest income. Given the tight regulations surrounding the SL’s, these institutions relied in the 2% net interest income as their main source of income. However, as the base rate rose dramatically, the NII dropped to negative figures, reaching -1.0% in 1981. Many institutions lost huge amounts of money. Savings and Loans specialised in originating and holding home mortgage loans that were relatively long term assets with fixed interest rates. However, these were funded by relatively short term deposits whose interest rates were variable. There was a maturity mismatch that was exposed to risk of interest rate rise. With the market value of the assets being more volatile because of its longer maturity, and as a consequence a longer duration, the rise in interest rate decreased the value of the mortgages to very low levels. The value of the liabilities decreased as well but to a smaller extent. Since net worth is the difference between market value of assets and market value of liabilities, this led to negative equity of financial institutions. Δ E = (DA DLg) x A x Δr/(1+r) Since DA DLg, with Δr 0, change in net worth value ΔE is negative. The leverage adjusted duration gap between the assets and liabilities was so large and with a large rise in interest rate, the equity value decreased to being negative. By the early 1980s, savings and loans throughout the country were insolvent by about $110 billion and the fund was reporting only $6 billion in reserves (Barth, 1991; Brumbaugh, 1988; Kane, 1989) The legislation also allowed savings and loans to begin to diversify into commercial real estate loans and other loans commercial banks could already make. Congress hoped that if SL’s invested in riskier, and thus, higher yielding assets, they would be able to offset the loss they previously made. The savings and loans were also allowed to originate adjustable-rate home loans. By 1983, most SLs were deemed economically profitable but 9% of the SL industry was insolvent. However, the Federal Home Loan Bank Board (FHLBB) and the Bank Board, went ahead with their plan of regulating the industry by imposing a 7% net worth limit for new entrants in the thrift industry so as to promote safe risk management practices and investments. Although all these developments were intended to help savings and loans, they gave rise to a subsequent twist in the crisis. The new changes did indeed allow savings and loans to reduce their interest rate risks but the changes exposed savings and loans to new risks mainly credit risks. While defaults on the home mortgages were low, defaults and associated losses on other types of loans and investments are typically much higher. By combining interest rate risk with credit risk, spread over a wider geographical area, experienced institutions had greater opportunities to choose a prudent overall balance of risk and return. However, many savings and loans began making commercial real estate loans, activities in which they were relatively inexperienced. Since investing in real estate loans entailed unique risks and required specific skills, SL’s eventually made losses on the real estate loans. These credit quality problems are reflected in the net income of the industry plunging once again, but even more than in the early 1980s, when the yield curve inverted. The industry lost nearly $21 billion in 1987 and 1988, and almost another $8 billion in 1989. Many open but insolvent savings and loans had incentives to take excessive risks and â€Å"gambled for resurrection† because of the phenomenon of moral hazard. If ever something turned wrong, the federal deposit insurance fund would bear the losses; yet the owners would reap the rewards if everything went well. The legislation, however, did not change how premiums were set for federal deposit insurance, meaning that riskier institutions and prudent ones were charged the same premium. Actually, the level of insured deposits was raised from $40,000 to $100,000. The new, lower capital requirements and broader opportunities to lend and invest allowed some savings and loan to take larger risks. With federally insured deposits and the ability to attract more deposits by offering higher rates of interest, deeply troubled savings and loans always had ready access to additional funds. Deregulation encouraged increased risk-taking by SL’s. However, in the mid- to late 1980s, with considerable real estate loans and investments, regional recessions struck the USA, which reduced commercial real estate values. In particular, an unexpected plunge in the price of oil in 1986 contributed to recession. To make matters worse, the Congress passed the Tax Reform Act of 1986 that more than eliminated the tax benefits to commercial real estate ownership it had conveyed only a few years earlier. Commercial real estate values fell dramatically as a result. This severely affected the asset value of the SL’s. In 1987, the Bank Board emphasised the importance of capitalisation by imposing a supervisory approval for SLs which engage in investments that are above 2.5 the multiplier of their tangible capital base. The main turning point was the Financial Institutions Reform Recovery and Enforcement Act (FIRREA), restructuring the industry as a whole by setting up the Resolution Trust Corporation which in total resolved or liquidated 747 thrifts, with assets valued at $394 billion, jettisoning both the FHLBB and FSLIC and setting up a new regulatory institution Office of Thrift Supervision. The key to this act was that instead of trying to save the SLs which were barely solvent, it dissolved them and focused on the solvent ones to reform the industry. With the assistance of market fundamentals – favourable conditions of interest rates, the reinstatement of GAAP accounting and real estate market, the industry stabilised. LESSONS LEARNT The thrift crisis had a bailout plan of $153 billion, of which around 80% was financed by taxpayers. The number of institutions in the SL industry receded considerably until 1995 and before then, the ability of the regulators and the government to deal with the crisis was questioned many times. What followed was a series of court battles, corruption charges and major restructuring. Therefore, consequences were substantial enough for everyone to extract some observations and lessons. The starting point of it all was overregulation, which outlined the restrictions and conditions under which an SL would function. That included rigidity of the institutions to be flexible at a time economic conditions were changing and the financial sector was advancing. With fixed interest rates, it proved difficult for the SL to engage in competition as their means of investing was limited. One crucial point is that additional regulations do not necessarily mean fewer risks. SLs had to assume additional exposure to interest rate risk and alongside with banks, they were prevented from optimising their credit risk exposure. The government sometimes does not modify the regulations as fast as the structure of the industry is changing leading to new risks emerging and the cycle goes on. To keep up with advancement, the government has to put in place tighter risk management policies and controls. However, regulators and government should not direct the investment decisions of institutions. Rather, investments should be in line with market and economic forces. At a later stage, the industry was deregulated in order to remedy the situation. However, this translated into a decrease in market discipline as the SLs made high risk investments as they relied on the safety net of federal guarantee to cover any losses. Moral hazard, adverse selection and passive management were noted. Therefore, it exposes the disadvantage of FSLIC at that time which encouraged the SLs to take long-term and unreported risks. The deregulation, reducing the capital requirements, left the thrift industry more vulnerable to economic changes. From the failure of resuscitating the industry, it was deduced that forbearance treatment towards insolvent institutions might not always be the best option as it can lead to a freeze in lending and stifle the economy. One of the lessons from the thrift crisis which has been consistently taken into account over the years was the reliance on capital ratios. During the deregulation period of the crisis, there was no monitoring of the capital bases of the thrifts which ultimately lead to insolvency. From then on, institutions had to follow certain standard capital requirements put in place by regulators. However, this focus proved recently in the credit crunch to be detrimental, showing that banks favour trust and confidence. It is important to realise that capital ratios and other accounting ratios might not reveal the real economic strength of the institution. The crisis led to more disclosure and market value accounting. It has been understood that it would have been best to restrict involvement of public funds as a means of saving the industry. Using state or public funds to buy-out thrifts below value is not in accord with public welfare. A solution would have been to subdivide the thrifts into insured and uninsured ones with varying degrees of supervisory regulations concerning deposits and investments. One lesson learned was the emergence of an adjustable insurance premium rate which became a function of the institution’s regulatory rating, risk and capital levels. CONCLUSION For some years the final bill for the SL crisis remained uncertain. However, it is known now that, the thrift crisis cost an extraordinary$153 billion – one of the most expensive financial sector crises the world has seen. Of this, the US taxpayer paid out $124 billion while the thrift industry itself paid $29 million. The consequences of the SL crisis for the structure and regulation of the US financial industry were profound. The number of institutions in the SL industry fell by about half between 1986 and 1995, partly due to the closure of around 1,000 institutions by regulators, the most intense series of institution failures since the 1930s. The failures prompted an overhaul of the regulatory structure for US banking and thrifts, a shake-up in the system of deposit insurance and implied Government guarantees. Regulators shifted towards a policy of earlier intervention in failing institutions so that the principal costs are more likely to be borne by shareholders than other stakeholders. There was also a shift towards more risk-sensitive regulatory regimes, with respect to both net worth assessments and the payments to deposit insurance funds, while deposit insurance reform made it less likely that taxpayers would shoulder so great a burden in any future crisis. At a wider level, the SL crisis taught politicians, regulators and bankers how misleading rules-driven regulatory and accounting numbers can be in relation to risky bank activities. At different stages of the crisis, reporting of the financial condition of SLs was deliberately selected by interested parties to cover up the true economic extent of the unfolding disaster. It was a risk reporting failure on grand scale that greatly worsened the long term economic consequences fort the ultimate stakeholder: the US taxpayer. REFERENCES 1. Myth: Carter ruined the economy; Reagan saved it. http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/L-carterreagan.htm [Accessed 31 October 2010 to 18 November 2010] 2. The U.S. banking debacle of the 1980’s : A lesson in government mismanagement http://www.thefreemanonline.org/featured/the-us-banking-debacle-of-the-1980s-a-lesson-in-government-mismanagement/ [Accessed 31 October 2010 to 18 November 2010] 3. Inverted Yield Curve Research Report, Milken Institute http://www.milkeninstitute.org/pdf/InvrtdYieldCurvesRsrchRprt.pdf [Accessed 31 October 2010 to 18 November 2010 4. The Cost of the Savings and Loans Crisis, FDIC Banking Review http://useconomy.about.com/library/s-and-l-crisis.pdf [Accessed 31 October 2010 to 18 November 2010] 5. The SL Crisis: A Chrono-Bibliography, FDIC http://www.fdic.gov/bank/historical/s%26l/index.html [Accessed 31 October 2010 to 18 November 2010] 6. The Savings and Loan Crisis http://wapedia.mobi/en/Savings_and_loan_crisis.html [Accessed 31 October 2010 to 18 November 2010] 7. US Savings and Loans Crisis, Sungard Bancware Erisk http://www.prmia.org/pdf/Case_Studies/US_SL.pdf [Accessed 31 October 2010 to 18 November 2010] 8. Savings and Loans Crisis, FDIC Report Vol. 1 http://www.fdic.gov/bank/historical/history/167_188.pdf [Accessed 31 October 2010 to 18 November 2010] 9. The Economic Effects of the Savings and Loans Crisis, Congressional Budget Office http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/100xx/doc10073/1992_01_theeconeffectsofthesavings.pdf [Accessed 31 October 2010 to 18 November 2010] 10. The Cost of Savings and Loans Crisis: Truth and Consequences, FDIC Banking Review http://fcx.fdic.gov/bank/analytical/banking/2000dec/brv13n2_2.pdf [Accessed 31 October 2010 to 18 November 2010]

Fayols Four Functions Of Management Management Essay

Fayols Four Functions Of Management Management Essay The first of Fayols functions is planning. The definition of planning is defining goals, establishing strategies for achieving goals and developing plans to coordinate activities. (Robbins, et al., 2008). Planning is to assess the future and make provision for it. (Fayol, 1949). It is taking the initiative for the plan of action that managers carry out the managerial function. Mr.Seets job involves planning function. Understandably, he is the top level manager, so he has to get involved in all the manufacturing process like designing, process planning and material planning. The purposes of planning is to provide directions, so that employees can coordinate activities and corporate with each other when they know where the organisation is going and what they have to contribute to reach the goals. Hence, Mr. Seets plan is operational plans that specify details of how the overall goals are to be achieved. Apparently, it is a short term plans that covering of one year or less, but it is a specific plan which all the plans are clearly defined. He set goals of the organisation and then broken down into sub goals of each level of the organisation. In addition, planning reduces uncertainly by forcing managers to look ahead, anticipate and consider the impact of change. Managers plan to anticipate changes and develop the most effective response to them. Other than that, planning also minimize waste and redundancy, when work activities are coordinated around established plans, wasted time and resources can be minimize. Inefficiency become obvious and can be corrected or eliminated. Thus, SMART (Specific, Measurable and quantifiable, Attainable, Realistic, Time frame) goals are to be enforce by the managers. Consequently, Fayol (1949) describes the general features of a product plan and the advantages and shortcomings of forecasts, noting that the best plans, make allowances for contingencies. Fayol (1949) asserts that it would be useful for those whose concern is manageme nt to know how experienced managers go about drawing up their plans and proceeds to identify the planning process. (Lamond, 2003). The next Fayols functions would be organising. According to Robbins, Bergman, Stagg Coulter (2008), organising is defined as determining what tasks are to be done, who is to do them, how the tasks are to be grouped, who reports to whom and where decisions are to be made. Organising is arranging and structuring work to accomplish the organisations goal. Mr.Seets job also involves organising function. He needs to manage and divide all the tasks equally to his workers in order to save time and increase efficiency. Mr. Seet divides all the work activities into separate jobs task to different department like functional department, product department, process department and customer department. He also holds meeting for every week to discuss current problems, motivate employees and appoint a team at committees. On top of that, if managers change the organisations strategy, the structure should change to support the new strategy. Structure is adapted based on increasing level of complexity and sophistication. The more routine the technology, the more mechanistic the structure can be. Hence, Fayol (1949) argues that to create an organisation it is not enough to group people and distribute duties, there must be knowledge of how to adapt the organic whole to requirement and how to find essential personnel. Thus, Fayol (1949) states that organising is to provide the undertaking with everything useful to its functioning. The other Fayols functions is leading. Based on Robbins, Bergman, Stagg Coulter (2008), leading is defined as motivating subordinates, influencing individuals or teams as they work, selecting the most effective communication channels, or dealing in any way with employee behaviour issues. The mission of leading is to set the organisation going. (Fayol, 1949). The objective of leading is to get the optimum return from all employees, while the art of leading rests on certain personal qualities and knowledge of general principles of management. (Fayol, 1949). Mr.Seets job includes leading function. He ensures all his workers are in a friendly and comfortable work environment. He also gives training and guidance to employees by counseling whenever necessary. This can relate to the Katzs human skills and Mintzbergs interpersonal skills. (Lamond, 2003). Mr.Seet has motivates his employees by offering sales commission and bonus. According to Katzs human skills, all level of management need human skills in order to interact and communicate with other people successfully. (Peterson Van Fleet, 2004). Thus, Mr.Seet reflects the requirement of leading functions and human skills needed as a top manager. The last Fayols functions is controlling. Controlling is defined as monitoring actual performance, comparing actual to standard, and taking action if necessary. (Robbins, et al., 2008). Controlling is verifying whether everything occurs in conformity with the plan adopted, the instructions issued and principles established. (Fayol, 1949). Mr.Seets job also includes controlling function. He has to make sure that the transportation or delivery of goods is safe and fast. Orders must also be taken correctly and accurately. Besides that, he also has to make sure that the monthly targeted sales are achieved and the company continues to make profit. In addition, he has to ensure the whole process is effective and efficient and also perfect product quality to satisfy customers. Thus, the objective of controlling is to point out weaknesses and errors in order to resolve them and prevent recurrence. Besides, the other objective is to contribute the smooth working of each department in particul ar and of the concern in general. (Fayol, 1949). Mr.Seet is involved in job like trouble shooting for rejected goods and work force shortage. He needs to think of a way to solve rejected goods by finding out the problems, minimize the loss and maintain customers trust towards the organisation. When there is work force shortage, he needs to make decision whether to hire more employee or working over time. This also can be relates to Mintzbergs decisional skills where he must have ideas to make the right decisions. (Mintzberg, 1975). Management is about opinions and view points that may vary among different individuals. This interview has shown that Fayols four functions were needed by a top manager. There are some exemptions on his theory depending on what type of organisation is the manager managing. As a matter of fact, Katzs theory stated that human skill is needed at all level of management. His theory is further explained by Mintzbergs 10 roles of management under the interpersonal role category. Hence, one theory cannot work without the other. Indeed, Fayols characterisation of management still represents the most useful way of conceptualizing the managers job. (Carroll and Gillen, 1987). References list: Carroll, S. Gillen, D., (1987). Are the Classical Management Functions Useful in Describing Managerial Work? The Academy of Management Review, 12(1), 38-51. Fayol, H. (1949). General and Industrial Management. London: Routledge. Lamond, D. (2003). Henry Mintzberg vs Henri Fayol: Of Lighthouses, Cubists and the Emperors New Clothes. Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship, 8(4), 5-23. Mintzberg, H. (1975). The managers job: Folklore and fact, Harvard Business Review, 53(4), July August 49-61. Peterson, T. O. Van Fleet (2004). The ongoing legacy of R.L. Katz: An updated topology of management skills. Management Decision, 42(10), 1297-1308 Robbins, S., Bergman, R., Stagg, I., Coulter, M. (2008). Management (5th ed.). Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Pearson Education Australia.

Free College Essays - Self-Destruction in Shes Come Undone by Wally Lamb :: Shes Come Undone

She's Come Undone - Self-Destruction In She's Come Undone Wally Lamb addresses the effects of personal trauma on one's self-image and the propensity of survivors to move towards self-destruction. Dolores believes that she is the cause of all of her tragedies, including her rape and her mother's death, and that the one true evil in her life is herself. She convinces herself that she deserves whatever pain she may receive along the course of life. With each new hardship, her guilt is increased. Her destruction begins with overeating and culminates in attempted suicide. When Dolores is in eighth grade she is raped by Jack, one of her grandmother's tenants. She had always had a crush on Jack and allowed him to give her rides to and from school. She decides that he must have been encouraged by her actions and that therefore the rape is her fault. Shortly after Dolores is raped, Jack's wife, Rita, has a miscarriage. Although Rita has had many miscarriages before, Dolores is sure that this one is a result of "the filthy thing that {she and Jack} had done" (Lamb 111). From then on, Dolores considers herself to be a "baby-killer" (112). During her high school years, Dolores' only companions are her television and her junk food. She isolates herself from her peers. She eats constantly and becomes extremely overweight. She also takes up smoking. Although her doctor warns her that her lifestyle is putting her health in serious danger, she continues to binge and smoke. She does not feel that her life is worth worrying about (126). Shortly after Dolores' high school graduation, Dolores' mother is killed when she is hit by a semi truck. Dolores blames herself and reasons that her mother's death must be Dolores' punishment for being a horrible daughter. She recalls what her mother said on the night of her death: "You've made me so ... tired" (135). She remembers how awful she was to her mother during the months before her death (138). She feels that she should have died instead of her mother. She bargains with God to bring her mother back and take her instead (138). Dolores' self-destruction culminates in attempted suicide. She hires a taxi to take her to Cape Cod, where she plans to commit suicide amongst the beached whales.

Custom Written Term Papers: The Role of Women in Othello

The Role of Women in Othello At the beginning of Othello two men stand and discuss the fate of a woman. One contested for her and lost and the other willingly admits to her beauty, charm and worth. Both men wish to bring down the man who has won her, Desdemona, and slander her name nonetheless. This man, their rival and superior is none other than Othello. Othello has managed to obtain something they could not; Desdemona. Throughout the play Desdemona is rarely viewed as a human being, she is merely a prize, and from the very beginning Desdemona is an object of lust. Emilia and Bianca are also mistreated in this way. The three women in the play; Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca contrast in class. Desdemona is born from a high-class Venetian family, Emilia is from a servant class and Bianca is a prostitute or "whore", a word that Desdemona refuses to use. Despite this they are all abused by men and are objects of men's sexuality, and they all suffer under the cruel hands of those whom they love. Each one is shown in relation to a particular man, (Othello, Iago and Cassio) and is contrasted with the other women, which reveal how the stereotypical version of womanhood impacts their lives, (in Desdemona and Emilia's case, their deaths). The three women's eventual destinies are interlinked with the plays central symbol: the handkerchief. Women are major characters in Shakespeare's plays.   In "Othello" women are ... ...e: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies. Lincoln, NB: University of Nebraska Press, 1993. Muir, Kenneth. Introduction. William Shakespeare: Othello. New York: Penguin Books, 1968. Neely, Carol. "Women and Men in Othello" Critical Essays on Shakespeare's Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthelemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994. (page 68-90) Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos. Wayne, Valerie. â€Å"Historical Differences: Misogyny and Othello.† The Matter of Difference: Materialist Feminist Criticism of Shakespeare. Ed Valerie Wayne. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1991.

The Most Compelling Reason for Studying Religion Today is Politics Essa

The Most Compelling Reason for Studying Religion Today For me, the word ‘religion’ conjures up images of wailing fat ladies dressed in their Sunday best singing at the top of their lungs about the glory of God. Of course, this image comes from my childhood when I attended the New Testament Church of God in Jamaica every Sunday, rain or shine, with my grandmother. For her, Church, Christianity and God was a way of life; a set of principles she believed in and lived by. For others less convinced, the idea of religion or ‘being religious’ is as far fetched as aliens and UFO’s. Throughout the centuries, religion has played an important part in shaping the political landscape of most modern societies and one reason for studying religion is to understand how and why certain societies developed in the way they did. The church – used here in generic terms – was often married to the way in which rulers administered laws and punishments. Often some used the church to swindle people out of their wealth and to gain their allegiance through fear. While other rulers such as Henry viii manipulated the religious order of the day by breaking away from the Catholic Church and forming a new Church of England so he could marry his mistress. For most, Islam is a way of life which is revered by its followers but according to Laura Hayes, when the Taliban ruled Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, they controlled 90% of the country's territory and their policies—including their treatment of women and support of terrorists—ostracized them from the world community. The Taliban considered themselves mujahideen or holy warriors of the Islamic faith. ... ...of the people’. Religion and politics have come full circle as in today’s society there are laws which govern the recognition of a new ‘religion’. For example, a legitimate religion has the right to claim tax exemption and must promote the moral and spiritual welfare of the community. It is my opinion that although there are other reasons for studying religion, the most compelling reason by far is to better understand and cater for the diversity of modern society. Bibliography Atkins, Peter quoted in Poole, Michael. A Guide to Science and Belief. Lion Publishing.1990 Boeer. M. M. Karl Marx’s Interpretation of History. Mason, Claire. New Religious Movements: the impact on our lives. White Thompson Publishing Limited.2003 Pfeffer, Leo. Quoted in New Religious Movements: the impact on our lives.

Financial Analysis of Ted Baker & Burberry Essay

INTRODUCTION Burberry is a global luxury brand offering menswear, womenswear, childrenswear, coats, dresses, shoes, accessories, bags, scarves, beauty and fragrance. The quintessentially British brand was first founded as an outerwear brand, well known for it’s iconic Burberry trench coat and distinct tartan print. The brand has over 497 directly operated stores and concessions operating in 32 countries; and via a third-party distribution network- 70 franchise stores in an additional 28 countries and approximately 1,400 wholesale department and specialty store doors in over 80 countries (as at 31 March 2014). The brand continues to develop its presence in existing and  under-penetrated markets. THE BASICS Burberry was founded by Thomas Burberry in 1855 in Hamphire England and remained an independent company until 1955, when it was taken over by Great Universal Studios (GUS). In 2005, GUS divested its remaining interest in Burberry. Burberry Group PLC was initially floated on the London Stock Exchange in July 2002. In 2013/2014, Burberry had a turnover of  £2,330 million (up 16.5% from the previous year), recording a profit before tax of  £461 million (up 7.7% from the previous year). The company employs 9698 employees across 34 countries and is headquartered in London. The accounts are presented in GBP, which is Burberry’s functional currency. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker BRBY with a market capitalization of GBP6822.43 Million. The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the EU. The accounts have been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP with no reservations. MANAGEMENT CHANGES On the management side, the most significant change is the departure CEO Angela Ahrendt in April 2014 who left Burberry (to join Apple). Ahrendt the CEO since 2006 has lead the successful transformation of the company, tripling revenue three-fold during her tenure. Ahrendt was succeeded by Christopher Bailey, Chief Creative Officer (CCO) who has been with Burberry since 2001. Bailey holds the roles of CEO and CCO and his appointment as CEO is considered a natural progression. Other important changes include, the changes of the CFO and COO, and the appointment of three new non-executive directors. The new board appointments focus on evolving the Board’s relevant skills and competencies for the future under its succession plan. THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT After three years of double digit growth, analyst estimated that the luxury sector growth slowed to 2% in 2013. This was in part due to a slowdown in China (the world’s 4th largest luxury market), in light of government policy changes on gift giving and the Chinese consumer increasingly shifting luxury consumption abroad (which has in turn help drive luxury sales in the rest of Asia and Europe). Whilst Burberry is a luxury brand, note that it’s growing beauty and fragrance lines are â€Å"attainable† luxury and has the capacity for resilience in unfavourable economic conditions. Burberry’s five strategic themes which have sustained its growth during the period include:[1: Claudia D’Arpizio, Bain Report: Luxury Goods Worldwide Market Study Spring 2014 ]

Potential Problems and Solutions For International Students

Travelling abroad can be an exciting and life-changing event in one’s life. The opportunity to study in another country is a unique and fulfilling experience, both academically and personally. The percentage of international students in universities is rising steadily each year. Although an international study opportunity is a rare adventure, there are several problems international students can face when attending school in a foreign country. International students should be aware of the potential problems and be prepared in advance to successfully solve anything that comes their way.The biggest problem international students face today is financial challenges. It is expensive to travel to a foreign country to study. In most cases there are no opportunities for scholarships or sponsor assistance. Most programs allow students to work part-time, however in most countries it will be extremely difficult for international students to find work. In addition, international students are typically not allowed to participate in any foreign country’s welfare or government financial assistance programs. International students with families are often permitted to bring them along as their dependents.This can create enormous financial problems for the student as their family can only accompany them if they have previous funds to maintain themselves during their stay. The student’s spouse should not need to work during the stay to maintain basic needs. If it seems the family is not financially secure enough to maintain themselves, they will not be permitted to enter the country. Although this is the main rule of international student spouse employment, there are situations in which employment rights can be granted based on length of stay.One specific financial burden international students often face is health care costs. There is no guarantee an international student will be healthy for their entire stay. Some countries offer health care options dependi ng on the student’s length of stay. The UK offers services from the National Health Service for students who have a stay of six months or longer. This free health care option also applies to the student’s family. International students face several financial problems, however there are solutions. The best thing a student can do before their initial travel is to put aside money for their expenses.Most universities provide prospective international students will fee estimates that include average utility and grocery costs as well as academic expenses. It is wise for students to bring at least fifteen percent more than you expect to use during the stay. This emergency fund can be helpful in case of inflation or other unexpected costs. For students who do not qualify for the foreign country’s healthcare programs, travel insurance is something they should consider. Students should not assume health insurance used in their home country would cover any unexpected healt h care costs in the foreign country.Most travel insurance can be purchased according to the length of stay. Being prepared for the unexpected is the one task every international student should make priority. Creating an emergency savings fund is an excellent way for the student to ensure their financial and personal safety during their stay. In addition to a savings fund, students should remember to research health care options for their stay as well. International study opportunities are priceless in academic and personal worth, however without proper preparation they can be extremely expensive and can create an unnecessary financial burden for the student and their family. Sources: Porter, Darwin. Frommer’s Italy 2005. 2004. Wiley Publishing, Inc. UKCOSA Guidance Notes. 2005. http://www.ukcosa.org.uk/pages/guidenote.htm (11 May 2005). Â  

My Worst Nightmare

As the rain hit me like a thousand knifes, I checked my disreputable, scruffy watch for the time. I had a few more minutes until I had to be at the diminutive, quiet corner shop across from the busy train station to meet Emmy before school. The rain was starting to come down heavier so I took out my incomplete tartan umbrella and covered my reddish-brown hair. Black clouds filled the sky like poisonous fumes in the clear blue sky. I could barely see the deserted phone box ahead of me because of the intense muggy fog. I started to feel worried and nervous as I hated Emmy shouting at me every time I was late. I heard a car pull up by the side of the abandoned street a few metres ahead of me. From what I could see, the old car was blue and inside it were two men. As I innocently hurried past the tatty vehicle one of the men bellowed†¦ â€Å"Scuze me, got the time darlin'?† â€Å"Sorry, I'm in a rush, can't stop.† I replied â€Å"Jump in, I'll drive you. Where you off to?† I thought about it for a few seconds then took up the offer. â€Å"Well just around the corner then, cheers.† â€Å"Hop in then, what ya waiting for?† I didn't feel scared, although I knew it was wrong. I was fine; I just concentrated on getting to the shops in time. Time passed slowly and the traffic was diabolical. â€Å"Look guys, thanks a lot but if you don't mind I'll get out here and walk, the traffics gonna take forever† â€Å"No, we'll get you there don't worry.† I unlatched my rough seat belt and attempted to open the chipped, jammed door but it just wouldn't budge. I started to panic; the two men who seemed to be nice gentlemen had now turned into my worst nightmare. Sweat poured down my delicate face like a swiftly dripping tap. â€Å"You're staying put young lady, until I say so† said the driver sternly. I was terrified, where were they taking me? I slowly pulled out my red, run down phone and started to dial in ‘999'. I trembled with fear as I keyed in the three simple digits. â€Å"What you got there hey?† I quickly slid the phone behind my stiff back as I hesitated to answer the fully-grown, evil looking man. â€Å"Nothing, I swear, nothing† † You liar, give that to me you little brat!† I started to cry, I felt scared, I wish I'd taken the sensible way out and walked to meet Emmy. We passed the bakery; I could smell the succulent sweet, freshly cooked bread, which reminded me of home. Tears ran down my cheeks like the rain on the car window They pulled up outside a desolate warehouse, fear ripped through me like a cat tearing at a cushion. I looked around to see if I recognized where I was but I could just about focus on the horse riding stables and I knew that I was close to a local bus station. They dragged me into the warehouse like a sack of rotten potatoes. The warehouse smelt of vermin and vomit. It was dark and bloodcurdling. The walls were painted dark, repulsive green and they were covered in dirt and stains. There were only two chairs in the tiny warehouse, except for a few empty cans of beer lying around the floor. Rats scattered the cold floor for the slightest bit of food. The air was misty and smelt of damp clothes. The men tied me up to a loose, rusty radiator and started to search my pockets, they pulled out a florescent green lighter. The small man laughed in my face and dashed the lighter across the floor. I felt my heart skip a beat. The tallest man slapped me across the face, I screamed with pain and trepidation. â€Å"AAAhhhhhhhhh!† I began to aggressively cry again, the small hideous man kicked me and slammed an empty Fosters can in my eye. It hurt like hell. How long would I be here? Thos questions ran back and forth through my head like a swing. As the men headed towards the door, the tall obese man called out â€Å"there's no way of escaping!† They both sneered with joy together as they left me alone in the empty warehouse. I lent back against the freezing, brittle radiator. Tears streamed down my face. ‘How could I be so stupid?' I thought of my mum, I wanted to be with her, for her to cuddle me like I was a little kid again. â€Å"Help, can anybody here me?† I gave up, nobody could here me, and so I sat there and waited, and waited. I suddenly heard a knocking at the door. â€Å"Hello?† I was desperate to here a reply. â€Å"Help me please, I can't get up, I'm tied up† Surprising there was a voice, a friendly voice. â€Å"Just give me a minute, I'm doing all I can to get in† My heart was beating faster than the speed of light. This could be my chance to get out, to escape and be free of these daunting men. The person on the other side of the door was shaking the door and from what I could here it sounded like they were hitting the door with an axe. After 20 minutes the door finally gave way, and when it opened, standing in the doorway was a tall figure. He ran over and started to untie the ropes around my arms and legs. I stood up and stared at the man, he looked so kind and gentle. I gave him the biggest hug and insisted we got out of there as quickly as possible. The man, Mathew, drove me home. In the car it was silent, I was still in great shock and he didn't know what to say to make me feel better. When we got to my road, I thanked him and got out of the car. He watched me walk to my door to make sure I got there ok. I rang the bell, and after a few seconds my mum answered the door. It was such a relief to see her; I gave her a massive hug as tears streamed down my face. She looked at me in confusion as we went into the house. We both sat down on the leather sofa, as I began to tell her the story of my worst nightmare.

That Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Brooke Zimmerman Heskett 31 January 2013 English 102 That Crazy Little Thing Called Love The following verse is from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7: â€Å"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always hopes, always perseveres. † This verse is an example of many peoples view on a kind of love that is â€Å"perfect†, a kind of love that is understanding, non-judgmental and, most importantly, respectful.As individuals, everyone has their own cultural and social beliefs that they must uphold. Is sex before marriage okay? Is sex before marriage not okay? There are many questions surrounding the debate on whether sex before marriage should be frowned upon or if it should just be accepted and people shouldn’t be judged about it. Different people have their own opinions and everyone tends to think that their opinion is right. In general, sex is a very private and special thing no matter how old or what kind of person someone is.Your sexuality is a huge part of who you are as a person. Sex should be between consenting adults. Not because people need to be a certain age to have sexual interactions per-say, but because of the amount of mental risks that are involved with them. There are many emotional consequences of premarital sexual involvement and many worries that come along with it. Worry about pregnancy and STD’s is normally at the top of the list. For many people, this is a huge emotional stress and can really take a toll of a person family life and social life.Regret, self-recrimination and guilt come next. For girls, they are more likely to â€Å"see sex as a sign of commitment in the relationship† and when all of a sudden the relationship gets broken off, they feel cheated and cheap (Linkota, Par. 4). Al so with the guiltiness comes a kind of loss of self-respect. Many people feel a loss of self-respect for many reasons. For example if they discover that they have a STD they all of a sudden feel â€Å"dirty† and like a low-life.Even if someone doesn’t contract an STD, temporary sexual relationships can lower the self-respect for both the person that was being used for sex and the person that was the one using someone. Casual sex can lower self-esteem, which can eventually lead a person into a cycle of casual sex to try to find some kind of self-worth. Though this cycle can be a possibility for some comfort, it eventually catches back up with someone and the self-esteem breakdowns occur sooner or later. When people go through many breakdowns and feel so down on themselves, they will start to develop trust issues and a fear of commitment.Younger people who feel like they were used only for sex in a relationship may experience difficulty with trusting people and letting t hem in when it comes to future relationships and may also start to feel very cynical towards the emotion or even the idea of love and being in love. On a more serious note, after being hurt so many times and after feeling betrayed and used so many times, some people will go into a deep depression and even consider suicide because they feel that they have absolutely no self-worth or that they have no other purpose in life other than just being a sexual item to be tossed around from person to person.In the past 25 years, teen suicide had tripled. In a 1988 survey by the U. S. Department of Health and Human services, one out of five adolescent girls and one out of ten adolescent boys had stated that they had tried to kill themselves because of the feeling of being used in a relationship. Along with all of these negatives, there also seem to be some positives to premarital sex. Many people say that there truly are some great positives that can come from premarital sex. Marriage should b e viewed as a commitment that a person makes for the rest of their life.In olden times, many people waited until marriage to have sexual relations and found that they were very unhappy with their sex life and this unhappiness is what caused many divorces and love affairs. To be sure that marriage will have a chance at lasting, a person should â€Å"probably participate in some safe sex prior to the marriage† (Rlanda par. 6). Another thing that people find beneficial about sex before marriage is the intimacy that it brings upon us before marriage. Many couples who later become married and have never had any sexual relations before that marriage typically don’t really have any idea what to o when it is finally â€Å"okay† for them to have sexual relations with someone. Having sex before marriage helps a couple explore each other’s sexual compatibility. It also exposes a person to the kind of intimacy that his or her partner likes. Typically, sexual intercou rse with a person for the first time is very uncomfortable no matter how â€Å"experienced† someone is. Sex before marriage helps in â€Å"making sex life better after marriage† (Kamalasanan par. 7). Another benefit to sex before marriage that people always seem to refer to is that it gives you experience.It is believed that if a person has sex before they are married, they will have better experience and will have certain knowledge about what to do when they finally decide to settle down with someone for the rest of their lives. Nobody wants to sit there awkwardly on their honeymoon when they first get married and have no idea what to even do. I tend to think that there are more cons to sex before marriage then there are pros. In the relationships I’ve witnessed that have included premarital sex, almost all of them seemed to end in heartbreak.No, not the little heartbreaks that people get over in about a week, but the kind of heartbreaks that take months and mo nths to get over and cause depression and self-image issues. With the breakups that I’ve witnessed, the girls that didn’t have sexual relations with their boyfriend- of the time had a quicker recovery time when it came to the breakup compared to the girls that broke up with their boyfriend that they did have sexual intimacy with. The way I see it, sex is for people that truly love each other and plan on spending the rest of their lives together and not with anyone else.Even if couples have promise rings to each other, I still don’t think that means it’s acceptable to have premarital sex because I’ve witnessed couples that had premarital sex and promise rings to each other still ended up breaking up, which caused the girls great heartache because they thought that that guy was â€Å"the one†. All in all, everyone will have their different views and ideas about sex before marriage. Whether it’s from personal experience or religious-base d beliefs, two people will almost never have the same exact view on this subject.Even though the subject has many obvious views as to why sex after marriage is better than sex before it, there are really no specific rules regarding why someone shouldn’t have premarital sex if that person really wants to. Works Cited Kamalasanan, Bhadra. â€Å"Should People Wait for Marriage to Have Sex? † Should People Wait for Marriage to Have Sex? N. p. , 3 Apr. 2012. Web. 04 Feb. 2013. Linkota, Thomas. â€Å"What’s the BIG DEAL About Sex? † Physicians For Life. Web. 30 Jan. 2013. Rlanda. â€Å"Pros and Cons of Sex Before Marriage. † HubPages. N. p. , 31 Mar. 2009. Web. 31 Jan. 2013.

Learning English Opinion Essary

———-Task———- The following statement was recently printed in a local newspaper: â€Å"English is the only foreign language worth learning. † Your teacher has now asked you to write a composition giving your opinion on this subject. ———-Compositions———- Nowadays there is an opinion that English is the most popular language and it is the only foreign language worth learning and I want to express the reasons for it.To begin with, English is an international language, which is known almost in every country, consequently it is used in different international negotiations, competitions, events as well as in airports and businesses. Furthermore, if you have a desire to be a successful and educated person it is better to learn English, due to the fact that when you are on a work, there are many international partners with whom you have to communicate and solve different problems. In addition to this, i f you know this language, you obviously have a perfect opportunity to occupy a position in a foreign company.Alternatively, it goes without saying that there are other languages worth learning. I believe that the importance of language depends on the economic development of the country, therefore nowadays the popularity of some other languages has grown, for instance Chinese. However, English continues being the most demanded. All things considered, if you know English you can not only easily cope with any difficulties in getting a job as you have an advantage over your counterparts, but also travel abroad everywhere you like.