Adult learning and development theories applied to military education Assignment

Adult learning and development theories applied to military education - Assignment Example Established educational programs play an important role in influencing learning processes and program components, moderated by learning and developmental theories, empowers learning processes to success. Examples of learning theories are social cognitive orientation theory, transformational learning theory and self-directed learning theory while Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is an example of developmental theories. Class sessions, tutoring, advising, program evaluation, and mandatory assessment are examples of program components and this paper reviews them subject to learning theories and developmental theories. Transformational learning theory and educational learning components Transformational learning theory is core to adult learning program. The theory’s core construct is the learning approach in which adults transform their existing knowledge, opinions, and assumptions and assume a more open minded and comprehensive scope of their experiences. The theor y relies on meditations, based on positive and negative experiences that motivate an individual and those experiences that develop surprises to adult learners, leading to social change that may be evident in reduced poverty level in the society, enhanced knowledge base in the learners, or reduced level of oppression. Transformational learning also relies on learners’ rationale from which new knowledge constructs are developed from experiences (Merriam, Caffarella and Baumgartner, 2012; Westby, 2007). Class session defines the traditional learning process in which a teacher teaches students belonging to a given class. It is a common approach to adult education, especially because of fixed schedules converges learning time, and constrained facilities. The foundation of class session exposure of the learner to new knowledge and this identifies with diversified aspects of the transformational learning theory. Exposure to new knowledge offers a basis for reflection into the learne r’s experience, a process that triggers the transformational learning theory’s aspect of reconstruction of perspectives. Developed knowledge in class sessions also offer a benchmark for determining the motivational aspect of an experience as lower benchmarks would enlist positive attitude while high benchmarks would identify discouragements in a learner’s experience. Interactive class sessions also exhaust learners’ perspectives and rationale to transform approach to knowledge development and to changed held perspectives (King, 2009; Boylan, Bliss and Bonham, 1997). Unlike class sessions, tutoring focuses on small number of students per educators and may sometimes be done on a one-on one basis. Its scope is similar to the scope of class session and therefore identify with transformational learning theory. The tutor, in a facilitator role, exposes learners to constructs that evoke reflection and meditation upon experience to motivate new perspectives. Lear nt knowledge from the program component also establishes standards that motivate learners into reflections and meditations. Consequently, tutoring identifies with the transformational learning theory through its concepts that promote reflection, among learners, of their experience, meditation upon the experiences, and integration of the experiences and learnt concepts for a new perspective. Advisory and counseling initiatives are other major components of educational programs and apply to adult education. The adult learner prefers an active approach to knowl

A nobel economist's caution about government Essay

A nobel economist's caution about government - Essay Example For example, the U.S. Affordable Care Act has brought little change since its implementation in 2010, lowering the number of individuals without health insurance to 13 percent down from 16 percent. While there are some elements of truth that the American economy has exacerbated and that some policy interventions usually worsen off the economy, it is prudent to acknowledge that without a logical economic framework, the economy would simply shut. Economics provides the framework, which influences the performance of the economy for the betterment of the society. Economics as a science focuses on ensuring that the most is achieved out of limited and scarce resources as opposed to perfecting the society as Boudreaux and Zywicki postulate. Achieving the desired results out of an economic decision inclines on the dexterity with which policy makers or governments choosing which economic policy to implement for a given problem. As such, the dismal achievement realized in Obama Care and many other botched government intervention attempts are exhibitions of inaccurate policy choices rather than deficiency in economic thoughts. Nonetheless, the article is a food for thought that evokes de eper thinking and understanding of economic

Effect of Resource Diversity on Joint Venture Performance

Effect of Resource Diversity on Joint Venture Performance A STUDY OF RESOURCE BASED VIEW: HOW DOES RESOURCE DIVERSITY AND RESOURCE SHARING AFFECT INTERNATIONAL JOINT VENTURE (IJV) PERFORMANCE? ABSTRACT The study of resource based view (RBV) has transcended the limited focus of a single firm by arguing that RBV can be applied to the area of strategic alliance. As the most instrumental alliance form, IJVs are susceptible to the resource characteristics of parent firms. Albeit RBV has been used to explain research topics from IJV formation to performance measurement, more in-depth study is needed for exploring the association between resource characteristics and IJV performance. By analyzing data from 82 IJVs in China, the present research proposes that resource sharing mediates the positive relationship between Resource diversity and IJV performance. And cooperation effectiveness moderates the relationship between resource diversity and resource sharing. INTRODUCTION Barney (1991) believes that the resource based view (RBV) theory can be used to explain the relationship between firm resources and sustained competitive advantage in that valuable, rare, inimitable and unsubstituted resources have the potential to bring sustained competitive advantage to a firm. Transcending the limitations of excessive focus on the study of a single firm, Das and Teng (2000) further contend that resource based view can be applied to explain the entire mechanism of strategic alliance on a continuum from alliance formation to performance measurement. Their research takes RBV study to the next level by introducing more perspectives in studying strategic alliance which has been admitted as a critical device loading corporate strategy (Wassmer, 2010). As the most instrumental alliance form, international joint ventures (IJVs) combine both tangible and intangible characteristics of parent firms that allow resource sharing (including knowledge sharing and tangible resourc e sharing) to happen within the partnership because employees from the parent firms literally work together in IJVs (Kogut, 1988). It is critical for researchers and practitioners to understand how the characteristics and dynamics of two parent firms resources affect IJV performance. Why do firms form IJVs? Resource sharing and inter-organizational learning are the key reasons (Lane, Salk Lyles, 2001). By bringing diversified valuable resources into the IJV, both parent firms strive for a balance between protecting their own valuable resources and absorbing the partners resources (Das Teng, 2000). Therefore, the cooperation effectiveness of IJVs would inevitably affect the way resources are synthesized and shared between partners. However, when an IJV is formed, how are the resources of partner firms synthesized? How do both parties share their resources to maximize the IJV performance? These questions remain underexplored. The present research focuses on studying the dynamism of resource diversity, resource sharing and IJV performance and the moderating role that cooperation plays. Normally, an IJV is formed by two parties: a local firm and a foreign firm. These two parent firms possess different types of resources which are complementary to each other, so they could combine their resources to exploit mutual goals (Ren, Gray Kim, 2009). To contribute to IJV outcome, the resource of parent firms have to be dissimilar and complementary, and the utilization and similarity of resources should be considered synchronously (Das Teng, 2000). Extending their argument, the level of similarity and complementarity can be reflected by resource diversity, and how well the resources are utilized can be reflected by resource sharing. Moreover, to consider resource diversity and resource sharing synchronously, cooperation effectiveness plays an important role (Ren et al., 2009). As shown in figure 1, I propose that in an IJV, the resource diversity is positively related to IJV performance, the more resource diversity the partners have, the better IJV performance they are able to achieve. And resource sharing will mediate the association between resource diversity and IJV performance. Since two partners work in concert in an IJV, cooperation effectiveness inevitably moderates the relationship between resource diversity and resource sharing. Therefore, I put forth following hypotheses: The contribution of the present research is twofold. First, this research expand the resource based view theory by theorizing the model that tap into the relationship between resource diversity and IJV performance by examining the moderating effect of cooperation and the mediating effect of resource sharing. Second, this research also has managerial implications, it helps researchers and practitioners better understand the mechanism of resource diversity and sharing in an IJV, thus they can better deploy different types of resources and facilitate resource sharing accordingly. METHOD Data and Sample IJVs have played a critical role in helping China becoming the best player in the world absorbing foreign direct investment (FDI) (Fang Zou, 2009; Yao, Yang, Fisher, Ma Fang, 2013). Therefore, I draw samples of 200 IJVs in Guangdong Province because it is known as the economic engine of China partly by virtue of its capacity in attracting foreign investment. In their prior studies, Fang and Zou (2009), has adopted IJV sampling in a similar region Jiangsu Province. As suggested by prior researches, considering the validity requirement, solely rely on secondary data is not acceptable, a method combining both survey and secondary data here would be more accurate (Das Teng, 2000). Therefore, I administer surveys and draw on archival data for this research. Data are collected from IJV managers representing both parent firms. I measure IJV performance (the dependent variable) by using archival data. I also measure resource diversity (the independent variable), cooperation effectiveness (the moderating variable) and resource sharing (the mediating variable) by using survey data of CEOs, board members and senior managers from both parent firms to eliminate bias. Measures Resource diversity (the independent variable).As suggested by Das and Teng (2009), I assess the resource diversity by administering survey on IJV senior managers representing different parent firms to gather the response on the degree to which each parent firm brings different types of resources such as: financial resources, physical resources, human resources, technological resources, reputation and organizational resources (Grant, 1991, p.6). Adapting the method that Yao et al. (2013) used to measure knowledge complementarity, a survey on resource diversity will be used in the present research to ask senior managers representing each parent firm in sample IJVs how diversified the resources characteristics are from the parent firms by using a seven-point semantic scale. Since the method of Yao et al. (2013) is also conducted in similar regions in China, the content validity is ensured. In the survey, I ask questions such as: How do you compare your partys industry design with your a lliance partner? (strongly overlapping to strongly complementary). Appendix A includes the form of the items for resource diversity. Cooperation effectiveness (the moderating variable).Following the multi-step process (Churchill Jr, 1979) measure developed by Yao et al. (2013) on knowledge absorption effectiveness, I assess cooperation effectiveness in a similar way by asking top managers representing each parent firm in sample IJVs how effective the partners cooperate in the IJVs using a five-item, seven-point Likert-type scale. I ask questions such as: How do you rate the cooperation effectiveness between partners in your IJV: Our joint venture has been very effective in transferring resources among different partners? (strongly agree to strongly disagree). Appendix B includes the form of the items for cooperation effectiveness. Resource sharing (the mediating variable).Adopting the same rationale of measuring cooperation effectiveness, I develop my own items andassess resource sharing in a similar way by asking top managers to rate the level that the partners share the resources in the IJVs using a four-item, seven-point Likert-type scale. I ask questions such as: How do you rate the resource sharing level between partners in your IJV: IJV partners can easily acquire tangible resources occupied by each other for manufacturing activities? (strongly agree to strongly disagree). Appendix C includes the form of the items for resource sharing. IJV performance (the dependent variable).I will use secondary data to assess IJV performance by two constructs: its financial performance (Return on Investment), and also its longevity (Ren et al., 2009). Control variables.Following the study of Yao et al. (2013). I treat IJV size as control variable measuring by the IJV employee number. Since the market dynamism may be another confounding factor, I also control for market dynamism by using Miller (1987) five items. My data collection procedure is: gather the contact information of sample IJVs through the administrative offices of local development zones that are normally the administrative agencies and service providers of IJVs. Then phone calls and emails will be used to reach out to these IJV CEOs and other senior managers to explain the purpose of the present research and solicit participation in the survey. The ideal target response size of IJV is 82 according to GPower 3.1 test (Effect size = .30, ÃŽÂ ± = .05, Power = .80). Im expecting a 40% response rate which is at the high range of typical response rate (15-40%) since I administer the survey through officials of local development zones who are familiar with the IJV leaders. The questionnaires are distributed to participants in 200 IJVs through email, for non-respondents, the first round of following up phone calls or emails will be carried out two weeks after the distribution of the questionnaires, the second round will be carried o ut four weeks after the distribution of the questionnaires. Following the general method adopted by extant researches, I evaluate responses from the respondents and decide which responses to discard depending on the validity. Given the multinational background of respondents, my original questionnaires are designed in English, they are translated into Chinese when assigning to Chinese respondents, then the responses will be back-translated into English. Statistical description of means and standard deviations is provided. Analysis To test hypothesis 1, resource sharing and IJV performance are separately treated as dependent variables in regression analysis. To test hypothesis 2, I measure the moderating effects of cooperation effectiveness by using moderated regression analysis. To avoid potential multi-collinearity, I take both mean-centered independent and moderating variables into the regression (Aiken, West Reno, 1991). DISCUSSION Prior studies has proved that resource based view can be applied to the study in the area of strategic alliance for about two decades (Das Teng, 2000), yet little has been disclosed about the dynamic relationship between resource diversity, resource sharing and alliance performance. In this research, after examining 82 IJVs in China, the results support my hypotheses that cooperation effectiveness will moderate the positive relationship between resource diversity and IJV performance mediated by resource sharing. Theoretical and Managerial Implications The present research focuses on discovering the relationship between resource diversity, resource sharing and IJV performance, and the moderating role that cooperation effectiveness plays. The influence of resource sharing on IJV performance is examined subsequently. Resource based view has been proved a strong tool used to disclose the relationship between firm resources and sustained competitiveness. This research extended the study of resource based view to a more intricate and in-depth level: IJVs, in that compare with average firms, IJVs are formed by parent firms to utilize and share their resources thus achieve the goal of mutual benefits. Therefore, the research brings new insights about how firm resources are constituted and shared and thus affect firm performance in an ever-changing global context. Prior researches has shown that knowledge complementarity has positive effects on new product performance in IJVs (Yao et al., 2013). This research extends the study to a higher level regarding resources occupied by parent firms and bring more generalizability to researchers. It also helps top managers engaging in alliances better utilize their resources. LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH As other researches, this research has its limitations. First, as pointed out by other scholars, the sample source is somewhat monotonous because it only reflects the IJVs in a certain region in China, and the resource diversity might be pre-established since the IJVs in my sample are all formed by a Chinese firm and a foreign firm, this fact shows a certain pattern of partnership that the Chinese firms offer resources to reach local market while the foreign firms offers technological and financial resources (Yao et al., 2013). Future research may extend the study of resource diversity patterns by examining how different resource diversity relationships effect research sharing and IJV performance. Second, I only discussed the model regarding IJVs, however, there are other equity and non-equity inter-organizational collaborations such as technical exchange and consortia (Majchrzak, Jarvenpaa Bagherzadeh, 2014). The effect in the other types of collaborations may vary a lot from the model I examine in IJVs. However, the limitation here also leads to fruitful future research. Study of the resource dynamism and alignment can be delivered on different forms of strategic alliance. APPENDIX A APPENDIX B APPENDIX C REFERENCES      Ã‚   Aiken, L. S., West, S. G., Reno, R. R. 1991. Multiple regression: Testing and interpreting interactions: Sage. Barney, J. 1991. Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1): 99-120. Churchill Jr, G. A. 1979. A paradigm for developing better measures of marketing constructs. Journal of marketing research: 64-73. Das, T. K., Teng, B.-S. 2000. A resource-based theory of strategic alliances. Journal of Management, 26(1): 31-61. Fang, E. E., Zou, S. 2009. Antecedents and consequences of marketing dynamic capabilities in international joint ventures. Journal of International Business Studies, 40(5): 742-761. Grant, R. M. 1991. The resource-based theory of competitive advantage: implications for strategy formulation. California management review, 33(3): 114-135. Kogut, B. 1988. Joint ventures: Theoretical and empirical perspectives. Strategic Management Journal, 9(4): 319-332. Lane, P. J., Salk, J. E., Lyles, M. A. 2001. Absorptive capacity, learning, and performance in international joint ventures. Strategic Management Journal, 22(12): 1139-1161. Majchrzak, A., Jarvenpaa, S. L., Bagherzadeh, M. 2014. A review of interorganizational collaboration dynamics. Journal of Management: 0149206314563399. Miller, D. 1987. The structural and environmental correlates of business strategy. Strategic Management Journal, 8(1): 55-76. Ren, H., Gray, B., Kim, K. 2009. Performance of International Joint Ventures: What Factors Really Make a Difference and How? Journal of Management, 35(3): 805-832. Wassmer, U. 2010. Alliance portfolios: A review and research agenda. Journal of Management, 36(1): 141-171. Yao, Z., Yang, Z., Fisher, G. J., Ma, C., Fang, E. E. 2013. Knowledge complementarity, knowledge absorption effectiveness, and new product performance: The exploration of international joint ventures in China. International Business Review, 22(1): 216-227. Figure 1 Conceptual model of the current research

Essay on Number Theory -- Mathematics Math

Research Paper Throughout math, there are many patterns of numbers that have special and distinct properties. There are even numbers, primes, odd numbers, multiples of four, eight, seven, ten, etc. One important and strange pattern of numbers is the set of Fibonacci numbers. This is the sequence of numbers that follow in this pattern: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, etc. The idea is that each number is the sum of its previous two numbers (n=[n-1]+[n-2]) (Kreith). The Fibonacci numbers appear in various topics of math, such as Pascal?s Triangle and the Golden Ratio/Section. It falls under number theory, which is the study of whole or rational numbers. Number Theory develops theories, simple equations, and uses special tools to find specific numbers. Some topic examples from number theory are the Euclidean Algorithm, Fermat?s Little Theorem, and Prime Numbers. Strangely, the Fibonacci numbers appear in nature too. One familiar way in which the Fibonacci numbers appear in nature is the rabbit family line (and bee family line as well). Another strange way in which the Fibonacci numbers relate to nature is the plant kingdom. Because of these strange relationships, I ask the question: How and why do the Fibonacci numbers appear in nature? In this paper, I will attempt to answer this question. Pascal?s Triangle - Golden Rectangle 2 The man behind the Fibonacci numbers, Leonardo Fibonacci, was born in Pisa in 1175 A.D. During his life, he was a customs officer in Africa and businessman who traveled to various places. During these trips he gained knowledge and skills which enabled him to be recognized by Emperor Fredrick II. Fredrick II noticed Fibonacci and ordered him to take part in a mathematical tournament. This place would eventuall... ...its relation to the Golden Angle, which appears in the primordia of plants in order to give the maximum number of primordia for plants. I like to think of an idea in the book, ?Life?s Other Secret,? which says that it?s not just Fibonacci Numbers that matter; it?s also the matter in which they arise (Stewart). 9 Works Cited Adam, John. Mathematics in Nature. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2003. Knott, Ron. ?Fibonacci Numbers in Nature? 18, July 2005. 03, Aug 2005. Kreith, Kurt. COSMOS Professor. Davis, California. Muldrew, Lola. COSMOS Teacher Fellow. Davis, California. Stewart, Ian. Life?s Other Secret. Canada: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. University of Cambridge. ?The Life and Numbers of Fibonacci? Sep 1997. 03, Aug 2005. Essay on Number Theory -- Mathematics Math Research Paper Throughout math, there are many patterns of numbers that have special and distinct properties. There are even numbers, primes, odd numbers, multiples of four, eight, seven, ten, etc. One important and strange pattern of numbers is the set of Fibonacci numbers. This is the sequence of numbers that follow in this pattern: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, etc. The idea is that each number is the sum of its previous two numbers (n=[n-1]+[n-2]) (Kreith). The Fibonacci numbers appear in various topics of math, such as Pascal?s Triangle and the Golden Ratio/Section. It falls under number theory, which is the study of whole or rational numbers. Number Theory develops theories, simple equations, and uses special tools to find specific numbers. Some topic examples from number theory are the Euclidean Algorithm, Fermat?s Little Theorem, and Prime Numbers. Strangely, the Fibonacci numbers appear in nature too. One familiar way in which the Fibonacci numbers appear in nature is the rabbit family line (and bee family line as well). Another strange way in which the Fibonacci numbers relate to nature is the plant kingdom. Because of these strange relationships, I ask the question: How and why do the Fibonacci numbers appear in nature? In this paper, I will attempt to answer this question. Pascal?s Triangle - Golden Rectangle 2 The man behind the Fibonacci numbers, Leonardo Fibonacci, was born in Pisa in 1175 A.D. During his life, he was a customs officer in Africa and businessman who traveled to various places. During these trips he gained knowledge and skills which enabled him to be recognized by Emperor Fredrick II. Fredrick II noticed Fibonacci and ordered him to take part in a mathematical tournament. This place would eventuall... ...its relation to the Golden Angle, which appears in the primordia of plants in order to give the maximum number of primordia for plants. I like to think of an idea in the book, ?Life?s Other Secret,? which says that it?s not just Fibonacci Numbers that matter; it?s also the matter in which they arise (Stewart). 9 Works Cited Adam, John. Mathematics in Nature. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2003. Knott, Ron. ?Fibonacci Numbers in Nature? 18, July 2005. 03, Aug 2005. Kreith, Kurt. COSMOS Professor. Davis, California. Muldrew, Lola. COSMOS Teacher Fellow. Davis, California. Stewart, Ian. Life?s Other Secret. Canada: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. University of Cambridge. ?The Life and Numbers of Fibonacci? Sep 1997. 03, Aug 2005.

How Psychological Research Has Helped in the Understanding of Criminal Behaviour Essay

Albert Bandura created the bobo doll experiment in 1961, the aim of this experiment was to show that if children where witnesses to aggressive displays by an adult of some sort they would imitate this behaviour when given an opportunity. The tested group contained 36 young girls and 36 young boys all aged between 4 and 5 years which was then divided into 3 groups of 24 – the aggressive condition, the non aggressive condition and the control group. The first group involved the children watching aggressive models, where the children where then subdivided by sex of the role model they were exposed to. The second group involved the children watched non aggressive models, where the children were also subdivided by the sex of the role model which they were exposed to. This left the two conditioned groups subdivided into eight experimental groups each containing 6 subjects. They were 6 boys with the same sex model, 6 boys with opposite model, 6 girls with the same sex model and 6 girls with the opposite model. With 3 different groups, Bandura had created a complicated design for the study which resulted in 3 independent variables; the conditions the children were exposed to, the sex of the child and the sex of the role model. Each child was then tested individually and the findings where then recorded. The experiment was done in an artificial environment and the researcher manipulated the independent variables into the conditions. In stage one of the experiment, the children were brought into the experimental room by the examiner. The room was set out as a nursery play room since that was the appropriate setting for the age of the children. One corner of the room had been arranged as a child’s play area consisting of a small table and chair and picture stickers. In the opposite corner of the room was where the adult models would be followed by a small table and chair, tinker toy set and a five foot bobo doll. In the aggressive condition the model began by playing with the tinker toy set but after a couple minutes the model turned its attention to the bobo doll and was aggressive towards the doll in a very distinctive way. Were as in the non aggressive condition the model ignored the bobo doll and played with the tinker toys in a gentle manner. After 10 minutes the children where then taken into new room. In stage two of the experiment the children were brought into a room with relativity attractive toys. In this room the children were to be subjected to mild aggression arousal. Once the children started to play with the toys, the experimenter took them off the children claiming they had been reserved for the other children. The children were then taken into the last and final room for stage three of the experiment. In this room the children were told they could play with any toys in there, the toys in stage three consisted of both non aggressive and aggressive toys. The children were kept in the room for 20 minutes where observations were made through a one way mirror by judges. With the observation and findings of this experiment, three measures of imitation were obtained. For this study the observers’ looked specifically for responses from the children that were very similar to the display by the adult model. They included; imitation of physical aggression, imitation of verbal aggression and imitation of non verbal aggression. With these observations, the researchers were able to consider which children imitate the models, which models the children imitated and whether the children showed a general increase of aggressive behaviour. The main findings of this study were that the children in aggressive model condition made more aggressive responses than the children in the non aggressive condition. They also found that the boys made more aggressive responses than girls, as well as the sex of the children being more aggressive if the model was of the same sex. These findings support Bandura’s social learning theory that children learn social behaviour through observation learning, which children learn through imitation. This study has helped in the understanding of criminal behaviour as children learn through imitation and the environment which they grow up in have an effect on their behaviour. If a child has been brought up around abuse, criminal activity or consistent aggression then the child is most likely to offend by imitating their role model which could be a parent, sibling or even just a role model which they look up to. Philip Zimbardo (1971) – Stanford prison experiment – Dr Philip Zimbardo created the Stanford prison experiment in 1971, the aim of this experiment was to find out the psychological effects of prison life, and to what extent can moral people be seduced to act immorally. The study consisted of 24 students selected out of 75, the roles of these 24 men were randomly assigned, 12 to play prison guards and 12 to play prisoners. The prison set up was built inside the Stanford’s psychological department, doors where taken of laboratory rooms and replaced with steel bars in order to create cells. At the end of the corridor was the small opening which became the solitary confinement for the ‘bad prisoners’. Throughout the prison there were no windows or clocks to judge the passage in time, which resulted in time distorting experiences. After only a few hours, the participants adapted to their roles well beyond expectations, the officers starting displaying authorisation and subject some of the prisoners to humiliation and torture whilst the prisoners developed passive attitudes towards the guards and accepted the physical abuse that was given to them. On the second day with surprise an unexpected rebellion broke out, reinforcement was called and more guards where to be on duty however the prisoners refused to leave their cells, barricading themselves in. This early in to the experiment the prisoners had already felt a loss of identity to the extent they started to refer to themselves as their inmate number rather than name. Even Dr Zimbardo himself started to lose sight of his role in the experiment believing he was in fact a ‘prison superintendent’ rather than a psychologist. Due to the extent of the rebellion the guards were forced to show more authority over them which led to the creation of the ‘privileged cell’. In order to break down the ‘superior’ inmates the guards placed the good prisoners in the privileged cell for a few hours, then placed the good prisoners back into the bad cells causing confusion within the inmates, breaking the trust and isolating them. Within a week the study was abandoned as the experiment was no longer a simple simulation, instead the guards saw the prisoners as troublemakers they were made out to be. In response to this they began stepping up control, surveillance and aggression whilst the prisoner started breaking down emotionally being unable to handle the situation anymore. From the observations and information given by Dr Zimbardo’s reports, this study has helped in the understanding of criminal behaviour as it relates to imitation and conformity. The guards imitated the behaviour of real guards adapting the role quiet quickly. The prisoners also adapted the role quickly falling into depression and conforming to each other. This also helps how a person mental state can change their behaviour, with the prisoners they soon became depressed and mentally unstable, and this shows that when put into a certain disciplinary situation the mind adapts causing them to act immorally. Solomon Ashce (1951) – Conformity experiment- Solomon Ashce conducted the conformity experiment in 1951. The aim of this experiment was to investigate the extent of social pressure from a majority group can affect a person to conform. For this experiment Ashe used a lab experiment. Ashe used 8 participants for this experiment, 7 confederates and 1 naive participant. The 7 confederates had previously agreed to what their responses would be when presented with the line task. However the real participant had no knowledge of this and was led to believe that the other 7 participants were also real. With this experiment each person had to state aloud which line was most like the target line, (A, B or C). The answer was always an obvious one. The real participant always gave his or her answer last in order to see if they conformed or not. In some trials, the confederates gave the wrong answer whereas in some they gave the correct obvious answer. In the experiment there was 18 trials altogether and the confederates gave the wrong answer 12 out of the total 18. Ashce main observation was to find out if the real participant would end up conforming based on the majority views given by the other 7 participants. The results were then drawn up and out of the 18 trails, around 75% of the trials the real participant conformed even though he or she knew the answers were wrong. From the observations, this study has helped in the understanding of criminal behaviour as it explains that criminals may have previously been highly exposed to such aggressive behaviour causing them to conform. This shows that publicly any source of aggressive behaviour or criminal activity can lead to conformity causing more criminal behaviour. Anderson and Dill (2000) – Violence in video games study- Both Anderson and Dill conducted the relation between violence and video games study in 2000. The aim of this study was to find out how violent video games relate to aggressive behaviour. Their first study consisted of 227 students which were given a questionnaire in order to get data on their aggressive behaviour patterns. This study looked at the long-term exposure to video games and what effect it has on aggression towards people. The findings of the first study relating to the questionnaire came back with positive relations between the violence portrayed in video games and aggressive behaviour. The second study which Anderson and Dill conducted was to approach the impact that video games have on aggressive thoughts, social view and mood of a person. This study consisted of 210 students which were given a choice of 2 video games a non violent game ‘Myst’ or a violent interactive video game ‘Wolfstein 3D’. With the non violent game the objective was to travel the island of Myst, finding clues and making your own ending depending on the journey you took. With the violent game the objective was to eliminate the enemy ‘Adolf Hitler’ choosing your own hero and variety of weapons. With each game the students were allocated 3 slots for a period of 15minutes each. The findings of this study concluded Anderson and Dills knowledge and opinions that those exposed to the violent video game gained more aggressive behaviour than those who were not exposed to violence. From the observations, this study has helped in the understanding of criminal behaviour as it states that playing video games may increase aggressive behaviour because the violent acts are continually repeated throughout the game. Video games also encourage players to identify and interact through role play of their favourite characters causing them to imitate the character they are playing. Referring to first person in a game, it causes lead players to make their own decisions in the game affecting the actions of the character. Anderson and Dills studies show that after a limited amount of time playing violent video games, a player can start to automatically prime aggressive thoughts which can lead to aggressive behaviour. This shows that continually playing violent video games can affect a person’s thought patters leading to automatic aggressive behaviour through imitation of their favourite characters which could lead to criminal activity. Jahoda name study (1954)- Jahoda created the name study or as it is also called the self fulfilling prophecy. Jahoda studied the Ashanti tribe people who gave their boys ‘soul names’ depending on what day of the week they were born. For example, boys born a Monday were expected to be peaceful and full of good, whereas boys born on Wednesday which were called ‘Kwaku’ were expected to be aggressive and quick tempered. Jahoda found that when looking at prison and court records 13. 5% of boys that had been referred to court to court where from boys that were born on Wednesday, yet they were responsible for over 22% of violent crimes which was significantly higher than would be expected and shows that Wednesdays boys tended to live up to their reputation. However as for the boys born on Monday, they found that only 6. 9% of all juvenile cases where of minor offences. This implies that stereotypes of the boys behaviours depending on which day of the week they were born caused them to live up to expectations of their names. Jahoda concluded from all this that there was indeed nothing magical about the day of the week the boys were born on but of effect of expectations has on a person’s behaviour. From the observations and findings, this study has helped in the understanding of criminal behaviour as it links to the effect of rehabilitation and the study of the self fulfilling prophecy. If the offenders have the expectation that they should behave in such a way, rehabilitation may be more difficult. Overall the psychological theory of criminal behaviour suggests that negative expectations cause curtain’s to behave towards others in a specific way because their stereotypes – self fulfilling prophecy. Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968) – Self fulfilling prophecy- Both Rosenthal and Jacobson also conducted a self fulfilling prophecy study and the way that people behave according to profiling or being stereotyped in 1968. Their study was conducted on students in a classroom which was also known as the ‘Pygmalion in the classroom’. The students were then put into groups of what the students think they will achieve, where they were then treated in a way that their ability group could achieve. All students completed an IQ test before the study. The findings of this study concluded Rosenthal and Jacobson’s theory that when people are put into groups or have been stereotyped into a group can cause people’s behaviour to change as they will live up to the expectations of the stereotype. The findings found were that after two years the students that were put into the group for higher levels achieved higher than the other students in any other group. These students were known to have been given additional feedback and extra attention so the finding expected had were correct. From the findings, this study has helped in the understanding of criminal behaviour as it shows that when categorised into a stereotype, people soon learn to live up to that expectation, behaving in a certain way. This also has an impact on a person’s self esteem, causing them to act undesirably and maybe even lead them to turn to crime. Eden (1990) – Self fulfilling prophecy- Eden also conducted the self fulfilling prophecy study in 1990, this study explains why some people turn to crime due to the way they have been stereotyped or labelled into a certain group. For this study, Eden looked at the training of 1000 Israeli soldiers and had them organised into 29 platoons. Some platoon trainers were told their groups were above the average potential but other trainers were told nothing. The findings of this study showed that after 10 weeks the performance of all soldiers were assessed and was found that on both the written exam and weapon test, the soldiers who had been told they were above the average potential did overall better than others, even though all soldiers were at an average level. These findings concluded Eden’s expectations that when labelled into a certain group, a person can adjust to behave according to expectations within the labelled group. This study has helped in understanding of criminal behaviour as it shows the stereotypes and labelled groups can influence a person’s self esteem leading them to behave in a certain way and if the stereotype is negative it can cause a person to turn to crime. Sheehan (1983) – TV violence and aggression Sheehan conducted the TV violence and aggression study in 1983. This study consisted of a group of middle class children aged between 5 and 10 to help find the link between children’s TV viewing and aggressive behaviour. Throughout the study data was gathered about the participants’ parents and the researchers also asked about the children’s aggressive fantasies to whether it would physically injure a person. Sheehan found that there were correlations between viewing violence and peer rated correlations for children that were aged between 8 and 10, with the correlations being stronger for the boys than the girls. The results were recorded by looking whether the child injured of irritated another person. These findings can relate to the social learning theory as he found that boys were more likely to imitate male models but overall looking at the data Sheehan collected, those who watched violent TV and films became more aggressive towards others than those who did not. This study has helped in understanding of criminal behaviour as it shows that continuously watching violent and aggressive TV programmes can affect a person’s thought patterns leading to automatic aggressive behaviour and imitation of their favourite characters which could lead to criminal activity.

Moral choice of Hamlet

Hamlet was the only son of the late King that was named too as Hamlet. His father was murdered when Hamlet was away from home. He had an uncle, a brother of his father, named Claudius and later married Hamlet’s mother named Gertrude. Since Hamlet’s father was murdered, it was Claudius who took over the palace and became a king. On the other, Hamlet had a girlfriend named Ophelia. Ophelia was dearly loved by Hamlet. But there were many obstacles and hindrances that tested their love as lovers. Ophelia’s father, Polonius, and brother, Laertes, had strongly disagreed with their affair. They even reprimanded Ophelia not to talk again with Hamlet due to the reason that it was not inappropriate for Hamlet and Ophelia to have a relationship because they both came from different world. Moreover, Hamlet was very depressed and sad when his father died. He really searched and did not stop in finding for the truth in order to have justice for his father’s death. Hamlet had an intuition that his uncle, King Claudius, was responsible for the death of his father but Hamlet did not have enough evidences to prove the said accusation. But since he was clever enough, Hamlet made a plan that surely helped him find out who was the master mind of the death of his father. Then he found out something from the plan he set. When he identified and discovered that it was King Claudius who was responsible for his father’s death, he started to set another plan on how to kill King Claudius as a revenge and retaliation to his uncle. This plan he set up made the people, especially his uncle and Ophelia, puzzled what made him like that and this plan was to act out as insane. Hamlet believed that this plan will be the best way to kill his uncle. Now, when Hamlet showed himself to Ophelia, the love of his life was very terrified and startled because she knew that Hamlet was going insane and she was afraid what Hamlet might do to her. Because of that, Ophelia was set by King Claudius and Polonius to be used in finding out on what were the causes and reasons why Hamlet was going crazy. They speculated that Hamlet was insane because he and Ophelia were not permitted to see each other. But when the time they’ve met, Hamlet continually acted out as insane and Ophelia was very sad and depress. So King Claudius and Polonius were very disturbed on what made Hamlet that way and the King assumed that there must be another reasons that made him insane. Furthermore, there was an incident that Hamlet and Ophelia went out to watch a dramaturgical performance and Hamlet acted again as insane because King Claudius was there and he thought it would be the time to verify and confirm Claudius’ contriteness in the killing of his father. That incident made Ophelia very humiliated. After that incident, Hamlet accidentally killed Ophelia’s father that result to Ophelia’s suicide by drowning herself in the riverbank. Hamlet’s morals: Hamlet’s heart was full of hatred and selfishness in such a way that due to his plan to revenge to his stepfather and an uncle at the same time, the lives of others were affected and destroyed. He only thinks for himself. It is not wrong to find out the truth but if you cause pain and hurts to other people in order to get your desired plan, then, that made it bad. Hamlet had good intentions in doing such plan because through that, he will be able to find justice for his father’s death. But the act itself in carrying such plan was morally wrong because he involved other people’s lives like Ophelia’s father that he killed because of his anger and that caused Ophelia’s depression and ended up killing her on life.

Shianne Buie Compare and Contrast Chap 17 Both the Essays - Racism

Shianne Buie Compare and Contrast Chap 17 Both the Essays - Racism Shianne Buie Compare and Contrast Chap 17 Both the Jewish people and Native Americans were discriminated and targeted by political leaders, F hrer Adolf Hitler and President Andrew Jackson . Both men subjected these cultural groups to terribly devastating treatment and will forever be known as monsters for their actions. Even worse is the fact that these people were simply subjected to so much torture simply because of their different race s and religio n. The Holocaust and The Trail of Tears showcase the real horrors these cultural groups had to endure at the hands of these men. After Jackson issued the Indian Removal Act of 1830, numerous Native American tribes were gathered up by US soldiers to be taken to a reservation the government had set up for them. These people were forced out of their homes and told that if they didn't cooperate, they would be killed. They were then shuffled, on foot, by the army from their Southeastern US territ ories all the way to the Mississippi River. The Jews were also treated inhumanly by the Nazi army, they were dragged out of their homes in the night and forced into rundown Ghettos. Then they were all crowded into cattle cars and shipped off to Concentration Camps,also set up by the government, where they faced truly unspeakable horrors. Along the Trail of Tears many lives were lost by means of starvation, exhaustion, disease and even freezing to death. There was no regard not burial given for the dead, soldiers merely threw blankets over their bodies and pushed the others on their way. The way the Jews died was pretty much the same, there was also no type of proper burial for the deceased. It is said that there were actually mass graves that the Nazi ' s dumped the countless bodies of the dead in. Even after a century it seems men still hadn ' t learned how to act like human beings, in fact they seemed to have gotten worse. There were also a fair number a differences between these horrific events, one being the final death counts. From 1831 to 1838 nearly fifty-thousand Indians had walked the Trail of Tears, resulting in the deaths of 6,000. While during 1941 to 1945, nearly six million Jews, out of the 9.5 million that had populated Europe, had been killed. While they shared some of the main causes of death with the Native Americans on the Trail of Tears, the Jews also had to face gas chambers, being burned alive, exhaustion from overworking and even fatal medical experiments. Another difference between the two is the fact that the Trail of Tears was more of a periodic occurrence, only happening five times in a seven year period. While the Jewish victims were at the mercy of German soldiers for the entirely of the Holocaust period. The reasoning for these disasters is also different, t he Jews were targeted because Hitler managed to convince everyone that they were to blame for the failure of the economy in G ermany . As for the Indians, it was just a matter of white farmers wanting their land and needing a way to get them off it. Both causes were completely despicable all the same. While reading about the Trail of Tears in this chapter, I happened to recall a presentation my friend gave in high school about political leaders who had committed terrible crimes. Hitler was obviously on the list, but when she mentioned Jackson a lot of people were surprised, one guy even said and I quote, " But he was an American president. " My friend had responded that it didn't matter who the heck he was, because treating people like he did was absolutely repulsive and horrifying. I agreed with her reasoning and thought the presentation itself was really interesting, so I figured comparing and contrasting these two events would prove even more informative to me, as it certainly did.

Catal Huyuk Essays

Catal Huyuk Essays Catal Huyuk Paper Catal Huyuk Paper Although not entirely perfect, pottery dating over 7,000 years old was found with little to no weathering, and the designs still Intact. Due to the simple fact that Octal Yuk Is the only Neolithic site found on record, It Is difficult to Judge whether or not such architecture was typical of this period or not. Although Paleolithic and Neolithic tribes were thought to be primarily nomadic, it is not impossible (as demonstrated by Octal Yuk) for them to settle, especially with the development of domesticated animals. Octal Yuk is an entirely geometric architectural creation. The inhabitants lived in single-story buildings clustered around shared courtyards, used as garbage Octal Yuk was designed without the implementation of roads or plazas of any kind; however, it was simply unnecessary. The buildings were designed in a way that residents of Octal Yuk could traverse rooftops to get to other homes. Their protection relied on continuous, unbroken exterior walls, which made it easy to One difficulty the people of Octal Yuk may have encountered was lighting the interiors of their homes. Although fire was a means of illumination, the most effective daytime light source, the sun, would, more often than not, be unable to provide adequate lighting in the buildings. This is due, in part, to the limited construction of windows in the sides of homes. Furthermore, the windows that did exist could have been blocked by other buildings surrounding them. Apparently, the people of Octal Yuk lived fairly simple lives there was a significant absence of social class, so much that in the excavation of Octal Yuk nearly all the homes appeared to have the same features, and there were absolutely no exceptions. Men and women also ere thought to be fairly equal in terms of their roles In society and In the village. In many aspects the people of Octal Yuk were far more advanced than was typical of the Neolithic period.

A Holy Nation

A Holy Nation Essay A Holy NationAfter creating the world, a paradise for human kind, God is forced to banish Adam and Eve because they disobey His orders to not eat fruit from the tree of wisdom. This results ultimately in the fall of man to earth. Immediately from the beginning of his time on Earth, man chooses not to follow the path set before him by God but instead spreads evil throughout the world. Therefore, the inherent problem humans face is the pressure to judge between good and evil, the need to aspire to be like God. Gods first solution to this problem was to flood the world killing everyone, but those on Noahs arch. God realizes, however, that this is not an answer to the problem that humans are, and decides upon a second solution, that being the Holy Nation of Israel. God creates Israel, so that the Holy Nation and its history can serve as a guiding-light to the world. Israel is therefore an example in which the world can look upon and learn from. A pivotal character within the great histor y of Israel, is the Holy Nations first king, King Saul. Saul epitomizes the problematic human being, and his character fully illustrates human pride, the need to rise up and be like God in judging what is right and wrong. This pride is ultimately the central source of all other sins. The rule of Saul over the people of Israel is a major turning point for the Holy Nation, for it marks the end of a line of Judges and begins a line of Kings. Saul is anointed king of Israel due to the sin of the people of Israel. The citizens of Israel, notice not only that Samuel, the Judge, was growing old, but also that his sons, whom he appointed to succeed him as Judge, did not follow their fathers ways but were intent on their own profit, taking bribes, and perverting the course of justice(8:3). As a result the people demanded a king be appointed to rule over them, even after they were given a solemn warning of the future kings tyranny (8:10-8:18). Because the Israelites reject the order of Judges , they thereby reject Gods word that He will save them, and have, as a result, lost faith in God. God states to Samuel, Listen to the people and all that they are saying; they have not rejected you, it is I whom they have rejected, I whom they will not have be their King(8:7). In spite of His peoples sin against Him, however, God finds a king to rule over Israel, and chooses Saul. In the beginning Saul is a strong and humble leader to his people. When is uncle questions him about Samuels remarks, Saul replies, He told us that the donkeys had been found but he did not repeat what Samuel had said about his being king(10:16). He does not tell his uncle that he is to become king of Israel because he is not overconfident and prideful in his position as ruler over Gods chosen ones. Moreover, Saul becomes very zealous and effective leader when he chooses to take a pair of oxen, cut them in pieces, and send messenger with the pieces all through Israel to proclaim that the same would be done to the oxen of any man who did not follow Samuel and himself to battle(11:5). Sauls first acts and first successes as king prove not only that he possesses the qualities of a good leader, but also reinforces in the mind of the people that he is Gods chosen. Sauls first victories against the nations enemies cause great joy and excitement amongst the Israelites. During this moment of rejoicing, Samuel gives a warning to the people of Israel that is more directed towards Saul himself. Samuel states, If you will revere the Lord and give true and loyal service, if you do not rebel against his commands, and if you and the king who reigns over you are faithful to the Lord you God, well and good, but if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against his commands, then his hands will be against you and against your king(12:14-15). Here, Samuel is effectually warning against the inherent human problem, telling the people not ever to substitute Gods judgement for ones own judgement. Although this is only a warning, it comes at a very unexpected time and foreshadows Sauls perpetual fall form Gods good favor. READ: 12 Angry Men EssaySauls mistakes and sins toward God begin in his very next campaign against the Philistines. The Philistines mustered to attack Israel; they had thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horse, with infantry as countless as the sand on the seashore. The Israelites found themselves in sore straits, for the army was hard pressed, so they hid themselves in caves and holes and among the rocks, in pits and cisterns(13:5-6). Upon this pathetic image of his countrymen Saul begins to doubt Gods promise to save His people, therein lies Sauls fatal mistake, and mans basis for sin. As a result Saul chooses to acting in the manner of pagans, make whole-sacrifices in order to ensure the Lords favor. Although sacrificing to God may seem slight and excusable, the reason for which Saul chooses to act in this manner is not. Saul has shown that he has lost his confidence in God, and that his actions no longer correspond to Gods wishes because he can some how judge between rig ht and wrong for himself. At this point Sauls downfall is not fully apparent to the reader, but Samuel is able to see through to Sauls deadly sin. Samuel states, You have acted foolishly! You have not kept the command laid on you by the Lord your God; if you had he would have established your dynasty over Israel for all time. But now your line will not endure; the Lord will seek out a man after his own heart, appoint him prince over his people, because you have not kept the Lords command(13:13-14). Samuels words at this point seem far too drastic, but Samuel makes this statement because he is able to recognize that Sauls broken reasoning can only lead to more extreme sins against God. During Sauls next campaign against the Amalekites, Samuels warning comes to fruition, and now not only is God and Samuel able to see Sauls apparent flaws, but so can the reader. God directly commands Saul during a time in which the word of the Lord was rarely heard, and there was no outpouring of visio n(3:1), stating, Go now, fall upon the Amalekites, destroy them, and put their property under ban. Spare no one, put them to death, men and women, children and babies in arms, herds and flocks, camels and donkey(15:3). Fully understanding the commands that God gave him, Saul goes directly into battle with the Amalekites, yet he chooses not to obey Gods word, in spite of the strong emphasis that was put on the correct course of acts he should have taken due to Gods rare direct instruction. Saul inflicted defeat on the Amalekitesbut Agag king of the Amalekites he took alive and his army spared the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat beasts and the lambs, and everything worth keeping; these they were unwilling to destroy, but anything that was useless and of no value they destroyed(15:7). Therefore Saul as acted out in total defiance of God. He no longer follows the word of God, but instead has acted out of his own volition. His rejection of the word of the Lord results in his loss o f the Kingdom of Israel as prophesized by Samuel who took Agag and hewed him in pieces. Sauls actions at Amalek become a pivotal point in Sauls life because God does not support him any longer; he has loss his anointment as King of Israel. The argument that ensues between Saul and Samuel is a most powerful piece of symbolism. As Samuel turned to go, Saul caught the corner of his cloak and it tore.(15:27). At this point Saul is standing like a guilty child, pathetically holding onto a shred of cloth. This image marks the start of Sauls drastic downfall. READ: Fahrenheit 451 - A Charred Existence EssayA new king is revealed to Samuel, by God, as being David. God also anoints David as King of Israel, presenting a major conflict since there are now two kings of Israel. David is also appointed commander of Israels army and succeeds in battle, routing his enemies a number of times. As a result Israelites begin saying, Saul struck down Thousands, but David tens of thousands(18:7). This causes Saul to become thick with jealousy of David, and soon Saul is seen hurling spears trying to murder David, yet David amazingly is able to dodge certain death. After this Saul was afraid of David because he saw that God had forsaken him and was with David, who led his men into action and succeeded in everything that he undertook(18:12). Yet Saul continues to pursue and try to murder David, a clear agent of God. Therefore, Saul has ultimately developed on three separate levels. On the first of these levels, he first begins to doubt Gods power and wor d when he sees the massive Philistine army and makes a sacrifice to ensure Gods support. This first sin slowly progresses onto a second level, when Saul chooses to openly defy God and decides to spare Agag. In his final level of development, Saul has deteriorated into an evil person searching for a way to destroy Gods good work. Although it is perfectly clear that God protects David, Saul continues to try and kill him. At this junction Saul finds himself alone; his son is on Davids side, his daughter is on Davids side, his people are on Davids side, and most importantly God is on Davids side. Therefore, Saul must die and give way to David, yet David is unwilling to kill Gods anointed one, and the Philistines are kept from kill Saul because they are all uncircumcised. The final solution presents itself when Saul is injured and thereupon he took his own sword and fell on it. Once Saul is dead as a result of his own hand, David is king and he is not stained with the blood of another an ointed king. Sauls progression from Gods chosen king to king against God comes full circle. He came from the sin of the people and therefore he must die when he returns to that sin. Sauls story serves as an example of human natures need to judge for itself in its purest form. This need is very problematic, as we have seen, because humans can only see the obvious cause and effects that present themselves throughout life. The Lord does not see as a mortal sees; mortals see only appearances but the Lord sees into the heart(16:7). As humans our perceptions are imperfect, and as a result we cannot possibly judge what is right and what is wrong. Therefore, the most basic human sin is then need to become like God in making these judgements that we cannot possibly make with any accuracy what so ever. Saul embodies pure pride and is apart of Israels development into a nation that will ultimately serve as a guide to the world because he is a model of what humans must restrain themselves form doing and bein g. Religion Essays

Grover Cleveland's Illegitimate Child Scanal Essay

Grover Cleveland's Illegitimate Child Scanal - Essay Example Hunter was a film-making staffer in his office. A comparison between the handling of the Cleveland’s case and the latter two cases reveals the significant transformation of America from a classical society that attempted to suppress such scandals to an open one in which guilty perpetrators are willing to admit their past mistakes publicly and show a sense of responsibility. This paper explores the impacts Cleveland’s illegitimate child scandal and the public response to such cases. Challenges of fighting sex scandals The US is better off in terms of surviving such scandals among political leaders (Wiid, Pitt and Engstrom 138). This is partly because the women, particularly those whose husbands have been caught up in these lies, are living testimonies of the historical female abuse in marriage relationships. In light of the long-standing challenges facing women, most of them tend to see child scandals as normal. As such, the problem has become so widespread among the pol itical elite that surviving them is relatively easy; especially once the media has directed extensive media coverage to other important issues affecting the society (Feschuk 85). Chotiner (5) has pointed out that prominent politicians have been at the forefront of these scandals, people who command huge following and admiration from the public. In light of this, these scandals have been misconstrued to mean private life events that have very little, if any bearing on the quality of services that the public is entitled to. This lack of concern on the part of the American public not only shows hypocrisy, it has resulted in repeated cases of child scandals by key leaders in the country (Berinsky et al 177). The repetitiveness of such cases affecting elected leaders has earned them some level of acceptance within the public domain, since forcing such leaders out of office has not been as easy as handling the conduct of the bureaucracy within government circles. Part of the issues that h ave aggravated such scandals by making the American public have a less serious approach to weeding out the perpetrators from public service is the effectiveness of some of the individuals in discharging their mandate (Chotiner 6). Most Americans would rather have an honest, apologetic political leader whose name has been tarnished by a child scandal, with an exemplary performance record to remain in office for the rest of his or her term than spend more time and resources replacing him. America survived Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, partly on this reasoning (Greenberg 52). Barring guilty would-be leaders from office Despite the virtual failure to bring all pre-existing holders of political offices to book over sex and illegitimate child scandals, most of the guilty would-be leaders have been successfully barred from holding public office. Senator John Edwards was a potential candidate for the vice-President of the United States five years ago, but was forced to abandon the race (Wiid, P itt, and Engstrom 141).  The leader’s ‘love child’ affair dented his image and leadership qualities when he misled his wife, and the country about the issue. Former South Carolina governor Mark Sanford was forced to call it quits in 2011 over a similar scandal.  His vocations in Argentina, it later emerged, were a scandal in which he admitted to using public funds to entertain his mistress. However, he has

Quantative problem solving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Quantative problem solving - Essay Example On the other hand, Carol recommends the Exer-Trim program of the XYZ Fitness Club which offers a daily pass and use of gym and other health facilities worth $2.56 inclusive of supplements at a fixed annual cost of $307. As a challenge to herself, Tanya has to decide on the option that would enable her to lose weight and save money on the first 60 days prior to their out-of-the-country vacation. A. Analyze the cost of each option algebraically – Each cost equation may be written in the slope-intercept form y = mx + b, Assuming that the value of the daily set meal under the U-Light program is not subject to change, then Tanya would have to pay a constant rate of $5.13 if she chooses to diet without workout and agree to cover the $145-annual fee. Hence, the cost of enrolment for the U-Light package may be set, depending on the number of days (t) signed up for, as: C(t) = 5.13*t + 145 (in which the slope (m) is the rate $5.13 charge per day and the y-intercept (b) assumes the fixe d cost of $145 (on a yearly basis)). Considering the Exer-Trim program, nevertheless, Tanya has the alternative of visiting the XYZ club for an extensive workout that can make her thoroughly fit even in the absence of restricting diet on food. She just needs to pay a uniform daily rate of $2.56 that comes with fixed settlement of $307 for supplementary items such that, depending also on the number of days (t) enrolled for, it would cost her: C(t) = 2.56*t + 307 (in which the slope (m) is the rate $2.56 charge per day and the y-intercept (b) is given by the fixed cost of $307 (on a yearly basis)) C(t) stands for ‘cost in dollars’ whereas ‘t’ represents the number of days (diet and exercise) and to find solution where the values of C(t) and t are the same for both schemes, equate 5.13*t + 145 = 2.56*t + 307 which becomes 2.57*t = 162 (on combining like terms) ---? t ? 63.035 days (upon division of each side by 2.57) Then, substituting this value of ‘tâ €™ into one of the original equations: C(63.035) = 5.13*(63.035) + 145 ---? C(63.035) ? $468.37 This means that the solution is approximately at: B. Depict the real-world problem on a single graph – Sketch of the Graph: Total Workout or Diet Meal Cost (per package) C(t) t-days (diet or exercise) C. Discuss a decision-making process that is based on both mathematical reasoning and non-financial, or situational, considerations. After solving the system of equations and sketching each linear graph on the xy-plane, Tanya can now decide according to the following outcomes: At t > 63.035 days, it would cost Tanya too much to go on a south beach diet with U-Light program whereas at t < 63.035 days, it is rather expensive to go after extensive workout with Exer-Trim program. Since Tanya’s priority is to save money for the first 60 days of her weight loss scheme, she must then opt for the U-Light program and go on south beach diet that merely includes one pass to the gym. T he graph shows that she can save more for the Bali-getaway if she agrees to pay $5.13 a day for a south beach diet meal with fixed annual service charge of $145. In that case, she would

Purchase Behavior Of Consumers Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Purchase Behavior Of Consumers - Assignment Example The current sample is predominantly female, composing 83% of the sample. On the other hand, the remainder 17% are males. On civil status, the sample consists of 32% married respondents, and 68% single respondents.   The profile of the sample in terms of age is as follows: 25-

Discuss the female action heroine in 2-3 Hong Kong films. To what Essay

Discuss the female action heroine in 2-3 Hong Kong films. To what extent does she transgress conventional gender roles and to w - Essay Example Besides, the unique socio-cultural and political setting of Honk Kong deeply influences the foretold difference in gender roles. Thesis statement: The female action heroine in Hong Kong films transgresses conventional gender roles and does not simply conform to male fantasies (Special references to the star Brigitte Lin in the Hong Kong films: Swordsman II, Ashes of Time, Bride with White Hair). Prominence of women actors in Hong Kong action cinema The prominence of women actors in Hong Kong action cinema challenges the conventional mode of masculine power vested upon male actors. Kar, Bren and Ho (2004, p.109) state that ‘Historians of early Chinese cinema often regard Hong Kong as a cultural â€Å"branch† of the more sophisticated Shanghai’. An alternative version of masculinity can be seen among women actors in Hong Kong action cinema. Pang and Wong (2005, p. 137) state that ‘The ideological implications of masculinity can be radically re-examined by not simply looking at men exclusively but also mapping and recognizing the culture of a certain female type’. Within this perspective, masculinity is not fully vested upon male. Instead, masculinity is expressed through the search for one’s identity, especially by the female heroine. 1. Transvestite/Cross-dressing in Chinese (Hong Kong) films Transvestite/Cross-dressing in Chinese (Hong Kong) films creates sexual ambiguity and transforms gender identity from hero to heroine and vice versa. One can easily identify that cross-dressing in Chinese Operas deeply influenced the same process in films, especially the Hong Kong films. Vojkovic (2009, p. 43) states that ‘Here, we also have to consider the fact that Kung fu comedy as a genre makes much less of an appeal to authenticity, reminding us also that Kung fu comedy draws its origins from Beijing Opera’. Besides, cross-dressing indirectly challenges male primacy and patriarchy in the Chinese society. Generally, c ross-dressing helps the female heroine to hide her biological gender but the same will be exposed in front of the audience in the final unmasking scene. Garber (1997, p.45) makes clear that ‘Women who cross-dress must fall into two categories: the occasional, recreational cross-dresser who does not wish or try to pass and the transsexual’. Within the context of Chinese (Hong Kong) films, cross-dressing (assuming gender codes) lead to transvestism (transformation to opposite sex). In short, the Chinese (Hong Kong) films make use of cross-dressing as an innovative tool to challenge the hierarchy of power. 2. Transsexual/ Swordswomen in Chinese (Hong Kong) films The transsexual/ swordswomen in Chinese (Hong Kong) films are capable to demonstrate skill similar to their counterparts. But these transsexual/ swordswomen are not portrayed as independent warriors because they are attached to their male counterparts. Hunt (2003, pp.117-118) states that ‘But as Asian audienc es and critics were well aware, women warriors are nothing new in Chinese storytelling and have a much longer history than their western counterparts’. The unique socio-cultural and political setting within China, especially in Hong Kong unveils the feminine side of transsexual/ swordswomen. For instance, womenfolk in Chinese society uphold traditional

Motivation, leadership style and performance management Essay

Motivation, leadership style and performance management - Essay Example This essay is structured in different sections, with each section dealing with one factor of crucial influence on performance. The first section discusses the various theories of motivation including the works of Maslow (1943), Alderfer (1972), McClelland (1955) and evaluates the impact of motivation on the group’s performance. The second section discusses theories of leadership by XYZ, and assesses the impact of leadership style on the performance of our group. The third section of the essay covers performance measurement as the factor that impacts on the team performance. The final section of this essay covers my conclusions and the recommendations that can help in better performance management. The first factor that I intend to relate to performance of team is motivation. Motivation has been one of the most studied and discussed topics relevant to performance. According to one of the oldest and most popular theories of motivation, motivation is the result of drives or needs that human beings have. For example, Maslow’s Theory of Hierarchy of Needs (1943) states that there are several stages of needs, like the basic needs for food, shelter and security; social needs related to feeling a sense of belongingness or affection, status and self-esteem needs, and self-actualization needs. As a person is able to fill his lower order needs, the higher order needs become operant and motivate him. See Figure 1 below: Figure 1: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory (Source: Maslow, 1943). Another version of the derive theory is that proposed by Alderfer (1972), which segregates these needs into only three categories – ERG or existence, Relatedness and Growth needs. According to Alderfer (1972), all three types of needs can be operational at the same time. Similarly, a theory of need is proposed by McClelland (1955), which states that people are motivated by different needs and the prominent need defines what factors may motivate them. For example , according to McClelland (1955), people who have a high need for achievement are motivated by challenging tasks and lofty objectives, while people who have a high need for affiliation are motivated by opportunities that furnish them with more social interactions or recognition. Need for power is high in people who are motivated to obtain positions of high status and power. These theories root the basis of motivation into an internal need of the person. In contrast to these theories, theories like that of Vroom (1964), consider the external rewards and expectations as the driving forces for motivation and performance. Vroom’s theory states that people gauge if their efforts are capable of getting them the desired performance, and if the performance outcome can lead them to their goals or rewards. This means that there are basically two aspects to motivation one is the expectations of a link between effort and performance, and the other a direct link between the performance an d rewards. Another essential aspect of motivation according to this theory is the desirability of the reward or the expected value of the reward. People are motivated to expend the effort only if the reward has value for them. As such, motivation according to this theory is a product of: Motivation = Expectancy X Instrumentality X Valence Where, Expectancy is expectation that the effort leads to performance Instrumentality is the perception that the performance will be instrumental in attaining the reward Valence is the value of the reward for the person In addition, motivation can be both extrinsic, as in the case where rewards and incentives are the motivating factors, and intrinsic, where the person wants to fulfil an internal need –

Purchase Behavior Of Consumers Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Purchase Behavior Of Consumers - Assignment Example The current sample is predominantly female, composing 83% of the sample. On the other hand, the remainder 17% are males. On civil status, the sample consists of 32% married respondents, and 68% single respondents.   The profile of the sample in terms of age is as follows: 25-

Motivation, leadership style and performance management Essay

Motivation, leadership style and performance management - Essay Example This essay is structured in different sections, with each section dealing with one factor of crucial influence on performance. The first section discusses the various theories of motivation including the works of Maslow (1943), Alderfer (1972), McClelland (1955) and evaluates the impact of motivation on the group’s performance. The second section discusses theories of leadership by XYZ, and assesses the impact of leadership style on the performance of our group. The third section of the essay covers performance measurement as the factor that impacts on the team performance. The final section of this essay covers my conclusions and the recommendations that can help in better performance management. The first factor that I intend to relate to performance of team is motivation. Motivation has been one of the most studied and discussed topics relevant to performance. According to one of the oldest and most popular theories of motivation, motivation is the result of drives or needs that human beings have. For example, Maslow’s Theory of Hierarchy of Needs (1943) states that there are several stages of needs, like the basic needs for food, shelter and security; social needs related to feeling a sense of belongingness or affection, status and self-esteem needs, and self-actualization needs. As a person is able to fill his lower order needs, the higher order needs become operant and motivate him. See Figure 1 below: Figure 1: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory (Source: Maslow, 1943). Another version of the derive theory is that proposed by Alderfer (1972), which segregates these needs into only three categories – ERG or existence, Relatedness and Growth needs. According to Alderfer (1972), all three types of needs can be operational at the same time. Similarly, a theory of need is proposed by McClelland (1955), which states that people are motivated by different needs and the prominent need defines what factors may motivate them. For example , according to McClelland (1955), people who have a high need for achievement are motivated by challenging tasks and lofty objectives, while people who have a high need for affiliation are motivated by opportunities that furnish them with more social interactions or recognition. Need for power is high in people who are motivated to obtain positions of high status and power. These theories root the basis of motivation into an internal need of the person. In contrast to these theories, theories like that of Vroom (1964), consider the external rewards and expectations as the driving forces for motivation and performance. Vroom’s theory states that people gauge if their efforts are capable of getting them the desired performance, and if the performance outcome can lead them to their goals or rewards. This means that there are basically two aspects to motivation one is the expectations of a link between effort and performance, and the other a direct link between the performance an d rewards. Another essential aspect of motivation according to this theory is the desirability of the reward or the expected value of the reward. People are motivated to expend the effort only if the reward has value for them. As such, motivation according to this theory is a product of: Motivation = Expectancy X Instrumentality X Valence Where, Expectancy is expectation that the effort leads to performance Instrumentality is the perception that the performance will be instrumental in attaining the reward Valence is the value of the reward for the person In addition, motivation can be both extrinsic, as in the case where rewards and incentives are the motivating factors, and intrinsic, where the person wants to fulfil an internal need –

The Life Styles Inventory Essay Example for Free

The Life Styles Inventory Essay The Life Styles Inventory (LSI) is a self-assessment questioning instrument that processes the information you input into the system into 12 different thinking styles. The LSI encourages applicants to understand and change bad behavior and find ways to improve them by examining one’s thoughts and feeling and why they do things the way they do. After taking the 240 self-assessment exam an individual knows exactly what they need to focus on in terms of their development style, because the assessment gives you raw feedback of the results. The results of the self-description is graphed on a circular diagram and table chart giving visual feedback of the individuals results as it relates to their thoughts and behavior in the 12 LSI styles. This summary is a custom-made developmental needs assessment, which then gives the individuals their strengths and areas they may need improvement in. My Life Style Inventory profile shows my primary style is Avoidance. My backup thinking style is dependent closely followed by Power falling within 5% referred to in the LSI Circumplex. As much as I hate to admit it I found the information in the finding extremely accurate with my primary style. I would definitely agree that Avoidance is in my nature. The information that it has under the avoidance style circumplex describes me to T. All my life I’ve been told that I hide my true feelings, that I shy away from situations that I may not want to get involved in because I make them bigger than they really are, and even that I have a fear of failure and rejection. However, I don’t fully agree with what it says about the Avoidance-Oriented Manager style for me. It states that that (â€Å"Managers scoring higher on this scale are often threatened by the responsibilities of their positions and tend to feel overwhelmed much of the time. By choosing to ignore problems in hopes that things will take care of themselves, they often obtain a false, temporary sense of security. †(LSI 2013). I agree with this statement to a certain extent. I might feel threatened by the responsibility of 1my position sometimes, but that is only because I want to do the job perfectly without any flaws, knots or wrinkles. As this may cause me to feel overwhelmed, it doesn’t make me ignore problems in hopes that things will take care of themselves it makes me strive that much harder to complete the job as best I can. I find myself as a more hands on: we will get it done together type manager because I feel people respect managers who don’t mind getting their hands dirty sometime. That’s not to say that I want delegate responsibilities throughout my team because I certainly don’t have a problem with doing that also. My first back up style is Dependent and I too much don’t agree with everything that was stated in this circumplex but again it kind of fit my personality. The circumplex states that (â€Å"The Dependent scale measures the degree to which we feel our efforts do not count. Dependent behavior originates in a need for security and self-protection: dependent people typically feel that they have very little control over their lives. † (LSI 201) It also stated that this style may be due to some type of life changes which I can see why it fits my personality. I was recently in a long term relationship with the first girl I ever loved and I believe due to that separation I can see how I may feel my efforts do not count and how I may feel I may feel that I have very little control over my life because in this relationship I really wanted to get back with my ex-girlfriend but we never did. And this even ties in with the Power management style which would be like my backup to my backup style. I believe my limiting style would be Self-Actualizing because this is where I scored my lowest score on the LSI circumplex. I believe that my low score in this area is what will possibly keep me from being the most effective manager possible. If I could change one behavior from this area I would change how it says I doubt myself and my ability to make a difference. I would like to have more confidence in my abilities and take the risks because with risk you get big rewards. This style that I would like to change is Achievement. I believe Achievement is one of the styles that I much have working for me because of all that I could gain. I also chose Achievement because this is where I scored one of my lowest scores on the LSI assessment and I agree with the reasoning the assessment had to offer. I think by me not scoring high in this assessment it increase my overall effectiveness in the organization because Achievers have increased opportunities for promotions, higher salary levels, more respect from others and the ability to effectively lead others just to name a few and these are all thing that I want the gain within an organization. My personal style is more laid back. I have a really nonchalant attitude toward most things. I am not really confrontational at all I am more like a mediator. I like to think of myself as an open person accepting of others and very friendly because I have a nature of wanting to be accepted. I feel my management style is somewhat different though. First and for most I demand the respect of all my employees as a manager because I want no misunderstanding what our roles is. Once you start one what you can’t change styles in the middle of the race, I believe you will lose a lot of respect from employees that way even fellow coworkers, top management etc. Also as a manager I feel that I am loyal, honest and fair. I believe that hard work is very important and I always strive to complete assignment at any cost. After I have established my roles as a manager and thing are running smoothly I then let my personality slip into the mix. Once I feel more comfortable with employees I am able to joke around and allow for a un-tense work environment. As I am not a manager at this time I recall my previous positions as a supervisor at my last job as a case manager and as a resident assistant over a floor of 35+ college men. In my job I also strived to complete assignments because I want the team to look good when other department were falling short of the quota. At the same time I was pretty cool with my team because I wanted a non-hostile work environment. My personality was shaped throughout the course of my life. I was raised by a single parent my mother and I was pretty sheltered. I was raised to do the right thing in a Christian household and to do unto others as I would want them to do unto me. I feel that the way I was brought up, my religion and culture definitely plays a part in my personality. I feel my mother sheltering me relates to my need to be dependent on others. I feel that the way I was brought up in a Christian household relates to me thinking the way I do causing me to be a little narrow-minded when it comes to certain issues. Looking back on this assignment I really feel like I learned a lot from the LSI. This experience helped me understand my style a whole lot better and makes me what to take hat I have learned and apply it to my life to make me a better manager. With what I have learned I definitely feel this assignment will influence my personal, academic and professional development because of what I know now. I’ve learned that this chart is not indefinite and that my styles can change if I work on it. The areas that I may feel are character flaw I can work on them and potentially fix them and make me better manager. One goal that I hope to work on is opening up more and not shying away from responsibility. I feel that if I work on these goals I would be a good manager.

Ratio Analysis Of British Airways Plc Finance Essay

Ratio Analysis Of British Airways Plc Finance Essay British Airways PLC is the largest international airline of United Kingdom. It is based at the London Heathrow Airport and the busiest airports in the world. It is serves 96 million passengers a year using around 441 airports in 86 countries and more than thousand planes. British airway is fiercely competitive, heavily regulated and highly exposed to changes in customer behaviour and consumer confidence. British airway has a total market capitalisation of approximately  £3299 million, Shares in Issue 1153 million and the current share price is 286p. The past economic environment creates a new challenge to the company they concentrate their efforts to seize long-term opportunities for growth. 2. Background Feb 2008 In this fiscal year, British Airways is targeting a 10 percent operating margin, which is said to be the highest in its history, as it taps demand for premium travel It once again declared that it is targeting a full-year sales growth of 3 to 3.5 percent. May 2008 British Airways Operational Environment to keep up with competitors and to incorporate fuel efficient aircraft to its ageing fleet, British Airways signed a firm contract on 28 May 2008 for two Airbus A138 British Airways Report on British Airways The airways has an Operational Environment in order to keep up with its competitors and to combine its fuel efficient aircraft to its ageing fleet, British Airways has signed a firm contract for two Airbus A138 on 28 May 2008. Jul 2008 Merger talks were started between British Airways and Iberia in the year 2008 due to the decrease in passenger demand, whereas on the other hand the pension fund deficit was around 3 billion pounds ($5 billion) and the outcome of the combined entity was striking. British Airways plans to reduce seating, raise ticket prices as there was a 90% fall in the first quarter which was three days after announcing merger talks with Iberia. Mar 2009 By March, 2009 its revenues rose to  £8.99 billion whereas it was  £8.75 billion a year agoBritish Airways revenues rose to  £8.99 billion for the year ended March 31, 2009. The same stood at  £8.75 billion in the same period a year ago. Reduced passenger and cargo demand and high fuel prices last summer contributed to our 220 million pounds . The introduction of Reduced passenger and cargo demand and high fuel prices helped in the contribution of the 220 million pounds operating loss in the last year. April 2009 during the global recession period, Europes third- biggest carrier, the British Airways Plc, gave an approval of a voluntary severance for a total number of 300 workers because the traffic of passengers extended to a great deal. Jul 2009 By John Bowker LONDON (Reuters) British Airways (BAY.L) has not ruled out a major rights issue to help shore up its balance sheet but analysts see such a move as an absolute last resort and one that could destroy management credibility. Sep 2009 On this day the first EMBRAER 170 jet was delivered by Embraer in Sà £o Josà © dos Campos, Brazil, the headquarters, to British Airways. This aircraft was configured with 76 seats and in a singleclass layout, which will be operated by BA CityFlyer, British Airways wholly owned regional subsidiary. Also to mention that the regional subsidiary operates international and domestic routes from London City Airport. Oct 2009 A new service is to be launched by the British Airways from Gatwick to Montego bay, Punta Cana twice in a week. Nov 2009 British Airways (BA) has operated for 23 years at London Heathrow and finally has bid farewell to the facilty. Jan 2010 British Airways has been operating Japan in the past 62 years and at present it operates 7 flights in a week between London Heathrow and Narita International Airport. British Airways Flying Club Piper PA-28-236 G-ODAK. Shoreham 6/3/ 2010. Sep 2010 British Airways provides an Increase in the number of Flights to the Caribbean Just the Filed in: Flight, Travel Campbell River Firm Restoring the Past DC-3 Called a Flying Time Capsule 3. Ratio analysis 3.1. Ratio Analysis- British Airways PLC RATIO 2010 2009 B/W Operating profit margin 231 7994 2.89% 220 8992 2.45% B Current 2674 3740 .71 2346 4142 .56 B Quick 2674-98 3740 .69 2346-127 4142 .54 B Fixed Asset turnover 7994 7973 1 8992 8142 1.1 W Return on capital employed 231 10677-3740 3.33% 220 10488-4142 3.47% W Return on equity 425 2113 20.11% 358 1846 19.39 % B Debt to equity 4824 2113 2.28 4500 1846 2.43 B Dividend yield 5.20 122.8 4.23% 5.02 150.9 3.33% B Price to earning ratio 250 38.5 6.49 137.5 32.6 4.21 W Earning yield 38.5 250 15.4% 32.6 137.5 23.7% W Return on total assets 425 10677 3.98% 358 10488 3.41% B Sales per employee 7994 79097  £ 518565.8 8992 72375  £ 490196.9 B Stock turnover 412 x 365 25842 5.819 days 417 x 365 21890 6.953 days W Dividend cover 38.5 5.20 1.123 32.6 5.02 2.502 W Account receivable turnover 499 x 365 7994 22.78 days 530 x 365 8992 21.51 days W Account payable turnover 3160 x 365 25842 44.63 days 2963 x 365 21890 49.41 days W Total Asset turnover 7994 10677 0.75 8992 10488 .86 W Gearing 4824 4824+2113 69.54% 4500 4500+1846 70.91% B 3.2. Interpretation and Explanations of ratios 3.2.1. Operating profit margin The  Operating Profit Margin measures the Operating Profit in relation to the Net Sales.   This reveals the operating efficiency of the company. The higher the Operating Profit Margin, then more efficient is the business. Operating Profit   Operating Profit Margin  = Sales   As a result of analysis, the operating profit margin of the year 2009 is 2.45% and that of the year 2010 is 2.89%. The operation margin of the year 2010 is higher than that of the year 2009, so it can be concluded that the company is performing an efficient operation. 3.2.2. Current ratio The current ratio compares all the Current Assets of a company to all the Current Liabilities.   What this ratio basically tells us is if the company had to sell all its readily available assets, would it be able to pay off its immediate debt? A ratio under  1 suggests that the company  would  be  unable to pay off  its obligations if they came due at that point. Current Assets Current Ratio = Current Liabilities As a result of analysis, the current ratio of the year 2009 is 0.56 and that of year 2010 is 0.71. Current ratio of both years is below 1 so it can be concluded that the company is not in good financial health. Also it can be said that the company is performing good since the current ratio of 2010 is higher when compared to that of 2009. . 3.2.3. Quick ratio Also called the Acid-Test Ratio, the  current ratio compares all the Current Assets of a company to all the Current Liabilities just like the Current Ratio, but the Inventories are subtracted from the Current Assets. Current Assets Inventory Quick  Ratio = Current Liabilities As a result of analysis, quick ratio of the year 2009 is 0.54 and that of the year 2010 is 0.69. Current ratio of 2010 is higher than 2009, so the company is in a favourable position 3.2.4. Fixed Asset turnover The  Fixed Asset Turnover is measure  a companys effectiveness in  generating  Net Sales  revenue from investments back into the company. The higher the Fixed Asset Turnover ratio, the more effective the companys investments in Net Property, Plant, and Equipment have become. Sales     Fixed Asset Turnover = Fixed asset   From the analysis of the last two years, fixed asset turnover of the year 2009 is 1.1 and the year 2010 is 1. Fixed asset turnover is low in the year 2010, so it can be said that the company is not as effective compared to the year 2009. 3.2.5. Return on Capital employed It is a ratio that indicates the  efficiency  and profitability of a companys capital investments. ROCE should always be higher than the rate  at which  the  company  borrows otherwise any increase in borrowing will reduce shareholders earnings. Operating profit     Return on capital employed = Total assets   Current liability As a result of analysis, the return on capital employed of the year 2009 is 3.47% and the year 2010 is 3.33%. Return on capital employed of the year 2010 is less than the year 2009, so it can be said that, profitability of the company is less when compared to 2009. 3.2.6. Return on equity The  Return on Equity measures the Net Earnings in relation to the Equity.   Return on Equity describes how well contributions from  stockholders  generated earnings for the company. Net Earnings   Return on Equity =   Equity   From the analysis of return on equity ratio, it is 19.39% for the year 2009 and 20.11% for the year 2010. In the year 2010 return on equity ratio is high, so profitability of the company is high compared to 2009. 3.2.7. Debt to equity ratio The Debt to  Equity  Ratio compares the companys dollar amount owed to creditors to the dollar amount supplied by investors of the company.   debt   Debt to Equity Ratio = Equity   As a result of analysis, the debt to equity ratio of the year 2009 is 2.43 and that of the year 2010 is 2.28. Ratio of the year 2010 is low, so it can be said that the company is at favourable position. 3.2.8. Dividend yield A financial ratio that  shows how much a  company  pays out in dividends each year relative to its share price.  In the absence of any capital gains, the dividend yield is the return on investment for a  stock. Dividends per Share   Dividend Yield = Share price As a result of analysis, the dividend yield of the year 2010 is 4.23% and the year 2009 is 3.33%, so it can be concluded that cash flow in the year 2010 is more than in the year 2009. 3.2.9. Earnings per share The  Earnings Per Share compares Net Earnings to the number of Shares, and is simply how much earnings has been generated per one share of stock during the period reported. Profit after tax   Earnings Per Share = Number of share   As a result of analysis, the earnings per share for the years 2009 and 2010 are 12.56p and 5.84p. Earnings per share in the year 2010 are less compared to the year 2009, so it can be said that the company is not performing good. 3.2.10. Price to Earnings ratio The Price to Earnings Ratio  compares the Share Price to the Earnings per Share.   This ratio is a quick measure of how expensive the stock of a company may be. Share Price     Price to Earnings Ratio = Earnings Per Share From the analysis of the price to earnings ratio, it is 6.49 for the year 2010 and is 4.21 for the year 2009. So it can be concluded that the companys share has gone down in the year 2010 when compared to the year 2009. 3.2.11. Earning yield It is the earnings per share for the most recent 12-month period divided by the current market price per share. The earnings yield shows the percentage of each dollar invested in the stock that was earned by the  company. Earnings Per Share     Earning yield = Share Price As a result of analysis, the earning yield for the year 2009 is 23.7% and the year 2010 is 15.4%. Investment percentage of the year 2010 is lower than the year 2009, so the company has not been performing well in the year 2010. 3.2.12. Return on total assets The Return on Total Assets  measures the profit before interest in relation to the Total Assets.   The Return on Total Assets identifies how well the investments of the company have generated earnings back to the company. Higher the ROA number, the better, because the company is earning more money on less investment. Profit before interest   Return on Total Assets = Total Assets As a result of analysis, the return on total assets of the years 2010 and 2009 are 3.98% and 3.41% respectively. Return on total assets in the year 2010 is higher when compared to the year 2009 and hence it can be said that the company has earned high with its investment in the year 2010. 3.2.13. Sales per employee The name indicates how the sales/employee ratio is calculated: a companys annual sales divided by its total employees. Higher sales-per-employee figures are generally considered more efficient than those with lower figures. Sales revenue   Sales per employee = Average number of employees As a result of the analysis, sales per employee of the years 2009 and 2010 are  £ 490196.9 and  £ 518565.8 respectively. Sales per employee of year 2010 are higher than that of the year 2009 and hence in the year 2010 the company has earned more profit with a fewer number of employees compared to the previous year. 3.2.14. Stock turnover (in days)   Stock turnover ratio  shows how many times over the business has sold the value of its stocks in terms of days. A high stock turnover is better, because money is then tied up for a lesser time in stocks. Sales x 365   Stock turnover (in days) = Cost of sales The result of analysis of stock turnover for the years 2009 and 2010 are 6.953 days and 5.819 days. Stock turnover in the year 2010 is lower than the year 2009. So turning the stock of the company to money in the year 2010 is better. 3.2.15. Dividend cover The dividend cover ratio tells us how easily a business can pay its dividend from profits. A high dividend cover means that the company can easily afford to pay the dividend and a low value means that the business might have difficulty paying a dividend. Earnings per share   Dividend cover = Dividend per share As a result of analysis, the dividend cover of the year 2009 is 2.502 and the year 2010 is 1.123. Dividend cover of 2010 is lower than the year 2009. Hence it is difficult for the company to pay dividend in the year 2010 compared to 2009. 3.2.16. Account receivable turnover This is the ratio of the number of times that accounts receivable amount is collected throughout the year. A high  accounts receivable turnover ratio  indicates a tight credit policy. A low or declining  accounts receivable turnover ratio  indicates a collection problem, part of which may be due to bad debts. Debtor x 365   Account receivable turnover = Sales Form the analysis of the account receivable turnover; it is 22.78 days for the year 2010 and 21.51 days for the year 2009. Account receivable turnover of the year 2010 is higher, and so, collection in the year 2010 is hard compared to the year 2009. 3.2.17. Account payable turnover The measure shows investors how many times per period the company pays  its average payable amount.   If the turnover ratio is falling from one period to another, this is a sign  that the company is taking longer to pay off  its suppliers than  it was  before.   Creditor x 365   Account payable turnover = Cost of sales From the analysis of account payable turnover it is 49.41 days for the year 2009 and 44.63 days for the year 2010. Account payable turnover of the year 2010 is less, so it can be concluded that the company is taking longer time to pay off  its suppliers than the year 2009.   3.2.18. Total Asset turnover The amount of sales generated for every pounds worth of assets. It is calculated by dividing sales in pounds by assets in pound. The higher value of asset turnover is better. Sales     Total Asset Turnover = Total Assets   As a result of analysis, the total asset turnover of years 2010 and 2009 are 0.75 and 0.86. In the year 2010, asset turnover is less, so the company was not effective as in the year 2009. 3.2.19. Gearing ratio Gearing is a measure of financial leverage, demonstrating the degree to which a firms activities are funded by owners funds versus creditors funds.  A company with high gearing is more vulnerable to downturns in the  business cycle. Debt     Gearing ratio = Debt + Equity   From analysis, the gearing ratio of the years 2010 and 2009 are 69.54% and 70.91% respectively. Gearing ratio of the year 2010 is less compared to that of 2009, so the company had a good financial strength in the year 2010. 4. The impact of current events Revenue of the company was decreased to 7,994 m in the year 2010 which was favourable for the company Earnings per share in the year 2010 and 2009 were 38.5 and 32.6 and hence the companys earnings from shares are high compared to the year 2008. Operating profit of the company is high in the year 2009 compared to the year before. This is good for the company. The company has failed to give enough dividends in the year 2009 compared to the previous year. So it has failed to attract the shareholders. Total equity of the company has increased in the year 2010 which is not a good sign for the company. Cost of sale of the company is raised in the year 2009 compared to the previous year. Thus the companys expenditure has been increased in 2009. Hence, cost of sale should be reduced by the company. Account receivable turnover is higher in the year 2010 when compared to the year 2009, which is not good for the company. Account payable turnover is high in the year 2009 compared to the previous year which is not favourable for the company. Fixed asset turnover of the company is almost equal in the last two years and hence this does not have any impact on the company. From the ratio analysis most of the ratios turned positive result. This is shows that the company performing well. From the above analysis and the financial data of the company, we can say that the companys performance is good in the year 2010 when compared to the previous year. 5. Prediction for the future The British Airways PLC Company has performed well in the last year compare that of past years. and this may be because of the financial crisis which occurred in the year 2009.as a result of the above analysis the company is expected to perform well in future in order to maintain its standard. For this it should enhance the services and offers given to the customers and also provide good and reliable service. This may help in attracting more customers. The company should offer more facilities compared to the other telecommunication companies and this will greatly help the company to develop and grow in the forthcoming years. Conclusion The Vodafone group PLC is a well-established international company in the telecommunication sector and has a good name in the market. The company has failed to perform well in the year 2009 compare to the year 2008 and this may be because of the financial crisis. But in spite of the crisis it had a good financial history in the past years. So there is a strong hope that Vodafone Group PLC will perform well in the coming years.