Tuesday, December 31, 2019

The Current Political Climate Between Egypt And Israel Essay

The current political climate between Egypt and Israel is a cold peace that, in recent years, has begun to thaw. Much has happened to bring the countries of Egypt and Israel, their leaders, and their peoples, from searing hot conflicts to a cooling smolder, which to this day continues to temper. A short list of influences can be traced from the violent outbreak of the Arab-Israeli war to the Yom Kippur War, to peace accords at Camp David and a subsequent treaty, and finally, to the recent reinstatements of ambassadors for both countries. The cooling process of an Egyptian-Israeli relationship has not been linear, as both sides have fanned flames throughout history, however now, more than ever in historical memory, Egypt and Israel may finally reach a peace that is defined by more than an absence of conflict. To give a proper account of this bilateral relationship, it will first be necessary to parse out the events listed above. Included for analysis in this paper are, in my interpret ation, to be the most defining factors that have influenced this relationship. The list is in chronological order as influences occur through history, followed by an analysis of whether they stem mostly from international and systemic forces, the state/national level, or from individual/cognitive/leadership influences. It is most sensible to begin during the 1947 Palestinian Civil War, which culminated into the 1948 Arab-Israeli War after the expiration of the British Mandate and Israel’sShow MoreRelatedU.s. Security Interests On Egyptian Citizens1944 Words   |  8 Pages Introduction Over the past five years Egypt has been in a growing state of turmoil. It has suffered two coup d’à ©tats that has resulted in five different leaders, and a constant change in national aims. It temporarily lost US economic aid and military support, and the recent studies have brought to light the effect that global warming will have on Egyptian citizens in the near future. If you consider all these aspects together, you may assume that Egypt is in risk of soon becoming another problemRead MoreEssay on Israel and The Palestinians1427 Words   |  6 Pages In the Middle East region, there is a single country that stands out from the rest, a beacon of light on the very edge of civilization; that country is Israel. A country surrounded on all sides by its sworn enemies, determined to bring about its downfall. These resilient people have not only survived this tumultuous area but have prospered, and in this short essay paper, we will examine the reasons why this is by primaril y examining their culture. We are going to do this by taking a close lookRead MoreRedemption And Utopia1367 Words   |  6 PagesMessiah. Many of these beliefs, however, have become doctrines only later, and so are presented only bland and implicitly in the Torah. Indeed, to the astonishment of many, if not used as a task careful exegetical research, these beliefs remain hidden between the lines of the scripture. This was one reason, incidentally, that led the faction of the Sadducees to not believe in the resurrection of the dead, that is, because they are not explicitly written in the Torah of Moses to confirms this doctrine (MarkRead More The Nation of Israel Essay4548 Words   |  19 PagesThe Nation of Israel The nation of Israel has played a critical role in the formation of Western and Eastern ideologies and has had an unmistakably profound impact upon the theological and cultural evolution of mankind. Former U.S. President John Adams, commenting on the historical importance of the Hebrews, once said the following: I will insist the Hebrews have [contributed] more to civilize men than any other nation. If I was an atheist and believed in blind eternal fate, I should stillRead MoreThe State Of Israel And Israel Essay1958 Words   |  8 PagesThe State of Israel is located in the Middle East, bordering the east Mediterranean Sea. Established in 1948 by a United Nations (U.N.) resolution, the existing British administered Palestinian Mandate was partitioned into the Jewish State of Israel, the Arab State of Palestine, and an international territory governing the city of Jerusalem (Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1947). The forced introduction of a Jewish State into a predominately Arab region immediately created religious, ethnic,Read MoreSaudi Arabia And The Arab Arabia Essay1325 Words   |  6 PagesSaudi Arabia, commonly referred to as Saudi Arabia, is located in the Middle East, on the Arabian Peninsula between the Red Sea to the west and the Persian Gulf to the east. Saudi Arabia is bo rdered by the following countries (clockwise from the north): Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen. In the west, Saudi Arabia is separated from Egypt and Israel by the Gulf of Aqaba. In the east, Saudi Arabia is separated from Iran by the Persian Gulf. Saudi Arabia isRead MoreWater Shortages and Desalinisation1488 Words   |  6 PagesThe Problem: Water Shortages As the world continues to grow the need for fresh water continues to rising. The current demand for water is ever increasing. In the many places in the world clean drinking water is taken for granted. In other arid places in the world water is a scarce resource. Fresh water sources around the world are being put under intense strains. Fossil water in aquifers are being over pumped. In many cases aquifers may need thousands of years to replenish their reserves.Read MoreThe Prospect Of A Two State Nation Solution For Israel Palestine2970 Words   |  12 PagesThe Israel-Palestine conflict is one of the most long-term, pressing, and largely confounding social, political, and national quandaries of our age. Since we have been moving with surprising velocity into the vast horizons of globalization, the conflict has built up tremendous momentum and has called into question the adequacy of our current attempts at coming to a peaceful resolution that can simultaneously and successfully address both sides of the struggle. The purpose of this paper has been toRead MoreA Look At Israel s Economy3116 Words   |  13 PagesCountries since the beginning of time have traded, competed, and influenced the world economy. A country’s political view s, religious views, and culture all play an important role in how the country conducts business in the global market. They also play a role in how a specific country makes economic decisions as well as the result of those decisions and how it transitions to the world market. It is extremely important to understand the role of each country and how it conducts business in the globalRead MoreExegesis on Exodus 202270 Words   |  10 Pagesancient text as to be divine. I felt that the Ten Commandments were nothing more then a moral code of antiquity, established as an ethical compass by spiritual leaders in a religious society. Exodus 20 is a hot button topic in today’s polarized political climate. Conservatives want the Ten Commandments displayed in all schools and Liberals argue that it’s a violation of the separation of church and state. With this debate not likely to reach a compromise in the near future, I feel that the scholarly

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Suspense And Foreshadowing In The Monkeys Paw - 899 Words

Published in September 1902, â€Å"The Monkey’s Paw,† written by WW Jacobs, used a variety of literary elements to convey horror, suspense, and tension throughout the story. The story is a mystical tale of three different people granted three different wishes by a cursed monkey’s paw. The use of foreshadowing pulled the reader into the dark and cold night when Sergeant Major-Morris visits the White’s home, and told them of the tale of the monkey’s paw and tries to destroy it by throwing it into the fire. Mr. White retrieved the paw and kept it for his own personal use. The use of the wishes from the paw came at a great cost to the family. In W. W. Jacobs, The Monkeys Paw, he illustrated foreshadowing, imagery, and fate as a theme; thus, it†¦show more content†¦The day after they conversed about the paw, Herbert and his mother teased his father about making a wish about money and that they would have to disown him for his greed. Herbert joki ngly urged his father to make a wish for  £200, to pay off the mortgage of their house. The mother and son continued and insinuated as she followed Herbert to the door, as he went to work. As the story unveiled, the mortgage is paid off with the granted wish of  £200. Much to Mrs. White’s chagrin, her son had died due to him being caught in the machinery at work. Her son’s death yielded them the  £200 that they had originally wished for. The aftermath of the first wish brought them to the second. Before the news of their son’s death, Mr. White took his wife’s hands, as if they were courting in their younger day. He had his wife all to himself; without the interference of their son. While at the house, after the funeral, Mrs. White cried out to her husband to use to paw to wish their son back to life. The father urged her that the request was too much because if she could not see him at the funeral, she would not be able to fathom the look of him if he came back. She wished for her son to come back and there came a knock at the door, and she ran downstairs in anticipation of her sons return. As she ran downstairs, Mr. White struggled to find the paw, found it and the knocking stopped. Bryce Skidmore, an editor and writerShow MoreRelatedMonkeys Paw Foreshadowing727 Words   |  3 Pages Analyzing the Monkey’s Paw In the short story the Monkey’s Paw, one of the main literary devices that were prevalent in the author’s writing was foreshadowing. From the beginning of the story, all the way to the end, there was always a hint of what was to come. The first sign of foreshadowing in the story is when Sergeant Major Morris visits the White family after returning from India. Sergeant Morris shows the family the monkey’s paw he had brought back from India with him. He tells the WhiteRead MoreThe Monkeys Paw Foreshadowing Essay1049 Words   |  5 Pagesrun. Suspense is a state of tension and anxiety which was used in the sentence above and is common in books and short stories. In the short story â€Å"The Monkey’s Paw† by W.W Jacobs suspense is created in a variety of ways. Jacobs demonstrates this by using foreshadowing, conflict and surprise endings. Sergeant Major Morris warns the White family of their dreadful fate, however they do not listen and it makes the story even more suspenseful for readers. The first example of foreshadowing isRead MoreThe Book Thief Literary Analysis1198 Words   |  5 Pagesdevices, stories can metamorphose into something greater and memorable. In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, â€Å"To An Athlete Dying Young† by A.E. Housman, â€Å"Two Friends† by Guy de Maupassant, and â€Å"The Monkey’s Paw† by W.W. Jacobs, these authors utilized literary devices such as imagery, symbolism, and foreshadowing to convey their justifications for writing. Imagery enhanced The Book Thief, â€Å"To An Athlete Dying Young†, and â€Å"Two Friends† by purposefully generating cinematic landscapes that the readers canRead MoreGrammar and Writing Class Curriculum Map2910 Words   |  12 Pagesyour sophomore year, you will read several books. They either, will be novels, plays, or short stories. I have listed below, some of the books that will be covered. Novels: To Kill A Mockingbird, Lord of the Flies Short Story: Tell Tale Heart, Monkey’s Paw, The Lottery, The Lady and the Tiger Plays: Antigone, Julius Caesar The books are going to be read and at the same time analyzed. You will be able to augment your open-ended response skills as well as learn how to categorize events into a plot

Saturday, December 14, 2019

What Is Cybercrime Free Essays

Cybercrime, or PC arranged wrongdoing, is wrongdoing that includes a PC and a network. The PC may have been utilized in the commission of a wrongdoing, or it might be the target. Cybercrimes can be characterized as: â€Å"Offenses that are perpetrated against people or gatherings of people with a criminal thought process to purposefully hurt the notoriety of the person in question or cause physical or mental damage, or misfortune, to the casualty straightforwardly or in a roundabout way, utilizing current media transmission systems, for example, Web (systems including however not restricted to Visit rooms, messages, see sheets and gatherings) and cell phones (Bluetooth/SMS/MMS)†. We will write a custom essay sample on What Is Cybercrime? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Cybercrime may undermine a man or a country’s security and monetary health. Issues encompassing these kinds of violations have turned out to be prominent, especially those encompassing hacking, copyright encroachment, unjustifiable mass-reconnaissance, sextortion, youngster erotic entertainment, and kid grooming. There are additionally issues of protection when private data is blocked or unveiled, legitimately or something else. Debarati Halder and K. Jaishankar additionally characterize cybercrime from the point of view of sex and characterized ‘cybercrime against ladies’ as â€Å"Wrongdoings focused against ladies with a rationale to deliberately hurt the casualty mentally and physically, utilizing current media transmission systems, for example, web and versatile phones†. Universally, both administrative and non-state performers participate in cybercrimes, including secret activities, budgetary burglary, and different cross-outskirt violations. Cybercrimes crossing global outskirts and including the activities of no less than one country state is now and then alluded to as cyber warfare. TYPES OF CYBERCRIME IDENTITY THEFT OR INVANSION OF PRIVACY Cybercrime influences both a virtual and a genuine body, however the impacts upon each are unique. This wonder is clearest on account of fraud. In the Assembled States, for instance, people don’t have an official personality card yet a Standardized savings number that has since quite a while ago filled in as a true recognizable proof number. INTERNET FRAUD Plans to cheat customers flourish on the Web. Among the most well known is the Nigerian, or â€Å"419,† trick; the number is a reference to the area of Nigerian law that the trick damages. In spite of the fact that this con has been utilized with both fax and conventional mail, it has been given new life by the Web. In the plan, an individual gets an email affirming that the sender requires help in exchanging an extensive aggregate of cash out of Nigeria or another far off nation. More often than not, this cash is as a benefit that will be sold, for example, oil, or a lot of money that expects â€Å"laundering† to cover its source; the varieties are interminable, and new specifics are continually being produced. The message requests that the beneficiary take care of some expense of moving the assets out of the nation as an end-result of accepting a considerably bigger whole of cash sooner rather than later. Should the beneficiary react with a check or cash arrange, he is informed that confusions have grown; more cash is required. After some time, casualties can lose a large number of dollars that are completely unrecoverable. ATM FRAUD PCs additionally make more unremarkable sorts of misrepresentation conceivable. Take the robotized teller machine (ATM) through which numerous individuals currently get money. With a specific end goal to get to a record, a client supplies a card and individual recognizable proof number (Stick). Crooks have created intends to capture both the information on the card’s attractive strip and in addition the client’s Stick. Thus, the data is utilized to make counterfeit cards that are then used to pull back assets from the clueless person’s record. WIRE FRAUD The INTERNATIONAL idea of cybercrime is especially apparent with wire extortion. One of the biggest and best-sorted out wire extortion plans was coordinated by Vladimir Levin, a Russian developer with a PC programming firm in St. Petersburg. FILE SHARING PIRACY Through the 1990s, offers of minimized circles (Albums) were the real wellspring of income for chronicle organizations. In spite of the fact that theft—that is, the unlawful duplication of copyrighted materials—had dependably been an issue, particularly in the Far East, the multiplication on school grounds of reasonable PCs equipped for catching music off Cds and sharing them over fast (â€Å"broadband†) Web associations turned into the account business’ most noteworthy bad dream. In the Unified States, the account business, spoken to by the Chronicle Business Relationship of America (RIAA), assaulted a solitary document sharing administration, Napster, which from 1999 to 2001 permitted clients over the Web access to music records, put away in the information pressure organize known as MP3, on other clients’ PCs by method for Napster’s focal PC. As per the RIAA, Napster clients frequently abused the copyright of account specialists, and the administration needed to stop. For clients, the issues were not all that obvious. At the centre of the Napster case was the issue of reasonable utilize. People who had bought a Compact disc were obviously permitted to tune in to the music, regardless of whether in their home stereo, vehicle sound framework, or PC. What they didn’t have the privilege to do, contended the RIAA, was to make the Cd accessible to a huge number of other people who could make an ideal computerized duplicate of the music and make their own Compact discs. COUNTERFEITING AND FORGERY Record sharing of licensed innovation is just a single part of the issue with duplicates. Another more unremarkable angle lies in the capacity of computerized gadgets to render about ideal duplicates of material ancient rarities. Take the conventional wrongdoing of forging. As of not long ago, making acceptable cash required a lot of ability and access to advancements that people more often than not don’t claim, for example, printing squeezes, etching plates, and uncommon inks. The coming of cheap, top notch shading copiers and printers has conveyed forging to the majority. Ink-stream printers currently represent a developing level of the fake money seized by the U.S. Mystery Administration. How to cite What Is Cybercrime?, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Strategic Management Accounting

Questions: 1.Without modern information systems, strategic management accounting would not be possible. Discuss.2.What is your opinion on Balanced Scorecards? Can you think of any other organization (except Toyota) that applies Balanced Scorecards? Answers: 1. Information systems are the software and hardware systems that organizations use to collect, analyze and dispatch data from one place to another (Grant, Hackney Edgar, 2009). Flow of information in an organization is an important aspect because everything else, may it be allocation of tasks, giving feedback, reviewing performance, presenting complaints and decision making is dependent on available data and information. Information systems are used in accounting to collect, store and process financial data. Since the role of accounting is providing financial information to be used by shareholders to make better business decisions, its role in strategic management is quite significant (Oz, 2009). Decision Making Making correct decisions regarding finances of an organization is quite important .Any wrong Decision made can cost an organization heavily. Information systems ensure that any decision made in an organization is dependent on the available data. This prevents making of wrong decisions (Rainer, 2008). Trend Analysis For an organization to carry out trend analysis on its expected business results, it has to be equipped with sufficient information. Information systems have inbuilt trend analysis tools that can generate the information that is needed to carry out trend analysis (Grant, Hackney Edgar, 2009). Competitive Advantage The desire of every organization is to compete favorably market and stay ahead of competitors. With strategic information systems a company can be able to acquire and sustain a competitive advantage in the market (Rainer, 2008). Implementation of Strategies While it is necessary to implement strategies that can improve business processes, checking them against results can be used to check if they have had positive or negative impact. Information systems provide financial data that is used in determining whether the whether the desired outcome has been achieved or if there is need for a corrective action to achieve targets (Oz, 2009). 2. Balanced score cards are strategic management and planning systems used in identification and management of businesses in-house functions as well as their consequential external outcomes. Balanced score card is concerned with projecting a companys future performance by focusing on its corporate governance, satisfaction of customers and companys business process (Niven,2008). Based on the above explanation, it can be said that balanced score cards plays a significant role in aligning businesses activities towards achievement of identified goals. This can be an effective tool for achieving corporate success, My take on this is that by correctly using scorecards business can record better performance. This is possible because, the system can enable an organization to identify its weak points and direct the necessary resources both human and capital, towards the identified weak points in order to improve its performance (Makhijani Creelman, 2011). Balanced scorecard can also be used by organizations to link their short term and long term goals to enable achieve long-term success .Each organization usually has its long term vision and strategy but unless this is translated into operational steps it might end up remaining a mere vision. Balanced score card can help an organization can help organizations to achieve long term goals by enabling translations of their visions into action plans into actions and helping them to plan appropriately (Kammerer,2013). Apart from Toyota, Wellsfargo also uses balanced scorecards in its operations. References: Grant, K., Hackney, R., Edgar, D. (2009). Strategic information systems management. Andover: Cengage Learning. Kammerer, M. (2013). Balanced scorecard - advantages and disadvantages. Place of publication not identified: Grin Verlag Ohg. Makhijani, N., Creelman, J. (2011). Creating a balanced scorecard for a financial services organization. Singapore: Wiley. Niven, P. R. (2008). Balanced scorecard step-by-step for government and nonprofit agencies. Hoboken, N.J: J. Wiley Sons. Oz, E. (2009). Management information systems. Boston, Mass: Thomson/Course Technology. Rainer, R. K. (2008). Introduction to information systems: Supporting and transforming business. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Response to Panther Film

Response to Panther Film Panther is a movie based on a true story accounting on activities of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, the organization acting from 1966 to 1982 to struggle for freedom and equality of the African Americans by using armed forces. The film starts with the description of organization’s leaders Bobby Seale and Huey Newton, two representatives of Oakland black community who grew up in poverty, racial discrimination, and government’s negligence that all black people experienced during this period (Panther).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Response to Panther Film specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Nowadays, the U.S. government is more concerned with the issues of racial discrimination that sometimes takes place, as well as the problems experienced by the ghetto regions. However, the renewal of the Black Party Community should not be premised on military actions, but on the development of strong idealis tic principles and rules supporting the culture, traditions, and social life. By founding the organization called Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, the members were strongly convinced that using armed struggle was the only way to prove the power and dominance of the black community over the white population in the United States. In fact, the movie focuses on the increasing popularity of the Black Panthers among African-American youth across the country and brings attention to other military forces in America fighting against discrimination. In fact, the violence of the organization would meet rigid opposition of the 2012 government because of significant discrepancies between socio-political situations of the two historically different periods. In particular, the current situation in the United States has changed in terms of the new military programs aimed at enhancing security of the population. Second, the racial issues have been suppressed and the President Barack Obama has e stablished a new order in which freedom, equality, and human rights are highly honored and respected regardless of nationality and race. Therefore, the armed confrontation would not be effective at the threshold of the twenty-first century. Additionally, due to the fact that the black population constitutes minority in the United States, the Panther Party was also a minority acting within minority groups. Therefore, their revolutionary struggle contradicted the social and economic realities of 60s and 70s of the past century. In order to change the political and ideological frame of the community, as well as confront the modern political realities, the Black Panther Community could suggest ten new rules and tenets for establishing a revolutionary Nationalist party and rethinking over new doctrines of non-violence:Advertising Looking for essay on african american? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The party should figh t for equal access of African-American to education and job employment. The party should work on diminishing the crime levels in ghetto regions and creating new funds for low-income people. Each member of the party should adhere to the Constitutional rights and pledge for the shifts in the right that could support ethnic minorities. Weapon should not be used as the methods for struggling against racial discrimination. Using internet for mass mailing and information flow could be the leading source for supporting the position. The party should focus on such issues as collective action, black integrity, and cooperative economics. These rules should differ from Maoism and Marxism ideology. Acknowledging spirituality and culture is also among the priorities of the Black Panther community that should support any display of African culture. Each member of the part should protect the rights of African-Americans to self-determination. Departure from rigid confrontation against non-black pop ulation and focus on human liberation should be the new stance for action. Greater cooperation and humanism are the main principle of the Panthers. With regard to the above-presented tenets, the Black Panther party should not premise their actions on armed struggle because of the emphasis placed on humanism and liberation regardless of race, nationality, and ethnicity. Currently, African-American community gains recognition of its rights that are similar to those established previously for the rest of the U.S. citizens. Therefore, former methods used by the community would not be self-sufficient because of the rapid shifts in the governmental principles. In particular, the government recognizes that there is an institutional racism, but it should not introduce extra emphasis on minorities groups in achieving liberation and equality. Instead, the newly organized movement should strive to establish a new framework in which all nationalities will work on developing a new community fre e from biases, stereotypes, and discrimination. In conclusion, the film Panther focuses on the cruel confrontation between the members of the Black Panther community and the FBI, but the leading provisions and methods used by the Panthers should be revisited to establish new doctrines free from aggression and military intervention. The new tenets of the Black Panther community should premise on human liberation, equality, freedom, and stronger emphasis on education. The poorest district should be supported with newly organized funds for national minorities. Additionally, the employment perspectives should also be introduced to allow the low-income families improve their welfare. Finally, the 9/11 events should also impose a sort of responsibility for the entire population in terms of security and protect and redirect all the power to struggle against terrorism. Panther. Ex. Prod. Melvin Van Peebles. USA: Working Title Films, 1995. DVD.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

World civilizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

World civilizations - Essay Example The first crusade lasted between 1095 and 1291. Pope Urban officially launched the first crusade in France. The focus was to aid those Christians living in the East. Pope Urban II told the people in France that the Muslim Turks were torturing and oppressing Christian pilgrims visiting Jerusalem and other holy lands. As a result, he appealed to the Knights to fight for their religious city. During the crusade, the absolution of sin and eternal life was promised to the people who also hoped to attain wealth and land in the East. With the endorsement of the Byzantine emperor and guided by the Armenian Christians, the knights walked from Syria and Turkey to Jerusalem. The first crusade focused to retake and recapture Jerusalem. The Muslims had captured the city of Jerusalem in 1076. Muslim soldiers oppressed and tortured any Christian who wanted to go to Jerusalem. This cruel treatment angered Christian. This prompted Pope Urban II to declare war against Muslims (Pomeranz et al, 2010). Many Christians at that time were determined to reclaim Jerusalem because of their faith and drive Muslims out of the city with all means. Some Christians understood that they had sinned before God and therefore, going to war with Muslims, God would forgive their sins. Pope Urban II had informed Christians that in case they died in the war, they would go to heaven because they were struggling and fighting for God. Crusaders who went to Jerusalem were exempted from paying taxes; therefore, they were determined to go to war so that the church would guard them. In addition, Christians thought that by going to war to recapture Jerusalem, they would claim wealth that they thought existed in the city of Jerusalem. The Byzantine emperor appealed to the papacy and western Christendom to come to rescue of Constantinople by staging a revolt or crusade that would free the city of Jerusalem from the Muslims. In addition, Christians

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

PPD3 Portfolio part 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

PPD3 Portfolio part 2 - Essay Example Externally, the company attends job fairs, creates advertising literature in multi-media formats, and also sends recruiters to colleges and universities across the country and abroad to identify the most appropriate talent for its many diverse consulting and specialized service divisions. Much like other organisations, ARUP has considerable hiring criteria that must be met in order to be considered a valid employee candidate. These include having technical education skills, management experience and education, strong dedication to communication and customer service skills along with technological education and know-how on a variety of software platforms. It seems the goal of ARUP is to test individuals in their second interview, depending on their potential role within the organisation, using software testing objectives and scenario planning to identify how the individual would respond to various management situations and/or crises. Some of these criteria were identified during the r ather long interview process. One specific labour-related criteria that was identified as being necessary for landing a career with ARUP is the ability to function within a decentralised organisation. ARUP attempts to involve all of its employees in decision-making rather than having knowledge and decision trickle from the top tiers of senior management. Each employee is given a great deal of autonomy in their job role functions and provided the necessary training to become more interactive in the daily operations of the business as innovators and decision-makers. Thus, the main focus of ARUP seemed to be making sure that the candidate had the ability to function well within this type of hierarchy and remain dedicated to securing long-term customer service focus and team methodology. â€Å"Leaders aspiring to be effective in multicultural environments must develop an awareness of the different dimensions of culture that are and will be most central to their different constituencies of customers or followers† (Shriberg & Kumari, 2008, p.20). ARUP operates in a global, multi-cultural environment consisting of employees from different cultural backgrounds and ethnic backgrounds, therefore diversity remains a top focus for the organisation and its leadership. Further research identified that this is becoming a paramount skill to maintain in the global marketplace related to knowledge of different cultures and how they tend to interact with one another in a diverse business environment. In fact, research identified what is referred to as Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Framework which shows the different cultural preferences and attitudes associated with certain employees. For example, individualistic cultures have more of a drive for empowerment and autonomy in job roles and demand rewards for their accomplishments at the individual level. Collectivists, under this model, which is common in Asian and Middle Eastern countries, have more affiliation for group work and tend to consider themselves part of a larger family and thus demand rewards and acknowledgement based on group involvement and participation (Blodgett, Bakir & Rose, 2008). It is important at ARUP to maintain these skills and would likely be an important job-related skill to have that is backed with cultural education and experience working within diverse work groups in many different

Monday, November 18, 2019

Special Interests Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Special Interests - Essay Example These interest groups lobby around with the help of their members who are a part of the several legislative organizations (Jaatinen, 1998). Their role is proactively driven towards the political parties for whom they wish to serve in the long run. These interest groups do their utmost to elect politicians who have a good enough idea of their related cause and have the right kind of empathy for their settings. These interest groups recruit individuals who can have hidden and on other occasions, propaganda movements which might be quite extrovert in nature. One needs to know that many interest groups exist within any society in this day and age. These include the different economic groups which have within them the various chambers of commerce, the trade unions and a few factions that belong to the religious groups. Also the professional interest groups comprise within them the doctors, lawyers, business people, architects and skilled workers. The public interest groups focus more towa rds the environment and look after the issues which plague the people more than anything else, on a one to one level. The aim here is to provide people with benefits as much as possible. Then there are the special interest groups which are part of the subgroups that are formed within larger groups and where the main focus is upon a narrow interest area. The need is to know that these interest groups are very different from the pressure groups. Since these interest groups have a proper definition of their intentions and mission, their supporters take a stance for these interest groups at every level and on all forums. The ones who support it are of the view that these interest groups depict what others should feel about their own selves and the community that they are a vital part of. Many individuals believe that these interest groups have a hidden agenda behind their institution which may not be right. Quite a few eyebrows are raised when one questions their existence and formation . The need is to discern some interest groups that have made their mark throughout the world over the years. These include the NEA which has been a proactive supporter of educational professionals and has done immense work at raising the standards of these people over the years. Then there is the example of NAACP which guarantees that social, political, educational and economic equality of rights of the people are there and also to remove hatred and discrimination which crops up in the name of race (Blom, 2006). The role of these interest groups is important to understand and more so in the times much like today. This is because they pinpoint the critical issues which make their mark within a society, for good or for bad. They shift public opinions in a positive way which is an essential aspect of their formation in the first place. If people connect with these interest groups well, then their roles are magnified and purposes are served well. If this does not happen, then there are immensely significant concerns which must be taken care of, and the sooner it happens the better it will be for people within any society of the world where these interest groups exist and make their essential mark within the lives of the people. 2. Discuss the relationship between interest groups and political parties. The linkage that has come about between the interest groups

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The performance of Coca Cola

The performance of Coca Cola The Coca Cola Company is considered to be one of the topmost beverage companies of the industry. It has its business all around the world. It engages in production, distribution, and marketing of non-alcoholic beverages in 200 countries worldwide. It produces almost 3300 beverages ranging from caffeinated beverages, fruit juices, water, milk-based beverages and energizers and has managed to capture the hearts of millions of people worldwide. Brand building, technological know-how as well as aggressive marketing skills are the core competencies of Coca Cola which help the company in gaining competitive advantage over other companies. Coca Colas brand is respectable and dependable and it took many years for the company to build this image. Not only is it a favourite among many individuals, but also has acquired a household name. Their brand and logo can never be mistaken, which is why consumers feel a sense of ease when the purchase the companys products. Coca-Cola is a cash cow in the soft drink industry. Due to its strong brand name, Coca Cola will remain profitable in the soft drink industry in the future too. The management of the company harmonizes the venture of human resources and organizes technology along with other core resources such as physical assets, marketing skills, financial resources, and skills and knowledge of employees in order to set up an effective and efficient internal organizational structure of business. The function of the organization focuses on division, coordination, and control of activities and tasks along with flow of information within the institution. Also, the managers allocate responsibility and authority to all people within the organization. The Coca Company focuses on acquiring and retaining highly skilled knowledgeable employees in its company in order to maintain the companys superior most position in the market. Coca Cola treats its resources as an asset. It provides such an environment for employment to its employees t hat the employees develop a sense of unity with the company and carry out their duties willingly and in the most effective and efficient manner. The company entertains it employees by providing a security of employment so that they are not carried away by uncertainties of their future. These objectives, strategies, and programs are already specified drawn in advance by the company which serves as a guideline to the management and unions when taking decisions. Also they concur with the organizations mission, objectives, strategies, policies and its internal and external environments. Since the organization concentrates mainly on marketing, human resource is an essential asset to the company. Without its knowledgeable employees along with their abilities and skills, The Coca Cola Company can never be successful. The ability to adjust and researching and finding out new markets have been of great help to Coca-Cola in becoming a symbol of the American culture. Since the companys affilia tion in 1892, a strong focus on growth and marketing has existed. There were also traditional advertisements in the local newspaper but apart from this, the companys founder Asa Candler distributed thousands of coupons for free glasses of Coca Cola so that many people would be forced to taste it. many tokens that showed the trademark of the company. This type of aggressive marketing is the foundation of The Coca-Cola Companys strategy and its culture. In the Coca-Cola Company, the divisional managers are responsible to run the operations in the general region. The functions of each vice president are divided into functions such as human resources, innovation/research/development, marketing, public affairs and communication. Marketing, innovation, research, and development are the functions which are of utmost importance to the company in gaining competitive advantages. Its mainly because the company is interested in keeping its brand name capitalized and so marketing plays a major r ole. It is the responsibility of the innovation, research, and development department that they come up with something new as demanded by marketing functions. Majority of the top level managers of the company have been exposed to different regions and different areas of the company. Many of them have worked for the bottling companies that partner with The Coca-Cola Company. Owing to the fact that these topmost members have well rounded backgrounds, they have an eye to look at problems from different angles. The current objective of the organization is to use its assets, which is namely its brand, financial strength, its unbeatable distribution system, research and a strong commitment by its management and employees worldwide in order to achieve a long-term sustainable growth. The core competences that helps the company in gaining its competitive advantage is its strong brand name and its widespread network with bottlers and distributors. Its marketing capabilities and broad portfoli o of products is unbeatable and very difficult to imitate. The strong brand name gives the company a strong bargaining power and leverage. The company also influences consumers tastes and trends. When the company launched Diet Coke, the company performed a blind taste test with consumers. The results was that the consumers preferred a glass labelled Diet Coke over a glass labelled Ta by 12 percent, even though the liquids in each glass was same (Plasketes, 2004). This is nothing but its strong brand name. In spite of all these core competences and its outstanding performance in the market, the company withstands a number of challenges, many of which arise from the fact that the company operates on such a large level. Different markets have different trends and styles. Consumes in some markets are found to be health conscious. In order to adapt to this trend, the company has created many diet and low-calorie drinks. The company always tries on bringing new ideas and innovations to ad just to the changing market trends. Due to the anti-carbohydrate trends introduced by the Atkins diet, Coca-Cola C2 was introduced. It is supposed to have the same taste as Coca-Cola but it contains half the carbohydrates. Also, The Coca-Cola Company faces a problem due to social and political differences of each market. Its mainly because different countries have different laws and so Coca Cola has to follows laws of each and every country where it operates but in spite of this, it faces strong criticism. The structure of the company has characteristics of both mechanistic and organic modes. It is more leaned towards centralized structure but now slowly and gradually it is moving towards decentralization. The stakeholders of the company are mainly shareowners who are its bottling partners, government, suppliers, retail customers, and local communities. Since each group of stakeholders have their individual goals, this gives rise to conflicts. The shareholders are interested only in profits, the local communities have concerns about environment issues and labour standards, the suppliers want to charge as much as they can in order to generate more revenue whereas the company wants to keep the lowest price to decrease its cost of production. The managers aim at keeping labour costs down whereas the employees aim at wage increase and increased benefits. There are at least 5 hierarchical levels at the corporate level. Due to its very big organizational structure, it experiences communication problems. One of the problems discovered was that the employees and the company did not have clear goals. This huge hierarchy structure has caused motivation problems and that is why the company is attempting to get employees more engaged. The increased use of companys intranet greatly resolves the communication gap and increases communication at every level of employees and allows the management at the topmost level to communicate more effectively to the front line employees. The company is moving towards decentralization which has resulted in a strategic structural change and has affected the company positively. Sales increased and the employees were much more satisfied. The company is trying to develop a more innovative culture by following the path of decentralization. The Coca-Cola Company is trying to compete to get the best employees. The production of beverages does not demand skilled employees but on the contrary, it has had problems finding the proper personnel in order to run the organization. In the year 2004, The Coca-Cola Companys top choices for the open CEO position decided not to join the company because they disliked the gestures of the board of directors. Due to the companys high creditability in the market, the company has the capability to raise funds at lower cost. This gives the company an opportunity to finance operations such as expansion. This is of much more importance to the company when the company wants to expand or if it de cides to enter into new markets or to purchase new brands. The company operates in a very charismatic environment and this type of environment is difficult to predict and control due to the global nature of the operations. The company faces a danger of reduced production or interruption in its distribution if any problem occurs in the market. There is also a possibility of workers going on strike or stoppage of work or distribution falls during bad economic times. Also the raw materials it uses are dependent on specific climates. Climate changes have a drastic affect on price of raw materials they require and so indirectly affects the production cost. The company has received plenty of criticism for its operations in India due to the fact that their bottling plants caused a great deal of pollution and have damaged local water supplies. The company believes in using different techniques in order to maintain good relationships with stakeholders, and strategic alliance is one of them. Nearly 100 percents of its revenue comes from strategic alliance. In 1999, the company signed a 10-year contract with Burger King as it was among the list of restaurants with being the only supplier of beverages. PepsiCo offered Wendys a much a better deal but still the restaurant signed a 10-year deal with The Coca-Cola Company. This really depicts the strong brand name of the Coca-Cola. The company has done a fabulous job by managing some aspects of the environment but done extremely poorly while managing other parts of the environment. The negative publicity it received in India has led to the boycotts of the Coca-Cola products at some places. This seems to be very bad for the company but the average customer is completely ignorant of these allegations. The company is doing a fair job of damage control but while the company has not had any problem with the suppliers, its future cannot be predicted. It does not seem like the company is not making sincere efforts in trying to secur e supplies and for this reason, vertical integration is most suitable. The company has a very strong bond with its distributors. The relationships between these two create collaborative interdependencies and so the victory of both creates a direct impact on each other. Differentiation is one of the business strategies of The Coca-Cola Company. This is clearly evident from the above example where the consumes preferred a drink with Coke as the brand name attached. The company succeeded in its strategy of differentiation because of its aggressive marketing skills. The company has been always known for its innovative marketing and its brand names and so it stands above its competitors. The Coca-Cola Company needs to improve its portfolio of brand names. To be very specific, the organization needs to start introducing new types of beverages as it enters the markets late. The company was late to enter the market of sports and energy drinks as well as coffee drink (Morris, 2006). Even if creates a new type of beverage, its always alone in the market and it can hardly force its competitors to react. The structure of the organization is hybrid in nature and it best suits its differentiation strategy. Its marketing and innovation functions have always remained centralized which allows the company to keep control over development, marketing, and production. It performs extensive researching and tries to find new ways to serve a new group of customers. The culture of The Coca-Cola organization is mission oriented and focuses on refreshing the mind and making a difference. The company means a lot to its customers and its employees. It provides a sense of pride to them and inspires new employees to act more positively which in turn have a positive impact on the world. The company tries to change its culture by giving liberty to its employees to shape and reform the goals of the company. The company provides a strong base to encourage its employees by becoming model citizen s and not just employees of the company. The output processes are the greatest source of uncertainty for the company. The company does not produce the final product. The distributors and bottlers mingle other ingredients and then sell the final product. Who bottles it does not matter and only the end product is important with Coca Cola as its brand name. So the company should make efforts by maintaining good relations with bottlers and distributors and try to pressurize them to maintain high quality final product, otherwise, it could have negative effect on the company and its brand. There appears to be very limited information about the production of companys syrup. At The World of Coca-Cola, a museum for the company, there is no mention as to how the syrup is produced. Based on some information available, the company has a moderately high level of complexity in relation to the fact that it uses mass production. Task variability in production is also low because it is extremely mec hanized and routine. As a result, task analyzability is high. When a problem occurs, it is not hard to find solutions. So, this shows that the typical structure of a manufacturing company that uses mass production is a mechanistic structure, in which efficient production is the desired end. The company has a mechanistic structure, in which efficient production is the desired end. The companys structure is that of organic type due to its focus being mainly on marketing and local appeal. If the structure mismatches, then the production may not be efficient but however, the benefits of the companys structure outweighs the consequences. The Coca-Cola Company has a high level of uncertainty when it comes to the raw materials it uses. For a few of the ingredients, the company only has one or two viable suppliers. This could create a problem for the company. The Coca-Cola Company has less bargaining power if there is little substitutability in suppliers. Another problem could arise if a su pplier experiences an event that economically smashes them. If a supplier experiences bankruptcy or some type of natural calamity then the company could suffer as well. The Coca-Cola Company can improve and secure relationships with suppliers using a few tactics such as minority ownership or strategic alliances. The most suitable solution would to be use backward vertical integration and purchase a supplier. As a result of this, the company can grab the profits that were earlier earned by the supplier, save the costs, and have a trustworthy source of supplies. The company knows that it needs to meet the ever changing requirements of its customers. The company so moved toward decentralization in the 90s. The company allows decision making at local level and so it can promptly respond to the changing market demands. Also, the higher-level management then direct their attention more on long-term planning. Some divisions of the company like finance, innovation, human resources, marketing, and strategy and planning are located centrally within the corporate division of the company. Some of the decisions are made at the lower levels in each regions of the company while majority of the decisions are taken at top hierarchy. The companys structure is of hybrid type which consists of both mechanistic as well as organic features. The focal point of the company is on responsiveness. The complex integrating mechanisms are the special features of the organic structure. The surveys and interviews used by the company allow information to flow from the bot tom-up, and the intranet allows for information to be exchanged laterally. The surveys have also forced The Coca-Cola Company to adapt simplification and standardization. Centralization and high standardization are associated with mechanistic structure. The mixture of both types of structures seems to be ideal for the organization. Flexibility is essential when trying to address such a big number of independent markets but high standardization is also necessary to remain efficient in production. The use of complex integrating mechanisms allows for easier coordination for the global company. Centralization keeps organizational choices in line with organizational goals. Since the information in the company is flowing in each and every direction, upper management will have access to information more quickly which adds to the organizations flexibility and responsiveness. This recent shift towards a more decentralized and organic structure corresponds with the uncertainty of the organiza tions environment. Every individual should acknowledge lifelong learning, and every successful organization in the same way like Coca Cola should become a permanently learning organization. Many successful organizations like Coca-Cola feel a sense of pride in describing themselves as a learning organization while other successful organizations have one of their strategic goals to become such an organization. The company appoints vice presidents for knowledge, learning and intellectual capital whose work is to develop knowledge management systems that enable them to quickly adapt development tendencies, influencing in that way the customers, competitors, distributors and suppliers like. For internal collaboration, The Coca-Cola Company has established its Innovation Framework. It is a system which combines project management and business intelligence capabilities to give operating units in 50 countries the chance to search for and reapply concepts which are utilized in developing and marketing over 2500 beverages produced by Coke. The company uses it to develop new soft drinks, design equipment such as vending machines and fountain dispensers that it leases or sells, and creates packaging concepts for new and its already existing products. The Innovation Frameworks helps Coke recognize duplicate product ideas and prioritize the best allocation of resources. For example, Coke Zeros expansion is the result of Innovation Framework. It was introduced in USA in 2005 and now it is sold in almost 100 countries. This is the outcome of knowledge flow between financial, legal, sales, marketing, and RD teams in different countries. This type of platform helps conquer the produ ct development insights, team members join their hands together in some regions and share them with teams in other countries. The formula, brand, and packaging already developed for one market can then be introduced to other markets. Learning is directly linked with business. Learning is a capability which requires skills and processes. It also requires leaders who can value it. Learning is a primary focus in The Coca Cola Company. The companys decision strategic planning process does not comply with its structure, mission, vision, and values. Its decision making process is centralized in nature and when it is compared with other things with the company, it totally mismatches. Coca Cola has an organic structure and the vision and values of the company focuses more on creativity and employee contribution. The company can improve their decision making process and work out on their organic structure by executing a strategy for organizational learning. They can bring amendments in a few things by alternating managers of different departments on a periodical basis. This will force the managers to think outside the box when making decisions. This will help in achieving organizational learning and set the organic structure into everyones mind frame. On doing this, the company will have the ability to solve many big problems promptly and become a stronger organization as a result. Also, the company should allow its emp loyees to interact with their managers and make suggestions if necessary. This will allow the managers to become aware of the problem at the very initial stage and help them to solve the problems when they are smaller ones before they become big problems in the future. So for this employee involvement is very necessary and an open door policy should be implemented become large ones. By changing their decision making process, the managers can become more used to their most recently approved vision, mission, and values. In this way, they can cultivate a sense of optimism in all stakeholders by making decisions in a timely manner. This will make the stakeholders pretty confident that the company has a better picture for the future because the problems will be less likely a hurdle for them in the future. The company by having more number of employees at lower level in their decision making process can promote leadership, inspire collaboration, and innovation.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Speckled Band and the Man with the Twisted Lip :: Speckled Band Twisted Lip Compare Essays

The Speckled Band and the Man with the Twisted Lip In the beginning of the story, The Speckled Band, a young woman arrived at Sherlock Holmes house at quarter past seven in the morning, with a very urgent matter that she needed to talk to him about. The matter being that the young woman, Miss Helen Stoner, is fearful for her life, because her sister, Miss Julia Stoner died in the usual circumstances such as she died two weeks before her wedding. She died in her room, and before she died, she would regularly hear low whistling and low metallic clanging noises at around three in the morning. Miss Julia Stoner died in her own room, where there was no chance of anybody getting in because her door was locked from the inside every night and the windows were crammed by old fashion shutters with broad iron bars. We learn that the windows were tightly shut, like an old-fashioned house, like a prison, nowhere to escape. This prepares us by telling us that no one could get through by the windows. This adds to the atmosphere of that there is fear and a need of protection. The walls were completely solid. The flooring of Miss Julia Stoner’s room was also solid, with no trap doors or openings. The chimney, also being wide in size, but was barred by four large staples. So it was usual that she died the way she did, because it is obvious now that no was in her room when she died. And the reason why Miss Helen Stoner worries for her life is that Helen is experiencing the same circumstances of which her sister, Miss Julia Stoner, experienced before her death. And because Miss Helen Stoner was worried, her life might end the way her sisters did, she came straight away to Sherlock Holmes as she felt he could help her, in her time of need. While Miss Helen Stoner was telling Sherlock Holmes her dilemma, Sherlock Holmes says, â€Å"Mrs. Hudson has the good sense to light the fire† This sets off the atmosphere as being cosy and comfortable, because the fire has been lit, warmth and light is given off, where they all can relax a little now that the fire is providing warmth and light. It also gives off a masculine atmosphere because Holmes states that Mrs. Hudson had, â€Å"good sense to light the fire†, as if he is trying to imply that it is odd that a woman has enough common sense to light the fire, as if he is belittling women. Trying to say that men are smart enough to know to light a fire, but if a woman does it, she has â€Å"good

Monday, November 11, 2019

Financial Accounting Standards Board Essay

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) are two of the most important bodies of the Accounting/Finance field today. Though both boards work together to develop and enforce financial reporting standards for publicly held organizations, the FASB concentrates on the accounting standards in the United States while the IASB sets its focus on global standards. The rules and standards that are set for individual certified public accountants that practice in the United States are also set by the FASB. By introducing the IASB and FASB into the MSA program, students are able to gain more insight into what businesses are required to report and the progress that the accounting field continues to make. The FASB was established in 1973 after the AICPA had adopted recommendation which were made by the Wheat Committee. The Wheat Committee had recommended that the Accounting Principles Board (APB) be eliminated and that FASB be created. The elimination of the APB and the creation of the FASB meant that the FASB was the board that issued accounting standards. FASB’s structure is as follows: A board of trustees nominated by organizations whose members have special knowledge and interest in financial reporting is selected. The organizations originally chosen to select the trustees were the American Accounting Association; the AICPA; the Financial Executives Institute; the National Association of Accountants (The Naa’s name was later changed to Institute of Management Accountants in 1991), and the Financial Analysts Federation (Schroeder etal, 2011). The FASB’s mission is to create and improve financial accounting standards for the assistance and education of the public. The IASB was established in 2001, after succeeding the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) which was established in 1973. The International Accounting Standards are created by the IASB and are called International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS’s). The main responsibility of the IASB is to create and issue IFRS’s, exposure drafts, and approve interpretations which are developed by the International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC). These IFRS’s are the equivalent to FASB’s Statements of Financial Accounting Standards. The primary difference between the two sets of standards is, one set of standards are established in the United States and another set of standards are established in another country. The FASB and IASB are currently working to create a uniform set of International Accounting Standards (IAC’s). The two boards started working together to create this uniform set of standards in 2003. The goal of this project is to achieve â€Å"compatibility of identifying common, high-quality solutions† (Schroeder etal, 2011). The reason for the convergence of the two boards is to have a specific set of accounting standards that all countries must follow. The guidelines for the convergence of the two boards are as follows: * Convergence of accounting standards can best be achieved through the development of high-quality, common standards theme * Trying to eliminate differences between two standards that are in need of significant improvement is not the best use of the FASB’s and the IASB’s resources – instead, a new common standard should be developed that improves the financial information reported to investors * Serving the needs of investors means that the boards should seek to converge by replacing weaker standards with stronger standards (Schroeder etal, 2011) The primary standards that are to be converged are six of FASB’s Statements of Financial Concepts (SFAC’s): SFAC No. 1. â€Å"Objectives of Financial Reporting by Business Enterprises† SFAC No. 2. â€Å"Qualitative Characteristics of Accounting Information† SFAC No. 5. â€Å"Recognition and Measurement in Financial Statements of Business Enterprises† SFAC No. 6. â€Å"Elements of Financial Statements† SFAC No. 7. â€Å"Using Cash Flow Information and Present Value in Accounting Measurements† (Schreoder etal, 2011) Seven of IASB’s Framework for the Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements are also part of the conversion: 1.  The objective of financial statements 2. Qualitative characteristics of financial statements 3. The elements of financial statements 4. Recognition of the elements of financial statements 5. Measurement of the elements of financial statements 6. Concepts of capital and capital maintenance (Schroeder etal, 2011) The standards mentioned above are the standards that appear to have the most commonality which would seem that there would be fewer obstacles. However; a prevalent variance is the amount of detail which is contained within the two frameworks. While the convergence of the two boards will be difficult, recognizing the commonalities between the frameworks is the first step in making sure the convergence goes through smoothly. Not only is it important to merge the two different sets of standards, but it is also important that the two boards work together to build onto the current set and establish additional standards that organizations are required to follow. The Master of Science in Accountancy (MSA) program prepares students for a professional life within the accounting vocation by introducing students to the standards set by the FASB and the IASB. â€Å"The (MSA) provides the breadth of knowledge for the professional accountant. Students master the theory and principles that frame a wide range of problems and issues encountered in the accounting profession† (University of Phoenix, 2011). The students are able to go in depth with the boards and discover how the entire accounting system works. By introducing the functionality of the FASB and the IASB, the students are able to understand the importance of following GAAP. By understanding GAAP and knowing the relationship between those principles and the IASB and FASB, the students will have the knowledge to perform the job and understand why the IASB and FASB set the standards that they do. The IASB and FASB are two very influential boards within the accounting field. The standards that these two boards have established and enforced have paved the way toward a single set of standards between all countries. Having a single set of standards will allow investors to view financial reports for all organizations around the world and know that the information is being reported using the same set of standards. It is important to the future success of any organization that its current and future employees are up to date on all of the rules and regulations that are part of the accounting career. The MSA program allows students the opportunity to gain the knowledge of any current and future rules that the boards have established.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Catastrophism and Related Arguments in Geology Essay Example

Catastrophism and Related Arguments in Geology Essay Example Catastrophism and Related Arguments in Geology Essay Catastrophism and Related Arguments in Geology Essay was an statements about their different attacks and apprehensions. Catastrophism was, a theory foremost introduced by the Gallic palaeontologist Georges Cuvier, which described that Earth has been in changed much more in its yesteryear, by geological forces in great magnitude, such as temblors, major inundation, and volcanic eruption ( Appleman 35 ) . Catastrophists believed that, recent alterations were gradual, which have been declined, from Earth s initial violent province ( unstable ) to current peaceful ( stable ) province. In this manner, Earth s history was considered as consequences of accretions of ruinous events over a comparatively short clip period. In contrast, the other geological theory was subsequently known as uniformitarianism, which argued that accounts and ratings of geological events could be interpreted with mention to physical procedures that have been runing on Earth since its yesteryear, at about the same strength and measure. These different apprehension was divided into two schools, viz. catastrophist and uniformitarian, b ased upon how geologic forces, rate of alterations and developments were evaluated otherwise. Argument on Force and Cause What the geological forces and the strength have been, and what the causes were, originate in first topographic point to the statements. The uniformitarian insisted on uniformity of causes, stated in Lyell s rule of geology in 1830, suggested that for absolute gradualism, it required huge sum of geologic clip to treat natural choice ( Bowler 130 ) . Additionally, Lyell pointed out that in Earth s history, the overall development could non be directional and hence, an initial province of the Earth would non be traced back to. A. Sedgwick and W. Whewell, from the calamities cantonment, shortly came to assail Lyell with their two hypotheses: ( I ) greater magnitude and strength of geological forces existed in the early periods and ( two ) there were gradual developments from the violent crude phase in Earth history, to its current stable status. Nevertheless, new natural philosophies came in to the assistance of the catastrophists. W. Thomson ( Lord Kelvin ) used the jurisprudence of t hermodynamics, to dispute the steady province position of Erath history proposed by the uniformitarian. Equipped with new natural philosophies Torahs, Kelvin showed, the sum of energy required for infinite active-state, could non be allowed, shortening the clip span of earth history was to about 100 million old ages old, which was merely a little fraction of what required in Darwin s theory. Under this status and appraisal, development would non be impossible, but must come on at a faster rate ( Bowler 234 ) . Darwin, through his observation during the 1835 Chile temblor, provided house grounds for Lyell s gradualism. He found out the formations of Andes and coral islands, by analyzing the coral reeves that grew indoors out upon the dead 1s on the Andes ( under the status that coral reeves could non populate excessively deep from the surface ) , he concluded that the mountains and coral islands elevated from under the sea degree in similar mechanism. Fossil job However, the big graduated table of discontinuities at geological record could non be explained. Other evolutionists came with other groundss to give land support to the steady province theory. Darwin showed the bounds of dodo record: it was discontinuous resulted from its rarity and inclinations to difference species at assorted environments ( Johnson 47 ) . By demoing that, fossils merely formed under certain conditions ( sudden entombment, high force per unit area, and appropriate temperature ) at low possibilities over clip, and formed dodo record may non be preserved over clip, ensuing fewer and fewer sum staying in footings of geological clip ( Johnson 46 ) . Lyell besides gave account for the steady-state, that Earth need non be precisely the same in every period, but must hold had alterations little and slow plenty such that the entire alterations was non cumulative. Furthermore, Lyell brought grounds against the sudden extinction, as assumed by the catastrophist, from finds of re-emerging species in the dodo record. He believed that species followed the clime alteration instead than being suddenly extinct ( Bowler 134 ) . To Cuvier, His get downing point was to happen an account to the forms of extinction and faunal sequence that were observed in the dodo record. While he examined the fossil grounds, that the calamity which is responsible for a recent extinction in Eurasia may hold been the consequence of the possible inundation of low lying countries by the sea, while neer doing any mention to Noah s inundation, he did non do any mention to divine power from scriptural belief. Cuvier besides believed that, the geological record may bespeak that there could hold been several times of these revolutions, which he considered as repeating natural events, towards long intervals of stableness within the history of Earth s life ( Bowler 109 ) . Therefore, Cuvier concluded that Earth was merely about several million old ages old. In early nineteenth century Britain, Cuvier s theory of catastrophism was welcome for it provided theoretical model for major development in ocean and stratigraphy, which so allowed the withdrawing ocean theory to be replaced by liquefied Earth theory. With the premise that alterations had been more violent in the yesteryear of Earth history, the predicted claim of Earth began as a liquefied Earth of stone could hold agreed with the description for the scriptural creative activity ( Bowler 115 ) . Before Buckland accepted the theory of chilling Earth to explicate the diminishing tendency of force of geological activities, he believed in regional catastrophism and creationism. In his book Reliquiae Diluvianae ( 1823 ) , he described that he had found the grounds of record of recent geological flood. In a cave in Yorkshire, castanetss of hyaenas buried in harden clay had been found to demo the hint of flood responded to the clime alteration. Furthermore, to corroborate the truth of the Biblical history: had we neer heard of such an event [ Noah s Flood ] . . . Geology of itself must hold called in the aid of some such calamity to explicate the phenomenon . However, Buckland did non believed that the cause of such calamity was supernatural, and the flood was merely one of those calamity happened in early history that punctuated the history of the Earth. Even earlier Lyell published his Principles, a group of geologists, known as Scriptural geologists, arose to dispute the spread theoreticians and other theological compromisers. This group insisted on a recent six-day creative activity and a world-wide Noah s Flood, harmonizing to scriptural creative activity. Granville Penn, in his book published in1822, Comparative Estimate of the Mineral and Mosaic Geologies, argued with instead sharp logic positions being barely distinguishable. George Bugg s two volume musical composition, Scriptural Geology ; or, Geological Phenomena Consistent Merely with Literal Interpretations of Sacred Scriptures, was published in 1826. Bugg abused Buckland and distinguished between even the pious Cuvier and Christian authors. Among those reacting was Adam Sedgwick, who with Buckland foremost espoused but subsequently, abandoned diluvialism. In his 1830 presidential reference to London s Geological Society, Sedgwick replied to the Mosaic geologists wi th a annihilating circular. When the first volume of Lyell s Principles was published in 1830, the Scriptural Geologists declared a pestilence on both houses as the great contention between uniformitarian and catastrophists began. Since so, the issue has been still alive in the go oning arguments about the rates of alteration and clip spans in the history of the development of species ( Appleman 36 ) . The American Response In recommending Cuvier s claim that catastrophes similar to the scriptural inundation repeatedly destroyed life and blossomed out species, Thomas Jefferson, referred to the fossil castanetss of mastodon and rejection its proposed extinction, wrote, Such is economic system of nature, that no case can be produced, of her holding permitted any on race of her animate beings to go replete ; of her holding formed any nexus in her great work, so weak as to be broken ( Appleman 35 ) . Agassiz believed that life progressed in stairss periods of discontinuity, in the push of supernatural force. In each period, it required geological calamity until the population of some species was wiped out ( Bowler 123 ) . In 1842, he postulated his ain type of calamity: Ice Age. Furthermore, to the antonym of what evolutionists insisted, Agassiz insisted that the location of the first member of each category in dodo record would be found at the highest degree, non the lowest suggested by the jurisprudence of geology ( Bowler 121 ) . Summary and Conclusion Plants cited Appleman, Philip: Darwin. Norton: 2001, 3rd Ed. Bowler, P. J. : Development, the History of an Idea. Univ. of Calif. Press: 2009, 3rd Ed. Johnson, P.E. : Darwin on Test: the Fossil Problem. Inter-Varsity Press: 1991, 45-62.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

The Creek essays

The Creek essays The name "Creek" came from the shortening of Ocheese Creek Indians a name given by the English to the native people living along the Ocheese Creek. In time, the name was given to all groups of the Native American Confederacy. All tribes living in Georgia were known to be good hunters and farmers so food was usually not a problem within the tribes. Foods ranging from coastal varieties to fruits and berries. Farmers were noted to be very good at their job. Corn, rice, and potatoes were few of the favorites, because they had large fields in their villages. Before the middle of the 16th century the Creek's controlled almost all of Georgia. At that time the Cherokee began to pressure them to move more inland. A tremendous battle occurred at, Slaughter Gap in Lumpkin County in the late 1600's. After this battle the Creek traveled to line just south of the Etowah River. A later battle in Cherokee County made the Creek south to the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers, and west to the Coosa (mostly in Alabama), hence the terms Upper Creek and Lower Creek became common references to the now separate tribes. Different sections of the tribe fought on either the British or American sides. In November 1783, two minor chiefs (Tallassee and Cusseta) ceded Creek land between the Tugaloo and Apalachee Rivers. After the cession, relations between the state of Georgia and the Creek Nation worsened and on April 2, 1786, the Creek Nation declared war. Attacks against settlers on Creek land were carried out. In spite of two tries at the treaty (Shoulderbone, 1786; New York, 1790) there was no peace on the Georgia frontier until after the War of 1812. Although most of the incidents were mainly minor, settlers on the boundary between the Creek Nation and the state of Georgia were always afraid of a raid. Before the ...

Monday, November 4, 2019

PARAPHRASE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

PARAPHRASE - Essay Example They do not use command-and-control model and they ensure the transmission of the company’s culture. Nucor also has an unusual pay system that shares corporate wealth with workers (profits and bonuses). Workers’ and managers’ take-home greatly depends on results and pay disparities are modest with executive pay geared toward team-building. There also exists a healthy competition in Nucor based on efficiency, safety and output among shifts and facilities, balanced with a long history of idea-sharing and cooperation. Just as Nucor rewards good work, it also penalizes bad work and this way, the company’s model has brought it numerous benefits including improved annual production of acquisitions and improved total shipments. With the company’s growth, its existing facilities whose products overlap with those of acquired plants may be forced to seek new businesses to branch into thereby making its workers innovate themselves into more lucrative spots out of tough ones. Apparently, Nucor is the leading and the most outstanding steel company in the U.S. Its model energizes workers and provides an example of exceptional strategic execution. It also ensures that both workers and managers demonstrate a level of fervor for the company that can border on the bizarre. For other companies, the model is therefore worth

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Report for Advance Software Engineering for Stage Two Essay

Report for Advance Software Engineering for Stage Two - Essay Example As discussed earlier in stage 1 reflection that all of us were working on pair level and it was not easy for us to conclude the best idea therefore we suffered a lot during project planning. Through mashwara, we felt better understanding because every one was only giving his opinion instead of dictating his strategy. Instead of working on the project in isolation we also experienced and enjoyed the pair programming strategy. It was really an amazing approach which reduced the development time errors quite significantly. The incremental approach also helped quite significantly as it enabled us to abstract the future details of the project and allowed us to focus on the issues at hand. Specifically speaking during the thread management and usage of patterns it was very much effective to keep concentrating on the local issues rather than thinking upon the 'unseen challenges of the later aspects of the project'. To me, planning the whole project and then breaking it down into modules cou ld be useful and beneficial approach for all experienced managers and for a team with a higher level of communication, support and trust within them. However, for groups like ours, I found it better to set some short terms goals, complete them and then proceed towards the later parts of the project. Indeed, I feel integration may be a problematic issue for very large projects but not of course for this project. From technical aspects, the most interesting parts of the project are thread management and usage of patterns. Understanding threads as a tool for concurrent programming within the application is an exciting experience. It took some time for me to get comfortable with thread programming because of its different nature as compared to other programming techniques. During the project it was not a big deal to apply threads; however, I think handling concurrency issues, race conditions and avoidance of deadlocks may wreak havoc in a heavily multithreaded application. To be honest, I still have to learn a true multi threaded environment and how to optimally use this powerful technique to improve the efficiency of the application. Improper usage of the threads may also cause unwanted delays and other vulnerabilities during the program. As compared to the agile programming approach I found 'Design Pattern' to be more complicated, interesting and powerful software design technique as a learner. A design pattern introduced by the gang of four is an incredible way to structure the application design for extensions, flexibility and more towards a generic design. INDIVIDUAL REPORT Threads Threads can be used for concurrent execution of the unit parts of the programs within the application execution environment. A program may be fragmented if no dependencies are found within each block and can be executed through threads concurrently. This concurrent execution speeds up the application and is very helpful for (some how) parallel processing tasks over a single process or. Fortunately, recent processors are significantly supporting the usage of threads and improving the program throughput quite noticeably. Furthermore the threads allow a programmer to accurately map the real world scenarios with the application as it was the case in our project too. There are several 'works' or 'processing’s' going on concurrently in the real world. Like, the

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Comparative Legal System Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Comparative Legal System - Article Example During the early centuries, the judges and justices were responsible for adapting the Writ system to meet everyday needs, and the application of a mixture of common sense and precedent in order to create a body of internally consistent law. For example, the Law Merchant began in the Pie-Powder Courts (a corruption of the French "pieds-poudr's" or "dusty feet", meaning ad hoc marketplace courts). "As Parliament developed in strength, and subject to the doctrine of separation of powers, legislation gradually overtook judicial law making so that, today, judges are only able to innovate in certain very narrowly defined areas. Time before 1189 was defined in 1276 as being time immemorial." (English law English law. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_law) According to Mary Ann Glendon, "Reception of a legal system depends upon the fusion of the local culture with that of the settling nation ... Where a cultural assimilation has occurred, the English common law has shown remarkable capaci ty for adaptation." (Mary Ann Glendon et al 1999) During the British Empire, Britain exported its legal system to various countries in the Commonwealth of Nations, including the United States, and many aspects of the British legal system have persisted since the withdrawal of the British. English law before the Independence Wars still has an influence on the law in the United States, and English law provides the basis for some American policies and legal traditions. Many states that were formerly subject to English law (such as Australia) continue to recognise a link to English law - subject, of course, to statutory modification and judicial revision to match the law to local conditions - and decisions from the English law reports continue to be cited from time to time as persuasive authority in present day judicial opinions. For a few states, the British Privy Council remains the ultimate court of appeal (English_law http://www.smso.net/English_law)Similarly, because the UK remains a strong international trading nation, "international consistency of decision making is of vital importance, so the Admiralty is strongly influenced by Public International Law and the modern commercial treaties and conventions regulating shipping" (http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/English-law) As former colonists of Great Britain, the Founding Fathers of the United States tended to adopt much of the British legal system. The United States, Great Britain and Wales all have a law that is made by courts (common law) rather than laws handed down by a monarch or some other central governmental authority such as a legislature. The jury, a panel of ordinary citizens chosen to decide a case, is an integral part of our common-law system. Use of juries to decide cases, is a distinguishing feature of the American legal system. Few other countries in the world use juries as we do in the United States. Over the centuries, many people have believed that juries in most cases reach a fairer and more just result than would be obtained using a judge alone, as many

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Control For Induction Motors Essay Example for Free

Control For Induction Motors Essay Project paln Soft starter and soft stopping for speed control for induction motors Introduction The project is entirely on the design and development of a soft starter converter that will satisfy and implement the soft starting and soft stopping for speed control of an induction motor. Soft starters also called solid state starter are used for gentle starting and stopping of induction motors. Pumps, centrifuges, compressors, escalators, belt conveyors, mills, fans, stone crusher and saws are typical applications. If a motor is not adequately protected the sudden change in rotation torque and speed, which occurs on starting and stopping will jolt the equipment linked to it. Over the long term this can lead to increase in mechanical wear of gearboxes, clutches, transmission and conveyor systems. Abrupt starting and stopping can also damage goods being handled by the mechanical equipment. For instance, the filling and distribution of glass bottles and containers loaded on to a conveyor holds a potential for a minor disaster. One sudden jerk during starting and stopping will surely cause the entire process line to engage in a mass of broken glasses and dripping liquids or sticky product. With pumps soft starters eliminate pressure shocks in pipes and valves when the pipe pump starts or stops. This poses a particular safety hazard when the transfer of volatile and/or inflammable liquid is involved. Background Information Soft starter controllers provide the soft starting and stopping of induction motors with no beyond high maximum currents, motor heating or mechanical shocks. However this is more vital for most of large machines because there is entirely reduced starting torque and reduced impacts on mechanical parts, however this result in an increase in the equipment lifespan. Also the soft starting and soft stopping result in mass energy saving the power supply since the starting currents and voltages are low, meaning the amount of power dissipated at the start is less as compared to a normal start without a soft start. An induction motor soft starting and soft stopping inverter is a vital aspect which serves as a premier protection to the machine itself and the entire production line. The outmost need for soft starting and soft stopping is to prescribe the inrush currents that an induction motor absorb when being started from rest. This needs attention because it eventually causes the line voltages to decline, which is nevertheless a danger to such loads sensitive to low voltages. These inrush cerrents and high starting voltages are major cause to mechanical stress; when large currents enters the motor windings a larger magnetic field is being produced which can cause some parts to attract and repel Objectives The main project aim is to design and develop a soft starter converter that implements the soft starting and soft stopping of an induction motor. Specifically, the project will focus on the following objectives 1. To design and develop the hardware components of the project that features the soft starting and soft stopping of an induction motor. 2. To design and develop the software hardware that could be integrated to the hardware 3. To demonstrate the converter responses to starting and stopping operations of an induction motor. Methodology Justification soft starter controllers ensure the soft starting and stopping of induction motors without excessive peak currents, motor heating or mechanical shocks.This has a particular importance in large machines due to the power consumption in the megawatt range. The energy adsorbed by the motor winding and the shock torque have both and important impact in the mechanical parts and consequently, influences the equipment lifetime. they allow the reduction of cable section and the energy peak power from the electricity supplier. An induction motor soft starting and soft stopping inverter is a vital aspect which serves as a premier protection to the motor lifespan and http://www.ctiautomation.net/Control-Techniques-Soft-Starters.htm https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=vq=cache:srtLMpIZcMoJ:www.eaton.com/ecm/idcplg%3FIdcService%3DGET_FILE%26dID%3D428122+soft+starter/stopping+induction+motorhl=engl=mypid=blsrcid=ADGEEShf7UdxSK-mMBvBj-zftdxPnL24HsZr2T32U2sCIlpx8wZ1tKtG_L3r51v4roi7xe-vF81v_Qmww-XYxvRGlNfR5yzJBmrupuoU0b35MJVZOBjH1byAnHUh2i8OyPBR8r9Cd-bJsig=AHIEtbS1MVgMGWzC7MHbsX548ilI1M0rEQ

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Problem Based Learning Reflective Account Psychology Essay

Problem Based Learning Reflective Account Psychology Essay The Problem Based Learning (PBL) exercise was entitled The relationship to change. Each Case Discussion Group (CDG), consisting of 7 trainees, had to produce a presentation on this topic. Our CDG decided to look at the relationship of the media in changing attitudes towards mental health, with a focus on the Tripartite Model (Triandis, 1971) to explain attitude formation and Stages of Change Model (Prochaska and DiClemente, 1984, cited in Sarafino, 1998) to think about the process of change. I will reflect on the process of change since starting the PBL for both myself and the group, and how this is reflective of changes that occur in clinical practice, with consideration of these two models. The PBL exercise occurred before we started on placement; as such, there are areas that we did not consider or have time to cover; for example, the relationship of the mental health service and teams in changing attitudes towards mental health, both in the community and within services, and how attitudes about mental health influence therapy. I believe these may be important aspects to reflect upon here. Though we were all of similar ages, we had one male in our group and a variety of different individual characteristics and experiences, although we all shared apprehensions about actually doing the presentation. As the group sessions progressed, there were shifts in the extent of the contributions made by different group members. Initially, I remained relatively quiet and felt quite daunted by the process. As I felt more settled and gained more knowledge about the task in hand, I contributed to a far greater extent and felt able to put my point of view across. I believe as a group we were very respectful of one anothers needs and that this developed as we grew in confidence. There was a general consensus of the title being very vague. I felt that there was a need amongst us to get something done and have something to work on, and we became very task-focused. Having watched the other groups presentations, I realised that we remained task-focused throughout the experience in comparison to other groups who largely reflected on their experiences. This may be reflected in therapeutic interventions whereby time constraints and limited sessions mean that we become more focused on the task at hand and neglect to reflect on the therapeutic process. On reflection, however, our group formed a strong bond at an early stage, perhaps drawn together by the safe environment we created to share ideas and anxieties and the shared goal of wanting to achieve, and this formed the basis of a positive experience of this learning task. As the group evolved and held trust in one another, we felt able to hold different opinions and constructively worked through these until a cons ensus was reached. This is something I feel we would not have achieved so successfully at the beginning due to a need to be liked and please one another and therefore feeling restrained and less willing to share a differing opinion. This may be reflected in clinical practice with clients who may initially feel less able to voice ideas or disagreements with our expressed understandings of their difficulties but are more able to do so as the relationship develops. This can be vital when thinking about formulation and highlights the need to reformulate with new information. Of the six formal sessions that we met together for our CDG, three were attended by our facilitator. This had an impact on the group dynamics; due to this being our first assignment and us being new trainees, there was an inherent need for us to seek reassurance that what we were doing was right and to gain approval from the facilitator when she joined us. I was much quieter when she was present, through anxieties about being evaluated and I noticed as a group, we tended to be more restrained and tentative. Part of the role of a clinical psychologist may be to facilitate groups, both therapeutically and in other settings such as group supervision. The differences that arose in the sessions where we had a facilitator compared with those when we did not may also be reflected in other group settings. Whilst the power differential cannot be removed and the way in which people interact under different circumstances will vary, I have considered how important it is to try to make people fee l as comfortable as they can in such settings, perhaps through sharing experiences and anxieties, where appropriate. This has certainly been a helpful part of my own supervision whereby my supervisor has shared her experiences and mistakes and I have felt more empowered to talk about difficult situations I have faced. However, this is still an area that I need to become more comfortable with; accepting that it is neither required nor desirable to know everything or to get everything right. As a group, we worked productively on the task in hand, setting homework tasks for each of us and to then share these with the group at the beginning of each meeting. This is highly reflective of a CBT framework whereby we were very directive and focused on achieving the goal of getting our presentation written. Through my clinical practice, I have seen how using CBT can fit very well with what some clients want, in terms of them having identified the areas they want to change and wanting practical techniques and homework tasks to enable them to do this. However, there have been other clients I have worked with for whom I have been unsure that a CBT approach was best suited to their needs. One client in particular brought with him each week complex family difficulties. Working within a CBT focused team, I felt constrained to keep to a CBT approach but following supervision and a subsequent consultation with family therapy, alongside the CBT we addressed relational difficulties and th is appeared to bring about change within his system that constituted a shift in his depression. Thinking about how we approached our PBL task, I wonder if we neglected a more holistic approach and in our focus on getting the task done, we missed opportunities to learn from the process and engage with the relationships that were forming and changing. In subsequent CDGs, we have reflected more upon how we have formed and developed as a group but it is perhaps an area we need to remain mindful of due to our apparent need to still remain more task-focused. Models of change Our group decided to look at two models relating to our chosen focus of the relationship of the media in changing attitudes towards mental health. The stages of change model (Procheska and DiClemente, 1992) proposes five stages of change: pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance, with relapse also being a feature of the change process. In the service where I am on placement, people are required to be motivated to engage and change, and are thus usually at the contemplation or preparation stage. I was struck by the contrast of these clients and the clients I spent time with when working two shifts on an acute ward as part of my induction. Here, many of the clients were less aware of having difficulties or not wanting to make any changes. I reflected on how different therapy might be with clients at different stages and how different techniques may be employed, such as motivational interviewing, at earlier stages. However, I also considered for whom there w as a problem and whether if the client is not at risk to themselves or others and not in distress, should societys representation of normal mean that such clients are forced to change? In addition, it is important to consider what constitutes significant change. Through working with a client who checks obsessively, I have found that my expectations were different to hers and that she has achieved a reduction in checking that is sufficient for her. This enabled me to consider my own attitudes and beliefs about the distress people experience and how important it is to fully listen to clients and what their goals are. We also looked at the Tripartite model which looks at attitudes and how these are influenced and changed. It suggests that attitudes are comprised of three parts, cognitions, affect and behaviour, and that attitudes can be changed by working on any one of these parts, for example through new information, direct experience or forced behaviour. I was very motivated to look at attitudes towards mental health since I feel there is still a lot of stigma attached to mental distress and was interested in the role that the media plays in both supporting and trying to address this, whilst also being aware that this can vary depending on other factors such as culture. I was surprised during my induction on the inpatient ward by the views held by some staff towards the clients whereby some clients were seen as their diagnosis, rather than as people, and were consequently infantilised and not treated as individuals. I found myself trying to get to know more about the clients than just their diag nosis by engaging with them through activities, such as playing pool. The therapeutic relationship is a vital and influential component of therapy (Roth and Fonagy, 2005). It is interesting to think about how both the therapists and clients attitudes towards mental health difficulties impact upon the therapeutic relationship. When working with clients in a therapeutic setting, I am now more mindful of seeing beyond their distress and thinking more holistically, as well as consideration of our attitudes towards the distress and drawing upon the resources and resilience clients have already. My experiences on the ward also enabled me to think more about staff and team attitudes in general. As the role of clinical psychologists changes and they take on more consultative and leadership roles, team dynamics will be an important factor to consider and thus changing attitudes may be an important factor to consider, through increased training and supervision. Final Reflections It has been interesting to reflect on the dynamics of our group. I feel that as a group we bonded very quickly and that this was significantly aided by a shared goal of getting our presentation done alongside a common theme of feeling quite anxious about getting it right. Through the experience of shared learning, we were able to draw upon a wealth of experiences and construct a presentation that employed humour to get our message across in a format that felt safe and fun for us. This very much reflected our CDG meetings which employed humour but focused on the task at hand. It has also enabled me to think about my own use of humour and how I feel that this can be an important factor in clinical practice to aid the therapeutic alliance and to enable clients to alleviate some of their distress. As a group, I think that we moved from tentative explorations of ideas to being more empowered to express and manage differing opinions and achieving an agreed consensus following discussions. With hindsight, I believe we neglected to reflect sufficiently on the process of change for us as a group during the PBL task but that we are now more aware of our need to develop these skills further. Our presentation focused on attitude change towards mental health difficulties. I believe there is a large role for clinical psychologists, and mental health teams, to consider the attitudes we hold and to consider how we view different client groups, mental health difficulties and diversity. I believe that being aware of such attitudes is an important factor in acknowledging the need for change in some attitudes, alongside training and good supervision. I hope that as my own training and confidence develops, I will feel better equipped to be able to facilitate changes in such attitudes.