Study Case (computer Crime) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

(computer Crime) - Case Study Example According to the sexual exploitation of children’s act, the accused is guilty of transporting visual depiction a sexual misconduct against children. The accused had the duty to verify that the material transported was safe for use and free of any sexual exploitation. However, failure to observe this measure makes the defendant an accomplice to children sexual exploitation. Furthermore, the defendant claimed that the evidence used against him was insufficient to confirm him as guilty. The defendant states that the goods were part of a foreign interstate commerce. The hard drives, as well as the webcam were probably made from Korea or China. However, he depended on his experience and assumed that they originated from Korea or China; thus, free of any sexual videos. It is unlawful to transport videos of sexual exploitation on children. The government requires that individuals trading in foreign computer hardware must be keen to avoid the sale of hardware with consisting of videos that sexually exploit children. The defendant is guilty as he failed to do his job professionally assuming that the place of origin of the hard drive and webcam were safe. On the other, the defendant’s trial was delayed, which is against the sixth amendment. This amendment requires that an accused must face immediate trial when accused of criminal activities. Delayed trial is a violation of an accused sixth amendment’s right (Jordan 123). Nevertheless, violation of the defendant does not make him less guilty or free from the crime committed. The court was provided with adequate evidence to prove that the defendant was guilty. It is rightful for the court to convict the defendant to avoid similar carelessness in future. In the case of Acevado, the defendant was sentenced following a panel of adjudicators’ trial of aiding, and producing and assisting in the creation of a visual portrayal of a minor

The Death of Ivan Ilych Essay Example for Free

The Death of Ivan Ilych Essay During Ilych’s appointment with the first doctor he consulted about his condition, he noticed that the doctor was a man who considered himself an expert in his turf and who looked down on everybody else as people who knew a lot less and whose lives would be affected by his own choice of moves, acts or decisions. In the role of the patient whose ailment was yet to be specifically identified, Ilych noticed that the doctor he visited – and those he subsequently went to, as well – personified the public official that he was. Having been serving as the examining magistrate of the town, Ilych was undoubtedly powerful and influential. He could summon any man, whatever his station was – rich or poor, educated or ignorant, successful or otherwise – to the court, and he could do with them whatever he wanted to do by the decisions that only he could make. He reveled in the control he wielded; he figured out complicated cases and readily saw them as simple knots, and he concluded countless of cases without emotion and using only objectivity, logic and his authority. The outcome of some cases destroyed lives, turned victims’ worlds upside down, ended professional careers, broke families, shut down businesses and shattered dreams of many people. Through it all, Ilych was the detached magistrate who could not care less what happened to any of the many participants in the cases he officiated. He was puffed up, callous and undeniably proud. The same arrogance could be found in most other characters in the story; Ilych’s colleagues saw nothing in his death but a definite signal of changes in the make-up of their elite circle. They were more concerned with what Ilych’s demise would mean to their respective posts. The same selfishness was demonstrated mostly by everyone. Even Ilych’s wife could not disguise her greed for what she would be entitled to as a widow. On the whole, the story is a sad depiction of how meaningless life can be when lived for the wrong reasons, purposes and goals. The happy bit of a part is brought about by knowing that before he finally drew his last breath, Ilych shook himself free of such wrong values and beliefs – he found out that love and concern for others are the things that genuinely lead a person to find happiness. Works Cited Tolstoy, Leo. The Death of Ivan Ilych. Kila, Montana: Kessinger Publishing, 2004.

Investigation in Acoustics of Wine Glasses

Investigation in Acoustics of Wine Glasses Introduction Resonance is extremely important in engineering and structural design. It directly relates to the way buildings, bridges and other structures sway with disturbance. In the case of wine glasses used in the Glass Harmonica invented in 1761 by Benjamin Franklin, varying the amount of water contained within the glass will vary the resonant frequency of the glass.[1] The purpose of the task is to investigate how frequency varies as height of water increases in a range of wine glass diameters before making recommendations regarding the ideal height and diameter for a given frequency. Collection of data is not a simple task as the height of water must be measured under great scrutiny and the wave produced needs to be constant in order to accurately record frequency. However, alterations have been made to the design of the experimental setup and will account for error through these avenues. For example, volume of water will be increased in increments and the heights measured as increasing volume is easier than increasing height. Once the collection and processing of data has been completed, recommendations can be made about the use, manufacture and efficiency of the Glass Harmonica. Essentially, the aim of the investigation is to scrutinize the Glass Harmonica and make recommendations about other structures through extrapolation. Background Theory A.P. French’s Formula While the Glass Harmonica is not the most commonly played instruments, the physics behind the way it works has been investigated a number of times. A journal paper describing the resonance on wineglasses was written by the late A.P. French, a Ph. D. and former President of the American Association of Physics Teachers.[2] In the paper, French derived a general formula for how the frequency of a singing wineglass could vary with the volume of water in the glass.[3] While French’s general formula was derived to describe the behaviour of ideal cylindrical glasses, it was found that any type of glass would approximately fit the formula. The formula is shown below: Resonant Frequency The main factor at play in the experimental investigation is resonant frequency. According to The Physics Classroom, â€Å"resonance is the tendency of a system to oscillate with greater amplitude at some frequencies than at others.†[4] The system’s resonant frequency is the frequency where the system demonstrates its relative maximum amplitude, that is, the system exhibits greatest oscillation.[5] Figure 1 illustrates the resonant frequency of a general system. When its rim is rubbed by a moistened finger, the glass emits its resonant frequency. This is due to the crystals in the glass vibrating together which leads to one clear tone. As water is added to the glass, its resonant frequency changes. Resonance is important on a bigger scale than just the use of the Glass Harmonica. It relates to the way structures and other man-made objects oscillate in the outside world. For example, the Takoma Narrows Suspension Bridge in Washington collapsed due to wind that was gusting at the exact resonant frequency of the bridge.[6] Furthermore, acoustic resonance is important for instrument builders, as many instruments use resonators, for example, strings on a guitar, the length of a tube and the tension on a drum membrane. ‘Slip-Stick Effect’ The slip-stick phenomenon is defined as â€Å"the spontaneous jerking motion that can occur while two objects are sliding over each other.†[7] The friction between two surfaces leads to a ‘stick’ effect. The ‘stick’ effect is due to the applied force not being great enough to overcome the friction. However, as the force applied becomes greater, one of the surfaces begins to ‘slip’. When the surface ‘slips’, the force applied increases the second surface’s velocity. As the velocity increases, the frictional force increases too, until the frictional force is greater than that of the force applied, leading to another ‘stick’. The process continues and is named the ‘slip-stick effect’. The constant frictional jerking of the finger on the rim of the wine glass causes vibrations within the wall of the glass, leading to the oscillation of the glass and essentially, the tone produced. How does the glass vibrate? The glass begins to vibrate in a very special way when affected by the slip-stick phenomenon. When a moistened finger rubs along the glass, the rim begins oscillating into an elliptical shape due to its relatively elastic nature. Figure 2 portrays an exaggeration of the deformation of the rim of the glass. The rim’s shape oscillates between the two elliptical shapes shown several hundred times per second, producing an audible tone. Hypothesis In context of the investigation to be undertaken, it is hypothesised that as height of water increases in each of the three glasses, the frequency produced by each of the glasses will fall. The glass that can contain the greatest volume of water will reduce the least over the course of the experiment. Additionally, both other glasses will have a greater rate of frequency decrease. Under test conditions, it is predicted that as the glasses get fuller, the frequency reduction will become greater as the stem of the glass supports the glass, hindering it from vibrating as much. Correlation Using French’s formula, a linear relationship can be established between the frequency produced and the height of water: The value has been substituted into the equation as is built up of a number of constants representing the density of liquid, density of glass and glass thickness. Thus, plotting the following as and should present a linear relationship: Graphing the above equation should present a value as gradient. Ideal Graphs Ideally, the graphs should be as depicted below: The graph on the left depicts the reduction in frequency as height of water increases. The frequency slowly decreases in the first part before rapidly diminishing as height increases. The graph on the right has been manipulated using the raw data into a straight-line graph. Its gradient is the value. Method Clear the area and prepare the test glass and all other equipment used in experimentation. Place test glass flush on the desk before adopting silence in the room. Moisten index finger and begin softly rubbing the rim of the glass. Continue rubbing the rim of the glass until a standing wave appears. Begin recording sound in the room for a period of 10 seconds. If the standing wave is lost before the end of 10 seconds, stop the recording, delete the recording and repeat the procedure. If the standing wave continues, stop the recording at 10 seconds and stop rubbing the rim of the glass. Open the ANALYSE drop-down menu and select PLOT SPECTRUM. Trace along the graph until the peak is reached and record the frequency of the peak. Close the spectrum and delete the recording. Repeat 3 times. Measure out 20ml of water in a surgical syringe and add this liquid to the glass. Repeat the method outlined above. The setup of the experiment is pictured below: Results The results of the experiment are tabulated below: Raw Data Analysis Frequency Reduction (Hz) Glass 1 Glass 2 Glass 3 Linear Relationship Graphs Glass 1 Glass 2 Glass 3 ‘-Value’ for Different Glasses Error Analysis There are three forms of error in this experiment: Straight line error Measurement error Expected error Straight Line Error Measurement Error Measurement error can be calculated using the smallest division of every piece of equipment used to measure values. These are presented below: Vernier: 0.01mm Audacity’s Frequency Spectrum: 0.5 Hz Syringe: Negligible as the volume increments are not factored into the French’s formula Substituting various values into a rearranged version of French’s formula will find the various amounts of measurement error in each trial. The calculations are available below: Formula Glass 1 Therefore, measurement error is 0.52 Hz Glass 2 Therefore, measurement error is 0.52 Hz Glass 3 Therefore, measurement error is 0.52 Hz Expected Error Expected error can be found by substituting the value for various glasses into the manipulated formula used for the measurement error. The result of graphing this is the expected frequency decrease curve. The graphs are presented below: Glass 1 Glass 2 Glass 3 Average Difference Throughout the Duration of the Experiment Maximum Difference Discussion Interpretation of Results According to the results, the previously formulated hypothesis was proven correct. This is true since the frequency produced by each of the glasses fell as the height of water in each of the three glasses increased. Furthermore, Glass 2, which has the greatest capacity, also followed suit as it had the least frequency reduction. Moreover, stem of the glass acted as an excellent support for each of the glasses, ensuring that the raw graphed data followed a similar pattern to that expected. Another noteworthy trend was that the taller glass with the smallest capacity and radius had the greatest reduction in frequency. On the other hand, the shortest glass has the most stable and predictable decrease. Following French’s formula, justification can be made as to why the values didn’t increase as height of glass increased. The values of each of the glasses is made up of the following: Where the only variable factors between glasses are , radius of the glass and , thickness of the glass at water level. Thus, as increases, as with Glass 2, the value increases too. Naturally, as decreases, as with Glass 3, the value increases. Glass 3 had a higher value than Glass 1 simply due to the thin nature of the glass. Furthermore, Glass 2 had the highest value due to its large radius and almost spherical shape. While it was not a part of this experimental investigation at all, it must be noted that the glass with the greatest value produced the loudest sound, that is, the wave with the greatest amplitude. An interesting observation can be made through linking the nature of the glass, the value and the amplitude of the sound wave produced. As the glass becomes thinner and rounder, the value increases, which in turn, leads to a louder sound being produced. While the results obtained from the experiment are as were hypothesized, the outcome for the overall investigation is not as straightforward. The varied frequency decrease in the three glasses indicates which would be the most efficient in a Glass Harmonica with limited glasses. The dissimilarity also shows which glass would be able to play a specific small range more precisely than others. There are distinct advantages/disadvantages regarding high/low frequency reduction. The main advantage of the greater variation in frequency is that one can play a whole range of notes with only a few of the same type of glass. Additionally, the primary disadvantage of a great frequency decrease is that subtle changes in frequency cannot be easily made. A method of eliminating this disadvantage is simply using glasses that have a slower frequency reduction, such as Glass 2. However, this has its own advantages and disadvantages. The key advantage is that more specific notes in a small range can be played. Nevertheless, a disadvantage of this is that a large number of glasses need to be used, to play each specific note. In the real world, when a Glass Harmonica is used, a whole range of glasses are used due to the fact that more precise notes can be played in a while range of frequencies. This is what makes these instruments so expensive. Usually, the higher notes are played using thinner glasses and lower, deeper notes are played using rounder, wider glasses. Comparison with Expected Results The results obtained from conducting the experimental investigation are slightly deviant from those expected. It was expected that the values of the various glasses would be ordered the same way as the retention of frequency, and in the following order, from greatest to smallest frequency retention: The results obtained are divergent from these and follow the pattern as shown below: However, when comparing the data collected to the expected data, there is a trend on all the graphs as they all begin almost exactly on par with the expected results. Glass 3 had the greatest amount of difference from the expected graph. On average, every frequency measured was 32.25 Hz above or below the value it should have been at. In addition, Glass 2 began on par wuth the expected curve before reducing frequency slightly slower than expected. Nevertheless, the graphs were most consistent in both the beginning and end of each glass. As visible on the all three of the â€Å"difference in frequency† graphs, the true data began and ended almost exactly equal to the expected values. While results obtained were fairly accurate, the maximum difference between the expected values and true data in the three glasses was 68.04 Hz. Mistakes, Uncertainties, Errors While the investigation undertaken does not blatantly show evidence of any significant mistakes/errors, there are certainly a number of anomalies. For example, Glass 3 had a greater value than Glass 1 even though it has a minute radius. The values of the various glasses differ by only a small amount and the reduction of frequency differ by a fairly large amount. Both these must be duly noted. When analysing the raw data, there is a distinct anomalistic middle of all 3 of them. This is a clear indication of a large error caused by either measuring incorrectly each glass was further tested or simple inconsistencies in the peaks of Audacity’s frequency spectrum. Regardless, this error in all 3 experiments caused a deviance from the trendline. Unfortunately, it was not possible to avoid the influence of this error as values had to be calculated using those sections of data. There are a number of errors, caused by the method, which could have influenced the results. Firstly, when measuring the values of height of water and height of glass through the Vernier, there existed a chance of parallax error as the readings may be slightly deviant from the true values. Secondly, increasing volume of water instead of height of water for ease of measurement may not have had the correct effect and it may have been easier to simply measure heights in standard increments. Lastly, the standing wave may have broken at points, leading to the peaks of the frequency spectrum having an effect on the validity of the results, for example, the raw data and it’s difference to the expected data wou

Absolute Truth :: essays research papers

The question of right and wrong has been battled over for centuries. Many conservatives still believe that truth is absolute, while others disagree, saying that truth is relative. I believe that truth is absolute, and therefore, it is never right to do wrong. Socrates is questionably the greatest philosopher of all time. He preached out against immorality and many other evils. He spent his whole life teaching other people how to be good and moral. In the â€Å"Crito† he is imprisoned and awaiting his death sentence for misleading the youth, of which he has been wrongly accused. Crito, his friend, comes to visit him in jail and they have a long conversation, which is the â€Å"Crito.† Socrates and his friend could have fairly easily broken out of the prison, because many of the guards looked up to Socrates and didn’t wish to see him killed. Socrates made the point that if he were to leave jail, he would be breaking the law. Even though he had been wrongly accused and sentenced to death for no reason, he couldn’t go against his own teachings, or else his whole life would have been in vain. He knew that if he didn’t escape, he would die and would orphan his two children, however no matter how much he loved Steve Weber-2 them, he wouldn’t contradict his teaching by doing wrong. Even though Socrates wasn’t perfect, he would always make a conscious effort to do right. Breaking out of jail would be blatantly wrong, and he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Adolf Hitler is directly and indirectly responsible for more deaths than almost anyone in history. Over six million Jews alone were killed because of his death camps. In The Plot to Kill Hitler, a group of German officers and many others formed an underground society to try and kill Hitler. Most people would agree that what they were doing was okay because Hitler was such a bad man. Unfortunately, they were wrong. Murder is always wrong, no matter who is being killed. Right and wrong can not be distinguished through society’s perspective. Society tends to look at everything relative to it’s situation. When determining right and wrong we have to look to the absolute truth, not our personal feelings. Committing certain â€Å"wrong’s† may be accepted by society more than other wrong’s. If someone were to kill the President, people would be outraged and demand justice, but if someone were to kill a homeless person, many people could shrug it off with ou t so much as batting an eye.

International Business Essay

Q.2 a) Evaluate the different ways in which Bata has interacted with foreign political systems in its investments and operations abroad. ANS – Multinational enterprises (MNEs) like Bata must operate in countries with different political and legal conditions, so the political impact on the foreign investments is very important. This paper explains this issue based on the Bata case in three parts. The first part evaluates the different ways in which Bata has interacted with foreign political systems in its investments and operations aboard. In the second part, the advantages and disadvantages, which MNEs bring to their company and the host-country when doing foreign direct investment, are analyzed relating to the Bata case. And the last part gives a detailed analysis of the complex political impact on international business with reference to the political environment in general; also supply the way of formulating effective political strategy. * Bata’s effective organizational structure and managing style With activities in 60 countries, Canada-based Bata Shoe Organization has much operational experience both in developed countries and developing countries and can deal with different political systems. It has an effective organization structure, which consists of  · Bata Limited located in Toronto, Canada, acts as headquarters of the operating companies. Regional offices exist in Toronto, Mexico City, Singapore, Paris, Calcutta and Harare.  · The International structure: a decentralized organization, where operating companies are independent businesses, supported by a global management team.  · Private Ownership: Bata shoe organization companies have also entered into a number of joint ventures, retail franchising and brand licensing agreements [1]. By and large Bata’s operations are independent units established in each country where the firm does business. As such, Bata is able to decentralize control of its political strategy–giving subsidiaries significant autonomy in managing relations with their respective government. b) Should Pizza Hut put more of its efforts in expanding in Brazil or somewhere in South East Asia? Why? ANS – Pizza Hut, one of the most popular food chains, opened their 10000Th shops in the Brazilian market in 1994. Pizza Hut’s parent company is PepsiCo. PepsiCo was trying to penetrate in Brazilian market in various ways. However, the path was not as easy as assumed. Pizza Hut faced decline in the Brazilian market. Experts said that there were two probable reasons for this. One is Pizza Hut’s less successful introduction of new products and the second is the low price strategy of the competitors. However, Pizza Hut had a high hope to make Brazils their second or third major market because Brazil had many location specific advantages like urbanization, size, population, Gross National Product etc. Brazil endured erratic political situations since 1964. After a long military dictatorship, a stable political reformation was done by the year 1997.Economically; Brazil has a mixed history as well. It has a very good economic potential. It has access to several natural resources and well knit infrastructures. However, inflation affected the economy very badly. Pizza Hut entered in Brazil in 1988, during the period of high inflation. It followed the practice of corporate franchise. Later, Pizza Hut bought some of the franchises. But still different problems arose like- difference in cultures, cost of maintaining large pool of employees and of course inflation. Gradually, the inflation rate of Brazil normalized. People made more informed decisions and Pizza Hut began to flourish. However, in 1995, sales of Pizza Hut dropped. As a mean of counterattack, Pizza Hut took two different strategies. One was to cut the price by 25% and another was to announce various sales related decisions by mingling with local cultures like Samba dance. But both of the plans failed miserably. In these ways, Pizza Hut struggled to succeed in the Brazilian market. Q.3 a) what factors threaten India’s future competitive positions in cashew nut productions? ANS – Since the opening of China’s doors to world trade in the late 90’s, it has become an emerging super power. Hence, China may be a threat to India’s current competitive position in the cashew nut production because it is also capable to support cashew processing with its abundance of human resources, low-wage rates, and possible training in the manual dexterity required in the premium cashew nut production. China is currently engaging in new markets and providing cheap manual labor to other manufacturing. With this, China can see that the increasing profitable cashew nut industry and decide to enter it because it has the capability to do so. Moreover, the current formulation of the European Union (EU) provides that its members eliminate trade barriers for imports and exports between each other may be a possible threat to India’s United Kingdom market. Since the UK can virtually import anything from its neighboring countries without any cost, it might affect the demand of cashew nuts –the Europeans may divert their attention from cashew nuts to other products popular in its neighboring countries. India’s competitiveness could also be threatened by the increased Research and Development improvement that countries worldwide are engaging in nowadays. Brazilians (India’s most prominent competitor in the cashew nut industry) may possibly find machinery that can be substituted for the needed hand dexterity for the flavor that India’s cashew nut has. b) Should the United States seek to tighten the economic grip on cube? If so, how should it be done? ANS – U.S. should not seek to tighten economic grip on Cuba as it is already a weak economy as compared to U.S. due to the political environment of the country for the past few decades. For U.S. industries and companies Cuba is a very potential market. Also the workforce is efficient, so there is a possibility of efficient labor at lower cost for U.S. industries. Also, other countries of the world started favoring Cuba and also doubted the rationale of U.S. on imposing the embargo. 1. Attitude: An attitude may be defined as a learned disposition to behave in a consistently favourable or unfavourable way with respect to a given object (Schiffman and Kanuk, 2000). Stated differently, it positions people into a frame of mind of liking or disliking things, of moving toward or away from them‘ (Kolter and Armstrong, 2008: p144). It is acknowledged that people have attitudes toward almost everything – religion, politics, clothes, music, food (Kotler, 2003). For instance The demand for life insurance in a country may be affected by the unique culture of the country to the extent that it affects the population‘s risk aversion (Douglas and Wildavski, 1982). Henderson and Milhouse (1987) argue that an individual‘s religion can provide an insight into the individual‘s behaviour; and understanding religion is an important component of understanding a nation‘s unique culture. Also, Zelizer (1979) notes that religion historically has provided a strong source of cultural opposition to life insurance as many religious people believe that a reliance on life insurance results from a distrust of God‘s protecting care. But historically, some form of social insurance existed in Nigerian and Africa society long before the introduction of the modern insurance in Nigeria (Osoka, 1992). These social schemes evolved through the existence of extended family system and social associations such as age grades, and other unions. The simplest form of the â€â€"social insurance‘ was practiced by means of providing cash donations, materials or sometimes organized collective labour to assist members of extended family and members of social or communal associations who suffer a mishap. 2. Lack of Knowledge of Insurance Culture: In a recent study of quality of life in developing countries with reference to South Africa (Moller, 2004), income and social security (own wages, ability to provide for family, insurance against illness/death and income in old age) have been treated as one of the major indicators of quality of life. This standpoint stresses the significance of insurance to human life. Ironically, insurance services seem not to have been so accepted enthusiastically in developing countries. The abysmal level of insurance culture in developing economies has attracted relative interests among researchers and practitioners alike. Risk has been identified as a central fact of life in the rural areas of less-developed countries (Udry, 1994). Some of the problems associated with this have been marketing. For example, Omar (2005) assesses consumers‘attitudes towards life insurance patronage in Nigeria and found out that there is lack of trust and confidence i n the insurance companies. Other major reason for this attitude is lack of knowledge about life insurance product. 3. Low Level of Education: Educational status of Nigerians has significant influence on their attitude towards insurance. Educated people have more positive attitude to insurance than less educated ones. In a recent insurance conducted in Lagos, Nigeria. The choice of Lagos is due to its nature as a metropolitan city where most Nigerian ethnic groups are largely represented. Fact shows that respondents with higher education outperformed others even though no statistical significant difference was observed with vocational education. 4. Unemployment Issue: Employees working status has a significance effect on Nigerians attitude towards insurance. Retired and Employed Nigerians with means attitude scores of 28.50 and 28.14 respectively outperformed their competitors. No significant difference was observed between retired, employed and Self-employed respondents. On the other hand, self-employed people have significantly higher attitude towards insurance than unemployed, student and part time workers. This result is quite similar to findings in most developed world. In Conclusion, The findings of this study suggest some major implications for marketing of insurances services in Nigerian businesses environment which is a big market. Given that attitude is strongly linked to behaviour, marketers of insurance services targeting Nigerians are confronted with the challenge of encouraging people to embrace insurance institution and its associated benefits. Based on the findings, this article confirms negative attitudes of Nigerians to insurance services further. But apart from this broad finding in respect of the negative attitudes to this line of business, this study suggests some specific findings based on different demographical factors of the respondents. The findings serve as inputs to marketers of insurance services on how they formulate and implement relevant marketing strategies towards addressing the nonchalant attitude of Nigerians to insurance. For instance, specific marketing strategies are required to encourage the young generation below 46 years of age, the divorced/separated, and the less-educated to embrace and appreciate the role of insurance. Since, the basic issue associated with this lack of interest rests mainly in their lack of appreciation of the roles of benefits of insurance services; it is recommended that significant marketing communication activities with instant compensation to both marketers be targeted more at this set of people highlighted. This will help to kindle their interest in the business and brings the insurance institution to the highly exalted position it belongs in their perception.

Drug Abuse and Prevention

Our society’s idea of prevention is to limit the availability of drugs (Hart & Ksir, 2011, p. 400), but this is not essentially the best way. Addiction affects everyone. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), substance abuse cost our nation â€Å"more than $484 billion dollars (The National Institute on Drug Abuse ). † So although you might not be directly impacted by drug abuse, as a whole your tax dollars are spent on fighting the war on drugs. Currently there are several different types of substance prevention; however are they really our best option?First is primary prevention, which is aimed at mostly young children who have never tried a substance or those who may have tried tobacco or alcohol (Hart & Ksir, 2011, p. 401). Benefits from this type of early intervention include encouraging abstinence, and teaching people the effects of potential drug use on their lives, emotions, and social relationships (Hart & Ksir, 2011, p. 401). There are progr ams that go to schools, and speak to children as young as 8 about drugs and the effects of drug use.Secondary prevention is for those who have tried the drug in question or other types of drugs. This is supposed to prevent the use of more dangerous drugs, and also to prevent the use of the substances in a more dangerous way (Hart & Ksir, 2011, p. 401). This prevention is aimed more towards college students, who have tried drugs but have not suffered seriously from their drug use. This is not aimed at people who need obvious treatment (Hart & Ksir, 2011, p. 402). Let us look back on primary prevention. Most students have experienced a program called D.A. R. E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education). Studies have shown that here is no proof that D. A. R. E. reduced the use of alcohol or drugs; it was found that it is actually 3 counterproductive (Hanson, 2007). The U. S. Department of Education prohibits schools from spending funding on the D. A. R. E. program, because they believe â€Å" it’s completely ineffective in reducing alcohol and drug use (Hanson, 2007). What D. A. R. E. oes is exposes young elementary school children to drugs they might not have know about before. There should be a better approach to primary prevention. Changing the age group to sixth graders is a start because they are the ones who are most likely to be exposed to drugs and alcohol. The programs should continuously follow up and collect data on the students to find out what approach is most effective. Every person is different, and if we combine selective and primary prevention we can cater programs to specific types of children.Secondary prevention is designed for people who have tried the drug in question or a variety of other substances (Hart & Ksir, 2011, p. 401). The ultimate goal of these programs is to prevent the person who is using a certain drug from opening up to other, more dangerous drugs. The purpose is to stop them from endangering themselves more than they already h ave. The clientele in this case are usually people who are more experienced and have not had an extreme reaction to the drugs that they have used.Therefore, they are not â€Å"in too deep. † Many of the people that fall into this category are college students and programs aimed at encouraging responsible use of alcohol among college students are good examples of this stage of prevention (Hart & Ksir, 2011, p. 402). In order to attempt to prevent the transition from use to abuse in college students, they should think about starting these prevention programs at an earlier age. Nowadays, kids get started very early and by high school they are already exposed to alcohol and drug use.It would be wise to open their eyes to what they are going to encounter in their college years and give them the proper advice so that they are prepared when they get to college. College students have a lot of free time on their hands and it is very easy to make a habit out of recreational drug use. I feel that if students knew what to expect, they won’t be as naive and vulnerable as they would be if they hadn’t been properly advised. Students at that age get involved in different things because they are making new friends and adjusting to a new lifestyle.I think it would be a good idea for campuses to have clubs or programs run by students for students who are struggling with drug abuse, that way students know that they have someone to talk to who will help them if they need it. A prevention program that takes place at later stages of drug abuse is Tertiary prevention. Tertiary preventing is relapse prevention, or follow-up programs (Hart & Ksir, 2011, p. 402). This prevention refers to actions that can be taken to prevent a relapse from occurring and to help the person maintain a healthy status after therapy has lready been administered. For alcohol- or heroin-dependent individuals, treatment programs are the first order of priority (Hart & Ksir, 2011, p. 402). I f a person has already been treated or are able to stop using without the help of anyone else, they enter another stage of prevention. This could be improved by having people who have already been through the program follow up with the clientele who are currently going through the same experience that they did. It is much easier for people to talk to someone who has been in the same position as them.Having people who they can relate to and continue to guide them through their journey to stay sober is very encouraging. The universal drug prevention program is another kind of intervention which targets the whole community; its intention is to reach a large audience. This program focuses on the entire 5 group rather than the individual. These programs are implemented within the community, classrooms, and focus on prevention and life skills (Little, 2010).A kind of Universal prevention program is the Caring Community Program which consists of a family- plus approach to reduce the risk of drug use by children (Little, 2010). These kinds of programs are quite beneficial in that they target the young. By the end of elementary a child has already been exposed to some form of drugs. By providing the sense of community it reduces drug abuse, street violence and psychological problems among children (Little, 2010). These types of programs promote motivation in school and academic achievement.Another great benefit is that Potential benefits are expected to outweigh costs for everyone (Schaps, 2003). The downside to a program like this would be that because it’s made to focus on the group as a whole, individuals that are at a higher risk and constantly surrounded by drugs are getting the same attention as those that may have never seen drugs, These individuals may need more intervention to be able to stay away from drugs since access to them is abundant. A great way to better this program would be to intensify it in communities that drugs run ramped and easily acce ssed.While still keeping the prevention program universal and targeting the whole community, it would be more impactful if altered in high risk communities to strengthen the program and make it more intensive. The Selective prevention program on the other hand targets subgroups of the general population that are determined to be at risk for substance abuse. Those who participate in this kind or program are recruited because they are known to have specific risk to substance abuse.The groups targeted by these programs are both adults and children. Age, gender, family history, place of residence and victimization, or physical and/or sexual abuse may define the targeted 6 subgroups (Doyle, 2006). A benefit of this program would be that the selective prevention program is presented to the entire subgroup because the subgroup as a whole is at higher risk for substance abuse than the general population.It targets those people that are being exposed to drugs more frequently or that are pro ne to abusing drugs rather than targeting all communities. Not all communities have the same drug exposure and accessibility to drugs. So it’s important to target specific communities. The weakness of this program is that the individual’s personal risk is not exclusively assessed or recognized and is based solely on a presumption given in his or her membership in the at-risk subgroup (Doyle, 2006).There may be individuals in the subgroup that are at no risk for drug abuse whereas there may be someone in the group that is already using. If this is not known the one that is already using may not benefit at all from this program. Great ways to strengthen the selective prevention program is to go deeper, not only select at risk subgroups but asses individuals within the group to increase intervention with certain individuals that may be already using.

Can Social Structure Determine Individual Identity

Can Social Structure Determine Individual Identity Introduction Social structure can be defined as â€Å"patterned social arrangements in society that emerge from and also determine the actions of individuals† (Abrahams, 2006). At the macro level, social structure describes the socio-economic stratification system. At the micro level, social structure explains how the behaviors and actions of individuals are influenced by the norms of a given social system.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Can Social Structure Determine Individual Identity? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Conceptualizing social structure as a pattern of relationships between various groups implies that the society comprises structurally related groups as well as roles. These groups have specific meanings as well as purposes. Individual identify refers to the set of cues and signals that differentiate persons in society. Identity is embedded in the self. The self develops through social interac tions that occur in complex, organized and differentiated societies. Consequently, the self is a reflection of the society and describes the link between social structure and identity determination. This paper attempts to explain how identity is determined through social structure. The theory of catnets as well as the theory of group expansion and development of individuality will be used in the explanation. Group Expansion and the Development of Individuality: Simmel This theory explains the relationship that exists between an individual and the society by singling out the relational pattern that is not only situationally and historically dependent, but is also developed through interactions (Calhoun, Classical Sociological Theory, 2007). The society is characterized by a typical and predictable structure that changes over time, and also varies in different institutional arrangements. However, there is an unchangeable ratio that links social differentiation and the group size. Grea ter differentiation tends to occur in large groups as compared to small ones. Simmel asserts that individuals exhibit a dualist drive. Individuals also live a dual relation in the sense that they derive satisfaction both in their distinction and in their belonging (Calhoun, Classical Sociological Theory, 2007).Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The family is considered an extension of an individual’s personality. Additionally, the family illustrates how a given social circle can function under various perspectives and circumstances. In conclusion, individuality increases as the social circle in which an individual belong expands. This implies that social differentiation increases due to quantitative expansion of social groups. The Catnets by H White A net is a set of relationships that exist between pairs of people. The members of the net have meaningful and indir ect relationships with each other. However, the indirect relations are not institutionalized (Calhoun, Contemporary Sociological Theory, 2007). Relations within the net are partially recognized and conceptualized in concrete terms instead of being considered as well-defined relations. The existence of the net is indefinite, and each net has a culture observed by the members. A cat refers to a group of people associated with similar attributes. Membership within a cat is only important in the â€Å"context of the whole structure formed by the group† (Calhoun, Contemporary Sociological Theory, 2007). Thus, a catnets relationship can develop either from a net or a cat. A culture is developed to enable individuals to visualize, operate and transform their social structure. For instance, individuals enter and leave a net through specific rules. Concepts and Theoretical Strategy The theory of group expansion and the development of individuality explain how interactions of individua ls within a social group lead to the development of identity (Calhoun, Classical Sociological Theory, 2007). As the group increases in size, differentiation also increases, hence the development of individuality. Thus, this theory explains both action and social structure. In particular, it explains the actions (interaction) of individuals within a group and how such actions affect the social structure. The theory focuses on both macro and micro level of analysis by considering the individual and the group. The theory of catnets explains the relationships within various social groups and how such relationships lead to the development of identity (Calhoun, Classical Sociological Theory, 2007). According to this theory, each group has its culture which determines the relationships of its members. Thus, the theory explains the social structure. According to White’s theory, membership in a social group is meaningful only in the perspective the whole structure developed by the gro up’s members. Consequently, White’s analysis focuses on groups within the society.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Can Social Structure Determine Individual Identity? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Causal Relationships Simmel’s theory describes the relationship between group expansion and individuality. Simmel notes that individuals are enclosed either broadly or narrowly by concentric circles that represent spatial interests. He points out that a small group such as the family, offers individuals initial differentiation before they join larger groups in the society. In this context, development of individuality is determined by the expansion of the social group. The developed individuality determines one’s identity. Thus, social structure can determine individual identity. Whites’ theory illustrates how social interactions within groups shape one’s identity. According to White’s theory, each group has a culture that helps them to develop their social structure. In this case, social structure determines individual identity in the sense that individuals are identified by the attributes of the culture associated with their social structure. Internal Validity The group expansion and development of individuality theory is concrete. The claim that individuality and differentiation increases as the size of the group increases can be explained on the basis of freedom. It is a fact that members of large social groups have greater freedom as compared to members of small social groups (Abrahams, 2006). The high level of freedom enhances the development of individuality. The theory also yield testable hypothesis that can be operationalized in social science research. For instance, we can hypothesize that freedom cause individuality. In this case, freedom can be operationalized in terms of measurable variables such as access to resources, ability to make personal decisions and rules that govern relationships. The theory of catnets is both generalizable and falsifiable. It is generalizable due to the fact that most relationships within social groups are based on some rules. Such rules are formulated based on the culture associated with the group. The theory is falsifiable since nets might not continue indefinitely in all circumstances as claimed by White. In some cases, assimilation can lead to the loss of cultural attributes that determine relationships (Abrahams, 2006).Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In such cases, the net can either be discontinued or it can be significantly changed from its original state. The theory of catnets can yield testable hypothesis that can be operationalized in social science research. For instance, we can hypothesize that culture determines individual identity. In this case, we can operationalize culture in terms of norms, means of production and lifestyles. External Validity The external validity of catnets theory can be illustrated by the social class structure. Members of upper class and lower class have unique cultures that define how they operate within and modify their class. For instance, the upper class tends to dress in expensive clothes and uphold good manners. However, the upper class is made up of several individuals. Consequently, an individual can only be identified with the attributes of the upper class if he belongs to the group that is considered to be upper class. The external validity of Simmel’s theory can also be explaine d through empirical evidence. The weakening of family ties in America, for instance, explains Simmel’s theory. As the families disintegrate in America, citizens tend to join large groups such as single mothers, divorcees and single fathers. These large social groups enable their members to have freedom and take control of their lives. For instance, a single mother will not experience the interference of a husband in her life. The lack of interference in the large social groups promotes differentiation since everyone is in charge of their lives. Thus, the differentiation translates into individuality. Conclusion Social structure is determined by the actions of individuals. It is developed through interactions and relationships of members of various social groups. The social structure informs the development of the self which in turn determines the development of individual identity. According to catnets theory, people develop cultures that help them to establish their social s tructure (Calhoun, Contemporary Sociological Theory, 2007). By belonging to the established social structures, and exhibiting the attributes associated with the social structure, individuals acquire their identity. The group expansion and development of identity theory asserts that differentiation and individuality increases as social groups increase in size. The expansion of the group leads to freedom that enables individuals to develop their identity. Consequently, social structure can determine individual identity. References Abrahams, F. (2006). Contemporary Sociology. New York: McGraw-Hill. Calhoun, C. (2007). Classical Sociological Theory. New York: Blackwell. Calhoun, C. (2007). Contemporary Sociological Theory. New York: Blackwell.

System Analysis and Design Proposal Essay Example

System Analysis and Design Proposal Essay Example System Analysis and Design Proposal Essay System Analysis and Design Proposal Essay The University of Southern Mindanao, Cabana, North Catboat is one of the leading institution that conducts regular faculty performance evaluation. This activity is done every semester wherein each student has to rate his teacher per subject, head of the academic office has to rate his subordinates, and faculty itself has to rate his own and his co-faculty. Teachers are one of the backbones of an institution. Their effort, skills and perseverance aid on molding the students to become successful in their desired field. Some people will conclude that if a student will excel in his field, ill graduate with flying colors and will successfully pass the nationwide or international exam, one factor that influences it is the teacher. Thus, some said that it is still depend on the students ability and determination. Teachers performances are sometimes criticized not only by the co-teachers, but by the students as well, because they are the direct contact of the teachers. However, those Judgments cannot be considered true without proper basis. Thus, every academic institution nowadays conducted the faculty performance evaluation to assess the effectiveness of the teaching personnel. A manual teacher evaluation system is difficult and hard to automatically furnish accurate reports and results. The process takes a lot of time and it takes many days or months to compute for the result. The HARM officer and its staff which are the prime movers of this activity made a significant improvement in handling this type of problems. In this case, it will eliminate some of the most delay operation and difficult task, minimizing them in to smaller and manageable problems to solve. The HARM has greatly improved work efficiency, accuracy and management of operations. Teacher evaluation system defines a system to support high and technological automated evaluation system. It provides feedbacks and a support system that will encourage teachers to improve their knowledge and instructional skills in order to improve student learning. SCOPE The said entity is not as ambitious as it is. It will mainly focus on the teachers personal information, students objective feedback about the teachers performance and effectiveness and assessment. This activity is done every semester wherein each student has to rate their teacher itself has to rate his own and his co-faculty. The said activity also involves the following processes: manipulation of the gathered data, interpretation, evaluation and dissemination of the result to the faculties and instructors. ANALYSIS OF THE CURRENT SYSTEM The manual process takes a lot of time and it takes many days or months to compute for the result. The student rater in this activity will be given sheets of paper and by the use of pen, selects one numerical scale that would serve as the grade of the rate per question. The HARM personnel will wait for the submission of all students in a retain classroom and will proceed to the next available students in a room. The scenario will be repeated to comply with the desired number of students raters. As to the head of academic office, he has to give to his subordinates the performance evaluation sheets for peer and for self. The said process shows how sluggish it was. The process is also prone to errors due to hectic schedules of the heads and faculty; they may neglect the forms that will cause the delay and misplaced or lost data that will lead to incorrect manipulation and miscommunication. PROBLEM CAUSE EFFECT ANALYSIS Problems Cause and Effect Time consumed on processing the evaluation The manual process on using a sheets of paper and by the use of pen cause a delay. Prone to errors Due to many numbers of evaluation sheets the tendency is miscommunication. Misplaced forms Due to sluggish process the tendency is some evaluation forms may be lost and misplaced. Delayed computation Due to hectic schedules of heads and faculty the result of computation may delay. System Objects System Constraint Lessen the time consumed on evaluation process The student will no longer using paper and pen, instead they will directly evaluate on the given automated evaluation system. Eradicate errors A user-friendly evaluation system will be implemented for the ease of students, heads, faculties and comfort ability of the system. File security Only the head of academic can access the files with a given surname and password. Generate comprehensive reports Reports are automatically generated from the system. Background Information Automated evaluation system is one big factor that helps not only students but also the HARM, teachers, and co-teachers to ease their waiting and sluggish period in arms of evaluation. Evaluation process with the use of pens and papers only is not an easy task for the HARM to handle. The scenario will be repeated as it goes. Manual evaluation system is a laborious task. It requires more time for processing and the mere fact that it is slow, affecting work efficiency; another thing would be its accuracy in processing while in the automated system, the officer in-charge will be the one to access the files using surnames and passwords. This process of manual results and reports. The researchers come up to an automated evaluation system. USER EXPECTATIONS OBJECTIVES This document aims to present a clearer description of the requirements and desires of the evaluation system. It shows the features, functionalities and flows and how the system will work. The proposed system will try to eliminate the delay operation and inconvenience of the old manual operation. It will try to lessen the time consumed in evaluation process wherein the HARM officers in charge will no longer wait for a long time for the submission of faculties and students evaluation forms before proceeding to the next room or office. In this proposed system, the target user will directly input his/her taints in a ready to use and simple interfaced forms of the proposed system and with this, they will no longer use pens and papers to evaluate their teachers and as well as the teachers to their own and co-teachers. The system also assures that only the in charged HARM officer has the access and authority to view all the datas gathered to keep its confidentiality and secrecy through a given surname and password. Techniques Used to Solve the Problem The techniques that we used in order for us to solve the problems are the following: Analyze the system operations of the given problem for us to understand he cause and effect of the problem, and the possible solutions.

A mom before the Prom Essay Example for Free

A mom before the Prom Essay ? Teen pregnancy has been gravelly increased in the last few years. Bad media influences (Many programs at TV programs or sexual content movies as well as other mediums) can be the factors that teen girls nowadays are getting a wrong advice that teen motherhood can a common way to live. Partners and friends’s bad influence is making them think that is right to have sex at a young age and will make them feel more popular. In that regards, this essay by Cristina page is restating the issue that more forms of bad media and wrong people’s influences are available today than ever before and consequently teens girls are much more exposed to a lot of information and these sometimes switch teen girl’s mind to do something wrong when they think is totally normal and it also has made teen girls to believe that having children at a young age might be beneficial because they think giving a child for adoption might improve their fortune giving them away for millions of dollars , so it can’t ruin her adolescence too but in reality it can really affect them. – Personally I can share the view of the author in this essay: Teen pregnancy is in reality one of the most difficult experiences a teen girl might ever face when that can interrupt her education or other plans such as getting a better career or maintain fathers with them, but most of the time it doesn’t work and that’s when the situation gets worse. Children usually grow without a father figure when their parents have them at a very young age or sometimes they don’t even live with both parents because they can’t take care of them or support them economically. So when this children start to live without a parental guide , they grow adopting a bad behavior and getting the wrong advices from other bad people and turned into criminals , stealers, or other people of bad reputation because they live in a poor ambient without having a parent who can guide and help them to raise their levels of education. – Most of the time, when teen moms decide to have a baby, teen girls don’t really take care of their babies when they are still formatting inside their body as old mothers and because of their immaturity, sometimes they don’t realize the huge damage they cause to their babies if they start smoking and drinking or working so hard because now they need to support themselves economically carrying heavy stuff when they have to rest the most during their pregnancy. Children are tending to born prematurely, with a disease, a mental retardation or even born death. – Usually we think that there’s not any difference of acquiring the same standards of education or a good life when a kid’s parents are so young and the other’s parent are more mature. The children of teen parents can suffer more of abuse at home and at school or disregard from their parents and grow more with farness or adopt a bad behavior, so that implies that they could not do so well at school, they could get lower grades and repeat their classes or drop out from High School without completing their education. This might increase the raise of poverty in families with young parents too and this leads society into decreasing its economy too. I really enjoyed reading this essay because it deals with a controversial issue and restates the causes of why teen pregnancy is becoming a worldwide problem, it must be thought in class so we can share our own viewpoints about it. 10-) – I encourage people to consider more this issue because if we want a better life for our A mom before the Prom. (2016, Apr 27).

Foundations of IT- Designing a Computer Architecture Essay

Foundations of IT- Designing a Computer Architecture - Essay Example This will help me to develop and evaluate computer algorithms intended for simulating mathematical models of scientific trends. This area entails core problems in continuous algorithms like fast methods for handling linear algebra as well as solving differential equations. I will also build software for simulating challenging physical problems like turbulence in fluids along with crack propagation in solid materials. The computer will help me build accurate methods for discretizing continuous models even as it preserves physical invariants. In addition, I will carry out optimal estimation in the face of limited information. At the moment, computers are based on the von Neumann architecture. Nonetheless, the von Neumann architecture has its limitations. In order to access the data and program in the memory, the central processing unit (CPU) had one bus. This is called the von Neumann bottleneck, due to the limited data transfer rate between memory and CPU. With just one bus, the data and instructions are accessed in sequence, so the CPU waits until the data loads from memory prior to executing the instruction. With the increase of CPU speed, it was evident that a solution is needed to defeat the bottleneck ("Von Neumann Architecture," n.d.). These problems are connected to the von Neumann architecture. In order to overcome the von Neumann bottleneck, the stack memory is used. The stack is a particular memory region that is competently managed by the CPU. It is used to store up variables employed by functions. As a program calls a function, the function variables are pushed onto the stack. The access of variables is faster on the stack than when they were in the main memory, amounting to better performance. Standing on the doorstep of the fifth generation, we obviously expect a lot from future computers than more speed. Computers have come this far in terms of enhancements to the current architectures and their

Everything is as it is because of freewill, not because of an Essay

Everything is as it is because of freewill, not because of an omniscient God (Philososphy paper) - Essay Example I will argue that the soft determinist view of freedom is the most plausible, for not only does it take into account moral responsibility, but it also provides an explanation for a person’s free actions. Compatibilism is the view that claims that every action has a causal explanation, yet we have freedom to act upon them. Moreover, for a compatibilist, â€Å"a free action is one that is caused by the person’s beliefs and desires, provided that those beliefs and desires flow from who the person is† (Sider 130). So if all causal relationships have specific laws that govern them, how can there be freedom? Sider tells us that â€Å"a free action is one that is caused in the right way† (127). Similarly, an action is free if the agent â€Å"could have done otherwise† (Ayer 2). Take for instance the following example: I drink alcohol as a result of my own choice. So my act of drinking alcohol is voluntary. Furthermore, my choice is not due to peer pressure . So the immediate cause of my choice must be internal to me. Now while I was walking to the nearest bar to get a drink, I bumped into a friend of mine who asked me if I wanted to go and watch a movie. I could have gone with my friend if I really did not want a drink. So I would have acted otherwise had I chosen to, but I did not, so my action is caused the right way. Herein, my actions are caused but are free, for I could have done otherwise, had I chosen to do so. ... Consider the following example: I got up in the morning, but because I felt tired, I went back to sleep for a while. Then I heard someone knocking and so I got up from bed, not knowing that I was running late for school already. Rushing to leave the house, I packed my bags and got dressed. Since the school bus already had gone ahead. I had to walk to school. Suddenly, while I was walking, someone snatched my knapsack from my shoulders. The snatcher was too quick that I did not even bother chasing him. When I got to school, I rushed in my philosophy class. At that time, my professor was collecting our final take home exams, so he did not notice me coming in late, but when he asked for my exam, I told him it was stolen. But it was no use. I failed for my finals. An hour later, I was called by the principal, it was my mom, she’s been trying to call me since I left home because she heard that a young boy got run over by a car. According to the newscaster, the young boy was me, as shown in the school identification card in the bag of the victim. Of course, my mom knew that it could not be me but she still got worried that my bag was found with the victim. Given the circumstances, am I responsible for the death of the young boy? How about my failure in class? Was it my fault that my bag got stolen? A hard determinist would respond by saying that it is not my fault, since I had no control over what transpired. It was an effect of a prior event that could not have been done otherwise. Thus, we have no freedom and responsibility over circumstances such as this. A libertarian on the other hand would answer me that it is my fault since I made a free choice of going back to sleep this morning. Had I not done willed the act, then I wouldn’t have lost my

Employment law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 8

Employment law - Essay Example If the employee finds the termination unlawful then redress may be undertaken before the employment tribunal. Dismissal is not encouraged as the livelihood of the employee is at stake but it does not entail the destruction of the employer if fair causes exist to justify termination. Dismissal is deemed just when anchored on the employee’s misconduct, inability to discharge the duties due to lack of qualifications, the position is redundant, continued employment is prohibited by statutory duty and other analogous reasons. The employee is not without any recourse from unlawful dismissals. An employee may institute a suit before the employment tribunal provided that such employee has rendered one year continuous service. However, an employee may bring an action regardless of length of service when based on â€Å"automatically unfair grounds† thus the time element is not a pre-condition. If the dismissal is rooted on medical reasons, it is sufficient that the employee has rendered one month of service. Accordingly, an employee who was treated unfairly may proceed against the employer. This is the dilemma of Ms. Sally Trent who owns ST Solutions, a small business with seven employees including Sally. A suit for constructive dismissal and harassment was lodged by Trish Dodge, her Secretary/Administrator for about twenty months. According to Sally, Trish was competent in her job notwithstanding long absences due to illness which she failed disclosed. There were no complaints regarding her conduct or had problems dealing with Sally and the other employees. Conflict arose between Trish and Brian, a freelance web designer, who regularly found fault with Trish by shouting words â€Å"you are useless†. When Trish complained to Sally, she told Brian during a drinking get-together to avoid contact with Trish. Brian ignored the warning prompting Trish to walk out. In her letter, Trish stated that she cannot work in the same office as Brian. Sally hired a

Information Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Information Systems - Essay Example The researcher of this essay provides the reader with detailed explanation of Apple's company success. From the earliest government sponsored projects to produce computers based on vacuum tubes to today’s multi-core systems, the saga of computer technology has seen major players ousted and minor players become leaders. While many companies have come and gone over the past 40 years, Apple Computer comes across as one of the companies which has stood the test of time and has managed to turn out convincing products that have given it an image of innovation and being a radical organization. The essay describes that Apple is an American company and one of the front runners amongst computer hardware, software and allied equipment manufacturers. The company prides itself on creating innovative products for the consumer electronics and technology sectors. In 2005, it posted global sales of nearly 14 Billion dollars and had more than fourteen thousand people working for it around the w orld. The researcher then uses different analysis models, such as Porter’s Five Forces, Value Chain, Competitive Advantage, Value Proposition, Revenue Model and Information System to describe and present Apple's corporative strengths and weaknesses in modern market. For example, the five forces model shows that Apple has a significantly strong position in the market for some of its products e.g. the iPod and the iTunes Music Store but for others it is positioned on rather weak footing e.g. personal computers.

International Portfolio Diversification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

International Portfolio Diversification - Essay Example Investing on the stock market can be a very risky venture. According to Yavas (2007), both the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and the Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) indicates that investors should hold a well diversified portfolio in order to reduce risk. Beta is used to measure risk. A stocks beta indicates the sensitivity of the stock’s returns to the market returns (Madura 2006, p. 304). Madura (2006, p. 304) states that investors who have a diversified portfolio use beta to determine how well their portfolio reflects movements in the market. Investors believe that favourable characteristics that are related specifically to a particular firm will offset unfavourable characteristics of other firms. This is also true for industries and so it implies that a wide range of stocks spanning various industries should be held. It is expected that certain factors affecting securities on the stock market are either firm or industry specific and so in order to reduce unsystematic ri sk holding securities from a wide range of industries is recommended. This is also true in relation to national securities. Certain risks are country specific and so in order to reduce risk international portfolio diversification is recommended. This paper examines how International portfolio diversification can result in a reduction in portfolio risk. It looks at various elements of risk that are associated with portfolio. It looks at market returns in five countries and shows how correlation between these markets can impact negatively on portfolio risk reduction. An analysis is also carried out to determine whether of the returns on stock markets in Japan and Canada are integrated based on their trade relationships over the years. The findings from other studies are also explored to determine how they concur with the results from this research. How can international diversification reduce risk? There are differences in the level of economic growth among countries. Some are develop ed while others are developing. Yavak (2007) states that these differences can lead to portfolio risk reduction as the timing of business cycles are usually different. According to Eiteman et al (2007) the case for international portfolio diversification can be broken down into two components. They are the potential risk reduction benefits of holding international securities and the potential foreign exchange risks that comes with it. Portfolio risk reduction The risk associated with a portfolio of securities is measured by the ratio of the variance of the return on the portfolio in relation to the variance of the market return (Eiteman et al 2007). As noted earlier, this is represented by beta. As the number of securities in the portfolio increases the portfolios beta approaches the market beta. A portfolio that is fully diversified would have a beta that is equal to 1. Therefore the risk that is associated with holding a particular stock can be reduced through diversification. How ever, risk cannot be eliminated totally (Eiteman et al 2007). This can be explained by the fact that the total risk of a portfolio comprises a systematic and a non-systematic element. The systematic element is associated with the market and unsystematic element is related to the individual elements in the portfolio. Increasing the number of securities in the portfolio reduces the unsystematic element (Eiteman et al 2007). This same approach can be taken in the form of investing in various stock markets across the globe. When investors hold securities in several countries they are able to cushion their portfolio from shocks in any one market. Therefore, if economic conditions in one country are affected by unfavorable factors, any resultant reduction in stock market returns may be offset somewhat by gains in other stock markets or at least be cushioned by the relative weight of other securities held in other parts of the world. This is however, assuming that the markets are not highl y

Employment law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 8

Employment law - Essay Example If the employee finds the termination unlawful then redress may be undertaken before the employment tribunal. Dismissal is not encouraged as the livelihood of the employee is at stake but it does not entail the destruction of the employer if fair causes exist to justify termination. Dismissal is deemed just when anchored on the employee’s misconduct, inability to discharge the duties due to lack of qualifications, the position is redundant, continued employment is prohibited by statutory duty and other analogous reasons. The employee is not without any recourse from unlawful dismissals. An employee may institute a suit before the employment tribunal provided that such employee has rendered one year continuous service. However, an employee may bring an action regardless of length of service when based on â€Å"automatically unfair grounds† thus the time element is not a pre-condition. If the dismissal is rooted on medical reasons, it is sufficient that the employee has rendered one month of service. Accordingly, an employee who was treated unfairly may proceed against the employer. This is the dilemma of Ms. Sally Trent who owns ST Solutions, a small business with seven employees including Sally. A suit for constructive dismissal and harassment was lodged by Trish Dodge, her Secretary/Administrator for about twenty months. According to Sally, Trish was competent in her job notwithstanding long absences due to illness which she failed disclosed. There were no complaints regarding her conduct or had problems dealing with Sally and the other employees. Conflict arose between Trish and Brian, a freelance web designer, who regularly found fault with Trish by shouting words â€Å"you are useless†. When Trish complained to Sally, she told Brian during a drinking get-together to avoid contact with Trish. Brian ignored the warning prompting Trish to walk out. In her letter, Trish stated that she cannot work in the same office as Brian. Sally hired a

International Portfolio Diversification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

International Portfolio Diversification - Essay Example Investing on the stock market can be a very risky venture. According to Yavas (2007), both the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and the Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) indicates that investors should hold a well diversified portfolio in order to reduce risk. Beta is used to measure risk. A stocks beta indicates the sensitivity of the stock’s returns to the market returns (Madura 2006, p. 304). Madura (2006, p. 304) states that investors who have a diversified portfolio use beta to determine how well their portfolio reflects movements in the market. Investors believe that favourable characteristics that are related specifically to a particular firm will offset unfavourable characteristics of other firms. This is also true for industries and so it implies that a wide range of stocks spanning various industries should be held. It is expected that certain factors affecting securities on the stock market are either firm or industry specific and so in order to reduce unsystematic ri sk holding securities from a wide range of industries is recommended. This is also true in relation to national securities. Certain risks are country specific and so in order to reduce risk international portfolio diversification is recommended. This paper examines how International portfolio diversification can result in a reduction in portfolio risk. It looks at various elements of risk that are associated with portfolio. It looks at market returns in five countries and shows how correlation between these markets can impact negatively on portfolio risk reduction. An analysis is also carried out to determine whether of the returns on stock markets in Japan and Canada are integrated based on their trade relationships over the years. The findings from other studies are also explored to determine how they concur with the results from this research. How can international diversification reduce risk? There are differences in the level of economic growth among countries. Some are develop ed while others are developing. Yavak (2007) states that these differences can lead to portfolio risk reduction as the timing of business cycles are usually different. According to Eiteman et al (2007) the case for international portfolio diversification can be broken down into two components. They are the potential risk reduction benefits of holding international securities and the potential foreign exchange risks that comes with it. Portfolio risk reduction The risk associated with a portfolio of securities is measured by the ratio of the variance of the return on the portfolio in relation to the variance of the market return (Eiteman et al 2007). As noted earlier, this is represented by beta. As the number of securities in the portfolio increases the portfolios beta approaches the market beta. A portfolio that is fully diversified would have a beta that is equal to 1. Therefore the risk that is associated with holding a particular stock can be reduced through diversification. How ever, risk cannot be eliminated totally (Eiteman et al 2007). This can be explained by the fact that the total risk of a portfolio comprises a systematic and a non-systematic element. The systematic element is associated with the market and unsystematic element is related to the individual elements in the portfolio. Increasing the number of securities in the portfolio reduces the unsystematic element (Eiteman et al 2007). This same approach can be taken in the form of investing in various stock markets across the globe. When investors hold securities in several countries they are able to cushion their portfolio from shocks in any one market. Therefore, if economic conditions in one country are affected by unfavorable factors, any resultant reduction in stock market returns may be offset somewhat by gains in other stock markets or at least be cushioned by the relative weight of other securities held in other parts of the world. This is however, assuming that the markets are not highl y

Leadership and Organizational Behavior Essay Example for Free

Leadership and Organizational Behavior Essay Introduction The organization that will be the topic of my discussion in my final project paper will be Pratt Industries Inc. The company started as a recycling paper company in Australia and US, but today they could close the entirely process of recycling incorporating companies that create paper from recycling paper, the energy that the company use is coming burning trash recycled, the company sale cardboard boxes and recycled paper to big detailed companies as Home depot and Walmart, the company create their own design to send their products (recycled paper based) to our homes, the company has their own recycle trucks to pick the recycle products from homes and companies. The company has the all cycle of recycling closed; they pick the recycling trash up, they process it and make new products, they sale it and send it to our homes and the process start again picking the trash up. The company has more than 70 locations where they can create clean energy, recycle and create paper, make cardboard boxes, make the own designs and for other companies also, and other activities as retail recycling products. Problem Statement I am IT support on the IT department of the company, I was hired to improve the department capacity of support due the company was growing up and the department started to get issues supporting the computer’s users. We used to have a very friendly work environment; we use to go out to celebrate birthdays, we got good payment improvement every year, our IT manager use to take the department to do some outside activities as a group. The company benefits are placed as the best comparing them with companies with the same quantity of employees, but the company started to buy other small companies and they started to make savings to invest on the new acquisitions. A  year ago HR managers started cutting health benefits and changing them backward and the salaries are not been increased as before, neither we go out as a group to celebrate birthdays nor go outside to do any extras activities. My group of work is great and the environment of work still friendly, I keep some of the good company benefits (like University tuition help) and it is why I still working on the company. The company started to cut benefit plans, expect more output from each employee, and they are keeping the new employees as a contacted people to avoid include them into the benefits plans. Some of those employees are not giving their most on their work, per example some of them never come on time every morning, they don’t give their best on their work and they don’t care if they finished their job but they leave on time or before the end of their time to leave. I scare this situation will be viral and creates the same feelings to the old department workers sending the company down because IT is one of the most important to keep the company working 247 during the 365 days of the year. I will do my best researching and writing a plan to create the steps to return the company as the leader of the recycling business on US. I would like to receive support to make the IT department an HPO and shows to the other company department how to keep the company growing up always improving the employees benefits instead trying to cut them due the employees are the most important key. Preliminary Solutions Managers have to make closed call to employees that are not following the company statements. The staffing company the company use to hire temporary employees must increase the pre-hired background check. Company has to review what they are cutting about employees benefits. Managers have to look for a way to show the employees what level of satisfaction they have with the employees dedication they show on their work. Analysis of leadership The company is passing through big changes on the executive management area; managers are being moved to different new locations that the company is merging after Pratt bought them. HR is trying to absorb those employees and it is creating an stressed environment when new employees are been hired  to replace another and when the company is using a staffing company to hire new employees without the certified classification. The company managers have to improve their level of relationship with their employees showing them they are valuable for the company and letting them know they work is highly appreciate. Reference Prive, Tanya. Top 10 Qualities That Make A Great Leader. Forbes [Serial Online]. December 2012;[emailprotected]:00. Accessed May 9, 2014. Professor de Waal, Andrà © A. MBA. The Secret of High Performance Organizations (HPO’s). HPO CENTER [www.hpocenter.com]. Non Dated. Accessed May 10, 2014. Robbins, Stephen P., Timothy Judge. Organizational Behavior, 15th Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions, 01/2012. VitalBook file. Mehrotra, Vivek. Is money the best motivator?. www.vivekmehrotra.com. Non dated. Accessed May 17, 2014.

Internal Auditors Report On Goodner Brothers

Internal Auditors Report On Goodner Brothers Internal Auditors Report on Goodner Brothers Inc 1.0 Internal Control is a system of checking balances and it is designed to provide a reasonable assurance that assets are protected. Then, accounting data must be accurate according to the information of accounting. Operations should be efficient and also law and policies are compiled with. For this company (Goodners Brothers), We noted that weaknesses in internal control of this company make employee of this company, Woody Robinson was in serious financial trouble. So, the employee took advantage of his companys weak internal controls by stealing a large of inventory, which employee then sold to other parties. We identify that the act of Woody Robinson was a form of major fraud. However, We have stated below that the main key internal control objectives for Goodners Huntington sales office. We also stated that the key internal control weaknesses and its implication that were evident in Huntington units operations and control policies or procedures to alleviate the key internal cont rol weaknesses. On the other hand, We also stated that other parties besides Woody Robinson who partially responsible for inventory losses in the company together with few fraud risk management strategy that could be implemented by this company. 2.0 From this case, we have found that Sales Representative(Woody Robinson) in Goodners Huntington sales office took as an advantage of Goodner Brothers Inc weak in internal controls by stealing a large amount of inventory. So, We believe that this are the following key internal control objectives should be maintain in Goodners Huntington sales office. Firstly, Sales offices staff need to ensure that the every transaction should have a proper authorization to prevent this kind of fraudulent use of resources. For example, Sales offices staff should get the approval from the management or manager for very transactions. By apply this first objective, the shortages of inventory can be minimized and makes all the transactions going very smoothly. Secondly, Physical safeguards and security should have been the key internal control objectives. For example, sales offices staff need to ensure that access to physical assets and information systems need to be controlled and properly restricted to authorized personnel. On the other hand, validity also should have been the key internal control objective. So, sales offices staff need to ensure that all recorded transactions fairly need to be represent the economics events that actually occurred and also should be executed in accordance with managements general authorization. Next, Error in handling also should have been the key internal control objective. So, sales offices staff need to ensure that whatever errors detected at any stage of processing receive prompt corrective action and also should reported to the appropriate level of management. Next, Completeness also should have been the key internal control objective. So, sales offices staff need to ensure that no valid transactions should have been omitted from the inventory records. This five objectives that we stated overall can minimum the bad debts. Furthermore, good control can minimized or maintain of the inventory records. 2.1 On the other hand, we have identify the key internal control weaknesses and that were evident in the Huntington units operations. Firstly, there is lack of sufficient workers in the company to perform the much needed various task because we identify that the company have 14 sales outlets with skeletal crews of 10 to 12 employees. Then, a sales manager supervised the other employees at each outlet and also working a sales district. The remaining staff typically included two sales representative. Furthermore, a receptionist who having double job as a secretary and also as a bookkeeper and seven employees who delivering the tires and working in the units inventory warehouse. So, this shows clearly that one of the major key internal control weaknesses is insufficient of workers is working in the company. Next, another key internal control weaknesses in the Huntington units operations is the failure to coordinate an up-to-date accounting system used to provide an actual or accurate ac count of inventory because we was identify that each goodner sales outlet maintaining a computerized accounting system. These systems also typically made according to a standardized format and not develop for specialized for the company. These systems is ready made. Beside this, we also found that the units sales manager and two representatives had unrestricted access to the accounting system. So, since the large volume of sales and purchase transactions always swamped the bookkeeper . Then, sales representatives also frequently entered transactions directly into system. Furthermore, another key internal control weaknesses in the Huntington units operations is the lack of security needed to safeguard the assets sold. Company failure to restricted the security. We have identify that the sales representative (Woody Robinson) taking an advantage and routinely stole the inventory and kept the proceeds. Woody Robinson also continuing stole in various ways. In some cases, Woody Robinson c harged merchandise that he was sold for his own benefit to the accounts of large volume customers. So, this techniques makes inventory balance in the Huntington facilitys accounting records. We also identify that Woody Robinson charged the customers for merchandise they had not purchase. Goodners customers frequently returned tires for various reasons. We found that Woody Robinson completed all the credit memos for sales transactions voided by his customers and at the same time, Woody Robinson not returning the tires to Goodners inventory. Then, Woody Robinson also routinely sell some of the tires to other customers for cash. So, because of company lack of security needs to safeguard the assets sold. This makes the quantity of stealing tires made Woody Robinson was increasing very high. Next, another key internal control weaknesses in the Huntington units operations is the company failure to make sure that all the accounting information was correct or not. We have identify that the sales representative themselves routinely accessed, reviewed and updated their customers account and also completing purchase orders. Sales orders, credit memos and other accounting document on the timely basis, Furthermore, the sales representative passed all the documents on to the bookkeeper and also use them to enter the transactions directly into the accounting system. We also have identify that sales representative had direct access to the inventory storage areas and during heavy sales periods, sales representative always loaded and delivered customers orders themselves. So, this makes easily errors occurred in the accounting information. So, we have stated those key internal control weaknesses and its implication with the evident in the Huntington units operations. 2.2 This are the following control policies or procedures to alleviate the key internal control weaknesses . Firstly, Proper authorization of transactions. Creating and using budgets is a form of authorization. This makes easier for Huntington units operations. The purchase of goods and services should be requested by one person and approved by another. Individuals that handle cash should be bonded. Secondly , another policies or procedures is Segregation of duties. This includes assigning different people the responsibilities of authorizing transactions, recording transactions, and maintaining custody of assets. The person collecting cash should not be the person who records the cash receipt. If there is enough staff, a rotation of duties can eliminate employee manipulation of records or assets. The approval of purchases should not be made by the person who has access to the checks. Furthermore, another policies or procedures is design and use of adequate documents and records to help ensure the proper recording of transactions and events. Sales representative should always pre- numbered checks, receipts and purchase orders should be used and sequence should be accounted. Then, cancelled checks, vouchers, and receipts should be maintained. Voucher packages (invoices, purchase orders and receiving reports) should be cancelled (stamped paid) after payment to prevent duplicate payments. The invoices should be matched to receiving reports and receiving reports should be matched to purchase orders to ensure that sales representative received, ordered and only pay for what we received. At the same time, journals should be kept for all transactions. Next, another policies or procedures is adequate safeguards regarding access to and use of assets a nd records. Then, access to blank checks, signature plates, and purchase orders should be restricted. Computers should have passwords to access and change information and working area also should be visible to supervisors. However, voided checks should be defaced by tearing the signature line off or writing void on the face of the check and also all voided checks should be maintained. If the company apply all those policies or procedures that we stated. The weaknesses of key internal control will be improved. 2.3 Furthermore, We also identify that besides Woody Robinson, there is few parties were partially responsible for inventory losses goodners suffered. Customers is one of the parties responsible for inventory losses because when customers complained to Woody Robinson for being charged for merchandise they had not purchased, Woody Robinson usually apologized and corrected their account balances but if some of the customers sometimes paid the illicit charges, so this shows that customers unknowingly helped Woody Robinson sustain his fraudulent scheme. Next, We identify that Felix Garcia, the Huntington sales manager is also one of the parties that responsible for inventory losses because Felix Garcia stated that he was not discussed the customers complaints with Woody Robinson or the sales representative. Normally, when Felix Garcia received a customer complaint, he just simply passed it to the appropriate sales representative and was allowed that individual to deal with the matters. F urthermore, We also found that Felix Garcia maintain a file of customer complaints only because he was told to do so by the previous sales manager whom was replaced three years earlier. So, We found that previous sales manager also partially responsible for inventory losses. Next, Al Hunt is owner of Curcio tires and also Woody Robinsons friend is also one of the parties responsible inventory losses because Al Hunt just continue purchase the tires even though another sales representative told that the company only sold closeout merchandise directly to wholesalers. Al Hunt also know that Woody Robinson was incredibly selling the tires at lower price. This shows that Al Hunt really responsible for inventory losses. We also identify that Al Hunt one of the major parties among the other parties who responsible for inventory losses. 2.4 However, there is a various forms of fraud risk management strategy that could be implemented by Goodners Brothers Inc. One of the fraud risk management strategy is communication and training. So, raising employees awareness of their obligations concerning fraud and misconduct control begins with communications and training. While many organisations take an approach, careful planning behind this effort can help send employees a clear message to take their control responsibilities seriously. Secondly, another fraud risk management strategy is audit and monitoring. Because since it is impossible to monitor every fraud and potential misconduct risk, management should develop a comprehensive auditing and monitoring plan that is based on the organizations fraud risk assessment process. Then, another fraud risk management strategy is employee and third-party due diligence. An important part of an effective fraud and misconduct prevention strategy is using appropriate due diligence in t he hiring, retention and promotion of employees, agents, vendors and other third parties. Such due diligence becomes especially important for those employees with authority over the financial reporting process. Furthermore, another fraud risk management is code of conduct. That is actually a well -written code of conduct is one of the most important mechanisms to communicate with employees about acceptable business standards. It sets the organizations tone on control culture, raises awareness of managements commitment to integrity and provides the resources to help employees achieve managements compliance goals. All those fraud risk management strategy that we stated that could implemented by Goodner Brothers Inc. 3.0 Finally, we come with conclusion that the management or the board of this company is mainly responsible for the design of internal control and conveying to staff their internal control responsibilities. Peoples is the one who make internal controls work. Everyone in the company plays an important role. As problems are noted, staffs should be communicated, so that adjustments or corrections can be made. There is few benefits of internal control mainly for employees is actually to help prevent errors and irregularities from occurring. If they do occur, Internal controls will help ensure they are detected in timely manner. By this report, we believed that the board of Goodner Brothers Inc is should be able to overcome the internal control weaknesses. It makes the fraudulent in the company will be reduced and particularly Huntington sales office can be maintained or sustained consistently ranked as Goodners second or third most profitable sales outlet.