Environmental Analysis of Joes Electric Cigar Essay - 1

Environmental Analysis of Joes Electric Cigar - Essay Example In as much as government laws and regulations could hamper flow of business to considerable extents and even reduce number of potential customers as it prohibits sale of products to minors below the age of 19, and issues health warning to non-smokers, people allergic to nicotine and any other of the ingredients, pregnant or breastfeeding women and diseased people, our e-cigars will be able to maneuver these obstacles due to their relative safeness. According to Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (2012), as opposed to smoking tobacco that contains several chemicals such as benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, tar and arsenic, e-cigars reduce the risk of developing cancer from smoking since they lack these dangerous carcinogens. They are relatively safe to consume and this fact alone will endear many consumers to our products. Our e-cigars will be useful in helping addicts reduce and quit smoking and will prove better than traditional smoking cessation tools such a s nicotine patches or gums. Our product will offer users the option of determining amount of nicotine they consume and this could be slowly reduced over time as recommended by rehabilitation officers till one gains desired freedom from the deadly stick. Research has indicated reduced smoking levels among addicts who reverted to electric cigarettes with a large number reportedly quitting altogether and Joe’s electric will be at the forefront, leading in helping addicts enjoy a smoke without ‘killing’ themselves. These factors together with the fact that Joe’s electric cigarettes will be relatively cheaper than other tobacco brands and products offered by other electric cigarette companies, the ever increasing costs of living and the poor state of the economy will inevitably place Joe’s e-cigars as the product of choice in the markets. Apart from the consumer health benefits and concerns, customer base and trends will play to positively impact busines s. Joe’s electric cigar intends to operate on flexibility and hence greatly focus towards catering to market trends and meeting the ever increasing consumer demands. Smoking electric cigarettes has become the in thing with prominent persons including celebrities reportedly switching to e-cigs. This has influenced many in joining the trend and this will favor business. E-cigs do not stain teeth and the smoking experiences are relatively pleasant to the smoker with no lingering smell on clothes, furniture, etc, unlike regular cigarettes that leave stains that are often difficult or impossible to remove. Our e-cigars will come in flavored varieties thus offering a much greater experience as compared to sheer tobacco smoking. Like other e-cigs, smoking our e-cigs, unlike smoking tobacco, will not interfere with the environment and a non-smoker as e-cigars produce only water vapor which is odorless. There will be no need, therefore, for restrictions when it comes to smoking e-cigs as it can be smoked indoors, including public places. Our users will not be forced to look for a smoking zone and at the same time will not interfere with the non-smokers in the proximity. It will also be convenient to the end user as there is no need for lighters and ashtrays for e-cigs.

Lim Goh Tong - Genting Essay Example for Free

Lim Goh Tong Genting Essay The best way to address the topic of successful tourism entrepreneur is the story of Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong which is the founder of Genting Highlands and how he as a local tourism entrepreneur has succeeded globally. Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong (February 28, 1918 – October 23, 2007) was a prominent wealthy Malaysian Chinese businessman. He was once the 3rd richest man in Malaysia with a net worth estimated to be 4. 2 billion USD, making him the 204th richest person in the billionaire list compiled by Forbes. The Japanese invaded Malaya in 1942 and caused Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong to have a few near-death occasions. During the early Japanese Occupation, he earned a living as a vegetable farmer, but decided to switch to petty trading for a better living. Later on Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong ventured into scrap-metal and hardware trading. When the Japanese Occupation ended, there was an urgent demand for heavy machinery for resumed operations in mines and rubber plantations, he seized the opportunity and engaged in second-hand machinery trading, making his first fortune. From used machinery trading, Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong strayed into iron mining fortuitously. Tan Sri joined as a partner in an iron mining company which couldnt settle the outstanding payment of two bulldozers with him, and this proved to be a successful venture as he earned a substantial amount of profit from the mining industry, including forming a joint-venture tin mining company which was one of the first Chinese tin companies to utilize dredges in mining tin. While dealing in heavy machinery, Tan Sri accumulated a wide range of reconditioned machines as well as a substantial amount of cash to move into the construction and related industries. In the name of his family construction company, Kien Huat Private Limited, he began taking on several contracting jobs with help and guidance from his uncles. Kien Huat won accolades and became recognized as one of the leading construction companies after successfully completing many major projects. Among the biggest projects completed was the Ayer Itam Dam, the first time a local contractor had been given the construction job of such magnitude. He went on the brink of bankruptcy when construction work was facing problems in the Kemubu Irrigation Scheme, but managed to overcome the obstacles and completed the project. In 1964, when Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong was working on a hydroelectric power project in Cameron Highlands, amidst the cool mountain air, he had a vision. The idea of building a hilltop resort was first conceived when Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong was in Cameron Highlands. As he was enjoying the soothing cool breeze of Cameron Highlands, an idea struck him that as the standard of living rose steadily in Malaysia, more and more people would visit mountain resorts for relaxation and recreation, but Cameron Highlands was too far away from the capital city Kuala Lumpur, therefore building a mountain resort nearer to Kuala Lumpur would have great business potential. He envisaged Malaysia would develop and prosper in the near future and why not develop a cool mountain resort at the doorstep of KL, within the reach of all Malaysians. What is now one of the most popular tourist destinations in Asia and Malaysia is the realization of one man’s dream. He is a man of vision who had seen further and beyond about the world. Without wasting any time he started working on transforming his vision into reality. Upon conceiving this idea, many naysayers were skeptical of Tan Sri turning a wilderness into a tourist resort. Most thought it was really risky and reckoned Tan Sri who was financially comfortable to be foolish to invest heavily in money and time to develop Genting, but he brushed off all these negativities and went ahead firmly with his plan. Then he indulgent to take a further step in studying the maps of the vicinity of Kuala Lumpur, he located the ideal site, which was the Ulu Kali Mountain, just 58 Kilometers from KL. In order to have first hand experience of the terrain and surroundings, Tan Sri Lim spearheaded an advance party guided by some aborigines; he set off on the arduous journey. They struggled through dense jungles, climbed over many mountains and crossed numerous rivers before successfully reaching the Ulu Kali Mountain top. During the expedition that lasted nine days, he explored the placed, gathered a wealth of data on the topography, drainage, soil conditions and other relevant aspects of the region about the site which proved to be very useful in drawing up the plan for developing the resort. Setting up a private company called Genting Highlands Berhad in 1965, Tan Sri Lim successfully obtained approval for the alienation of almost 5,000 hectares of land from the Pahang and Selangor state governments respectively. In August 1965, he and his team began the project in the face of mammoth and colossal task. Among the problems were building the access road towards the hilltop, water and electricity supplies, sewerage system and fire safety. He managed to build the access road from Genting Sempah to the Peak of Ulu Kali Mountain towards the summit in three years when it was estimated to take fifteen years. Several sources of water in the mountain were identified, water supply was secured by building water-collection stations and water filtration plants with treated water stored in reservoirs. Electricity is supplied through a central electricity generation system with 12 big generators. He and his construction team worked in two shifts round the clock, 7 days a week because during the construction, he survived six close brushes with death. Meanwhile, Tan Sri Lim had to administer another major project in Kelantan, the Kemubu Irrigation Scheme at the same time. This stretched his physical endurance to the limits as he had to shuttle between Kuala Lumpur and Kelantan. While the first team carry out the survey in front, the other do the tree-felling, bulldozing and building the road behind. In order to save time and money, they built make-shift 1 quarters in the jungle, camped along the way and even stayed in caves. They even have tales to tell about their encounters with tigers in the jungle. He devoted all his time, capital and resources including the reserves of his family company, to ensure smooth and prompt construction of his dream resort. After working day and night for 3 years, the first access road was completed in 1969. Tan Sri was so relieved, because his whole vision for Genting Highlands depended on the successful completion of the access road. The whole Genting project was completed in January 1971, but prior to officially commencing business, Kuala Lumpur and its surrounding areas were hit by the worst rainstorms in a century, the road to Genting was closed by landslides at 180 locations, and the damaged sections took four months to repair. Genting opened its door for business on May 8, 1971. During the Genting project, Tan Sri spent all he had without earning any income. He sold an 810-hectare rubber estate to raise RM2. 5 million. In addition, he invested all the money he had made from iron mining, sub-contracting and hardware business. The project was a heavy drain on Tan Sri Lims finances. When asked to invest in this project, his friends turned him down and counseled him to drop the entire scheme instead. The project received well-deserved boost on 31stMarch 1969, on the occasion of the laying of foundation stone for the company’s pioneer hotel, by the late Tunku Abdul Rahman. Impressed that a private company, without the assistance of the Government could develop a mountain resort for the enjoyment of all Malaysians, a gaming license was suggested to help accelerate the development of this remote area, transforming the initial idea of a 38-room hotel to a 200 room hotel. In 1971, the Highlands Hotel, now renamed as Theme Park Hotel was successfully completed. To cope with the rapidly growing tourists, more hotels were built which included the 700 rooms Genting Hotel, a landmark structure recognized by all Malaysians. Following a corporate restructure exercise, the resort and leisure related activities were transferred to Resorts World Bhd. This was the beginning of the next development phase to transform the hill resort into a City of Entertainment. A meticulously planned development programme was implemented to enhance and expand the resort facilities, which included the development of Awana Chain of Hotels namely Awana Genting, Awana Kijal, Terengganu and Awana Porto Malai, Langkawi. In 1993, at the suggestion of Tun Mahathir, the prime minister of Malaysia then, a township was developed on an 81-hectare piece of land around the site of the Genting Skyway cable car station. It was named Gohtong Jaya after Tan Sri as a token of remembrance for his efforts in the development of Genting Highlands. In 1997, Genting Highlands Resort further boosted its facility attraction with Genting Skyway cable car system that provides a 3. 38 km transport to the hilltop. Genting Skyway is also recognized as the Worlds Fastest Mono Cable Car System with a maximum speed of 21. 6 km per hour and the Longest Cable Car in Malaysia and Southeast Asia. Despite the recession in 1997, Resorts World decided to forge ahead with the ambitious billion-ringgit mega project, the First World Hotel and Plaza. Of course many skeptics questioned why need to expand development during an economic downturn. And the answer was simple during such times, labor costs and skilled resources were relatively cheaper and easier to get. And by embarking on new construction and development activities, also can provide job opportunities and stimulating the construction industry during crucial economic times. The First World Hotel now is the largest hotel in the world with 6,200 rooms. First World Plaza marks a new era for the Genting Theme Park as it features newer and more exciting attractions for families to have fun at the peak. Just in the last 10 years, Genting Berhad has spent over 4 billion ringgit to develop Genting into Asia’s leading integrated leisure and entertainment resort. Throughout the years, Genting have kept firm with their vision: to be the leading leisure, hospitality and entertainment corporation in the world. After 42 years, crown jewel Genting Highlands Resort has since grown from a single hill top hotel with 200 rooms to a world-class integrated leisure and entertainment resort offering more than 10,000 rooms ranging from 3, 4, 5 star and super luxurious 6 star accommodation, over 90 dining outlets, 80 retail outlets, convention and international standard show facilities and many fun rides at the indoor and outdoor theme parks. We catered to over 18 million visitors in 2006 alone. They take pride in being one of the major contributors of tourism sector in the country and that are playing a significant role as a net earner of revenue and foreign exchange for the Malaysian economy. Genting Group is by no means limited to the leisure and tourism business. The company, infact began to diversify as early as the late 70s. With leisure and tourism as its core business, the company also ventured into the plantation, property development, paper manufacturing, power generation, oil and gas exploration. Being a determined entrepreneur and a man of vision, Tan Sri Lim aspired to explore further. He knew, with the strong foundation and wealth of experience accumulated over the years, Genting was well equipped to venture abroad. He encouraged and supported his second son Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, who is our current Chairman to expand the business overseas. With the strong support and backing from his father, Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay (fondly known as Tan Sri KT Lim) swiftly spread his wings. Since then, he has been instrumental in globalizing Genting Group and has been the key driver behind the development of the Group’s resort and gaming-related projects worldwide, such as the Burswood International Resort Casino, the Adelaide Casino 3 in Australia, Lucayan Beach Resort Casino in the Bahamas and the Subic Bay Resort Casino in the Philippines. In Australia, he had set up the Adelaide Casino and the Burswood Island Resort in Perth. In their first year of operations, these projects chalked up some RM100 million in profits. However, his intuitive decision to dispose of the hotel and casinos in Australia to a Japanese company after only 18 months in operation proved to be the correct decision. The money was reinvested in other overseas ventures, including the Foxwoods Casino Venture with the Native American tribe, which has become the largest resort casino in the world. Due to Genting early success, later extended financial assistance to another US-based Native American tribe to build their casino in the location of Niagara Falls. Genting was granted the only casino license after Tunku Abdul Rahman, the prime minister of Malaysia then, visited Genting Highlands and commended his effort to develop a resort contributing to Malaysias tourism industry without government help. Tan Sri managed to obtain a pioneer status for Genting Highlands and tax incentives despite its resort development not qualifying for it. He did so by convincing the government that tax incentives in the early stage of development of Genting Highlands were not only vital for them but also profitable to the government later on. Tan Sri KT Lim visionary foresight, commitment to excellence, entrepreneurial skills and hard work resulted in the birth of Star Cruises. Capitalizing on its leisure-related expertise and experience, Genting Group expanded from land-based resorts to cruise the high seas by providing a truly comprehensive leisure and entertainment offering. At a time when no one was bullish about the prospects of the global cruise industry, his debut as a cruise operator in Asia raised many eyebrows. However, both Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong and Tan Sri KT Lim saw that again, they would be the pioneers and there was no competition in Asia. Given the rising prosperity and spending power of the people here, Asians would take to cruising readily as a form of recreation and tourism if an operator could provide good, affordable services. Moreover, with many beautiful islands and waters comparable to those in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, the richly diversified Asia is able to offer exotic destinations with multicultural experiences. Star Cruises Limited was incorporated in September 2003. At a press briefing in December the same year, many local and foreign journalists questioned Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong’s wisdom in bringing in mega cruise ships when there was no industry in Asia and the idea of a cruise holiday was rather alien to an average Asian. One foreign journalist went as far as prophesying the demise of our cruise venture in eight months’ time. His reasoning was simple: How is Star Cruises going to find 1,700 passengers, the equivalent of five 747 plane-loads, each time it sets sail? Tan Sri Lim calmly said â€Å"When I decided to develop Genting about 38 years ago, there were also people who said I was mad and doomed to failure. But I went on to build it up steadily into an internationally renowned holiday resort. As for the cruise industry, isn’t Miami a success story? If the Westerners can do it, so can we Asians,† this statement drew a huge applause from the floor. In November 2000, Star Cruises was listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong. At the peak, the market capitalization of Star Cruises hit US$2. 9 billion, even larger than that of Genting Berhad. As part of his expansion, Star Cruises acquired Norwegian Cruise Line in a takeover exercise that was completed in 2000. Today Star Cruises has grown to become the third largest cruise line in the world and the leading cruise operator in Asia-Pacific. The various brands under Star Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, NCL America, Orient Lines and Cruise Ferries together operates 21 cruise ships with over 32,000 lower berths and calls at close to 200 4 destinations globally in the Asia Pacific, North and South America, Hawaii, the Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, Bermuda and Antarctica. Part of his global expansion plan was to start an investment arm to exclusively handle all his overseas investments. Hence, Genting International was incorporated in 1984 to invest in leisure and gaming-related businesses outside of Malaysia. Genting International currently owns and operates 46 casinos in the UK under the Stanley Leisure brand names. This includes four of the most prestigious casinos in London – Crockfords, The Colony Club, The Palm Beach and Maxims. Another exciting boost for international venture is the recent success in bid to build an integrated resort in Singapore. The integrated Resort, located on Sentosa is named Resorts World at Sentosa and is expected to commence operation by early 2010. As of now, Genting Highlands is one of the most successful casino resorts in the world and is one of the primary tourist attractions in Malaysia. Tan Sri Lims company, Genting Group operates Genting Highlands and has diversified into many other industries. In the process new company brands were created that have become distinctive names in their respective fields, namely Asiatic, Genting Sanyen and Star Cruises. In the next 30 years, he continued to develop and expand Genting Highlands beyond its original idea of a hotel with basic tourist facilities. A new road was built to shorten the journey to Genting from the northern states, and RM120 million was invested to widen a 10 km stretch of the access road to reduce congestion. Another RM128 million was spent on constructing a cable car system to provide visitors with an alternative mode of transportation. Today Genting is far more than just one winning concept and one celebrated destination. It is one of Asia’s leading and best managed multinational corporations with strong management, financial prudence and sound investment discipline. Genting will continue to be a leading leisure and entertainment corporation in the world.

Barbie as a Real Woman is Anatomically Impossible Essays -- Female Ide

Millions of girls around the world are dressing their Barbie dolls in skimpy designer outfits and high heel shoes, and slide her slender legs into a bright pink convertible next to her male counterpart, Ken. These same girls will gaze into the mirror, staring at their thighs and hair, and attempt to balance themselves in a pair of their mother’s high heel shoes. They will wonder why they do not look like Barbie. They will wonder today, just as I wondered years ago. As the years of make-believe with the American plastic icon of girlhood nostalgia passed, I discovered Barbie’s hidden effects. Although Barbie lent herself to fond memories of childhood, she also influenced my early ideal image of the female body. As I began to realize Barbie’s false representation of a real woman, I dis...

Familiar with the phrase

I remember that as a child, I didn’t have difficulty making choices. My first vivid memory of a situation where I clearly had to make a conscious decision, something which was imprinted in my mind forever, came with a visit to a toy store at a mall.Familiar with the phrase, like a child in a candy store? It was the same thing- but obviously with toys in all shapes and sizes; some were mechanically animated with blinking lights, amusing music and sounds and moving parts. You would have expected a child of about 4 (I think I was four or five) to have simply sat there and insisted on living in the store if mom and dad didn’t buy everything in sight for them to take home.But things didn’t turn that way. I did spend a substantial amount of time browsing through the shelves, holding this, admiring that and generally wishing we could buy everything I wanted and fretting a little bit like any typical four-year old. But in the end, I knew what I really wanted from among t he bewildering array of choices. It was a choice that had been made with a combination of facts (I saw an ad on television), common sense (I knew it was a toy my other siblings wouldn’t be so interested in), and most importantly, it was an object that I was happiest with.The toy by the way was a Lego set- I was four and I was in a building phase plus the fact that the Lego pieces were nice to chew on when no one was watching. As years passed by and the Lego was replaced with various other toys, contraptions and amusements, choosing became more complicated and even tedious.Could it be possible that a four-year old be more adept and actually be more â€Å"matured† in making decisions and choices than a fifth-grader who was actually already taking high-school level Algebra, or an eighth-grader who suddenly showed an aptitude for music and was playing the piano like a pro?For some reason, that incident at the toy store became nothing more than a memory. The older I got, th e more I got confused and distracted even as my intellect had grown by leaps and bounds. In fifth-grade, I was the school nerd who took high-school Algebra lessons for the fun of it. But when it came to making choices about summer-camp, or something as trivial as what type of breakfast cereal to eat, I was a wreck; an annoying, back-tracking, undecided 11-year old. In eighth-grade, I could read sheet music as if they were comic books.But I caused my father agony when I hemmed and hawed at what high-school to go to; special music high school, regular high school? – I couldn’t make up my mind. My mother told me to my face quite bluntly; â€Å"you’re a genius at a lot of things, but it’s sad that you can’t even master the basics.†So when faced with college and what career path to take, I set aside the memory of last year’s fiasco of a vacation ( didn’t know whether backpacking to Europe, or Mexico, and ended up missing an importan t loved one’s birthday because of my indecisiveness) and focused on that lovely summer’s day at the toy store when I was four-years old.I closed my eyes and opened my heart and my mind. I shut out all distractions, biases, fears and pretensions. I was again a four-year old, innocent and guileless, a child who was at the edge of knowing what he wanted and knew that he had a family who would always support him. But more importantly, he knew what he truly wanted, what made him happy, and that never changes even if you were four or 90 years old.And so I made a choice that had been made with a combination of facts (I had an incredible aptitude in math and science), common sense (it was a hot-career and most in-demand), and most importantly, it was something that I was happiest with simply because having made that decision almost ten years ago, not a day passes that I don’t thank the fates, God and myself for having made that decision.That choice by the way, was decid ing to go to medical school and later joining the United Nations medical corps for special missions to places in the world where crucial medical and surgical procedures were urgently needed.Fifteen-hour work days, lack of equipment, threat of civil war, the pains and aches of the sick and a child’s smile thanking you for saving her life- yes, I am like a child again in a toy store.Work CitedCareerPlanning (2007) Career choice of change. Retrieved January 1, 2007 from http://careerplanning.about.com/od/careerchoicechan/Career_Choice_or_Change.htm

An Assesment of the Role of the Auditor in Fighting Corruption in an Organization Essay

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction Reliable accounting and financial reporting issued by auditors help organisations in allocating resources from the society in an efficient manner. Although the primary goal of an organisation is profit making and to allocate limited capital resources to the production of goods and services for which society’s demand is great, a highly complex phenomenon which is corruption poses a threat to those goals and services. However, most organisations spend huge sums of money adopting strategies to fight corruption (Whittington et al., 2004). 2.2 History of Auditing The word â€Å"Audit† originated from the Latin word ‘auditus’ which means, ‘a hearing’. In the earlier days, whenever there was suspected corruption in a business organization, the owner of the business would appoint a person to check the accounts and require hearing the explanations given by the person responsible for keeping the accounts and funds. In those days, the audit was done to find out whether the payments and receipts were properly accounted or not accounted for (http://www.eHow.com). During the advent of the Industrial Revolution, from 1750 to 1850, auditing evolved into a field of fraud detection and financial accountability. Until then, Auditing existed primarily as a method to maintain governmental accountancy and record-keeping. The incidence of the revolution resulted in businesses expanding thereby resulting in increased job positions between owners to customers. Resultantly, management was hired to operate businesses in the owners’ absences, and owners found an increasing need to monitor their financial activities both for accuracy and fraud prevention. (http://www.eHow.com). In the early 20th century, the reporting practice of auditors, which involved submitting reports of their duties and findings, was standardized as the â€Å"Independent Auditor’s Report.† The increase in demand for auditors led to the development of the testing process for accuracy and fraud prevention. Auditors developed a way to strategically selecting key cases as representative of the company’s performance. This was an affordable alternative to examining every case in detail, required less time and a good tool for reducing fraud (http://www.eHow.com). 2.3 Overview of Auditing â€Å"Auditing is a systematic examination of the books and records of a business or the organization in order to ascertain or verify and to report upon the facts regarding the financial operation and the result thereof† (Montgomery, 2010,p.6). Again, Loughran (2010, p.5), defines auditing as, the process of investigating information that is prepared by someone else to determine whether the information is fairly stated. On the other hand, Arens et al. (2006, p.7), defines auditing as the accumulation of evidence about information to determine and report on the degree of correspondence between the information and established criteria. â€Å"Auditing is a systematic process of objectively obtaining and evaluating evidence regarding assertions about economic actions and events to ascertain the degree of correspondence between the assertions and established criteria and communicating the results to interested users†(Robertson et al., 2002,p.7).According to Knechel (2001,p.4 2), â€Å"auditing is the process of providing assurance about the reliability of the information contained in the financial statements prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.† 2.4 Types of Audit There are various ways in which the work performed by the auditor has been classified or categorized. Each classification or type of audit is unique in that, each type of audit has its own perspective, objective and business organisation. Irrespective of the type of audit being conducted, the basic processes, guidelines and standards are basically the same. However, Hall (2005) classifies the types of audits that auditors perform into four; 2.4.1 Internal Audit The Institute of Internal Auditors defines internal audit as an independent function established within an organisation to examine and evaluate the audit activities as a service to the organisation. Internal audits are conducted by auditors who work for the organization (Ibid). 2.4.2 Information Technology Audit This is associated with auditors who use technical skills and knowledge to  audit through the computer system, or provide audit services where processes or data, or both, are embedded in technologies. Hence, IT audit involves the auditing of information technology, computer system and the like. IT audit allows auditors to audit through the database and computer (Ibid). 2.4.3 Fraud Audit This is the newest area of auditing, arising out of both rampant employee theft of assets and major financial frauds. In such audits, materiality is irrelevant, and the primary goal is an investigation of anomalies not to give assurance. Hence, fraud audit aims at gathering evidence of fraud and where sufficient evidence exist, fraud audit leads to conviction (Ibid). 2.4.4 Financial Audit Also referred to as external audits, this involves auditors who work independent of the organisation being audited. The audit objective is to give an opinion on the financial statements (Ibid). 2.5 Types of Auditors There are a number of different types of auditors; however, they can be classified under four headings: external auditors, internal auditors, government auditors, and forensic auditors. One important requirement of each type of auditor is independence, in some manner, from the entity being audited (Robertson et al., 2002). 2.5.1 External Auditors External Auditors are often referred to as independent auditors or certified public accountants (CPAs). Such auditors are called â€Å"external† because they are not employed by the entity being audited. However, external auditors audit financial statements for publicly traded and private companies, partnerships, municipalities, individuals, and other type of entities. An external auditor may practice as a sole proprietor or as a member of a CPA firm (Robertson et al., 2002). On the other hand, Boynton et al. (2001), describes external auditors as independent having education, training, and thus by virtue of their experience, external auditors are qualified to perform each of the types of activities being the operational audit activity, the audit compliance, and the financial statements audit activity. Operational audit activity has to do with obtaining and evaluating evidence  about the efficiency and effectiveness of an entity’s operating activities in relation to specified objectives. Furthermore, compliance audit activity has to do with obtaining and evaluating evidence to determine whether certain financial or operating activities of an entity conform to specified rules, or regulations (Boynton et al., 2001).Finally, the financial statements audit activity has to do with obtaining and evaluating evidence about an entity’s financial statements for the purpose of expressing an opinion on whether the financial statements are presented fairly in conformity with established criteria-usually Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (Boynton et al.,2001). 2.5.2 Internal Auditors Internal auditors are auditors employed by individual companies, partnerships, government agencies, individuals, and other entities (Messier et al., 2008). Additionally, internal auditors are also employed extensively by government and nonprofit organisations with the principal goal of investigating and appraising the activities with which the various organisational units of the company are carrying out their assigned functions (Whittington et al., 2004). However, in addition to the provision of consulting services to the organisation, internal auditors pay much attention to the study of internal control. Again, internal auditors are primarily involved with compliance and operational audit activities. With the operational audit activity having to do with the obtaining and evaluating evidence about the efficiency and effectiveness of an entity’s operating activities in relation to specified objectives (Boynton et al., 2001).Furthermore, the compliance audit activity having to d o with the obtaining and evaluating evidence to determine whether certain financial or operating activities of an entity conform to specified conditions, rules, or regulations (Boynton et al., 2001). 2.5.3 Government Auditors Government auditors are employed by federal, state, and local agencies. They generally can be considered a subset of the broader category of internal auditors. At the federal level, two agencies use auditors extensively: the Government Accountability Office and the Internal Revenue Service. The Internal Revenue Agents have their responsibility of enforcing tax laws as defined by congress of parliament and interoperated by the courts. However,  the government auditors engage in a wide range of audit activities, including financial statements audit activity, the compliance audit activity and the operational audit activity (Messier et al., 2008). Financial statements audit activity has to do with the obtaining and evaluating evidence about an entity’s financial statements for the purpose of expressing an opinion on whether they are presented fairly in conformity with established criteria-usually Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. The compliance audit activity having to d o with the obtaining and evaluating evidence to determine whether certain financial or operating activities of an entity conform to specified conditions, rules, or regulations. Finally, the operational audit activity having to do with the obtaining and evaluating evidence about the efficiency and effectiveness of an entity’s operating activities in relation to specified objectives (Boynton et al., 2001). 2.5.4 Forensic Auditors Forensic auditors are employed by corporations, government agencies, public accounting firms, and consulting and investigative services firms. They are trained in detecting, investigating, and deterring fraud and corruption (Boynton et al., 2001). 2.6 Roles of the Auditor The role of both the internal and external auditor in the business and economic life of the society is very important. Modern business enterprises are quite large and mostly in corporate form wherein shareholders do not necessarily engage in the running of the management team to run the business on behalf of the shareholders. As a result, management is required to prepare and submit accounts of their stewardship to reflect the true financial position of the entity’s activities (Yiadom, 2009).  ¬The Role of the Auditor in the Internal Control Internal control is broadly defined as a process, executed by an entity’s board of directors, management, and other personnel, designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of objectives in the following internal control categories: 1.Effectiveness and efficiency of operations. 2.Reliability of financial reporting. 3.Compliance with laws and regulations. Management is responsible for internal control. Managers establish policies and processes to help the organization achieve specific objectives in each of these categories. Auditors perform audits to evaluate whether the policies and processes are designed and operating effectively and provide recommendations for improvement (Messier et al., 2008).  ¬The Role of the Auditor in Corporate Governance Corporate governance is a combination of processes and organizational structures implemented by the Board of Directors to inform, direct, manage, and monitor the organization’s resources, strategies and policies towards the achievement of the organizations objectives. The internal auditor is often considered one of the â€Å"four pillars† of corporate governance, the other pillars being the Board of Directors, management, and the external auditor(Business web (online) 2006 http://www.allbusiness.com). A primary focus area of internal auditing as it relates to corporate governance is helping the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors (or equivalent) perform its responsibilities effectively. This may include reporting critical internal control problems, informing the Committee privately on the capabilities of key managers, suggesting questions or topics for the Audit Committee’s meeting agendas, and coordinating with the external auditor(Business web (online) 2006 http://www.allbusiness.com).  ¬Role of the Auditor in Risk Management Auditing professional standards require the function of the auditor to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the organization’s risk management processes. Risk management relates to how an organization sets objectives, then identifies, analyzes, and responds to those risks that could potentially impact its ability to realize its objectives. Management performs risk assessment activities as part of the ordinary course of business in each of these categories. Examples include: strategic planning, marketing planning, capital planning, budgeting, hedging, incentive payout structure, and credit/lending practices. Sarbanes-Oxley regulations also  require extensive risk assessment of financial reporting processes (Business web (online) 2006 http://www.allbusiness.com). Corporate legal counsel often prepares comprehensive assessments of the current and potential litigation a company faces. Internal auditors may evaluate each of these activities, or focus on the processes used by management to report and monitor the risks identified. For example, internal auditors can advise management regarding the reporting of forward-looking operating measures to the Board, to help identify emerging risks (Business web (online) 2006 http://www.allbusiness.com). In larger organizations, major strategic initiatives are implemented to achieve objectives and drive changes. As a member of senior management, the Chief Audit Executive may participate in status updates on these major initiatives. This places the Chief Audit Executive in the position to report on many of the major risks the organization faces to the Audit Committee, or ensure management’s reporting is effective for that purpose (Business web (online) 2006 http://www.allbusiness.com). 2.7 Overview of Corruption Although there is no universal or comprehensive definition as to what constitutes corrupt behaviour, most definitions share a common emphasis upon the abuse of public power or position for personal advantage (Boadi, 2002 vol.4 no.2).The Oxford Unabridged Dictionary defines corruption as â€Å"perversion or destruction of integrity in the discharge of public duties by bribery or favour.† Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines it as â€Å"inducement to wrong by improper or unlawful means (as bribery).† A succinct definition of corruption used by the World Bank is â€Å"the abuse of public office for private gain.†Corruption is a complex multi-faceted social phenomenon with innumerable manifestations. It takes place as an outcome of deficiencies in the existing public administration apparatuses and systems as well as cultural, economic, political and social factors. Differences of opinion still exist as to the meaning of the term corruption. This is primarily because individuals look at corruption from their own vantage points influenced by surrounding environment (Khan, 2004). Coherently, Swain& Dininio (2000), explains corruption as the abuse of public office for private gain. It encompasses unilateral abuses by government officials such as embezzlement and nepotism, as well as abuses linking public and private  actors such as bribery extortion, influence peddling, and fraud. 2.8 Corruptive Issues in an Organisation Corruptive issues arise in an organization where both employers and employees embark on any act classified as corruption (Balkaran, 2000). 2.8.1 Causes of Corruption  Khan (2004), defines corruption as a phenomenon that takes place due to the presence of a number of factors. An understanding of such factors requires, among other things, a kind of general framework for a clearer understanding of the causes of corruption, especially from a broader perspective. However, Goudie & Strange (2000), explained that the genesis of corruption can be looked at from three levels being the international, the national and the individual institutional level. Competitiveness of international markets provides multinational companies of various sizes with an incentive to offer bribes to gain an advantage over competitors. At the national level basic development strategy of any government moulds opportunities and incentives for corruption. At the same level three relationships – between the government and the civil service, between the government and the judiciary and between the government and the civil society – also affect the nature and discussions of corruption. Three areas of government activity – customs administration, business regulation and management of foreign aid – act as sources of corruption at the level of individual institutions (Goudie & Strange, 2000). 2.8.2 Forms of Corruption Corruption takes many forms; acceptance of money and other rewards for awarding contracts, violation of procedures to advance personal interests, kickbacks from developmental programmes or multi-national corporations, pay-offs for legislative support, diversion of public resources for private use, overlooking illegal activities, intervening in the justice process, nepotism, common theft, overpricing, establishing non-existing projects and tax collection and tax assessment frauds (Khan, 2004). 2.9 The Auditor’s Role in Fighting Corruption in an Organisation â€Å"Auditors are the first set of gatekeepers in fighting corruption in an organisation† (Harding,2000,p.12). Auditors ensure that transactions are valid, at arms-length, captured, and properly recorded according to established  standards which contributes to the fight of corruption. Secondly, As professionals with a duty to protect the public interest, auditors are bound by rigorous codes of professional and personal ethics calling for the highest levels of integrity and objectivity. Again, with key strategic positions within an enterprise or organization; whether in an internal position or as an external position, mean that auditors very often have access to highly privileged and confidential information (Harding, 2000). Furthermore, as Balkaran (2000), puts it, the auditor helps in fighting corruption in an organisation through the performance of the respective functions on the bases of national and international standards of practice which have clear guidelines identifying, for instance, indicators of fraud and other irregularities, and reporting these to the highest levels of authorit y. Scaling down to the types of auditors, Balkaran (2000), outlines that, the revised response of internal auditing, places more responsibility on internal auditors in helping to fight corruption. After all, as the eyes and ears of management, they are there year-round, understand the operations of a business, and are bound by even more in-depth standards of performance and conduct. Moreover, the work of the internal auditor is often relied upon by the external (independent) auditors and therefore subject to more stringent requirements.

Abortion- Pro essays

Abortion- Pro essays Abortion is a very touchy subject in American politics. When dealing with this issue, there are two sides that one can take. There is the Pro-life side, which believe that abortion is not a good thing, and should be made illegal. On the other end of the spectrum, there is the Pro-choice side. The Pro-choice side believe that its a womans choice if she wants to carry the baby, or abort the pregnancy. There are many pros and cons to each of the argument. One reason that Pro-choice advocates believe that there stance on the issue is the right one is that they believe that its a womans choice whether or not she aborts the pregnancy because its her body. Since the fetus is part of her body, she can make the decision whether she lets it live or die. Its like, if a woman has something wrong with her leg, and one of the options is to amputate, she can either choose to get rid of the leg and be done with it, or keep it. Another reason that Pro-choice supporters think that abortion is alright is that they do not consider a fetus to be a living human being. One of the main stances that Pro-life supporters have is that killing a fetus is just like killing a human being. While Pro-choice advocates believe that life begins at birth, and that killing the fetus is not kill a human, just killing a part of you. The final reason I will touch upon for the Pro-choice side is that sometimes, an abortion is the best thing if the mother is not capable of taking care of a baby. Sometimes a mother is not expecting the baby, and when it is conceived is not emotionally or financially ready to take care of the baby. When this is the case, an abortion can solve this problem, making it so she doesnt have a baby to take care of. On the other end of things, There are reason why Pro-life is the way to be. There are all pretty much the opposite of the reasons for Pro-choice. One of them is that a fetus is a human ...

Mobile and Wearable Devices Industry

Mobile and Wearable Devices Industry Introduction The last decade has experienced enormous innovations that have led to a swift revolution of the mobile and wearable devices industry. As a result, the mobile device market has significantly expanded.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Mobile and Wearable Devices Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The development of telecommunication technology has compelled many firms such as Lenovo to manufacture high-tech mobile and wearable devices such as Bluetooth headsets, blood pressure monitors, and smart watches among others. The mobile industry consists of manufacturers and distributors of smart phones, mobile accessories, and tablets among other electronics. Nonetheless, the industry has been faced with a variety of issues that affect its operations. This report provides an analysis of the key trends and industry issues that affect the mobile and wearable devices industry. Key Trends and Industry Issues C onsumer Services The trend of consumer services has significantly shaped the mobile and wearable devices industry. According to Taylor, the key players in the industry have significantly increased consumer services over the past decade (par. 4). Dramatic development of mobile device technologies has also affected the roles of operators and vendors. In the wake of the expanding mobile and wearable devices industry, some companies such as the Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. have failed to meet the needs of consumers. As a result, Google has sold a unit of the US based mobile company to Lenovo, a Chinese computer company, for approximately 3 billion dollars (Kelion par.1). This acquisition is one of Lenovo’s strategic plans to become a global icon in the consumer market through delivery of smartphones and Think-Pads. According to Kelion, this purchase will make Lenovo the third largest smart device manufacturer in the international arena (par. 6).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Scott advances that operators in the mobile industry need to re-evaluate the effects of producer environment on consumer services (par. 2). In addition, manufacturers such as Lenovo have to capitalize on espousal of smartphones to maximize profitability. Moreover, the consumer market has experienced dramatic price structures. The current pricing structures have been confined to certain customer segments. Therefore, operators in the mobile industry should re-examine the existing pricing models to determine their validity in a vibrant technology environment. The consumer market requires pricing strategies that cover wide-ranging customer segments. For instance, Lenovo’s acquisition will lead to establishment of new markets in areas such as North America, Latin America, and Western Europe (Kelion par. 8). As a result, Lenovo’s pricing strategies should favour diversification of mobile devices to offer consumers a vast range of choices (Scott par. 3). Lastly, the emergence of new devices has enormously affected consumer services. Consequently, there is a need for Lenovo to assess both the purchasing power and usage patterns to improve the experiences of consumers. Digitisation of the Employee Mobile and wearable devices manufacturers such as Lenovo should target digitisation of employees to increase motivation and maximize profits. This plan will also increase profitability for the producer companies through the sale of high-end technology devices. For instance, improved healthcare technology will enhance the health of employees through reinforcement of health insurance plans. The health of an employee is important for alleviation of retrogressive work behaviours such as absenteeism.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Mobile and Wearable Devices Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This situation enhances production at employee level; hence, it elevates the production level of a company. Although employee healthcare plans have existed for some years, they have been less efficient. However, the availability of high-tech mobile gadgets that have powerful wireless capabilities has led to implementation of integrated technologies that enable management of health. According to Leung, various software technologies have been used in sophisticated gadgets such as the Apple’s iPhone to monitor health conditions such as hypertension and blood oxygenation (par. 7). Similarly, Lenovo should aim at development of smart gadgets that have the capability to monitor numerous events whilst maintaining a high degree of efficiency and accuracy to improve productivity at both employee and organizational levels. Benefits to Production Department Introduction of wearable technology in the retail business has continued to intensify productivity. Googleâ⠂¬â„¢s Motorola unit has been a chief manufacturer of various wireless connectivity enabled devices that ease communication between employees, employers, and customers. Consequently, Lenovo’s acquisition of the Motorola unit is expected to turn the company into a chief manufacturer and distributor of smart wireless mobile and wearable devices. This situation will improve the experiences of both vendors and consumers in the retail industry (Kelion par. 5). Today’s smartphones have exceptional capabilities to support sophisticated internet functions that have enhanced access to information and communication. According to Leung, continued use of wearable technology in the retail industry is expected to increase the output efficiency by approximately 8.5-percent in the next 2 to 3 years (par. 1).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Various studies have indicated that wearable technology can also improve the level of employee contentment by over 3.6-percent. On a different perspective, wearable technology has enhanced productivity by it scrupulous payment capabilities. This situation has elevated the transactional levels between producers, retailers, and consumers (Leung par. 4). PEST Analysis Political, Economic, Social, and Technological (PEST) factors determine a firm’s volume of production and distribution capacity based on the prevailing market conditions, interest rates, and consumer behaviour. Song reveals that the PEST factors have a greatly influenced manufacturing and distribution of various products in the mobile and wearable industry (9). Politically, governments worldwide require mobile and wearable devices to meet some desired standards that are set to control product quality, manufacturing, and distribution. Global economic landscapes have intensely affected the operations of the mobile in dustry. Therefore, Lenovo’s prospective business in areas such as North America, Latin America, and Western Europe will raise a need for normalization of prices based on the prevailing market conditions and interest rates. In addition, the company should also maintain a constant focus on the social aspects of target consumers. Fashion has become a key driver for consumer preferences. Consumers have developed a high affinity for new mobile phone models. Therefore, companies such as Lenovo should design and improve the models of their mobile and wearable devices to suit the demands of consumers (Song 11). Lastly, the ever-changing technological landscape has significantly shaped the mobile and wearable devices industry. Devices that have a wider range of features and accessories are more attractive to consumers; hence, they dominate the market due to their versatility. Conclusion and Recommendations The report has provided an analysis of the key issues that affect the mobile an d wearable devices industry based on a recent acquisition by Lenovo. The availability of mobile and wearable devices in both production and distribution channels will lead to increased output efficiency. Constant innovation has rendered the future of technology indeterminate. Therefore, Lenovo has an impending potential to exploit mobile and wearable device capabilities. Kelion, Leo. Google sells Motorola Mobility unit to Lenovo for $3bn, 2014. Web. bbc.com/news/business-25956284. Leung, Stuart. How Wearable Technology Can (And Will) Change Your Business, 2014. Web. http://blogs.salesforce.com/company/2014/07/wearable-technology-business.html. Scott, Martin. Consumer services, 2014. Web. analysysmason.com/Services/Research/Consumer-services/Mobile-Devices/. Song, Hee-Carlie. Analysis of the global Smartphone market and the strategies of its major players, 2010. PDF file. 27 Oct. 2014. http://jgbc.fiu.edu/files/journals/2/articles/36/public/36-150-1-PB.pdf. Taylor, Marcus. 19 Implic ations of Google Glass Wearable Tech on Marketing, 2014. Web. https://www.ventureharbour.com/19-implications-google-glass-wearable-tech-marketing/.

The Normal Heart

The Normal Heart Larry Kramer wrote The Normal Heart, a semi-autobiographical award-winning play based on his experiences as a gay man during the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in New York. The protagonist, Ned Weeks, is Kramer’s alter ego - an outspoken and acerbic personality who was the voice of reason so many people both inside and outside the gay community refused to listen to or follow. Kramer himself originated the Gay Men’s Health Crisis which was one of the first groups founded to help victims of AIDS and spread awareness of the disease. Kramer was later forced out of the group he helped to found due to the board of directors feeling he was over confrontational and hostile. Sexual Revolution In the beginning of the 1980s, the gay population in America was experiencing a sexual revolution. Especially in New York City, gay men and women finally felt free enough to come â€Å"out of the closet† and express pride in who they were and the lives they wished to lead. This sexual revolution coincided with the outbreak of HIV/AIDS and the only prevention advocated by medical personnel at that time was abstinence. This solution was unacceptable to a population of oppressed people who had finally found freedom through sexual expression. Kramer and his alter ego Ned Weeks, did his best to talk to his friends, send out information, and get government assistance to convince the gay community of the real and present danger of the as yet unnamed plague that was being transmitted sexually. Kramer was met with resistance and anger from every side and it would take over four years before any of his efforts found success. Plot Synopsis The Normal Heart spans a period of three years from 1981-1984 and chronicles the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in New York City from the perspective of the protagonist, Ned Weeks. Ned is not an easy man to love or befriend. He challenges everyone’s viewpoints and is willing to speak and speak loudly, about unpopular issues. The play opens at a doctor’s office where four gay men wait to be seen by Dr. Emma Brookner. She is one of the few doctors willing to see and attempt to treat patients who come to her with the varied and bizarre symptoms with which AIDS first presents. By the end of the first scene, two of the four men are diagnosed positive for the disease. The other two men are worried about possibly being carriers of the disease. (This bears repeating: It is important to note that the disease is so new it doesn’t have a name yet.) Ned and a few others found a group to help spread awareness of this new and deadly disease. Ned butts heads with the board of directors frequently because the board wishes to focus on helping those already infected and in trouble while Ned wants to push ideas that may prevent the spread of the disease - namely, abstinence. Ned’s ideas are distinctly unpopular and his personality renders him incapable of winning anyone to his side. Even his partner, Felix, a writer for the New York Times is reluctant to write anything having to do with this supposed homosexual disease that only seems to affect gays and junkies. Ned and his group attempt to meet with the governor of New York several times with no success. In the meantime, the number of people diagnosed and deceased from the disease begins to rise exponentially. Ned wonders if any help is ever going to come from the government and strikes out on his own to go on radio and TV to spread awareness. His actions eventually lead the group he created to force him out. The board of directors does not support his insistence on having the word â€Å"Gay† on the letterhead or return address on mailings. They do not want him doing any interviews (since he wasn’t voted president) and they do not want Ned as the main voice speaking out for the gay community. He is forced out and goes home to help his partner, Felix, now in the final stages of the disease. Production Details Setting: New York City The stage is meant to be â€Å"whitewashed† with statistics about the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic written in plain black lettering for the audience to read. Notes about what statistics were used in the original production can be found in the script published by the New American Library. Time: 1981-1984 Cast Size: This play can accommodate 14 actors. Male Characters: 13 Female Characters: 1 Roles Ned Weeks is difficult to get along with and love. His ideas are ahead of his time. Dr. Emma Brookner is one of the first doctors to treat the new and nameless disease infecting the gay community. She is under-appreciated in her field and her advice and prevention ideas are unpopular. The character of Dr. Emma Brookner is confined to a wheelchair due to a childhood bout of polio. This wheelchair, along with her illness, is a subject of discussion in the  dialogue of the play and the actress playing her must remain seated in the wheelchair the entire production. The character of Dr. Emma Brookner is based on the real-life doctor Dr. Linda Laubenstein who was one of the first doctors to treat patients with HIV/AIDS. Bruce Niles is the handsome president of the support group Ned helped found. He is unwilling to come out of the closet at work and refuses to do any interview that might out him as a gay man. He is terrified he may be a carrier of the disease as so many of his partners have been infected and died. Felix Turner is Ned’s partner. He is a writer for the fashion and food sections of the New York Times  but is still reluctant to write anything to publicize the disease even after he is infected. Ben Weeks is Ned’s brother. Ben swears he supports Ned’s lifestyle, but his actions often betray an underlying uneasiness with his brother’s homosexuality. Smaller Roles David Tommy Boatwright Craig Donner Mickey Marcus Hiram Keebler Grady Examining Doctor Orderly Orderly Content Issues: Language, sex, death, graphic details about the end stages of AIDS Resources Samuel French holds the production rights for The Normal Heart. In 2014, HBO released a movie of the same name.

Coursework of Management & Org. Behaviour Case Study

Coursework of Management & Org. Behaviour - Case Study Example In fact employees would perceive this as the quality of work life which directs on final outcomes as employee performance, motivation, individual satisfaction and personal growth and development in the organizational environment. Business organizations are those legal entities that engage themselves in the production of a good or service with the intention of selling it for a profit and are much more focused on the long run survival in achieving organizational goals such as profitability, shareholder satisfaction, market share and share price growth, corporate governance, sustainability, market leadership and so on. Google being an internet search engine is focused on serving customers worldwide by managing its organizational functions in the light of its strategically advantageous position over the years by understanding of the main components of competitive advantage and how to sustain it and analysis of the behavioral challenges faced by the company in modern business environment. Google indeed adopted some far reaching management practices to achieve organizational goals. The most powerful motivator of the workforce was the requirement to become shareholder of the company in addition to being an employee. Google's all employees served as equity holders with employee ownership. Next the company encouraged team work in which 3 to 4 employees were teamed together so that time waste in coordinating work effort could be reduced and employees would be motivated by team spirit. In addition to these employee friendly work practices and motivators a number of others were also adopted. In fact at Google, work teams tended to be smugly satisfied with their own performance in the absence of standards of reference. Performance of work teams has to be measured against relative performances of others and this requires common standards to be set up on a priority basis.Broader level of employee participation, minimal hierarchy, in-house expertise and problem solving and job rotation practices were good measures but they were not backed by a system of performance-based metrics. However, with the ever increasing threat of competition in the market, management practices at Google were oriented towards creating a pleasant work environment with a set of well defined corporate goals. Despite Google's growth, its management is constantly considering and encouraging employee interaction and the exchanging ideas among all level of employees and across the departments.However effective management practices must be aligned with organizational outcomes such as internal value chain enhancement, productivity and motivation parameters. Google is being practicing this kind of alignment in its strategy and policy with focusing on rewarding system for individuals and teams. HRM is a functional strategy that needs a freer organizational environment to develop into a code-based framework or model of convergence. Google's management practices were inherently flawed though it made some convincing efforts to identify workplace discontent issues and their implications for organizational outcomes. Organizational outc

Art appreciation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Art appreciation - Essay Example This activity provided steady employment for many architects and sculptors who organized leading workshops in Greece, revolutionizing Greek classical art and architecture. The Parthenon, built by Menesicles and Ictinus, along with the Propylaea (the gateway with the finest paintings and sculpture of the Classical age) crowned the Athenian Acropolis. Other prominent works included The Panhellenic shrines, Delphi (oracle of Apollo) and Olympia (the shrine of Zeus). Delphi (460 BC) is the athlete offering libation of oil from patera (sacrificial bowl) in thanks for victory1. Ancient Greece produced some of the most exquisite sculptures the world has ever seen. The art reminiscence the freedom of movement, expression, and celebrates mankind as an independent entity. The great artisans of that period worked tirelessly to show the world what artistry could do for mankind. They replaced the strict asymmetry of figures with the free flowing form more true to life, through stone and bronze. The Greeks were fond of their history and most of the sculptures that adorned important government and other prominent buildings were those of the Kouros. Kouros statues dominated the archaic period of Greek Art. These statues were reminders of great Greek men and women who lived and died a popular figure. Most of these statues were stark reminders of those who died centuries ago and remain immortal through their artistic brilliance (Greeklandscapes.com, 2007). During the Classical period the charismatic smile that dominated so many archaic sculptures was replaced by a solemn facial expression. Sculptures which depicted violent and passionate scenes betrayed no expression, for the Greeks, their nobles were next to God, and it was their enemies (the barbarians) who were depicted with dramatic facial expressions (Greeklandscapes.com, 2007). This bronze

The Challenges of Living in a Foreign Land and Speaking New Language Essay

The Challenges of Living in a Foreign Land and Speaking New Language - Essay Example I can still remember vividly the moment when the aeroplane I travelled in taken off from the airport. As the plane took off, I had mixed feelings of curiosity and anxiety; I was curious because I was looking forward to beginning my adventure in America, and, on the other hand, I was anxious because of the challenge of living in a new culture and speaking a foreign language; the feeling of anxiety made me feel like jumping off the plane and going back home. When the flight attendant came round with some cold beverages, I was in deep emotions and felt like crying, but I forced myself to smile so as to create the impression that I was okay. I asked the flight attendant to give me a Coca-Cola drink because Coca-Cola was the only name of cold beverage that I knew in English. The freight attendant seemed quite friendly and upon giving me the Coca-Cola drink she started talking to me in English, but, unfortunately, I did not understand what she was saying to me. This incident made me start imagining how it would be difficult to live in America without being able to communicate in English well. When we arrived in America and my consultant left me in the dorm, I felt so anxious and hopeless. For the first two days in America, I wasn’t feeling so bad, but after the two days, I was overcome with homesickness and I started crying. Homesickness made me feel completely heart-broken. Some of my colleagues, the students, tried to console me and to reassure me that all will be well, but all their efforts to console me were fruitless.

'Mon coeur s'ouvre ta voix' from Saint-Sans' Samson et Dalila Essay

'Mon coeur s'ouvre ta voix' from Saint-Sans' Samson et Dalila - Essay Example The skill to read and understand written music is not dependent of how an individual understands or enjoy the genre but how the composer uses the written words to reveal the meaning or pass the message to the audience. The composer has employed the use of melody in the opera to bring about its smoothness for the audience to listen and enjoy. The rising and lowering of the pitch between each verse regulates its frequency hence the intervals makes it romantic as intended by the composer. The musical instruments used also give the music its melodic range in that they break the tonal variation of the singer thus making the music acquire the medium voice. The tonality of the opera has been organized such that the central tone after every verse brings the audibility. This makes it possible for the audience to hear every word sung by the soloist without straining to get the words. Besides tonal variation in the music, the composer has also used texture to interweave the melodic to harmonize the music structure. The timbre in the song gives a clear distinction for the audience to get the words and message from the song. The composer as employed tis element enlighten the audience as they get to hear every word from the opera. ... Repetition use by the composer for instance in the ending stanza â€Å"Pour out to me the drunkenness!† of each verse in the song has enabled it attract the attention of the audience. It also gives minds satisfaction of the message. The change expected for the audience after listening to this opera gives them that interest to express their feedbacks on how the composition is compared to other songs of the same genre. This sustains audience interest of wanting to listen more and more of the song. The rhythmic pattern of the music is irregular such that the composer had to pause at every stanza to gasp air to enable easy aptitude of the next line in the music. This briefly depicts the emotional nature and feelings of the performer. Hence, emphasis on the note is long and short at some stanzas to let out the accent in rhythm. The tempo of the music is medium since it is emotional and the composer wanted to depict or show much sorrowful the genre is to the performer. This is also accompanied by the perfemer dramatic moves on stage. The use of minimal stage tells the audience that that the feeling in the song is no joke and thus a serious matter, which ought to be put in consideration. The composer in collaboration with people playing the instruments have enabled a constant flow of the instruments hence making the meter of the beats to be in pattern with the words in that the beats are not faster or slower than the words of the soloist as the performance continues on stage. The poetic license employed by the composer in the making of the opera music helps in the syllabic flow of the stanzas hence making the written work singable to any audience. Thus, brings out the thematic concept of the composer to the present audience. The alliteration of the consonant sounds

Surgical Sites Infection Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Surgical Sites Infection - Research Paper Example Surgical infections were a very common eventuality from the early 19th Century. Evidently, the sheer magnitude of the risk imposed by SSIs to both the medical practitioners and, in particular, patients cannot be overlooked. Its impact on the healthcare system is truly innate-costs, mortality, and morbidity. In the year 1992, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) renamed all infections related to operation procedures from surgical wound infections to surgical site infections for a wider coverage and more accurate representation of related infections. The close relationship between healthcare practice, mortality, morbidity, and the cost element associated with the aforementioned shall constitute the crux of the case for greater innovation for effective SSIs management. It is possible that majority of SSIs are preventable. To this end several bodies are tasked with the responsibilities of policy formulation (guidelines and recommendations) that are aimed towards largely preventing and co ntrolling surgical site infections by all healthcare professionals. Although there has been much improvements in surgical site infections prevention, hospital acquired infections continue to increase globally (Alvarado, 2000). Most contamination by SSIs occurs through contamination of the incision by microorganisms from the body of the patient during surgery. Consequently it is prudent that in light of this mechanism of infection that substantial reduction of SSI infections can be undertaken in essentially one of three stages: Pre-operation phase, intra-operation phase, and post-operation phase. In the pre-operation phase, I observe how surgical practices influence patient-infection right before undergoing the surgical procedure itself. The larger working area in surgical operations is the skin. Various types of bacteria inhabit the skin with up to 50% being staphylococcus. The primary source of wound infection during surgical operation has been found to be the skin. Evidence from a research done on the effects of body disinfection on intra-operation wound infection shows that by washing the skin where the incision is to be made with a pre-operation wash having chlorhexidine reduces the bacteria add up on the skin by eighty to ninety percent, and as such a reduction in the wound infection (Bryne, Cuschieri, Napier, & Phillips, 2003). A ten year research on 62,939 wounds determine whether or not the removal of hair from the skin to be operated on (shaving) and its timing could be contributive to surgical site infections. It was established that infection risk amplifies with the increase in duration of the time spent between shaving and conduction of the actual operation. Surgical sites that were shaved two hours before surgery were found to have a clean wound infection rate of 2.3% (Cruse & Foord, 2000).Where the body hair was clipped instead of being shaven recorded a clean wound infection rate of 1.7%. Where the body hair was neither shaved nor clipped, the w ound infection rate was seen to drop to a mere 0.9%.The study concluded that where shaving is essential before surgery, then it should be done as closest to the commencement of the surgery as possible. Perhaps the most successful method of combating surgical site infections was seen through the pioneering use of antiseptic surgery by Ignaz

The History of Zero Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The History of Zero - Essay Example Charles Seife (2000) had written in his book, â€Å"The Biography of a Dangerous Idea†, that The word zero comes from the Sanskrit word "Sunya". The meaning of "sunya" is void or empty. In Arabic the word zero is called as "Sifr", which also means for empty or void. The present word zero comes after several modifications of word "zephyrum", which was used by the great Italian mathematician Fibonacci, who was credited for introducing Indian (Hindu) decimal system into Europe in 12th century. The history of zero is believed as very old. However, according to some historian, it exists from the time of Babylonians. In 200-300 BC, Babylonians were using a symbol that is considered to evolve as zero, which presently has seen today. Babylonians used different place value system, as compared to these days. Babylonians used base 60 instead of 10 as used today. Babylonians used two wedge (") symbol for the zero. Suppose that a number 2103 is written according to Babylonians two wedge symbols than it will be written as 21"3. Here for the place of zero they had used two wedge symbols. However, in some places this two wedge symbols differs. In some places, they had used three hooks and a single hook for denoting an empty place. A tablet believed to be 700 BC found at Kish, which is an ancient Mesopotamian city located east of Babylon and todays south-central Iraq, used three hooks to represent the empty place (OConnor & Robertson). The zero was also used in the Jain mathematics. The Bakshali manuscript, believed to be written around 200 BC and 200 AD, used the zero and negative numbers. The "lokavibhaaga" believed to be the oldest known Jain text from India; dated 458 AD had used Zero. If ones think of history of zero or write it, than they will not forget the contributions of great Indian Scholars. Indian scholar Pingala at around 200 BC had used zero in his binary numbers. The modern binary system that is used todays is entirely based on Pingalas Binary systems

Surgical Sites Infection Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Surgical Sites Infection - Research Paper Example Surgical infections were a very common eventuality from the early 19th Century. Evidently, the sheer magnitude of the risk imposed by SSIs to both the medical practitioners and, in particular, patients cannot be overlooked. Its impact on the healthcare system is truly innate-costs, mortality, and morbidity. In the year 1992, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) renamed all infections related to operation procedures from surgical wound infections to surgical site infections for a wider coverage and more accurate representation of related infections. The close relationship between healthcare practice, mortality, morbidity, and the cost element associated with the aforementioned shall constitute the crux of the case for greater innovation for effective SSIs management. It is possible that majority of SSIs are preventable. To this end several bodies are tasked with the responsibilities of policy formulation (guidelines and recommendations) that are aimed towards largely preventing and co ntrolling surgical site infections by all healthcare professionals. Although there has been much improvements in surgical site infections prevention, hospital acquired infections continue to increase globally (Alvarado, 2000). Most contamination by SSIs occurs through contamination of the incision by microorganisms from the body of the patient during surgery. Consequently it is prudent that in light of this mechanism of infection that substantial reduction of SSI infections can be undertaken in essentially one of three stages: Pre-operation phase, intra-operation phase, and post-operation phase. In the pre-operation phase, I observe how surgical practices influence patient-infection right before undergoing the surgical procedure itself. The larger working area in surgical operations is the skin. Various types of bacteria inhabit the skin with up to 50% being staphylococcus. The primary source of wound infection during surgical operation has been found to be the skin. Evidence from a research done on the effects of body disinfection on intra-operation wound infection shows that by washing the skin where the incision is to be made with a pre-operation wash having chlorhexidine reduces the bacteria add up on the skin by eighty to ninety percent, and as such a reduction in the wound infection (Bryne, Cuschieri, Napier, & Phillips, 2003). A ten year research on 62,939 wounds determine whether or not the removal of hair from the skin to be operated on (shaving) and its timing could be contributive to surgical site infections. It was established that infection risk amplifies with the increase in duration of the time spent between shaving and conduction of the actual operation. Surgical sites that were shaved two hours before surgery were found to have a clean wound infection rate of 2.3% (Cruse & Foord, 2000).Where the body hair was clipped instead of being shaven recorded a clean wound infection rate of 1.7%. Where the body hair was neither shaved nor clipped, the w ound infection rate was seen to drop to a mere 0.9%.The study concluded that where shaving is essential before surgery, then it should be done as closest to the commencement of the surgery as possible. Perhaps the most successful method of combating surgical site infections was seen through the pioneering use of antiseptic surgery by Ignaz

You are the Consultant Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

You are the Consultant - Research Paper Example I therefore, in response to your questions, offer strategies that you can apply to increase job satisfaction, improve motivation, and increase performance, cultural issues that must be considered when dealing with a multicultural workforce, and possible mistakes to avoid when dealing with the type of workforce. I also explain ethical issues that the company might face and successful approaches to communicating to employees the importance of building and maintaining a sustainable global business. Strategies to increasing job satisfaction, improving motivation, and increasing performance across departments Job satisfaction is fundamental to successful human resource management. Its significance is even more important in a globalized environment because of the involved diversity. Deployment, the ability to obtain the desired skills for specific tasks in an organization’s diversified locations, is one of the applicable strategies to attaining employee satisfaction. It facilitates employee satisfaction by ensuring that employees work in environments that they are comfortable with and that they undertake tasks with which they are familiar, factors that identify interest in employees’ tasks and potentials that eliminate strains and boredom in the course of duty and instead increase satisfaction (Roberts, Kossek and Ozeki, 1998). Developing a level of understanding with employees in the globalized environment is another successful strategy to improving their job utility. Spending time with the employees, offering your time to listen to them, and reacting appropriately to their needs are instrumental in developing their sense of worth to you as their manager and to the organization. This further develops a strong bond between the employees and the organization and increases their satisfaction in working towards, and meeting, the organization’s objectives. Empowering the employees through enhancing their â€Å"knowledge, skill, and ability† to meet the organization’s objectives is another strategy to increasing their satisfaction by making their work easier through improved efficiency (Friedman, 2007, p. 160). Developing the employees’ potentials through seminars and mentorship roles also improves their efficiency and therefore interest in their jobs to enhance utility in their tasks (Friedman, 2007). Motivating employees in the global environment can similarly be achieved through psychological approaches that focus on each employee’s need. Cultural sensitivity will therefore play an important role in determining employees’ motivational factors in the diversified set up because successful motivational factors to American employees may not apply to Spanish employees. It will therefore be necessary to, besides understanding possible factors that can improve employees’ motivation, be able to understand and respond to employees cultural needs and attitudes (Osula, 2009). The developed cultu ral sensitivity, together with cultural awareness will further help in understanding the extent to which employees can be motivated by different factors because employees from different cultural set ups and different regions respond differently to environmental factors. Compensation and other rewards for example induce different levels of motivation across nations and cultural values are instrumental to understanding their relative effectiveness (Bloom, Milkovich and Mitra, 2003). You can also improve employees’ motivation by developing their potentials are in the organization. Training facilitates emplo

A Dissertation Proposal Essay Example for Free

A Dissertation Proposal Essay Chapter One: The Problems and Its Components The problem to be investigated in this study is school climate, considering and comparing teacher perceptions of both the actual and ideal psychological environment in three different African American private schools. The literature indicates that an open climate with lines of communication that are established at all levels, staff freedom, professional interest, and participatory decision making, among other similar factors, will lead to positive teacher attitudes and improved teacher performance. The relationship between teachers’ perceptions of the actual and ideal psychological school environment has not yet been tested for African American private schools. See more: Examples of satire in adventures of huckfinn essay Problem Background As explained by Beachum and McCray (2004), school climate has a significant impact on the attitudes and performance of teachers in that it influences professional growth and development in academic and social terms, influences the ability to handle work pressures, and ultimately can lead to attrition if the climate is not open and does not have adequate lines of communication. The school’s value systems, work pressures, participatory decision making, resource adequacy, growth opportunity, and student support all play a part in the overall climate of the school (Cole-Henderson, 2000). The study of this climate is of critical importance to the well being, positive attitudes, and professional development of the school’s teachers. The current need to provide every child with qualified and committed teachers in the face of a national teacher shortage supports the importance of conducting research on factors influencing teacher attitudes and stressors in the teaching profession, particularly those that might affect burnout and turnover. It is also clear that a healthy school climate–a school with a strong academic emphasis and a principal who has influence with superiors and is willing to use it on behalf of teachers–is conducive to the development of teachers beliefs that they can influence student learning and make a difference. It is also clear that work pressures can exert additional stress on a teacher if the school climate is perceived in a negative light. Numerous studies (Harris, 1999; Jamal, 1999; Ma Macmillan, 1999; MacDonald, 1999; Remy, 1999) have focused on teacher stress. According to Remy, research has shown that 40% of new teachers leave the profession within 5 years. These studies also have shown that approximately half of all teachers leave the profession within the first 7 years because of job-related stress. Because teaching is a stressful occupation (Ma Macmillan; Remy; Weiss, 1999), teachers often self-select out of the profession. Schools must then scramble to replace these teachers. Remaining faculty and the school district become further strained in the attempt to make up for the shortage. Knowledge of how teachers perceive the current school climate and what teachers think the ideal environment should be would be of invaluable importance. Theoretical Orientation The literature review will focus on both the conceptual framework of the study and the major variables of concern. The conceptual framework will be based on attribution and motivation theory. The major variables of concern are the ideal and actual perceptions of the school climate by teachers. Initially, attribution theory was presented as a theoretical process in the late 1970s and middle 1980s (Frieze, 1976; Weiner, 1979, 1985, 1986). It provided the framework for examining the responses of teachers to such academic outcomes of students as failure or success in the general education classroom. Since that time a number of studies have been conducted that provide empirical support of its principles. According to Graham (1990; 1991), both ability and effort have been identified as the major perceived causes of individual teacher failure or success. In other words, failure can be overcome by effort, while success comes about as a result of personal competence. Teacher ability is comprised of aptitude and learned skills in an academic context. Effort, on the other hand, is the amount of exertion applied to a learning situation. Attribution can be applied in situations in which teachers try to understand their own behavior. It can also be applied when teachers try to assess the classroom performance of students in order to increase their teaching success (Graham, 1990, 1991). When teachers’ expectations are not met, the instructors may resort to any number of actions. They may often be tardy or absent. In fact, attrition is often the end result. The individuals may also withdraw from teaching psychologically–that is, not concentrate, do no more than absolutely necessary, and have no interest or initiative. As a result, the quality of teaching in general may suffer. Vroom (1964) stated that motivation is a product of the anticipated worth that individuals place on a goal and the chances they see of achieving that goal. According to Vroom, three factors influence achievement: force, valence, and expectancy. Force equals valence times expectancy. Force is the strength of the teachers’ motivation while valence is the anticipated satisfaction from the result. Expectancy is the probability of achieving the outcome. The impact of force depends on both valence and expectancy. For example, if teachers show indifference in achieving a goal, the valence becomes zero. Specifically in his expectancy theory, Vroom (1964) suggested the following: Motivation = Perceived Probability of Success (Expectancy) x Connection of Success and Reward (Instrumentality) x Value of Obtaining Goal (Valance, Value).   From this formula it is clear that a high value for one variables of the formula will result in a high motivation value and vice versa. In Vroom’s (1964) view, the three variables must exist for motivation to take place. Thus, when teachers do not think they will be successful at a task or do not value the results of becoming successful in their school or do not perceive a connection between their attitude and the school climate, it is more than likely that they will not apply themselves to the teaching activity. Organizational theory also relates to the proposed investigative study in terms of communication. According to this theory, restrictive and closed climates with closed lines of communication relate to poor teacher performance (Cole-Henderson, 2000). The school system is an organization, and thus communication theory applies. When lines of communication are closed teachers do not communicate with administrators or students, and school management does not communicate with teachers other than giving orders from the top down. Communication only flows from the top down. In such a school system, the perceived motivational climate is negative and achievement goals suffer (Bennett, 2002). Clearly, when there are open lines of communication, there is more interest in teaching and thus knowledge has more meaning. This translates into improved achievement on the part of both the teacher and the student. It is clear to see that school climate has a decided bearing on teachers in a number of different ways. Purpose of the Study The purpose of the study is to evaluate teacher perceptions of the climate of three independent Black private schools in relationship to the actual and ideal climate. Thus, the purpose is three-fold: 1. To determine if teacher perceptions of the actual school climate differs between and among the three African American private schools included in the study. 2. To determine if the teacher’s perceptions of the ideal or preferred school climate differs between and among the three African American private schools included in the study. 3. To determine if there is a correlation among teachers who teach at different levels in the three schools included in the study regarding their perceptions of their school climate. Research Questions The major research question can be stated as follows: â€Å"Is the actual school climate of independent African American private schools adequately meeting the perceptions of its teachers regarding their ideal school climate perceptions?† From this question several sub-questions have been formulated. These may now be listed as follows: 1. Do teacher perceptions of the actual school climate differ between and among the three African American private schools included in the study, as determined by scores on the actual environment answer form of the School Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ)? 2. Do teacher perceptions of the ideal or preferred school climate differ between and among the three African American private schools included in the study, as determined by scores on the ideal or preferred environment answer form of the School Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ)? 3. Is there a significant correlation among the perceptions of teachers employed in the three schools included in the study in terms of their view of their school climate, as determined from both answer forms of the School Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ)? 4. Do the perceptions of teachers differ for those who teach at different student grade levels, as determined by a comparison of results from the School Level Environment Questionnaire for teachers instructing at different levels? Limitations and Delimitation One limitation of the study relates to the fact that the research has no control over the teacher participants’ reliability. It will be assumed, however, that the teachers will answer the survey questionnaire items honestly and to the best of their ability. There is also a certain weakness associated with only the use of a survey questionnaire to obtain data for analysis. Researchers do suggest the use of two or more sources–that is, triangulation – to produce better support data (Babbie, 2003; Creswell, 2003). With respect to delimitations of the study, the data source of this case will be limited to three independent Black private schools located in an urban city. Definitions Several common terms and designations are used uniquely in the proposed study. These are defined as follows: Independent Black private school. This term refers to a school owned by African Americans which is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operation and is instead operated by tuition charges, gifts, and perhaps the investment yield of an endowment (Mahiri, 1998). School climate. This term refers to the school atmosphere. In restrictive and closed schools, authority emanates from the top down through hierarchical levels. Communication is restrictive and closed. In an open school climate, communication reaches all levels and moves in all directions (Moeller, 2005). School climate perceptions. Teacher views of their school environment will generally influence their motivation to teach, grow professionally, participate in decision making, and handle work pressures. In this study, the term will be operationally defined by scores on the School Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ)? Self-concept. Self-concept is considered the most basic and crucial components of personality and can be influenced by environment. Self-concept can become positive in an open school climate; conversely it can become negative in a closed and restrictive school climate. The proposed study views self concept in this context (Branden, 1999). Staff development. For this research project, this term pertains to any activities that attempt to improve the teacher’s ability to implement a new instructional program. Staff development includes an emphasis on attitude, competencies, and knowledge that enhances learning (Sykes, 1996). Teachers perceptions. In general, perceptions in the present study pertain to teachers thoughts, beliefs, and feelings about professional development training, work pressures, participatory decision making, innovation, staff freedom, student support, professional interest, and affiliation, among other related variables. Their thoughts and beliefs affect their teaching approach and presentation. Teachers are active information processors who affect classroom events as much as they are affected by them (Chance Costa, 1998). Importance of the Study African American students are not doing as well in school as others and this may be related to their teachers (Tatum, 2006). The findings of this investigative study may provide valuable knowledge about the teachers of these students. Also, other independent schools can use these outcomes to improve their educational programs for teachers and improve teacher productivity. In addition, the implications may insure that the professional and development needs of the teachers are met at school. The proposed study will add to the scholarly research. School reform and restructuring as it relates to professional development of teachers have gained momentum in the United States for the past 2 decades (Sparks, 1997). Meaningful educational reform cannot occur, however, unless teachers are integrally involved in the reform process and unless they have the time and resources to conceptualize the implementation of the changes need in their classrooms. But more research is needed to identify the ways in which the school climate can become more open and conducive to these needs. The significance of the proposed study lay in its ability to add to the database in this respect. The significance of the study and its potential results touches a number of areas and addresses several different audiences. As noted, the findings will add to the scholarly research. For example, understanding factors that influence teacher perceptions of climate in African American private schools can help reveal the underlying logic that influences their motivation, professional development, and perhaps their participation in the decision making processes. Chapter Two: Review of Literature It is important to note that educational researchers have consistently found unequal levels of achievement between African American and Caucasian students (Bankston Caldas, 1997; Graybill, 1997). Educational specialists such as Hurd (2001) refer to the problem faced by African American students, as the achievement gap and further point out that in today’s school systems less than 60% of African American high school students graduate in 14 years. Joseph (2000) noted that if Caucasian students were dropping out at the same rates as African American students, we would declare a state of crisis in teaching these students. According to Tyson (2002), it is time to require teachers and administrators to address the problem and to consider issues related to achievement motivation among African American students. According to Baldwin, Coney III, and Thomas (1993), the eleven areas of school effectiveness are â€Å"effective instructional leadership, clear and focused mission, safe and orderly environment, positive school climate, high expectations, frequent assessment/monitoring of student achievement, emphasis on basic skills, maximum opportunities for learning, parent community involvement, strong professional development, and teacher involvement in decision-making.† In these areas of school effectiveness, school climate is one of the most important things wherein it has been subject to extensive research. School climate is a term referring to the â€Å"personality of a school,† according to Hoy and Miskel (1982). It is a characteristic of a school which includes the school’s physical structure of its buildings and the interactions between students and teachers. These are the two factors that both affect and help to define the concept of school climate according to Marshall (2004). Les Gallay and Suet-ling Pong (2004), on the other hand, viewed school climate as â€Å"the part of the school environment associated with attitudinal and affective dimensions and the belief systems of the school that influence children’s cognitive, social, and psychological development.† They also cited Ashby and Krug (1998) and Griffith (2000) on what school climate is a how it affect the society. According to Ashby and Krug (1998), school climate is reflected in the social interactions within the classroom and within the school community. According to Griffith (2000), values, attitudes, beliefs and communications are subjective matters; many researches rely on the perceptions of the participants (teachers, students, parents) to measure the effect of school climate. For many years and up to the recent days, the concept on school climate influencing significantly in educational outcomes is still being researched by many researchers. Perceptions on school climate influence many people (e.g. students, teachers, parents) which may also influence the processes and outcomes in a physical, social, and learning environment. Research shows that both teacher and student perceptions of school climate influence student achievement. An early study by Fraser (1989) laid the groundwork for this research. Fraser (1989) studied the effects of classroom environment on student achievement, for example, and found that student outcomes could be improved by creating classroom environments that are conducive to learning. Classroom environments studied by Fraser (1989) used student perceptual data to assess the school environment and reach conclusions. A number of studies have been conducted since the 1980s showing a relationship between students’ perceptions of the school climate in various terms and their achievement in one form or another. In 1995, the study of Bulach, Malone, Castleman on the investigation of variables related to student achievement showed that there is a significant difference in student achievement between schools with good school climate and schools with poor school climate. On schools with positive school climate, students develop a positive perception on school climate, making them comfortable with the learning environment they are in. On separate studies conducted by Hirase (2000) and Erpelding (1999) on the relationship between school climate and achievement of students, both studies came up with same result that schools with a positive climate had a higher academic achievement as compared to schools with negative climate. Another case presented by Freiberg (1998) showed that the students’ perceptions are important especially during the transition from one school level to another (e.g. elementary to high school). According to him, attending a new school can be frightening for students which could affect their perceptions on the school climate which could consequently affect their learning outcomes or performance. With that, the research showed that having good or positive school climate will result to an easy transition or adaption to the new school environment and a good performance of students may be easily achieved. This chapter will focused more on the theories and studies related to the teachers’ perception on school climate in order to have critical views on it. In addition, this chapter will also present and analyze established studies on the influences made by school climate on teachers’ perceptions and subsequently to the effect of having these perceptions to the assessment and improvement of the students’ performance in school. Conceptual Framework The conceptual framework of the study is related to attribution, motivational, and organizational climate in terms of lines of communication. According to attribution theory, teachers’ perceptions of their school teaching experiences will generally influence their achievement motivation and performance development more than the actual objective of those experiences (Weiner, 1985). School climate is also an important aspect of learning and effective instruction (Freiberg, 1998). When teachers are more empowered, students are able to voice their concerns and learn from the experience. When questions and answers are free flowing, the school climate is open. For example, understanding factors that are influenced by an independent Black school climate such as academic achievement can help reveal the underlying logic that influences teacher motivation and performance (Joseph, 2000). Motivation on the part of teachers is an important aspect of effective instruction (Joseph, 2000). Vroom (1964) defined motivation as a product of the anticipated worth that individuals place on a goal and the chances they see of achieving that goal, as mentioned in Chapter 1. According to him, three factors influence achievement: force, valence, and expectancy. Force is the strength of the teachers’ motivation while valence is the anticipated satisfaction from the result. Expectancy is the probability of achieving the outcome. The impact of force depends on both valence and expectancy. In his view, the three variables must exist for motivation to take place. Thus, when teachers do not think they will be successful at a task or do not value the results of becoming successful in their school or do not perceive a connection between their attitude and the school climate, it is more than likely that they will not apply themselves to the teaching activity. But when teachers are motivated to perform competently in the classroom, they will have more positive attitudes resulting to a positive result to the students. As noted by Banks (2001), school climate can also impact teacher identity. Banks reported that, â€Å"The school climate communicates†¦the school’s attitudes toward a range of issues and problems† (p. 24). School values not in agreement with those of its teachers and a lack of communication and perceptions of shared power and control on the part of administration (teachers and principals), may negatively influence teachers’ attitudes about the school itself and their chances for professional development (Hoy Woolfolk, 1993). When the climate of the school promotes a harmonious value system that is in agreement school wide, and when high levels of communication exist, teacher attitudes are more positive. Thus it can be seen, as Karpicke and Murphy (1996) have noted, a positive school climate has a great impact on success of both teachers and students alike, significantly encouraging achievement on the part of all. Lynn and Hassan (1999) examined pedagogical practices and beliefs of African American teachers and students at a private middle school in an affluent African American community. Their investigative study provided a portrait of the school and the students in an attempt to raise the critical consciousness of the students. From their observations and interviews, they found the role of alignment between the school mission and teacher beliefs and practices was high. Also, there were shared views about the principles taught regarding the development of moral, intellectual, and spiritual aspects of students. According to attribution theory, teachers’ perceptions of their school climate experiences, whether they be the actual objective of the experience or not, will generally influence their attitudes toward teaching (Weiner, 1985). In other words, teachers try to explain their failure or success by relating (attributing) this to certain school climate characteristics. Weiner (1986) also linked attribution theory to achievement motivation in specific steps. In Weiner’s view, the first step starts with an outcome realization. Deciding whether or not the outcome is negative or positive represents the second step of this sequential process. During the third step, specific information about the outcome is gathered. Next, the search for a cause takes place. This involves a determination as to whether the outcome is the effect of a specific strategy, conscious effort on the part of the student in question (i.e., the doer), or just plain luck. In this way, achievement motivation is explained. McClelland (1985) also linked attribution theory to achievement motivation, but carried the analysis as well as the theoretical orientation a step further. McClelland identified variables or component parts that comprised achievement motivation and subsequently acknowledged some common characteristics. These included (a) concern for personal achievement over concern for external rewards for success, (b) an ability to set obtainable goals, (c) the desire for performance related feedback as opposed to attitudinal feedback, and (d) consistent thinking about ways in which progress can be made which thus increases their achievement levels. Expectancy theory as related to achievement theory is yet another theoretical orientation of the present investigative research. It should be explained that the emotional feelings of achievement and satisfaction are actually determined by each individual. Teachers decide on the degree to which their learning experiences are satisfying by comparing them with their own expectations (Whaley Smyer, 1998). Aspects of learning that fall short of these expectations can cause discontent. Often teachers compare their perceptions of their school climate to their perceptions of what it should be. If a teacher’s subjective evaluation or perception of ratio of school climate inputs to output (e.g., positive attitudes and satisfaction) is lower than the comparison, the teacher is very likely to be dissatisfied. Expectations and comparisons of perceived worth, however, are subjective, and often biased or even erroneous. Private Schools As the achievement gap grows larger, African American parents have also lost faith in public school education, especially those who have enrolled their children in private schools (Sander, 1997). This is because of some factors such as racial discrimination of the white teachers and white students to black students, low interest of students to go to school for a reason that they develop low self-esteem in school because of diverse ethnicity, and many other more. Black and White parents alike believe that attending private schools would rid their children of such problems as bullying, skipping school, high dropout rates, and would give their children a better chance to higher academic achievement. According to National Center for Education Statistics (2008), there are 28, 384 private schools in the United States now with 6.1 million PK-12 students enrolled. Over 25 percent of the nation’s schools are private schools and about 11% of all students are enrolled in these private schools. On the other hand, the National Center for Education Statistics, which periodically test the grade 4, 8, and 12 students’ skills and knowledge using the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), showed their analysis on the score of students from private and public schools. Based on their results, students in private schools consistently score well as compared to public students. There are many factors that could affect students’ achievement. Factors may include the type of school the student is enrolled, number of students in a classroom (class size), the efficiency of the teacher teaching the subject, the student’s classmates, and many other more including family and social factors that could hinders students’ achievement (Betts et. al, 2003). However, one of the most influential on students’ achievement is the way the teacher is teaching the subject and the values he/she taught to the students. With this reason, the teachers’ perception on their school climate will greatly influenced the way they will teach the students for their perceptions will determine factors that motivates them to teach such as job satisfaction or secured environment. Attribution Factors in Terms of School Climate A number of attribution factors influencing achievement motivation are identified in the literature and are examined in the research. These include (a) school climate in terms of lines of communication, (b) peer influence, and (c) perceptions of educational experiences. Each has an important influence and is considered to be an important attribution variable influencing achievement motivation. With respect to school climate, perceptions are related to their overall educational experience. Studies have shown that perceptions of school climate affect a wide variety of social and academic success factors, and vice versa. For example, the social environment and climate of the school and the actions within those environments influence students’ perceptions of their own effort and success in school (Kaufman, 2004). Moeller (2005) found that students’ perceptions of school climate and their own sense of responsible behavior are correlated. Studies also found that school climate can be effective in many ways. Researchers found school climate positively affect academic performance/achievement. They also found that it influences the behaviour of a student and the decision to remain in school (Monrad et al., 2008). Similarly, according to Kuperminc et al. (1997), a positive school climate showed association with fewer behavioural and emotional problems for students. Smerdon’s (2002) study, which collected data from a nationally representative sample of high school students, discovered that students who may need perceived school membership and open school climate the most and may benefit most from it perceived lower levels of membership than did their peers. The cultural environment in schools can also contribute to African American students’ poor academic performance. Teachers often comment on the fact that these items give them little chance to help African American students in meaningful ways: (a) they often can only maintain minimal order in the classroom, (b) school violence is on the increase, (c) with curriculum requirements teachers have little time to help student’s to fulfill the requirements of the curriculum, and (d) these students become discouraged and very often drop out of school (Hale-Benson, 1996). Voelkll (1995) examined the influence that participation and creating a warm school environment would have on academic achievement. The study included a nationwide sample of 13,121 eighth graders. The finding showed, â€Å"that there was a direct relationship between warmth in the classroom environment parent involvement in the school and students willingness to participate. It seems that participation in class has a distinct and crucial influence on the relationship between students’ perceptions and achievement† (p. 112). In addition, on the study conducted on school climate in urban environments by Haynes Comer (1993) showed that a positive school climate and is conscious of cultural differences can significantly improve academic success or performance among the urban students. Hoy and Woolfolk (1993), on the other hand, assessed teachers’ perceptions of the school climate as related to organizational health. Specifically, the researchers examined the relationships between two dimensions of teacher efficacy (general and personal teaching efficacy) and aspects of a healthy school climate as defined in terms of institutional integrity, principal influence, consideration, resource support, morale, and academic emphasis. The sample of the study consisted of 179 teachers from 37 elementary schools in New Jersey (Hoy Woolfolk, 1993). A modification of the Organizational Health Inventory was administered to the teachers to obtain the data for analysis. The researchers concluded from their data analysis that a healthy school climate (strong academic emphasis and a principal who was able to influence superiors on behalf of teachers) was favorable to the development of teachers’ beliefs that they could influence student learning, â€Å"Thus, teachers confidence that they can reach students was supported by organizational factors that help teachers manage and teach students† (p. 355). Studies have shown that a positive school climate is associated with increased job satisfaction for teachers (Taylor and Tashakkori, 1995; Ma MacMillan, 1999), level of work efficacy, and teacher autonomy. Teachers found satisfied in their jobs have more positive views or perception about school climate as compared to those teachers who were not satisfied (Bahamonde-Gunnell, 2000). While on the research conducted by Hirase (2000), the researcher found out that teachers working in a school with positive school climate have greater sense of work-efficacy. The research conducted by Erpelding (1999) found that there is a strong relationship between teacher autonomy and school climate. Same with the studies of Bempah et al. (1994) and Rosenholz (1989), when teachers feel that they have some power or autonomy and also involves into school-level decision-making, they are less likely to leave. Consequently, when teachers feel powerless and alienated, their efficiency to teach lowers (Ashton Webb, 1986). With an increased in job satisfaction, work-efficacy, and teacher autonomy, teachers will be able to educate the students with quality education, thus, increasing the students’ performance or success in learning and making the school successful too. To support this favourable development of teachers in positive school climate which can lead to successful school, studies also found that a having a positive school climate is related to indicators of school success such as standardized test scores (Monrad et al., 2008). Chapter Three: Methodology Previous chapters introduced the problem of the study, explained the purpose, provided the theoretical orientation, and reviewed the literature pertinent to the major variables. The purpose of this chapter is to detail the methodology that will be employed to collect and analyze the data. Thus, this chapter presents the design, procedures, and analysis plan for carrying out the study. Research Design The method for this study is based on a non-experimental design that focuses on the use of data collected using scores from the SLEQ in a selected population. Thus, the research approach of the study will be descriptive and will essentially represent a quantitative study. Research provides us with a variety of perspectives from which to see things and a way of empirically analyzing our findings (Rinaldo, 2005). It enables use to see from where we have come, provides us with a description of where we are now, and gives us some semblance of the direction in which we seem headed (Rinaldo). Quantitative and qualitative research is vital part of any investigation. Quantitative research is defined as the collection of numerical and statistical data (O’Neil, 2006). Quantitative research is frequently used to investigate research questions. This research often starts with the collection of statistics, based on data, observations, or surveys. One popular quantitative technique is the survey. Surveys can be administered by telephone, face to face, mail, or more recently by the Internet. Quantitative data is described by O’Neil as data which can be sorted, classified, measured in a strictly objective way. The relationship between these variables is expressed using effect statistics, such as correlations, relative frequencies, or differences between means (Hopkins, 2000). The researcher is a very valuable component throughout the collection of data. According to Glesne and Peshkin (1992), when conducting a quantitative study, the researcher is described as being detached, impartial, objective, and portrayal. The researcher’s purpose is to generalize, predict, and provide causal explanations. There are several approaches the research can use. Some approaches are subject to hypothesis, theories, manipulation and control, experimentation, deductive, and component analysis (Glesne Peshkin). According to Hopkins (2000), in a descriptive study, subjects are usually measured once and no attempt is made to change behavior or conditions; things are measured as they are. Hopkins stated that the aim in quantitative research is to distinguish the relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable in a population. Selection of Participants Babbie (2003) indicated that it is appropriate for a researcher to conduct purposeful sampling because of the researcher’s knowledge of the population, its elements, and the nature of the research objectives. In addition, Babbie (2003) suggested that a researcher may want to study a small subset of a larger population in which members of the subset are easily identified. It is for this reason that three African American private schools in one urban area in the United States were selected for inclusion in the study. These will be named A, B, and C to ensure anonymity. Together, the study population total will be 67 teachers instructing preschool through twelfth grade. All will become the target population. Those who agree to participate in the study will become the sample. Their responses will provide data regarding their perception of the climate in their school, both actual and ideal. School A focuses on educating students ages 2-12 and strengthening basic educational components to prepare students to be competitive in a global society. The co-educational school enrolls 121 students in grades prekindergarten to fifth grade and employs 20 teachers. The student to teacher ratio is 9.3:1. All of the students are African American. School B is a Christian school. The co-educational school enrolls 220 students in grades prekindergarten to twelfth grade and employs 26 teachers. The student to teacher ratio is 7.8:1. Ninety-eight percent of the students are African American. School C has built its program around the concept currently known as African-Centered education, a holistic approach based upon the premise that children excel academically and intellectually when the curriculum, teaching methodology, and environment reflect the builders of yesterday and the ideas of the future. The co-educational school enrolls 215 students in grades prekindergarten to eighth grade and employs 21 teachers. The student to teacher ratio is 10:1. Ninety-eight percent of the students are African American. Instrumentation Data used in the proposed study to analyze the perceptions of teachers will be collected through administration of a test instrument, the School Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ), as developed by Fisher and Fraser (1990) and published in the Handbook of Tests and Measurement in Education and the Social Sciences (2000). The SLEQ is comprised of 56 items that measure teacher’s perceptions of the psychological environment of a school. As explained by the originators, the SLEQ consists of two answer forms–one that measures the actual environment as perceived by teachers and the second that measures the ideal or preferred school environment. Three different teacher samples assisted in the development of the test instrument (Fraser, 1989). Alpha coefficients ranging from 0.70 to 0.81 were provided as an estimate of the internal consistency of each of the eight subscales. These subscales include student support, affiliation, professional interest, staff freedom, participatory decision making, innovation, research adequacy, and work pressure. Each subscale consists of seven items which, when added together, provide a separate score. The scale development for the SLEQ was derived from the Work Environment Scale (Fraser, 1989). It is divided into three basic dimensions. These include relationship, personal development, and system maintenance and system change dimensions. As reported by Fisher and Fraser (1990), these broad dimensions were used for the development of the SLEQ. Non-participatory decision making (suggesting a closed school climate) is indicated, for example, by such items as â€Å"I have little say in the running of the school† and â€Å"It is very difficult to change anything in this school.† Resource inadequacy is indicated by responses to such items as, â€Å"Tape recorders and cassettes are seldom available when needed† and â€Å"The supply of equipment and resources is inadequate.† Assumptions It will be assumed that all study subjects will answer the survey questions honestly and to the best of their ability. It is also assumed that the students in the three schools where their teachers are being surveyed will be representative of the larger population of African American students attending an independent Black private school. Procedures Data will be collected by the researcher from the teachers at each school at a time selected by the administrators and researcher. The purpose of the study will be presented to the teachers and the questionnaires will be distributed. The researcher will remain until the teachers have completed the questionnaires and will collect the completed forms before leaving the meeting. Those teachers who agree to participate and return completed survey forms will become the sample. All respondents will be asked not to sign their name. In this way this researcher can assure anonymity. Those who wish a copy of the results when the study is completed will be asked to provide an e-mail address to be used for this purpose only. Data Processing and Analysis Data collected from survey questionnaires will be assessed to determine whether teachers’ perceptions of their actual school climate are similar to their perceived ideal school climate. The perceptions will be compared. Teachers’ view of the ideal and actual psychological environment will also be compared across the three African American private schools included in the proposed study. Findings from the analysis of data will be reported as descriptive statistics. These include standard deviations, percentages, mean averages, and others of a similar nature. From this information, implications and conclusions will derive from the teacher perceptions. Findings from schools will be compared to each other and to those in the literature. References *Anderman, E. M., Maehr, M. L. (1994). Motivation and schooling in the middle grades. Review of Educational Research, 64, 287-309. Ashby, Dianne E., and Samuel E. Krug. (1998). â€Å"Understanding and Promoting School Climate and Culture.† Thinking Through the Principalship. New York: Eye on Education Inc. Ashton, P. T., Webb, R. B. (1986). Making a difference: Teachers sense of efficacy and student achievement. New York: Longman. Atkinson, J. W., O’Conner, P. 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