Monday, September 30, 2019
Cell Phones: How Have They Changed Us Socially Essay
Cell phones have been called â€Å"one of the most technologically persuasive influences†over recent decades (Addo 2013). No matter where one looks, he or she can see people using their phones in one way or another. The cell phone has become an essential communication tool that is being used worldwide. According to Pew Research, â€Å"cell phones are now being used by 91% of adults in 2013†(Brenner 2013). The research also states that â€Å"56% of American adults have smartphones.†Pew Research even conducted a survey which indicates that â€Å"youth ages 12-17 put their cell phone adoption at 78% (and 37% of all teens have a smartphone)†(Brenner 2013). It is hard to imagine our lives without cell phones, but it wasn’t very long ago that they were introduced to society. The history of the cell phone goes back forty years. The first cell phone was created by Martin Cooper of Motorola. He made his first wireless phone call on April 3, 1973, to his rival Joe Engel, head of research of Bell Labs (Buck 2013). The phone Cooper used weighed 2.5 pounds; it was ten inches long; and it had a battery life of only twenty minutes. In 1983, the first cell phone (Motorola Dynatac 8000X) was sold to the public. The price tag for the phone was a staggering $3,995.00. Over the passing years, the size of cell phones have become smaller and the price tags for these devices have also decreased. Smart phones are the most popular type of cells phones in current public circulation. In 1983, cell phones were designed for one purpose only: to make phone calls. In present times, smart phones are capable of performing a number of different functions. They allow users to not only make phones calls, but also to send text messages and picture texts, send and receive emails, have face-time, play music and games, and access the internet. There are new versions of phones being released yearly and the technology is growing just as rapidly. Cell phones are having an impact on society in terms of creating an informative, connected, culturally innovative society, and are also impacting personal lives of users in many ways including time use, privacy, safety and individuality. One positive impact cell phones have on society is the ability to keep in touch with family and friends. Another is the ability to be more aware of what is happening in the world around us (by access to the internet). One of the negative impacts are the effects of texting and driving. This is especially common among teenage drivers. Another negative affect is several people are overusing, misusing, and even abusing their use of cell phones. However, when used responsibly, cell phones are a very important and necessary factor of today’s society. Cell phones have an effect on the way that individuals function in society, and while there has not been a lot of research on the effects of cell phone use, it has both positive and negative consequences (Addo 2013). Cell phones, in their short time of existence, have changed the way in which individuals are interacting with each other. Cell phones have allowed social networks and relationships to be strengthened as well as new relationships to be formed (Addo 2013). They have provided avenues for individuals to stay connected on a new lev el that does not depend on space and time, but is readily accessible at anytime, anywhere. Works Cited Addo, Augustine. The adoption of mobile phone: How has it changes us socially? Issues in Business Management and Ecomonics, 1(3). p. 47-60. 2013. Web. Buck, Stephanie. Cell-ebration! 40 years of cellphone history.http://mashable.com/2013/04/03/anniversary-of-cellphone/. 2013. Web. Brenner, Joanna. Pew Internet: Mobile. http://pewinternet.org/commentary/2012/february/Pew-Internet-Mobile.aspx. 2013. Web.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Imposing consumption tax on Saudi consumers and its contribution in promoting economic growth Essay
Introduction Saudi economy mostly relies on oil industry and its government has much control over natural resources and main economic activities in the land.  Ultimately, the economy of Saudi is centrally planned and therefore has free market economy. As it can be affirmed, oil industry contributes to approximately 45% of the total budget revenue hence making it imperative to the growth of the country. Till now, Saudi Arabia does not think that there is any need for consumption tax however, the country may face many problems in the future what may affect the economy if the oil dry out.            A recent analysis from Citigroup has raised the alarming possibility that Saudi Arabia might become a net oil importer by 2030[Could Saudi Arabia’s Oil Exports Dry Up?, 2012]. However, in order to Find a Solutions to contribute in raising Saudi Arabia economy for long run, and Focusing in another source rather than oil.  In order to maintain economic stability, we want to study the possibility of imposing consumption tax beside zakat on Saudi consumers and how it will contribute in promoting economic growth. Basic concept According to the dictionary, Zakat iscalled (Islamic tax) or (religious tax), it is an annual tax on Muslims comprising percentages of personal income of every kind to aid the poor in the Muslim community.[zakat] Research aim The research aim is to determine the possibility of imposing consumption tax on Saudi consumers beside zakat and how it will contribute in promoting economic growth Sub problems; 1.     How consumption tax contributes in promoting economic growth. A)    Why consumption tax. B)    Mechanism of economic growth. C)    Identify mechanism of promoting economic growth by consumption tax. 2.   The possibility of imposing consumption tax on Saudi consumer. A)   Analyze tax system for promoting economic growth. B)   Analyze Zakat system for promoting economic growth. C)   Compare (a) and (b) to determine the possibility of imposing consumption tax (the importance or how valuable is the consumption tax). 3.    Determine the possibility of using consumption tax for promoting economic growth of Saudi Arabia. Research Objectives As noted in the above information, the main aim or purpose of conducting this research is to investigate the possibility of imposing consumption tax on Saudi consumers beside zakat and how it will contribute in promoting economic growth. The following information provides the objectives and research questions for the study. Ø     To determine the importance of tax particularly in promoting the growth of economy Ø    To analyze all best and possible means of imposing consumption tax on Saudi consumer Ø    To determine the possibility of using consumption tax for promoting economic growth of Saudi Arabia Hypothesis Various studies conducted on consumption tax have revealed that consumption tax has a major effect on the country’s economic activities which can greatly affect economic growth, so in this paper we investigate how consumption tax contributes in promoting economic growth. We hypothesized that imposing consumption tax contributes in promoting the growth of Saudi Arabia’s economy. We also hypothesized that the difference between tax system and zakat system will contribute in determine the importance of the consumption tax. Literature review Essentially, previous research indicates a close relationship between introduction of consumption tax and economic growth in a country. Many economists argue that imposing a consumption tax implies increase in government revenue and thus increase in the country GDP which is essential in reflecting the country’s economic growth. There are limited studies tried to identify the relationship between tax structures and economic growth, Here is some of the related literature:            Arnold, J. (2008) has focused in studying and analyzing  the relationship between tax structures and economic growth by enteringindicators of the tax structure into a set of panel growth regressions for 21 OECD countries; he found the following results: 1.                 Income taxes are associated with significantly lower economic growth and lower levels of GDP per capita than consumption tax and property tax. 2.                 Respectively, property taxes, and particularly recurrent taxes on immovable property, then consumption taxassociated with the highest levels of GDP per capita. Therefore, these taxes are the most growth friendly taxes in economic growth. 3.                 Corporate income taxes have morenegative effects on GDPthan personal income tax. In general, the relationship between the income taxes and growth is negative relation. 4.                 The progressivity of income taxes and growth are negatively related. Also, Widmalm (2001), Padovano and Galli (2002) studied the relationship between progressivity of income taxes and economic growth in 25 countries, they reached the same result, the progressivity of income taxes and economic growth are negatively related. Various studies conducted on consumption tax have revealed that consumption tax has a major effect on the country’s economic activities which can greatly affect economic growth. Brys (2010) in his book ‘OECD Tax Policy Studies Tax Policy Reform and Economic Growth’ outlines the various effects consumer tax can have on economic activities of a country.In the book, he states that consumer tax will affect employment and working hours, affect international trade and regulate the activities of the underground economy. Brys continues to state that differentiated consumer tax will encourage people to work, lead to a yield in environmental benefits and reduce inequalities in income. When all these factors are brought together, economic activities of a country are likely to be affected in various ways. Methodology Research approach A good research is the one that provides answers to the research questions, validity, objectivity, accuracy, and economy. A research design is the plan and structure of investigation to obtain answers to research questions. The study adopted a qualitative survey structure. Qualitative research is also adopted since it investigates the social constructivist paradigm and relies on the socially constructed reality nature.  It aims to fundamentally record, analyze as well as determine the significance and meaning of imposing consumption tax on Saudi consumers and its contribution in promoting economic growth. The approach is not initially based on any data to be compared but on the perceptions of those who have experience and knowledge based on consumption tax and its potential in enhancing economic growth of a country. The qualitative research approach here supports positivism whereby although there is no data to be compared as part of quantitative research, the fundamental construct of the research is based on a reality that cannot be changed. The type of this study requires to use qualitative research, in this study we will gathering data from the past studies related to our theme (about the effect of tax on economic growth and then, we will analyses this data And weight all the Pros and Cons, advantage and disadvantage of all type of taxes and decide which type is best for the growth of the economy. We will analyze both of tax system and zakat system and their relation with economic growth, then comparing both system and find the similarities and difference between them. Then study those differences and find solutions that may contribute in the economic growth of Saudi Arabia. Data analysis and discussion            The raw materials were collected in a systematically organized manner that facilitates the analysis. To permit qualitative analysis, the data received was edited to ensure completeness, consistency, and uniformity before being analyzed to make it meaningful information regarding the study theme which is implications of imposing consumption tax in Saudi Arabia. Collectively the data analyzed enables the study to establish the relationship of consumption tax and economic growth. References Brys, B., & Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.(2010). Tax policy         reform and economic growth. Paris: OECD. Could Saudi Arabia’s Oil Exports Dry Up? (2012Ã¥ ¹ ´octoberæÅ"ˆ3æâ€" ¥). Ã¥ ‚ç… §Ã¥â€¦Ë†: nvesting daily:http://www.investingdaily.com/15734/could-saudi-arabias-oil-exports-dry-up almohainykhaledmohammed. (2003). The role of the tax in the process of economic and social development. Damascus University Journal , Volume 19 – Issue II. zakat. (æâ€" ¥Ã¤ »ËœÃ¤ ¸ 明). Ã¥ ‚ç… §Ã¥â€¦Ë†: dictionary: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/zakat Arnold, J. (2008), â€Å"Do Tax Structures Affect Aggregate Economic Growth?: Empirical   Evidence from a Panel of OECD Countries†, OECD Economics Department        Working Papers, No. 643, OECD Publishing. Bleaney, M.F.; N. Gemmell and R. Kneller (2001), â€Å"Testing the Endogenous Growth      Model: Public Expenditure, Taxation and Growth Over the Long-Run†, Canadian           Journal of Economics, Vol. 34(1), pp. 36-57. Schwellnus, C. and J. Arnold (2008), â€Å"Do Corporate Taxes Reduce Productivity and Investment at the Firm Level? Cross-country Evidence from the Amadeus Dataset†, OECD Economics Department Working Papers, forthcoming.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Design Research Report Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Design Research Report - Case Study Example The researchers expect to assess and evaluate any gathering techniques that have been employed internationally by baseball teams in making identical changes, and will use the most current data available. Aspects of special interest will include statistics on local market visits, data on executive meetings and in-person discussions with baseball managing executives of various teams, any analyses on regional trends in terms of the use of new facilities by base ball teams, data on existing conditions in the Atlanta Braves’ local market, and the assessment of facility data from competitive regional sports markets and facilities. The matter to be investigated in this research will be of great value to sports managers and policy makers. In examining different aspects that play a significant role in determining the choice to relocate to a new stadium, or the option to renovate the existing stadium, there are greater possibilities of gaining a fresh understanding of how such decisions can positively affect both the teams in question, performance-wise, and the surrounding community. This research could also come up with new methods of determining the true effects of such changes on the team and the surrounding community. This study’s agenda ought to be able to assist by providing baseball’s policy makers with more information on how to fashion their investments in such a way that they get the greatest benefits from them. To meet this research’s objectives, the researchers will investigate the evaluation techniques, as well as examine the impact hypothesis from previous studies carried out in the last ten years. The researchers will also examine factors that ought to be considered by any baseball management team, in terms of social, economical, and property aspects, before deciding on renovations or the construction of new stadia. This research will also provide an opportunity to determine if an analysis of the research’s
Friday, September 27, 2019
Management Accounting 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Management Accounting 2 - Essay Example The present CEO of the company, Sylvia Trott had realized that the company is inclining towards past achievements and the employees were not satisfied with this behaviour of the management towards them. So in order to measure the performance of the company, a sustainability approach has been adopted to identify certain key performance indicators of the company, such as: a) Social Indicators, b) Economic Indicators, and c) Financial Indicators. a) Social Indicators: The social indicators of WealthWise are the satisfaction level of the employees, percent of female employees in the top tiers of the management, number of employees recruited, who used to unemployed teenagers, ethical ranking that were given by the customers for the sales staff, and the number of native employees in the company. b) Financial Indicators: The major financial indicators that were considered are the return on investments, insurance premiums, and the net profit of the company. c) Economical Indicators: The econ omical indicators were the practices, and policies that the company implemented for the local suppliers and the expenses to maintain them, the method of recruiting or hiring the native staffs, and the projects that were developed for the benefit of the public. The mission of WealthWise during its inception was to offer environmental and social benefit to the people along with profit maximization. Further, with the progress and growth of the company, the mission of WealthWise extended to assist the customers in achieving a desired lifestyle through financial planning. Apart from this, employee satisfaction is also important because if the employees were dissatisfied then they cannot satisfy their customers. The philosophy of the company is to reflect financial growth, trust and strength through growing upwards, communicate positively, with energy, so as to achieve its mission (WealthWise, 2013a) In order to achieve the mission by the company, all the major performance indicators have to be considered. The social and the environmental benefit can be provided to the customers and society through assessment of the level of employee satisfaction, issues like gender parity in the top tiers of the company, pay scales, and performance evaluation techniques for the employees (Ladley, 2010). The mission to grow and generate revenue can be achieved by observing the financial indicators of the company, which consist of gross insurance premiums that the company can generate through insurance sales, the return of the company on investment, and the net profit. Apart from this, the economic indicators would provide a view of the effects of policies, practices of WealthWise, relationship with the suppliers, hiring process, etc (Rose, & Hudgins, 2010). Answer 3 Performance indicators are the elements that are assessed to evaluate the performance of the company. The term key performance indicators (KPIs) are used by the companies to scrutinize the success factors of various acti vities of the company. The KPIs can be quantitative, directional, financial, actionable, and practical. In case of WealthWise few KPIs, such as economical, financial and social, were considered for evaluating the performance and
Thursday, September 26, 2019
The growth in internet use has affected cultures around the world, Essay - 1
The growth in internet use has affected cultures around the world, leading to a westernised, homogenous world culture - Essay Example With the use of the Internet, multi-national businesses are giving tough time to the local business in the Eastern countries. However, the reality is much more different than this argument. The local businesses in these parts of world do not face much commerce problems with the emergence of the Internet instead they are getting more benefits. Some believe that the Eastern youth culture is being negatively affected by the onslaught of the Westernization. The Eastern youth adopts the Western life styles. However, the core cultural values and beliefs in any of Eastern culture have maintained their inbuilt structure and existence in its original shape. This fact can be validated by the fact the religion of Islam, which represents a major segment of culture prevalent in the Eastern societies, is the fastest growing religion in the world. In the subsequent parts of this paper, first the notion of Westernization and the Internet have been included to provide the basic understanding about th e Westernization and the use of Internet to promote the western values. Subsequent to that, a part describing the Internet and Business is mentioned to highlight the impacts of the Internet in the local and international business context. Before the conclusion, the Internet, Westernization and youth culture part has been included to differentiate between the impacts of the westernization and the actual youth culture values and norms. Globalization has often been used as a substitute for (i) internationalization; (ii) universalization; (iii) liberalization; (iv) Westernization; (v) deterritorialization (Scholte 2005). He contends that the first four uses remain unsatisfactory mainly because they fail to provide anything novel about the current era. The concept of cultural invasion is based on the notion that the infiltration of Western values into the Eastern societies. The Eastern societies do not have similar culture,
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
The person who taught me a lot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
The person who taught me a lot - Essay Example Responsibility to oneself and the environment ensures that one sustainably utilizes the available resources. Responsibility entails being wary of one’s roles and responsibilities and undertaking them to the expected levels. In whatever capacity one operates, there would be tasks that would be expected of such a person to undertake. Most of the times, there would be standards against which the execution of such tasks and observation of the given responsibilities would be benchmarked. At least attaining the set standards gives one acclamation from those directly impacted or even from oneself. Of importance to note here is the fact that being responsible saves one the cost of having to correct the negative impact of not observing such responsibilities. This, I learnt, is one way of saving resources in life. For example, if five pens are to take me through an academic year successfully, responsible use of these pens would see me complete the year successfully with the provision fo r any loses being my savings for the year. Savings mark the beginning of entrepreneurship according to my brother. It was through his personal savings that he got a considerable portion of his initial capital injection into the consultancy business. Thus, responsibility ensures proper utilization of the available resources. Another important lesson learnt is that informed career choices open one up to tap into the available opportunities. From the interview, I appreciated that a majority of us choose careers because of the life we see professionals in various fields live or because of the way the media depicts these careers. This is a misleading approach to making career choices since what we see could not necessarily be what it appears to be. To appropriately choose a career, it would be important to note down the activities that interest one in life. These activities would point towards the duties of specific careers. From these specific careers, it would be important to conduct r esearch from credible sources including occupational outlook handbooks from the relevant government agencies. These sources give information on the requirements of the selected careers, the roles involved and even the salary ranges. With this information, one would understand what subjects to major in and even what different opportunities would be available for the various educational levels. Furthermore, it gives information on related careers which could be more satisfactory than the initially prospected career. Finally, having established in life, transformational leadership plays a critical role in motivating the performance of followers. My elder brother referred to the argument by Bass and Riggio (127) on transformational leadership causing a strong employee connection to an organization. Steve Jobs, the founder of the famous Apple Inc., provides an appropriate example of a transformational leader. Apple became a global brand in information and communication technology because Jobs made the vision of the organization known to the employees and involved the employees in the company’s decision making. This made employees connect to the vision that Jobs had for Apple, hence making the organization post the tremendous success it has over years. In a similar manner, the organizations that I would lead, no matter how small, would require
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
ISSUES IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
ISSUES IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGY - Essay Example The speed of communication and exchange, the complexity and size of the networks involved, and the sheer volume of trade, interaction and risk involved, include just a few of the goodies of globalization (Stiglitz). For centuries, globalisation has been able to find its way into the daily lives of a big majority of the population of the world consequently affecting them in numerous ways. It has taken the form of trade liberalisation, regional unification and Multi-national Corporations. The most affected by globalisation in the society has been the agriculture sector simply because policies governing it have forced the rural population into poverty, unemployment, migration to urban areas, and working without any social security. To date, there has been no appropriate measures taken to curb this effect and as such, seasonal labour mobility particularly of women and children has been plummeting. The twentieth century has witnessed an accelerated process of globalisation as one of its main features in the area of world politics and has been touted as one of the most dramatic developments of the period with more than just economical and industrial significance. According to (Stiglitz), globalisation of free enterprise has been identified as the key element in the changing world order. Based on this, the concept of the nation state is thus becoming less clear, while at the same time new players such as multinational companies are joining the global arena. These multinational companies are thus direct creations of globalisation, a fact which is keeping humanity in doubt whether their sudden mushrooming augurs well with the new global order or whether they are going to turn into mutant monsters to cause major economic disasters (Stiglitz). From the foregoing, it is evident that there has been a process of globalisation in which societies operate within an integrated world-wide
Monday, September 23, 2019
Jane's Asylum Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Jane's Asylum Research - Essay Example Jane does not wish to do this because her father is abusive to her. She wishes to remain a resident of the U.S., and her uncle in California will become her legal guardian. In order for this to occur, a petition for asylum will need to be filed. While we know that this is the course of action that needs to be taken, there are some present issues that need to be addressed. First, there is the issue of how the petition will need to be filed. According to the Department of justice and other reliable sources, only the parent can file the petition (2002; the City University of New York, 2008; Migration & Refugee Services, 2010). Then, there is the issue of whether or not her uncle can serve as her legal guardian, as refugees under the age of twenty-one are still considered to be children (Refugee Info, 2010; Immihelp ®.com, 1999-2010). Finally, there is the issue of misrepresentation. If a case involving an immigrant is misrepresented, there will be severe consequences for the misrepresentation (Honore, 2005; U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs, 2009). To be sure that we carefully address each of these issues, a thorough research plan will need to be put into place, making sure that each issue is given careful considerati on. This will be done in the following ways: www.refugeeinfo.org Being that this site is devoted to helping refugees, this will be an excellent resource, since Jane is considered to be a refugee and will need to follow the same process that refugee’s do, in order for her to continue to reside in the U.S. legally. Jane’s rights will only be best defended if we have the proper information about the laws regarding the petition of asylum, as well as concerning the proper processes that will need to be followed. Because knowledge is power, it is important that we have as much of it as possible to insure success of this case. Such knowledge can
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Gender Archaeology Essay Example for Free
Gender Archaeology Essay Gender archaeology is a field of study that encompasses different approaches in the study of gender. It developed in the 1980s at the time feminist movement emerged in many societies including America and Britain questioning the male bias of the mainstream archaeology. Gender plays a significant role in constructing society and its values, categorizing which are female or male roles, and creating meanings and identity. However, studying the concept of gender is difficult as its meaning is influenced by many factors and relationships in the society. Arguments are raised that gender, unlike the biological sex, does not exist and complicated to test through archaeology. One of the traditional approaches in studying gender is through material culture where tangible evidences are correlated with the presence of men and women such as artefacts and tools excavated, suggesting a representation of the two genders and their activities (Shaw and Jameson 2000: 251). The productive use of material culture is one of the most significant contributions of archaeologists unlike other disciplines which ignore the potentials of material and its symbolic representations and meaning construction of gender (Bintliff 2004:85). Scholars should recognize the relevance of material culture as it is able to correlate the objects and its physical realities and consequences to gender, allowing varied ways of exploring an object or material. It provides resources for reference and medium for practice of gender. It aids the study of gender archaeology in all geographical regions, categories of material culture, and periods (Gilchrist 1999: 15). One of the research methods used in studying material culture is a case study, which is also commonly used in feminist archaeology, where archaeologist become ethnographers. They visit the site or region of analysis aiming to reconstruct the past societies with as much details as possible about the past people’s lifestyle, customs, traditions, beliefs, and other events (Nelson 2006: 45). In this way, history of people and its meanings are identified through material evidences which represent relationship to gender. Numerous studies have revealed astounding facts and evidence leading to an understanding on how the meanings of gender and its facets are identified. Many pre-historical studies have been conducted around the world in knowing how men and women are represented, particularly in artefacts, and how these representations construct or deconstruct the roles of each gender. In a study, Ungendering Archaeology: Concepts of Sex and Gender in Figurine Studies in Prehistory, Naomi Hamilton analysed and interpreted the prehistoric anthromorphic figurines from Eastern Europe and the Near East (Donald and Hurcombe 2000: 18). Hamilton devised as methodology to identify sex on the figures and analyse the stereotypes attached to it regarding Western gender roles. There were numerous figurines unearthed from Europe but the interpretations are different and sometimes contradicting. Some scholars argue that these figures, particularly those with women, represents ‘goddess worship’ but others did not agree. According to Hamilton, there is a need for a theory on gender and gender relations that would at least provide better explanations than the traditional studies. For any unfamiliar figure, it would be easier to assume that a certain object represents a male or a female goddess or creature but others might interpret it differently. In Seklo group from Greece, for example, an excavator thought of the distorted figure with womanly shape as representation of female centaur while other objects resembling male figure are assumed as enthroned men. Later, the female-like figure was interpreted in different views: seated figure, goddess, or female on a birth stool. These varied translations happen most of the times because, as Hamilton argued, archaeologists readily accept that aspects of human life have universal characteristics such that what is commonly associated with women in another region or era is assumed to be similar in another region of different period (Donald and Hurcombe 2000: 28). Hamilton argued that the ambiguity the two mutually exclusive genders (male and female) and its resemblance to historical Western societies have not been questioned. Traditional assumptions on these figurines readily announced as representation of sex and gender roles and not other things. Besides, interpretations are based conservative view on gender. Archaeologists assumed that there is a standard gender division in culture but anthropologists say otherwise. In many historical figurines, most represent female as it was how assumed by archaeologists. It must be that male is not so superior in the old times than now. Obviously, there are difficulties and contrasting views on identifying which gender figurines stand for. Hence it is important to consider not to identify each figure as sex symbol only but also gather other information on culture to avoid pre-conceive notions that men or women are represented in such matter for a period of time and also to avoid stereotypes on the roles of women. Research on gender might suffer if there is a strong bias on either gender or gender differences. The assumption that every culture has standard or similar male-female divisions of characteristics might lead to building a gender based on stereotypes (Hamilton 2004). These might influence on how men and women are viewed today and how their roles are determined in every aspects of life such as family, politics, or academe. Hamilton’s study on figurines has a plausible argument that the traditional assumptions of archaeologists have made conclusions that are inaccurate and lacks credibility. This is an important consideration since these kind of assumptions lead to opposing views damaging or overrating either gender especially women who has been, for a long time, regarded as subordinate to men. List of References Blintiff, J. L. (2004) A Companion to Archaeology. United Kingdom: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Gilchrist, R. (1999) Gender and Archaeology: Contesting the Past. Taylor Francis. Hamiton, S. M. (2004) Gender in Archaeology. Rowman Altamira. Nelson, S. M. (2006) Handbook of Gender in Archaeology. Rowman Altamira Shaw, I. and Jameson, R. (2000) A Dictionary of Archaeology. United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Whale Rider Essay Example for Free
Whale Rider Essay The fate of the future of the people, you can not change it, you should accept it, you should be brave enough to face all the problems. Fate WITI Ihimaera novel Whale Rider is a very important topic. Kahus destiny is to become the first female chief of the Maori, the next Whale Rider. However, this fate is very difficult Kahu done alone. Firstly, Kahu get direct help to fulfill her destiny from the the Rehua, nannies flowers and Ravi Lane. Secondly, ironically, Kahu also indirectly help to fulfill her destiny of Koro and ancient cattle whale third , Kahu fulfill her destiny own fate is an important theme of this novel, is the fate of the Maori whale saved Kahu. The help of a lot of people directly Kahu to fulfill her destiny, such as the Rehua, nanny flowers and Ravi inside. First, Rehua Who wants to name the baby Kahu. Even if Rehua is weak childbirth, she is still hope. The Rehua To baby named Kahu, because she wanted children with her husbands tribe, and in honor of her husband. In addition, the fate of Kahu is very important, because the The Kahu ancestor the Kahutia special Rangi name Rehua hope Kahu nobody to tease her. Secondly, the nanny spend is a person who gave permission to the baby named Kahu. Therefore, the nanny spent out of ideas, defrauding Koro, she knew when she thinks Koro, he will go to the ocean ship, so she is only half of the oil in the ship, and Koro will stay in the middle of the ocean. This is very important Kahus fate, which is the name of the nanny spent to get her to support Rehua performance of Maori tribes. Third, Ravi go help nanny spent directly Kahu was born line. The Ravi was directly help the Kahu her bi rth line, this offer is very important kahu the birth of the line next to the the Kahutia special Rangi Kahu from large ancestors, Kahutia special Rangi. The Rehua, nanny flowers and Ravi inside directly fulfill Kahus destiny, they help Kahu is great, so that she can have a better life. Kahu, a lot of people to help her people, but she is also a person is ironic that those who help her. The Kahu been to help the Koro and, ancient cattle the whales through indirect help. First of all, When Koro pushs Kahu, Kahu is trying to make Koro and accept her.Kahu love her great grandfather Koro Moreover, she was always trying to do a good job, so that her great-grandfather is very proud of her. But she always just disappointed, because she knew she was a girl, can not become the next, which is why her great-grandfather does not accpet her, but she believed Koro accpet upcoming day. Secondly, Koro To test the child, who is the next president of the school, so Koro thrown stone carvings, middle-aged people to the ocean, but not brought back LITHOGLYPHS, Koro upsad, Finally, Kahu can find rock carvings in the ocean This Kahus fate is very important, because Kahu found LITHOGLYPHS, on behalf of her next, because no one can be found who are the next marine rock carvings The Kahus n ew lifel changes Koro not know it is Kahu with The back LITHOGLYPHS Koro traditional, he can not accpet next girl. Third, in the ancient bull whale back found to Wangji Glasgow gold master, but the Maori tribe when the whale is dead, they think their life will stop at that moment, when the ancient bull whale to reach the prosperous Glasgow, Maori people is SCARD their lives, they tried to get the whale back into the ocean, but the results whale whale no final Kahu talks, and riding a whale back into the ocean, but in fact, ancient bull whale that she is a gold master old mother she was not the golden egg, and then sent the Kahu back Wang Glasgow who is Whale Rider, let Koro to know the real situation is one of his great-grandson Whale Rider in the future of this offer. Koro and the ancient cattle whale Kahu told the ancient bull whale indirectly to fulfill her destiny, but also to ensure that Kahu is the future of Whale Rider. Kahu indirectly to help her know that she is the next Whale Rider, she completed her fate by her. Kahus destiny to fulfill its first female chief. First, Kahu interested in learning about Maori culture and language, this is the next should be aware of it. The Kahu efforts to understand the Maori culture, their own language, so she and Kahu hope that she can become the next Kahu spent a lot of time in learning all things Maori Koro proud. Second, a person who can negotiate the whale on behalf of his / her next, Kahu, she will speak of the whale, which is the the Kahu fate of the ability of future chief.This quotes is very important, because Kahu You can communicate with whales. This is the part of the chief, should have do.Third, Kahu meet her fate be the the next Whale Rider bite her great-grandfather is the important part: Whale Rider communication whale. First things should be a little Koro toes part become Whale Rider. To meet Kahu fate of almost help her become the first woman Whale Rider. Kahu help fulfill her destiny, she was a different person to complete her destiny. First, they allow direct Kahu great help in her life. Second the Koro and ancient bullfighting whale is ironic that, in order to ensure that Kahu is the future of Whale Rider. Third, Kahu help themselves to become the next Whale Rider. There are a lot of people with different ideas to fulfill Kahus destiny. Fate is very important Kahu fulfill her dream to become the next Whale Rider.
Friday, September 20, 2019
Globalizations effect on the Indian Economy
Globalizations effect on the Indian Economy Globalization has been a historical process with ebbs and flows. Growth of globalization was mainly led by the technological forces in the fields of transport and communication. There were fewer barriers to flow of trade and people across the geographical boundaries. Indeed there were no passports and visa requirements and very few non-tariff barriers and restrictions on fund flows. India too is no exception to globalization. The Indian Economy witnessed major changes in the 90s.The main aim was the rapid growth of Indian economy to make it globally competitive. The Indian economy was in major crisis in 1991 when foreign currency reserves went down to $1 billion inflation was as high as 17%. Due to globalization, in Indian economy it affect not only to agricultural production but also employment opportunities in the rural parts, inequality between urban rural areas. Globalisation is conceived as a powerful transformative force responsible for a massive shake-out of nations, economies, international institutions the whole world order. Thus, we can say that the higher the level of international corporations/transactions, the higher will be economic growth, income level living standards the globalization process would bring. Globalisation has brought many jobs large sums of investment to India. Indias economy has been growing at exceptional rates for the past several years many new opportunities have opened up for India. Yet, India does remain quite poor. Most of those who profit from globalization in India are the upper classes, with many in the lower classes being displaced suffering from miserable labor conditions. Globalization has created a large economic boom fo r India with largely positive effects. At the present, we can also say about the tale of two Indians. We have the best of times; we have the worst of times. Globalization of financial markets has far outpaced the integration of product markets. There is sparkling prosperity, there is stinking poverty. We have dazzling five star hotels side by side with darkened ill-starred hovels. We have everything by globalization, we have noting by globalization. There are numerous advantages in the shift to a global economy including the possibility to increase benefits from economies of scale. The breaking down of global barriers allows companies to benefit from the largest cheapest workforces, raw material, technology. Due to globalization, in many areas of the country tomato growers, potato growers fruit growers, farmers benefited from tie-up collaborations with ketchup, potato chips, fruit juices etc. Fishermen in Kerala have increased their incomes using mobile phones to find out the best markets where the prices are highest on each day. Lock outs strikes have declined to insignificantly low levels because industrial labor is happy. Due to Globalization the business market in the world has no boundaries; they can market their products in any part of the world. This has involved the chances of laying hands on global market technologies, which would definitely increase our qualities of living standards. Globalization helps Indian En trepreneur to know more about the competitors, recent trends, Quality of products. Helps in sourcing new technology for improving their Brand Quality. Hiring competent person irrespective of the nationality. Good exposure of Indian brands to overseas market. Due to increase in healthy competition with other brands, Indian brands will be forced to improve their quality and services to the customer. It aims at increasing the production of food and improvements of the economic and social condition of farmers. It would increase efficiency of the workers. Use of seeds and heavy machines has help to increase agricultural productivity. It would improve animal husbandries would be able to import good breed of animals from the other countries. Farmers will get the privilege of the international market through export agricultural products. The various beneficial effects of globalization in Indian Industry are that it brought in huge amounts of foreign investments into the industry especially in the BPO, pharmaceutical, petroleum, and manufacturing industries. As huge amounts of foreign direct investments were coming to the Indian Industry, they boosted the Indian economy quite significantly. The benefits of the effects of globalization in the Indian Industry are that many foreign companies set up industries in India, especially in the pharmaceutical, BPO, petroleum, manufacturing, and chemical sectors and this helped to provide employment to many people in the country. This helped reduce the level of unemployment and poverty in the country. Also the benefit of the Effects of Globalization on Indian Industry are that the foreign companies brought in highly advanced technology with them and this helped to make the Indian Industry more technologically advanced. Since 1991, India has witnessed an explosion of new media. Be tween 1990 and 1999, access to television grew from 10% of the urban population to 75% of the urban population. Cable television and foreign movies became widely available for the first time. 1) Indian Agriculture: Indian farmers are offered no subsidiaries compared to the US Farmers. There has been no encouragement from the government to ensure foreign companies to set up technologies for the farmers assistance. The US Farmers has opened the market for textile China has already set up factories started production where in India hasnt woken up. On the other side of the medal, there is along list of the worst of the time, the foremost casualty being the agriculture sector. Agriculture has been still remains the backbone of the Indian economy. It plays a vital role not only in providing food nutrition to the people, but also in the supply of raw materials to industries to export trade. The financial capital of India the political of India are set to become the topmost slum cities of the world. 2) Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Growth rate: The Indian economy is passing through a difficult phase caused by several unfavorable domestic external developments, Domestic O/P DD conditions were adversely affected by poor performance in agriculture in the post two years. The rate of growth of GDP of India has been on the increase from 5.6% to 7% in the 1993-2001 periods. The sectors attracting highest FDI inflows are electrical equipments including Computer software electronics (18 %), service sector (13%), telecommunication (10%), transportation industry (9%) etc. 3) Export Import: Indias export import is increasing many Indian companies have started becoming respectable players in international scenes. There are two alternative causes available. To sell its product in the export market. To produce those type of commodities that the rich in India could consume i.e. luxury consumption goods. 4) Technologies: IT is given special status. The reason for this is because the Indian government wants to promote it-s nation a as a technological advanced nation and in order to do this they must stimulate the IT sector. The special status- means the sector and investors (willing to invest in the sector) will receive many benefits and incentives from the government to do so. 5) Poverty: The government of India has shown decline in people living in absolute poverty by manipulating statistics. The decline happened when large number of industrial units has been closed down, number of days of work available to workers has declined, downsizing of manpower had taken place in most of the industrial undertakings and non-availability of jobs to the new entrant in employment market is witnessed. Besides, there is an all round decline of prices of agricultural products, forcing farmers to suicide. In sectors like plantation and tea, workers are virtually starving. It is just not possible that people living in absolute poverty can decline in the country under these circumstances. 6) Education: The growth of higher education and the impact of the global economies have influenced the Indian education system over the last few years.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Freedom Bound :: essays research papers
In his book, Freedom Bound, Robert Weisbrot argues that the civil rights movement is interwoven with American political reform of the time, and furthermore, that "the black quest for justice and the national crusade for a 'Great Society' are best understood in relation to each other" (Weisbrot xiv). He traces the Great Society from its beginnings as Lyndon Johnson's liberal social reform program, through the Reagan years, claiming it was not entirely successful in breaking down racial barriers between blacks and conservative whites. He believes the Great Society was "an insidious enemy of black America," and that the federal government ultimately failed to deliever Johnson's original vision for civil rights advancement and reform (245). In the end, he claims, thegovernment was not committed enough to the principles of the Great Society and thus, it unraveled. In addition to detailing the Great Society, Weisbrot also chronicles within his book, struggle for racial equality in America, from the first sit-in at a Greensboro, North Carolina Woolworth'to the freedom rides to the 1963 March on Washington. He incorporates all the pivotal and influencial civil rights organizations of the time, inlcuding the NAACP, CORE, SNCC and SCLC, and details their actions in moving toward racial equality. He also enlists personal accounts from those involved with the movement, incluing highly-regarded leaders and student protesters, to add a more intimate perspective to the movement. Through this, he successfully demonstrates that the civil rights movement was not simply an event in our nation's history, but rather, a movement comprised of many different people with many different backgrounds, all working toward a common goal of equality and freedom. Freedom Bound :: essays research papers In his book, Freedom Bound, Robert Weisbrot argues that the civil rights movement is interwoven with American political reform of the time, and furthermore, that "the black quest for justice and the national crusade for a 'Great Society' are best understood in relation to each other" (Weisbrot xiv). He traces the Great Society from its beginnings as Lyndon Johnson's liberal social reform program, through the Reagan years, claiming it was not entirely successful in breaking down racial barriers between blacks and conservative whites. He believes the Great Society was "an insidious enemy of black America," and that the federal government ultimately failed to deliever Johnson's original vision for civil rights advancement and reform (245). In the end, he claims, thegovernment was not committed enough to the principles of the Great Society and thus, it unraveled. In addition to detailing the Great Society, Weisbrot also chronicles within his book, struggle for racial equality in America, from the first sit-in at a Greensboro, North Carolina Woolworth'to the freedom rides to the 1963 March on Washington. He incorporates all the pivotal and influencial civil rights organizations of the time, inlcuding the NAACP, CORE, SNCC and SCLC, and details their actions in moving toward racial equality. He also enlists personal accounts from those involved with the movement, incluing highly-regarded leaders and student protesters, to add a more intimate perspective to the movement. Through this, he successfully demonstrates that the civil rights movement was not simply an event in our nation's history, but rather, a movement comprised of many different people with many different backgrounds, all working toward a common goal of equality and freedom.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Percy Bysshe Shelleys Ozymandias Essay -- Ozymandias Essays
Percy Bysshe Shelley's Ozymandias      In "Ozymandias," Percy Bysshe Shelley uses a ruined statue of Ramses II to illustrate the negative aspects of the sublime. Edmund Burke identified as sublime "the experience of contemplating enormous heights and depths but also the experience of being isolated from other humans" (Ferguson 339). Both of these themes figure prominently in "Ozymandias."             The poem opens with a mysterious "traveler from an antique land" (1) describing the demolished statue of Ozymandias (Ramses II). The traveler serves as the human consciousness required to give force to the ideas of the destructiveness of nature and the annihilation of mankind. Because the human mind can attribute destructiveness to nature, nature needs humans for it to be perceived as destructive and to continue to be destructive (Ferguson 339). As Shelley does not state specifically how the statue was destroyed, and given its remote location, on might assume its destruction was due to an act of nature. The legs of the statue are described as "vast" (2), while the ruins are a "colossal Wreck" (13); both descriptions refer to the concept of the sublime as awe-inspiring and terrifying.             The "vast and trunkless legs of stone" (2), along with the pedestal, are the only parts of the statue left standing; "near them, on the sand/half sunk, a shattered visage lies" (3 - 4). The "shattered visage" might be seen as a form of depersonalization, an illustration that mortals are insignificant and powerless when compared to nature. Even though Ozymandias is a king, he is nothing in the eyes ... ...ether a warning against excessive pride, a discussion of the negative sublime, or allusion to an unhappy marriage, the fact remains that this poem is an excellent piece worthy of inclusion in the canon of British literature. The imagery in the poem, as well as its accessibility, make it readily enjoyable by any reader.   Works Cited  Ferguson, Frances. "Shelley's 'Mont Blanc': What the Mountain Said." Romantic Poetry. Ed. Karl Kroeber and Gene W. Ruoff. New Brunswick: Rutgers UP, 1993.  "Percy Bysshe Shelley." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M.H. Abrams. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2000. 698 - 701.  Shelley, Percy Bysshe. "Ozymandias." .The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M.H. Abrams. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2000. 725 - 6.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Ralph and Jack in “The Lord of the Flies†Essay
Question 1 There are a number of differences and a few similarities between Jack and Ralph. First of all the main similarity is the fact that both boys are roughly the same age. Then furthermore, there is the fact that both pf them are boys. In addition their share the quality of leadership, or in other words both of them have the abilities to be a leader. Then on the other hand there are the numerous differences they in clued; different style of leadership, different believes, maturity, and the symbol that they represent. Jack and Ralph have a very different style of leading. Ralph has a democratic leadership and Jack is more of a dictator figure. Then furthermore, there is the difference of believes, Jack believes that the main objective on the island is to hunt and Ralph believes that it is to be saved. Then there is the maturity, Ralph is more mature that Jack. And the last difference in the symbols that these characters represent, Jack represents the bad side of human nature and Ralph represents the good side or democracy. Question 2 Piggy represents intelligence and thinking. This idea is proven through out the whole book, until his death. Fist of all there is the fact that because of Piggy the boys were able to create the fire. The secondary, idea is the fact that Piggy acts very mature through out the book. He is even more mature than Ralph. Piggy comes up with ideas that not a single other boy had though of. For example there is the fact that Piggy though of the sundial. Furthermore there is the idea that Piggy constantly reminds Ralph of their objective to the island, and which is to be saved.
Monday, September 16, 2019
Compare the play “Killed†with “Blue Remembered Hills†Essay
In this essay I will compare the two plays â€Å"Killed†and â€Å"Blue Remembered Hills†. The play â€Å"Blue Remembered Hills†was written by Dennis Potter, I have been studying the Samuel French LTD edition. It is set in 1943 in the south west of Britain. â€Å"Killed†was written by Fred Hawksley, it is set mostly in France with flash backs to Manchester. Both plays are set in war times, â€Å"Blue Remembered Hills†takes place in the Second World War and â€Å"Killed†is set in the First World War. In â€Å"Blue Remembered Hills†the war is a back ground to the story; it is referred to but never seen, unlike â€Å"Killed†where the war is what makes the story. When we acted out the play â€Å"Blue Remembered Hills†I played John, he is a child who is part of a gang, a lot like the 14 platoon in â€Å"Killed†. In both there is a strong sense of hierarchy; in â€Å"Killed†there is no answering back to the one in charge this being the R.S.M. and in â€Å"Blue Remembered Hills†the character in charge is Wallace Wilson, although ever elusive on stage he is constantly mentioned in the dialogue as â€Å"†¦no.1†in the group. The speech in â€Å"Blue Remembered Hills†is very naturalistic using slang to enhance the informal feel of the play. â€Å"Killed†uses a more formal register when someone is in the presence of the R.S.M but takes a more natural tone when Billy remembers life in Manchester. They both have similar story lines where a group of friends are forced, or accidentally kill another one of their friends. They are both tragedies because the endings are sad and a friend ends up dead. In â€Å"Blue Remembered Hills†war is an exciting and glorified vision in the minds of the children. In â€Å"Killed†Billy is executed by his own side in the First World War and shows the harsh reality of being a solder in the trenches on the front line. The two plays have very different views of war. The characters in the two plays have very different personalities, yet they resemble some of the personalities from the other, for example the R.S.M. and Peter being a kind of leader figures bossing the members of the group. Billy and Donald also show similarities as they both die and their friends play a part in their deaths. The two plays would be performed very differently, â€Å"Blue Remembered Hills†is very natural; running in almost real time unlike â€Å"Killed†which is very stylistic and happens over two years with narrated flash backs. I would show these flash backs via the flash back being acted out on stage while Billy addresses the audience not being able to interact with the flash back although he tries to. I would create a simple set for â€Å"Killed†maybe some seats and a table for Billy’s home in Manchester and some staging lined up to make the lip of the trench. For the â€Å"Blue Remembered Hills†set we made a barn behind a woodland scene so that the whole scene could take place without any changes to the set and used the whole stage well. For costumes I would have Billy from â€Å"Killed†in a First World War uniform and in â€Å"Blue Remembered Hills†I would try to find some clothes that could help an actor inhabit the role of a child in the 1940s. The two plays are both very interesting and conjure different visions of war, in â€Å"Blue Remembered Hills†the World War engulfs all lands over seas and yet the children in mainland Britain have only heard the glorified version of the war, whereas Billy in ‘Killed’ believes he will become a hero but finds that war is not as heroic as he thought.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Characteristics Of A Good Leader
There are many things that can be done by people at my age, teenagers, to make a better preparation for our future. Being a good leader is one of them. However, unlike what some people think, being a good leader does not mean that we hold a power over other people. Instead, there are many characteristics of a good leader and therefore, this essay shall explore some characteristics of it. To begin with, responsibility and the ability to make an important decision play an important role to be a good leader.In contrast to these factors, there would be dire consequences and it is just a matter of time before the leader feel the full-effect of his action. For instance, some companies had the irresponsible owner before they went bankrupt. Furthermore, these irresponsible owner were often making reckless decision. Clearly, it is important for a good leader to be responsible and able to make an important decision. The other factor is that a good leader should be strict with the regulation wi thout exception to their members. As this factor will prove that a good leader can be fair to the others.For this reason, I can illustrate that in a group, the leader has a relationship with one of their members. However, they should never put an exception to the members as this can lead to dire consequences through their actions. As a result, these leaders may end up being replaced by others. Hence, a good leader must be fair when they have gained the trust to become a leader. Finally, a good leader should be someone who is hard working and creative. More importantly, they should be persuasive when giving their team encouragement.This can produce a good result for their team because they have earned the trust of their leaders to do something. For example, most employees in some companies have been supported by their leaders that they will earn additional payment if they finish their work before the deadline. To put it in a nutshell, it is clear that the factors mentioned above are the characteristics of a good leader. In my opinion, a good leader must have a good morale behavior as well. By doing it right, one can make a better condition that may affect the outcome of their lives in later life.
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Health Complications Caused by Chlamydia in Males
The topic I have chosen to link it with is Chlamydia n individuals aged 16-25. I am going to see whether the health promotion is used as a system of empowerment or a system of control. Main body Chlamydia can cause many complications in males and females, a few examples of these are; abdominal pain, pelvic pain, inability to get pregnant, potentially deadly octopi pregnancy, swelling in one/both testicles, fever and preventing a man from being able to father children states Brown, N (2013).The government are setting up ways to prevent this by setting up free Chlamydia screening to Individuals aged 0-25, this Is empowerment. By the government doing this It Is making Individuals take precautions and have regular checks. It also makes individuals respect themselves as when they know what Chlamydia can do to them they may also start using condoms to reduce the statistics of people contracting Chlamydia.It can also be seen as trying to control individuals as they are pushing/persuading th em to use contraception and keep getting themselves checked out after a new sexual partner, this Is because If individuals start becoming aware and checking themselves, and also using protection It will reduce the amount of money the INS are spending on treatment, (1 tablet or a weeks worth of antibiotics). The individuals that don't use protection or get checked out regularly could be having sexual relationships with others in the community and passing on the infection.This is why when individuals find out they have the infection they are advised to tell their past and current partners to get checked out as well. The antibiotics that are prescribed are the medical approach as It alms to prevent disease. This topic also links to behavior hang as it encourages individuals to adapt healthy behaviors, it is also a form of health education as the individuals are learning about Chlamydia also it is unlikely to be successful unless the individual is ready to take action.For example if an individual is not willing to use protection and/or get regular tests then there is not a lot that can be done, unless they decide to change their ways and try help themselves. The education approach also links to this as It alms to provide knowledge influence relating to Chlamydia as it aims to help individuals acquire the skills and inference to take greater control over their own health. For example if you are afraid of what your partner may say when you mention ‘protection' you are less likely to mention it, also if you are afraid of the result you may get from the screening tests you may decide not to take one.Social change also has a link to Chlamydia as it aims to make the healthy choice the easy choice, some individuals may be too scared to get help, take tests or mention anything. This is where individuals need to start making the right choice. The media is an influence on Chlamydia as it encourages individuals viewing it to stay safe, look after yourselves and others so you don't pass the infection around the community. The government are also an influence on Chlamydia as it is thanks to them that 16-25 year olds can gain free Chlamydia screening in clinics INS choices (2011).The critical understanding for health promotion is as follows, health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve; health of people, communities and populations says Reuters, T (2013). It moves beyond a focus on individual behavior towards a wide range of social and environmental interventions. Interventions to help change behaviors and environments in ways that are conductive to health. The main goals of health promotion are to reduce health risks and optimize health and productively while lowering total health-related costs.At its best, worksheet health promotion creates a culture that fosters vitality, motivation and overall effectiveness of human capital says (Erickson,2006). The role and relevance of health promotion is in tackl ing the determinants of health, elate promotion will include combinations of the strategies namely developing personal skills, strengthening community action, and creating supportive environments for health, backed by healthy public policy.Health promotion is a powerfully relevant strategy for social development, in particular as an important set of strategies to address the factors influencing inequalities in health. Health promotion also brings together all the principles that underlie a series of strategies that seek to support conditions that allow populations to be healthy and to make lately choices. The range of strategies draws upon behavioral sciences, public health, education and communication, to name a few, and their respective methodologies says health promotion agency (2009).Empowerment or control Within this essay I have stated both ways in which it is empowerment and control. However both have equal entitlement; I am swayed to say I personally think that the health pr omotion is more a system of empowerment. This is because the government are setting up schemes that are free for individuals aged 16-25 to access. This shows he empowerment that is given to individuals to look after themselves without a cost. Also condoms are given for free at the clinic where the Chlamydia screening is taken states (Scholar, Abraham, Kook and Gilmore, 2004).This is empowering people to take precautions so that they don't contract the infection. Another point is the media what can happen if they have the infection and don't get checked out. Conclusion Throughout this essay I have shown how health promotion can be used as a system of empowerment and a system of control. I have linked it together with my chosen epic; I have also linked health promotion within my topic to the different approaches that I have learnt about within my lectures.
Friday, September 13, 2019
Aggression In Violent Offenders Psychology Essay
Aggression In Violent Offenders Psychology Essay Anger is considered to be an innate emotion within human beings that is associated with positive and negative qualities. Subjectively, anger can range from mild to severe or from mere irritation to rage (Wright, Day, & Howells, 2009). Anger can positively act to mobilize psychological resources, facilitate perseverance, protect self-esteem, energize corrective behaviors, and communicate negative sentiments. However, anger also holds the negative potential to cause individuals to act out violently and harm themselves or others (Wright, Day, & Howells, 2009). The concept of anger is considered to be multidimensional in that it involves behavioral, cognitive, physiological, and phenomenological variables (Wright, Day, & Howells, 2009). Anger results from interactions between four dimensions such as behavioral reactions, external events, physiological arousal, and cognitive processes (Wright, Day, & Howells, 2009). The association between anger and distorted perceptions can result in th e inability to make appropriate assessments of behaviors, attitudes, and interactions within social contexts (Wright, Day, & Howells, 2009). Anger that has significant intensity, duration, and frequency is referred to as clinical anger. This form of anger is described as being a precursor to health and social difficulties (Gardner & Moore, 2008). These difficulties can occur interpersonally, occupationally, and legally as well as could impact an individual’s physical and mental health (Gardner & Moore, 2008). While clinical anger does not have a criterion for diagnosis, it does serve as a contributing factor to various mental disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Furthermore, anger was described as being central to many forms of violence, which makes anger relevant to treating violent offenders (Wright, Day, & Howells, 2009). Concept of Aggression Aggression is defined as behaviors that are intended to harm another person or persons (Casas, 2005). Much research addressing aggression has focused on physical acts of aggression but has since begun to expand upon the definition of aggression (Casas, 2005). Purdy and Seklecki (2006) asserted aggression is typically associated with harmful and violent acts, such as assaults and homicides. According to Beaver (2009) career criminals are more likely to use serious violence and physical aggression compared to other offenders. In addition, various aggressive and violent crimes such as robbery, assault, rape, and murder are almost exclusively confined to habitual offenders (Beaver, 2009). Tew, Dixon, Harkins, and Bennett (2012) described aggression in relation to offenders in terms of verbal and physical aggression. Verbal aggression consisted of raising one’s voice, shouting, swearing, being abusive, being argumentative, conveying threats, ranting, having an outburst, initiating a confrontation, and bullying (Tew et al., 2012). Acts such as hitting, smashing up belongings, throwing belongings , slamming doors, hitting tables, or acts that resulted in restraint are considered to be physical acts of aggression (Tew et al., 2012). Similarly, Casas (2005) described various forms of aggression. Aggression can be classified as physical aggression, indirect aggression, social aggression, or relational aggression (Casas, 2005). Casas’ (2005) description of physical aggression was consistent with how Tew et al. (2012) described physical aggression. Indirect aggression involves covert and harmful behavior in which a victim is not directly confronted by the perpetrator. Social aggression involves harming another individual’s self-esteem, social acceptance, or social status (Casas, 2005). Lastly, relational aggression is defined as harming another in terms of damaging a relationship, feelings of acceptance, or group inclusion (Casas, 2005). In general, social and biological factors contribute to aggression (Casas, 2005).
Humic Acid removal and fouling using tubular ceramic micro filtration Essay
Humic Acid removal and fouling using tubular ceramic micro filtration membranes combined with coagulation and adsorption - Essay Example result in either increased flux (for operation at constant pressure) or decreased feed pressure requirements (for operation at constant flux); the converse effect results from colder feedwater.†(Cheryan, 1998) Consequently, temperature is an important consideration in the conceptual design phase, because changes in feedwater temperature over the year may necessitate additional membrane area to maintain the required system capacity, depending on the maximum TMP of the membranes, seasonal water demand, and other site-specific factors. When considering temperature effects on MF/UF membranes, the flux is typically normalized to a reference temperature of 20 °C. (Cho et al., 283-298, 2000) Typical units for flux are gallons of water per square foot of membrane area per day or litters of water per square meter of membrane area per hour. The pore density (P^sub pore^) is the number of pores per unit of membrane area, r is the pore radius, Ä is the tortuosity factor, and ÃŽâ€z is the pore length. Thus, the resistance to pure water transport across a clean membrane is expected to increase with increasing tortuosity and thickness and with decreasing pore density and pore radius (with a strongly influencing inverse 4th power relationship). An important operational factor that can strongly influence the flux is the foulants that accumulate over a filtration cycle (reversible fouling), between cleaning intervals (reversible fouling), and over the life of a membrane module (irreversible fouling). This fouling can take several forms: particulate/colloidal fouling, organic fouling, and/or bio fouling. Fouling results in the gradual reduction in flux (for constant pressure operation) or increase in TMP (for constant flux operation) because of adsorption or deposition of contaminants either within the pores or on the surface of the membrane. (Hicke, 187–196, 2002) In Eq 1, fouling is incorporated by expanding the resistance term to include additive factors to account for the
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Vietnamese Cultural Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Vietnamese Cultural Health - Essay Example The vast majority of the approximately 700,000 Vietnam-born persons living in the U.S. arrived here as refugees from 1975 to the present. While there are many shared cultural traits among all the Vietnamese-Americans, such as the Vietnamese language and strong emphasis on the extended family. The first group of refugees to come to the U.S. in 1975 was educated and urban professionals (and their families) who were airlifted directly from Saigon. They were closely associated with American interests in Vietnam, so many spoke English and were familiar with American culture. This group has for the most part gone on to resume their professional lives in the United States, including serving as staff members of social service agencies, which assist more recently arrived Vietnamese. In contrast, the second wave of Vietnamese refugees, arriving from the late 1970's through the mid 1980's, included a much higher proportion of merchants, farmers and other rural Vietnamese who escaped Communist Vietnam in small boats. These "boat people" suffered extreme hardship and loss through the refugee process, often remaining in harsh refugee camps for years. Many who came from rural origins or limited educational backgrounds have had a more difficult time adapting to urban U.S. life - while others from rural backgrounds found that intelligence and persistence are stronger than 100 generations of rural deprivation. This photograph is of a woman and children shortly after being picked up in the South China Sea in 1979. Finally, the third wave, continuing to arrive to the present, come to the U.S. under more "orderly" programs, typically on the basis of their statuses as political prisoners in Vietnam, or offspring of Vietnamese women and American fathers ("Amerasians"), two groups who faced serious discrimination in Vietnam. They come with their families, in the case of Amerasians, more often than not the father is unknown or otherwise out of the picture. Because of their experience as refugees, Vietnamese-Americans on the whole are at high risk for many communicable diseases like tuberculosis, hepatitis B and parasitism as they arrive to the U.S. Over time, as many face accessibility barriers to medical care because of such factors as limited English skills, transportation difficulties, and cultural misunderstandings, they are at risk for more chronic problems like hypertension, heart disease, cancer and diabetes. In addition, many Vietnamese refugees also suffer mental health problems like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a result not only of the horrors they experienced as refugees but also due to the adjustment difficulties in attempting to retain their traditional values in the face of the dominant American culture. Traditional Vietnamese perceptions of health Between 1975 and 1995, thousands of refugees left Vietnam to build their new life in the United States. The Vietnamese, with the Cambodians and Laotians, make up the largest group
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
The impact of biotechnology on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment Essay
The impact of biotechnology on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease - Essay Example On the other hand, amplified sequences can be inserted into other, more easy-to-manipulate species, such as microorganisms, thereby leading to the assessment of characteristics possessed by the resulting gene products of these sequences, such as structure, pH and function. In medicine, such findings are important because diseases that previously remain to be an enigma has been found to be caused by a depletion or over-expression of proteins whose functions have only recently been identified. So far, there are multiple procedures that have been developed, each catering to the specific needs of various research groups. This is a testament to the ever-growing field of biotechnology. This paper summarizes the different functions of various biotechnological procedures that are applicable to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases. PREVENTION THROUGH VACCINES Vaccines are one of the most common and effective means of providing protection against infectious diseases. Because of its extensive use, continuous vaccine development is going underway since its initial use. One of the targets of advancement is the means of production. Basically, vaccines are just deactivated viruses, units or components, or antigens which induce immune reactions from the receiving individual. The effectiveness of vaccination lies on its induction of memory immune cells that act against multiple attacks of the corresponding natural infective exposure. Vaccine production Initially embryonated eggs were used for the propagation of virus units for vaccine production. In this process, an aliquot of virus solution is injected into the allantoic cavity of a 10- to 11-day old embryonated egg. The infected eggs are then incubated in temperatures suitable for growth of the virus (Szretter et al., 2006). However, since egg-based vaccine production imply that individuals with egg allergies cannot be vaccinated, a different host was searched for. With the parallel development of cancer cell r esearch, hyperproliferative cancer cells were seen as a better means of vaccine production. Firstly, individuals allergic to egg-based products can now avail of vaccinations. Secondly, cell culture-based production is more cost-efficient than egg-based production because cancer cells are much easier to culture than embryonated eggs. Similar to egg-based production, infective virus units are inoculated into a culture of a particular cancer cell line, usually Madin Darby canine kidney (MDCK) (Szretter et al., 2006). One of the novel protocols to produce vaccinations, especially the subunit vaccines, which are described later in this paper, is through recombinant protein expression. Briefly, developed expression systems, or microorganisms processed to receive genes and express proteins of other organisms, are inserted through a vector. Not only is this cost-efficient, but is much safer to handle than the culturing clinically-derived viruses. In addition, through recombinant protein exp ression certain mutations can be introduced to the antigen to make it more immunogenic (Zhang et al., 2007). Post harvest, the viruses undergo further processing. The virus units are weakened or deactivated either chemically, by formaldehyde or ?-propiolactone, through heat, or radiation. This deactivation prevents the vaccine from causing illness to the handlers and to the recipients. If to be used in another time, these harvested viruses are also stored in liquid nitrogen (Szretter et al.,
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
The strategic position of Thorntons PLC in 2003 Essay
The strategic position of Thorntons PLC in 2003 - Essay Example The internal performance of Thorntons Plc is multi-faceted, consisting of various aspects which are inherent in its operations. An internal analysis considers the company's culture, image, organizational culture, key staff, access to natural resources, position on the experience curve, operational efficiency, operational capacity, brand awareness, market share, financial resources, exclusive contracts, and patents and trade secrets. Simplifying all these generates three main considerations-resources, capabilities, and core competencies. Thus, for decision makers inside a firm, the main challenge is the identification, development, deployment, and protection of resources, capabilities, and core competencies (What Tools Are Useful in Assessing the Internal Environment n.d.). In business terms, resources refers to the inputs that goes into the firms production process such as capital equipment, skill, individual employees, patents, finance and talented managers (Dess, Taylor & Lumpkin 2005). Resource can be classified as tangible, intangible, or organization capabilities. The resource-based view of a firm emphasizes that a "firm can earn sustainable supra-normal returns if and only if they have superior resources and those resources are protected by some form of isolating mechanisms preventing their diffusion in the whole industry" (Resource-Based View of a Firm 2007). Furthermore, these supra-normal returns are possible only if resources are valuable, rare, imperfectly imitable, and non-substitutable (Dess, Lumpkin, and Taylor 2005). Tangible resources are relatively easy to identify. This category typically includes the physical and financial assets used to create value for the customer. In order to fully identify the tangible resources of Thorntons Plc, this report will divide them into financial, physical, technological, and organizational resources. 1. Physical Maintaining its reputation as one of the classic makers of indulgent confectionery, Thorntons Plc continues to use a larger proportion of manual processes in its production system. In the industry where almost all the manufacturing processes are mechanized, Thorntons take charge of the quality of its products by being fully different from its competitors. In terms of physical resource, the company becomes remarkable because of its minimal automated processes (Jennings 2003). Thorntons business is also highly dependent on its distribution channels specially its own stores. It should be noted that the company is recognized because of the number of its outlets in the whole United Kingdom (Jennings 2003). These stores have become instrumental in consistency of the services received by each customer. 2. Financial During 2003, Thorntons Plc reports total assets of 114.108 million, 27% of which is in liquid assets. Cash comprises a meager 14% of the current assets or 4.5% of the total resources. In terms of capital structure, debt finances 62.30% of its total resources while equity financing accounts for the remaining 37.7% (Thorntons Plc Annual Report 2003). It should
Monday, September 9, 2019
Voting Rights Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Voting Rights Act - Essay Example Section 2 allows individuals, non-governmental organizations and the attorney general to file civil actions in order to seek injunctions, preventive, and permanent relief from the section’s violation. Having noted that, many will agree that the section was destined to achieve greater heights in voter right protection than it is currently. However due to its broad text, section 2 has failed to address comprehensively the problem of discrimination in the states which have a History of discrimination, leave alone providing a lasting solution. Section 2 of the Voter Rights Act is more reactive than being proactive in the essence that often the damage has already been done to a group of voters by a state that cannot be remedied after a voting –related deadline, or an election has passed. Moreover the cost and expediency of voter rights Act enforcement under section 2 has proved to be a nightmare for the plaintiffs’ who cannot afford the resources required to litigate fact-intensive cases. Though this has since been resolved through the partly involvement of the department of justice to essentially assume plaintiffs’ costs for section 2 suits by either initiating the action itself or intervening in support of the plaintiff, it’s still a course for concern for the cost effectiveness availed by the section. It’s well known that section 2 vote dilution standards are fairly well developed in the courts. In the section’s vote dilution cases, plaintiffs are usually required to first pass the Gingles test-from the case Thornburg v. Gingles- then an effect test. This is intended to prove that the plaintiff’s vote has been diluted based on the current voting district boundaries by proving that had the boundaries been drawn differently, the minority population would have the voting power to elect a candidate of its choice. However as earlier noted, this seems to be more of reactive than
Sunday, September 8, 2019
The Disparity In Sentencing In The Criminal Justice System Essay
The Disparity In Sentencing In The Criminal Justice System - Essay Example In the mid 1970’s a remarkable burst of reforms (Walker, p. 112) were introduced whose main concern was about disparity and discrimination in sentencing. The indeterminate sentence was the main focus of the reform efforts. The sentence in which the offender received a minimum or maximum sentence and the date of release was decided by the parole board is known as indeterminate sentence. Under such sentencing the judge was to decide about the punishment by not only looking at the crime but also looking at the circumstances and the potential for rehabilitation. On the basis of this judgment the parole board was to decide the date of release. Discretion was distributed amongst not only to the justice officials but also the parole board. The result of this process was: "A system of sentencing in which there was little understanding or predictability as to who would be imprisoned and for how long" (Bureau of Justice Assistance, p. 6). Both the liberal and the conservative boards cha llenged the reforms. The liberal presented an argument that the intensity on of the punishment should not rest with the criminal officers or the parole board because they may have racial issues. While the conservative board argued that the punishments given to criminals were too lenient. Their arguments bolstered by the findings of research demonstrating that most correctional programs designed to rehabilitate offenders and reduce recidivism were ineffective (Martinson).
Saturday, September 7, 2019
Passion of Apostle Paul Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words
Passion of Apostle Paul - Research Paper Example He: a. did not pride over his equality with God (Philippians 2:6). b. humbled himself and took the nature of a servant (Philippians 2:7). c. humbled and became obedient to death (Philippians 2:8). 3. Christ’s humility resulted to him being glorified (Philippians 2:9-9-11). a. Was given a name above all names (Philippians 2:9). b. The name will cause all creation, on earth and in heaven to bow (Philippians 2:10). c. The name will cause every tongue to confess that Jesus is Lord, for the Glory of God (Philippians 2:9-11). Passion of Apostle Paul Introduction Jesus said he is the Way, the Truth and Life and no one can go to the father except through in. In other words, he was telling the believers that unless they walked as he did, they would never see God. It is through the acceptance and emulation of the example of Jesus that believers can learn to conform to the mind and ways of Jesus. One character of Jesus that stood out among all was humility and this is well illustrated in Philippians 2:1-11. By possessing this character, it will be very easy for believers to fellowship with each other, living in peace, have unity with Christ and treat each other with love, kindness, patience, while portraying self-lessness, gentleness, goodness. Basically, Philippians 2:1-11 is a call for the believers to emulate the humility of Jesus. Content The book of Philippians was written by Paul to the church of Philippians and by extension, all other Christians. At this time, Paul was in prison in Rome and was writing to thank the church in Philippians for the help they accorded him. He told them about what he went through in Rome and how his suffering helped to spread the gospel. He also used this book to warn them of priding in the flesh, advise them and encourage them to press on in their Christian walk. In Philippians 2:1-11, Paul narrowed his teaching into calling the believers to emulate the humble nature of Christ1. In his writing, Paul is pleading with the Christian s to sum up every good character they had by having the same mind as that of Christ. He went ahead to illustrate of the level of humility Christ had and how this humility cause him and God to be glorified. When Paul was writing this letter, he knew that the believers always longed for the encouragement and comfort that comes through unity with Christ and fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Through these verses, Paul took a step of telling the Philippians that if they really longed for the consolation of the love of Christ, unity with him and fellowship with the spirit, there are some characters they must possess or things they must do for this to be complete 2. Personally, Paul also always longed for the strengthening of the Christians and their maturity in Christianity till they reached the stature of Christ. He knew this was the surest thing that they could qualify them to enter heaven and this would be his joy. He therefore tells them to make his joy complete by possessing the chara cters he was listing to them. In Philippians 2:2, Paul calls on the Christians to be likeminded, have the same love, and be one in spirit and of one mind. By telling them to be likeminded, be one in spirit and mind, Paul was advising them to avoid any differences amongst themselves and have one focus. He was also stressing on the need for unity that would arise if the church became one in the spirit. In this case, if they all waked under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Just as the Holy Spirit is in perfect
Friday, September 6, 2019
Religion and Grand Zoroastrian Nation Essay Example for Free
Religion and Grand Zoroastrian Nation Essay It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions; and I thank you in the name of the millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects. My thanks, also to some of the speakers on this platform who, referring to the delegates from the Orient, have told you that these men from far-off nations may well claim the honour of bearing to different lands the idea of toleration. I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation, which has sheltered the persecuted, and the refugees of all religion and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion, which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation. I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: ‘As the different streams having their sources in different places all mingle their water in the sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which men take through different tendencies various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee’. Quoted from Siva Mahimnah Stotram 7. The present convention, which is one of the most august assemblies ever held, is in itself a vindication a declaration to the world of the wonderful doctrine preached in the Gita: ‘Whosoever comes to Me, through whatsoever form I reach him; all men are struggling through paths which in the end lead to Me’. Quoted from Geeta 4:11. Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization, and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But their time is come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honour of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wend ing their way to the same goal.
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Analysis of Tescos Corporate Governance and Responsibility
Analysis of Tescos Corporate Governance and Responsibility 1.0 INRODUCTION 1.1 Overview of the project Corporate governance and Corporate Responsibility have gained an increasing amount of importance over the last decade due to some of the worlds greatest corporate scandals that have been taking place. These scandals have not been happening to the under developed or developing economies, which have a high rate of corruption, but instead have been taking place in the developed countries, which supposedly have had various safeguards to protect the interests of all the stakeholders. Following the collapse of major multi-nationals such as the Maxwell Empire in the UK, Enron in the United States and Parmalat in Italy to name just a few, findings of fraud, dishonesty, irregular accounting and too much power held by one individual soon came to light. As a result, people and investors have lost the trust they placed in the financial markets and the big corporations to safeguard their assets and interests. The loss in confidence has seen big drops in the stock markets around the world and should the trend continues, the whole world economy would collapse which would lead to devastating consequences. As a result of those alarming situations, governments around the globe have devised frameworks of good corporate governance and passed on various laws, rules and regulations to hold companies responsible for their own actions, known as Corporate Governance and Responsibility in order to ensure that such scandals are not repeated in the future. The main corporate governance frameworks include the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Developments (OECD) principles, the UK revised Combined Code (2003) and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in the United States. Some of these are legally binding, such as the one in the United States while others operate on a comply or explain basis. This project will place more emphasis on the governance framework in the UK, namely the revised Combined Code, though I will make brief analyses of other reports and frameworks. Why I chose this particular topic area is for many reasons. Firstly, I believe that there is still scope to improve corporate governance worldwide and hence, wished to learn more about it. Secondly, despite the fact that corporate governance and corporate responsibility have become increasingly important in todays world and that companies have to adhere to the rules or principles, reports of fraud and bad management are still emerging in the developed economies, which lead to the collapse or nationalisation of various organisations. Well known examples in the UK include the nationalisation of Northern Rock bank and the government pumping in money into its various other banks, including Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland among others. It therefore begs the question about the credibility of the corporate governa nce framework. In addition, as a business student, it is now imperative to have a good understanding of the subject and as a taxpayer and citizen, I am both directly and indirectly affected by corporate behaviour. 1.2 The Organisation in question This thesis revolves around Tesco plc, one of the worlds leading retailers. Opened in 1919 by founder Jack Cohen, his first days sales were  £4 with a profit of  £1. By 1947, the company floated on the stock exchange with a share price of 25p and by 1979, its annual sales has reached  £1 billion. In 1983, Tesco Stores (Holdings) Ltd becomes Tesco PLC. Nowadays, the company has entered various other markets including the USA, China, Korea and many other European countries. It has also diversified into other industries, including financial services and is currently making profits in excess of  £2 billion. It is the UKs biggest supermarket in terms of turnover with 2,115 UK stores and employing 280, 373 staff in the UK alone (Tesco annual report 2008) .Such an organisation has been chosen for various reasons, namely because: It is a listed company, and hence according to the London Stock Exchange rules, it needs to adhere to the principles of the UK Combined Code on Corporate Governance on a Comply or Explain basis. Therefore, I will be able to determine whether such a big company is really being a good corporate citizen. Most of the data that I will need to conduct my research is readily accessible through its website, including its financial statements and annual reports. Data on similar organisations, such as Sainsburys plc is also readily accessible, which would prove to be very useful for comparison purposes. This would help me to make an analysis on how those two similar organisations are complying with the UK combined code on corporate Governance and whether the departure from for example a specific code is usual for these companies or ot. Tesco plc has a very large number of stakeholders and hence it is interesting to find out how the company is working towards fulfilling its responsibility towards them. In other words, how it is being corporately responsible, especially how it is dealing with the principal-agent problem. In addition, according to the companys annual report, Tesco follows a diversification strategy, laid down over 10 years ago and which has been the foundation of its enormous success in recent years. Due to the companys size, Tesco has segmented itself into 5 main areas: CORE UK COMMUNITY NON FOOD RETAILING SERVICES INTERNATIONAL The UK is its biggest market and the core of the business. The main aim here is to provide its customers with excellent value and choice. As well as deriving high shareholder value, the company also tries to be a corporate citizen. In addition to its annual report, the company also publishes a Corporate Responsibility report to show that it is a responsible business. Over the past decade, the company diversified into the non-food market whereby it offers a range of products, from laptops to mobile phones, etcThe aim here is to be as strong in food as in non-food, competing on price and value. Following its success into the non-food market, the company went into retailing services, offering financial services to its customers. Again here, this sector has proven to be profitable for the company. Nowadays, Tesco is not only operating in the UK but also in most European countries as well as in the US and Asia. The company has been expanding very quickly and is the number 1 retailer in Thailand today! As can be seen, Tesco has followed through a diversification strategy throughout the last decade, expanding not only into other markets but into other industries as well. Considering that diversification is quite a risky strategy, the company has been performing exceptionally well, defying the current credit crunch to record profits of over 2 billion pounds! Such a big and successful company provides us with ample opportunities to assess whether there are any irregularities in its reports, ie, whether there is good governance or not! 1.3 Research Questions The dissertation is mainly an analytical one, in that an analysis on the companys corporate governance and its corporate responsibility report will be performed. The main objective is to determine whether the company is behaving responsibly, by complying with all the provisions of the code and how is it discharging its duties towards its stakeholders. The main questions that will therefore be investigated are the following: Has Tesco complied in all respect with the principles of Corporate Governance and if not, why has it departed from a particular provision? Is there a link between its Corporate Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility and its financial position? Is the company projecting an image of a good corporate citizen? The above will form the main research questions though I will also be looking at various other aspects briefly such as: Variety of directors at the organisation. The difficulty in finding the right people with the right skills for the company. The role of Tescos audit committee, including independence issues. Public relations regarding the effect on the company if seems to flout regulations. The companys budget towards fulfilling its corporate responsibility How the company is working towards being eco-friendly Whether the company provides proper adequate training, pension provisions, etc 1.4 Overall Research Approach The starting point for the thesis indulges firstly into a broad explanation of both corporate governance and corporate responsibility. We will look at various definitions from a few sources in order to provide the reader with an understanding of the subject. Good corporate governance is incorporated into many reports. The main ones that will be the focus of the dissertation are notably the Cadbury report, Hambel report, Greenbury report, Higgs report, Smith report and the Turnbull Committee. The main points of the UK Combined Code (revised July 2003) will be discussed in a bit more detail, since it will form the basis of our first topic of interest of the project. In addition, the London Stock Exchange now requires all its listed companies to comply with the above code, which includes Tesco. As such, the first project objective will be achieved, whereby we can make an analysis whether Tesco has complied fully with the code or not. Whether there is a link between Tescos governance system and its financial performance will be the second part of the project. An analysis of the companys financial statements will be performed to assess its financial performance using various accounting techniques, such as ratio analysis, industry, competitor and international comparisons. Other items, such as share price movements, off balance sheet finance, creative accounting and conflicts of interests between management and shareholders will also be looked at to ensure that the figures provided in the financial statements are not misleading, especially to both current and potential investors. The impact of Tescos corporate governance system on its various stakeholders will form the next point. The main stakeholders that will be investigated here will be: Shareholders Employees Suppliers Customers Loan provider Government Public Each of the above points will be explored in details and an assessment on stakeholders conflicts of interests will be discussed briefly if there are any. Next on the agenda will be the topic of Corporate Responsibility. I will be making an analysis to determine how well Tesco is taking the responsibility to consider the interests of customers, employees, shareholders, society and the environment in its operational activities. Lastly, the thesis will focus on any criticisms and possible recommendations on the organisations corporate governance system and on its corporate social responsibility. 2.0 Information gathering Gathering information and data effectively is key to achieving a good project. A great deal of research is needed and very often there might be data overload. When too much data is collected, it sometimes becomes very difficult to analyse and interpret them properly which may be problematic in doing well in the thesis. On the other hand, not collecting enough data may lead to the wrong conclusion, thus rendering the thesis useless or even misleading. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that one must collect information properly and effectively in order to avoid wasting time and sometimes even money. We should always bear in mind that the data that needs to be collected should be sufficient so as to achieve the research objectives. 2.1 Sources of information There are two types of data, mainly primary and secondary data. Primary data is data that is unique to the researcher, and that is unavailable anywhere else. There are different methods of collecting such types of data. The main ones though are: Survey Questionnaires Observation and Interviews Primary data is often very valuable since it is unavailable anywhere else. However, collecting it is very time consuming and costly. In addition to that, one must always ensure that a proper margin of error is selected and that a good sample size is chosen. Otherwise, all the benefits of primary data will be lost. As can be seen, though valuable, it is often very time consuming and costly. Secondary data, as the name suggests, is data that is not unique. It is data that already exists somewhere else. Secondary data is data that has already been collected and collated by somebody for some reason other than the current study. It can be used to get a new perspective on the current study, to supplement or compare the work or to use parts of it, as another study may prove costly and time consuming e.g. the census. Secondary data can further be divided into two parts, namely qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative data includes biographies, personal letters, diaries, records, documents, published material, computer database, policy statements, etc. Quantitative data would have market research, census, and Economic documents, planning documents or specimens. The list is endless and once the type of secondary data is identified, it becomes easy to locate the source. The following is a list of where data has been collected and scrutinised for the purpose of the thesis: 2.1.1 Textbooks Textbooks have always been a major source of information. In fact, due to the increased importance of corporate governance, corporate responsibility and responsibility accounting, many textbooks have attempted to explain the concept of those topics and their relevance of in todays financial world. In todays accounting profession, it is now recommended that all accountants be familiar with corporate governance and especially ethics. This is mainly due to those scandals such as Enron which shook the whole financial world. It has been one of the most talked topics in the recent decade regarding the top CFOs and CEOs integrity! I found the texts regarding corporate governance and corporate responsibility to be well documented, which has been quite useful in analysing the topics in question. I made use of several textbooks, including many accounting ones. The main one I have used for my research is the BPP textbook for the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants P1, Professional Accountant. The textbook has provided me with a great insight about ethics and corporate governance and has helped a lot in preparing for this analysis. In addition, I also found the Heriot-Watt University MBA textbook regarding corporate governance to be extremely useful. This has helped me to understand from scratch why corporate governance is so important! The MBA textbook goes into much more details on the subject which really broadened my knowledge and provided me an insight from the barriers to improvement on governance systems to the various policy responses. The benefits of using textbooks are that they contained a great deal of literature on the issue of corporate governance, which not only helped me in achieving some of my aims for my project but also opened my eyes on the effects it has on each and every one of us. Unfortunately, textbooks have some drawbacks as well. Firstly, one needs to get the right texts for a particular research topic, which can take a lot of time. Next, there is a lot of reading to do, and if time is a constraint, this can pose a serious problem. In addition, although one may get the right books, one also has to make sure that they are the latest editions, since they tend to contain updated data and information. 2.1.2 Professional magazines Professional magazines are another great source of information. As a regular subscriber to the economist, needless to say that they have been of tremendous help to my thesis. From an economic point of view, I understood how corporate governance impacts on everyones life, no matter where you are or whichever country you are working in. The Enron scandal for example did not only affect its employees and the United States citizens but everyone else in the world. Now one may asks oneself how do i get affected if i live in Nepal for example. The answer to that I understood it by reading the economist! When Enron collapsed, first of all, the employees and shareholders and whoever were directly connected were the first to suffer. But Enron was a major global player in the financial markets, which sent shockwaves across the whole world, meaning we were all impacted by their actions! It is therefore no wonder that legislations such as the Sarbanes-Oxley were quickly brought into force in the United States. A lot of other countries also brought in their own codes of best practice on corporate governance and responsibility accounting. All this knowledge, I gained from those professional magazines, which are a great way of keeping up to date. Other magazines that have been useful in my research include the various accountancy magazines, such as Student Accountant which i receive regularly, since I am also an accountancy student from the association of chartered certified accountants. 2.1.3 Library I visited various libraries in order to be able to collect as much information as possible for my research. There is a local library where I live and this helped a lot. I needed to find journal articles and specific books for corporate governance and corporate responsibility. However, the problem I encountered at the library is that there were far too many books for me to choose from and that was very time consuming. I had no other option but to seek help from the librarians, who were most eager to help. I spent a really long-time reading and summarising all the information that I believe would be useful to me. A big drawback was that there were a lot of outdated information which was very frustrating. However libraries are a great source to get information from and they have been most useful to me. 2.1.4 The internet The internet nowadays is one of the most indispensable tools for information gathering. It is an integral part on everyones life and without it, mankind would be kind of lost! The big advantage of using the internet is the speed at which a large amount of data can be accessed. For that reason, it had been one of my principal sources of information. The information is mostly free and it is easily accessible. Though some websites require a payment to get the information provided, most were free of charge. Most of the information regarding this thesis has been accessed from the internet. As with every good thing, the internet has its drawbacks as well. First, one needs to make sure that by accessing information for our own use, we should make sure that we are not infringing anyones copyright. We also have to be very careful due to the spread of viruses which can damage ones computer and stealing our private information. In any case, the internet remains one of the most powerful tool to gather information. 2.1.5 Tesco plc annual report (2008) The companys annual reports were easily accessible from the website and provided me with a wealth of information in regards to corporate governance and corporate responsibility. I managed to even get a 5 year summary of the companys financial statements which has helped me to draw out a lot of conclusions regarding performance. However, as one would expect, the report portrayed Tesco as a good citizen which does everything ethically. I could not therefore rely a hundred percent on everything the report said about. 3.0 Ethical Issues As in any thesis, ethics play a very important role. Therefore, one needs to make sure to being completely ethical whenever gathering information and using them for ones purpose. 3.1.1 Information gathering Bias and Balance: Recognizing biased information, looking for balanced views, exploring opposing views, recognizing commercial interests in published information. Fact or Opinion: Recognizing factual information, looking for evidence of factual truth, recognizing and valuing opinion. Knowledge Gaps: Identifying missing information, locating missing information, stating research methodologies so that others can search further. 3.1.2 Information Evaluation Accuracy: Is the information accurate when checked against other sources? How reliable and error-free is the information? Authority: Does the information source qualify as an expert? Is the source rightly expected to know the facts and specifics? Are the qualifications of the author/speaker clearly stated? Is the author/speaker affiliated with an institution or organization? Is there contact information available for the author of a written document? Content: What is the purpose of the information, i.e. to inform, convince, or sell? What does it contribute to your understanding of the issues? Who is the intended audience based on content, tone, and style? What is the overall value of the content compared to other resources on the topic? Coverage: Does the information cover the subject adequately? Are there inexplicable omissions? Currency: Is the publication date clearly stated? When was the information last revised? Is it maintained and updated regularly? Are the links on a web page up-to-date and useable? Documentation: Are you certain the information is based on more than hearsay? Does the author explain where the information was obtained? Does the web page or article contain a bibliography or list of sources used? 3.1.3 Information Use Fair Use of Information: Copyright law allows limited copying for educational and archival purposes, but does limit even that to no more than 10% of a work, among other restrictions. Proper Citation: Complete citations of sources used is the most important issue, attributing information to its true author, and including enough information for another to locate the source. The ethical issues above (3.1.1 3.1.3) were compiled by H. Heller-Ross, Plattsburgh State University. They have been included in this thesis to help readers take a grasp on the various ethical issues which may impact upon ones research. 4.0 Results and Analysis Corporate Governance 4.1 Corporate Governance Corporate governance is the system by which organisations are directed and controlled. (Cadbury A. 1992) Corporate governance is a set of relationships between a companys directors, its shareholders and other stakeholders. It also provides the structure through which the objectives of the company are set, and the means of achieving those objectives and monitoring performance are determined. (Johnston D. J OECD Secretary General) Corporate governance, the system by which organisations are directed and controlled, is based on a number of concepts including transparency, independence, accountability and integrity. (BPP, P1 2007) Corporate governance is the system by which companies are directed and controlled. It deals largely with the relationship between the constituent parts of a company the directors, the board (and its sub-committees) and the shareholders. Transparency and accountability are the most important elements of good corporate governance. This includes: the timely provision by companies of good quality information; a clear and credible company decision-making process; Shareholders giving proper consideration to the information provided and making considered judgements. The corporate governance framework in the UK operates at a number of levels: through legislation particularly the Companies Act; Through regulation and in particular for listed companies through the listing rules, which are the responsibilities of theFinancial Services Authority. Through the Combined Code which is the responsibility of the Financial Reporting Council. It contains general principles and more detailed provisions relating to the corporate governance of listed companies. It is appended to the FSAs Listing Rules, which require these companies, in their annual report and accounts to, (i) report on how they apply the principles, and (ii) confirm that they comply with the Codes provisions or, where they do not, provide an explanation: hence the comply or explain principle which, if applied effectively, underpins informed dialogue between directors and shareholders. contains general principles. (http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/businesslaw/corp-governance/page15267.html) What the above definitions are about is that organisations should be managed in the best interest of everyone connected. In other words, directors should not forget that they are the agents of the companies they manage and they have a responsibility towards the various stakeholders. Therefore, they should act with integrity and honesty and should not just be concerned with filling their own pockets. The principal agent problem consists of trust and risk. (Lee, A.T. 2006). This trust may be breached by the agents by pursuing their own interest or through negligence and fraud. History is witness to this abuse, which has resulted in shareholders losing their investments and employees losing their jobs with no fault of theirs. As a consequence, stakeholders now want reassurance that such scandals are not repeated, resulting in corporate governance frameworks around the world. The success of a company based on the principal-agent relationship is dependent on the effectiveness of its corporate governance particularly the competence and independence of its board of directors and various subcommittees. (Lee, A.T. 2006) 4.2 Various Corporate Governance Reports The various scandals around the financial world prompted governments to review corporate governance, especially about those companies that are listed in the stock markets. This lead to a wide range of corporate governance reports being written by scholars around the world. The main ones in the UK are listed below, with a brief explanation about it. 4.2.1 The Cadbury report The Cadbury Report, titled Financial Aspects of Corporate Governance, is a report of a committee chaired by Adrian Cadbury that sets out recommendations on the arrangement of company boards and accounting systems to mitigate corporate governance risks and failures. The report was published in 1992. The reports recommendations have been adopted in varying degree by the European Union, the United States, the World Bank, and others. 4.2.2 The Greenbury Report The Greenbury report was issued in 1995 by a committee under the chairmanship of Sir Richard Greenbury that developed a number of recommendations of the Cadbury Report on directors remuneration. It stressed the importance of a remuneration committee of non executive directors , the provision of information on remuneration policy in the annual report and accounts, and the restriction of notice and contract periods to less than one year. 4.2.3 The Hambel Report This was a committee set up under the chairmanship of Sir Ronald Hampel to review the implementation of the Cadbury Code and the recommendations of the Greenbury report. A report was issued in 1998 emphasizing that the primary duty of directors is to shareholders and that the recommendations of the two earlier reports should be treated as guidelines rather than prescriptive rules. 4.2.4 The Turnbull Report The latest link in the UK corporate governance chain is the September 1999 publication Internal Control: Guidance for Directors on the Combined Code otherwise called, after its chairman (Nigel Turnbull, Executive Director of Reed Plc), the Turnbull Report (Turnbull). Turnbulls guidance is based upon the adoption by a companys board of a risk-based approach to establishing a sound system of internal control, and on Accountability, transparency, corporate social responsibility: a new mantra for a new millennium. reviewing its effectiveness. This should be incorporated by a company within its normal management and governance processes. The span of internal control contemplated by Turnbull stretches wider than financial controls, to encompass social and environmental issues matters that have recently come to be grouped together under the generic heading of reputational risk. 4.2.5 The Higgs Report The Higgs Report, named after its author Derek Higgs focused on the role and effectiveness of the non-executive director so as to consolidate the UKs combined code on corporate governance. The report was published in January 2003 and it was expected that the revised combined code will come into effect in July 2003. 4.2.6 The Smith Report Following the major financial scandals around the world, the Financial Reporting Council invited Sir Robert Smith to chair a report on the role and responsibilities of the audit committees. The aim was to develop the existing Combined Code guidance and to clarify the duties of the non executive directors meant to form the audit committee. 4.2.7 UK Combined Code The Combined Code on Corporate Governance sets out standards of good practice in relation to issues such as board composition and development, remuneration, accountability and audit and relations with shareholders. All companies incorporated in the UK and listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange are required under the Listing Rules to report on how they have applied the Combined Code in their annual report and accounts. Overseas companies listed on the Main Market are required to disclose the significant ways in which their corporate governance practices differ from those set out in the Code. The Combined Code contains broad principles and more specific provisions. Listed companies are required to report on how they have applied the main principles of the Code, and either to confirm that they have complied with the Codes provisions or where they have not to provide an explanation. (http://www.frc.org.uk/corporate/combinedcode.cfm) The combined code on corporate governance will be the benchmark against which an analysis of corporate governance at Tesco will be made. Any areas of the code which have not been followed or where the company has tried to manipulate it will be looked at in detail and conclusions drawn out. 5.0 Analysis of Tescos Governance system 5.1 Directors 5.1.1 The board As at 28 February 2009, the Board of Tesco PLC comprised eight Executive Directors, seven independent Non-executive Directors and David Reid, Non-executive Chairman. The Companys Articles of Association require all new Directors to be submitted for election by shareholders in their first year following appointment. The Board has appointed one Non-executive Director, Rodney Chase, to act as Senior Independent Director. The Senior Independent Director is available to shareholders to assist in resolving concerns, should the alternative channels be inappropriate. The Senior Independent Director is also required to lead the discussion in relation to assessing the effectiveness of the Chairmans performance. The Non-executive Directors bring a wide range of skills and experience, as well as independent judgement on strategy, risk and performance to the Compa Analysis of Tescos Corporate Governance and Responsibility Analysis of Tescos Corporate Governance and Responsibility 1.0 INRODUCTION 1.1 Overview of the project Corporate governance and Corporate Responsibility have gained an increasing amount of importance over the last decade due to some of the worlds greatest corporate scandals that have been taking place. These scandals have not been happening to the under developed or developing economies, which have a high rate of corruption, but instead have been taking place in the developed countries, which supposedly have had various safeguards to protect the interests of all the stakeholders. Following the collapse of major multi-nationals such as the Maxwell Empire in the UK, Enron in the United States and Parmalat in Italy to name just a few, findings of fraud, dishonesty, irregular accounting and too much power held by one individual soon came to light. As a result, people and investors have lost the trust they placed in the financial markets and the big corporations to safeguard their assets and interests. The loss in confidence has seen big drops in the stock markets around the world and should the trend continues, the whole world economy would collapse which would lead to devastating consequences. As a result of those alarming situations, governments around the globe have devised frameworks of good corporate governance and passed on various laws, rules and regulations to hold companies responsible for their own actions, known as Corporate Governance and Responsibility in order to ensure that such scandals are not repeated in the future. The main corporate governance frameworks include the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Developments (OECD) principles, the UK revised Combined Code (2003) and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in the United States. Some of these are legally binding, such as the one in the United States while others operate on a comply or explain basis. This project will place more emphasis on the governance framework in the UK, namely the revised Combined Code, though I will make brief analyses of other reports and frameworks. Why I chose this particular topic area is for many reasons. Firstly, I believe that there is still scope to improve corporate governance worldwide and hence, wished to learn more about it. Secondly, despite the fact that corporate governance and corporate responsibility have become increasingly important in todays world and that companies have to adhere to the rules or principles, reports of fraud and bad management are still emerging in the developed economies, which lead to the collapse or nationalisation of various organisations. Well known examples in the UK include the nationalisation of Northern Rock bank and the government pumping in money into its various other banks, including Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland among others. It therefore begs the question about the credibility of the corporate governa nce framework. In addition, as a business student, it is now imperative to have a good understanding of the subject and as a taxpayer and citizen, I am both directly and indirectly affected by corporate behaviour. 1.2 The Organisation in question This thesis revolves around Tesco plc, one of the worlds leading retailers. Opened in 1919 by founder Jack Cohen, his first days sales were  £4 with a profit of  £1. By 1947, the company floated on the stock exchange with a share price of 25p and by 1979, its annual sales has reached  £1 billion. In 1983, Tesco Stores (Holdings) Ltd becomes Tesco PLC. Nowadays, the company has entered various other markets including the USA, China, Korea and many other European countries. It has also diversified into other industries, including financial services and is currently making profits in excess of  £2 billion. It is the UKs biggest supermarket in terms of turnover with 2,115 UK stores and employing 280, 373 staff in the UK alone (Tesco annual report 2008) .Such an organisation has been chosen for various reasons, namely because: It is a listed company, and hence according to the London Stock Exchange rules, it needs to adhere to the principles of the UK Combined Code on Corporate Governance on a Comply or Explain basis. Therefore, I will be able to determine whether such a big company is really being a good corporate citizen. Most of the data that I will need to conduct my research is readily accessible through its website, including its financial statements and annual reports. Data on similar organisations, such as Sainsburys plc is also readily accessible, which would prove to be very useful for comparison purposes. This would help me to make an analysis on how those two similar organisations are complying with the UK combined code on corporate Governance and whether the departure from for example a specific code is usual for these companies or ot. Tesco plc has a very large number of stakeholders and hence it is interesting to find out how the company is working towards fulfilling its responsibility towards them. In other words, how it is being corporately responsible, especially how it is dealing with the principal-agent problem. In addition, according to the companys annual report, Tesco follows a diversification strategy, laid down over 10 years ago and which has been the foundation of its enormous success in recent years. Due to the companys size, Tesco has segmented itself into 5 main areas: CORE UK COMMUNITY NON FOOD RETAILING SERVICES INTERNATIONAL The UK is its biggest market and the core of the business. The main aim here is to provide its customers with excellent value and choice. As well as deriving high shareholder value, the company also tries to be a corporate citizen. In addition to its annual report, the company also publishes a Corporate Responsibility report to show that it is a responsible business. Over the past decade, the company diversified into the non-food market whereby it offers a range of products, from laptops to mobile phones, etcThe aim here is to be as strong in food as in non-food, competing on price and value. Following its success into the non-food market, the company went into retailing services, offering financial services to its customers. Again here, this sector has proven to be profitable for the company. Nowadays, Tesco is not only operating in the UK but also in most European countries as well as in the US and Asia. The company has been expanding very quickly and is the number 1 retailer in Thailand today! As can be seen, Tesco has followed through a diversification strategy throughout the last decade, expanding not only into other markets but into other industries as well. Considering that diversification is quite a risky strategy, the company has been performing exceptionally well, defying the current credit crunch to record profits of over 2 billion pounds! Such a big and successful company provides us with ample opportunities to assess whether there are any irregularities in its reports, ie, whether there is good governance or not! 1.3 Research Questions The dissertation is mainly an analytical one, in that an analysis on the companys corporate governance and its corporate responsibility report will be performed. The main objective is to determine whether the company is behaving responsibly, by complying with all the provisions of the code and how is it discharging its duties towards its stakeholders. The main questions that will therefore be investigated are the following: Has Tesco complied in all respect with the principles of Corporate Governance and if not, why has it departed from a particular provision? Is there a link between its Corporate Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility and its financial position? Is the company projecting an image of a good corporate citizen? The above will form the main research questions though I will also be looking at various other aspects briefly such as: Variety of directors at the organisation. The difficulty in finding the right people with the right skills for the company. The role of Tescos audit committee, including independence issues. Public relations regarding the effect on the company if seems to flout regulations. The companys budget towards fulfilling its corporate responsibility How the company is working towards being eco-friendly Whether the company provides proper adequate training, pension provisions, etc 1.4 Overall Research Approach The starting point for the thesis indulges firstly into a broad explanation of both corporate governance and corporate responsibility. We will look at various definitions from a few sources in order to provide the reader with an understanding of the subject. Good corporate governance is incorporated into many reports. The main ones that will be the focus of the dissertation are notably the Cadbury report, Hambel report, Greenbury report, Higgs report, Smith report and the Turnbull Committee. The main points of the UK Combined Code (revised July 2003) will be discussed in a bit more detail, since it will form the basis of our first topic of interest of the project. In addition, the London Stock Exchange now requires all its listed companies to comply with the above code, which includes Tesco. As such, the first project objective will be achieved, whereby we can make an analysis whether Tesco has complied fully with the code or not. Whether there is a link between Tescos governance system and its financial performance will be the second part of the project. An analysis of the companys financial statements will be performed to assess its financial performance using various accounting techniques, such as ratio analysis, industry, competitor and international comparisons. Other items, such as share price movements, off balance sheet finance, creative accounting and conflicts of interests between management and shareholders will also be looked at to ensure that the figures provided in the financial statements are not misleading, especially to both current and potential investors. The impact of Tescos corporate governance system on its various stakeholders will form the next point. The main stakeholders that will be investigated here will be: Shareholders Employees Suppliers Customers Loan provider Government Public Each of the above points will be explored in details and an assessment on stakeholders conflicts of interests will be discussed briefly if there are any. Next on the agenda will be the topic of Corporate Responsibility. I will be making an analysis to determine how well Tesco is taking the responsibility to consider the interests of customers, employees, shareholders, society and the environment in its operational activities. Lastly, the thesis will focus on any criticisms and possible recommendations on the organisations corporate governance system and on its corporate social responsibility. 2.0 Information gathering Gathering information and data effectively is key to achieving a good project. A great deal of research is needed and very often there might be data overload. When too much data is collected, it sometimes becomes very difficult to analyse and interpret them properly which may be problematic in doing well in the thesis. On the other hand, not collecting enough data may lead to the wrong conclusion, thus rendering the thesis useless or even misleading. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that one must collect information properly and effectively in order to avoid wasting time and sometimes even money. We should always bear in mind that the data that needs to be collected should be sufficient so as to achieve the research objectives. 2.1 Sources of information There are two types of data, mainly primary and secondary data. Primary data is data that is unique to the researcher, and that is unavailable anywhere else. There are different methods of collecting such types of data. The main ones though are: Survey Questionnaires Observation and Interviews Primary data is often very valuable since it is unavailable anywhere else. However, collecting it is very time consuming and costly. In addition to that, one must always ensure that a proper margin of error is selected and that a good sample size is chosen. Otherwise, all the benefits of primary data will be lost. As can be seen, though valuable, it is often very time consuming and costly. Secondary data, as the name suggests, is data that is not unique. It is data that already exists somewhere else. Secondary data is data that has already been collected and collated by somebody for some reason other than the current study. It can be used to get a new perspective on the current study, to supplement or compare the work or to use parts of it, as another study may prove costly and time consuming e.g. the census. Secondary data can further be divided into two parts, namely qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative data includes biographies, personal letters, diaries, records, documents, published material, computer database, policy statements, etc. Quantitative data would have market research, census, and Economic documents, planning documents or specimens. The list is endless and once the type of secondary data is identified, it becomes easy to locate the source. The following is a list of where data has been collected and scrutinised for the purpose of the thesis: 2.1.1 Textbooks Textbooks have always been a major source of information. In fact, due to the increased importance of corporate governance, corporate responsibility and responsibility accounting, many textbooks have attempted to explain the concept of those topics and their relevance of in todays financial world. In todays accounting profession, it is now recommended that all accountants be familiar with corporate governance and especially ethics. This is mainly due to those scandals such as Enron which shook the whole financial world. It has been one of the most talked topics in the recent decade regarding the top CFOs and CEOs integrity! I found the texts regarding corporate governance and corporate responsibility to be well documented, which has been quite useful in analysing the topics in question. I made use of several textbooks, including many accounting ones. The main one I have used for my research is the BPP textbook for the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants P1, Professional Accountant. The textbook has provided me with a great insight about ethics and corporate governance and has helped a lot in preparing for this analysis. In addition, I also found the Heriot-Watt University MBA textbook regarding corporate governance to be extremely useful. This has helped me to understand from scratch why corporate governance is so important! The MBA textbook goes into much more details on the subject which really broadened my knowledge and provided me an insight from the barriers to improvement on governance systems to the various policy responses. The benefits of using textbooks are that they contained a great deal of literature on the issue of corporate governance, which not only helped me in achieving some of my aims for my project but also opened my eyes on the effects it has on each and every one of us. Unfortunately, textbooks have some drawbacks as well. Firstly, one needs to get the right texts for a particular research topic, which can take a lot of time. Next, there is a lot of reading to do, and if time is a constraint, this can pose a serious problem. In addition, although one may get the right books, one also has to make sure that they are the latest editions, since they tend to contain updated data and information. 2.1.2 Professional magazines Professional magazines are another great source of information. As a regular subscriber to the economist, needless to say that they have been of tremendous help to my thesis. From an economic point of view, I understood how corporate governance impacts on everyones life, no matter where you are or whichever country you are working in. The Enron scandal for example did not only affect its employees and the United States citizens but everyone else in the world. Now one may asks oneself how do i get affected if i live in Nepal for example. The answer to that I understood it by reading the economist! When Enron collapsed, first of all, the employees and shareholders and whoever were directly connected were the first to suffer. But Enron was a major global player in the financial markets, which sent shockwaves across the whole world, meaning we were all impacted by their actions! It is therefore no wonder that legislations such as the Sarbanes-Oxley were quickly brought into force in the United States. A lot of other countries also brought in their own codes of best practice on corporate governance and responsibility accounting. All this knowledge, I gained from those professional magazines, which are a great way of keeping up to date. Other magazines that have been useful in my research include the various accountancy magazines, such as Student Accountant which i receive regularly, since I am also an accountancy student from the association of chartered certified accountants. 2.1.3 Library I visited various libraries in order to be able to collect as much information as possible for my research. There is a local library where I live and this helped a lot. I needed to find journal articles and specific books for corporate governance and corporate responsibility. However, the problem I encountered at the library is that there were far too many books for me to choose from and that was very time consuming. I had no other option but to seek help from the librarians, who were most eager to help. I spent a really long-time reading and summarising all the information that I believe would be useful to me. A big drawback was that there were a lot of outdated information which was very frustrating. However libraries are a great source to get information from and they have been most useful to me. 2.1.4 The internet The internet nowadays is one of the most indispensable tools for information gathering. It is an integral part on everyones life and without it, mankind would be kind of lost! The big advantage of using the internet is the speed at which a large amount of data can be accessed. For that reason, it had been one of my principal sources of information. The information is mostly free and it is easily accessible. Though some websites require a payment to get the information provided, most were free of charge. Most of the information regarding this thesis has been accessed from the internet. As with every good thing, the internet has its drawbacks as well. First, one needs to make sure that by accessing information for our own use, we should make sure that we are not infringing anyones copyright. We also have to be very careful due to the spread of viruses which can damage ones computer and stealing our private information. In any case, the internet remains one of the most powerful tool to gather information. 2.1.5 Tesco plc annual report (2008) The companys annual reports were easily accessible from the website and provided me with a wealth of information in regards to corporate governance and corporate responsibility. I managed to even get a 5 year summary of the companys financial statements which has helped me to draw out a lot of conclusions regarding performance. However, as one would expect, the report portrayed Tesco as a good citizen which does everything ethically. I could not therefore rely a hundred percent on everything the report said about. 3.0 Ethical Issues As in any thesis, ethics play a very important role. Therefore, one needs to make sure to being completely ethical whenever gathering information and using them for ones purpose. 3.1.1 Information gathering Bias and Balance: Recognizing biased information, looking for balanced views, exploring opposing views, recognizing commercial interests in published information. Fact or Opinion: Recognizing factual information, looking for evidence of factual truth, recognizing and valuing opinion. Knowledge Gaps: Identifying missing information, locating missing information, stating research methodologies so that others can search further. 3.1.2 Information Evaluation Accuracy: Is the information accurate when checked against other sources? How reliable and error-free is the information? Authority: Does the information source qualify as an expert? Is the source rightly expected to know the facts and specifics? Are the qualifications of the author/speaker clearly stated? Is the author/speaker affiliated with an institution or organization? Is there contact information available for the author of a written document? Content: What is the purpose of the information, i.e. to inform, convince, or sell? What does it contribute to your understanding of the issues? Who is the intended audience based on content, tone, and style? What is the overall value of the content compared to other resources on the topic? Coverage: Does the information cover the subject adequately? Are there inexplicable omissions? Currency: Is the publication date clearly stated? When was the information last revised? Is it maintained and updated regularly? Are the links on a web page up-to-date and useable? Documentation: Are you certain the information is based on more than hearsay? Does the author explain where the information was obtained? Does the web page or article contain a bibliography or list of sources used? 3.1.3 Information Use Fair Use of Information: Copyright law allows limited copying for educational and archival purposes, but does limit even that to no more than 10% of a work, among other restrictions. Proper Citation: Complete citations of sources used is the most important issue, attributing information to its true author, and including enough information for another to locate the source. The ethical issues above (3.1.1 3.1.3) were compiled by H. Heller-Ross, Plattsburgh State University. They have been included in this thesis to help readers take a grasp on the various ethical issues which may impact upon ones research. 4.0 Results and Analysis Corporate Governance 4.1 Corporate Governance Corporate governance is the system by which organisations are directed and controlled. (Cadbury A. 1992) Corporate governance is a set of relationships between a companys directors, its shareholders and other stakeholders. It also provides the structure through which the objectives of the company are set, and the means of achieving those objectives and monitoring performance are determined. (Johnston D. J OECD Secretary General) Corporate governance, the system by which organisations are directed and controlled, is based on a number of concepts including transparency, independence, accountability and integrity. (BPP, P1 2007) Corporate governance is the system by which companies are directed and controlled. It deals largely with the relationship between the constituent parts of a company the directors, the board (and its sub-committees) and the shareholders. Transparency and accountability are the most important elements of good corporate governance. This includes: the timely provision by companies of good quality information; a clear and credible company decision-making process; Shareholders giving proper consideration to the information provided and making considered judgements. The corporate governance framework in the UK operates at a number of levels: through legislation particularly the Companies Act; Through regulation and in particular for listed companies through the listing rules, which are the responsibilities of theFinancial Services Authority. Through the Combined Code which is the responsibility of the Financial Reporting Council. It contains general principles and more detailed provisions relating to the corporate governance of listed companies. It is appended to the FSAs Listing Rules, which require these companies, in their annual report and accounts to, (i) report on how they apply the principles, and (ii) confirm that they comply with the Codes provisions or, where they do not, provide an explanation: hence the comply or explain principle which, if applied effectively, underpins informed dialogue between directors and shareholders. contains general principles. (http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/businesslaw/corp-governance/page15267.html) What the above definitions are about is that organisations should be managed in the best interest of everyone connected. In other words, directors should not forget that they are the agents of the companies they manage and they have a responsibility towards the various stakeholders. Therefore, they should act with integrity and honesty and should not just be concerned with filling their own pockets. The principal agent problem consists of trust and risk. (Lee, A.T. 2006). This trust may be breached by the agents by pursuing their own interest or through negligence and fraud. History is witness to this abuse, which has resulted in shareholders losing their investments and employees losing their jobs with no fault of theirs. As a consequence, stakeholders now want reassurance that such scandals are not repeated, resulting in corporate governance frameworks around the world. The success of a company based on the principal-agent relationship is dependent on the effectiveness of its corporate governance particularly the competence and independence of its board of directors and various subcommittees. (Lee, A.T. 2006) 4.2 Various Corporate Governance Reports The various scandals around the financial world prompted governments to review corporate governance, especially about those companies that are listed in the stock markets. This lead to a wide range of corporate governance reports being written by scholars around the world. The main ones in the UK are listed below, with a brief explanation about it. 4.2.1 The Cadbury report The Cadbury Report, titled Financial Aspects of Corporate Governance, is a report of a committee chaired by Adrian Cadbury that sets out recommendations on the arrangement of company boards and accounting systems to mitigate corporate governance risks and failures. The report was published in 1992. The reports recommendations have been adopted in varying degree by the European Union, the United States, the World Bank, and others. 4.2.2 The Greenbury Report The Greenbury report was issued in 1995 by a committee under the chairmanship of Sir Richard Greenbury that developed a number of recommendations of the Cadbury Report on directors remuneration. It stressed the importance of a remuneration committee of non executive directors , the provision of information on remuneration policy in the annual report and accounts, and the restriction of notice and contract periods to less than one year. 4.2.3 The Hambel Report This was a committee set up under the chairmanship of Sir Ronald Hampel to review the implementation of the Cadbury Code and the recommendations of the Greenbury report. A report was issued in 1998 emphasizing that the primary duty of directors is to shareholders and that the recommendations of the two earlier reports should be treated as guidelines rather than prescriptive rules. 4.2.4 The Turnbull Report The latest link in the UK corporate governance chain is the September 1999 publication Internal Control: Guidance for Directors on the Combined Code otherwise called, after its chairman (Nigel Turnbull, Executive Director of Reed Plc), the Turnbull Report (Turnbull). Turnbulls guidance is based upon the adoption by a companys board of a risk-based approach to establishing a sound system of internal control, and on Accountability, transparency, corporate social responsibility: a new mantra for a new millennium. reviewing its effectiveness. This should be incorporated by a company within its normal management and governance processes. The span of internal control contemplated by Turnbull stretches wider than financial controls, to encompass social and environmental issues matters that have recently come to be grouped together under the generic heading of reputational risk. 4.2.5 The Higgs Report The Higgs Report, named after its author Derek Higgs focused on the role and effectiveness of the non-executive director so as to consolidate the UKs combined code on corporate governance. The report was published in January 2003 and it was expected that the revised combined code will come into effect in July 2003. 4.2.6 The Smith Report Following the major financial scandals around the world, the Financial Reporting Council invited Sir Robert Smith to chair a report on the role and responsibilities of the audit committees. The aim was to develop the existing Combined Code guidance and to clarify the duties of the non executive directors meant to form the audit committee. 4.2.7 UK Combined Code The Combined Code on Corporate Governance sets out standards of good practice in relation to issues such as board composition and development, remuneration, accountability and audit and relations with shareholders. All companies incorporated in the UK and listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange are required under the Listing Rules to report on how they have applied the Combined Code in their annual report and accounts. Overseas companies listed on the Main Market are required to disclose the significant ways in which their corporate governance practices differ from those set out in the Code. The Combined Code contains broad principles and more specific provisions. Listed companies are required to report on how they have applied the main principles of the Code, and either to confirm that they have complied with the Codes provisions or where they have not to provide an explanation. (http://www.frc.org.uk/corporate/combinedcode.cfm) The combined code on corporate governance will be the benchmark against which an analysis of corporate governance at Tesco will be made. Any areas of the code which have not been followed or where the company has tried to manipulate it will be looked at in detail and conclusions drawn out. 5.0 Analysis of Tescos Governance system 5.1 Directors 5.1.1 The board As at 28 February 2009, the Board of Tesco PLC comprised eight Executive Directors, seven independent Non-executive Directors and David Reid, Non-executive Chairman. The Companys Articles of Association require all new Directors to be submitted for election by shareholders in their first year following appointment. The Board has appointed one Non-executive Director, Rodney Chase, to act as Senior Independent Director. The Senior Independent Director is available to shareholders to assist in resolving concerns, should the alternative channels be inappropriate. The Senior Independent Director is also required to lead the discussion in relation to assessing the effectiveness of the Chairmans performance. The Non-executive Directors bring a wide range of skills and experience, as well as independent judgement on strategy, risk and performance to the Compa
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