Cute Love Quotes

Love quotes can be both romantic and sad. However, the ones that always make me smile are the cute love quotes. These charming quotes never fail to grab my attention. Use the following cute love quotes to bring a smile to the face of your beloved and show how much you care. American ProverbYou have to kiss a lot of toads before you find a handsome prince.TalmudWhere love is, no room is too small.Jean-Francois de la HarpeWe never forget those who make us blush.AnonymousYou know when you have found your prince because you not only have a smile on your face but in your heart as well.​Joseph BarthMarriage is our last, best chance to grow up.Joanne WoodwardSexiness wears thin after a while and beauty fades, but to be married to a man who makes you laugh every day, ah, now thats a real treat.Erich SegalTrue love comes quietly, without banners or flashing lights. If you hear bells, get your ears checked.Pearl BaileyWhat the world really needs is more love and less paperwork.Mark TwainAfter all these years, I see that I was mistaken about Eve in the beginning; it is better to live outside the Garden with her than inside it without her.Lisa HoffmanLove is like pi: natural, irrational, and very important.AnonymousLove is when you wake up thinking of no one else but, that person!Robert FulghumWhen we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness -- and call it love -- true love.J. D. SalingerThats the thing about girls. Every time they do something pretty, even if theyre not much to look at, or even if theyre sort of stupid, you fall half in love with them, and then you never know where the hell you are.Zora Neale HurstonLove, I find, is like singing. Everybody can do enough to satisfy themselves, though it may not impress the neighbors as being very much.Sacha GuitryI am in favor of preserving the French habit of kissing the hands of ladies. After all, one must start somewhere.Guy de MaupassantA legal kiss is never as good as a stolen one.Michael LeunigLove one another and you will be happy. Its as simple and as difficult as that.

Henri Matisse Essay - 2592 Words

Henri Matisse Henri Matisse was born December 31st, 1869 to two storeowners, Emile and Heloise Matisse. His father wanted him to be a lawyer, so later on in life he could takeover the family business. They sent him to Henri Martin Grammar School where he studied to be a lawyer. There was a hint of artist in Henri because while working as a lawyer’s assistant he took up a drawing course (Essers 7). It was for curtain design but it seemed to be destiny for a lawyer’s assistant to take up such a distant hobby as drawing. At the age of 21, his intestinal operation led to appendicitis. Henri was on bed rest for most of 1890 and to help him occupy his time, his mother bought him a set of paints. That was the turning point in†¦show more content†¦Matisse then began studying at a school started by a fellow artist and friend Camillo because he was not confident enough in his ability to be an independent artist. In 1903, Matisse started accepting harshful commissions that took a toll on him. He became so sick that he though to give up painting. This is when he produced Studio under the Eaves. Matisse told his son, â€Å"That was the transition from valeurs to colors† (Essers 12). The next year he read Paul Signac’s â€Å"From Delacroix to Neo-Impressionism†. Matisse began to move further away from the techniques and style of Impressionism. The famous summer of 1905 was spent in Collioure with Derain and Maurice de Vlaminck. This summer marked the most important turning point in Matisse’s art career. During the summer, they experimented with the pointillism techniques of Seurat, but towards the end of the summer, the three artists had moved in a very different direction. The paintings produced in Collioure rejected Impression and began a new movement. They exhibited their works in the Salon d’Automne, which they also founded in 1903. The paintings, View of Collioure and Le Bonheur de Vivre received loud criticism from nearl y everyone who had seen them. Louis Vauxcelles, gave them the name the â€Å"Fauves† (Flam 79). They were nicknamed the â€Å"wild beasts† because of their use and experimentation with bright, unnatural colors. Their grass was not green, butShow MoreRelatedPablo Picassos Cubism And Henri Matisse Fauvism1845 Words   |  8 Pageswould be rejected and labeled degenerate. During this time, foundations were put to the test and it was completely disordered by revolutionary ideas and styles. This art influenced a vast majority of modern day art. Pablo Picasso’s cubism and Henri Matisse fauvism helped shape this era not only in style of painting, but a revolution against conformity of a social artistic structure. Cubism was a style of painting imagined, created, and performed by Pablo Picasso. Cubism represents an art movementRead MoreLa Musique ( English : The Music ), By Henri Emile Benoit Matisse1228 Words   |  5 PagesLa Musique (English: The Music), by Henri Emile Benoit Matisse. 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In this essay, each artist’s approach to the subject of the female nude will be closely analyzed, compared, and contrasted, as will their styles of painting, handling of visual elements, and their useRead MoreWhat Was Cubism And Fauvism?853 Words   |  4 Pagesindistinguishable in who the artist was. Fauvism on the other hand, â€Å"was the first of the avant-garde movements that flourished in France in the early years of the twentieth century† (Rewald, Hilbrunn Timeline of Art History). Fauvism was first portrayed by Henri Matisse and also shown somewhat in the paints of Van Gogh’s. So what is the different between Cubism and Fauvism? Many characteristics separate Cubism from Fauvism, such as: multiple angles, reconstruct objects, flattened space and geometric blocks of Read More Madam Matisse- (the green line) Essay954 Words   |  4 Pages The Artwork. ‘Madam Matisse’ is a rather famous portrait of Matisse’s wife, and is a great example of a fauvist artwork, using many bold, bright and contrasting colours throughout the painting. This painting was created using oil and tempura on canvas; tempera being a glutinous water-soluble material such as egg yolk, which is added to painting medium. The paint has been applied in bold, thick and vigorous brushstrokes, in several layers, along with added texture. The green line in the centreRead MoreAnalysis : Still Life With Oranges II 1134 Words   |  5 Pagesto be no room left for astonishment. What I find so special about this beautiful painting is the technique and the artist’s vision of the scenery. Even though the second half of the 19th century was the time of rebelliousness in the art world, Henri Matisse managed to find his own niche and create his own style of painting. While â€Å"Still Life with Oranges II† appears as a primitive piece of work th at neglects canonic rules of proportion, shade and volume, it opens doors to the personal world of theRead MoreEssay on The Artwork of Henry Matisse571 Words   |  3 PagesMatisse once said, â€Å"A good art work should be like an arm chair in which you could relax at the end of the day†. This statement of Matisse’s indicates that artist’s artwork should be an art of balance, of purity and tranquillity devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter. An art which is created for everyone in society and that is like a pacifying influence, something like a good arm chair in which you could rest from physical fatigue. Moreover, his paintings are about imagination, dreams andRead MoreThe Chapel of Vence: Art and Enlightenment1008 Words   |  5 PagesThe Chapel of Vence: Art and Enlightenment Best known for his use of color, Henri Matisse cleverly cultivated his status as a modern artist using many different styles of painting from Impressionism to Fauvism. The artwork of Matisse has been a milestone in the history of painting. Henri Matisse’s self-proclaimed masterpiece, however, a chapel in Vence, France, is a small, minimalist building. The amalgamation of modern art and the sacred creates a unique spiritual experience in that it welcomesRead MoreThe Art Of Paul Cezanne1530 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso were both profoundly influenced by the art of Paul Cà ©zanne, somewhat ironically since the latter is reported to have been quite uncertain of his artistic contributions and anxious about his legacies (Merleau-Ponty, 1945). Picasso described Cà ©zanne as â€Å"my one and only master† ; while Matisse noted that â€Å"it is undoubtedly to Cà ©zanne that I owe the most† . The Large Bathers was one of two final paintings produced by Cà ©zanne in 1906, the year of his deathRead MoreMatisse s Bonheur De Vivre ( Joy Of Life ) And Picasso s Les Demoiselles D Avignon1123 Words   |  5 PagesDemoiselles d’Avignon. This paper will also discuss how both works of art can be simultaneously seen as (1) inspired by, and (2) breaking free of Paul Cà ©zanne’s work The Large Bathers. This discussion will also make note of specific visual references. Matisse (Courtesy of https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b9/Bonheur_Matisse.jpg). Bonheur de Vivre (1905-1906) is considered to be a work created during the Fauvism period of art. Fauvism separated the use of color, from its purpose of representing

Leiningen Versus The Ants Essay Example For Students

Leiningen Versus The Ants Essay In the story, Leiningen Versus the Ants by Carl Stephenson, Leiningen had no fear over nature. The author, Carl Stephenson, uses characterization, foreshadowing, and Flashback to prove that people underestimate nature. Carl Stephenson uses first-class characterization to show Leiningen is a not frightened by nature and how he is a dynamic character. It is clearly demonstrated that he is not scared of nature when Leiningen says, The human brain needs only to become fully aware of its powers to conquer even the elements. What he is trying to say is that all I need is intelligence to surmount nature. Leiningen is a dynamic character and Carl Stephenson does a mediocre job on making him change. At the beginning of the story the narrator says, Act of God, my eye! Anyway, I m not going to run for it just because an elemental s on the way. Establishing a character that is not scared of nature. And at the end the story Leiningen destroys his plantation for the worker and his life, making Leiningen understand the fear of nature and constructing the theme. Foreshadowing plays a great deal in this story. Carl Stephenson used this writing technique to make the story more exciting for the average reader. He gave you little clues on what is going to happen but he did not give up the resolution. The old man says, You don t know them! telling Leiningen that he is underestimating the ants. Also when everyone was saying Act of God which tells the reader that something wrong is going to happen. If it weren t flashback this story would have been never ending. Flashback is when the narrator tells the reader about things that happened at an earlier time. The one example of foreshadowing, in this story, is when the narrator says, Moreover, during his three years as a planter, Leiningen had met and defeated drought, flood, plague, and all other acts of God. Carl Stephenson used excellent foreshadowing to make his story a lot shorter and show how Leiningen dealt with nature. Carl Stephenson used superb characterization, foreshadowing, and Flashback to simply show people underestimate the power of nature.

Violence, Television, And Children Essays - Dispute Resolution

Violence, Television, And Children Television violence causes destructive behavior in children, however; television can be a powerful influence to young viewers in our society. Unfortunately, much of todays television programming are very violent. Many researchers like scientists, pediatricians, and child researchers in many countries have studied to find out what it is about television violence that makes it such a big affect on the way kids act and behave. Sometimes, children think that is a normal thing in our real life, by watching only a single violent program, which can increase aggressiveness on children and become violent, aggressive, and vicious. Usually, U.S. children begin watching television at a very early age, sometimes as early as six months, and are eager viewers by the time that they are two or three years. The amount of time that children spend watching television is very interesting because like four hours a day, 28 hours a week, by the time they graduate from high school, children spend more time watching TV than any other activity, besides sleeping. However, children that watch many programs in which violence is very real, parents show no affinity toward violence and that is why the child think that violence is not bad. Normally children cannot tell the differences between real and unreal, that is why young viewers are unable to realize that when a character attacks someone it is real and should not be imitated from them. Also, when television shows that allow the character who commits the crime they do not receive punishment, it teaches children that it is fine to commit a crime because there wont be punishment and kids feel that if they do the same thing as the character from the program who committed the crime they will be a hero, that is why many of the programs that children watch send the message that a conflict always involves a winner and a loser. The media in general reduces the different values of life, also makes violence and even death, which seem funny and unreal that children do not learn to respect themselves and in general, because of the violent television that is influencing them even more. If parents ignore or approve of their child's aggressive behavior, or if they lose control too easily themselves, a TV control plan will not help at all. In the same way, if parents themselves show violent behavior, they serve as role models for their children too. However, parents should use major measures to prevent harmful effects from television, radio, and the Internet in other areas such as racial or sexual stereotyping. If you see the amount of time that children watch TV, should be moderated, because it keeps children from other, more beneficial activities such as reading and playing safe games with friends, (Mander, 1978, p.258). But, parents can also use several measures to prevent harmful effects from television in other areas such as racial or sexual stereotyping and other types of violence on television. If parents have serious difficulties setting limits for their children, or have current concerns about how their child is reacting to television, they should contact a child and adolescent psychiatrist for any questions that they might have about their child behavior. Once parents are aware of the influence that television violence has on their children, parents can do is find out what their children are watching, if it is inappropriate they can turn off and explain their children the reason why the set is being turned off. But also, parents should evaluate and watch the programs from television before allowing children to watch them or parents should ask their children about what they are watching and what part of the program they like the most and if the parent thinks that is bad for them, they should explain the child the reason that the child should stop watching that show or cartoon. However, 47% of violent television programs show the victim going unharmed, especially in many cartoons. Many cartoons are the most that contain violence, many of the cartoons show bowled over by another character and they get back up without being harmed and children begin to believe that violence doesnt really hurt others. Still, children see many actors and

IRA

IRA The Irish Republican Army, more commmonly known as the IRA, is a secret military, nationalist organisation. Planned and organized by Michael Collins after the Easter Rebellion in 1916, the IRA officialy formed in 1919 as an unregistered military force. Their most significant effort was to change the combined area of Ireland and Northern Ireland into a single country. The IRA was made up of Irish Volunteers and later on, after beoming the policital wing of Sing Fein had leaders such as Arthur Griffith and Eamon de Valera to associate with.In the year that the IRA started, they began a guerrilla war, harassing police and military with sudden ambushes and violent force. This then leading the British Government to inforce the Government of Ireland Act in 1920. This dividing Ireland into 2 separate states, each with limited powers of self-government. The 2 parts Ireland, officially called the Republic of Ireland, which is made up of 26 counties and home to mainly Catholics and Northern Ir eland, which is made up of 6 counties and home to mainly Protestants.Éamon de ValeraThe IRA was still determined to make an Independent nation. The Catholics of Ireland disagreed with the act, this leading the IRA to continue the war until 1921. A treaty was then signed, making Ireland a dominion "" a self-governing country, this dominion was called the Irish Free State.The treaty resulted in a major split in the IRA. One group, led by Michael Collins, accepted The Irish Free State and became part of the army for the Free State. The other group, led by Eamon de Valera and called the Irregulars, totally rejected the treaty because it showed very little signs of complete independence away from British rule and didn't bring a complete union with Northern Ireland. Early in 1922, civil...

All About the Genre of Character Writing

All About the Genre of Character Writing A brief descriptive sketch of a class or type of person (such as a city slicker, a country bumpkin, or a grumpy old man) rather than of an individual personality. Character-writing became a popular literary form in England following the publication in 1592 of a Latin translation of Theophrastus, an ancient Greek writer of similar sketches. Characters eventually became more individualized and were integrated with the essay and the novel. Also Known As: character sketch Examples of Character Writing The Character of the Man in Black, by Oliver GoldsmithA Definition of a Gentleman, by John Henry NewmanGood Souls, by Dorothy ParkerThe Landlord, by Henry David ThoreauMr. Barlow, by Charles DickensThe Plumber, by Anthony TrollopeThe Satirist, by Robert Louis StevensonStatus Details in Tom Wolfes DescriptionsThree Characters by John EarleThe True Friend, by Joseph Hall Etymology From the Latin (mark, distinctive quality) from the Greek (scratch, engrave) Observations and Examples: The 17th of a Character: The AnchormanHe graduated from drama school and looked for parts in television. Because he had prognathous jaws like a cowboys and every cilium of his light-brown hair seemed to be nailed into his skull for keeps, he was steered into the news department. At first, like all beginning newscasters, he had to leave the building...He would stand in front of the building and hold a microphone covered in black styrofoam and recite AP or UPI copy about [an] event. He could do this without skipping a beat, and he maintained his head of hair nearly intact, and soon he did not have to leave the building anymore. He was promoted to the anchor desk of the stations six oclock news broadcast, where he reads the AP and UPI copy from the Teleprompter. Only two things stand in the way of his goal of reaching the network news desk. One is the Anchorwoman, a fireproof blonde who is so aggressive, such a nutcracker, that she terrifies him. His on-air Happy Hour Chitchat with her sounds as if it is being extracted by water torture. The other is the ever-so-imperceptibly widening part in his hair.(Tom Wolfe, Success Stories: The Anchorman. In Our Time, Farrar, 1980) The Theophrastian CharacterTheophrastus (c. 371 of a Character: The Penurious ManThe Penurious man is one who, while the month is current, will come to ones house and ask for a half-obol [a silver coin]. When he is at the table with others he will count how many cups each of them has drunk; and will pour a smaller libation to Artemis than any of the company. Whenever a person has made a good bargain for him and charges him with it, he will say that it is too dear. When a servant has broken a jug or a plate he will take the value out of his rations; or, if his wife has dropped a three-farthing piece, he is capable of moving the furniture and the sofas and the wardrobes, and of rummaging in the curtains. If he has anything to sell he will dispose of it at such a price that the buyer shall have no profit. He is not likely to let one eat a fig from his garden, or walk through his land, or pick up one of the olives or dates that lie on the ground, and he will inspect his boundaries day by day to see if they remain the same. He is apt, also, to enforce the right of distraining, and to exact compound interest. When he feasts the men of his parish, the cutlets set before them will be small: when he markets, he will come in having bought nothing. And he will forbid his wife to lend salt, or a lamp-wick, or cummin, or verjuice, or meal for sacrifice, or garlands, or cakes; saying that these trifles come to much in the year. Then, in general, it may be noticed that the moneyboxes of the penurious are mouldy, and the keys rusty; that they themselves wear their cloaks scarcely reaching to the thigh; that they anoint themselves from very small oil-flasks; that they have their hair cut close; that they take off their shoes in the middle of the day; and that they are urgent with the fuller to let their cloak have plenty of earth, in order that it may not soon be soiled.(The Characters of Theophrastus, edited and translated by R.C. Jebb. Macmillan, 1870)

GROW Model of Coaching Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

GROW Model of Coaching - Research Paper Example Coaching in the business world refers to providing necessary support to the subordinates in order to uplift their capabilities, attitudes, skills and behaviors in a manner that will produce high and/or desired outcomes. Coaching is performed in many categories such as life, health, sports, relationships, conflicts, business or performance etc. Various approaches have been proposed in each of these categories. In this topic, business or performance coaching will be studied based on the GROW model, and an analysis will be done to understand how GROW model can help the managers and their subordinates, as well as its impact on the organization. Conclusions will be drawn based on findings from the study conducted. What is GROW? The GROW model school of coaching was first developed by Sir John Whitmore, an athlete by profession (Wilson, 2011). GROW is a short form of goal, reality, opportunity and the will to do. The GROW model provides very specific approach to coaching, unlike other mode ls, which will help the coaches in any field as it provides a step-by-step approach to the process of coaching. The GROW model provides a wide range of options in every step for the coach to study, analyze and arrive at a solution. Goal: The goals stage usually precedes all as it involves discussion of the person’s objectives and aims in the short and long-term. The topic for discussion or the coaching session needs to be clarified before beginning any coaching-related activity. The coachee’s long-term aims need to be broken into short-term objectives that are realistic and achievable. This process will help in gaining the individual’s attention and commitment to the coaching process. Umicker asserts that coaching is the first activity that an employee experiences once he joins the organization, which is conducted in the form of orientation and training (McConnell, 2010). The expectations that are set during this period will help aligning the employees to the or ganizational goals, which is critical to the employees’ performance. Reality: The next step to coaching is to identify the real situation, or the reality. This would involve analyzing the current position or situation, and the obstacles that are hindering the coachee’s progress. The best way to undertake this process is to encourage self-assessment from the candidate and to avoid any sort of assumptions from either side. A very effective method for the supervisors or leaders to check reality is to be connected to their employees. An effective method that would assist this process is ‘management by wandering around,’ as explained by Peters and Austin (McConnell, 2010). Secondly, the coach needs to assess the significance and seriousness of the issue and the goal to the coachee; the coachee’s feelings associated with his/her current situation and the goal to be achieved; any other issues that the coachee might have. Opportunity: Once the reality is id entified, the range of options available at hand need to be explored along with the coachee. This process will be most effective when the coachee is encouraged to provide suggestions and ideas along with the coach offering suggestions after a careful examination. A range of options will help in better choices to be made. However, it is also important to note that the choice of option must not be completely vested with the coachee, considering his/her knowledge and

Accounting Scandals Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Accounting Scandals - Case Study Example Refco became a public company on August 11, 2005 when a large number of shares were floated to the public to raise 583 million dollars. In October, the Company's financial crisis was made public through an announcement that the CEO, Philip R Bennett had concealed as much as 545 million dollars in bed debts from the Company's investors and auditors by keeping them off the account books, in order to artificially inflate earnings and boost up the Company's stock price.(White and O'Hara 2005:D01). This anomaly in the accounts was discovered during a process of internal review which was carried out over the preceding weekend. Refco's stock prices plunged immediately once the announcement was made, resulting in losses of more than $1 billion in shareholder value, with its bonds also plummeting to insolvency levels.(White and O'Hara 2005:D01).The Company reportedly engaged in a series of circular transactions, whereby an unnamed business entity owned by Mr. Bennett was buying off Refco's bad debts at every quarter, so that they did not show up on Refco's books. The unidentified company owned by Mr. Bennett assumed those deb ts of third parties which were likely to be difficult or impossible to collect (Teather, 2005). The Chairman arranged for a Refco subsidiary, Refco Capital Markets to lend money to a hedge fund company named Liberty Corner Capital, which in turn lent the money to Refco Group Holdings, which paid off the debt to Refco Inc.(White and O'Hara 2005:D01). In this way, at the end of every quarter when accounting statements became due, debt was temporarily moved off Refco's books and onto Liberty's account. Such accounting scandals generate fears of a liquidity squeeze and market contagion, highlighting the need for tighter regulation and higher levels of disclosure and transparency in hedge funds (The Herald 2005). Accountants and banks are being sued as a part of the shareholder class action suits against Refco, because the circular pattern of transactions which occurred regularly at the end of every fiscal quarter and then unwound after the quarters ended were themselves a warning alarm bell which should have sounded in the minds of auditors and accountants (White and O'Hara 2005:D01). Goldman Sachs, CSFB and other leading investment banks are being sued for negligence in underwriting and advising on Refco's float issue and on its bond issues, which led to the perpetration of accounting fraud.(Walsh, 2005). Refco Capital Markets is at the centre of the regulatory investigations, because this was the corporate entity through which Bennett was able to receive loan funds, which were hidden from Company auditors and officers. A commodity funds Company is suing Refco for diverting its assets to an insolvent entity like Refco Capital markets, while senior executives at an Australian bank, Bawag, are also being scrutinized for their role in the scandal, because the bank approved a loan of 420 million dollars which was just prior to the accounting manipulation that was taking place.(Fortune, 2006:5) The Polly Peck Scandal: Polly Peck was initially a small clothing company on the London stock exchange which did not demonstrate any remarkable profits, but its fortunes began to change when it came under the management of Asil Nadir, a Turkish businessman, in 1980. Over the next ten years, the Company experienced an unprecedented level of growth. In 1980, it also moved into the fruit packing business through a public share funded acquisition of Uni-Pac, which was a company already owned by Nadir.(Wearing, 2005: 41). The move away from clothing into fruit packing represented a risk for the

City Road Essay Example for Free

City Road Essay Another would be that pedestrians seem to be favoured more so than motorists. For instance the islands in the middle of the road, they are there to make crossing City Road safer and more convenient to those who travel by foot. The island isn’t just the concrete mound in the middle of the road, it also includes the paint on the ground around it which cars are not allowed to drive over. Again, the bollards that were erected along the pavements are there to favour pedestrians. The reason why they were put there is to stop vehicles parking on the curbs, which was a problem before the bollards were put in place as the cars and lorries would park right over the pavements making it difficult for people to walk past and leaving less space for people with prams or wheelchairs to go round. Some things favour different groups because they appeal to different groups. Take for example the Taste Buds Cafe; one thing that struck me straight away was that the majority of the customers in there were predominantly female and mostly the older generation. They like to go in there because it appeals to them, it appeals to them because; The price is reasonable- a lot of the customers will be drawing a pension so keeping costs down is important to them, They feel safe- because there are regulars who go there and they get familiar with one another and that gives the customers a sense of safety because they know what to expect and Mr Suarez the cafe owner aids in the feeling of safety through being consistent in the way in which he runs his business. Also the menu is all home cooked and this is important to his customers. Because of all these factors, Mr Suarez’s cafe is geared more towards the older generation than the younger ones so in a sense it is favouring, although that isn’t altogether a bad thing. Lastly I would mention the security cameras. They are positioned all over City Road and they are there for a number of reasons, one reason is that a crime is less likely to be committed in an area which has CCTV (which deters people from offending) and also it makes people in the area feel safer knowing that these things are in place to not only aid in the catching of the people who commit the crimes but also that it is part of crime prevention too. CCTV is important on City Road because it does make the residence feel that little bit safer, a lot of them feel that the road is a bit â€Å"rough† and not the sort of place you would like to walk down at night, even though the local policeman denies that there is a problem with crime in the area. People just perceive it to be a crime hotspot, despite having little to no experience of any serious crimes having taken place on the road. Most of the material things on City Road favour one group over another but some inadvertently and some deliberately, the issue with the busses for example is inadvertent. They are not purposely designed to be inconvenient to a certain

Confidence in Organized Labor :: essays research papers

INTRODUCTION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Statement of problem People have opinions and thoughts about many issues relating to the work force. They wonder what is the best occupation to get in, how much money they can make in certain fields, who the best employers might be. Some of the big concerns people have when thinking about employment is benefits. What can a company provide to the potential employee in terms of insurance, vacations, advancement, and all the extras associated with the perks of certain companies? At the time do these people wonder about the organizations that may have a say in those benefits they so covet. The labor unions Through my research I have found very little information that deals with confidence in organized labor. Most of the data that I have obtained is more closely related to unions in general than to the people who have confidence in them; and I will attempt to ascertain whether people have confidence in organized labor, not whether they approve or disapprove of labor unions. With the little information that I was able to obtain in this quest, I suggest that this research would be beneficial to sociology by presenting more information on the topic of confidence in organized labor and giving sociologists a platform from which to proceed with further research in this area.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Objectives One objective of this paper is to determine whether there is confidence in organized labor. Another objective is to ascertain whether there is an association between certain independent variables relating to the level of confidence in organized labor. LITERATURE REVIEW   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The topic of confidence in organized labor is an expansive subject which can be studied from the perspectives of many different variables. What I want to know is what others have written about confidence in organized labor, how the different variables of my research react to unions, whether there are any reasons they feel this way, what the unions are doing to gain confidence, and whom they are likely to target for membership. I have read that education may affect the way people feel toward unions (Sares, 1991). Meikasins and Smith’s (1993) article about how professionals are not as unionized as their industrious counterparts tend to show an association about income and confidence. (Most professionals earn more than industry workers.) One of the areas of my research is race (Wilson, 1989): does this variable have any association with confidence in organized labor? Another focus of in my research is whether sex can attribute to one’s view on labor unions (Sares).

Learning Team Essay

Learning Team A discussed the learning objectives assigned for week three of class. Specifically, the team members discussed strategies to help develop effective groups and teams. The team members also discussed strategies to resolve conflict within organizations. The discussion included topics with which the team members felt comfortable or struggled with and how the weekly topics applied to team members’ business field. This paper summarizes Learning Team A’s discussions. Strategies to Develop Effective Groups and Teams The team members discussed the difference between the definitions of work group and work team. The work group share information and make decisions that assists each member perform tasks in his area of responsibility (Robbins & Judge, 2011). The group members do not engage in â€Å"collective work that requires joint effort (Robbins & Judge, 2011, Chapter 10) like a work team does. A work group does not create the synergy of a work team. The individual is accountable in a work group but both the individual and team members mutually are accountable. Work group members provide random and varied skills, whereas work team members bring complementary skills to the joint effort. Robbins and Judge (2011) categorized the major characteristics of effective teams into three general categories: context, composition, and process. In the context category, managers play a vital role in providing leadership, structure, a climate of trust, adequate resources, and a performance evaluation and reward systems to assist teams in becoming effective and highly productive. In the composition category, the manager must evaluate and select team members with the appropriate abilities, personalities, and diversity. Managers must determine the appropriate team size and either unilaterally or mutually allocate roles. Managers also must be aware of team member preferences and permit flexibility within the team. In the process category, managers must provide a common purpose and specific goals so team members understand and work toward a common purpose and can create a positive synergy. Additionally, managers must facilitate team efficacy, monitor conflict level, provide conflict resolution strategies, and monitor for social loafing by holding team members accountable individually and jointly. The team members were  comfortable with the concepts and terminology with regard to strategies to help develop effective teams. Team members are aware that many companies are relying on teams to accomplish tasks and goals because teams are flexible and more responsive to a dynamic business environment. Despite being comfortable with the concepts and strategies, the team members struggled with the implementation of some of the strategies. For instance, managers, tasked with building a team for a short-suspensed project, may face difficulties with building an effective, cohesive, committed, and productive team in a short time. Strategies to Resolve Conflict Within Organizations Robbins and Judge (2011) stated â€Å"The conflict process has five stages: potential opposition or incompatibility, cognition and personalization, intentions, behavior, and outcomes† (p. 457). Potential opposition or incompatibility is the first stage of the conflict process, and it has three categories: communication, structure, and personal variables. Stage two is cognition and personalization. Conflict issues are defined in this stage. Moreover, emotions have a major impact on influencing perception. Third, stage three is intentions. â€Å"Intentions intervene between people’s perceptions and emotions and their overt behavior† (Robbins & Judge, 2011, p. 459). There are five conflict-handling intentions: competing, collaborating, avoiding, accommodating, and compromising. Stage four is behavior, which is a vigorous process of communication. Furthermore, there are several techniques to conflict-resolution; for example, problem solving, avoidance, and compromise . There are also conflict-stimulation techniques; for example, communication, bringing in outsiders, and restructuring the organization. Last, stage five is outcomes. The outcomes can be functional; for example, â€Å"when it improves the quality of decisions, stimulates creativity and innovation, encourages interest and curiosity among group members, provides the medium through which problems can be aired and tensions released, and fosters an environment of self-evaluation and change† (Robbins & Judge, 2011, p. 463). However, the outcomes can be dysfunctional; for example, uncontrolled opposition can breed discontent, destroy cohesion and eventually could lead to the team destruction. Team members were comfortable with conflict resolution approaches; however, the team learned about conflict-stimulation techniques. The concept was new to  team members because conflict generally has had a negative connotation. The team members as managers will benefit from using both the confli ct-resolution and conflict-stimulation techniques in their workplaces. Conclusion In sum, the team members discussed strategies to help develop effective groups and teams. The team members also discussed strategies to resolve conflict within organizations. The discussion included topics with which the team members felt comfortable or struggled with and how the weekly topics applied to team members’ business field. This paper summarized Learning Team A’s discussions. References Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2011). Organizational Behavior (14th ed.). Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.

Project Management-Transformational Corporate Strategy Essay

Overview of the case study The business environment is very competitive. Consequently, companies need to offer customers proficient and reliable service. If they do not, customers will switch to more consumer efficient companies. Furthermore, as companies grow in size, it becomes harder to keep track of the growing amount of sales and customer information. If a company does a poor job by not focusing and maintaining customer satisfaction, it can result in problems for both the company and the consumer. This study will focus on the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, more commonly known as 3M, and how it empowered its employees, improved its growth rate, customer service and sales by introducing a new approach to growth. This study also provides critical interrogation on the approaches and strategies applied by Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company in its efforts to turn around the company after the loss of profit despite the reputable strong tradition of innovation culture. Firstly, the study provides critical elements of innovative methods applied in order to exploit the profitable gains from the excellent research practise. This is done by explicating innovation process that has been applied at the 3M Company  leading to innovative strategic thinking coupled with the work done on the ground. It then identifies the curative recommendations in addressing the major problems that have been identified throughout the case. The fundamental problem of the 3M Company was the inability to exploit profitable improvements by exploiting its excellent and reliable research practice to the advantage of the company. Consequently, the company could not diversify its products in relation to the demands of the fast changing and sophisticated markets at a worldwide level. The company needed to embark on a major example change without compromising its excellent research tradition but to seek turn around strategies in order to maximise its profits. Recommendations and conclusions are clearly defined and they reveal what the author thinks about being an innovative leader who is able to support employees’ in their new ideas by implementing the company culture which is supportive to all of them to produce successful projects. QUESTION 1: What are the main elements of the innovative process at 3M? Is it possible and desirable for other companies to emulate them? â€Å"Richard Lynch defines Innovation as the generation and exploitation of new ideas. Furthermore it also provides organisations with the ammunition to move ahead of the competition. He states that innovation can deliver three priceless asserts to strategic management: 1. Substantial future growth 2. Competitive advantage 3. Ability to leapfrog major competition, even dominant competitors The innovative process at 3M has usually been a focus area for the top management. The company adopted a get out of the away approach towards the product developers in return worked accordingly towards innovation, together with technicians each team had a process engineer to ensure that the product was efficiently made. ï  ¶ The whole team did not face any risk if the product has failed. ï  ¶ The product developers should pay visits in the factories and workplaces to talk to the workers to get ideas for products. ï  ¶ The developers were not given the share of product royalties as the company believed that innovation was driven by sheer love of it. But the developers were encouraged by various means like rewards for innovation and grants for innovative projects. ï  ¶ There was also a dual ladder approach that provided the senior technical persons with great career opportunities to advance without switching over to management. Some of the elements of an innovative process at 3M is a free frame, people are able, capable and freed from any restrictions. Nevertheless someone should judge, review the Innovation Process. Stage stones should be set up otherwise it is no real process. Furthermore the consistency and the success factor should beat a specific period extremely revised and reconsidered regarding implement capability. In today’s competitive industry, cost plays a big role. Innovation is perhaps one of the most words that are over used in the business world today, and some of the organisations blow the innovation trumpet preach but don’t necessarily practice. But there are organisations like 3M that do practice innovation which gives hope to the organisation as they are using innovation in their daily lives through ground breaking products & services which made the company to be in the top ten of Fortune magazine’s most admired US Company. 3M Company sticks to its innovation, If we take a step back from the Innovation process, for the process to be successful it needs an environment to encourage Innovation, below are the points of what the environment characteristics needs to be: ï  ¶ Organizations eager to take measured risks. ï  ¶Ã‚  Business leaders being able to understand technology and the application of it. ï  ¶ An organization that is exposed to change. ï  ¶Ã‚  An organization that is brave enough to see beyond the financial benefits is not made visible that quickly. ï  ¶ Processes and structures to encourage brave thinking business leaders that are able to see what tomorrow will look like The Innovation Process: (Tidd et al., 2005). States that â€Å"the ability to manage the innovation process is an essential competence of any organization, but members must first understand the workings of the process to be successful† Figure 1.1 Adapted from: O’Sullivan (Innovation Process) – 5/29/2008 â€Å"O, Sullivan further explains that† Idea generation The first stage in this perspective of the innovation process relates to the creative activity of generating an opportunistic idea. This stage involves the continuous scanning of the internal and external environment for threats and opportunities that might be developed into an innovation by the organization. This stage involves mining the sources of innovation for new ideas and evaluating solutions to identified problems. An organizational culture that encourages creativity and empowerment can significantly support this phase of the process; this is exactly the similar culture that functional at 3M Company. The input typically stems from a technical insight into a product or process. This is evident in the case of 3M, when Fry had an idea of taking a peelable  adhesive that had been developed some year’s earlier at the 3M research laboratories and spreading it to marketers, it is further mentioned in the case study that it worked well. Opportunity Recognition The second stage of the process is opportunity recognition, in which the opportunity of developing the idea into a new product, process, or service is assessed and evaluated relative to other opportunities. This phase of the process involves deciding which innovative ideas will be pursued by the organization and which are deemed outside its interest. The undertaking of innovative actions is both expensive and resource intensive for any organization, and even large organizations such as 3M. Development If an opportunity is recognized as appropriate for the organization, then the idea moves to a new stage where it can be developed further. This phase involves the development of the idea or solution into a potential innovation that is ready for launch to its internal or external market. The development of an innovation can be highly resource intensive for any organization. It also applies to Fry when his ideas worked well and requested permission to develop the product commercially and he was given an opportunity to develop a manufacturing process. Realization This phase of the innovation process relates to the launch to the market, which is where the customer makes the final evaluation of the innovation. Understanding customer needs is essential to ensure that the eventual offering to the market meets these needs. Competitive Advantage: A superiority gained by an organisation when it can provide the same value as its competitors but at a lower price, or can charge higher prices by providing greater value through differentiation which results from matching  core competencies to the opportunities. They had strong innovation and research foundation at 3M Company that has ability of adaptability, although they experienced loss before but they managed to turn around the situation. It appears that they do not have a competitor in the world with the same level as they are. Instead, there appears to be several competitors in each sector or industry in which 3M offers its products and services. Frequently, as companies grow, they tend to become more bureaucratic and less able to adapt to changes in the market or industry. To conclude I would say that 3M Company’s existing controls are very good and support their strategy. However, they should also incorporate the other missing controls to ensure greater innovation power and profitability. Looking at today’s Industries and competitions amongst them, in my opinion ,I would suggest other company’s follow the steps of 3M, the have made some mistakes but were able to turn around the situation due to their elements of innovation process. QUESTION 2: What do you think of Six Sigma? Can other companies do the same? Firstly Six Sigma is defined as a â€Å"program that is used to improve processes within the organization be it in manufacturing or production processes. Six Sigma is usually prepared at defining goals and problems, measuring existing data and processes, analysing problems and goals, improving processes or tasks and controlling how the problems will be resolved in the future. According to the research I have identified three traits from Six Sigma† I.  The advantages ï  ¶ The benefits of Six Sigma contain the improvement and development of operating processes to ensure quicker response time, quality products and services and better monitoring of performance and work outputs, which I think it is the best approach to growth for 3M since they have dropped their sales. ï  ¶ This type of an approach or model surely and possibly saved 3M Company to come up with the said results and benefits because it provides a formula in which an existing processes is checked for consistency, efficiency and effectiveness, if it fails to measure to the existing industry standards it is revised and redesigned to match the best practices . I would advise other companies to do the same because it is the model that guides the company. II.  The costs ï  ¶ The Six Sigma model also ensures that costs will be dropped because there will be limited time spent in the process and more time to work on the actual tasks which is already handy at 3M. ï  ¶ It appears time its cost is huge and that an organization has to appoint or hire a person that would guide and train top management and middle management in the principles of Six Sigma which is wise for all the companies like 3M than running their businesses at a lot, dropping sale, losing profit. ï  ¶ Furthermore Six Sigma will also empower the employees to gain knowledge as it is the model that will require trainings, yes it will be costly but with productive results at the end. III.  The risks ï  ¶ Six Sigma might also have its own risks, some organisations might not be patient but looking at its approach, it had a positive impact on the 3M Company; it also developed leadership skills and focused on customer satisfaction. Furthermore, even though the approach does wonders in the company, not all  companies of the 3M embraces Six Sigma some of these reasons are very costly training of human force, only applies to the manufacturing industry, and it is just a trend. Other companies might think that, main issue that have to challenge with is if the Six Sigma really benefits the company or  it cost the company to sacrifice the innovative and creative culture for the sake of continuous improvement of products to satisfy the customers and accelerate the financial performance. Nevertheless it proven worth it by 3M because of the rescue it has done to the company while it was falling behind. Organisational Culture: In terms of its organization culture, 3M’s Company culture is promoted to be freedom and full of excitement and anticipation. Employees enjoy being heroes. 3M Company is being innovative in its cultures and company growth, so the focus needs to be on how innovation in 3M, including working cultures and people management etc. can be replicated and benefits different areas in our daily applications Goldman, Maritz, Nienaber, Pretorius, Priilaid and Willliams (2010:94) referring to Roger Harrison’s model of organisational culture mentions that â€Å"it has various attributes with four types of culture that could be easily observed at 3M Company although one called power culture seemed to be more dominant than others. Goldman et al., (2010:95) continue their notion by saying that a person whose personality is suitable for the culture of the organisation will be more likely to succeed than the person who does not naturally fit within the organisation’s culture. The table below reveals all these cultures and their attributes. Culture Attributes Achievement culture Competence, growth, success and distinction Power culture Strength, direction, decisiveness, determination Role culture Structure, order, stability, control Support culture Relationships, mutuality, service, integration Figure 2.1: Adapted from: Goldman et al., (2010:95). Organisational cultures and their attributes. This case study has stressed some of the key activities and principles that contribute to 3M Company’s performance. Most of these are not new and are certainly used by other companies. In 3M Company’s case they may be summarized as an effective company culture that nurtures innovation and a range of management techniques and strategies that together have delivered long-term success. Most of companies pay lip service to the organisation values and practice set out in this case study. There is evidence that 3M Company supports these words with actions. 3M Company hire good people and trust them; this will bring about innovation and excellent performance. 3M Company ensured that introducing Six Sigma is a good move than at other companies. Moreover, the success of the approach is due to the continual reinforcement of its objectives. Indeed, also the performance of individuals is partly judged on whether they are able to achieve the objective. Marketing pull and Marketing push technology According to Lynch (2009:283) market pull is one of the principal sources of innovation which is customer needs analysis. Baker in Lynch (2009:293) emphasize by suggesting that innovation takes place when companies identify new market opportunities and this is how 3M Company attempted to employ market pull by introducing Six Sigma and this exposes that they had ability for creating innovation. The 3M Company business area was completely different from what Six Sigma specialised on so they were necessary forced to encourage creativity, develop leadership skills, customer satisfaction, and exploration and focus where new ideas can come from a wide variety of sources. According to Lynch (2009:283) Technology Push is technology development analysis whereby other industries are being surveyed for their technology developments and assessment of their relevance to its own. 3M Company joined forces with external companies as mentioned above in trying to introduce new approach to growth and link the internally controlled culture of technology push even though they assumed that it was market pull. Their main challenge at 3M Company is that they need to know what technologies to push so that they do not dissolve their establishments. The diagram below illustrates how the two sources of innovation should be exploited by organisation without distinction. Figure 2.2 Adapted from Lynch (2009:283) Two major drives of innovation. QUESTION 3: To what extent, if at all, does innovation matter in setting the purpose of an organisation? Yes innovation does matter in this case because; many organizations invest in innovation in order to change. Organizations put aside a percentage of turnovers to change products, processes, and services. In particular, the  objectives should be achieved because of this investment. Yet, a very large amount of innovation activities does not meet these objectives. The motives behind failure provides clue regarding how to avoid such failure in the future. In this case study the process by which the companies should apply innovation has been examined. It has been examined by making sure that employee understands the process by which innovation takes place in the work place and then improving. In this case study 3M organizations has tried to lower their innovation failure rates and move faster with the process of growth as mentioned previously above about Six Sigma, the approach to growth. Looking at the process of innovation from idea generation, through evaluation, and on to realization, you will also find customers who become evaluators of the success of an  innovation in the company and by concluding there is also key ways to improve the ability of the company or organisation by monitoring the following innovation processes: ï  ¶ Goals, Actions, Teams, Results. Goals of Innovation The principal goals required by an organization in return for this investment vary between organizations. The following have been found across a large number of manufacturing and service organizations and ranked in order of popularity, with the first goal being common to most organizations (European Commission, 1996): ï  ¶ Improved quality ï  ¶ Creation of new markets ï  ¶ Extension of the product range ï  ¶ Reduced labour costs ï  ¶ Improved production processes ï  ¶ Reduced material ï  ¶ Reduced environmental damage ï  ¶ Replacement of products or services ï  ¶ Reduced energy consumption ï  ¶ Conformance to regulations Following are the critical factors that managing technical innovation in 3M Company: a) Organization culture b) Communication and c) Management The causes of failure can vary widely depending on the individual innovation. Some causes will be external to the organization and outside its influence of control. Others will be internal and ultimately within the control of the organization. Some of the more common causes of failure in organizations can be distilled into the following five types (O’Sullivan, 2002): ï  ¶ Poor goal definition It means that organizations find it difficult to define their goals. Poor goal definition requires that organizations decide on appropriate goals for their environment and define these goals in terms that are understandable to everyone involved in the innovation process. ï  ¶ Poor alignment of actions to goals Means that organizations find it difficult to continuously link the ideas and projects they are pursuing with their goals. This is perhaps even more acute if goals are difficult to define in the first place. It also influences effective management of the portfolios of projects that the organization is undertaking to ensure they are balanced appropriately. ï  ¶ Poor participation in teams It refers to the behaviour of individuals and teams, latent knowledge of the organization, and the particular skills of individuals to contribute to the achievement of innovation. It also refers to the payment and reward systems that link individuals to goals. ï  ¶ The poor monitoring of results It refers to sharing of the status of goals, actions, and teams involved in the innovation process within the innovation team and its main stakeholders. ï  ¶ Poor communication and sense of community It relate to ineffective channels of communication and collaboration that constrain knowledge sharing and the ability of employees to participate as a broader community in the innovation process and make informed decisions when needed. Steyn, Schmikl and van Dyk (2010:66) state that knowledge delivers sustainable competitive advantage as illustrated below Leading to> Resulting to> Increased revenue Knowledge creation Technology development Experimental and emergent purpose Innovation Enhanced value added Stronger sustainable competitiveadvantage Figure 3.1: Adapted from Lynch 2009:261- An emergent approach to purpose According to Palmer and Kaplan (2007:2) Strategic Innovation is the creation of growth strategies, new product categories, services or business models that change the game and generate significant new value for consumers, customers and the corporation. According to Lynch (2009:282) innovation is the generation and exploitation of new ideas. This has helped the 3M Company to gain strength in applying lessons learnt from previous experiences like the one of losing the sales and profit. This has made them to be able to deliver what refers to as the priceless assets to strategic management such as the following: ï  ¶ Substantial future growth: The process of improving some measure of the organisation’s success which can be achieved either by boosting the top line or revenue of the business with greater product sales or service income. 3M Company able to restructure by introducing the approach to growth. ï  ¶ Ability to leapfrog major competition, even dominant competitors: Ability to conquer competition focusing on extensive promotions to highlight the distinctive benefits or features of products. 3M Company had employees who are strong in making sales and come up with high successful product â€Å"Post-it notes†. In terms of the competition, it started internally. â€Å"Every company seeks the keys to innovation, but few find them. Over the decades, 3M learned how to be innovative and today the company uses that skill to great competitive advantage.† — Jerry I. Porras, Co-author, Built to Last â€Å"Innovation is more than just a bright idea; it is an idea that gets implemented and has a real impact. In other words, somebody has to make it happen.† — Ernest Gundling, Author, The 3M Way to Innovation: Balancing People and Profit 2.  CONCLUSION It is advisable that, organisation should have its own database in order to fix or limit the problems in the company rather than running at a loss. 3M Company created their database and spent about $20 million, it in an integrated database, which stores information on customers, products, sales, inventory, and finance from all divisions and geographies. If all the organisations of the same nature can follow what 3M Company did, access can be gained to the database through a user-friendly website. Strong search which bring together related products and services from across the entire 3M Company can be easily accessed. Personnel and partners can also access latest information on product prices, availability, specifications and reviews of customer accounts. â€Å"The profitability of customers and products and the performance of partners can also be analysed across the entire company allowing better allocation of company resources. This allows 3M Company to take advantage of market opp ortunities and cross-selling opportunities and at the same time meet and customize the needs of customer segments. â€Å"(Some of the information is adapted from Harvard Business Review) 3.  BIBLIOGRAPHY ï  ¶ Ernest Gundling, Author, The 3M Way to Innovation: Balancing People and Profit ï  ¶ (European Commission, 1996): Goal Innovation ï  ¶ Goldman, G., Maritz, R., Nienaber, H., Pretorius, M., Priilaid,D. & Williams, D.2010.Strategic Management: Supplement for Southern Africa. (1st Edition) South Africa: Pearson Education. ï  ¶ Havard Business Review. Vol 75 (6): 102-103 ï  ¶ Jerry I. Porras, Co-author, Built to Last ï  ¶ Lynch, R. 2009. Strategic Management. (5th Edition). England; Pearson Education Limited. ï  ¶ McQuarrie, E.F. 1993. Customer visits. Building a better market focus. California: SAGE Publication. ï  ¶ O’Sullivan (Innovation Process) – 5/29/2008

Latin American History essays

Latin American History essays Throughout history and during alternating time periods, countries have grown from feeble entities, defeated by or ruled by the governing structures of foreign nations, to powerful nations. Between the fifteenth and the sixteenth century, Spain ruled as a great power among other nations. Its empire began when, in 1492, Spain financed Columbus's expeditions and explorations to conquer territory in the New World. Once it held its new established territory, Spain relied on the influx of gold and silver from the New World. When it was an empire, Spain had control over many countries, including South America, Mexico, and Latin America. This however wasnt all a negative aspect of European colonization in the Americas. European colonization in the Americas also brought many positive, social, cultural, and economical, changes that make up what we If we look at the encounters between Europeans and Native Americans during the fifteenth century and beyond, it is obvious to see a trend of invasion, conquest, slavery, and eventually death lurking about the historical documents describing that time. The expeditions into the New World by Europeans during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries can't be easily labeled as invasions. If one looks at the end results of the conquests by Europeans, it is evident that the most of the native tribes who made contact with Europeans were in most cases worse off than they were before they made contact. However, the barbaric overtaking of territory and culture by the Europeans is a far- fetched myth as these conquests were more a sort of cultural exchange than anything else. An example of this cultural change was the increasing amounts of settlers from Spain including soldiers and Franciscan priests that were assigned to work ...

How Chromosomes Determine Sex

How Chromosomes Determine Sex Chromosomes are long segments of genes that carry hereditary information. They are composed of DNA and proteins and are located within the nucleus of our cells. Chromosomes determine everything from hair color and eye color to sex. Whether you are a male or female depends on the presence or absence of certain chromosomes. Human cells contain 23 pairs of chromosomes for a total of 46. There are 22 pairs of autosomes (non-sex chromosomes) and one pair of sex chromosomes. The sex chromosomes are the X chromosome and the Y chromosome. Sex Chromosomes In human sexual reproduction, two distinct gametes fuse to form a zygote. Gametes are reproductive cells produced by a type of cell division called meiosis. Gametes are also called sex cells. They contain only one set of chromosomes and are thus said to be haploid.The male gamete, called the spermatozoan, is relatively motile and usually has a flagellum. The female gamete, called the ovum, is nonmotile and relatively large in comparison to the male gamete. When the haploid male and female gametes unite in a process called fertilization, they develop into what is called a zygote. The zygote is diploid, meaning that it contains two sets of chromosomes. Sex Chromosomes X-Y The male gametes, or sperm cells, in humans and other mammals are heterogametic and contain one of two types of sex chromosomes. Sperm cells carry either an X or Y sex chromosome. Female gametes, or eggs, however, contain only the X sex chromosome and are homogametic. The sperm cell determines the sex of an individual in this case. If a sperm cell containing an X chromosome fertilizes an egg, the resulting zygote will be XX, or female. If the sperm cell contains a Y chromosome, then the resulting zygote will be XY, or male. Y chromosomes carry the necessary genes for the development of male gonads, or testes. Individuals that lack a Y chromosome (XO or XX) develop female gonads, or ovaries. Two X chromosomes are needed for the development of fully functioning ovaries. Genes located on the X chromosome are called X-linked genes, and these genes determine X sex-linked traits. A mutation occurring in one of these genes could lead to the development of an altered trait. Because males have only one X chromosome, the altered trait would always be expressed in males. In females,  however, the trait may not always be expressed. Because females have two X chromosomes, the altered trait could be masked if only one X chromosome has the mutation and the trait is recessive. An example of an X-linked gene is red-green colorblindness in humans.   Sex Chromosomes X-O Grasshoppers, roaches, and other insects have a similar system for determining the sex of an individual. Adult males lack the Y sex chromosome that humans have and have only an X chromosome. They produce sperm cells that contain either an X chromosome or no sex chromosome, which is designated as O. The females are XX and produce egg cells that contain an X chromosome. If an X sperm cell fertilizes an egg, the resulting zygote will be XX, or female. If a sperm cell containing no sex chromosome fertilizes an egg, the resulting zygote will be XO, or male. Sex Chromosomes Z-W Birds, some insects such as butterflies, frogs, snakes, and some species of fish have a different system for determining sex. In these animals, it is the female gamete that determines the sex of an individual. Female gametes can either contain a Z chromosome or a W chromosome. Male gametes contain only the Z chromosome. Females of these species are ZW, and males are ZZ. Parthenogenesis What about animals like most kinds of wasps, bees, and ants that have no sex chromosomes? In these species, fertilization determines sex. If an egg becomes fertilized, it will develop into a female. A non-fertilized egg may develop into a male. The female is diploid and contains two sets of chromosomes, while the male is haploid. This development of an unfertilized egg into a male and a fertilized egg into a female is a type of parthenogenesis known as arrhenotokous parthenogenesis. Environmental Sex Determination In turtles and crocodiles, sex is determined by the temperature of the surrounding environment at a specific period in the development of a fertilized egg. Eggs that are incubated above a certain temperature develop into one sex, while eggs incubated below a certain temperature develop into the other sex. Both males and females develop when eggs are incubated at temperatures ranging between those that induce only single-sex development.

Organisations and Needs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organisations and Needs - Essay Example In the present case study of banking organization, the training dept, faces layoff/down sizing for the last 3 years continuously. Full time establishment in the Trg. Centre was 260 in 2003 but reduced to 136 in 2006. Further the budget of Trg. dept. has also been reduced drastically from 20 million pounds in 2003 to 11 million pounds in 2005. Apart from this reduction, management is expecting the same productivity and output. This situation put tremendous pressure on the remaining work force. Though the downsizing was not only in Trg. Dept. but spread over all the important departments such as Administration, delivery and line management. The workforce, who survived the downsizing, was in traumatic condition due to layoffs of their close colleagues. Not even this but the further announcements of reduction and restructuring of Trg. Dept. and senior managements ultimate of further restructuring and proposal of downsizing the organization Trg. Dept by further 14 in number after at least 3 weeks put additional pressure/stress on the remaining workforce. This announcement creates havoc to the trust of the workforce at workplace. Now the complete atmosphere of uncertainty was widespread and employees working in Trg. Dept. are certainly facing the traumatic, emotional uneasiness. Downsizing the organization basically results in very serious and painful conditions and that can have a profound effect on the entire organization and especially on the employees who looses his/her job or have the fear of loosing jobs in near future. Discharging or likely to be discharging from the job, generates high emotions basically negative emotions towards management and the organization. Though the management/organizations carry it out as a necessity and with all legality but the process of downsizing as a whole always creates an emotional issue with in the organization. Companies' downsizing/layoffs have always a powerful impact on the organization. They can affect the morale of the organization's remaining employees, who may fear losing their jobs in the future. Due to downsizing the first and foremost thing, which will get affected, are productivity, morale, trust and security. Due to downsizing the morale or motivation level of the remaining employees will be at the lowest level, his/her trust with the organization must be shattered and security about future get diminished. All these factors immediately affect the productivity of remaining workforce. So to survive these redundancy and uncertainty about future downsizing, one should not6 be passive and fatalistic but try to be more positive and pessimistic. Now in the position of redundancy, I as an individual and also with my team must priorities and follow certain rules, which has been enumerated below may help to assure us to be retained. Though it's not a guarantee but it helps us. The first and foremost thing is to look more professional rather than casual. Individually or as a team, we should never dress like a fashion model or look like unprofessional so that we could be easily identified separately. Looks always make difference in the perceptions and in the situation of redundancy; perception of unprofessional or non-serious team always goes in the negative way. During the situation of redundancy or within the process of do

Theories of Just War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Theories of Just War - Essay Example Keeping this in mind, people of this century need to look at the theories that have been recorded in history that regulate the forms of war that states are allowed to wage against any other state or community. The importance of this lies in the fact that it may be able to reduce or eliminate the casualties that occur in today’s world as a result of the wars that have become a regular feature of the political landscape of every continent on the world. It is ironic that even Antarctica is not exempt from being a site of war. The theories of war that exist in contemporary times have to be juxtaposed with those that were proposed by religious thinkers like Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine. Any theory of war that needs to stand the test of time needs to fulfil the basic purpose of its establishment- the meting out of justice. In this context, it would be useful to look at the theories of justice that have been a part of human historical records. Prominent among these are the ones o f Plato and Aristotle. These two thinkers have had a profound effect upon the theories of justice that have come after them. ... The criteria that the state must follow to decide which person upon which it can confer citizenship and which one it cannot is one that may seem unjust to some at present. These were based on laws that were created during the times of Ancient Greece and they were done when Greece was one of the greatest powers in the earth. To restrict foreigners from entering the land and establishing their rights was one of the main concerns of the state. Aristotle’s arguments need to be seen in this light. When viewed in the light of the democratic societies that present observers are used to, Aristotle’s arguments that have a profound impact on the development of present conceptions of the sovereignty of a state may appear to be unjust to certain sections of the society. Seemingly unjust powers are granted to the state that would enable it to treat its citizens in an arbitrary manner. The state is also shown to be the ultimate reason for the existence of the citizen. This can be see n from the fact that Aristotle considers it to be of more importance for a person t be a good citizen than a good person. The goodness of a person is determined by the utility of his self to the state (Clayton). These theories of citizenship and justice can be extended to understand the powers that Aristotle may have envisaged for the state in relation to other states. The sovereignty of other states too, thus is not important, in the same way that the sovereignty of an individual is unimportant. In this context, all the actions of the state, including an unjust war may be justified and the arbitrary nature of the decisions of the state would ensure that dissent is not a part of the solutions that the citizens of a particular state may

An experiential Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

An experiential - Assignment Example Apparently, I perceive my community as an important ‘sum’ to look at or respond to and in return, it also collects to itself from our individual ideas that share similar attributes and become responsible for the identity of our common sphere and necessary law which everyone is drawn to follow in the course of nature despite diversity in lifestyles we possess. In this regard, I can thus envision a future role in contributing to enhance the aspect of communication for the community in order that one’s insights and feelings are conveyed properly in the light of truth from which to recognize the real value of a member according to stable measures. For me, communication is amply indispensable that it makes me consider being designated in a teaching profession whereby I attain to the capacity of educating the youth with knowledge that is not only rich in colorful literature and good vocabulary, but even with values and application of the literary lessons yielded in the process to create inspiration for the rest of humanity to act righteously and joyfully at the same time. I believe that, in this manner, every motivation and learning spread via effective communication of wisdom taught would, with much certainty, improve the status of our community in the hope of advancing to a higher level of economic and social

Effects of the Gardasil Vaccination

Effects of the Gardasil Vaccination Obispo, Stacey L. Vaccinations Despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) acknowledging vaccinations as one of top 10 impressive public health accomplishments of the twentieth century (Malone Hinman), vaccines have still been cause for debate over the years. Fears over the years have resonated over vaccination risks and side effects. Sadly, parental unacceptance of general childhood vaccinations may have been persuaded from accepting incorrect beliefs (Gamble, Klosky, Parra, Randolph, 2010). For example, the early childhood vaccination measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) was of recent controversy because many believed it caused autism (Gamble, et al., 2010). Gamble, et al. (2010) found that this controversy along with some vaccines inability to be fully successful with some recipients has contradicted vaccine effectiveness. As a result some parents within the public question whether all vaccinations which have risks will outweigh the benefits. Today I implore all parents to listen to the research and s cientifically proven information I am going to share about vaccines so that your questions about its effectiveness can be put to rest. In addition, I will share with you pertinent facts that you should know about the vaccine Gardasil so that you can make an informed choice as to whether you should get your child vaccinated. Balancing one’s individual rights with the rights of society to prevent their own illness versus the need for public health officials to prevent large scale epidemics should be thoughtfully considered. Today we can easily say that societal interest has conflicted with some parents’ interest. This occurs because in our society vaccinations are taken in efforts to not just aid the child from disease and illness rather, it is done to protect and prevent diseases and illnesses from the whole community. The way to balance individual rights with the rights of society regarding preventing individual illness and large scale epidemics is by modeling the practices of the US government regarding vaccinations. The CDC states that some individuals argue that every adult with an s sound mental capacity should have the right to choose what should be done to their body (Malone Hinman). The CDC’s response to such an argument was directed to the Supreme Court ruling on Jacobson vs. Massachusetts which upheld the rights of states to mandate vaccinations (Malone Hinman). The rationale behind the court ruling was this: As long state wide vaccinations exist because of the need to prevent outbreaks of disease individual rights should not be held .The idea that one should have a choice in regard to their own being cannot be upheld because each being affect others .In other words, as long as humans remain social creatures , personal privacy and choice in regards to required vaccinations cannot exist. Each individual makes up a whole community. The ruling concluded that if all individuals had the choice to choose whether or not they should be vaccinated public health and public safety can becom e endangered when epidemics arise (Malone Hinman). The ruling on Jacobson vs. Massachusetts is enacted to ensure that through vaccinations disease prevention is granted to everyone. The ruling allowed states to have police power regarding vaccinations (Malone Hinman). With police power, states are then empowered by the Constitution to make sure those rationale guidelines that were recognized by legislative depiction as will safeguard public health and safety ruing empowered states (Malone Hinman). Another way states make sure that its constituents are getting vaccinated is through mandating school laws and prohibiting school enrollment to children who have not been vaccinated(Malone Hinman). States have the authority to assert authority of the welfare of a child (Malone Hinman). This is called parens patriae. Under this doctrine the Supreme Court states that there are no rights of religion or parenthood that are beyond limitation (Malone Hinman). Furthermore, the Justices state that one’s right to practice religion freely does not give one the liberty to expose the child or community to communicable disease, ill health, or even death (Malone Hinman). Despite these safe guards that our government has enacted, there is exemptions that are offered for individuals who elect not to get vaccinated. Currently 48 states have exemption laws which ensure that religious and in some cases philosophic beliefs are protected and allow such individuals to be excluded from vaccinations (Malone Hinman). Although these individuals have no constitutional rights under religious or philosophic beliefs, states allow these individuals to practice their freedoms (Malone Hinman). This delicate balance appears to be working well since their has been an growth in numbers of vaccines being presented with a majority of the public taking them and a commonly low level of observable risk from disease (Malone Hinman). The vaccine Gardasil protects against precancerous lesions, such as CIN1/2/3,VIN2/3, cervical cancer triggered by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) 16 and 18, and it also is a defense against infection and disease produced by HPV6 and11 as well as genital warts (Dominiak-Felden, et al., 2013). The age of Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices state that the HPV vaccination is targeted for females aged 11 and 12 years through the series of 3 injections given over 6 months (Gamble, et al., 2010).Boys ages 9-26 can be given the vaccination to prevent genital warts caused by the HPV (Merk- Sharp and Dohme Corp., 2014). The vaccine is approved to be given to girls, boys, women and men that are within the ages of 9-26 years (Merk- Sharp and Dohme Corp., 2014) . The vaccine Gardasil is intended for administration before sexual onset (Merk- Sharp and Dohme Corp., 2014). The HPV virus can be transmitted through: oral and digital infection by digital –genital contact or genital digit al contact, vaginal and anal intercourse (Gamble, et al., 2010). The Gardasil vaccine prevents spread of HPV. Around 70% of sexually active people will contract the Human Papillomavirus within their lifetime (Dominiak-Felden, et al., 2013). The HPV genotypes 16 and 18 have been accountable for approximately 73% of cervical cancers as well as the bulk of HPV-related vulval and vaginal cancers (Dominiak-Felden, et al., 2013). In addition 90% of genital warts affecting men and women are HPV 6 and 11(Dominiak-Felden, et al., 2013). The vaccine Gardasil prevents the transmission of HPV 16 and 18, HPV 6 and 11, and cervical cancers(Dominiak-Felden, et al., 2013). On the individual level the impact of contracting HPV can be devastating because in some cases genital warts develop or even cancers (Dominiak-Felden, et al., 2013). This can effect not just the quality of one’s sexual life but their life expectancy because in some cervical cancer remains undiagnosed until it’s too late for treatment. The decline of HPV can only be accomplished by targeting the cariogenic types of HPV, making sure the protection is resilient, targeting the appropriate at risk population, and by ensuring that the medical community and public adhere to the recommended screening guidelines(Gamble, et al., 2010).In fact the American Cancer society estimates that 70% of cervical cancers can be prevented if HPV vaccinations are given over several decades(Gamble, et al., 2010). The most common side effects associated with HPV vaccine Gardasil include: fainting, vomiting, dizziness, nausea, headache ,fever, and at the injection site; pain, swelling ,itching, bruising, and redness (Merk- Sharp and Dohme Corp., 2014). Like all vaccinations there can be an allergic reaction. Signs of an allergic reaction include: difficulty breathing, rash hives, and wheezing (Merk- Sharp and Dohme Corp., 2014). Inform your child’s doctor if after vaccination they have: chills, skin infection, bleeding or bruising more than normal, swollen glands, joint pain, unusual tiredness, overall feeling of being unwell, pain in the leg, shortness of breath, chest pain, aching muscles, or seizure. (Merk- Sharp and Dohme Corp., 2014). Remember the vaccine Gardasil has been evaluated and approved for use by the FDA and safety is continually evaluated by the CDC for safety on an ongoing basis (Merk- Sharp and Dohme Corp., 2014). Psycho-social impacts of whether the Gardasil vaccination will be utilized is associated with doctors recommendations, parental views and adolescences attitudes (Gamble, et al., 2010). Health care attitudes and recommendations by doctors impact families because their views influence whether an individual will get vaccinated with Gardasil. For instance, if the pediatricians attitude and intention is to promote the HPV vaccine research has shown that they will have a successful delivery(Gamble, et al., 2010). The choice as to whether a parent will immunize their child can be influenced by their cultural beliefs and also by a parents view or personal factors regarding one’s susceptibility to HPV(Gamble, et al., 2010). Research documented by Gamble, et al., (2010) states that parents who make the decision to vaccinate against sexually transmitted infections are inclined to do so based on their personal beliefs and their adolescent’s attitudes about contraception use. Parents who have open communication regarding sex with their child have the tendency to vaccinate against HPV(Gamble, et al., 2010).Adolescent attitudes regarding HPV vaccination have been found to be similar to parental views(Gamble, et al., 2010). A concern that may arise from some parents who may consider giving their adolescent the vaccination is; will the vaccination give my child permission to become sexually active because they have been vaccinated against HPV? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (2013) research studies demonstrate that children who receive the HPV vaccine do not engage in sex any sooner than those who have been given other teen vaccines. Essentially the findings indicate that children do not see the HPV vaccine as a license to engage in sexual activity (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2013). In conclusion, parents vaccinating your children with Gardasil will not make them prematurely sexually active. The benefits of taking Gardasil can lessen their risks at cancers and genital warts. This preventive vaccine has the potentially to reduce cervical cancers by 73% and vulvular cancers by 50%. The side effects associated with taking Gardasil are no different than other vaccines your children have already been given. Being uncomfortable about having a conversation about HPV and sex should not deter anyone from getting their child vaccinated. The benefits of being vaccinated are far too great to the individual and society as a whole to let a moment of being uncomfortable potentially dictate an individual’s life expectancy. Facts about Gardasil and HPV The vaccine Gardasil protects against precancerous lesions, such as CIN1/2/3,VIN2/3, cervical cancer triggered by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV)16 and 18, and it also is a defense against infection and disease produced by HPV6 and11 as well as genital warts (Dominiak-Felden, et al., 2013). The HPV vaccination is targeted for females aged 11 and 12 years through the series of 3 injections given over 6 months (Gamble, et al., 2010). Boys ages 9-26 can be given the vaccination to prevent genital warts caused by the HPV(Merk- Sharp and Dohme Corp., 2014). The vaccine is approved to be given to girls, boys, women and men that are within the ages of 9-26 years (Merk- Sharp and Dohme Corp., 2014) . The vaccine Gardasil is intended for administration before sexual onset (Merk- Sharp and Dohme Corp., 2014). The HPV virus can be transmitted through: oral and digital infection by digital –genital contact or genital digital contact, vaginal and anal intercourse (Gamble, et al., 2010). American Academy of Pediatrics (2013) state that children who receive the HPV vaccine do not engage in sex any sooner than those who have been given other teen vaccines. Most common side effects associated with HPV vaccine Gardasil include: fainting, vomiting, dizziness, nausea, headache ,fever, and at the injection site; pain, swelling ,itching, bruising, and redness (Merk- Sharp and Dohme Corp., 2014). References American Academy of Pediatrics. (2013, August 7). Vaccinating your preteen: Addressing common concerns. Retrieved from http://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/immunizations/Pages/Vaccinating-Your-Preteen-Addressing-Common-Concerns.aspx Dominiak-Felden, G., Cohet, C., Atrux-Tallau, S., Gilet, H., Tristram, A., Fiander, A. (2013). Impact of human papillomavirus-related genital diseases on quality of life and psychosocial wellbeing: results of an observational, health-related quality of life study in the UK. BMC Public Health, 131065. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-13-1065 Gamble, H. L., Klosky, J. L., Parra, G. R., Randolph, M. E. (2010). Factors Influencing Familial Decision-Making Regarding Human Papillomavirus Vaccination. Journal Of Pediatric Psychology, 35(7), 704-715. doi::10.1093/jpepsy/jsp108 Malone, K. M., Hinman, A. R. (n.d.). Vaccination mandates: The public health imperative and individual rights. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov. Merk-Sharp and Dohme-Corp. (2014). Side effects of Gardasil. Retrieved from http://www.gardasil.com/about-gardasil/side-effects-of-gardasil/

Cleopatra Essay example -- essays research papers fc

Cleopatra   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many countries have had important rulers who were well-known throughout the world. One country whose leaders particularly stand out is Egypt. The leaders of ancient Egypt were extremely essential in history. Cleopatra was a key example of these significant rulers of Egypt. The Egyptian queen Cleopatra VII was an extraordinary woman who used her knowledge and ambition to fulfill Egypt’s political goals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cleopatra VII, more commonly known as Cleopatra, was born to Ptolemy XII and his sister Cleopatra Tryphaina in 69 B.C. (Nardo 9). Although she lacked beauty, Cleopatra was regarded as a fascinating woman who was known for her intelligence and charm. Egyptian coins picture her with â€Å"a countenance alive rather than beautiful, with a sensitive mouth, firm chin liquid eyes, broad forehead, and prominent nose† (â€Å"Cleopatra VII† 377). After her father’s death in 51 B.C., Cleopatra became queen. She ruled Egypt with her eldest brother and husband Ptolemy XIII. Marriage between siblings was a â€Å"common practice† in ancient Egyptian royal families (Sinnigen 662). She was the last ruler of the dynasty established by Ptolemy I. Cleopatra was of Macedonian descent but took it upon herself to learn the Egyptian language and referred to herself as the daughter of the sun god (â€Å"Cleopatra VII† 377). Her capital was Alexandria, d iscovered by Alexander the Great, and was an excellent center of Hellenistic Greek culture and c...

Narrative Reporting

Narrative reporting and introduction of OFR is an important development in corporate responsibility. The introduction of mandatory OFR made several companies race to meet with the requirements of the law. Subsequently, the OFR was made non mandatory again but awareness has been created. Every investor knows that he should look at the OFR of a company he seeks to invest in. If the OFR is missing it raises doubts about the credibility and the intentions of the company .In future even though the mandatory clause has been withdrawn, companies are likely to produce more comprehensive and informative OFR than ever before.Narrative reporting concentrates on presenting events and actions in certain order so that complications and problems are understood. Narrative reporting concentrates on the descriptions, events and facts that pertain to events, identifying the personnel who are involved and the manner in which the sequence of events took place. The OFR (Operating and financial review) is a report included in a company’s annual report and accounts that is published to meet the requirement of corporate governance that enumerates the operating activities and financial affairs of the company.In the UK the Operating and Financial Review was introduced with the purpose of increasing corporate responsibility. The purpose of this requirement was that social and environmental issues would be described in the OTR and this would provide a wider level of information to the shareholder. In addition, it was expected that the OTR would in a way compel companies to carry out external audit of these issues. Specifically it was intended that the OFR would provide better information to the investors on the likely performance of the companies during the financial year.The contents of the OFR should have an overview of the capital structure of the company and the financial characteristics of the company. In addition, the OFR was required to provide the main risks and uncertaintie s that faced the company. Further, the OFR was required to have descriptions of the brand strength, market strengths, company reputation and R&D, that is the resources that the company enjoyed in the market. Most importantly, the OFR required the companies to disclose the objectives and strategies of the company (Financial Reporting Council 2007).The OFR also required the companies to disclose its relationships with suppliers, customer and employees. In other words the company was required to disclose its relationship with the stakeholders of the company. The company was also required to comment on the reputation of the company, especially in relation to the society and the environment. Moreover, the company was required to comment on the impact the reputation would have on the future performance of the company (Yeldar. R. 2007).In the UK the OFR disclosures have been left to an extent to the directors of the company. Their views on the different points are critical in making the di sclosure useful to the company. Moreover, the government has focused on the OFR to fill the lacunae in reporting that traditional financial statements left in the annual reports (Morris. G, McKay. S & Oates. A, 2006). If the board is so inclined, then the OFR can simply be relegated to a public relations activity of the company.The point is that if companies choose not to include corporate responsibility issues in their OFR then there may be a need for a mandatory inclusion of corporate responsibility indicators in the OFR. Even though OFR is driving the companies to disclose corporate responsibility issues, the final decision to disclose remains with the companies (Gee. P, 2006). The OFRs are required to honestly disclose the performance, development and the position of the company to help the investor make better decisions. In addition, the OFRs are required to provide the salient factors and the important trend that affect the present financial performance and the future status o f the company. It is believed that not too many boards of directors will be eager to make an honest disclosure of these trends.To assess the current state of narrative reporting in the UK let us take a look at the review of narrative reporting published by the ASB on January 15, 2007. The report gives some areas of improvement that is the key performance indicators are missing in narrative reporting, the companies are not careful in their description of the principal risks and uncertainties and do not mention their approaches in mitigating these risks and uncertainties. What is most important is that forward looking information is not disclosed in the narrative reports.The review lauds the companies for reporting an increasing number of environmental, employee and social issues, the companies are giving good description of current developments and present performance and that the companies are providing more or less good descriptions of their current business, markets, strategic pla ns and objectives (Ploix. H, & Charkham. J 2005). The auditors are currently required to comment on whether the OFR is consistent with their knowledge of the Annual Report and accounts. However, it is often seen that currently the companies in their OFR often give spin over substance.The companies over emphasize their favorable performance and avoid mentioning their areas of weaknesses. It is expected that now the companies will be required to product a broader annual report and specify their non financial performance and plans for future. For example, Shell is the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in the UK and has a share of 23% of all emissions from FTSE 100 companies but this is not mentioned in the OFR of the company. There are no specific plans either to reduce emissions. Similarly, BP and Scottish Power are responsible for 17% of the emissions but this is not clearly mentioned in their annual reports.The lacuna in the law is that the auditor is required to compare the OFR s tatements with the financial reports and accounts and check if the statements in the OFR are in agreement with financial reports and accounts. This does not require the auditor to mention the omissions that have been made from the OFR nor does the audit of the narrative statement require the board of directors to make statements that disclose the weaknesses of the company. It is clear that in case of Shell, BP and Scottish Power if their emission levels of greenhouse gases are mentioned and the weaknesses in their future plans of reducing these emissions are clearly delineated in their annual reports, then several ethical investors may decide to stay away from these companies (Cowan. N, 2006, p 137).The recent history of the OFR is that the OFR was first introduced in 1993 by the ASB. At that time it was not mandatory. The Companies Act 1985(Operating and Financial Review and Directors’ Report etc.) Regulations 2005 required quoted companies to prepare a compulsory OFR and ot her companies to include in their Directors’ Reports a business review. Small companies were exempt from the requirements of this regulation.The Accounting Standards Board issued an accompanying Reporting Standard that those companies that complied with the Reporting Standard 1 would be presumed to have met the OFR Regulations. In November, 2005 the Chancellor announced that the government wanted to do away with the need for quoted companies to prepare an OFR. In January 2006 the Repeal Regulation of 2005 came into force that did away with the need for quoted companies to make an OFR.The Reporting Standard 1 was converted into a Reporting Statement. This remains just as a guiding statement for companies that decided to produce an OFR (Vilers. C, 2006). In the next month that is February 2006 the government requested suggestions and comments on improving the narrative reporting requirements. In May 2006 the government publicized amendments to the Business Review legislation. F inally, in November 2006, The Companies Act was given the final assent. and the Business Review requirements are now given legal sanction.Gordon Brown’s decision to abandon the mandatory nature of the OFR has been supported by two arguments. First, the government claims it wants to reduce bureaucracy. Second, government feels that the new requirements for business review meet the EU requirements for narrative reporting. This is the official line of the government.. However, there are other reasons that are being given as the reason for the abolition of the compulsory clause. It is claimed that the abolition of the mandatory requirement is offered as an incentive to business to remain in the UK and to attract new businesses to the UK. It is a part of the race to make UK attractive to business investors.Several environmental organizations like Friends of Earth and NGOs have decided to file a law suit against the government to force it to see reason. They see the withdrawal of t he mandatory clause as signal to the business sector to continue with their environmentally baneful expansion plans. These organizations had been earlier clamoring for mandatory social and environmental reporting for businesses. From this perspective it seems that Gordon Brown’s decision is not a good one.There are other reasons given to support Gordon Brown’s decision. The claim is that more than 80% of the listed companies will voluntarily comply with the requirements of Reporting Statement and generate OFR statements. Those that do not will face investor reaction and comply with the Reporting Statement requirements. Those that persist in not producing an OFR voluntarily will be perceived as not transparent by the investing public. In addition, the proponents of the abolition of mandatory OFR aver that the size and the complexity of the annual reports daunting to most investors. In 2005 the average length of the annual reports was 71 pages. Adding to this only confus es the shareholders.Finally, the materiality get out clause has made the compulsory OFR ineffective. This has also allowed companies to get out of the need to report their weaknesses. However, we should not write off the OFR as dead. Every business knows that it should have an OFR to inform its shareholder. The need for qualitative, non-financial information has been created in the investors. If a company does not produce an OFR the investor may suspect it several faults. The end result will be that the shareholders will find it prudent to stay away from companies that do not produce a comprehensive OFR. There will be reputed persons who will stay away from the boards of companies that do not produce an OFR that meets the standard prescribed by the ASB.The OFR lives in the business review. The government is not compelling the companies to produce an OFR but the shareholders, investors and other stakeholders will compel the companies to produce and OFR. Environmental organizations an d NGOs will take up the matter with companies that do not report on social and environmental issues. Companies that refuse to make OFRs may be shunned by ethical investors, high profile employees and environmentally conscious business partners. The awareness has been created, guidelines have been drafted and the importance of corporate responsibility has been emblazoned. The OFR has taken on a life of its own and even without compulsion it will feature in the annual reports of most UK companies.As the consciousness of investors increases, as the top employees become choosier and as corporations become more environmentally sensitive, OFR will continue to thrive. There is no need to revive the mandatory clause. Enough consciousness has been created to make the corporate sector aware and alive to its reporting responsibilities, the Business Review is adequate for this purpose. Those companies that do not behave in a responsible manner will suffer because they will not be able to sustai n the interests of stakeholders that matter.To sum, there are a number of reasons given in support of the abolition of the mandatory clause and a number of reasons are being given for the reintroduction of mandatory requirements for OFR However, the importance of the OFA has been driven home to the companies, the investors and other stakeholders. Financial reporting alone does not give enough information to make a decision and he knows that an OFA is important. The OFA continues to live in the UK corporate world even after the mandatory clause has been abolished.References:Cowan. N, 2006 Risk Analysis and Evaluation, Lessons Professional Publishing..Financial Reporting Council 2007 ‘ASB Publishes Review of Narrative Reporting’. Retrieved on January 30, 2007 from http://www.frc.org.uk-Gee. P, 2006 UK GAAP for Business and Practice, ElsevierMorris. G, McKay. S & Oates. A, 2006 Finance Director’s Handbook, Elsevier.Ploix. H, & Charkham. J 2005 Keeping Better Company : Corporate Governance Ten Years on, Oxford University Press.Vilers. C, 2006, Corporate Reporting and Company Law, Cambridge University Press. 205 -209Yeldar. R. 2007 Accounting Standards Board Publishes Review of Narrative Reporting, Retrieved on January 30, 2007 from: http://ry.com/news/news/?id=3345