Management Functions

Introduction Management can be defined as a creative problem solving which is accomplished through four basic functions: planning, organizing, leading and controlling. All functions are vitally important as failure to accomplish one function may lead to failure of the overall project. Actually, in accounting firm management functions are necessary to develop effective allocation of resources and to achieve the desired objectives and missions. Planning is defined as the process of setting missions and objectives which are of top priority for accounting firm. Organizing is defined as coordinating and controlling of tasks and information within firm or company. Leading is defined as influencing employee by means of motivation, leadership and discipline. Controlling is defined as establishing and measuring standards of performance based on company’s missions and objectives. (Higgins 1998) Management Functions Planning function is considered fundamental from others are being developed. Planning is important for accounting firm as today’s’ decisions will directly affect the future of the firm. For example, in accounting firm financial manager is ready to go to organizing function only after goals and objectives are set. Planning affects all levels of management in accounting firm. Nevertheless, planning characteristics are varying from level to level. Planning suggests setting vision, missions, goals and objectives. Vision is defined as non-specific motivational guidance. Mission answers the question why business exists. In accounting firm, mission answers the question about the necessity of bookkeeping. For example, one possible mission of accounting firm is to create net income balance for particular project or company. Objectives define market standing, productivity, financial resources, etc. Finally, goals are defined as â€Å"specific statements of anticipated results that further define the organization's objectives†. (Erven 1999) Organizing function ensures establishment of firm’s internal organizational structure. In accounting firm this function focuses on controlling accounting and financial tasks and coordinating the flow of financial information within the firm. Organizing suggests also labor division, authority delegation, departmentation, span of control, and coordination. As far as accounting firm has more than two employees, it has to take these decisions into account. Division of labor suggests that employees are divided to perform particular tasks. Delegation of authority is, primarily, distribution of power within firm. In accounting firm delegation of authority can be used to make financial manager free to pay attention to high priority activities. (Woody 1998) Leading function is finding effective ways to guide employees’ work and to motivate them to perform better. Usually, this function is accomplished through effective interpersonal motivation, group dynamics, discipline and leadership. Actually, in accounting firm I am working in leading aims at channeling the behavior of employees to accomplish set goals and objectives. Nevertheless, the role of leader is vital as he should help people to stay motivated. Moreover, leading function is responsible for leading the flow of project accomplishing. Leading play important role in accounting as this process should be controlled to avoid calculating mistakes and not to waste time for checking in future. (Erven 1999) Controlling function is measuring performance and taking prevention measures if necessary. The control process is, actually, a cycle process. In accounting firm, controlling suggests identification of computation errors and problems before the project is returned to the customer. Controlling is related with all other management function as it is built on planning, organizing and leading. Usually, effective control systems are characterized by flexibility, accuracy, timeliness, cost effectiveness, and ability to control all business levels. Also controlling is my firm is used to revealing inaccurate information or lack of understanding the necessity of information. (Erven 1999) References Higgins, James. (1994). The Management Challenge. USA: Macmillan. Woody, Alexander. (1998). Staffing and Organizing the Management Accounting Function at Large Financial Institutions. Retrieved February 25, 2008, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3682/is_199801/ai_n8760331 ; ; ; ; ; Management functions Management can be defined as the procedure of getting things done by means of and through human resource personnel by directing and inspiring their hard work towards achieving universal goals. Human resource in any organization is the most important asset since without them the management cannot attain the achieved goals since they are the one coordinating the activities of any particular organization. Secretary is part of the human resource in any organization and in fact he/she has a bigger role to play in achieving the organization’s goals and objectives. We can therefore say that the secretary just like the manager of any organization plays the role of being an enabler in that he/she must ensure that things are in order for the boss or other employees for them to carry out effectively without many difficulties. Discussion Functions of management are those of planning, organizing, leading and controlling and such all four functions requires that the secretary should have skills and knowledge on how to carry out such management functions in an organization in this case middle school organization. Planning is considered to be the primary function of management and actually encompasses establishing what should be carried out in future. Planning entails setting of objectives, processes, regulations and other tasks required for attainment of organization’s mission statement. Usually the best strategies are selected from various identified strategies and therefore will require forecasting the future and how best to attain the results that will ensure the success of the organization. As a secretary therefore skills of planning function must be utilized for example gathering and sorting information and ensuring how such information should be disseminated to other employees as well as planning what the senior managers will be required to do and notifying them on any changes. Such skills on how to plan effectively will be of great importance to the secretary in order to avoid conflicts and thus attainment of goals. (Maundy, 2001) The other function of management is that of organizing which involves arranging and allocating tasks in the workplace in order to attain the set organization’s objectives. In essence, organization function is responsible for how tasks will be divided and achieved efficiently and effectively. Usually the supervisors of all organizations are responsible for identifying tasks and subdividing work groups in to separate sections in an organization. However, the secretary plays a major role too since she has the responsibility of tasks specifications and assigning them to various employees as directed by the senior mangers. Therefore as the secretary for middle school the responsibility under this function will be that of ensuring that all the tasks to be done are clearly defined and divided to all responsible employees on time and such tasks are assigned to the most competent and qualified employees in the middle school. The other function of management is that of leading which involves directing human resource of an organization in the right path in order to achieve the set goals efficiently and effectively. Traditionally this function involves directing, educating and overseeing the employees within an organization. The secretary too plays this role in modern world by having the responsibility of guiding and coaching other labor force to achieve the set goals; for example in middle school as a secretary it will be of great importance to lead by example that is achieving the set goals and targets on time and guiding the rest of employees in the school to carry out their tasks without much difficulty. (Rampton, 2003) The other function is that of controlling which entails ensuring that the real performance achieved is matched with the intended results and also ensuring that corrective measures are undertaken if there are deviations from the set goals. This function goes hand in hand with planning such that if poor planning was done then the set goals will not be achieved and therefore will necessitate controlling function to efficiently redesign the plan in order to achieve congruent goals. As a secretary of middle school, this function will involve ensuring that any tasks allocated to individuals are finished in time and the target results are achieved from such tasks. Conclusion We can therefore conclude that, management functions apply in every organization and middle school level are not exceptional in order to attain desired goals. The secretaries therefore in such middle schools should be equipped with skills that will ensure that the above functions are coordinated well and with ease thus accomplishing the set goals efficiently and effectively. The management functions are considered to be continuous processes such that the effective accomplishment of one function will lead to attaining other functions smoothly within an organization. It is therefore necessary for all organizations to continuously provide training programs in order to sharpen the skills of there employees so that they can effectively perform the management functions with less difficulties. (Hilltop, 1994) Reference Hilltop J (1994): European Human Resource Management in Transition. New York, Prentice Hall, pp 23-76 Maundy L (2001): An Introduction to Human to Human Resource Management- Theory and Practice. Macmillan, Palgrave pp 12-45 Rampton L (2003): Human Resource Management. New York,   Ã‚  Melbourne press, pp 23-37   

Lines composed a few miles above Tintern Abbey Essay

In Wordsworth’s â€Å"Tintern Abbey† the poem begins as we are taken from the height of a mountain stream down into the valley where the poet sits under a sycamore tree surveying the beauty of the natural world. This introduction through nature sets the scene for the poet’s blending of his mind with that of the natural world. Here Wordsworth does not dwell on the imprint of mankind on the landscape but on the connection of an isolated individual enveloped within the wild world of nature. Although he refers to the presence of man – vagrant dwellers or hermits his connection is with the untouched splendour of the countryside. From his perspective, looking out on the verdant landscape, the speaker ties his connection with nature to the past. He remembers that during his long absence from the Wye Valley, years which he spent living in the city, he found consolation in calling back the memories of his time spent in nature ‘But oft, in lonely rooms, and mid the dim Of towns and cities, I have owned to them, In hours of weariness, sensations sweet, Felt in the blood, and felt along the heart.’ It is important to note here that Wordsworth is not merely finding comfort in fondly remembering a past holiday, but is unequivocally using the natural setting as his source for transcendence. By specifically using nature as his escape from ‘†¦the heavy and weary weight Of all this unintelligible world’ , he asserts that the purity of nature holds no ill memories of man’s unkindness. This ability to gradually retreat from the trials of daily life by calling to mind the solace found in nature is key to the concept that only through withdrawal from the world of society and immersion in the natural world can one rise above present strife. Wordsworth continues speaking of his connection with nature to the past by relating how nature has held prominence during all stages of his past life. But here he also imparts the importance his intimacy with nature will have in his future as he states ‘that in this moment there is life and food For future years’. Wordsworth realizes that the memories of the past will continue to provide pleasure and connection even as he grows old. In the final refrain, the poem suddenly shifts perspective back to the present and instead of considering his own connection with nature, Wordsworth now turns his attention to being in the sylvan valley with his sister, Dorothy. He compares his sisters simple, intense pleasure on nature with his own at the earlier stages of his life. He parlays that she will benefit from the love of nature as he has done and find in it solace from the ‘dreary’ scenes of adult life. However, Wordsworth’s message to the readers seems didactic as he addresses what he is meant to be telling his sister to us, ‘Our cheerful faith that all which we behold Is full of blessings. Therefore let the moon Shine on thee in thy solitary walk.’ His hopes for the future are that his sister will also experience the healing powers of nature that he himself has experienced. By stating ‘†¦Nature never did betray The heart that loved her’ Wordsworth assures his sister that she too will find solace from the heartless world by her communion with nature and her memories of his day that they are spending together. Wordsworth’s ability to look to the future to predict memories of events that are happening in the present is ingenious and complicated. But Wordsworth beautifully clarifies this concept by using nature as the ideal link between recollection, foresight, and his relationship with another. Wordsworth neatly ties together the significance of nature not only with his previous experience of remembering nature, but also with how he sees the natural world affecting the future to pass on his message that he has clearly matured over the past years hence the poem being the last one in the anthology. He further states that even â€Å"if I should be where I no more can hear Thy voice, nor catch from thy wild eyes these gleams of past existence† , their memories shared in nature will endure to give Dorothy solace as she grows old. By looking to the future, Wordsworth comprehends that because of their shared recollection of their communion in the outdoors, he and his sister will be tied together even after his death. Wordsworth Other poets * Believed ordinary life and ordinary people were important enough to have poetry written for them. * Believed poets to be ordinary people who lived more intensely than others and cultivated their imagination and expressive powers. * Poetry should be written in a language understood by most people ‘man speaking to man’ * Poetry should be written about situations of everyday life. * Through use of memory poetry could recreate events although not religious WW believed that poetry rather than religion was to be given the mission of bringing humanity together * Childhood experiences affected adult mind. * Believed that a poem must have a definite direction and that the reader should be very clear as to what the poem is actually about. * Believed that in order for a short metrical composition to be a poem, it must be organized clearly and, according to Wordsworth â€Å"also thought long and lovingly about† * Poetry should have passion and emotion and be of great pleasure. * The pleasures that Wordsworth was referring to man being â€Å"accustomed to† are those experiences that are derived from nature. Nature in this sense may be the emotion of an experience with living nature, such as a majestic observance of a mountain, or it may be in the sense of human nature, such as the natural presence of a mother’s love * William Wordsworth thought that the poem should speak directly from common life â€Å"by fitting to metrical arrangement a selection of the real language of men in a state of vivid sensation† * Poetry was a tool to change peoples behaviour or as a learning mechanism. * Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity.

Uses of Radiation in Medical Industry

Uses of Radiation in the Medical Industry Although scientists have only known about radiation since the 1890s, they have developed a wide variety of uses for this natural force. Today, to benefit humankind, radiation is used in medicine, academics, and industry, as well as for generating electricity. In addition, radiation has uses in such areas as agriculture, space exploration, law enforcement, geology and many others. However, in the medical industry, radiation is used for x-rays, therapeutic uses, and in nuclear medicine procedures.The most common of these medical procedures involve the use of x-rays — a type of radiation that can pass through our skin. When x-rayed, our bones and other structures cast shadows because they are denser than our skin, and those shadows can be detected on photographic film. The effect is similar to placing a pencil behind a piece of paper and holding the pencil and paper in front of a light. The shadow of the pencil is revealed because most li ght has enough energy to pass through the paper, but the denser pencil stops all the light.The difference is that x-rays are invisible, so we need photographic film to â€Å"see† them for us. This allows doctors and dentists to spot broken bones and dental problems. X-rays and other forms of radiation also have a variety of therapeutic uses. When used in this way, they are most often intended to kill cancerous tissue, reduce the size of a tumor, or reduce pain For example, radioactive iodine is frequently used to treat thyroid cancer, a disease that strikes about 11,000 Americans every year.While it's killing the cancer, radiation therapy also can damage normal cells. The good news is that normal cells are more likely to recover from the effects of radiation. Doctors take precautions to protect a person's healthy cells when they're giving radiation treatments. Although most therapeutic uses of radiation involve the treatment of cancer, therapeutic doses may also be used to tr eat conditions such as clogged blood vessels. In addition, hospitals and radiology centers perform approximately 10 million nuclear medicine procedures in the United States each year.Nuclear medicine procedures record radiation emitting from the patient's body rather than emit radiation that is directed through the patient's body. In such procedures, doctors administer slightly radioactive substances, called radiopharmaceuticals, to patients, which are attracted to certain internal organs such as the pancreas, kidney, thyroid, liver, or brain, to diagnose clinical conditions. Nuclear medicine is primarily used for diagnosis of diseases, but it can be used to treat disease as well.Therapeutic uses include treatment of hyperthyroidism and pain relief from certain types of bone cancers. There are many uses of radiation in medicine. X-rays, therapeutic uses, and nuclear medicine are just some ways radiation is used in the medical industry. The most well known is from of radiation is usi ng x rays to see whether bones are broken. However, radiation therapy is also well-known for the treatment of disease or cancer. Lastly, radiation in nuclear medicine is used to identify abnormalities very early in the progress of a disease.

Digital Marketing Campaign for SNOW tires Term Paper

Digital Marketing Campaign for SNOW tires - Term Paper Example This campaign will include a sale of a high number of tires to the market. And the end will be to sell 200,000 tires in North America and Europe in the five winters between 2014 and 2018. This will include creating awareness to consumers in USA, Canada and the European Union and also maintain a 20% sale level in the emerging markets. Sales in these emerging markets will be boosted to 200% of primary market sales after 2018. Online marketing is going to be used as the primary system through which the tires are going to be marketed. Therefore, the plan is to provide online marketing to all the consumers and enter the markets through a unique and distinct system and process. SNOWDRIVE is faced with competition from various levels of competitors. First of all, there is the threat of new entrants which includes companies that can manufacture similar types. This is quite unlikely. Fourthly, there are threats of supplier integration which is quite unreal because SNOWDRIVE are the suppliers. Finally, the threat of competitors in the industry is not really harsh since SNOWDRIVE is innovative in its presentation of this unique winter-type of tires. Political: The policies of the United States and Canada as well as the European Union are relevant and this includes importation and taxation rules as well as Internet disclosure processes and regulations. The liberalization of trade means that promotion could be done from a centralized source and process through which the company can sell and market products. However, important federal and EU relating to the advertising of agencies including respect for local laws must be streamlined. 1. Target customer: The primary customers are young members of these developed economies. This should include the younger sections of society who spend more time online. Secondary customers should be the richer and older users of the Internet who have

Producing creative solutions to business problems Assignment

Producing creative solutions to business problems - Assignment Example It can be observed that majority of the problems leading to high turnover stem from lack of motivation. Repetitive tasks, low wages, lack of appraisal and low opportunity for growth reduce employee motivation. Staff therefore quit their jobs and move to other organizations that pay and reward them well. High turnover indicates that the organization is facing challenges with human resource management, more specifically, with employee retention. Therefore the solution to the problem will focus on designing new rewards and compensation schemes, training and development programs, and task design, which will aim at improving motivation and enhancing job satisfaction. It is suggested that managers motivate their staff by encouraging them, understanding their social needs, and acknowledging their efforts (Stoner, Robbins, Chaturvedi, Coulter, Hitt, and Manjunath, 2011). A rewards system is a great way to acknowledge an employee’s efforts. A ‘pay for performance’ model of compensation should be implemented based on which employees with higher performance will get higher rewards. The staff will be motivated to work more productively and this will increase the overall performance of the organization. At the same time, annual performance evaluation should be carried out each year. The evaluation will help in the identification of high performing employees as well as those whose performance has been below satisfactory. This way the organization can reduce its low performing staff and save its cost which can be invested back in the company. The performance evaluation will be followed by bonuses that will reward high performing staff for their efforts and performance. The distribution of bonuses will occur according to a pre-planned tier system that will highlight various performance levels with a certain bonus reward. Additionally, employees who perform very well will have chances

Financial Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Financial Accounting - Essay Example Further analysis shows that not only the Gross Margins have gone up by 1.73%, but there is huge decrease in operating expenses by 6.18% of revenue in 2005 comparing 2004.This efficiency in operating activities has been attained because of under noted contribution: The other contributor to increase in net margins is the ‘other incomes’ by 0.49%; whereas provision for taxation has snatched 2.16% of net margins. A summary showing various effects on net margin is drawn as under: Total stockholders equity has increased by $2390m, mainly because of increase in 2005 retained earnings by 1.58% as compared to 2004. There is no preferred capital and the entire equity belongs to common stockholders. The increase in stockholders equity is not as high as in increase in the net income. In nutshell, contribution of the increase in net income played the major role resulting into tremendous hike in ROE for 2005. The increases in sales and efficiency shown in the reduction of operating costs have caused a double effect in boosting the net earnings. Though total stockholders’ equity also rose in 2005 but this high was mainly caused by increase in retained earnings affected by net earning increase, maintaining the major effect resulting into increased net earnings on ROE At present The Financial Accounting Standard Board (FASB) is the body that formally issues accounting pronouncements in US. In fact FASB replaced Accounting Principal Board (APB) as the primary private body setting accounting standards for US; and in 1973 FASB formally succeeded American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) as accounting standard body. The GASB is the other body setting accounting standards for states and municipal entities. Auditing Standard Board of AICPA issued SAS 91, which in fact formally recognized FASB pronouncements within auditing standards structures. FASB issues Statement of Financial

The American Civil War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The American Civil War - Essay Example According to the Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference, page 53, â€Å"Long before the Civil War, the terms â€Å"North† and â€Å"South† had acquired fixed geographic and cultural certainty for Americans. In 1767, two English astronomers, Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, completed a survey that marked what had been a disputed boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland. By the early nineteenth century, the line of demarcation had become more significant; most free states were entirely north of the Mason-Dixon line (parts of Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, and Ohio fell below it) and most slave states were entirely to the south of it. Although this remains to a large extent accurate, there were some deviations from it during the war.†2 The two sections of the United States, the North and the South, were very different geographically, economically, culturally and to a large part, politically. Yet they shared many commonalities. Both spoke the same English la nguage. Both had gone through the Revolutionary War. Both groups were predominately Protestant. Both were fiercely independent. However, there were stark differences as well. Again, to quote from The Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference, â€Å"the regional differences were striking and had become the subject of frequent comment. The ethnic diversity of New York and Pennsylvania contrasted with the ethnic homogeneity in most of the white south; the religious practices of the Puritan in New England differed greatly from those of the Anglicans in Virginia. Some 1,200 miles separated Maine in the North from Florida in the South, but slavery could make the two sections appear worlds apart. The slave system in the South and the free labor capitalism of the North produced two distinct economic philosophies that shaded Americans’ views of those living on the opposite side of the Mason-Dixon Line†.3 Some say that lack of understanding from either side caused men to will ing take up arms against each other, even against family members. Many argue that cultural and political issues propelled the nation into civil war. Indeed they certainly had their part. Politically the North was predominately Republican while the South was predominately Democrat. But as Page Smith said in his book, Trial by Fire, â€Å"The civil war took place because the Southern states felt that they could no longer tolerate their status as members of the Union.† (pg1)4 Smith goes on to discard any suggestion that economy, sectionalism or politics, had any legitimate influence on launching the bloodiest conflict in our nation’s history. He emphatically claims that the institution of slavery and, more specifically, the determination of the North to limit it and the South to extend it were the exact and specific cause of the war. In determining whether or not the Civil War was repressible this question must be asked. Would there have been a Civil War if slavery had no t existed in the United States? Stephen Oakes, in his The Approaching Fury, speaks of a major issue regarding slaves and slave states which was current

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Research Paper

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act - Research Paper Example Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 2010 will go down in history as a major health care reform bill that has been signed into law. It has a comprehensive coverage that would see 31 million Americans currently uninsured getting a medical cover. If this new proposal, the government will incur approximately $848 billion over the next 10 years, consequently, there will be a gradual increase in taxes and revenue is proposed to reduce the total cost of this cover by $131 billion within the same period (Eaton 2010). The proposed reform aims at achieving a number of strategic healthcare goals. Firstly, it aims at ensuring that every US citizen can access, quality and affordable health care. In essence, this is an important component of the entire reform agenda. In light of the increasing burden of increasing burden of disease and skyrocketing prices of health care services, the government undertook this deliberate strategy to ensure that there is universal health care insurance cover age. Today, the majority of US citizens continues to battle with out-of-pocket financing, which is prohibitively expensive (Junior 2010). Secondly, it aims at improving quality and efficiency of healthcare by establishing a vibrant health care workforce that would meet the growing demand for healthcare services. In addition, there is a growing body of evidence showing an increase in the burden of chronic diseases, this proposed health care financing in its full implementation will see the middle and elderly persons receive a comprehensive cover that focuses on affordable health care services for chronic diseases. United States (2010) states that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has determined that the fully paid patient protection  scheme, in the end, will ensure that more than 94% of Americans will be covered within $900 billion limits set by President Obama.  

Reading engagement article review Research Paper

Reading engagement article review - Research Paper Example The first article is titled Seven Rules of Engagement: What’s Most Important to Know about Motivation to Read by Linda B. Gambrell. In the article’s introduction, Gambrell argues against the relevance of instruction whose purpose is to provide students with decoding strategies and comprehension skills. She gives substance to her argument by citing a study carried out by the OECD in 2010 under the Program for International Student Assessment, which established that students with a high interest in reading recorded much better performance than children with little interest in reading (Gambrell, 2011). Gambrell simply corroborates what many teachers have already observed in their classrooms, that below grade level and struggling readers usually have little interest in reading activities due to lack of reading motivation. Gambrell, a professor of education at Clemson University in South Carolina, bases her article on research-based sources. She combines credible findings fr om studies carried out by institutions and organizations such as the International Reading Association, to research conducted by individual scholars, including those she carried out in collaboration with other researchers. For example, Essential Reading in Motivation, by Gambrell, Marinak, and Malloy provided the author with deep insights regarding the value of motivation in reading and literacy proficiency. The author goes a step further than most other authors have done when writing about the subject of reading motivation. She not only outlines evidence backing the importance of stimulating student motivation for reading in the classroom, but also provides simple strategies which teachers can use to help boost their students’ reading motivation. As a teacher with classroom experience, I recognize that there are numerous challenges marring the process of stimulating intrinsic motivation among disengaged readers. Teachers mostly learn methods of stimulating reading motivation through interaction with more experienced colleagues. However, they bear knowledge regarding only a handful of methods, of which they are not fully conversant (Guthrie, Wigfield & Von Secker, 2000). Therefore, Gambrell has lessened the burden teachers bear in this respect by outlining seven clearly explained evidence-based rules of boosting student reading engagement. Moreover, Gambrell, provides useful classroom tips of maximizing each of the seven rules of engagement (Gambrell, 2011). The second article that I selected which has high relevance to my case study topic is titled Putting the Fun Back into Fluency Instruction by Mary Ann Cahill and Ann E. Gregory. This article focuses on the value and strategies of using fun activities to enable lower grade students master fluency while reading. The article is not research-based, but derives content from observation of another teacher’s fluency teaching methods during a classroom session. However, the authors cite extensively f rom previous research in order to corroborate the methods applied by Mrs. Victoria in her class (Cahill & Gregory, 2011). I chose this article after noting that Mrs. Victoria’s method of stimulating reading fluency has a high potential for success for a number of reasons. Firstly, she takes time at the beginning of the process to ensure that her students gain a solid understanding of the true meaning of fluency. Mrs. Victoria recognized that merely

Global Warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

Global Warming - Essay Example rs, and predominantly over the past 50 years.   Indeed, greenhouse gases have very probable caused more warming than has been detected, which is attributable to the off-setting cooling result from aerosol emissions by human. Huber and Knutti’s find that if the same trend persist, we will reach 2 °C above pre-industrial levels in the next few decades. According to National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) research in the United State, conducted in 2010, there was a finding that the ecosphere or the world can warm or cool, without any human interventions. The notion that global warming is a normal and a natural cycle is well stipulated from paleo data. This data covers the past one million years. According to these research for the past one million years the ordinary and natural climate has wavered from warm periods then ice ages. This fluctuating in and out of warm eras and ice ages is interrelated sturdily with Milankovitch phases. With the purpose of understanding the dissimilarity between natural cycle and human-caused/subjective global warming, one needs to reflect on variations in radiative coercing and how this affects systems on the globe such as the ocean chemistry, atmosphere, ice and snow, vegetation and ocean heat content inversion cycles and linked effects. The present radiative coercing levels are obviously outside of the realm of natural cycle array. The article by Huber and knutti is more convincing and conclusive as the research methodology used are clear and over a short period of time compared to the later which the data is collected from unreliable observations and assumptions over the last one million

Final Paper Week 8 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Final Paper Week 8 - Assignment Example nto five different categories namely Power (sense of wining or accomplishment), Love and Belonging (feeling of receiving love, give love, or accepted by others), Freedom (sense of autonomy, independence or having personal space), Fun( sense of pleasure and enjoyment) and Survival (basic needs of food, shelter, or sexual fulfillment). RT asserts that these essential human needs should be met in order for an individual to operate optimally. According to Dr. Glasser, every person is always struggling to achieve these needs and some of the needs are often met without the knowledge of an individual (Murdock, 2013). For instance, reaching out to support group or socializing with workmates and friends or family members is an effective way of satisfying the need for love and belonging and most of people may not be aware of this fact as they consider it an ordinary occurrence. The fact that every person is always striving to attain all the five basic needs is the central construct of Reality Therapy. This is also a clear justification that all human beings are always in control of what they want in their lives in the quest to meet their basic needs and it does not matter whether their actions help them achieve their basic desires. Murdock (2013) asserts that it is unfortunate that most individuals act inappropriately in their pursuit to achieve the basic needs and thus the issue of individual choice arises, as it is believed that it is through choices that one makes his goals attainable or not. It is noteworthy that achieving the need for love and belonging is the primary goal of most individuals as people always want to feel connected and accepted before they pursue other goals. This claim can be justified by the fact that one of the key goals of RT is to assist people reconnect with individuals they consider part of their quality world. According to RT, individuals are mainly motivated to achieve their needs but the needs for significant relationship often

Shared Talking Styles Essay Example for Free

Shared Talking Styles Essay Talking styles plays an important part of the communication in our everyday lives. These styles can both hinder and help communication. It is especially true in close relationships with others. This essay will discuss the article â€Å"Shared Talking Styles Herald New and Lasting Romance† as well as discussing the accuracy of a language style matching program and whether or not the language style matching is a comprehensive way to predict quality in an interpersonal relationship. Therefore, according to the article â€Å"sharing Talking Styles Herald New and Lasting Romance,† â€Å"a subtle, surprisingly ordinary type of playful and teasing lies at the heart of romance. Love flames get fanned when a man and women similarly employ words such as, I, it, but, and under in everyday conversation† (Bower, 2010). These words seem so little however, mean so much when used romantically. Nevertheless, the article also discusses different aspects on how those that truly hate each other can show a high amount of language style. That means those who are fighting tend to talk in similar ways. If two people like and understand each other, they will use similar wording regardless of the different nouns and verbs that they may use to communicate with each other. One way of testing this kind of communication, is a website, which will provide results of language style matching. I took a few emails that my significant other and I shared between each other while he was in Mexico working. From those emails, we only matched at 48 percent. Given the information, I feel that the results were inaccurate. I do believe that this program may present accurate results when there is enough information in the emails or text messages that are input into the program. The emails did not present much information as with our conversation we had on the telephone. I believe that this program can show a lot of good information when there is enough text for the program to do an appropriate result. This kind of can improve the aspect of how people see their relationships. I also believe that the language style matching can be a comprehensive way for the quality of interpersonal relationships to be predicted. This is not something that is needed for relationships to work; however, it is a tool that can help a couple to see at what percentage they are similar in how they speak. This can be a good tool for those that have trouble understanding each other as it will tell them what their language match percentage is. I do not suggest that you should base your relationship on the score; however, this can open each other’s eyes and how they can focus on a better way of and work on their communication style. Interpersonal relationships require a level of understanding. This is especially true in a romantic relationship. Talking styles can also be effected by self-esteem. â€Å"It is desirable to have high self-esteem. However, some individuals have such a high opinion of their self-worth that they believe they are better, more deserving, or more special than others do. An inflated self-image or extremely high self-esteem can negatively affect your friendships, work relationships, and romantic relationships† (Sole, 2011, Sec 3. ). Nevertheless, it does not matter the talking style, the self-esteem can have an adverse effect on the understanding or what you want those around you to understand. This essay discussed factors of talking styles. It described the article â€Å"Shared Talking Styles Herald New and Lasting Romance† as well as discussing accuracy in a language style-matching program. Talking styles are very important aspect in the communication that we use in our lives. Talking styles change the way that our communication is understood.

Overview of Insider Trading

Overview of Insider Trading Insider trading is the trading of a corporation’s stock or other securities (e.g. stock options or bonds) by individuals related to the company with potential access to non-public information about the company which is not disclosed to general public generally. In most countries trading by corporate insiders such as directors officers key employees and large shareholders may be legal, if this trading is done in a way that does not take advantage of non-public information which ultimately harm the investors confidence. However insider trading to refer to a practice in which an insider or a related party generally member of the company trades based on material non-public information obtained during the performance of the insider’s duties at the corporation, or otherwise in breach of a fiduciary or other relationship of trust and confidence or where the non-public information was misappropriated from the company. The illegal kind of Insider Trading is the trading in a secu rity (selling or buying a stock) based on material information that is not available to the general public. It is prohibited by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) because it is unfair and would destroy securities markets by destroying investor confidence. DEFINITION OF â€Å"INSIDER† Insider means any person who is or was connected with the company or is deemed to have been connected with the company and is reasonably expected to have access, by virtue of such connection, to unpublished price sensitive information in respect of securities of the company , or who has received or has had access to such unpublished price sensitive information. Unpublished price sensitive information means any information which relates to the following matter or is of concern , directly or indirectly , to a company, and is not generally known or published by such company for general information , but which is published or known , is likely to materially affect the price of securities of that company in the market. The following unpublished information can be considered as price sensitive: 1) Financial results of the company 2) Intended declaration of dividend 3) Issue of hares by way of public rights, bonus, etc 4) Any major expansion plans or execution of new projects 5) Amalgamation , mergers and takeovers 6) Disposal of the whole or substantially the whole of the undertaking 7) Such other information as may affect the earning of the company 8) Any changes in policies , plans or operations of the company Connected persons include the following 1) Director of the company 2) Person deemed to be director of the company 3) Person occupying the position as an officer or an employees of the company 4) Person holding a position involving a professional or business relationship between himself and the company and who may reasonably be expected to have an access to unpublished price sensitive information relating to that company Therefore a company insider is someone who has access to the important information about a company that affects its stock price or might influence investors decisions. This is called material information. A public company, if it is smart, limits the number of people who have access to material information and, therefore, are considered insiders. This is done for a couple of reasons. First, they want to limit the likelihood that anyone will â€Å"leak† the information. Second, being an insider means being subject to severe limits on when you can trade in the company stock, usually only the middle month of each quarter. The company’s senior management are insiders. So are some of the financial analysts. The top sales people usually also are insiders, although a regional sales manager who only sees his or her own region’s results may not be one. The individuals in Investor Relations and/or Public Relations who prepare the public announcements also are insiders. If t he company is developing a new product that could be a big seller, the key people in the Research Development team would also be considered insiders, provided the information they have is material. Other individuals who are not employees, but with whom the company needs to share material information, are also insiders. This list could include brokers, bankers, lawyers, etc. WHY INSIDER TRADING Insider trading may be attempted to 1) Benefit the company through unethical purchase and sale of the companys shares by withholding price sensitive information , and 2) Benefit the individuals indulging in this unethical practice CATEGORIES OF INSIDERS These are persons connected with the company having access to price sensitive information. Broadly then can be a) Primary insider e.g. directors, stock exchange, merchant bankers, registrars, brokers of the company, top executives, auditors, bank etc b) Secondary insider i.e dealer, agents and other employes etc c) Others having acess to price sensitive information due to their proximity with the company WHY CONTROL INSIDER TRADING Basic objective of controlling insider trading is to protect investors . other related objective are protecting the interest and reputation of the company, maintaining confidence in stock exchange operations, maintaining public confidence in the financial system as a whole. SIGNIFICANT PENALITIES Sections 10(b) and 14(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 give the SEC the authority to seek a court order requiring violators to give back their trading profits. The SEC can also ask the court to impose a penalty of up to three times the profit the violators realized from their insider trading. In addition to the financial penalties, there are criminal penalties. Many now feel those penalties are not strong enough and are working to increase them substantially. A bill in the US Senate, for instance, seeks to make defrauding shareholders a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.A penalty up to Rs 5 lakh can be imposed on an insider who indulge in dealing, communicating or counseling on matters relating to insider trading. PROHIBITION ON DEALING, COMMUNICATING OR COUNSELLING ON MATTERS RELATING TO INSIDER TRADING It has been laid down that no insider shall 1) Either on his own behalf or on behalf of nay other person, deal in securities of a company listed on any stock exchange on the basis of any unpublished price sensitive information; or 2) Communicate any unpublished price sensitive information to any person, with or without his request for such information, expect as required in the ordinary course of business or under any law; or 3) Counsel or procure any other person to deal in securities of any company on the basis of unpublished price sensitive information. INVESTIGATION INTO THE AFFAIR OF INSIDERS In case SEBI, on the basis of written information in its possession, is of the opinion that it is necessary to investigate and inspect the books of accounts, other records and documents of an insider, it may appoint an investigating authority a) To investigate into the complaints received from investors, intermediaries or any other person on any matter having a bearing on the allegations of insider trading; and b) To investigate knowledge or information in its possession to protect the interest of investors in securities against breach of these regulations SECURITY ANALYSIS AND INSIDER TRADING The analysts of security gather and compile information and they talk to corporate officers and other insiders and issue recommendations to traders. Thus their activities might easily cross legal lines if they are not careful about it . The CFA Institute has quoted in its code of ethics that analysts should make every effort to make all reports available to all the broker’s clients on a timely basis. Analysts should never report material nonpublic information, except in an effort to make that information available to the general public. Moreover analysts’ reports may contain a variety of information that is collected without violating insider trading laws. EFFECTS OF INSIDER TRADING THE EFFECT OF STOCK MARKET INSIDER TRADING A distinction has to be made between trading by insiders and trading by insiders on the basis of nonpublic information. As Insiders are legally allowed to buy and sell stocks. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires insiders to disclose their trades, and the financial newspapers report such trading. Investors find this information a source of valuable clues about companies. Insider trading puts a bad effect on stock market as people who earlier are willing to invest will now hesitate to invest as they will fear about the market fluctuation as market becomes more risky so as a result they would prefer not to invest. MARKET AND PRICES Stock prices too are generated by supply and demand. But supply and demand for stocks are not disembodied concepts. They are generated, obviously enough, by suppliers and demanders people with preferences, objectives, expectations, knowledge, and, therefore, plans. Part of what goes into an intention to buy or sell shares in a company is expectations about its future based on knowledge about its management, organization, and so on. These expectations are incorporated into the share price, and changes in expectations bring about changes in price. The more knowledgeable the participants, the more fully do prices perform their communications work. Nothing would undermine confidence in markets more than the belief that prices are out of date. CIVIL PENALITIES FOR INSIDER TRADING A. AUTHORITY TON IMPOSE CIVIL PENALITIES 1. JUDIIAL ACTIONS BY COMMISSION AUTHORIZED According to judicial actions by commission authority whenever it will come to the notice of commission that any person has violated any provision and regulations there under by purchasing or selling a security or security-based swap agreement while in possession of material, nonpublic information in, or has violated any such provision by communicating such information through the facilities of a national securities exchange through a broker or dealer, and which is not part of a public offering by an issuer of securities. A. This section bring an action in a United States court to seek and the court shall impose a civil penalty to be paid by a person who directly or indirectly controlled the person who committed such violation. B. may bring an action in a United States court to seek and the court shall have jurisdiction to impose a civil penalty to be paid by the person who committed such violation 2. AMOUNT OF PENALTY FOR PERSON WHO COMMITS VIOLATION The amount of the penalty which might be imposed on person who commits such violation shall be evaluated by the court in accordance of the facts and circumstances and will not exceed three times the profit gained or loss incurred as a result of such unlawful sale, purchase or communication. B. AMOUNT OF PENALTY FOR CONTROLLING PERSON The amount of penalty which might be imposed on the person who directly or indirectly control the person who commits such violation will be evaluated by the court in accordance of the facts and circumstances and will not exceed three times the amount of the profit gained or loss incurred as a result of such controlled person’s violation. C. LIMITATION ON LIABILITY 1. LIABILITY OF CONTROLLING PERSONS No controlling person shall be subject to a penalty under section (a)(1)(B) unless the Commission finds that. A. the controlling person knew the fact that such controlled person was likely to engage in the act constituting the violation and failed to take required steps to prevent such act before they occurred. B. such controlling person knowingly or unknowingly failed to establish or maintain any procedure required under the act of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and such failure substantially lead to the occurrence of the act constituting the violation. 2. ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS ON LIABILITY No person shall be subject to penalty under subsection (a) of section solely by reason of employing another person who is subject to penalty under subsection unless such employing person is liable as controlling person (1) of this subsection. shall not apply to actions subsection (a) of this section. D. AUTHORITY OF COMMISSION The Commission by such rules regulations as it considers necessary in the public interest and primarily for the protection of investors may exempt in whole or some part unconditionally or for specific terms and conditions, any person from this section. E. PROCEDURE FOR COLLECTION 1. PAYMENT OF PENALTY TO TREASURY A penalty imposed under this section shall be payable into the Treasury of the United States except as otherwise provided in section 308 2. Collection of penalties A person on whom such penalty is imposed shall fail to pay such penalty within the time prescribed in the court’s order then the Commission may refer the matter to the major Attorney General who will recover such penalty by action in the appropriate court. 3. REMEDY NOT EXCLUSIVE The actions authorized by section might be brought in addition to some other actions that the Commission are entitled to bring. 4. JURISDICTION AND VENUE For purposes of section 27 under this section shall be actions to enforce a liability or might be a duty created by this title. 5. STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS No action will be included under this section for more than 5 years after the date of the sale or purchase. This section shall not be construed to bar limit in any manner action by the Commission or under any other provision of this title nor shall it in any manner any action to recover penalties, or to seek any other order regarding penalties, imposed in any action commenced between 5 years of such transaction. F. Authority to award bounties to informants Notwithstanding the provisions of this section there shall be paid from amounts imposed as a penalty under this section and recovered by the Commission or the Attorney General and not to exceed 10 percent of such amounts as the Commission deems appropriate to the person who provide information leading to the imposition of such penalty.Any determinations under this section including in what amount to make payments shall be in the solely decided of the Commission except that no such payment shall be made to any member or officer or employee of any appropriate regulatory agency. ARTICLES Insider Trading by David D. Haddock Since the depths of the Great Depression the Securities and Exchange Commission has always tried to prevent insider trading to become that common in U.S. securities markets. Insiders that can be a firm’s principal owners or directors, and management as well as its lawyers accountants that routinely possess information that is unavailable to the general public. This is Because some of that information can affect the prices of firm’s securities as soon as it becomes public and because of this insiders can profit by buying or selling in advance. Even before the thirties insiders were held liable under the common law if they fraudulently or intentionally misled traders who were uninformed into accepting inappropriate prices. But the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 also forbid insiders from even profiting from superior information. One of the most famous instances of insider trading was of Charles F. Fogarty’s who purchased Texas Gulf Sulphur shares during 1963-1964. Fogarty, who was an executive vice president of Texas Gulf already knew that the company had discovered a rich mineral lode in Ontario and that it will not be publicize before concluding leases for mineral rights. So In the meantime Fogarty decided to purchase 3,100 Texas Gulf shares and earned $125,000 -150,000. The basic argument that is against insider trading is that the insiders should not be permitted or allowed to earn such profits at the expense of uninformed traders. Yet in all other markets where information is important for insider trading is well established and very widely accepted. For example to explain it quite well mineral leases are normally and routinely bought by those better able as Texas Gulf Sulphur’s behavior exemplified than the sellers to evaluate a site’s potential and the Cattle buyers rely on superior estimates of what packers will pay when they will negotiate. And so it goes in markets for art or for real estate or for professional athletes who are indeed in practically every market with substantial variations in the prices. In all those markets a few buyers routinely profit from knowledge that most sellers do not possess, and a few sellers profit from knowledge that most buyers do not possess. One reason frequently cited by policymakers and commentators is that insider trading undermines public confidence in the securities markets.If people fear that insiders will regularly profit at their expense, they will not be as willing to invest and frequent opportunities to trade at observable prices. Efficient securities market it is argued a require a to avoid frightening away speculators who wish to contribute to securities market liquidity and those investors who could invest their savings in markets and with less risk of insider predation. Related to this argument is very important thing that is the harm that insider trading can cause to the specialists. A specialist is the one who the stock exchange appoints to ensure that a any buyer of a particular security that is listed by the exchange can find a seller. These specialists must sell or buy to any trader whose order cannot be discharged against any other orders arriving side by side. For example if a buyer wants a hundred shares of IBM but no one wants to sell at that point of moment then the IBM specialist will sells from his inventory of IBM stock. The specialist charges a bid-ask spread to cover that cost. A bid-ask spread implies that a bit higher price is asked from someone who wishes to purchase a security than will be offered to someone who wishes to sell. An inside trader can however can sell securities to the that specialist who is the one when only he knows that the securities will soon be worth less and will be of no use. After the price had fallen the insider is very well free to repurchase the securities again from that specialist for the lower price than the intrinsic value. If it happens the specialist bears loss. If insider trading reoccurs then the security’s specialist cannot continue without recouping the funds that have been lost to informed traders. If in insider trading increased the spread and it would decrease a security’s attractiveness relative to certificates of deposit and government bonds and other assets. Raising new capital would definitely will be more costly for a firm whose securities are subjected to repeated insider trading. Therefore everything being equal insider trading makes it harder for a firm to raise money when opportunities to undertake new projects arise. Of course insiders can also profit by borrowing and selling securities when the price is apt to fall. Some argue that insider trading more likely to harm companies because damage is easier to inflict. That argument turn has been countered major actions by a company require teams not individuals. A number of financial economists and law professors take the position that insider trading ought to be legal. They put their case on the basic proposition that insider trading makes the stock market more efficient. the insider will have no incentive to trade on the information .If insider trading was legal insiders will bid the prices of stocks up or down in advance of the information being released. The result is that the price would more reflect all information both public and confidential about a company at any given time. Besides specialists the other group systematically injured by insider trading are price-function traders those who trade securities because they believe the present price is inappropriate. If an insider secretly buys securities the result is increase in price. some price function traders believe that security is now overpriced they sell but soon regret their action. Few people have the expertise to realize trading profits repeatedly. CASES SIX PEOPLE CHARGES IN INDISER TRADING CASE BILLIONAIRE RAJ RAJARATNAM, FIVE OTHERS CHARGED IN CASE updated 7:40 p.m. ET Oct. 16, 2009 One of America’s wealthiest men was among six hedge fund managers and corporate executives arrested Friday in a hedge fund insider trading case that authorities say generated more than $25 million in illegal profits and was a wake-up call for Wall Street. Raj Rajaratnam, a portfolio manager for Galleon Group, a hedge fund with up to $7 billion in assets under management, was accused of conspiring with others to use insider information to trade securities in several publicly traded companies, including Google Inc. U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara told a news conference it was the largest hedge fund case ever prosecuted and marked the first use of court-authorized wiretaps to capture conversations by suspects in an insider trading case. He said the case should cause financial professionals considering insider trades in the future to wonder whether law enforcement is listening. Joseph Demarest Jr the head of the New York FBI office, said it was clear that â€Å"the 20 million dollars in illicit profits come at the expense of the average public investor. The Securities and Exchange Commission, which brought separate civil charges, said the scheme generated more than $25 million in illegal profits. Robert Khuzami, director of enforcement at the SEC said the charges show Rajaratnam’s secret of success was not genius trading strategies. Galleon Group LLP said in a statement it was shocked to learn of Rajaratnam’s arrest at his apartment. We had no knowledge of the investigation before it was made public and we intend to cooperate fully with the relevant authorities. Rajaratnam, 52, was ranked No. 559 by Forbes magazine this year among the world’s wealthiest billionaires, with a $1.3 billion net worth. According to the Federal Election Commission. he is a generous contributor to Democratic candidates and causes. The FEC said he made over $87,000 in contributions to President Barack Obama’s campaign, the Democratic National Committee and various campaigns on behalf of Hillary Rodham Clinton, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer and New Jersey U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez in the past five years. The Center for Responsive Politics, a watchdog group, said he has given a total of $118,000 since 2004 all but one contribution, for $5,000, to Democrats. The Associated Press has learned that even before his arrest, Rajaratnam was under scrutiny for helping bankroll Sri Lankan militants notorious for suicide bombings. Papers filed in U.S.District Court in Brooklyn allege that Rajaratnam worked closely with a phony charity that channeled funds to the Tamil Tiger terrorist organization. Those papers refer to him only as Individual B. But U.S. law enforcement and government officials familiar with the case have confirmed that the individual is Rajaratnam. At an initial court appearance in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Klein sought detention for Rajaratnam, saying there was â€Å"a grave concern about flight risk† given Rajaratnam’s wealth and his frequent travels around the world. His lawyer, Jim Walden, called his client a â€Å"citizen of the world,† who has made more than $20 million in charitable donations in the last five years and had risen from humble beginnings in the finance profession to oversee hedge funds responsible for nearly $8 billion. Walden promised â€Å"there’s a lot more to this case† and his client was ready to prepare for it from home. Rajaratnam lives in a $10 million condominium with his wife of 20 years, their three children and two elderly parents. Walden noted that many of his employees were in court ready to sign a bail package on his behalf. NOMURA CAUGHT IN INSIDER TRADING SCANDAL By Emi Emoto and Aiko Hayashi TOKYO Nomura Holdings, Japan’s largest brokerage house, said on Tuesday that it had fired an employee at the centre of an insider trading ring and warned the fallout could harm its business. The insider trading scandal, the broker’s second in five years, comes on top of falling profits and $1.4 billion in subprime losses, after which the firm replaced its CEO. Recently appointed CEO Kenichi Watanabe bowed in apology for the scandal, which drew harsh comments from government officials and sent the firm’s share price down 3.9 percent. It also led to a drop-off in business at the firm on Tuesday as some institutional investors stopped placing orders due to compliance concerns, a source on the Nomura trading floor said. Watanabe said the employee at the centre of the probe had been dismissed for violating company rules and warned the case would have an unspecified impact on earnings. It was significant that we were involved in something that hurt the brokerage industry he said, adding he saw the case as an individual matter, rather than a sign of wider problems at his firm. The employee at the centre of the scandal worked in the MA advisory department where he repeatedly used insider information about merger and acquisition deals, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said. The 30-year old, from Nomura’s Hong Kong unit, was suspected of giving information on merger deals to two acquaintances who then profited on stock trades, Kyodo News agency said. N.J MAN ADMITS INSIDER TRADING By Carrie Johnson Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, June 17, 2004; Page E03 In this case a new jersey insurance broker committed that he is guilty to insider trading using that information that he had received from the husband of a secretary who took care of mergers and acquisition at a new York law firm. Ronald A. Manzo, 60, also lied to regulators at the Securities and Exchange Commission who were investigating purchases of seven stocks in 1998 and 1999, federal prosecutors in New York said.He earned more than $980,000 through the scheme, they said. Manzo could be sentenced to 40 years in prison and be fined millions of dollars. Prosecutors unsealed a related guilty plea by Fiore J. Gallucci, who allegedly passed information about pending deals from his wife, an assistant at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher Flom LLP, to Manzo to curry favor with him. Gallucci, 62, received some money from Manzo but did not trade in the stocks himself. His wife, who no longer works at Skadden. did not know he was improperly sharing the information and was not charged with breaking the law. Separately, the SEC sued Gallucci, Manzo and Gary B. Taffet, a former chief of staff to New Jersey Gov. James E. McGreevey (D), for insider trades that resulted in $3 million in profit. The SEC said that Manzo tipped off Taffet using the information he had acquired from Gallucci. Gallucci and Manzo are in negotiations to settle the civil charges but Taffet, who was not charged with a crime, is fighting the allegations. â€Å"We are disturbed at the SEC’s decision to bring charges against Mr. Taffet, whose stock trading was not based on illegally obtained information.The reality is that Mr. Taffet did not know or deal with any insider at the companies he traded, nor did he knowingly disclose nonpublic information to any third party. Managers at Skadden, one of the most prominent dealmaking law firms in the world, said they cooperated with the investigation. Regulators said the practice of insider traders using information gathered from law firm employees is not uncommon. The crux of this case is that people who are in possession of material nonpublic information for legitimate reasons need to carefully consider to whom they can entrust this information.

How does Criminology help our understanding of crime and criminals

How does Criminology help our understanding of crime and criminals Over the years many criminologists have been carried out research to find out how much Criminology has helped societys understanding of crime and criminals. Crime has been existent from the early days well before generations; however the punishments given to individuals and the way in which they are dealt with have changed over time. More greatly the definition of crime has changed and is continuing to change as new laws are constantly being brought into power . Criminology has been defined in a numerous of ways, some say criminology is the study of crime from a social and individual perspective. Looking at it from an educational approach Criminology has been defined as a social science, not only is it concerned with the causes and preventions of crime but the social impacts and reactions to it. As well as criminals themselves, others say that criminology is the study of the criminal justice and penal systems. Sutherland argued that the objective of Criminology is the development of a body of general and verified principles and of other types of knowledge regarding the process if law, crime and treatment of prevention ( T. Newburn (2007 ). Other social sciences such as sociology, psychology, law, anthropology and many others has also helped and influenced criminology which has helped to gain a deeper understanding of the subject. More importantly many criminologists have had their own personal definitions of criminology. For instance, Edwin Sutherland defined criminology as the study of composing laws, breaking laws, and societys reaction to these particular laws being broken. T. Newburn (2007). Criminology attempts to explain why certain situations or events are considered a crime in certain societies compared to others. This can be weighed down to the differences in definitions between cultures and societies. In some cases, crimes considered in some countries may be legal in others. E.g. homosexuality relationships is legally accepted in the United Kingdom compared to countries such as Uganda and many other countries in Africa and Asia where extreme punishments such as death sentences are applicable for such relationships. Crime happens on a day to day basis with different crimes ranging from petty crimes such as not paying for a train ticket to extreme crimes such as murder and rape. Criminology has helped our understanding of crime and criminals by firstly helping us define moments in criminal justice that have changed the system all together. Major events in the criminal system have helped us to reinforce what the system is all about. Events such as the Damilola Taylor, Jamie Bulger and Stephen Lawrence murder are just a few of the law changing events that have taken place in the UK within the last 20 years. Not only were these cases so extreme but they made immediate changes to the criminal justice system that has helped us to gain a deeper understanding of crime and the way in which the police have choosing to deal with this. By allowing society to have an opinion on these events and allowing them to follow the case through via the media. New laws and legislations were enforced. Aspects of crime such as stop and search also increased dramatically as police tried to hunt down more and more youths. According to the British Journal of Criminology In 1999, the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry heavily criticized ethnic disparities in stop and search (disproportionality), triggering a national reform effort to make the tactic fairer and more effective. Analyses of searches under core powers using up to 12 years of annual data from 38 police force areas in Eng land indicate that aggregate disparities showed no improvement following the reforms. (Miller. J 2010) Criminology includes the study of a number of different theories to suggest why crimes are committed. Some of the most popular are: classical, positivist, and individual trait. In addition to these major theories, there are many more other theories widely discussed and debated by criminologists. The classical theory of criminology suggests that people commit crimes when they perceive the benefits outweigh the possible costs. Under this theory, the logical way to prevent crimes is to provide harsher punishments for crimes. If the punishments are harsher, then criminals will not perceive the benefits to outweigh the possible consequences. This helps us to understand why some offenders commit the crimes that they do . The positivist theory of criminology suggests that crime is created by both internal and external factors outside of an individuals control. These may include biological factors or social factors. Social factors leading to criminal behaviour include such things as poverty and education. In some ways, opening up educational opportunities and employment opportunities could prevent crime, according to this theory. On the other hand the individual trait theory explains that criminals differ from non criminals on a number of biological and psychological traits. These traits cause crime in interaction with the social environment. The understanding of sociology has helped us to understand criminology and how it helps our understanding of criminals. The functionalists approach of sociology states that society is like biological organism which has sub systems that are interrelated. They all have individual purposes of being existent and believe that society is based on a value consensus. The functionalists approach states that the values are learned through the family by primary socialisation which is where the parents teach the children what is expected and tolerated by society. The breakdown of this process is the lack of family socialisation meaning the children then grow up to be unusual members of society and go against what is expected from everyone. This helps us to understand why some people result to crime as the sociological approach stated that they were not socialised accordingly. The sociological approach also helps us to understand why crime and criminals are existent and how vital it to have so th at society is able to function. Cohen, a sociologist stated that in order for society to function accordingly crime most be present as it helps to prevent further crime and also ensure that the society is running normally without crime it will be clearly aware that there is a problem. Criminal psychology also helps us to understand to crime and criminals as it is a branch of the field of psychology which focuses on criminals. Different approaches try to help us understand crime , especially criminals and why it is they partake in the crime that they do. The biological approach in psychology states that it is chemicals, genetics, intelligence and psychic functions that leads them to commit crime. For example , the study of genetics and individual differences was of interest to psychologists, as seen in the first empirical studies of intelligence (e.g. Spearman 1972) . The approach also states that the individual was born as a criminal. Other explanations such as the social explanation sates the persons social status is what is causing them to commit crime they may have been isolated. A psychologist Freud, also used his psychodynamic approach to try and explain criminal behaviour. He stated that all humans have natural drives and urges repressed in the unconscious. Furthermore, all humans have criminal tendencies. Through the process of socialization, however, these tendencies are curbed by the development of inner controls that are learned through childhood experience. Freud hypothesized that the most common element that contributed to criminal behaviour was faulty identification by a child with her or his parents. This could be said to be linked to how sociology helps us understand criminals .The improperly socialized child may develop a personality disturbance that causes her or him to direct antisocial impulses inward or outward. The child who directs them outward becomes a criminal, and the child that directs them inward becomes a neurotic. The Cognitive Development Theory also helps us to understand crime and criminals. According to this approach, criminal behaviour results from the way in which people organise their thoughts about morality and the law. In 1958, Lawrence Kohlberg, a developmental psychologist, formulated a theory concerning the development of moral reasoning. He claimed that there were three levels of moral reasoning, each consisting of two stages. During middle childhood, children are at the first level of moral development. At this level, the pre conventional level, moral reasoning is based on obedience and avoiding punishment. The second level, the conventional level of moral development, is reached at the end of middle childhood. The moral reasoning of individuals at this level is based on the expectations that their family and significant others have for them. Kohlberg found that the transition to the third level, the post conventional level of moral development, usually occurs during early adulthood. At this level, individuals are able to go beyond social conventions. They value the laws of the social system; however, they are open to acting as agents of change to improve the existing law and order. People who do not progress through the stages may become arrested in their moral development, and consequently become delinquents and start to commit crimes . The approaches to criminology, help us to understand crime and criminals more deeply. The Classicists Approach believe that every human has the ability to make decisions and is responsible for their individual actions. Therefore, if he or she decides to take part on behaviour that breaks the law, he or she by default is to be punished. Punishment succeeds crime is what they say. They move on to say that having penalties in the criminal justice system will help keep a control on the number of crimes, such that people due to the fear of punishment will avoid committing crimes. Classicists believe that Crime occurs when the benefits outweigh the costs. When people pursue self-interest in the absence of effective punishments. Crime is a free-willed choice. This helps us to understand criminals and the realities of crime and why they do what they do. It also equips us with practical measures to enable us to contribute and make a difference in such areas of life. It gives society the broad er picture of crime happening. Another approach to criminology is the positivists approach which tries to explain crime and criminals. According to positivists, humans react the way they do because of certain internal and external influences. These influences sometimes cause the person to lose control and take extreme decisions he or she normally would not have taken. The states that Crime is caused or determined. Lombroso placed more emphasis on biological deficiencies, whereas later scholars would emphasize psychological and sociological factors. Through the use of Victimology and victims it is possible to understand crime and criminals. The 1985 United Nations Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power Offers a definition of victims: They state that victims refers to persons who, individually or collectively have suffered hurt of any shape or form this could be from physical harm, mental injury, emotional suffering, economic loss or substantial of their fundamental rights . (Newburn T , 2007, p.342). Their second definition is that a person may be considered a victim, under this Declaration , regardless of whether the perpetrator is identified, apprehended , prosecuted or convicted.'(Newburn T. (2007). An alternative approach developed by a criminologist Nils Christie (1986) put together characteristics in which he believed idealised a typical image of victims and offenders he named a few characteristics in which he believed that victims may have these consists of being weak these c h aracteristic are generally seen in females or the very old the sick or very young. The victim is blameless for what is happening and cannot control what is happening this helps us to understand criminals and why they choose the victims that they do. Overall crime is a socially constructed behaviour. It is what others in society see as deviating from the social norm which is then labelled as crime. This is mainly because they see this behaviour as not being acceptable by society and breaks the social norm which must therefore mean what the individual is doing is illegal. From researching and trying to find explanations it is clear that there are many ways in which criminology helps to explain crime and criminals. The different approaches and theories gives specific as well as biological and sociological explanations. It helps us to give explanations of why some criminals do what they do. as we move on in the criminal justice system there will be more and more aspects that let us know why crime and criminals exist. Criminology tries to explain why there are differences and why there are some crimes are nearly universal.

Essay on John Milton’s Paradise Lost - Defense for the Allegory of Sin

Defense for the Allegory of Sin and Death in Paradise Lost Milton claims his epic poem Paradise Lost exceeds the work of his accomplished predecessors. He argues that he tackles the most difficult task of recounting the history of not just one hero, but the entire human race. However, he does not appear to follow the conventional rules of an epic when he introduces an allegory into Paradise Lost through his portrayal of Sin and Death in Book II. Some readers denounce his work for this inconsistency, but others justify his action and uncover extremely important symbolism from this "forbidden" literal device. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines an epic "a long narrative poem in elevated style recounting the deeds of a legendary or historical hero" ("epic," def. 1) and allegory as "the expression by means of symbolic fictional figures and actions of truths or generalizations about human existence" ("allegory," def. 1). Based on these definitions, it is unclear whether allegories fit into a true epic. From one perspective, such extended symbolism is not appropriate because it relies on "fictional figures" whereas an epic is based on a "historical hero". For this reason, some readers may dislike Milton’s extended symbolism of Sin and Death since it violates the traditional form of an epic. However From another point of view, an allegory is an acceptable literary component to an epic because it is considered an element of "elevated style". Therefore, other readers may see nothing wrong with Milton’s literary decision. Milton’s poetic license entitles him to write as he pleases and therefore justifies his adaptation of an allegory into his epic. It is clearly apparent that Milton recognizes this privilege when... ...ilton relies heavily on the Bible for much of his information. With Milton’s timeframe and era for writing Paradise Lost in mind, we can justify his choice to incorporate an allegory into his epic. Allegories present meanings on two levels, one literal and the other hidden, which often expresses a moral or idea produced by the author. With this in mind, the allegory is key to understanding many parts of Paradise lots since Milton addresses so many issues in this one scene. Within the allegory alone, we discover extensive symbolism and wonder if there are more details to be uncovered each time we study the epic. Milton effectively elicits his readers’ attention by raising such controversy and holds our fascination with his intriguing hidden ideas, meanings, and symbolic relationships. Works Cited Milton, John. Paradise Lost. New York: W.W. Norton, 1993. Â  

Ethics of Cookies Essay -- Technology Computers Internet Essays

Ethics of Cookies eth ·ic 1 plural but singular or plural in construction : the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation 2 a : a set of moral principles or values b : a theory or system of moral values <the present-day materialistic ethic> c plural but singular or plural in construction : the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group <professional ethics> d : a guiding philosophy HTTP cookie <World-Wide Web> A packet of information sent by an HTTP server to a World-Wide Web browser and then sent back by the browser each time it accesses that server. Cookies can contain any arbitrary information the server chooses and are used to maintain state between otherwise stateless HTTP transactions. Typically this is used to authenticate or identify a registered user of a web site without requiring them to sign in again every time they access that site. Other uses are, e.g. maintaining a "shopping basket" of goods you have selected to purchase during a session at a site, site personalisation (presenting different pages to different users), tracking a particular user's access to a site. This day and age, it is undisputed that computers are one of the greatest tools for a person to have, and a not having a connection to the internet is a dreadful; thought for others. The programs that are used by internet servers are a technology that advance so quickly, that it is difficult for a user to know with what he or she is exactly interacting. For example, if a user were to be browsing through a web site to buy a product, the web site (the server) could build a cookie for the user. The information that a cookie collects is claimed to be harmless by the w... ...may be one answer to this fear of privacy protection but, ultimately it is the responsibility of the internet users and servers to stay informed of the many different risks of the internet. Bibliography Glassberg, Richy. "Don't Fear the Cookie Monster." Mediaweek. 2 Oct. 2000: IQ38. Santa Clara University Expanded Academic Index. The Gale Group. 15 Nov. 2000. <http://w.../purl=rcl_EAIM_0_A66014940&dyn=5!xrn_4_0_A66014940?sw_aep=scuweb_cn> "How Web Servers' Cookies Threaten Your Privacy." Junk Busters. 14 Nov. 2000 <http://www.junkbusters.com/ht/en/cookies.html> Lawler, Barbera. "Hot button: online privacy." Silicon Valley News. 5 Nov. 2000. San Jose Mercury News. 15 Nov 2000 <http://www.mercuryce...news/viewpoints/docs/Soapbox05.htm> "Persistent Cookie FAQ." Cookie Central. 14 Nov 2000. <http://www.cookiecentral.com/faq.htm>

Les Misérables Essay

Victor Hugo – Les Miserables BACKGROUND : Victor Marie Hugo was the son of a general in Napoleon’s army, and much of his childhood was therefore spent amid the backdrop of Napoleon’s campaigns in Spain and in Italy. The first three years of his life were spent in Elba, where he learnt to speak the Italian dialect spoken in the island in addition to his mother tongue. Victor got a little education in a small school. At the age of eleven, Hugo returned to live with his mother in Paris, where he got a little education in a small and where he also became infatuated with books and literature. By the time he was fifteen, he had already submitted one poem to a contest sponsored by the prestigious French Academy. There he learnt much from an old soldier, General Lahorie, who, obnoxious to Napoleon for the share he had taken in Moreau’s plot, lived secretly in the house, and from an old priest named Lariviere, who came every day to teach Victor and his two brothers. In 1815, at the age of thirteen, he was sent to a boarding school to prepare for the Ecole Polytechnique. But he devoted himself, even at school, to verse-writing with greater ardour than to study. He wrote in early youth more than one poem for a prize competition, composed a romance which some years later he elaborated into the story Bug Jargal, and in 1820, when only eighteen, joined his two brothers, Abel and Eugene, in publishing a literary journal called Le Conservateur Litteraire. Hugo published his first novel the year following his marriage (Han d’Islande, 1823) and his second three years later (Bug-Jargal, 1826). By the end of 1822 Victor Hugo was fully launched on a literary career, and for twenty years or more the story of his life is mainly the story of his literary output. Because of his successful drama Cormwell, the preface to which, with its note of defiance to literary convention, caused him to be definitely accepted as the head of the Romantic School of poetry. The revolution of 1830 disturbed for a moment his literary activity, but as soon as things were quiet again he shut himself in his study with a bottle of ink, a pen, and an immense pile of paper. For six weeks he was never seen, except at dinner-time, and the result was : The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831). During the next ten years four volumes of poetry and four dramas were published in 1841 came his election to the Academy, and in 1843 he published Les Burgraves, a drama which was less successful than his former plays, and which marks the close of his career as a dramatist. In the same year there came to him the greatest sorrow of his life. His most famous poem was ‘Demain, des l’aube’ in which he describes the crucial moment where he visits his daughters grave. As Hugo grew older, his politics became increasingly leftist, and he was forced to flee France in 1851 because of his opposition to the monarch Louis Napoleon. Hugo remained in exile until 1870, when he returned to his home country as a national hero. He continued to write until his death in 1885. He was buried with every conceivable honor in one of the grandest funerals in modern French history. The Book – Les Miserable : Hugo began writing Les Miserables twenty years before its eventual publication in 1862. His goals in writing the novel were as lofty as the reputation it has subsequently acquired; Les Miserables is primarily a great humanitarian work that encourages compassion and hope in the face of adversity and injustice. It is also, however, a historical novel of great scope and analysis, and it provides a detailed vision of nineteenth-century French politics and society. By coupling his story of redemption with a meticulous documentation of the injustices of France’s recent past, Hugo hoped Les Miserables would encourage a more progressive and democratic future. Driven by his commitment to reform and progress, Hugo wrote Les Miserables with nothing less than a literary and political revolution in mind. Les Miserables employs Hugo’s style of imaginative realism and is set in an artificially created human hell that emphasizes the three major predicaments of the nineteenth century. Each of the three major characters in the novel symbolizes one of these predicaments: Jean Valjean represents the degradation of man in the proletariat, Fantine represents the subjection of women through hunger, and Cosette represents the atrophy of the child by darkness. In part, the novel’s fame has endured because Hugo successfully created characters that serve as symbols of larger problems without being flat devices.

Organisation’s present and future information technology capability Essay

Conduct a detailed investigation of the organisation’s present and future information technology requirements insofar as they will impact on document production processes. Write a report in which you set out details of your findings. Include details of any information which you were not able to access but which would have assisted you to evaluate the organisation’s present and future information technology capability. Overview The organization that I’m currently based at comprises of two separate cafes. There is a main site (site 1) where most of the production is produced and then delivered to the second smaller site (site 2). The main site is where the majority of the paperwork is done and the majority of work is also done from there. Site 1 comprises of a desktop PC which is networked to a Point of Sale system at both sites and a printer. There are also email capabilities from the PC. Site 2 consists of only a Point of Sale system and they receive all documentation from Site 1. The only form of communication available is through the telephone. There is a major emphasis with both sites on compliance control such as temperature monitoring, pest recording, maintenance recording, product and menu signage, and cleaning records. Information Technology Requirements There could be a number of changes that would improve the communication between the two sites and the running of Site 2. A PC and a printer installed at Site 2 would enhance the efficiency of accessing documents required to fulfill compliance requirements. The addition of email access would also enhance the communication between sites and quick sharing of documents and menu updates. Email would also speed up the process of emailing documents such as maintenance requests, OFI requests, and other related material and provide a resource management system for ordering of paper, ink cartridges, etc. The daily counting of the till could also be instantly processed. Document Standards There is a good process in place for the standardization of documents but there is room for improvement. Document standards for menu design and  specials boards need to be implemented as there is inconsistency in layout, font type, font size, and punctuation. A standard template for all documents need to be designed with protected areas to ensure consistency and control. A form should also be developed to provide the staff with the opportunity to request alterations. Security measures need to be in place to ensure employees do not use standard documents for non-work related purposes and that privacy legislation is being enforced. There should also be schedualled automatic backups of documents to minimise staff disruption and prevent data loss.

Siebel’s Critical Success

The definition of Customer Relationship Management is providing exceptional customer service. This entails rapid responses to all customer inquiries and demonstrations of active concern for customer satisfaction. CRM is a comprehensive sales and marketing approach to building long term customer relationships and improving business performance. It is a way of helping an enterprise manage customer relationships in an organized way. For example, an enterprise might build a database about its customers that described relationships in sufficient detail. The best Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems include: 1) The ability to provide faster response to customer inquiries 2) Increased efficiency through automation 3) Having a deeper knowledge of customers 4) Getting more marketing or cross-selling opportunities 5) Identifying the most profitable customers 6) Receiving customer feedback that leads to new and improved products or services 8) Obtaining information that can be shared with the company's business partners. How Siebel's Critical Success Factors assists in the internal growth of the company and their competitive advantage. Siebel Systems enable organizations to create a single source of customer information that makes it easier to sell to, market to, and service customers across multiple channels, including the Web, call centers, field, resellers, retail, and dealer networks. This is done by providing a comprehensive family of multichannel eBusiness applications and services. Built on a proven, component-based architecture, Siebel eBusiness Applications are designed from the ground up to be completely Web-based, deliver support for multiple computing platforms, and provide automatic upgrades and software distribution that significantly reduce the total cost of ownership. By using the web Siebel use a common channel to market their wares which financial feasible, considering the amount of information they have to make available to existing and potential customers. The fact that one of their CSF's is to satisfy customers through any service channel, is an advantage that would benefit Siebel in terms of internal growth and competition. Since they have such a multiplicity of service channels incorporating many aspects of customer cohesion, they have a competitive edge over other companies offering the same services. How Siebel address it's clients needs – Siebel eBusiness Applications allow organizations to create a single source of customer information that makes it easier to sell to, market to, and service customers across multiple channels, including the Web, call centers, field, resellers, retail, and dealer networks. The multiplicity of the informative avenues that they provide is very compatible with whatever variety of customers they may come into contact with. – They provide support for all the major computing platforms including mobile clients, connected clients, thin clients, and handheld clients. – Create a single source of customer and product information that can be used to tailor product and service offerings to meet the unique needs of each customer across all channels of customer interaction – Deliver the only integrated, multichannel, Web-based configuration solution that is easy to use, deploy, and maintain Critical Success Factors of Claritas Claritas is a provider of marketing data. This data is arranged so that their customers can more easily initiate contact with customers in whatever field they choose to apply. Their users can target their own consumer needs so that the product or service they use can be tailored to fit the desired customer. The vast areas that their data covers i.e. trends, geographical locations and important events, ensures that they offer the best service possible for the service that they are offering which is a resource for marketing needs. This is a competitive advantage and as their clients speak of their efficiency to colleagues, this can only mean internal growth in favour of the company. Claritas addresses its clients needs by combining customer data with unique market information and insights enabling its clients to systematically identify, quantify, reach, and retain their most profitable customers. Their ways of doing this are by providing geodemographic information, qualitative audience research, and highly detailed data on advertising spending across all media. This is a main Critical Success Factor. It involves providing customers with all the information that is available and necessary to gain and retain customers. The service Siebel offers is providing comprehensive application software that can reach a plethora of customers by travelling through many avenues such as the Web, field, retail networks. This service can be improved by Claritas marketing data which can help direct Siebel's customers to choose the appropriate channel to reach the customers through. In layman terms, Claritas provides the information about the customers and Siebel provides the means in which to contact the customers. This can help both companies and allow them to mutually benefit from each other's strengths. What is a call centre infrastructure? The call centre is a central information point, which the rest of the company can use to gather data about the relationship between companies, products and customers. Murphy Brewery has 9,000 customers base. The problem with them is that their customers were presented with various points of contact within our organization without any one individual taking responsibility for a specific order, query, or request. Customers found that their requests and queries often went unresolved. This information was derived through conducting a self-commissioned survey. The solution was to establish a Customer Care service, i.e. a call centre, that would integrate all concerned information for any agent dealing with a customer. By understanding how customer trends are moving, a company can control the bases of their existence, their customers, and thus maintain a competitive edge over their rivals like Murphy Brewers. This relates to CRM because it is providing the best customer service possible by knowing the customer needs. Activity 2: A Power Analysis of your position Activity 3: Research Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Benchmarking. The definition of ERP is an attempt to integrate all departments and functions across a company onto a single computer system that can serve all those different departments' particular needs. It facilitates communication and enables information to be shared more easily. In the business sense for example, if an order is made, it can be done with all the information about the product or service being ordered available and by eliminating the need to go into different departments, it saves time. Benchmarking involves setting a baseline against what a company should have done or being doing to remain competitive. This follows certain criteria such as portability, flexibility, geographical application, facility of integration and facility of implementation. PeopleSoft run a client server architecture supporting Windows, cell phone technology (WAP), Unix, Linux and Macintosh. They are able to cater for industries, the federal government, Healthcare, manufacturing, Higher Education, Retail and Utilities. This shows an ability to tailor packages for almost any given enterprise. PeopleSoft can implement applications that can handle enterprises on a world wide basis.Facility of integration They offer an open integration platform to connect your enterprise to almost any form of enterprise which links to their application on worldwide basis. Facility of Implementation Their software can be easily implemented and installed if desired. PeopleSoft offers a complete packaged software solution for medium sized companies. Since 1987, they have built global enterprise application solutions that meet the changing business demands of organizations worldwide. Portablity The company whose ERP systems are being benchmarked is called SAP. Linux, WAP (Mobile phone communications) and Unix. Flexibility Offers custom made solutions and off the shelf industry solutions. Geographical application Supports global e-commerce, allowing the organisation to trade world wide with their systems. Facility of integration All major departments can be integrated into a large software solution. Facility of implementation Support provided after the software package has been purchased by a company. Activity 4: Profiling a Strategic team: Executive EQ test The company mission statement appears to be the best British garden magazine. They aspire to become the leading focus of expertise in garden designing, house decoration and culinary worldwide. For example, the service of providing gardening lessons through the Internet could be offered, and eventually they would expand into other educational areas. They seek to explore other medium attaining international coverage. A means of doing this could be by using SPY IN THE SKY services enabling HiMAC to take aerial photos of any garden and sell specialised tours. This would serve as a means to provide course over the Internet. This involved aligning financial activities and reports for all titles. In terms of business change, they proposed to have a team solely devoted to dealing with customer queries. They recognised the need for the customer base to expand in order to deal with a greater diversity of customers. They noted some supplier that could help the primary set up of computer based courses as a support if HiMAC took up more educational courses for other organisations. There was a recognition for the need of some departments to receive training for these new technologies. The accounting functions needed to be integrated into one single report. The decision to copy the model of an Internet based course from SurferTeaching Company was both good and bad. It was good in the sense that by copying, it reduced labour content with less work being involved than if one was innovative. It also provided less work by speeding up processes. It was bad in the sense that by copying another practice, it might not have been tailored for HiMAC as a specific company and thus caused problems like internal division. By not being specifically tailored for their company, its design would not cater for their CSF, goals and objectives. Secondly, the practice may carry inherent imperfections which HiMAC might not recognise and breed into their companies thus bringing new issues to consider.